Murray Life Magazine by Helix Creative, LLC

24 Carson Center:

A Decade of Wonder Robert A. Valentine

Fort Heiman:

Reborn Larry Ray

Those “Dam” Birds! Carrie Szwed

The First Word . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Robert A. Valentine

Notes & Neighbors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Murray Life Staff

Guess What Trivia Quiz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Paige Graves

Count On It . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Paige Graves

Pet Pause . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Rachel Gage

A Laughing Matter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Paige Graves

1914: War, Drought, and a Ladies Room . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Robert A. Valentine

The Murray Shakespeare Festival . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Dr. William (Rusty) Jones

Taste the Adventure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Caina Lynch

Bending Bluegrass: Bawn in the Mash . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Casey Northcutt

Calloway County’s First Confederates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 Dieter C. Ullrich

Dining Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 Murray Life Staff

Calendar of Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 What’s Happening & Where

The Last Word . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 Robert A. Valentine

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VolumE 21 - numbEr 1 - SummEr 2014 Printed in the USA www.mymurraylife.com .........................................................................

Publisher robert Valentine Sales Director lisa rhodes Associate Managing Editor Paige Graves Art Director Justin b. Kimbro, Helix Creative, llC Assistant Art Director Amanda G. newman, Helix Creative, llC Editorial Staff Paige Graves | Caina lynch | robert Valentine Internet Consultant Justin b. Kimbro, Helix Creative, llC Staff Photography Justin b. Kimbro | Caina lynch Terry little | W. Gross magee | Chris ray Contributing Writers ron Arant | Erin Carrico | Kenny Darnell brooke Gilley | Paige Graves Caina lynch | John Pollpeter larry ray | robert Valentine | Aviva Yasgur Printing Copy Plus, murray, Kentucky murray life is published five times annually for the murray area. All contents copyright 2013 by murray life Productions. reproduction or use of the contents without written permission is prohibited. Comments written in this magazine are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the ownership or management of murray life. Subscription rate is $15.00 per year, two years $25.00. Subscription inquiries and all remittances should be made to murray life: Po box 894, murray, KY 42071. Subscriptions may also be made through the Web site, www.mymurraylife.com. All advertising inquiries should be directed to the managing Editor at: Po box 894, or by calling 270-753-5225. E-mail us at: murraylife@aol.com This magazine accepts no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts, photography or artwork. All submissions may be edited for length, clarity and style.

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[ $ ] the first word

Here We Go, Again by: Robert A. Valentine

"I know of no way of judging of the future but by the past." - Patrick Henry

his is usually the issue in which Murray Life celebrates the escape from the imprisoned safety of the winter home and launch into nature’s celebration of life: mud, dirt, rain, wind, flowers, buds, sun and all. We’ve had quite enough of cold, thank you. However, as if traditions mean nothing, our springtime Murray Life has become “the history issue.” In addition to our annual review of Calloway County a century ago, we offer a look at Calloway’s first confederates, courtesy of Murray State’s archivist, Deiter Ullrich. Larry Ray concludes his five-part series on our only civil war site, Fort Heiman, with an introduction to visit the newly-refurbished site which is still in the process of being restored. In more recent history, we’ll take a look at the decade of musical invention that is “Bawn in the Mash,” through the pen of our old friend Casey Watson. We’ll recount the years during which Shakespeare has dominated the merry month of March at Murray State with the help of Rusty Jones, our resident impresario for the Bard. Finally, we’ll look back at the decade of wonder that has been the Carson Center in Paducah: a magnet for talent and a showcase for culture that has earned the respect of artists as it changed the face of the arts in our region. Our hope is that a better view of our history will give us some insight into our present and our future. But not to worry: the puppies and kittens of the Humane Society continue to bring their stories with the help of Kathie Hodge and her colleagues, and the birds and beast of the Land Between the Lakes – and your own backyard – are still being sought and celebrated by your friends from the Nature Station. This time, Carrie Swed cleans the lenses of her field glasses as looks with us at “Those Dam Birds” who can so often best be seen around

the lakelands two great dams, Barkley and Kentucky. Please pardon our attempt at humor – none of us could resist, darn it. Our culinary queen, Caina Lynch, gives us a look at food on the far side of the pond as she tours Europe – in reality as well as on the pages of our magazine. Unable to ignore a badly-needed spring, we have invited our old friend, Kenny Darnell, to reflect again on that happy season of promise and relief. His reflection will warm your soul. Spend your leisure time wisely with the help of our calendar of events, and find out what you missed in the last few weeks with our “Notes ‘n’ Neighbors” feature. Plan your evening out with our dining guide, work puzzles, take trivia quizzes, and enjoy news in insights from gardening to humor. You can do it all again on your computer by visiting www.mymurraylife.com or visiting us on Facebook. The outside world is reopening for business, and we are ready. On that first warm spring day, when you can sit on the porch or patio and feel the sun warm your bones and your soul, we hope a copy of Murray Life might be right beside you to share the once-in-a-year s moment. Enjoy!

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[  ] notes & neighbors

Kevin Qualls takes Murray to TV If you saw Murray’s own Rainey T. Wells on Kentucky Education Television, you can thank Prof. Kevin Qualls of the MSU Department of Journalism and Mass Communication. Following the 90th Anniversary of the University’s founding in 1922, a number of programs on campus featured the contribution of the west Kentucky educator and political leader. Qualls became interested in “the Founder” as the subject of a video biography and proposed the project to KET. The result began airing on the KET member stations in December, and it will continue to be seen on an irregular schedule throughout the spring. "I've always believed that one person can make a difference, and I've always admired those people who create opportunities

for those around them,” said Qualls. MSU’s chairman of the Department of Journalism and Mass Communication, Dr. Robert

comments and some of his actual speeches to students in historic Wrather Hall. “The character of Rainey Wells is a formula for success still today,” he told us. “I hope that this production will inspire a whole new generation with the timeless values that brought Rainey Wells the success that we all still enjoy as members of the Murray State community." Veteran film actors Robert Valentine and Robert Norsworthy appear in reenacted scenes from Wells’ storied career as an educational leader.

Lochte, suggested Wells as a subject for a documentary, and the idea immediately struck a cord with Qualls. Using TV production students as a creative team, the 30-minute video captures iconic images of Murray State, including rarely-seen historic sights, reenactments of Wells’ private

Professor Kevin Qualls admiring the statue of Wells

If you missed it on KET, a showing is scheduled for the Cheri Theatre at 3:30 on Friday, March 28. “The Legendary Rainey T. Wells” is preserving the facts about a hero of Murray and all of west Kentucky. s

Robert Valentine and Robert Norsworthy

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[  ] notes & neighbors

Lawyer Easley Takes Up the Pen deserts the factual basis of the tragic murder of Graves County Sheriff John Roach, yet always flows like an eye-witness recounting events; as if you were listening to a neighbor as you sit on the porch swing in the evening.

Sid Easley may well be one of the best known personalities in Murray. The former judge and chairman of the MSU Board of Regents is an attorney of note, but is now revealed as an author with great storytelling skill and a prodigious command of fact and perspective.

book that will make as good a gift as it will be an asset to your own library. s

The first printing will inevitably sell out even before everyone hears about the publication. Copies are available at the MSU University Store in the Curris Center, at New Life Christian Books and at Bookmark on the square, as well as the law offices at 204 South 6th Street.

A book signing at the MSU Faculty Club for the benefit of the History Department introduced A Courthouse Tragedy: Politics, Murder, and Redemption in a Small Kentucky Town to many fans and readers. The work presents history in a rare combination of journalistic reporting and narrative storytelling that never

This is a story well worth the hearing – or reading – and a

On the Cover thought we would break our 14year tradition of featuring things from Murray and Calloway County on the cover.

Among the startling visions available at the Luther F. Carson Four Rivers Center for the Arts in Paducah is the Carson Center

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itself. As the showplace for music, theatre, dance, comedy and the graphic arts celebrates its tenth birthday this year, we

We congratulate those thousands who have played a part in building, maintaining and growing this vital regional asset, and we appreciate the generous help of Marketing Director Lisa Lauck and all the Four Rivers Family who helped us discover and report the wonder that continues to build a national reputation as a great place to perform and an even better place to partake of art in all its forms. s

[  ] notes & neighbors

Warm Hearts in Cold Weather Back in the dead of winter – and we do mean “dead” – the Nature Station at LBL became barely reachable by road as ice and continual temperatures in single digits plagued the alreadyremote roadways of the Land Between the Lakes.

Many of these LBL naturalists regularly write for the Nature section of Murray Life, and we are proud to commend their spirit of service and their willingness to sacrifice so we can share in the wonders of nature. If you’d like to show your appreciation, just

schedule a visit to the Nature Station or the Homeplace this spring or summer. They will be glad to show you the nature you can’t see from your window, and will probably modestly smile when you say, “Thanks for all your work last winter.” s

To make matters worse, falling limbs cut the electricity to the Nature Station where dozens of creatures from deer to wolves to turtles, snakes and frogs are protected for viewing by families throughout the year. Once again, the naturalists and other staffers braved the cold and the hazardous roads, rigged temporary shelters and heat sources, and “baby sat” their wild charges while the rest of us cussed the Weather Channel and wrote letters to Congress from the heated comfort of our living rooms.

We Pause . . . Fans of our on-going series, “Coming of Age in Calloway,” will be disappointed to see a short recess in the recounting of childhood in the county. The press of timely stories and a problem with research suggested that we take a break before proceeding with our visit to the Hazel of yesterday – our next stop.

In the meantime, we’d love to hear what childhood was like in the eastern communities: New Concord, Providence, Faxon and the like. That’s where we’re headed next, and we hope you will let your story be one of the collection. Contact us by mail at Murray Life Magazine, Box 894, Murray, KY 42071. Watch for the series to resume in our Summer edition, scheduled for May. s

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[ ď&#x201A;Ş ] guess what

Tip-off Trivia by: Paige Graves March Madness is something the biggest fans look forward to for months, but don't think our town doesn't have basketball on the brain all year long! If you've been out of the loop (or the hoop) for a while, try your luck and kick start the Madness with a little bit of trivia. Answers on page 19, but no peeking!

1. What popular move was banned from college basketball in 1967, to be reinstated in 1976? a. The baseball pass b. The crossover c. The double dribble d. The slam dunk

5. Which 15th-seeded underdogs upset No. 2 seed, Arizona, in 1993? a. Gonzaga b. UCLA c. Santa Clara d. Florida

6. What year saw seven players from the Final Four get drafted into the NBA?

2. Who is the the all-time leading NCAA Division I scorer? a. Jerry Lucas b. Pete Maravich c. Wilt Chamberlain d. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

a. 1992 b. 2001 c. 1996 d. 1989

7. Which 1980 team was known as "the Doctors of Dunk"?

3. Where was the first NCAA Men's Basketball Championship Tournament held?

a. Louisville b. Iowa c. Kentucky d. Notre Dame

a. Municipal Auditorium b. Freedom Hall c. Madison Square Garden d. Patten Gymnasium

8. Who is the only coach to win both an NCAA and an NBA title?

4. What school did NBA great, Larry Bird, play for in the NCAA?

a. Pat Riley b. Larry Brown c. Mike Krzyzewski d. Phil Jackson

a. Murray State University b. Duke c. Indiana State d. Michigan State

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9. Which of these pairings of NCAA championship game teams resulted in the first championship game to go into overtime? a. North Carolina and Kansas b. Cincinnati and Ohio State c. Utah and Dartmouth d. Loyola (Illinois) and Cincinnati

10. Murray State team member Danero Thomas hit the gamewinning basket against this #4 school in 2010, giving the Racers their first NCAA victory since 1988. a. North Carolina b. Butler c. Vanderbilt d. Austin Peay

[ ď&#x192;&#x2039; ] count on it

Count On It: College Edition by: Paige Graves

The cost of college can be frighteningâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;even more so than the thought of 8 a.m. classes. Despite the fact that your old Alma Mater may have set you back financially, we hope you'll agree that it was worth every penny. The access to higher education is a privilege, so choose wisely!

42%:

College graduates with debt who live paycheck to paycheck

$20,770:

Average cost of one year of tuition for an out of state college

$8,244:

Average cost of one year of tuition for an in state college

$69.18:

Average amount a student would have to pay back each day to pay off loans in one year, assuming there's no interest.

$13 Billion:

Amount students spent on technology in 2009.

0.4%:

Undergraduates who attend an Ivy League School

$1,168:

Average amount spent on textbooks for the 20112012 school year.

18 million:

Individuals currently enrolled in a four year degree program.

$1 Trillion:

Total student loan debt. That's more than the value of Apple, Microsoft, Facebook, Zynga, Netflix, and Groupon COMBINED.

358,000:

College grads who majored in business

1 in 5:

Recent college grads who have jobs that don't require a degree.

$18,373:

Median annual income of a recent graduate. That's an estimated $6,000 less than a McDonald's cashier.

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[

 ] pet pause Pet Pause: A Year of Humanity by: Rachel Gage

urray and Calloway County are famous for being friendly. That reputation has special meaning for animals as well as humans. At the annual meeting of the Humane Society of Calloway County offered a proud recounting of the achievements of 2013. The Society has only one part-time employee, so the bulk of the accomplishments are the result of thousands of hours of effort, dedication and commitment by volunteers and donors who share a love of animals. The Society’s motto is, "Every time we help an animal, we're also helping a person." The Society administers eighteen programs that work to bring the motto to life and some might be of help or interest to you in 2014.

Fixed For Life Spay/Neuter Assistance

The Society’s signature program, helps low-income pet owners have their dogs and cats

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spayed or neutered, thus dramatically helping reduce the number of unwanted animals born each year. With the cooperation of all five veterinary clinics in Calloway County, the program provides a 50 percent discount off the cost to spay or neuter pets. In 2013, 650 pets were spayed or neutered, making a total of more than 7000 animals benefiting from this program since its inception.

Friends of the Shelter

consists of Society volunteers who work closely with the Murray/Calloway Animal Shelter (which is run by the Fiscal Court of Calloway County), to find permanent homes for dogs, cats, kittens and puppies. Humane Society volunteers foster animals, work with rescue organizations, provide vet care, spay or neuter shelter animals and post animals for adoption on Petfinder.com. All of these actions increase the number of adoptions of shelter animals.

adoption program has found forever homes for 632 dogs and 676 more have been placed with rescues. The Cat Adoption Program has adopted over 200 cats or kittens into forever homes since the program's inception.

and donors “areVolunteers the heart and soul of the Humane Society”

Adoption Programs

rescue homeless animals from the community and the animal shelter, place them in foster homes and provide comprehensive veterinary care until forever homes are found. In 2013, 224 dogs were adopted or sent to rescue. The Humane Society’s dog

Summer Edition

– Kathy Hodge

Microchip IDs

were placed in 476 pets in 2013 bringing the total pets microchipped by the Humane Society to 4,643. This form of permanent identification is crucial to reuniting pets and their families in the event of a natural disaster or other occurrence that separates a pet from its owner.

with live animals each day. The class will be expanded upon in 2014.

The Trap-NeuterReturn (TNR) Feral Cat Program

Pet Assisted Therapy

brings the unconditional love of pets to residents of local nursing homes, senior centers and W.A.T.C.H. through visits from companion animals and their human team members. Stressreducing visits are also made to Murray State University students. A total of 353 visits were made by 19 teams in 2013 and six new pet therapy teams were certified this year.

continued to work to reduce feral cat reproduction throughout the county. More than 700 cats have been spayed or neutered since the program began. Society volunteers trap feral cats, have each cat spayed or neutered, given a rabies shot and then returned to their original habitat where they continue to receive food and shelter. This program is successful in reducing cat overpopulation, spread of disease, and other nuisance issues.

The Animal Assistance Program & Good Samaritan Programs

are vital to the wellbeing of animals that are in immediate

penny comes “fromEvery donors and fundraising activities.” – Kathy Hodge

crisis. Working in conjunction with Animal Control Officers and local veterinarians, the Society provides immediate help to animals that are injured, abused or neglected. Animal Assistance provided dozens of doghouses and hundreds of pounds of pet food to low-income pet owners, as well as help with veterinary care for owned animals in immediate crisis. The Good Samaritan Program provided emergency veterinary care to 47 injured animals when the owner wasn’t known.

Animal Advocates’ E-Mails and Facebook Alerts

result in scores of lost pets being reunited with their owners each year. (continued on page 42)

Obedience Classes

are offered three times a year. The American Kennel Club's (AKC) S.T.A.R. Puppy Kindergarten and Canine Good Citizen program prepare puppies and dogs to be well-behaved companions at home and in the community. Sixty-three puppies and dogs were enrolled in the 2013 classes.

Humane Education

was the focus of the first-ever Animal Academy held in 2013 in cooperation with West Kentucky Mentoring. In this fun and educational class for children ages 7-11, there was a day each for dogs, cats, wildlife and exotics with students interacting

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[  ] a laughing matter

Mother of All Jokes by: Paige Graves

Mothers may be the only creatures who can do battle all day long while still producing a perfect pot roast. They're also the only ones who know just how to embarrass you while loving you more than anyone could imagine. This Mother's Day, while Mom works, cleans, fixes, and downright saves lives, have a few laughs and let her know you care. One day, a little girl is sitting and watching her mother do the dishes at the kitchen sink. She suddenly notices that her mother has several strands of white hair sticking out in contrast to her brunette hair. She looks at her mother and inquisitively asks, "Why are some of your hairs white, Mom?" Her mother replied "Well, every time that you do something wrong and make me cry or unhappy, one of my hairs turns white." The little girl thought about this revelation for a while and then asked, "Momma, how come all of grandma's hairs are white?"

....................... My wife, a real estate agent, wrote an ad for a house she was listing. The house had a second-floor suite that could be accessed using a lift chair that slid along the staircase. Quickly describing this feature, she inadvertently made it sound even more attractive: "Mother-in-law suite comes with an electric chair." ................................................

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Our teenage son, Marc, never misses an opportunity to remind us that he needs his own car. One morning as I drove him to school, it was apparent that we would be late. I asked him to write a note, which I would sign when we arrived. At school, he handed me a pen and the note, which read: "Marc is late this morning due to car trouble. The trouble is, Marc doesn’t have his own car, and his mom drives too slowly." ....................................................... I have mixed emotions when I receive Mother’s Day gifts. I’m glad my children remember me, but I’m disappointed that they actually think I dress that way. ...................................... “Parents are not interested in justice; they are interested in quiet.” Bill Cosby ...................................... There was this little boy who had a bad habit of sucking his thumb. His mother finally told him that

if he didn't stop sucking his thumb, he'd get fat. Two weeks later, his mother had her friends over for a game of bridge. The boy points to an obviously pregnant woman and says, "Ah, ha! I know what you've been doing!" ....................................................... A mother and her young son returned from the grocery shop and began putting away the groceries. The boy opened the box of animal crackers and spread them all over the table. "What are you doing?" his mother asked. "The box says you can't eat them if the seal is broken," the boy explained. "So I'm looking for the seal." ....................................................... A police recruit was asked during the exam, ‘What would you do if you had to arrest your own mother?’ He answered, ‘Call for backup.’ ....................................................... My cousin was in love and wanted to introduce his bride-to-be to his hypercritical mother. But in order to get an unbiased opinion, he invited over three other female friends as well and didn’t tell his mom which one he intended to marry. After the four women left, he asked his mother, "Can you guess which one I want to marry?" "The one with short hair." "Yes! How’d you know?" "Because that’s the one I didn’t like."

This is easy level puzzle #30...Good Luck!

This is medium level puzzle #31...Good Luck!

Instructions: Place the numbers 1 through 9 in each blank field. Each column (down), row (across) and 3x3 region must contain each of the numerals only one time.

By popular demand, we are providing two different puzzles with two different degrees of difficulty.

Again, good luck! Where is the Solution? Not sure of your answers? Turn to page 19! Go to www.murraylifemagazine.com Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll see you next issue with another great puzzle!

If you have a favorite kind of print puzzle youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d like to see, contact us with your ideas at: Puzzle Editor, Murray Life PO Box 894 Murray, KY 42071

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[

 ] history 1914: War, Drought, and a Ladies’ Room Edited by: Robert Valentine from the pages of The Story of Calloway County We are indebted to the vision, art, and generosity of Dorothy and Kerby Jennings, whose work, The Story of Calloway County, 1822-1976, remains the best source of local history for Murray and the County. The following article draws heavily from their very readable record, and directly quoted passages are in italics.

“Five fulsome years bloated the economic progress of Calloway County,” opines The Story of Calloway County, “to the extent that no reasonable goal appeared to be out of reach of attainment, according to the politicians, press and the general public.” In fact, so much progress had been made that 1914 seemed to be doomed to a year of mediocrity.

f you consider the City of Murray of the year 1914, your first assumption might be that everyone’s attention centered on the war in People came from surrounding Europe. Eventually, almost counties to see the new every nation on that continent courthouse, completed in 1913 in would be dragged in; a about 200 days. History does revolution in not record the Russia created the cause, but People came from first great commperhaps Ms. surrounding counties to Cora Lockhart unist nation and was gawking at set a course to see the new courthouse. the courthouse change U. S. history for nearly – robert Valentine when she was a century. Even struck by a car driven by Deputy Sherrif Tom the U.S. would take its first step Jones – the first pedestrian at becoming a world power as accident recorded in the county. American boys crossed the Atlantic to join the fray. It was “big times” for education But you would be wrong. as “moonlight schools” across the county sprang up as part of Without the perspective of a statewide effort to end adult history, Calloway residents illiteracy. Murray High experienced very little anxiety installed a tele-phone, bought a microscope valued about what many must have at $30, several chemicals regarded as “just another war in and installed two sinks Europe.” Murray and Calloway with running water had bigger, hotter fish to fry, much closer to home. which the newspaper

“

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called, “an accomplishment Murray could be proud of.” 11 seniors graduate in June. A nice finishing touch was put on the new Court House. When the local newspaper editor

promised to publish the names of contributors, dozens of locals came forth with money, materials and manpower to complete a Ladies Room for the new public building. History does not record whether the powder room campaign came before or after the appearance and rousing public speech by Kentucky’s renowned suffragette, Lilly R. Glenn.

Dunbar Male Quartet, Harmony Concert, Cathedral Choir, and Bohumir Kryl Band. Everything

Model T

The Magazine Club sponsored the Redpath Chautauqua – a seven-day cultural event in June. Several “prominent lecturers” took the podium and evening entertainments were provided by the

was housed in a 112’ by 120’ circus tent erected on the high school baseball field. The “moral and intellectual uplift” of the event, with reserved seating for 2,000, could be had for $2.

Backsliders may have enjoyed the new Pyrene Theatre which featured three reels each day. Locate just east of the square on Main, it opened a world of entertainment – but without popcorn or air conditioning. The first sign of the impact of world war came late in the summer came “with a terse announcement that French capital underwriting the new Interurban [railway] system linking Murray with Paducah and Mayfield had been frozen. The line would not be built.” Easy communication of goods and people among the three

Around the World in 1914 January 4

The stolen Mona Lisa painting is returned to the Louvre Museum in Paris, France.

January 14

Henry Ford introduces the assembly line, for Model T Ford automobiles

March 27

First successful blood transfusion (in Brussels, Belgium).

April 11

George Bernard Shaw's Pygmalion play premieres. Pygmalion would later be set to music as My Fair Lady.

May 9

US President Woodrow Wilson signs a proclamation designating the second Sunday in May as Mother's Day.

June 28

Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria and his wife Sophie are shot to death by Bosnian Serb nationalist Gavrilo Princip during an

official visit to the Bosnian capital of Sarajevo.

June 30

Mahatma Gandhi's first arrest, campaigning for Indian rights in South Africa.

July 31

The New York Stock Exchange closes its doors due to the war in Europe.

August 3

Germany invades Belgium and declares war on France; France declares war on Germany.

October 15

ASCAP (American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers) founded

November 17

U.S. declares Panama Canal Zone neutral

December 21

1st feature-length silent film comedy, "Tillie's Punctured Romance" released.

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cities might have changed the commercial landscape of west Kentucky, but we’ll never know. It was a hot summer in more ways than one. Bishop’s Livery Stable was destroyed by fire, taking 16 horses and a large supply of feed with the blaze. The James Carter home – former residence of the well-known inventor, Nathan B. Stubblefield – on north Sixteenth Street was burned, as well. At the mouth of Sandy, the steamboat French, 110 feet long, Dale Stubblefield Grocery burned on the water. Two days before Christmas, the Hazel Hotel burned to the consequence, had to close as well. The county fair ground. was not held in 1914 as the economic impact of drought and war combined to suspend tobacco By October, the effects of the drought were being sales normally intended for export. “Several felt in places outside the fields and thousand tons of shells” lay baking farms. For the first time in county in the late autumn sun on the It was a hot summer in history, an entire town (Newburg) banks of the Tennessee River, now ways than one. more was offered for sale: 8 houses, a much smaller than any had seen it two-story residence, blacksmith in years. It must have seemed like shop, tobacco prizery, a river ferry – robert Valentine divine retribution. and 140 acres of land. “There were Small wonder that one writer to the no takers,” said Jennings. Murray Ledger felt compelled to make a comment on public morality. The Citizen’s Bank was order closed by the state, and shortly thereafter the Bank of Hazel closed its If you are going to stand for women folks to wear doors. The Kentucky Tobacco Works, as a shadow and slit skirts and tight form-fitting dresses and vulgar hobble skirts, and our young women learning to dance the boll weevil wiggle, Texas Tommy tango, the bunny hug . . . the buzzard flop, and so on, then men had just as well have their saloons and the whole push go down to hell together.

“

”

It was, says Kerby Jennings, “a notso-merry Christmas season in Calloway County.” A few weeks after Christmas, the U. S. Census Bureau would announce the results of the 1910 enumeration. The county had just over 21,000 residents and that the metropolis of Murray had exceeded 3,000 – but not by much. Despite the bad times, there was room for growth. s

Newspaper Office

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Answers to the Questions on page 10. Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s see how you did!

Have I got an answer for you?

1. D. The slam dunk 2. B. Pete Maravich 3. D. Patten Gymnasium 4. C. Indiana State 5. C. Santa Clara 6. A. 1992 7. A. Louisville 8. B. Larry Brown 9. C. Utah and Dartmouth 10. C. Vanderbilt

Sudoku Answers from page 15

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[  ] profile

The Murray Shakespeare Festival by: Dr. William (Rusty) Jones

We are indebted to the vision, art, and generosity of Dorothy and Kerby Jennings, whose work, The Story of Calloway County, 1822-1976, remains the best source of local history for Murray and the County. The following article draws heavily from their very readable record, and directly quoted passages are in italics.

n 2001, Murray State University professor Warren Edminster invited a small touring company, known then as The Shenandoah Shakespeare Express, to campus to put on a single performance of one of Shakespeare’s greatest tragedies: Hamlet, The Prince of Denmark. The intent was to give a few local high schools the opportunity to see a professional-level Shakespearean drama at a reasonable cost.

bounds. This year, festival audiences will have the chance to see, not one, but six performances of three of Shakespeare’s most enduring plays: the hilarious comedy of The Merry Wives of Windsor, the fascinating history of Henry IV, Part 1, and the heartbreaking downfall of Othello, the Moor of Venice. In addition, the festival will feature everything from Flash Mobs to film screenings, lectures to roundtable discussions, stage-fighting clinics to community theater events, and many fascinating (and free) workshops conducted by the amazingly talented actors from Shenandoah Shakespeare, a group re-christened in 2005 as The American Shakespeare Center. My own love for Shakespeare began at age nine when I was given the role of Nick

The event was a big success, and The Murray Shakespeare Festival was born. In 2014, and the festival is not only as strong as ever, but has grown by leaps and

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audiences will “haveFestival the chance to see, not one, but six performances...

”

– Dr. Jones

Bottom in a classroom production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. The following year, the same forward-thinking elementary school teacher cast me again, this time as Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar. I still recall, some forty years on, the experience of being “stabbed” by my friends (just as Caesar himself was), of uttering the famous “Et tu, Brute?” line, even as the murderers wiped their knives clean on togas made out of their mothers’ leastfavorite pillowcases. Speaking those words was such fun, but in retrospect, I now see that I gained much more that day than a love for Shakespeare’s gripping language: I gained a bit of insight into the human element that shapes the sweep of history, into the nature

of betrayal and the emotional toll it takes, into the often vague boundaries of human ethics. In short, because I had a teacher who opened my ears to Shakespeare’s language, my eyes were also opened to the depth of the human experience. And so, when a particularly frustrated student who is struggling to grasp Shakes-peare’s rich, varied, and evocative language comes to me and asks, “Why should we keep reading this old stuff? It doesn’t matter anymore,” my answer is a simple one: If you are willing to come to Shakespeare, you will receive a return that will repay your investment a thousand-fold.

sadly. And during a recent field trip to The American Shakespeare Center in Staunton, Va., one MSU student, outraged that the mistreated Helena would forgive her straying husband in the Problem Comedy All’s Well That Ends Well, offered a resounding “Oh, Whatever!” from the top balcony, much to the delight of the ASC patrons and actors alike. Later, sheepishly, she told me, “I guess that’s why it’s called a ‘Problem Play,’ huh?”

What can audiences hope to gain from attending our fourteenth festival this March? The list of benefits is almost endless: Legend has it that Queen Elizabeth I so enjoyed Shakespeare’s characterization of the boisterous, drunken, bragging, and hilarious knight, Sir John Falstaff, that she ordered the playwright to write a new comedy in which Fastaff would fall

Over the last fourteen years, middle, high school, and college teachers throughout the Jackson Purchase region and beyond have realized the same thing. In 2013, for example, The Murray Shakespeare Festival welcomed over 1,200 high school students to performances of Twelfth Night. Regional teachers have come to rely on the festival, shaping their English curricula around the scheduled plays. These teachers know the academic effects of seeing a quality live performance are undeniable: comprehension and appreciation improve, critical thinking skills sharpen, and linguistic ability expands. For example, I recall chatting with a high school senior after a performance of Macbeth who shared with me her insight that Lady Macbeth seemed, to her, far more frightened and trapped than evil. Another young man told me after seeing Romeo and Juliet that he had not realized how kind and accepting Juliet’s father is at the start of the play; “if Romeo and Juliet had just talked to their parents,” he told me, “the whole mess could have been avoided,” and when I agreed, he nodded

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in love and find himself bested by two wily women, and what’s more, she wanted to see the show in a mere two weeks! Specious as this legend is, it still perfectly describes The Merry Wives of Windsor, a play that will give audiences no end of pleasure as Falstaff attempts to woo two married women with the same love letter, the humiliating and hysterical consequences of which should be a lesson to any man whose ever let his eye wander! 2014 marks the first time The American Shakespeare Center has offered a History Play as part of its repertory: Henry IV, Part 1. Much more than a dull dramatization of English history, the play focuses on the trials of a monarch who has gained the throne through some very questionable means, and who must cope with rebels from without and rebels from within, the latter being his own son. Even as his father comes to terms with the transitory nature of power, Prince Henry (or Hal, for short) must come to terms with the responsibility of leadership; he (and the audience) learns, in short, that to grow up often means one is forced to put away childish things, including our closest companions, in this case, Hal’s

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friend, Sir John Falstaff. Finally, audiences will be struck by how ‘modern’ the tale of Othello, the Moor of Venice truly is. More than four hundred years before the landmark legal case that struck down the ban on interracial Photo by Pat Jarrett marriage in America, Shakespeare penned this tale of a North African general who defies European society by secretly marrying a white Venetian noblewoman. Hovering over this powerful union is one of Shakespeare’s most psychologically fascinating villains, Iago, a man so tormented by his own twisted jealousy that he seeks to enflame Othello with that same “green-eyed monster,” capturing and warping Othello’s mind in a

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net of lies “that will enmesh them all.” s Brush Up Your Shakespeare! For more information about the 2014 festival, visit murraystate.edu/shakespeare or call (270) 809-2397. Media and teachers may email Prof. Jones at wjones1@murraystate.edu.

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Part V: Fort Heiman Reborn

In celebration of the Civil Warâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Sesquicentennial, Larry Ray has compiled a history of Confederate Fort Heiman â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a mystery of history right in his own backyard.

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Editor’s Note: Murray and Calloway County lie within easy drives of many vital Civil War sites. However, trips to Nashville, Paducah, Shiloh, or Vicksburg are not required if one wants to see important and historic places where history was made and the future changed. Forts Henry and Donelson are moments away by car and now you are able to visit the fort that might have changed the war – right here in Calloway County. We are indebted to Larry Ray, an avid student of the site and, as you will see, a skilled writer of history for his devotion to the subject and his willingness to share his insights into this fascinating mystery. In this fifth installment, Larry Ray resumes his narrative

was blessed to have men like Dr. Rainey T. Wells (founder of Murray State) and Albert Jackson who loved the fort and wanted to protect it and keep it undisturbed. Eventually, there would be failed development efforts that damaged many of the fort’s historical aspects, but her major features still survived. Thankfully, with many years of hard work and eventual Federal and State of Kentucky support, Fort Heiman was finally saved for future generations when it became part of the Fort Donelson National Battlefield. Fort Heiman is being reborn and coming back to life by joining the history of her sisters, Forts Henry and Donelson.

Between 1861 and 1864 Forts Heiman, Henry and Donelson played a pivotal role in the Western Theater of the Civil War. Of the three, Fort Heiman changed hands most often, and despite its relative obscurity, was a keystone for both the Union and Confederacy in regulating military transports and commerce on the Tennessee River. When the war was over, the many men that fought at Fort Heiman -- including Generals U. S. Grant and Nathan Bedford Forrest – were all gone. The fort was resting peacefully again on the banks of the Tennessee River. The battlements began to slip back into the solitude of passing time – marked only by the slow march of the seasons, the rain and the wind. Trees and vines took over the earthworks. Each fall the leaves in the rifle trenches grew a little deeper, but this old “Forgotten Fort” would finally be remembered with pride and appreciation many years later. With the coming of the Tennessee Valley Authority, Heiman surprisingly remained fairly intact when all the adjacent lands were not so fortunate. For many years, Fort Heiman

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It is only fairly recently that archaeological studies began at Fort Heiman. The first of these began in 2002 with initial metal detector surveys. In 2010, archaeologists from the National Park Service started investigations at Fort Heiman. Ultimately, the landscape surrounding Fort Heiman was found to be highly disturbed by relic collectors. Several items such as coins, ammunition, horseshoes, nails, etc. were found but regrettably a tremendous amount of history was forever lost due to these relic collectors. In addition, the identification of several earthworks and landscape features shed new light on the occupation of the

area by both Union and Confederate forces during the Civil War. One of the most exciting finds was an area called the “Federal Fort” which is a well preserved set of defensive earthworks to the northwest of the entrance to Fort Heiman that the Fifth Iowa Cavalry constructed and used during their occupation. The Fifth Iowa held this smaller fort to keep Fort Heiman from falling back into Confederate hands and used it as a base for military patrols. Though adequately staffed to hold the fort itself, they were never able to control the region. While on patrol, they were often attacked by Confederate sympathizing bushwhackers like the famed Jack Hinson and other partisans, as well as the famous General Nathan Bedford Forrest and other Confederate cavalry. Records show that 44 Union soldiers died while stationed at Fort Heiman. Fort Heiman earthworks are readily visible and largely intact. Some of the earthworks were damaged during road construction and perhaps by Union efforts to level portions of the fort closest to the river when they abandoned it in 1863. Several pits were found that are believed to be Union graves from which the bodies were removed after the war and transferred to Shiloh National Battlefield. A large rectangular hole strewn with old firebricks is suspected to be the fort’s powder magazine that was probably destroyed by the Union when they abandoned the fort in 1863. Fort Heiman has sustained a lot of damage over the years including some severe erosion and a major windstorm a few years ago that blew down many trees that caused even more damage. But Heiman is finally on the mend and there have been several improvements. Downed trees have been cleared, trees and vines that had grown up in the earth works have been removed and sod has been laid for preservation. Split wood barricade fences have been built along the entrance

into the fort to match those at Donelson. New and attractive information displays and restrooms have been installed. New signs on the highway and at the fort’s entrance have been erected. Work continues as funds permit and some tours are already being conducted. Cannons will one day be installed in their original positions and Fort Heiman will finally be remembered as a proud and valuable part of our local and national history. As I mentioned in an earlier installment of this series, I live within sight of Fort Heiman and worried for years that this mysterious old fort would gradually waste away and possibly even disappear. I no longer worry: Fort Heiman will never be forgotten again! My special thanks go to Fort Donelson National Battlefield and especially their Historian, Jim Jobe, for his valuable help in my research. Anyone interested in seeing and touching history personally should visit Forts Heiman, and Donelson. The Fort Donelson Visitor Center has an outstanding video and museum that tells the story of Fort Heiman and her sister forts Henry and Donelson. This has been a rewarding quest for me, and I hope it will become a part of your personal experience, too. We are blessed to have so much history in our own “backyard.” Larry Ray is Executive Director of the Henry County Fair Association and past Executive Director of the Paris-Henry County Chamber of Commerce and Economic Development. He has had a life long interest in the Civil War..

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[  ] food

Taste the Adventure by: Caina Lynch

n each Murray Life issue we generally focus on a type of food; to warm our reader’s souls during the Holiday season, campfire recipes and corn ice-cream, or snacks to take to tailgates. About a month before this issue went to print, I visited Europe for 3 weeks with another recent Murray State graduate, Reagan Wempe. Reagan and I turned our vacation into somewhat of an educational tour and taste-test. We encountered new languages, cultures, recipes, beverages, people, and of course tried some of the best food in the world! Here is a taste of our winter wonderland adventure.

Italy: Ten Pizzas in Ten Days There is no way to send an American pizza lover to Italy for 10 days and expect her to not devour as much pizza as possible. You may think that pizza toppings would be limited for a vegetarian but in Italy the veggie pizzas are just as venturesome as the supreme pizzas. Every pizzeria and trattoria have the traditional Italian pizzas, such as Pizza Margherita, al Prosciutto, and la Napoletana, but just like burger joints in America these trattorias mix and match toppings of ham, salami, sausage, and cheeses beyond your wildest imagination to create pizzas particular to their region or personal preference. Around every other corner you will find a restaurant of some sort

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and for those corners that you find there is no pizza place, I can guarantee there will be a gelateria. Gelato is much denser than ice cream. It is made with a greater proportion of whole milk to cream and is churned at a much slower speed in order for less air to be whipped into the mixture. The flavors vary, just like pizza, from place to place with the classics in all shops. Ingredients often focus on chocolate, nuts, herbs, lemons, and wine (yes, wine in ice cream). Italian food can’t be discussed without vino! We spent a day in the countryside of Tuscany touring medieval Wine in Italy towns and of course the Chianti enjoy a healthy dose of wine. Classico region. A tour of a Chianti Most ristorantes and trattorias Classico vineyard was my offer a “house wine” that is personal highlight of our time in locally made and drastically less Tuscany, especially since we expensive than a bottle of wine. attended a private wine tasting House wine may not be as hosted by the owner. Chianti, a complex as a nice bottle of harmonious wine that is just was Spumanti or Merlot, but your dry as the grass on our January wallet will thank you will the tour. The Black Rooster is the check arrives. emblem of Chianti Classico a wine that is infamous amongst wine We may have indulged ourselves connoisseurs. in pizza, gelato, wine, and pasta galore but my traveling partner and I did not gain a pound Italian food can’t be during our trip abroad. Walking discussed without vino! is the key to a tourist’s success and in three weeks, according to my pedometer, we walked about – Caina lynch 200 miles. If energy ever begins to waver around mid-afternoon, Naturally every evening, and just stop in a café for a strong sometimes before dinner on an espresso to keep you going until adventure in a new city, we would dinner at 9 p.m.

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“

”

Next time you’re in Rome stop at Grom in Piazza Navona and buy a gelato to enjoy on your walk from The Pantheon to the Trevi Fountain.

chop house before a play at the newly opened Sam

Picadilly Circus, but we managed to keep our wits about us and enjoy the rich

London: The Land of our Language One would think that in a city where the street signs are in English you would not get lost as much, but we managed to do so just as much as the other two countries we visited. At least once a day though we would get mixed up at a roundabout or take the bus in the wrong direction. Perks of all the ad-venture walking was happening upon pubs and coffee shops we never would have found… even if we had originally set out to find it in the first place. The city of London may offer countless pubs true to the local fish and chips, but the food scene in London is also diversely multicultural. The list goes on and on but we did manage to visit Greek, Italian, Spanish, Turkish, and Irish restaurants. Whether it was a gin and tonic at a pricey-

Greek Food in London

Wanamaker Playhouse or a beer in an authentic pub the atmosphere was always warm. One early morning when we were trekking across the cold city to see the Changing of the Guards at Buckingham Palace, we noticed that every other person was eating whilst walking. Not just a cup of coffee or croissant in hand but some ate a parfait or even toast with jam! Something I now refer to as “Take Away Talent.” Whenever you place an order for food or coffee anywhere you aren’t seated you are asked if it is “to take away.” Morning after morning these people pack breakfast or pick something up on their walk to work and eat it as they veer between slow-walkers and tourists taking pictures of statues and selfies. When not in the warm Tube or Tram, keeping a coffee in your hands on a chilly winter morning is a vital to keep your fingers from numbing.

culture, architecture, and history we read so much about in high school and college Humanities classes.

Hungary: the Best of Budapest Snowflakes and construction dust did not affect our vision of the rich history of Budapest. Our hotel was in the heart of the downtown center of Budapest and a five minute walk to the Danube. Also around the corner from our hotel was an authentic Sicilian trattoria which I must admit I visited a couple of times when we couldn’t decide what was for dinner. The Hungarian cuisine is most known for the beef goulash, beef slowly stewed with vegetables and served so thick it belongs on a plate rather than in a bowl. Gipsy music and a shot of Pálinka are guaranteed at

We may not have run into Prince Harry at

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most Hungarian restaurants. Small restaurants that are tucked away in little holes in the wall are true gems; with recipes handed down through the generations, I’m quite sure the utensils were handed down too. Tomato soup with honey infused in the vegetables or crusty pan-fried chicken with a plump serving of mashed-potatoes are delicious choices for any tourist wanting something simple with a twist. The Buda Castle and the Chain Bridge are mustsees on your first visit to Budapest. Although The Parliament was under construction during our visit this past winter, we were still able to take in its gorgeous architecture from a distance. Don’t forget to relax for a day in one of Hungary’s famous Thermal Baths surrounded by ancient buildings that have been decorated by many artists over the centuries. We came back to the just-as-cold south longing a good night’s sleep in our own beds and the desire to tell anyone that asked about the trip a full-fledged story. Our stomachs were filled to the brim with international food and that first night home I slept s like a baby dreaming of pizza.

London - Greenwhich

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[

 ] community Bending Bluegrass: Bawn in the Mash by: Casey Northcutt Watson

ine years ago, a few Murray State University students began making music together, gathering enough momentum and practice to play two festivals one April day in 2005. That’s when Bawn in the Mash was born. The “bluegrass-ish” band has since produced four albums and entertained audiences around the country as it continues to defy strict classification – without losing a single fan. On April 19, 2014, the band will celebrate the anniversary of those festivals with a show in Murray’s Big Apple Café. Mandolin player Thomas Oliverio says the audience will hear a solid performance meshing new sounds with tunes fans have come to love. “Fans should expect to hear plenty of original material both nights," he says. "We’re going to feature songs from all four records plus

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Bawn in the Mash on Woodsongs Old Time Radio Hour, 2013

some that we haven’t recorded yet— maybe even some special guest appearances as well.” Endorsed by D’Addario Strings, the band consists of Josh Coffey (violin), Thomas Oliverio (mandolin), Nathan Lynn (guitar), Eddie Coffey (bass), Brey McCoy (percussion) and Casey Campbell (banjo). They produce an interesting twist on bluegrass music, sometimes mixing in a saxophone, electric guitar or xylophone with the mandolin and banjo. Oliverio calls the music more Americana than bluegrass and attributes that to the varied interests of Bawn in the Mash members.

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“We have very diverse musical backgrounds within the group,” he says and later adds, “But ultimately, we are fans of all good music and hope to cover as much ground as possible within a performance."

able to play music “withBeing your friends, as well as your heroes, is really what it comes down to

”

– Thomas oliverio

The musicians shaping this style have shifted and changed over the years—leaving, joining or returning—but Oliverio says the current company solidified in 2007. All the while, they’ve

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performed with notable names in bluegrass and rock n’ roll. They’ve rocked with music veterans like Peter Rowan, Tony Rice, Donnie Herron and New Riders of the Purple Sage along with up-and-coming artists like Justin Townes Earle and Pokey LaFarge & The South City Three. Oliverio says they mostly play festivals Bawn in the Mash now, and the Big continues to defy strict Apple Café show is a classification – without throwback to their earlier days jamming losing a single fan. in bars. And, although the past nine years – Casey northcutt Watson have given the band mates families and other musical projects, they are still committed to Bawn in the Mash and hope to produce a fifth album together.

“

”

“Being able to play music with your friends, as well as your heroes, is really what it comes down to," he says, adding, “We’ve been lucky enough to do that for nine years.” s

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[

ď&#x192;ś ] pet pause Email and Facebook posts also notify followers of upcoming events, animals for adoption, classes, pet care tips, etc. Humane Society Executive Director Kathy Hodge said, "Volunteers and donors are the heart and soul of the Humane Society. Without them we couldn't do a fraction of what we do for the animals in this community." She added that because the Society receives no governmental tax dollars or support from national

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(continued from page 13)

organizations, every penny that it receives comes from donors and fundraising activities. For more information about the programs of Humane Society of Calloway County and for a 2014 calendar of events, visit www.ForThePets.org, stop by the office at the Weaks Community Center at 607 Poplar Street, Murray, call at 270-759-1884 or email HumaneSociety@murray-ky.net. The office is open Monday-Thursday from 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. s

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[  ] history

Calloway County’s First Confederates by: Dieter C. Ullrich

n late October and early November of 1861 sixtythree men from thirty-four counties in the Commonwealth of Kentucky gathered at Russellville to participate in a convention to form a separate Confederate government. Eight of those men identified themselves as Calloway countians. After three weeks of deliberations the convention ratified an ordinance of secession that established a provisional government, elected officials and sought admittance to the Confederate States of America. When they returned to their homes and communities, they were confident that they had participated in a historic event that would forever change the United States, Kentucky and Calloway County. The eight men that signed the ordinance of secession were Thomas M. Jones, Daniel Matthewson, Francis W. Dodds, Peter S. Hamlin,

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Alexander A. Wesson, Crawford A. Duncan, Andrew J. Holland and William J. Mathes. The seed that eventually grew into the local movement to join the Confederacy was the election of Abraham Lincoln in November of 1860. Before Lincoln’s inauguration in March of 1861, seven states in the South had seceded from the United States and established their own national government. Within weeks after the attack on Fort Sumter on April 12th, four other states left the Union to join the newly formed Confederacy. On May 16th, Governor Beriah Magoffin declared that Kentucky would remain neutral during the hostilities between the North and South. Three weeks later, a convention was held at Mayfield to debate whether the seven counties in the Jackson Purchase should separate from the rest of Kentucky, seek military aid from Tennessee and join the Confederacy. The convention ended with declarations and resolutions con-demning the Lincoln administration and

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Eight of those men “identified themselves as Calloway countians.” – Dieter ullrich

supporting the Southern cause but did not commit to seceding from the Commonwealth. News-papers in Frankfort and Lexington mentioned Matthew-son as having served as a member of the committee on resolutions. And although no complete list of the over 150 attendees of the convention exists, there is a very strong possibility that others from Calloway County were present. On August 26th citizens from Murray and surrounding communities gathered at the courthouse to address Kentucky’s neutrality and resolve growing concerns regarding the Federal government and secession. A committee was selected to draft a series of resolutions that would condemn the war, support the right of Southern states to secede and restore the peace. Four members of that committee attended the Russellville Convention,

including Jones, Dodds, duties as county Hamlin and Wesson. judge and was on Jones was the chairman the first board of of the committee and trustees for the Hamlin served as the Murray Male and secretary that wrote the Female Institute. resolutions. The final He died in 1877. draft endorsed the His place of burial platform of the State is unknown. Rights party and the politicians who suppDaniel Mattheworted secession. It son was a fifty-one declared that the Union year old merchant Courthouse Russellville was in violation of the from Murray who United States Constitution when it had a wife and six children. He was invaded the South and protested the born in Smith County, Tennessee use of State and Federal taxes to and relocated to Murray soon after fund an unjust and illegal war. The the county seat was established in resolutions were later published in 1843. Prior to the convention he conewspapers in Louisville and owned a mercantile business on the Frankfort. Only a few months court square with Charles Curd, on before the Russellville Convention, whose land the town of Murray was the majority of citizens in Calloway situated. Matthewson served as a County had determined that the State Senator from 1855 to 1859 and best course would be to sever was elected to the State legislature relations with the governments in in 1861 on the Southern Rights both Frankfort and Washington. ticket. On December 21, 1861, he was expelled from the State Who were the men that ventured to Legislature for giving aid and Russellville in late October of 1861? comfort to the Confederate Army Three of the men served in the State and for attending the Russellville legislature, two helped found the Convention. Throughout the war, New Concord Male and Female he would campaign to further Institute and one was the county Kentuckyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ties to the Confederacy sheriff. The most prominent of the and to support the Southern cause. contingent from Calloway County Two of his sons would serve with was Thomas Marion Jones, a fiftythe 3rd Kentucky Infantry three year old Kentucky native and Regiment during the war. father of seven children. He was the Matthewson died on August 19, owner of a hotel and tavern located 1880 and is buried in the Murray on the north side of the court square City Cemetery. in Murray. He served briefly in the State legislature in 1842 and 1843 Francis Ulysses Dodds was a fiftyand was the county judge for one year old farmer with a wife and Calloway County when the five children. He was a native of convention was held. Judge Jones Caldwell County, Kentucky. He was very influential in having the served as a Justice of the Peace Calloway County seat moved from before the war and in the State Wadesboro and situated on the Legislature from 1848 to 1853. western side of the Clark River at Dodds was elected captain of Murray. He was arrested and Company H, 7th Kentucky Infantry removed from his judgeship by Regiment but was honorably Union soldiers for being a Southern discharged after several months of sympathizer in early 1863. service due to his age. He returned Following the war, he resumed his to public office after the war and

was reelected to the State Legislature in 1867. He joined the majority of Kentucky representatives that voted against the ratification of the Fifteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution in 1869. Dodds died on June 17, 1880 and is buried in the family cemetery in the southwest corner of the county. Peter Stainbach Hamlin was a fiftyfive year old farmer with a wife and six grown children. He was born in Virginia and relocated to Calloway County in 1838 after residing in Rockingham County, North Carolina. Prior to the war, he was the Justice of the Peace at New Concord and one of the founding members of the local Masonic lodge. In 1854, he was one of the founding trustees of the New Concord Male and Female Institute. On Christmas Eve of 1859, he was shot and wounded in a duel with fellow convention attendee Alexander Wesson. The exchange of gunfire, as told by generations of Hamlinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, was over an alleged theft

Burnett

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of a chicken by the son of Alex Wesson. Three of his sons served in the Confederate Army. The house he built, Seclusaval, on the heights above the Tennessee River (now Kentucky Lake) in 1839 has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places. He died on November 6, 1891 and is buried at the New Concord Cemetery. Alexander A. Wesson was a fifty year old tobacco farmer who had resided in Calloway County for close to twenty years when he decided to attend the convention in Russellville. He was born at Rockingham, North Carolina and had a wife and three grown children. In 1850, he was appointed as a commissioner to survey the county into election districts. Wesson was a member of the New Concord Masonic Lodge and also one of the founding trustees of the New Concord Male and Female Institute in 1854. He survived the duel against Hamlin having been slightly wounded in the shoulder. Soon after the war began, Wesson crossed into Henry County, Tennessee and joined a Confederate cavalry unit which later became part of the 7th Tennessee Cavalry Regiment. He is believed to have died following wounds he received during the Battle of Colliersville, Tennessee on October 11, 1863. His place of burial is unknown. Crawford A. Duncan was the owner of a boarding house near the court square in Murray. He was forty-six years old and had a wife and five children. His eldest son was the town druggist. He was a native of North Carolina. Prior to the convention, Duncan was one of the founders of the Murray Masonic Lodge and served as the first sheriff of Calloway County. On April 26, 1861 he enlisted in the 1st Kentucky Infantry Regiment and was later elected as Captain of Company F. He resigned his commission in May of 1862 and resumed his position as

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county sheriff. He was removed as sheriff by Union soldiers in the spring of 1863. Duncan relocated to Jackson, Tennessee after the war where he worked as a merchant. He died on March 7, 1882 and is buried in Riverside Cemetery at Jackson, Tennessee. Andrew Jackson Holland was a thirty-one year old farmer and dry goods store owner from Murray. He had a wife and a young child. He was born in Robertson County, Tennessee and had only resided in Murray a few years before the convention convened at Russellville. His store burned to the ground only a few months before the convention met. He returned to the dry goods business after the war but again his store was consumed by flames in 1868. Holland then ventured into the milling business and became part owner of the Murray Mills Company. He was a member of the city’s Masons order and a strong proponent of prohibition in the county. He died on December 6, 1913 and is buried at the Murray City Cemetery. The final member of the Calloway County assembly, with a certain amount of conjecture, was William Jefferson Mathes. A transcription of the ordinance of succession lists a “William T. Mathes” but no such name exists in the 1860 Federal census for the county. However there was a William J. Mathes from Rutherford County, Tennessee, who at the time of the convention was courting Matilda Emiline Parks the youngest daughter of John Parks of Calloway County. Mathes may have been acting as a representative for Parks, who was in early sixties and possibly unable to travel. Parks was native of South Carolina and a slave owner. Why Mathes wrote that he was from Calloway County has been lost to the ages but his presence in the county during the time in question was very well documented.

Summer Edition

Johnson

Mathes married Miss Parks before he enlisted with the 12th Tennessee Infantry Regiment in May of 1861. He was captured by Union forces at Murfreesboro at the end of December in 1862. After being paroled in the fall of 1863, he reenlisted with the 12th Kentucky Cavalry Regiment which had a number of men from Calloway County. He saw action in several skirmishes and battles and was severely wounded at the Battle of Spring Hill. When the war concluded, he returned to his family farm in Rutherford County and engaged in the milling business. He died on February 20, 1926 and is buried at East View Cemetery in Union City Tennessee. Over 150 years have passed since the secession decree was signed by the eight Confederates from Calloway County. Their deeds and sacrifices have long been forgotten and what remains of their legacy are but a few sentences from contemporary newspaper articles and county histories published generations after the Civil War’s conclusion. Whether these men’s actions were treasonous or patriotic continues to be debated. However, their significance to the history of the Commonwealth and county is indisputable. s

[  ] advertiser’s directory Need a phone number or an address to a business but can’t remember the page you saw it on? This is your guide to Murray Life Magazine’s advertisers. Enjoy! Advertiser

Page #

Advertiser

Page #

Advertiser

Page #

Bank of Cadiz & Trust Co . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .59

Jarvis Vision Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35

Northwood Storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39

Baptist Health Paducah . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1

Kentucky Farm Bureau . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48

Playhouse in the Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50

BB&T Bank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48

Kopperud Realty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2, 3, 50

Primary Care Medical Center . . . . . . . . . . . .61

Briggs & Stratton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48

Lee Jewelry Artisans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48

Presbyterian Church . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48

Carey’s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50

Mattress Gallery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

Red Bug on Third . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50

Carson Center

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34

Murray Auto Spa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35

Robert Billington, Jr. & Assoc. Insurance . . .42

Computer Source . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39

Murray Bank, The . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58

Rolling Hills Nursery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .59

Der Dutch Merchant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48

Murray-Calloway Co. Chamber . . . . . . . . . . .50

Roof Brothers Wine & Spirits . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6

Froggyland Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50

Murray-Calloway Co. Hospital . . .Outside Back

Servall Pest Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19, 38, 41

Gear Up Cycles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50

Murray Electric System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35

Thornton Heating & Air . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4

Grey's Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6

Murray Family Dentistry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6

WENK/WTPR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43

Heritage Family Funeral Home . . . . . . . . . . .19

Murray Insurance Agency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48

West Wood Wine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30

Helix Creative . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6, 23, 39, 43

Murray Life Magazine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4

WKMS FM

Hilliard-Lyons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48

Murray State University . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55

WK&T . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .59

Imes-Miller Funeral Home . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39

Murray Woman's Clinic . . . . . . . . .Inside Front

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30

[  ] coming soon ... In our next edition, we’ll be introducing you to summertime in Murray and the Lakes Region. Outdoors is the place to be, and we’ll show you where the fun and the sun are at their best. Of course, there are times when “inside” is not a bad place to be, either. • Great films for home viewing: John Pasco guides us through another weekend in front of the television and into classic viewing enjoyment with another installment of “Two Tickets and Popcorn.” • The land between the lakes is a great resource for people in our part of the country. There are recreational opportunities, education that’s fun, and a world of nature to explore. The naturalists from lbl have a new friend to introduce, and you won’t believe how one of your natural neighbors is carrying on right in your back yard! • What was it like to grow up around here in the 1930s? In the 50s? The 80s? We continue our series on “Growing up in Calloway” with a look at Hazel through the eyes of children from times gone by. We still need your help: do you have a fond memory of childhood in these parts? From lynn Grove to Dexter; from Faxon to Stella to Wiswell to new Concord, we’d like to hear from you.

Join the fun: submit your calendar notes or news items to murraylife@aol.com, or drop us a note at P.O. Box 894, Murray KY 42071. Photos are welcome, but they become property of Murray Life and return cannot be assured.

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[ ď&#x192;Ť ] seen around town

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Summer Edition

[  ] dining guide La Cocina Mexicana Applebee’s Neighborhood Bar & Grill 816 N. 12th St. . . . . . . .(270) 759-5551

August Moon 1550 Lowe’s Dr. . . . . . .(270) 759-4653

Baldy’s Grill 901 Coldwater Rd. . . . .(270) 762-0441

Big Apple Café 1005 Arcadia Circle . .(270) 759-8866

Burrito Shack 214 North 15th St. . . .(270) 761-4444

El Mariachi Loco 406 N. 12th St. . . . . . . .(270) 759-9000

GigaBites Deli 104 N. 15th St. . . . . . . .(270) 761-4335

Gloria’s World Village Food

314 Main St. . . . . . . . . . (270) 492-6392 Hazel, KY

500 Eagle Nest Rd. . . .(731) 642-6192 Buchanan, TN

Los Portales 506 N. 12th St. . . . . . ...(270) 767-0315

Kentucky Dam Village Olive Pit 905 Mineral Wells Ave.(731) 642-5030 Paris, TN

706 N 12th St., Suite 9 (270) 761-7486

305B S. 12th St. . . . . . .(270) 753-0000

Jasmine Restaurant - Thai & Asian Cuisine 506 N. 12th St. Suite E (270) 761-8424

Magnolia Tea Room 306 Gilbert St. . . . . . . .(270) 492-6284 Hazel, KY

Mr. J's Grill and Pub 200 N. 15th St.. . . . . . .(270) 753-3406

La Cocina Mexicana 501 S. 12th St. . . . . . . . .(270) 767-1627 Murray

16814 Hwy. 68 E. . . . .(270) 474-2202 Aurora, KY

The Keg 1051 N 16th St. . . . . . .(270) 762-0040

Feral's 216 N. 15th St. . . . . . . .(270) 759-3663

Ann’s Country Kitchen 318 Main St. . . . . . . . . .(270) 492-8195 Hazel, KY

Tom’s Grille 501 N. 12th St. . . . . . . .(270) 753-4521

Bad Bob’s Bar-B-Que Tumbleweed Southwest Grill

806 Chestnut St. . . . . . .(270) 767-0054

807 Walmart Dr. . . . . . .(270) 873-2300

Cracker Barrel 650 N. 12th St. . . . . . . .(270) 762-0081

Hibachi King HRH Dumplin’s

166 Upper Village Dr. .(270) 362-4271 Gilbertsville, KY

Willow Pond Catfish Restaurant Shogun

124 N. 15th St. . . . . . . .(270) 759-3233

801 Walmart Dr.. . . . . .(270) 761-3889

Eagle Nest Marina & Dockside Bar and Grill

Domino’s Pizza

Aurora Landing Restaurant 542 Kenlake Rd. . . . . . .(270) 474-2211 Aurora, KY

110A S. 12th St. . . . . . .(270) 753-3030

Holmes Family Restaurant 1901 N. 12th St. . . . . . .(270) 767-0662

Belew’s Dairy Bar US Highway 62 East . .(270) 492-1215 Aurora, KY

Brass Lantern 16593 Hwy. 68 E. . . . . . 270-474-2773. Aurora, KY

Cindy’s on the Barge 888 Kenlake Marina Ln.(270) 474-2245 Hardin, KY

Hungry Bear 1310 Main St. . . . . . . . .(270) 753-7641

Laird’s Bar-B-Que 77 W. Main St. . . . . . . .(731) 247-3060 Puryear, TN

Martha’s Restaurant 1407 N. 12th St. . . . . . .(270) 759-1648

Mary’s Kitchen

Cypress Springs Resort 2740 Cypress Trail . . . .(270) 436-5496 New Concord, KY

11205 Stadium View Dr..(270) 759-2036

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[ ď&#x192;Ť ] seen around town

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Summer Edition

[  ] dining guide Matt B’s Main Street Pizza 1411 Main St. . . . . . . . .(270) 759-1234

Mr. Gatti’s Pizza 804 Chestnut St. . . . . . .(270) 753-6656

Culver’s

Penn Station East Coast Subs

818 N. 12th St. . . . . . . .(270) 761-2858

Dairy Queen

Qdoba

1303 Main St. . . . . . . . .(270) 753-4925

Mugsy’s Hideout 410 Main St. . . . . . . . . .(270) 767-0020

110 S. 12th St. . . . . . . . .(270) 761-7366

618 North 12th St. . . . .(270) 767-0300

Sammon’s Bakery Dinh’s Vietnamese Cuisine

974 Chestnut St. . . . . . .(270) 753-5434

1407 Main St. . . . . . . . .(270) 761-7655

Nick’s Family Sports Pub 614 N. 12th St. . . . . . . .(270) 762-0012

Sonic Drive-In Dunkin’ Donuts

217 S. 12th St. . . . . . . . .(270) 759-9885

302 N. 12th St. . . . . . . .(270) 761-3865

Pagliai’s Pizza 970 Chestnut St. . . . . . .(270) 753-2975

Subway Fazoli’s

622 N. 12th St. . . . . . . .(270) 753-7827

507 Rushing Road. . . . .(270) 761-5555

Taco Bell Papa John’s Pizza 656 N. 12th St. . . . . . . .(270) 753-6666

Pizza Hut 1113 Chestnut St. . . . . .(270) 759-4646

Pizza Pro 1304 Chestnut St . . . . .(270) 767-1199

Renfro’s Hih Burger Inn 413 S. 4th St. . . . . . . . . .(270) 753-1155

Rudy’s, “On the Square” 104 S. 5th St. . . . . . . . . .(270) 753-1632

Sirloin Stockade 922 S. 12th St. . . . . . . .(270) 753-0440

Spanky’s 9505 Hwy. 641 N. . . .(731) 247-5527 Puryear, TN

402 N. 12th St. . . . . . . .(270) 753-8758

Fidalgo Bay Coffee Shop 1201 Payne St. . . . . . . . .(270) 761-4800

Taco John’s

Fifth & Main Coffees 100 S. 5th St. . . . . . . . . .(270) 753-1622

1100 Chestnut St. . . . .(270) 753-9697

Victor’s Sandwiches

Hardee’s 505 N. 12th St. . . . . . . .(270) 753-3246

1301 W. Main St. . . . . .(270) 753-7715

Wendy’s Old Fashioned Hamburgers

KFC 205 N. 12th St. . . . . . . .(270) 753-7101

1111 Chestnut St. . . . . .(270) 759-4695

Yogurt Your Weigh

Little Caesar’s Pizza 500 S 12th St. . . . . . . . .(270) 761-7777

1304 Chestnut St. . . . . .(270) 761-7564

Zaxby’s

McDonald’s 107 N. 12th St. . . . . . . .(270) 753-5548

1209 N. 12th St. . . . . . . . .(270) 792-2375

Murray Donuts 506 B North 12th St. . . .(270) 761-1818

The Station Burger Co. 604 N. 12th St.. . . . . . .(270) 761-3473

Tom’s Pizza 506-A N. 12th St. . . . . .(270) 753-9411

Backyard Burgers 801 Paramount Dr. . . . .(270) 759-2480

Boulders 317 Chestnut St. . . . . . . .(270) 761-9727

Burger King 814 N. 12th St. . . . . . . .(270) 759-8266

Captain D’s 700 N. 12th St. . . . . . . .(270) 753-9383

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[ ď&#x201A;Ś ] calendar of events The murray life Calendar of Events is graciously provided by the murray Convention and Visitors bureau. The CVb is your source for information on everything from dining, shopping, recreation and fun in the community to relocation. learn more at www.tourmurray.com.

Spring Art Hop

march 15

Hosted by the Murray Art Guild, the Spring Art Hop is the perfect way to get immersed in the culture of the community. Visit art exhibits in multiple locations including the Robert O. Miller Conference Center, Clara M. Eagle Gallery, Curris Center and more. The Murray Art Guild's Visual Evidence Exhibit will continue to take place at the Robert O. Miller Conference Center until April 7. Call the Murray Art Guild for Art Hop details at 270-753-4059.

with the miracle of her web in which she writes "Some Pig." Tickets may be purchased at www.playhouseinthepark.net or at the PIP box office.

Top Gun Car Show

april 5

Stewart Stadium Walk through this fun car show which will include music and door prizes. Admission is free. Visit www.topguncarshows.com for more information.

Murray Shakespeare Festival, Murray State University

march 10 - 14

The American Shakespeare Center from Staunton, Va., comes to Murray for its annual Shakespeare Festival. Several activities are taking place for the four day event including performances of Henry IV, Part 1, Othello and The Merry Wives of Windsor. A detailed schedule can be found at www.murraystate.edu/ shakespeare.

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Murray Half Marathon Charlotte's Web

march 21-30 (Friday-Sunday)

Playhouse in the Park Charlotteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Web was recently named "the best American children's book of the past two hundred years," and the play captures this work in an enchanting theatrical presentation. All the familiar characters are here - Wilbur, the irresistible young pig; Fern, a young girl who cares for Wilbur as he is the runt of the litter; Templeton, the gluttonous rat; and, most of all, the extraordinary spider, Charlotte. Determined to save Wilbur, Charlotte begins her campaign

Summer Edition

april 12

The Murray Half Marathon, in its fourth year, has grown to be a successful event that showcases the community. Hosted by the Murray Calloway Endowment for Healthcare, the event brings runners from all over the region, state and country to Murray. Those not participating in the race should be aware of street closings and delays the morning

of the race. More information on the Murray Half Marathon can be found at murrayhalfmarathon.org.

Spring Fling Downtown

april 12

Every Day in Murray

The Rotary Club of Murray hosts this annual breakfast, held at Pagliai's just before the Christmas Parade. Support the charitable efforts of the club by attending the breakfast and enjoy good food and fellowship. For more information on the breakfast call 270-753-5171.

The West Kentucky/Wrather Museum

Easter on the Square

Murray has a seven-screen movie theater located on Chestnut Street. For a list of current movies and times, please call 270.753.3314 or visit www.moviesinmurray.com.

april 19

Bring the kids ages eight and younger downtown for an exciting, free egg hunt on the courthouse lawn. Visit with the Easter Bunny as he hops around the square. Details for this event can be found at www.murraymainstreet.org.

Preserving the visual and emotional traditions of the Jackson Purchase Area. Located at North 16th Street and University Drive on the campus of Murray State University, the museum is open Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. handicap access. For more information, call 270.809.4771.

The Cheri Theater

Murray State Universityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Fine Arts

The University presents a variety of performances form dance to plays, from symphonies to choir concerts. For current information, call 270.809.ARTS.

The Clara M. Eagle Gallery at Murray State University

The gallery offers a variety of exhibitions throughout the year, from student artwork to national tours. Art ranges from drawing to sculpture, from photography to multimedia. For more information, please call 270.809.6734.

Playhouse in the Park

Calloway Countyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 30-year-old community theatre. Playhouse presents a variety of plays throughout the year. For detailed information, please call 270.759.1752

The Murray Art Guild

Easter Eggstravaganza

A nonprofit organization that offers workshops and exhibitions for children and adults. Stop by and see some of the area artists at work. The Guild is located in downtown Murray at 500N. 4th Street. For additional information, please call 270.753.4059.

december 7

Tens of thousands of Easter eggs are hidden in Central Park,

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[  ] calendar of events ready to be hunted by children ages 12 and under. Call Murray-Calloway County Parks and Recreation at 270762-0325 for more information on this free event.

in the yard sale, visit tourmurray.com. Official maps will be available at the Murray Convention and Visitors Bureau for $2 May 1-3. Visit tourmurray.com for details.

Turn of the Century Social

Top Gun Car Show

april 25

may 3

Touch a Truck

Jazz in the Park

april 26

may 10

Enjoy music, reenactments and children's activities during this annual spring event. Call Murray-Calloway County Parks and Recreation at 270-762-0325 for more information.

Kids have a chance to get up close and personal with all kinds of trucks, equipment and farm machinery including fire trucks. Call Murray-Calloway County Parks and Recreation at 270762-0325 for more information.

Stewart Stadium Walk through this fun car show which will include music and door prizes. Admission is free. Visit www.topguncarshows.com for more information.

Middle and high school bands from all over Kentucky gather together to perform during this all-day event. Concessions, inflatables and crafts will also be on hand for visitors.

may 3

Bargain shoppers from all over the region swarm to Murray the first Saturday in May for the bi-annual Citywide Yard Sale. To participate

Murray State University Spring Graduation

may 10

CFSB Center Graduates are asked to report by 9:30 a.m. in the lobby of the CFSB Center, but families often show up around 9 to get good parking and a good seat — seating is first-come only.

murray life magazine

International Astronomy Day

may 10

Citywide Yard Sale

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Commencement ceremonies begin at 9:50, and the ceremony lasts until around noon. Traffic in the north of Murray will be heavy around noon, and seating in restaurants will be problematic, but both students and families will be very happy. For more information, click on the “Acad. Calendar” at www.murraystate.edu.

Summer Edition

LBL Welcome Center From noon until 4 p.m., the planetarium at Land Between the Lakes (just off Hwy 68/80 and clearly marked) will offer free Planetarium shows, telescope displays, solar observing, literature for all ages, and activities for kids. For more information go to www.wkaa.net/astronomy_day. php Program free to LBL Visitors.

[  ] nature

Those “Dam” Birds! by: Carrie Szwed, Naturalist

ardon my French! I just get so excited thinking about the number and variety of birds that can be seen at Kentucky and Barkley Dams (run by Tennessee Valley Authority and Army Corps of Engineers, respectively). Why would so many birds want to spend time hanging around these monstrous man-made structures? Well, as many of you can attest to, the fishin’s good! While dams can certainly have negative impacts on wildlife, in this case hungry birds benefit from the schools of stunned fish that flush through the dams into the tailwater.

delights in seeing unusual wanderers. “There is the initial excitement of expectation because you never know when a rarity like an Iceland gull or a brown pelican might show up in the mix,” she says.

Located just a short drive from Murray, these two dams will surely provide great birdwatching opportunities. Hap Chambers, a Murray resident and avid birder, regularly frequents the dams to observe the vast variety of species that can be found there. “No day [at] the dams is a bad day,” says Chambers.

However, it’s the “regulars” at the dams that can keep birders engaged for hours, studying the variation among individuals and admiring their crafty hunting

Some of the rarest bird sightings in Kentucky have been documented at the dams, particularly at Kentucky Dam. Hurricane winds have blown in oceanic birds such as sooty terns and Audubon's shearwaters. Rare migrant species, such as jaegers, pop up at the dams on occasion. Let’s not forget the potential for rare waterfowl, such as longtailed ducks, in the reservoir above Kentucky Dam during winter. Murray resident Melissa Easeley, also an avid birder,

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just a “driveLocated from Murray,

short these two dams will surely provide great birdwatching opportunities.

”

– Carrie Szwed

Great Blue Heron

Summer Edition

behaviors. If you visit either dam at any time of year, you’re almost guaranteed to see at least one of the four types of birds described below, possibly in great numbers and at close range.

It’s a Bird, It’s a Plane, It’s NOT a Crane, It’s a Heron!

Take a look along the tailwater’s rocky edge and you may see dozens of 4-foot tall great blue herons spying or stalking their prey with an uncanny stillness. You may also see them gracefully gliding over the water, revealing their 6 foot wingspan. Herons are colloquially called “cranes,” but in fact are very different from the true cranes that migrate through this area, known as sandhill cranes. When making

herring gulls, medium-sized ring-billed gulls, and smaller Bonaparte’s gulls.

Melissa Easeley birding at Barkley Dam

extended flights, herons hold their long necks in a curved “S” shape, while cranes fly with their necks outstretched. A heron’s way of life also differs greatly from that of a crane. Herons perch and nest in trees, and exclusively hunt live animals. Cranes, on the other hand, do not have the ability to perch in trees, thereby nesting on the ground, and their primary diet is vegetation. Call them what you will, whether it’s herons, cranes, or modernday pterodactyls, great blue herons are a sight to behold at the dams. The breeding season (March through October) also brings in other magnificent members of the heron family, including black-crowned night herons and great egrets.

Within each species, there is also variation in their feather color. Gulls in their first, second, third, and sometimes fourth years of life tend to look “dirtier” than adults, with mottled gray feathers (those kids: always playing in the dirt!). Older gulls wear their primarily white and black plumage with distinction. Admittedly, the intricacies of gull observation do not strike everyone’s fancy. Don’t worry: As Chambers says, “Folks who don't get excited about gulls can always find something of interest flying around.”

Doth my Eyes Deceive Me? Is that a Pelican I See? In Kentucky?

The last bird you may expect to see in western Kentucky is a pelican, much less hundreds of them at once, but stranger things have happened (remember the albino python in Land Between The Lakes?). In fact, American white pelicans have become a

fairly regular sight in recent years. Your best chance to see these huge, bright white birds at the dams is in March and April, when large flocks migrate from their wintering grounds at the Gulf Coast to their breeding grounds in western states like North Dakota, where up to 12,000 white pelicans breed. They also migrate through in October, although they spend less time at the dams and more time on the lakes.

Even if birds are not “special to you, it is worth the drive” to visit the dams.

”

– Hap Chambers

Don’t count winter and summer out either. With an ample supply of fish and open water that doesn’t freeze over, some white pelicans see no need to resort to a “snowbird” lifestyle on the coast. In summer, a few juveniles that are too young to breed don’t bother heading further west. Perhaps they stick around for our viewing pleasure. Whatever

A Seagull is a Seagull is a Seagull, Right?

Pardon my French again, but “au contraire!” First of all, you can’t rightly call them “seagulls” if they’ve never been to the sea! Many gulls seen in this area fly back and forth throughout inland North America, never venturing out to either coast. Secondly, a close look at gulls at the dams will reveal their wide variation. Several different species of gulls hang out at the dams and, depending on the season, can all be seen at the same time: large

American White Pelican

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season you happen to see white pelicans, watch for a distinctive hunting behavior in which a group of pelicans forms loose circles or lines in shallow water and traps schools of fish for some good eatin’!

Nothin’ Catches Like a Cormorant!

The body of the long-necked, primarily black, doublecrested cormorant is wholly adapted to hunting fish. These slender birds are aerodynamic torpedoes, shaped to dive up to 75 feet in pursuit of fish. While most aquatic birds have feathers

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that repel water, cormorants lack waterproof feathers. This decreases their adaptation buoyancy, thereby increasing their diving ability. After a dip in the water, you might see cormorants perched on the dam or on nearby structures with their wings outstretched to dry. When seen on the water, a cormorant’s body is mostly submerged, but you’ll still see its long neck and head tilted toward the sky. Take a closer look and you’ll observe the cormorant’s bright orange bill with a hook on the end, perfect for snatching and grasping its darting delicacies. Cormorants have historically been un-popular among anglers because of their love for a good fish, but several published studies indicate that, in general, sport and commercial fish do not contribute sub-stantially to the double-crested cormorant’s diet.

Summer Edition

Great blue herons, gulls, pelicans, and cormorants make for a wonderful day of birding at Kentucky and Barkley Dams. But, if your interest still isn’t piqued, let’s cast out the “raptor” lure! During any visit to the dams, you’re quite likely to see “hawks, osprey and/or eagles sit[ting] on the side lines, waiting for an opportunity to catch a fish,” says Chambers. Red-tailed hawks, as well as up to 30 nesting pairs of bald eagles, inhabit this region year-round. Osprey breed in Kentucky, so they reside here from March through October. Chambers adds, “Even if birds are not special to you, it is worth the drive” to visit the dams. At Kentucky Dam, you can even walk along the top of the dam and visit the newly-refurbished visitor’s center. One thing is for sure – whether your visit to the dams is avian-inspired or otherwise, you’ll certainly feel the presence of s “those dam birds.”

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[ $ ] the last word

If Winter Comes by: Kenny Darnell

ear the end of January some years ago, I sat on a mountainside and watched as the wind chased patterns of sunlight across the valley with the scattering clouds. There were no budding trees, no daffodils or crocus, just a hint of warmth on the breeze and the sound of peepers down in the glade. I don’t remember thinking much about the time of year that day; it just came to me that it was “spring.” I still cannot say with any certainty why I felt spring’s presence. It had nothing to do with the calendar or with the relationships of planets to stars. It was a simple feeling – intangible in substance, but finite in conclusion. We put far too much stock in calendars and their silly notions about the seasons. Calendars are for selling things, for fundraising projects, for showcasing pretty scenes. A calendar can indicate the precise day on which the amount of daytime will equal the amount of nighttime, but can never predict the arrival of spring.

us unaware. The budding of the trees and blooming of early flowers are but a mere consequence, never a harbinger. Often is heard the comment that “there will be no spring this year,” as folks are caught up in the speculation that winter’s cold will give way to summer’s heat overnight. Perhaps the Bard himself failed to sense the arrival of spring by Gloucester’s opening line in Richard III: “Now is the winter of our discontent made glorious summer by this sun of York.” Or maybe Shakespeare was simply providing a foreshadow of the tragedy to come by marking the passage of one harsh extreme to another without benefit of spring’s soothing interlude. Neither is the arrival of spring defined entirely by phenomenon of weather. Warm, pleasant days come and go in the midst of winter without evoking thoughts of spring. Likewise, both leaf and flower often

Spring is without a doubt the most nebulous of seasons. Autumn arrives with cool nights and a brilliant harvest moon. When summer’s green begins to transform itself into golden hues, we know that fall is near. Spring, however, comes upon

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Summer Edition

find themselves bitten by the bitterness of winter’s last gasps, having been coaxed into bloom on the scantest of evidence. No, spring is a feeling that flows on the wind and rides with the clouds. It is color of sunlight, the texture of a breeze. It is the instant relief that is felt when the puritan will of winter is finally loosed. Look for the beginning of spring and it will not be found. Listen to the quiet voices within the heart and spring will fill the soul. At least one poet recognized not only the nuances that signal spring’s arrival, but the absolute certainty of spring: “The trumpet of a prophecy! O Wind, If Winter comes, can Spring be far behind?” Shelley’s observation is a comforting promise that as surely as there is winter, there also will be spring. Forget the calendar – listen for the coming s of spring with your heart.