Murray Main Street

Volume 16 / 2014 Preserve the Past ...

Imagine the Future Welcome to the 16th annual Preserve The Past…Imagine The Future publication. This year our focus is on ‘the best of the best’ of our first fifteen publications. From barns to markers to cemeteries, our best stories from past publication come around again to the forefront.

We hope you enjoy this year’s publication.

If you see an interesting story and want the entire publication the story came from, we have them in the Robert O. Miller Conference Center.

Come by and see us!

As always, if you have a story to tell or a picture to share, feel free to come by and see us or call us at 270-759-9474.

Deana Wright

KEITH TRAVIs, PREsIDENT

JAMIE PENNER, sECRETARy

Vice President of Development, MCCH Number of years with MMS: 3

Community Volunteer Number of years with MMS: 3

PHIL MOORE, TREAsuRER Realtor, Crye-Leike Realty Number of years with MMS: 6

Murray Main street Board of Directors Keith Travis, President Jamie Penner, Secretary Phil Moore, Treasurer Asia Burnett Judi Little Jason Pittman

Kate Reeves Lisa Shoemaker Mark Welch

DEANA WRIGHT, PROGRAM DIRECTOR Number of years with MMS: 17

Ex-Officios Chris Wooldridge Bill Wells, Mayor Stephanie Butler Aaron Dail Mark Manning

December . . . . .2014 . .

Murray Main Street . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 .

VISIT THE DOWNTOWN SATURDAY MARKET: MAY - OCTOBER

Main Street December 2014 4. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Murray . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Faded Glory: Story of the Court Square Reprinted from Recollections of Calloway County produced by Linda Coleman’s CCHS Honors English Class Vol. 10, 1997 Story altered to fit this publication. Full version in 1999 publication

W

hen one goes downtown shopping now, change is evident everywhere.

The court square area has evolved over the years as progress has been made. Very few people remember when the court square was encompassed by gravel roads. In order to relive what many people refer to as the “glory days of downtown shopping” an excursion around the court square is in order. For the purpose of our little trip, we will choose the date July 15, 1953.

The Murray court square is teeming with people; let’s join them for a window shopping tour of the businesses. We start on northwest corner of Fifth and Main Streets, where Peoples Bank stands. Crossing the street to South Fifth Street we come to Lerman’s two story department store. Past Lerman’s is Rudy’s restaurant, owned

by Mr. Rudy Allbritten, Sr. The little cozy restaurant is the most popular gathering place for downtown workers who need a good home-cooked type meal.

Moving on, we stop at Adam’s Shoes to check out the “latest heels”, but what good would the latest heels be without the new ankle length, lined skirts that hang in the window of the next store, Belk-Settle? As we continue to walk, we admire the new display of Bulova watches in the window of Lindsey’s Jewelry. To finish off our dream outfit, we stop and look at the twenty-five cent hair ornaments in Kuhn’s Five and Dime. Leaving Kuhn’s, we cross the street and pass the Methodist church on the corner; the stained glass windows are beautiful.

Now we are on Maple Street, and I have to drop my Sunday dress off to be dry cleaned for fifty cents at Boone’s Cleaners. After leaving the dry cleaners, we have to stop in at Chuck’s Music Store to purchase Glenn Miller’s Golden Album. We pass by Parker Food Market because grocery shopping will be saved for another day.

We quickly pass the Murray Fire Department and Murray City Hall because we have no business there today. We glance in the window of Johnson Appliance Store at the new ultra-modern washers. A step inside Hughes Paint and Wallpaper get us some color samples for spring cleaning time; after leaving there, we pass Jack White’s Standard Service Station where we notice that gas has gone up twenty-three cents a gallon.

On the corner of Maple and South Fourth Streets, we stop at the post office to drop off a letter and check our boxes. Starting up South Fourth Street, we pass James Marine Grocery, Tolley’s Grocery and Western Auto Associate Store.

Gladys Scott’s Dress Shop gets our attention because the store has advertised its new line. We have not had a chance to do anything but glance in the window, but as always, Mrs. Scott has the best styles in town. As we pass Gladys’ shop we peek in Furches Jewelry at diamond solitaire rings, which sell for $299. Then a stop in Holland Drugs nets us a fifteen cent box of bandages that I have been meaning to get. We pass the Bank of Murray and cross the street to Douglass Hardware.

Post Office

Then crossing again, we travel up Main Street past Scott’s Drugs. We suddenly stop and stare in astonishment in the window of Corn-Austin Mens Store; how could anyone spend fifteen dollars on a pair of men’s dress shoes! We then pass Littletons department store. Some of the best furniture in town is found at Diuguid’s Furniture right next door.

We pass the National Store and hurry into Wallace Drugs for a lime-aide because walking in July heat is killing us.

Though the refreshment has helped, we are rather tired, so we pass up Graham Jackson Historic Rudy’s Restaurant Men’s Store and McElroy Five and Dime.

Finally, we pass Dale and Stubblefield Drug Store, owned by a relative of Nathan B. Stubblefield, the inventor of the radio. As we glance up, we see the Peoples Bank again and realize we have walked around the entire court square.

In those days, the court square created bonds between people that were never broken.

Store owners were friends, and their children grew up playing in the streets around the square. Store owners’ children, when grown, took over the family’s business, started their own, or worked in existing businesses. The business community of the court square was practically and literally a family; this closeness served to draw even more customers.

Perhaps the greatest benefit of the tight-knit business community on the court square was concern the store owners had for every other member of the community. Mr. W.J. Pittman had first-hand experience with this caring as he remembered an incident that occurred many years ago. “I went up to this ten-cent store, owned

by Mr. Jones, on Christmas Eve, looking for some Main Street knick-knack for my mother, and some lady came in there. She didn’t have much money, and she had two little children. Mr. Jones said that she didn’t have any money for Christmas presents, and he said, ‘I’m going to fill a basket for her,’ and he did…and he made those little children’s Christmas out of a ten-cent store. I remember her crying on the way out. Anyway, there were a lot of little things that people did that helped others out.”

Another area not always well remembered was the wrestling arena just off the court square. On some Sunday nights the wrestling crowd would get so loud that the church across the street had to send someone over to complain about the noise (Pittman interview).

The court square was once the center of the community, a gathering place, full of love and occasional excitement. Though the court square of the 1900s has made a comeback, it still lacks the allurement once held by the downtown area. Today with the introduction of shopping malls and Super Wal-Mart, the court square is a shadow of its former self. However, even though the glory of the court square is gone, its ambience will not be forgotten. ❖­

December . . . . .2014 . .

Murray Main Street . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 .

School Days in the Old Murray Institute By: Hugh M. McElrath (Reprinted with permission from William N. McElrath) Story altered to fit this publication. Full version in 2000 publication

W

hile convalescing from a recent serious illness, I have gone back in thought to my school days in Murray Institute, my teachers and classmates. Perhaps some recalling of those days and personalities may stir fond memories in others. We sincerely hope so.

The first schoolhouse built on the present site of Murray High School was erected in 1871. It was built by concerted efforts of a number of farseeing public-minded citizens who originated a stock company and raised $17,500 for the erection and equipping of a seat of learning.

The first group of trustees were as follows: Captain W.J. Stubblefield, a Confederate army officer and a local attorney; R.L. Ellison, county officer and businessman, who moved to Paris, Tennessee, perhaps in the early `80s; R.C. Beckham, one of the local bar and maternal uncle of the late E.B. Holland; Thomas R. Jones, the father of the late Mrs. Emma Brame, Mrs. Nat Ryan, Mrs. Lona Keys, and Jim Jones. Mr. Jones served longer than any other trustee, perhaps serving the entire life of the institution; Squire Willams Holland, an east side farmer, merchant, and tobacconist, who resided at Old Faxon; Willam Ryan, an older brother of Nat Ryan – a tobacconist, a farmer, and a local symbol of energy. He is the father of attorney John Ryan.

Prof. Henry Nold, my maternal grandfather, was the first principal. He and three other teachers constituted the faculty. My mother was his first assistant and Miss Bettie Hammett the music teacher.

The schoolhouse was furnished free to the community. All the tax money allocated for public education went to provide well-trained teachers and necessary maintenance and operation.

This institution was named The Murray Male and Female Institute. The marker over the north door bore the date 1871, but the first session in the building was begun in September 1872. There is no discrepancy, for it was considered good procedure in those days to allow the brick walls of a house to go through a winter before the house was finished.

I was born and reared in a stone’s throw of this building. One of the noticeable things regarding places we frequented in early years and visited or reflected upon later in life, is relative size and distance. The Institute seemed to me in early years, oh, so very large(!) and quite a distance from our house, though only across the street and a little way west.

The building referred to stood almost exactly where the first unit of the present Murray High School building stands. There were four large class-rooms on the first floor.

The wide hall went the entire depth, with double doors at the north and south. The divided stairs went up on the east and west walls and met on a landing and from there up joined. On the second floor there were two large classrooms and a large chapel which was used also for a study hall.

A small rostrum was placed between the two doors leading from the hall. Here the principal had his desk. The bell

rope hung down in easy reach. The piano and bookcase were on the north. There were blackboards on the east, west and south walls.

In the southwest upstairs classroom there was a stairway leading to the belfry, and in a closet under the stairs, the skeleton used in teaching physiology. Yes, a real human skeleton that cost one hundred dollars – and that was real money in those days.

For many years Louis Peyton was the faithful janitor. He ‘toted’ the coal from the coal house east of the house on the lane, split the kindling, made the fires, swept the floors, cared for the oil lamps when used, fetched the water from the well in Dr. Hart’s yard, rang the bell, brought the morning mail to the teachers, cared for the grounds, and what not.

My first teacher was Miss Numa Oury. I was only five. It was a spring term after the free school in the fall. This spring term was called a subscription school. In other words, there was a tuition fee and one teacher took care of all the ‘downstairs’ pupils.

Murray School

The room used was the northeast room downstairs. Perhaps there were thirty pupils.

It seems strange that I remember so few of them: Gray Gatlin, later Mrs. Warren Swann; Mattie Wallace, later Mrs. Muke Overbey; Myrta Kirkland, later Mrs Leland Owen; Prince Hart; Richard Hamlin; Roy Duiguid; my brother Paul; and Terrell and Alfred Stubblefield, the latter a beginner too.

I will here mention the teachers in order until I got ‘upstairs.’ That was indeed a promotion. They follow: Miss Sallie Wear, another cousin, and later Mrs. Will King; Miss Nina Miller, later Mrs. George McClaren; Mrs. Bettie Cutchin; Mrs. Dolly Curd; Miss Laura Lynn, later Mrs. Will Harris; Miss Lou Fergerson, later Mrs. Erve Johnston; Mrs. Curd again; and Miss Hattie Keys, later Mrs. Tremon Beale.

This was apparently Mr. Throups last year as principal, for the next term when I was under my cousin, Miss Sallie Wear, I very well remember a spanking that Mr. Sturgis gave me. He visited the room unannounced and decided that something I was doing (that the teacher hadn’t thought worthy of notice) warranted punishment; or was it public example of authority?

Mrs. Curd made me sit with a girl as a disciplinary measure. I must have been about nine. The results were favorable and I didn’t object nearly as much as I pretended, for I found Hattie Rayburn likeable even though I had thought otherwise.

In the fall of 1904, the Murray Institute burned. The school was shortly afterward housed in a building on East Poplar near the railroad – formerly used as a pants factory.

Hugh M. McElrath

The second building built by public school funds was larger than the first, but not to be compared to the old one from the standpoint of beauty. In 1916 it, too, burned. As it had risen upon the ashes of the Murray Institute, so our new school rose upon its ashes and has continued to grow and expand. ❖­

Main Street 6. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Murray . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .December . . . . 2014 . .

Agricultural Evolution in Calloway County By: Melissa J. Finklea

M

ost residents of Calloway County are aware of the agricultural influences in their community, but are they aware of their significance? Agriculture, the largest industry in Calloway County, has quite a rich history. Recently, Robin Taffler and I were fortunate enough to meet with several agricultural icons of Calloway County, who offered a glimpse of Calloway County farm life in decades past.

The roundtable discussion included Charles “Leroy” Eldridge, Bill Cherry, Arlie Scott, Robert Hendon and Elden Heathcott, who all graciously spent an hour or so sharing tales of days gone by and the changes in agriculture they have been witness to over the years.

Mr. Eldridge, who was born and raised on a Hamlin farm, remembers spending much of his younger years with his grandparents. Many children of his era (born in 1920s) spent time with their grandparents while their parents worked the farm, until they were old enough themselves to assist. One of the highlights he remembers was having the very first tractor in the neighborhood, a B model John Deere, which would plow 2-3 acres in half a day. He also noted that the farm life was synonymous with one’s social life, as he remembers neighbors coming to their home to listen to their Victrola and accompanying them on hunting ventures.

Our roundtable discussion touched upon several points of interest, one of the first relating to the value of goods in years past. The memory of a Ford Ferguson tractor selling for $600 in the 1920s started it off and the memories rolled on from there. One gentleman recalled his father receiving the tax bill in 1935 for their 70 acre farm and having to sell 5 hogs to pay the $33.00 due.

Another chimed in regarding the mode of transportation in the early `30s – they all came to Murray in wagons. Back then, a good horse averaged $30.00 while a mule would sell for $15.00-$20.00, however, a prize mule could bring as much as $100.00. Although the prices of most items have increased over the years, unfortunately, some of those that matter most have gone down.

Apparently, when soybeans were first introduced in Calloway County, during the Eisenhower years, they brought $11.00 per bushel but over the years that has decreased to approximately $5.00 per bushel. The up side to this situation is that production per acre has increased to offset the decrease Waldrop Farm in revenue per bushel.

Another topic of discussion revolved around the influence of Murray State University on local agriculture. In the early years of their agriculture careers, the men we met with recalled the major crops of the area consisting of corn, hay, tobacco and red clover. The popular livestock of the era were Jersey cows,

lard hogs and sheep, which were often bought and sold at the large Murray stockyard.

The University was largely responsible for introducing new crops to our region, in addition to changing the breeding of livestock. In the late 1940s, Murray State became influential in the tomato, peach and apple Cutting Machine industry, with the former Orchard Heights situated where the dorms are currently located. Co-ops were formed in Calloway County for tomatoes and peaches but eventually subsided due to the lack of market, as a result of “Late Black” disease and tomato wilt.

Soybeans were the next crop the University introduced to Calloway County and this brought rotation of crops – wheat, corn and beans – into the picture.

Murray State played a vital role in the improvement of livestock breeding for western Kentucky, as well. The breeding of hogs made a shift in our region from lard hogs to meat hogs, while cattle farms in the area expanded from strictly Jersey cows to black and white cows. Calloway County farmers were ready for diversification and increased production, thus welcomed the improvements the University offered. Murray State’s agriculture department also taught people how to use chemicals to their advantage for increasing production, via fertilizer advancements, as well as introducing chemical sprays for controlling pests and weeds.

Our roundtable of local agriculture scholars all agreed they had been part of dramatic changes in farming throughout their years in Calloway County.

Farming used to be a small, family operated business where neighbors swapped labor to assist one another. There were numerous farm families in the area with an average of 50 acres per farm. Today’s farms are much fewer in number but boast vast acreage, some with over 2000 acres. Increased technology has turned farming into a big business with advanced mechanical equipment and chemicals, the use of migrant workers, which facilitate harvesting the increased production and satellite imaging used to know precisely the quantity of fertilizer each row of crops will need based on the soil composition. Needless to say, the changes and advancement has been a great asset for the agriculture industry, which is Calloway County’s, and the nation’s, largest industry. The group of agriculturists which shared their knowledge and memories foresee additional changes on the forefront, yet were eager to note that agriculture will remain a staple of our economy, due to the need to produce food for our nation and others. As our roundtable discussion was closing, Arlie Scott offered some farm humor: “What did the wagon say to the tractor? Come a little closer, John Deere!”

Murray Main Street salutes the agriculturists of Calloway County who have helped us preserve the memories of farming. ❖­

December . . . . .2014 . .

Murray Main Street . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 .

Foundations of Faith A Look into the Past of Calloway County Churches Story altered to fit this publication. Full version in 2003 publication

T

here are over 112 congregations in Calloway County. Knowing that we could not possibly cover all of them, we chose to ask for history of churches that organized prior to 1952. It is very interesting to read about each and every church and what they went through to become what we know of them today.

FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH: On Saturday, May 23, 1846, eleven members of the Locust Grove Baptist Church in Calloway County received letters of dismissal and authorization to organize a Baptist church in Murray. The 11-member congregation voted to adopt the name of Murray United Baptist Church, but 20 years later, in 1866, the name ‘United’ was dropped from the official designation of the church and it became, as it is today, the First Baptist Church of Murray. The first house of worship was a frame structure erected in 1848 at a cost of $440. The second house of worship was a brick structure, erected in 1899 at a cost of $7,550. A Sunday School Annex was added to the east side of the building in 1909 at a cost of $5,500. The present sanctuary was erected on a pay-as-you-go basis in 1924-1926. The total cost was $130,000.

FIRST CHRISTIAN CHURCH: Having had its beginning in 1844, the First Christian Church building was the second public building in the city of Murray, predated only by the courthouse. The building served the congregation well until it was destroyed by fire on November 17, 1956. The church was rebuilt using the existing walls of the original building. A renovation project of the sanctuary was completed in late 2000.

The church was recognized by the Christ Church (Disciples of Christ) denomination as one of the fastest growing churches in the United States in January 2000.

FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH: First Presbyterian Church was organized on November 1, 1931 with 19 charter members. The church took an option on a lot located across from Murray State Teacher College (now Murray State University). After almost losing the entire congregation, a Mr. Howell Forgy became pastor. He left in 1940 to serve as a Navy Chaplain. Mr. Forgy authored the phrase ‘Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition’ which became a well-known World War II slogan.

FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH: The First United Methodist Church in Murray has roots that go back to 1821. The Methodist Episcopal Church in Murray was to be located at the northwest corner of 6th and Poplar, which is behind the present church. After much change and division in the General Conference of the MEC (the governing body), the first church building was completed on 4th Street in 1890. The membership grew rapidly and another building was constructed on the corner of 5th and Maple in 1903. The current church sanctuary was completed in 1961.

GLENDALE ROAD CHURCH OF CHRIST: During the summer of 1909, a gospel meeting lead by James A. Harding resulted in the establishment of the 13 member congregation of the Church of Christ. By 1912, the congregation had grown and a new name was given to the church; Water Street Church of Christ. In 1953, several members banded together and began the University Church of Christ. In 1984, after continued growth and purchase of land at South 12th Street and Glendale Road, the church became known as Glendale Road Church of Christ. Today, Glendale Road Church of Christ is the largest Church of Christ congregation in the State of Kentucky with over 1,100 members.

First United Methodist Church

HAZEL BAPTIST CHURCH: Hazel Baptist Church was organized in 1858 with 21 people becoming members. It was originally known as East Liberty Baptist Church and in 1898 the name was changed to the current day name of Hazel Baptist Church. In 1939, the church changed its location and a new building was erected at the present location. In 1977, the First Baptist Sanctuary and Education Building church building was destroyed by fire. The building was rebuilt and it is still the one being utilized today.

KIRKSEY METHODIST CHURCH: Prior to 1852, a Methodist church was organized and named Little Rock Church. The church was located one mile South of Kirksey in a log house. In 1901, the congregation moved the church to Kirksey. The church changed its name to Kirksey Methodist Church. In 1928, the building was destroyed and a new frame building was built. By 1958, the congregation had outgrown the building. In 1959, a brick church was built on the site of the first Kirksey Methodist Church.

LYNN GROVE METHODIST CHURCH: Lynn Grove Methodist Church was organized and a building constructed in 1906. In the late 1940s, the original building was bricked and in the 1950s plans were made for new additions. On October 11, 1958, the building was destroyed by fire. Until the new building was completed in 1959, the services were held at Lynn Grove High School.

MARTIN’ S CHAPEL UNITED METHODIST CHURCH: In 1836, a log cabin was built on the present day site of Martin’s Chapel. The church was named for the Circuit Riding Preacher George W. Martin and Minnie Martin. In 1858, the first of several houses used by the congregation was built. A second house was constructed in 1865 and the third in late 1884 and 1885.

MEMORIAL BAPTIST CHURCH: Memorial Baptist Church was organized on November 10, 1932. In November of 1934, a lot was purchased at Tenth and Main Streets and construction began in September 1935. The present sanctuary was completed in December 1937 and the first service was held on January 2, 1938. In 1973, the programs for children and youth were developed and a full-time music and youth director was announced.

SALEM BAPTIST CHURCH: ‘Salem Church,’ as it was first called, was constituted on April 14, 1848. Salem was not called a Baptist Church at the time of its organization, and there is some indication that meetings may have been held as early as 1823. In July 1848, Salem was one of four churches that formed the Mt. Olivet Association. When organized, Salem Church resided in a log structure. The congregation has grown as has its buildings. In 1938, the membership totaled 224 with Sunday school enrollment at 120 people. On April 27, 2003, the church celebrated its 155th anniversary.

ST. LEO CATHOLIC CHURCH: St. Leo Catholic Church was organized in 1933. In 1943, the first church building was erected and is still standing on the corner of 12th and Payne Streets. The building is now known as ‘Gleason Hall.’ ❖­

Main Street 8. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Murray . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .December . . . . 2014 . .

Visiting the Cemeteries of Calloway County By: Pete Lancaster Story altered to fit this publication. Full version in 2005 publication

I

t was late August, one of the hottest days of the month, about 9:30 in the morning and I get a call from Deana Wright. “Hi, Pete!” When are we going to get Kenny Imes to take us to visit some cemeteries??” I’m at the moment sitting across from Kenny at Imes-Miller Funeral Home, so I turn to him and say… “Kenny, when can we go visit some cemeteries for the publication Murray Main Street has coming out in October?” Kenny looks at his watch, and says “what’s wrong with right now?”

Well, I could think of many reasons not to go out into the noonday sun on one of the hottest days in August, but I’d offered to go, so if the two of them were willing, who was I to throw a wrench into the works?? Within a few minutes we were off on the first leg of one of the most enjoyable and informative adventures I’ve ever been involved in! To say the least, I was not at that time dressed for the occasion, but what are a few chiggers to a dedicated adventurer?

Kenny’s family tree of Funeral Directors and Embalmers dates back to the 1800s when John Edward Churchill began directing funerals in 1847. The Churchill and Imes families have been providing this service to citizens of Calloway County through seven generations. Kenny began working in the funeral business by following around behind his grand daddy Churchill (Ronald Wallace Churchill.) I was a bit skeptical at his statement that he began by helping to prepare grave sites when he was four years old. But to say the least, he began his career at a very early age!

Over the course of the next few weeks, Deana Wright, Kenny Imes and I visited over 100 cemeteries and saw some inspiring, haunting, and loving ways that people bury and remember their family members who have preceded them in death. There are graves in Calloway County cemeteries dating back to the 1700s.

It is remarkable what you can learn by visiting cemeteries. Deana and I discovered and came to appreciate many facts in our trips to visit the Calloway County cemeteries.

Some things I'll never forget, and others I'll probably have trouble recalling later on, much like a class at the University. Our professor, Kenny Imes, made it a fun class to attend.

Most large cemeteries are church affiliated, and contain the graves of families who have attended that particular church throughout the past couple of centuries. There are many smaller family cemeteries spread throughout the county, with as few as 6 or 8 graves. Some cemeteries have long histories, and many gravestones with the same names.

We learned that for the most part, people are buried facing the east. Headstones are at the west end of the grave, and may be lettered on either or both sides. In most cases in a family grave site, the wife is buried to the south of her husband, since that is the way they stood when taking their marriage vows.

Most monuments are made of marble or granite. Granite monuments are more dense, and weather better, where marble, though often a prettier stone, wears away, and after many

years the engraving is marginally legible. Some of the oldest graves in the county were marked with a simple rock, while others were marked with more substantial headstones. When a detailed and very beautifully carved monument was desired, marble was used. Due to the softness of marble, it was easier to carve and the desired look was more easily achieved. Concrete was used when the cost of a more expensive headstone was not possible. Over time and years of decay, even the concrete tends to wear away, leaving us to wonder whose grave we are visiting. Granite is the stone of choice these days.

As was mentioned earlier, it is a more dense material and can withstand many years of environmental abuse. Modern technology has allowed us to create beautiful pieces of work that will last forever.

As we continued through our tour of the over 100 cemeteries, we could point out headstones of war heroes from each and every war. Although some of the headstones are issued by the armed services, each headstone is special in its own right. Some war headstones are made of marble, granite, or bronze. Typical information engraved on a headstone is the name of the deceased, war fought, and dates of importance. Many include the rank and branch of service in addition to special inscriptions. Special inscriptions are common place on any type of headstone.

Many loved ones are remembered by a special saying or inscription …a verse in the Bible, a phrase in a song, a poem…. Each saying represents what ones left behind remember of the deceased. There are many popular sayings that are scattered throughout this publication. Thev saying Remember Man as you walk by, As you are now, so once was I, As I am now, so you shall be, Remember this and follow me was found on a tombstone in England. In reply to the saying above, the following saying was engraved on a tombstone close by To follow you I’ll not consent, Until I know which way you went bringing to the saying a little hint of humor.

When you hear someone say, the cemetery is so peaceful. They are correct. We were fascinated by the number of cemeteries that were overly peaceful. Large cedar trees would surround the cemetery and a bed of leaves lie on the ground as if someone intentionally placed them there to muffle any noise that would interrupt the peaceful state of the cemetery. That is the definition of a word we used quite often…cemeteryish. Don’t look it up in the dictionary because it isn’t in there...maybe in the next edition of Webster’s. Anyway, Kenny would say “Watch for something that looks cemeteryish…” We knew to look for older trees possibly cedar trees clustered in an area that has been untouched for many years. A cemeteryish area peaceful as it is would sometimes be “off the beaten path”... some way off the road and buried in weeds, some right up against a corn field, some deep in the woods with only a one-car width road (or less) leading us to them. We sure learned how to find cemeteries which was sometimes hard even with a map. ❖­

December . . . . .2014 . .

Murray Main Street . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 .

712 Main Street: Higgins House (Library Annex) By: Deana Wright

A

t 712 Main Street, next door to the Calloway County Public Library, stands the Higgins House, which has served as the Library Annex since 1979. The house was built in 1890 by George Aycock, a contractor working for Frank Barber. In 1902, H. A. Fruitema purchased the house for $3,000.00. Fruitema hailed from Holland and came to Murray to buy and sell tobacco. Fruitema did not own the house for long.

In 1904, he lost both house and land in a poker game with Solon Higgins.

Higgins was a local jeweler who lived in the house with his wife and their three children: Van, Elizabeth and Hilda. Van’s wife, Ruth, remembers hiding in their house when the night riders came through town. She states that Mr. Higgins (her father-in law) disapproved of slavery and was a northern sympathizer during the Civil War. Higgins’ daughter, Elizabeth, married Mr. Vernon Hale, who ran a store downtown called the National Store (presently the law office of Trevor Coleman) and located next to Diuguid Furniture (where The Bookmark building is today). The store was owned by Vernon’s father, O. T. Hale, who was one of the original founders of Murray State University in 1922.

Vernon and Elizabeth had one son, Solon Hale.

The Higgins House is a stately white Queen Anne Cottage style house, which is smaller in size and less elaborate than a true Queen Anne. The Queen Anne Cottage form is common to the late 19th century, and followed the basic

Higgins House

Queen Anne form of asymmetry and variation in shape and texture. The house has a large curved porch leading to a side door, a circular cove with several windows in a corner of the parlor, a stained glass window on the stairway and a sewing room on the second floor under the cupola. It was there that Solon Hale (called ‘Sodie’ by family and friends) slept on an antique spool daybed, as a child. Other charming features of the house are a hand carved banister and five fireplaces. For many years, a beautiful antique marble clock with a glass dome was a part of the house’s history. Mr. Higgins acquired the clock when a towboat worker came into his store to have it repaired. To protect it during transportation, the worker had transported it in a bag of flour. Mr. Higgins repaired the clock, but the worker never came back to claim it. Today, this beautiful marble clock is in the possession of Ruth Hale, wife of the late Solon ‘Sodie’ Hale.

The Higgins House is notable for being one of the first homes in Murray to have running water (Murray Ledger & Times—Major, 1982). It was one of the original houses on the windmill water system. The windmill was located on the Will Linn property, at the northwest corner of 6th and Main Streets, and supplied water for a portion of Murray during the early 1900s.

Today, the Higgins House serves as the Library Annex. Elizabeth Hale donated the back lot to the library for a reading garden in her family’s remembrance. In 1979, the library purchased the house from Connie McNutt.

Numerous library programs and conferences have been held in the Annex.

As a public structure, the Annex offers Murray residents a chance to see and appreciate the unique architectural features of the house. While the original function of the house has changed significantly over time, we are reminded of its original use as a family residence by the name ‘Higgins’ engraved into one of the stones of the original walkway. ❖­

Murray Main Street 10 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .December . . . . 2014 . .

COME DOWNTOWN AND CElEBRATE FREEDOM FEST: JUlY 3 - 4

December . . . . .2014 . .

Murray Main Street . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11 .

SHOp SMAll. SHOp lOCAl.

Murray Main Street 12 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .December . . . . 2014 . .

707 Main Street: Hearthstone House Compiled Deana Wright Story altered to fit this publication. Full version in 2007 publication

T

he story of Hearthstone at 707 Main Street in Murray, Kentucky, began on April 7, 1920, when H.T. Waldrop and Delano Edrington married at the Episcopal Church in Paducah, Kentucky and moved to Murray. Henry Theophilus Waldrop and Delano Edrington Waldrop moved to Murray and purchased a 90 acre farm on Highway 641 South, for $2,000

It was on this farm that H.T. raised the first Lespedeza Seresa perenial in the area, which brought him enough money to begin the house in 1931. An employee of the Agriculture Station, in Washington, D.C., sold him a very small bag of the seed for $90. Delano almost killed him for paying so much money for a bag of seed which could be held in the palm of his hand.

As the seed grew, H.T. hired men to guard the field at night. They weeded the plants on their knees, wrapped in tow sacks and using table-spoons. Now Lespedeza covers all the road sides and is very commonly grown. This seed was raised for several years.

In 1931, the Waldrops bought the lot at 707 Main from Ed Diuguid. Dr. Ben Keys, a close friend, urged them to buy this particular lot on Main Street. Mrs. Diuguid did not forgive her husband for selling it to the Waldrops. She wanted it for herself. The Diuguids always lived on the corner of Maple and South 6th Streets.

Currie H. Lockett was architect and carpenter for the Hearthstone house. He worked for $1 a day. The Hearthstone house fits nicely into the Tudor Style. Identifying features of this style include the steeply pitched roof, usually side-gabled, a façade dominated by one or more prominent cross gables, usually steeply pitched. Decorative half-timbering is present here and typical of the style, with a massive chimney, which is commonly crowned by decorative chimney pots.

This house also fits into one of the principle sub-types of the Tudor Style, using brick as the principle material. This is the most common Tudor sub-type. Brick became the preferred wall finish in this style, which was commonly contrasted with stone, or another material. False half-timbering occurs on about half the houses in this style.

Large, elaborate chimneys are favorite Tudor details. These are commonly placed in prominent locations on the front of the house. The lower part of the chimney is often decorated with stone patterns.

The Hearthstone House represents the Tudor Style with its multiple front gables, both represented in the roof line and in the timber detailing. With the front entry gable, another common element is seen in the asymmetrical height of the roofline which extends Entryway, Family Crest on Light Fixtures & Front Door lower on the right than the left. The house is solid with a full basement and concrete walls that are 8 inches thick.

Railroad car-loads of cement brought in by trains were loaded into a truck and taken to the building site. After the 8 inch walls were poured and cured, the children could walk and play on them.

Due to the Depression Era, this was the only house built Murray in 1931. Although, the country was in a state of economic turmoil, people still purchased Waldrop’s seed. Later on he grew some of the first Kentucky 31 Fescue which also brought in money.

Two years after construction began, the family moved into the west apartment. Work began on the first floor. Mr. Collins, a master plasterer from Paducah, Exterior where he worked on the Irvan Cobb Hotel, was hired to do all of the plaster work. The Waldrops felt very lucky to get such a talented man to do the plaster work. His artistic style on the plaster walls can still be seen today.

The basement was completed so a cook could remain at the residence. Several cooks looked after Clara, (H.T. and Delano’s daughter), for years while Delano planned and instituted the Child Welfare Department for the State of Kentucky under A.B. Happy Chandler, then governor of Kentucky.

Many well-known people visited, stayed and were entertained at Hearthstone.

Senator Alben Barkley, who became Vice-President with Harry Truman, was a frequent guest for lunch every time he came to Murray. Senator Kenneth McKeller from Tennessee visited often, always eating at the house, when people of the area were trying to get Kentucky Lake, the dam, etc.

Another visitor, almost weekly, during his campaign, was Governor A.B. Happy Chandler. He was governor two times, Senator, and finally Commissioner of Baseball. One time after he had spent the night in the first floor bedroom with the fireplace, Delano noticed that the clock which chimed the hours was missing. She called Happy and he said “Oh yes, look in the back of the double closet. It bothered me.”

Dr. Walter and Virginia Blackburn asked H.T. to build a 3 car garage with an apartment over it for them. They designed the apartment and he built it. They lived there for many years until they had Walter, Jr., and it was too small for them.

Price “Pop” Doyle, Mrs. Doyle and Larry lived in the east apartment for years. Pop was a famous head of the Music Department at Murray State.

Ed Griffin and Clara were married in the rose garden June 8, 1946. There were 200 rose bushes. A choir, made up of friends, sang and an organ played. The reception was held farther down the backyard under a willow tree with lots of flowers everywhere.

In the early 1930s, a tapestry was purchased in St Louis for $3. It still hangs over the fireplace in the living room. According to James Lawrence, the tapestry is a Rubens, a good copy of an original painting. The current owners are proud to have the tapestry in the house as a reminder of the history the walls of the house hold. ❖­

December . . . . .2014 . .

Murray Main Street . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13 .

501 Poplar Street: Robertson-Holton House By: Deana Wright Story altered to fit this publication. Full version in 2008 publication

T

he Robertson-Holton House, located at 501 Poplar Street, was built in 1899 by E.C.K Robertson, also known as ‘K’. Mr. Robertson moved to Murray in 1888 to take the place of the deputy postmaster. He was later appointed Postmaster for the post office in Murray, KY. In 1890, K married Lenora Hunt and had four children; Edgar, Verna, Biscoe and Miller.

to produce income and it remained that until the 1930s. She entertained various groups of loyal boarders; including political dignitaries, circus performers, a riverboat captain and tobacco tycoons of the time. At some point, the large porch was added onto the front of the house to give boarders a place to sit and talk outside.

Conversation was said to be loud and colorful.

Circus folks entertained until late into the night and music was played for everyone’s enjoyment.

Speeches by the political-minded people were made from the front yard.

On October 25, 1897, Postmaster Robertson purchased lots 125 and 126, located at the corner of Main (now 5th Street) and Price (now Poplar Street) Streets, for $500. Robertson cut and seasoned his own wood from his county farm for the building of the house.

501 Poplar Street is typical of the Folk Victorian Style that was dominant from 1870-1910. To be more exact, the house shows typical features of this style through its use of like materials throughout the house and the detailing in the porch railing and friezes suspended from the porch ceiling.

In 1947, Hunter and Winnie Love purchased the house. They owned the house next door and owned the infamous “Love Studio” photography business. Hunter and Winnie never moved into the house and only owned it for eight months.

They then sold it to Henry and Marie Holton in 1948.

Identifying features of the Folk Victorian Style are the gable front and wing of this house. Both one and two-story Victorian versions of this style are found throughout the country but are particularly common in the southern states.

The style is defined by the presence of Victorian decorative detailing on simple folk house forms, which is generally much less elaborated than the full Victorian styles. The roof-wall junction may be either boxed or open. Centered gables are often added to side-gabled and pyramidal examples. Window surrounds are generally simple or may have a simple pediment above.

Henry Elijah Holton III, Marie Holton and their children, Mike and Patricia lived in the house for many years thereafter. Henry Holton was a well known third generation insurance agency owner of Frazee, Melugin Holton Agency. Henry was also president of the Rotary Club of Murray. Marie was an artist and patron of The Women’s Club and The Murray Art Guild. She was also an early board member and charter patron of the local Needline.

Most Folk Victorian houses have some Queen Anne spindlework detailing but are easily differentiated from true Queen Anne examples by the presence of symmetrical facades and by their lack of textured and varied wall surfaces.

The spread of Folk Victorian houses was made possible by the railroads. The growth of the railroad system made heavy woodworking machinery widely accessible at local trade centers, where they produced inexpensive Victorian detailing. The railroads also provided local lumber yards with abundant supplies of pre-cut detailing from distant mills. After about 1910, these symmetrical Victorian houses were replaced by the Craftsman, Colonial Revival and other eclectic styles.

Original wood floors, woodwork, stained glass and other items are still intact. A ladder runs from the first floor living room to the attic in the closet system.

The staircase and all mantles are original to the house.

After K Robertson died, Mrs. Robertson converted the house into a boarding house

E.K.C. Robertson

During their ownership, the upstairs balcony was enclosed and other exterior modifications were made in the name of ‘modernization’. Inside the house, a bath was installed on the stair landing and the kitchen area saw an addition of space, as well. In 1986, the house was given to Patricia Holton.

Once Patricia took possession of the house, she started restoring the house back to its original beauty. Using pictures she received from the Robertson family, she worked tirelessly to ensure the historic fabric of the house was maintained and the beauty of the house was uncovered. She restored the exterior of the house and opened the balcony that was enclosed. Many of the fireplaces that had been covered up over the years were uncovered and the stained glass once again shown in the sun. In earlier years, Mrs. Robertson had added partitions to the house so that she could board more guests. Patricia removed all partitions and uncovered a great deal of history in the process.

It has been twenty-five years since Patricia Holton, along with Thomas Knowland, restored the house.

501 Poplar Street

The house is still a ‘picture memory’ of what life was like in Murray in the late 1890s. It was and still remains a landmark of the downtown Murray area. ❖

Murray Main Street 14 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .December . . . . 2014 . .

BE A pART OF MURRAY MAIN STREET BECOME A MEMBER TODAY

Mystery

December . . . . .2014 . .

Murray Main Street . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15 .

Does anyone remember where this building stood?

The location of this building is still in question. The window reflection reveals circular windows which are found today on the building where Murray Appliance is located, the former Beale Hardware Store.

If that is correct, this building would have been located at 3rd & Main.

Does anyone recall if another building had circular windos? Make note of the elegant cast iron columns that were prevalent in downtown Murray at the rurn of the century.

B U I L D I N G S

Does anyone have factual information documenting the locatio of this property? It is believed to be located on Main Street at th corner of Third on the south side. Do these two photos show th same building

The location of this building is still undetermined. It was either located on Maple between 4th and 5th Streets and burned its most likely location or it might be located where Wallis Drugs once was on Pam’ s Deli is today.

Murray Main Street 16 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .December . . . . 2013 . .

W

hen you drive around Calloway County, take note of the barns you are passing by on the sides of the roads. You can find a barn right down the street from a local Church…you can back out of someone’s driveway and almost run into a barn…or on a Sunday afternoon drive, you can mosey down the back roads of Calloway County and see many barns, old and new, standing strong against the heat of the day. There are thousands of barns in this part of the state, each built with a purpose…each with a story to tell. We only wish we had the ability to bring to you each and every story.

Although some barns have outlived their useful life, they are still beautiful and still worth trying to save.

Imagine the work that your ancestors put into building that old log barn that was “raised” from the ground in the late 1800’s and is still standing today. Imagine the women taking the water to the men as they carved each joint in each log. What a great deal of work and time it took to build something that has lasted so long.

Today, old barns are not conducive to the modern farm. Equipment tends to be larger than the mule-drawn plow. Wooden tobacco barns are more easily burned than the metal barns.

However, old barns can have other uses without tearing them down.

While driving through the county in search of old barns to photograph, I noticed a few barns that stand out because they are used for purposes other than the normal barn use. Some barns are used as advertisements; you can drive through others; or you can shop till you drop in an old red barn.

Each barn has a past, a present and hopefully a future.

Each has a story to tell…

December . . . . .2014 . .

Murray Main Street . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17 .

Advertising If you drive East or West on Highway 94, you can see barns that are used as advertisements. Signs have been placed on the side of certain barns for many years and promote some long running businesses in Murray.

Parker Ford has signs on barns both East and West of Murray. Kopperud Realty, on the other hand, has a sign on a barn just East of Murray. Most people see the sign and never really take a second look at the barn. These barns are old and still standing today as a proud marker of what used to be.

Kopperud Realty has had a “billboard” on the side of a barn since the 1970’s. The sign stands out prominently on the side of a barn owned by Dan Hutson. Before the Kopperud Realty sign was installed, there was a hand-painted sign for the old Bank of Murray. The hand-painted sign dates back to the 1920’s. If you look closely at the picture, you can see what is left of the hand painted sign.

Parker Ford uses two barns on Highway 94 to advertise their business…one located on East 94 and the other on West 94. Both signs have been advertising the Parker’s business since World War II. The signs were originally painted on the barns but over time actual signs have replaced the worn out painted signs. The barn East of Murray has been updated and today is still used for storage. The barn located on West 94 is owned by the Turner Family at Taylor Seed Company. The barn was originally built by Reginald Butterworth’s father in the early 1920’s. A hewing ax was used on many of the timbers to make the joints. Time has taken a toll on the barn but due to the close relationship between the Turners and the Parkers, the barn is still standing. We hope that it continues to stand for a long time.

An entrAnce If you think you can only use a barn for storage of items or living quarters for animals, you are mistaken.

Jackie and Clarky Butterworth found a new use for a barn that was just sitting on their farm West of Murray on Highway 94. The farm was originally owned by Tom Doran. The Butterworths purchased the property over twenty-five years ago with the intention of eventually building a new home. The little red barn on the property was built by A.F. “Bub” Doran in the late 1930’s. Lamar Farmer used the barn to fire dark tobacco.

When the Butterworths built their new home in 1996, the barn was in the way of their proposed driveway. Instead of taking the risk of moving the old barn, Jackie Butterworth decided to widen the doors and make it a “drivethrough”. Today, when you drive down Highway 94 West, you can see a beautiful red barn with an American Flag hanging from it...on the other side of the barn is the Butterworth’s beautiful home. What a way to make an entrance!

A stOre There is another old red barn that is of interest outside of Murray on Highway 94. It is the Red Barn Gift Shoppe owned and operated by Tim and Beverly Lemons. The Lemons purchased the property locally as "The Lockhart Place" in 1999. The old homestead was built in 1916 by Mr. Carl Lockhart and the red barn was built in 1920. It was originally used as a horse barn.

When the Lemons purchased the property, they were not exactly sure what they were going to do with the barn.

They knew it was in desperate need of repair and would fall soon if those repairs were not carried out. In a spur of the moment idea, the Red Barn Gift Shoppe was born. Beverly had always enjoyed retail and had actually worked at a former nursery so it made sense to open a store. The Red Barn Gift Shoppe opened in April 2001, in what was once the feed room.

In November of 2001, the barn was faced with another challenge…a tornado! As Beverly recalls, “the barn was knocked several feet off its footings.” “I just couldn’t believe it was still standing after such a terrible storm,” she continued. The Lemons decided to beef up the restoration of the barn. They worked long and hard to make their barn a beautiful building.

Now after multiple phases of work and a tornado that practically destroyed the old barn, the Red Barn Gift Shoppe is a wonderful use of an old building.

If you go out to the shoppe, be sure to actually look at the barn. It is quite a sight!

When you see an old barn, think of its use. Is it still being used as it was originally built or has it been modified for some other use? Is the barn just sitting there rotting away? If you have a barn on your property, what are you doing with it? Barns are a piece of history. Time has taken a toll on many of them, but they still stand tall. To preserve a barn is to preserve history and Kentucky’s heritage. It’s time to get started preserving your barn. ❖

Murray Main Street 18 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .December . . . . 2014 . .

What Does It Cost?

THEN & NOW

1913

2014

Bread

$0.06

$1.42

Flour

$0.03

$0.52

Fresh milk, gallon

$0.36

$3.53

Cheese

$0.22

$5.83

Butter

$0.41

$3.50

Coffee

$0.30

$5.90

Potatoes

$0.02

$0.63

Sirloin steak

$0.24

$5.71

Pork chops

$0.19

$3.47

Bacon

$0.26

$4.41

Eggs/dozen

$0.37

$1.93

Sugar

$0.06

$0.68

December . . . . .2014 . .

Murray Main Street . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19 .

MURRAYMAINSTREET.TUMBlR.COM FACEBOOK.COM/DOWNTOWNMURRAY TWITTER.COM/MURRAYMAINST

Murray Main Street 20 12 . . . . 2014 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .December

COME DOWNTOWN AND CElEBRATE FREEDOM FEST: JUlY 4 - 5

December . . . . . . .2014

Murray Main Street

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21 .

Old & Forgotten By: Deana Wright

S

are abandoned if the cost to maintain the house exceeds the value of the house.

o, day after day, year after year, you drive down the same road to work, school or to see your family. One day, you notice the old abandoned house on the corner of the block. As you are driving by it for the one thousandth time do you wonder why it, or any other house you see empty, was abandoned?

There is something mysterious and creepy about an abandoned house. Why is it sitting empty? Why was it left to crumble into nothingness? Did the owners die?

Is the place haunted? Whatever the case, these old abandoned houses provide opportunities for those interested in history and curious about stories that are held within. It is difficult to get answers to the questions above without talking to family members or neighbors. Most often stories will be passed down from generation to generation. As they are passed down quite often they are changed.

Regardless of the stories, there are three main reasons a house is abandoned. The first and most important reason a house becomes abandoned is because the owner can no longer afford the house.

Whether it is because the owner falls on economic times or whether the house requires too much money to maintain it, if the owner cannot afford it, they will abandon it and leave it for someone else.

Due to today’s economy and the financial strains many people face, newer homes are left empty and await foreclosure. Historic homes Kirksey

Kirksey

When an older house is no longer safe and sound, some property owners just build another house right next to the older house leaving the older house to decline even further.

Sometimes owners purchase a new house thinking they can sell their current house only to find out that it cannot be sold. For whatever reason, the house sits vacant and starts to deteriorate.

The saddest reason a house can be abandoned is because the last remaining family member has passed and no one is left to claim the property. After years of standing strong and absorbing sounds of kids screaming and playing and family members laughing and crying, an old house will sit empty, lose its identity and eventually need to be torn down because once the love and care is gone, the house is likely to die.

Houses are like people, they have stories to tell and they must be loved and cared for on a day-to-day basis. Remember that when you walk into your house. The memories you and your family make within the walls of your house is what keeps it standing tall and strong. Go make some memories! ❖

Kentucky Historical Markers By: Deana Wright

T

he Kentucky Historical Highway Marker Program is administered by the Kentucky Historical Society in cooperation with the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet. The program commemorates historical sites, events, and personalities throughout the commonwealth.

The markers are on-the-spot history lessons that add drama and interest to the countryside for everyone to enjoy. As people travel the state roadways of Kentucky, the markers provide a wealth of information on Kentucky history.

The goal of the Kentucky Historical Highway Marker Program is to connect events and personalities with their place, to bring the past to life, and to increase the awareness of what we owe to those who came before us. There are more than 2000 markers in Kentucky. There are markers that tell of a duel of honor, a seven-year-old boy who served as a drummer in the Revolutionary War, and the 1937 Ohio River flood. Others highlight moonlight schools that were established to combat illiteracy, an Indian academy, and the first state-supported school for the hearing-impaired in the U.S. Throughout Kentucky, there are many historic sites, individuals and events in history worth remembering. To have a marker erected for one such historic subject, a request

must be made in writing to the Kentucky Historical Society’s Historical Highway Marker Program and submitted on a standard form obtained from KYS. The initial request must also be approved by the marker chairman for the county in which the marker is planned. With the application, the organization or community submitting the request is responsible for providing initial documentation with references that verify all facts included. The request then goes to the marker advisory committee, made up of citizens and historians from around the state. The committee reviews the documentation and makes a decision whether the subject merits a historical marker. If approved, KHS researchers independently verify all statements and fact concerning the subject.

Next, the text for the marker is written and sent to the submitting organization or community as well as the county marker chairman for approval. The cost for the marker must be provided by the sponsoring organization or community.

For more information about this program or to get an application, contact Becky Riddle, Kentucky Historical Highway Marker Program Coordinator, (502) 5641792 ext. 4474, becky.riddle@ky.gov. ❖

Murray Main Street 22 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .December . . . . 2014 . .

Downtown Court Square Compiled by Deana Wright Story altered to fit this publication. Full version in 2011 publication

A

fter the division of Marshall County from Calloway County in 1842, the new site for the seat of Calloway County was located near Pleasant Hill.

The court square is exactly in the middle of the county and so the town was built around the county seat. Murray was made up of 80 acres originally owned by Edmund and Charles Curd and was subdivided into a square pattern with eight streets, four of them running east to west and four running north to south. These streets were named as follows: Walnut Street, Main Cross Street, Linn Street, Price Street, Water Street, Main Street, Curd Street and P’Pool Street. Today, only one street name still remains the same as in 1854, and that is Walnut Street.

The first courthouse in Calloway County was built in 1845. It was a two-story brick building that was fifty feet square. The first floor was one large room utilized mostly as the court room but was also a great location for the members of the community to meet. The second floor of the courthouse was used for the administrative end of the county with four offices for the officers of the court.

The beautiful two-story courthouse was surrounded by a courtyard enclosed with an elaborate iron fence and beautiful huge iron gates for entrance on all four sides of the square. In 1906 the court house caught fire and burned. After the courthouse burned, the fence was auctioned off to the public and was purchased by Dr. Will H. Mason, Jr., J.H. Churchill and the First Baptist Church. A portion of the fence still sits on the grounds of the First Baptist Church and separates the church from the Historic Post Office on South 4th Street.

It took three separate votes for the citizens of Calloway County to approve a bond issue that would mark the beginning of construction. In the November 1912 election, a third vote for the courthouse bond issue was added to the ballot. After the vote was tallied, early indications were that the vote failed again. The next day a request was made to recount the votes. When the votes were recounted, the clerk found he had made an error and the bond issue had passed with 51 votes more than was needed.

The courthouse that stands today was completed in 1913 at a cost of a little under $50,000.

In the early years of the town and more importantly the court square, buildings were constructed of wood frame and wood clapboard siding which made the building susceptible to fire. On a Friday night in 1864, members of the Fort Anderson Union burned the east side of the court square and then on the following Monday night burned the north side of the square. Kerby Jenning’s The Story of Calloway County, tells a great story about the first catastrophic fire in Murray history. If you are not fortunate to own the book, you can read the story in the 2011 Preserve The Past…Imagine The Future publication.

Court House in the 1920s After the fires subsided and the Civil War ended, the townsfolk started building again only to be interrupted by fire once again.

In 1875, fire broke out the west side of the court square leveling every building. It wasn’t until 1908 that the west side of the court square was rebuilt. In 1884, another fire took the east side of the court square.

Historic Trade Day at the Court Square

During the Night Rider years, the east side of the court square was once again a victim of fire. On August 31, 1908, a blaze started at the southern end of the block at the business of Knight & Son and moved to the Bank of Murray building which was still under construction. Before the Bank of Murray could open its doors, it was burned to the ground. Of course, individuals known to be a party of the Night Riders declared they had nothing to do with this particular fire.

In 1912, a smaller fire took place on the court square. It was limited to just one building between Dale & Stubblefield and Wear Drug. Another fire destroyed the old People’s Bank at the corner of North 5th and Main Streets in 1942.

By 1860, the population of Murray was 218. Thirteen years later, Murray was inhabited by over 600 people. At that time, Murray had two wholesale houses, six retail stores, one flour mill, a saw mill, a wood carving mill, a wagon and carriage factory, a tanning yard, 12 mechanical shops, two tobacco factories and a number of tobacco houses, two tanneries, at least five saloons, two hotels and two churches. There were five lawyers in town, four physicians, one newspaper and one school, the Murray Institute.

By 1897, the population of Murray was close to 950. The court square and consisted of offices, grocery stores, a photo gallery, a cobbler, a livery stable, an undertaker, agricultural implements, drug stores, a printing service, a Masonic lodge, clothing, dry goods and hardware stores, a jewelry store, a theatre and a wagon shop.

With the advent of the railroad system, Murray began to take on the appearance of a larger city. The population had increased to 1,000 by 1902 and the town boasted financial institutions, building supplies, an opera house and the West Kentucky Pants Company near the square.

In 1910, the population was around 3,000 and by 1932 it had risen to 2,660. Between 1960 and 1980 there was an increase of almost 5,000 inhabitants bringing Murray’s census up to 14,248. Today, the population of Murray is over 17,500.

Murray has been at the forefront of progress since the late 1800s.

In 1912, a water works system was in place and several county roads were graveled. Installation of a sewage plant took place in 1914. In 1915, the streets were renamed and in 1925 the streets were paved. Ten years later, the city streets underwent extensive curb and gravelling work under the Citizens Works Administration.

Murray State University was founded in 1922. In 1932, the Murray Post Office was built on the corner of 4th and Maple Streets for a total cost of $90,000. Then, in 1937, the Works Progress Administration expended $70,000 for county road and city street construction. The first blacktop road began at the corner of 5th and Main Street and extended west on Main Street in 1942. ❖

Murray Main Street . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23 .

December 2014

Calloway’ s First and Only Zoo (an excerpt from The Story of Calloway County, 1822-1976; by Dorothy and Kirby Jennings)

N

ear the Mason Memorial Hospital – Speaking of the hospital recalls the first zoo ever in Calloway County, excluding from all consideration the hound dog factories prevailing in the latter half of the century that assembly-lined any breed, age or skills, dogs by the thousands. But that is a later day story when Calloway County became the Hound Dog Capital of the nation. The hospital zoo, however, was an unusual assembly of birds, animals and reptiles that charmed the patients, staff and daily flow of families in attendance. It was an attraction of note, conceived and nurtured to a major attraction by Dr. Will Mason Jr. whose devotion to wildlife and domestic animals remains unchallenged in the history of this county.

During the years, Dr. Will secured a six foot alligator and placed the reptile in an open cage surrounded by sections of the huge iron fence that once surrounded the old court yard. Fortunately, the fence was so constructed as to prevent youngsters teasing the ‘gator from getting an arm close enough for a custom-made amputation job. Otherwise, one of the authors of this book would have been pecking at the typewriter today with wood pegs instead of arthritic fingers.

To briefly list some of the animal and bird attractions this late date, in addition to the ‘gator, would be to include six ponderous land gophers, huge turtles that inhabit land areas rather than water areas; pigeons of magnificent varieties including fantails, pouters, homing and other exotic species never before witnessed in the county. The birds were housed in huge poultry wire cages at the rear of the old hospital; brilliant peacocks and peahens that roosted atop a stable at the author’s homestead next door west; an enormous black snake, species unknown, which the good medicine man kept in his buggy when calling on patients in the countryside; domesticated wild geese of Canadian honkers, snow white artics, blue Labradors and others whose tags have long

been forgotten; parrots with speaking vocabularies that confounded both neighborhood children and mothers in deceitful monologues, coyotes and wolves leashed on wire runways over the shaded front lawn; a buffalo pastured on the old Risenhoover lot where Holland Stadium now Mason Memorial Hospital stands that intermittently failed to corral the prairie beast, plunging the neighbors in near panic at every escape; pheasants of golden, ring-neck and English varieties; an ocelot or Central American wildcat graced sullenly in a poultry wire cage on the back lawn to play havoc with neighborhood chickens on periodic escapes to freedom. In addition, Dr. Mason had many thoroughbred harness racing trotters and pacers, jacks, jennets and riding horses.

These were some of the principals in Calloway’s first and only zoo, but Dr. Mason’s wildcat ‘was the bull of the woods’ to the youngsters of this man’s town. Fondly, it is recalled the instance one Halloween night in which a hole was dug under the edge of the pen to permit our father’s favorite foxhound “Queen” to enter, thus eliminating the beast from its public nuisance once and forever-it was believed. From some mystic twist of goblin events, matters didn’t turn out according to this brat’s idea of a joke for within 20 seconds after the hound lunged in under the barricade, cat and dog came tearing out and the last view reflected by moonlight the cat was astride old Queenie’s back-racing across the moonlit school ground with that spotted cat jockey shredding the ears of that high-priced foxhound. ❖

Murray Main Street 24 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .December . . . . 2014 . .

BE A pART OF MURRAY MAIN STREET BECOME A MEMBER TODAY Upcoming Downtown Events 2015 Trivia Night: February 20 Easter on the Square: April 4 Downtown Saturday Market: May through October Freedom Fest: July 3 - 4 Murray Ice Cream Festival: September 11 - 12 Main Street Merriment and Dickens’ Alley: December 4 - 5

December . . . . .2012 . .

Murray Main Street . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25 .

Thanks to all of our advertisers!

Murray Main Street 26 . . . . 2014 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .December

100th Anniversary The 100th Anniversary Celebration, a reflection of Johnny Gingles speech on May 7, 2013

I

f Joe Pat James were still alive, he would be writing this story instead of me.

We all miss him…he was the poet laureate of Calloway County. He would always have a story to tell about the history of Murray and Calloway County.

On May 7, 1913, a crowd of 5,000 visitors were welcomed on the northwest corner of the courthouse lawn. It wasn’t much of a courthouse since it only stood three feet off the ground but the date was just as important as the people who were in attendance. Everyone was gathering around to witness the laying of the cornerstone by leading citizen and educator Rainey T. Wells.

The 600-pound cornerstone of Georgia marble was donated by Murray Masonic Lodge Number 105. Inscribed on it are the names of Masonic and local elected officials of 1913: Masonic Grandmaster Joseph H. Ewalt, Murray Lodge 105 Master C. H. Redden, Murray Lodge 105 Secretary J. H. Churchill, County Judge T.W. Patterson, County Clerk R.H. Falwell, County Attorney J.C. Erwin, and Magistrates A. J. Burkeen, Lee Clark, J.A. Ellison, W.G. Hamlin, A.B. Perry, G.M. Potts, and J.W. Wade.

Let’s go back to that day 100 years ago. It was a beautiful day. Homes and businesses were decorated with flags and patriotic bunting. Ladies were dressed in their finery with parasols openly affixed, men in their derby hats swapping knives, young folk courting, the Civil War Veterans were reminiscing, enterprising boys were selling lemonade. All of this made for a very festive occasion.

Murray had a population of approximately 2,000 in 1913 and the county population was almost 20,000.

There were no paved streets and very few gravel streets, but that did not matter because there were only 10-15 automobiles. The livery stables were full of activity. As you looked around the court square, you would see hitching posts and water troughs for the horses.

Back then, sixty-watt light bulbs served as street lights. A water system with fire hydrants had just been installed and the Fire Department was just an organized group of men with a bucket brigade. A new sewer system was in progress.

The Murray city limits were basically the railroad tracks to the east, 12th Street to the west, Chestnut Street to the north and Sycamore Street to the south.

Street names around the court square were all different: 3rd Street was Pool Street, 4th Street was Curd Street, 5th Street was Main

Street, 6th Street was Water Street, Maple Street was Linn Street, Main Street was Main Cross Street, and Poplar Street was Price Street.

Walnut Street is the only street around downtown still with the same name. The only original structure still under the same name, then and now, is the First Christian Church.

The Confederate Statue of Robert E. Lee was not erected on the Building the Court House courthouse lawn until 1917 by the United Daughters of the Confederacy. Despite contradicting stories, the statue is in fact Robert E. Lee as stated in Judge Bill Cunningham’s book, A Distant Light: Kentucky’s Journey Toward Racial Justice. Many have theorized as to the placement of the statue, but Judge Cunningham states in his book that the United Daughters of the Confederacy were woefully short of the $2,500 cost of the statue. Edwin Diuguid, President of the Bank of Murray, agreed to pay the remaining cost of the statue if it would be placed where it is now across from the then Bank of Murray. This is the only confederate statue that is not facing south.

Original Court Members that voted in the New Court House The first courthouse for Calloway County was erected in 1844 and was located in Wadesboro, Ky. It is now on display at Murray-Calloway County Central Park. The next courthouse built burned in 1872 and a new courthouse was erected in 1873. That courthouse burned in 1903 and left the county without a building until this courthouse was built in 1913.

Bond issues for the construction of this courthouse had been defeated twice prior but in 1912, it passed by 51 votes. Nine bids for the new courthouse were opened on January 14, 1913. Falls Construction Company of Louisville, Ky. was the low bidder at $49,679, which in today’s world would be equivalent to $1,173,613, according to the National Bureau of Labor Statistics. Construction of the new courthouse began in early February.

Work on the courthouse continued throughout the year and on the first week of 1914, the Fiscal Court met for the first time in the newly finished courthouse.

It is ironic that most of the elected officials who were in office during the construction of the courthouse were not re-elected and the newly elected officials were the first to occupy the new courthouse.

Confederate Statue of Robert E. Lee

Since the first occupancy in 1914, the courthouse has been full to capacity and has served the county officials well. We are proud to celebrate its 100th anniversary on this date in 2013. ❖

December . . . . .2014 . .

Murray Main Street . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27 .

CHECK OUT OUR NEW WEBSITE WWW.MURRAYMAINSTREET.ORg

Murray Main Street 28 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .December . . . . 2014 . .

MURRAY

MAIN STREET MEMBERS

2014 BUSINESS / CORpORATE MEMBERS PLATINUM ATA Finiancial Services Briggs & Stratton City of Murray GOLD Helix Creative Murray Vision Center The Murray Bank Wildcat Creek Campground Pella Corporation BB&T Parker Ford Lincoln Mercery SILVER Tony L. Page,CPA Bank of Cadiz Murray-Calloway Chamber

Sheila A. Wilson, CPA MCCH Becky Lew Los Portales Mexican Restaurant CFSB Dr. Dan Miller US Bank Independence Bank Heritage Bank FNB Murray Animal Hospital Murray CVB J.H. Churchill Funeral Home Rolling Hills Garden Center BRONZE GEC Peel & Holland

Law Office of Warren Hopkins Mark Lewis, State Farm Gear Up Cycles Fitts Block & Ready Mix Big Apple Café Murray Ophthalmology Associates Pierce & Associates The Maple Center The Murray Insurance Agency First United Methodist Church Kopperud Realty Farmer & Robertson Red Bug on 3rd Bristol Broadcasting Enix Jewelers New Life Christian Bookstore The Law Office of Jessica Fox Flinn Culver's of Murray

Ryan Walker, State Farm Murray Family Church Printing Services KY TN Oral Surgery LLC Hurt & Ryan Law Office Crye-‐Leike Realty Services The Cake Lady Abanathy Photography Grasty Excavating & Trucking A Good Thing Consignment Calloway County Library Sirloin Stockade & Buffet Kopperud Realty Lake Land Painting Diana Thomason Rick Lamkin, Attorney at Law Spann Appraisal

2014 INDIVIDUAl MEMBERS PARTNER Bill Hart Roger Reichmuth VISIONARY Jerry Penner Jamie Penner DOWNTOWNER Dave & Kate Reeves Stan Henley John Hart Bill & Anne Wells Terry & Judi Little Betty Vinson Dannie & Jackie Harrison

Dick Weaver Bob Head Keith & Joan Travis Betty Lowry Burton & Cathy Young Marie Taylor Martin & Patsy Tracy Ron & Ann Churchill Mike Faihst LA Sykes Jack & Janice Rose Darrel & Karin McFerron Margaret Daniel Sterling Wright Bob & Kate Lochte

SUPPORTER Lisa Shoemaker Rainey Apperson Phil & Joann Niffenegger Larry Cunningham J. Williams Phillips Robert McGaughey Debi Danielson Lance & Terra Allison Don & Bonnie Jones Anne B. Adams Angela & Chad Lampe John & Susan Williams Roger & Linda LaRochelle Joy Van Loon SteveA ndrus

Farouk & DeeAnn Umar Wilma Billington Barry & MaryGail Johnson James Gantt Linda Scott Bill & Alice Rouse Dan McKeel John Dale Sid Easley Joshua Schecter FRIEND Whitney Cooper Shawna Rushing Munger Donna Herndon Myrtle Dunn

Shirley Robinson Pam Keller Merry Miller Kevin Adams Dave Howe Don Robertson William Forrest Chris & Laynie Mitchell Don & Frances Miller Tom & Posey Lough Donnie Winchester Amos McCarty John Kopperud Angela Hatton Georgena Taylor William Schell

December . . . . .2014 . .

Murray Main Street . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29 .

BE A pART OF MURRAY MAIN STREET BECOME A MEMBER TODAY

Preserving History’s Future ___Yes, I/We want to be a part of keeping our downtown vibrant, attractive and inviting, to families, visitors and businesses!

Investor(s)/Corporation:_______________________________________________ Name of Representative:______________________________________________ Address:____________________________________________________________ City:________________________________________________________________ St:______Zip:____________ Phone:_____________________________ Email:______________________________ Individual Investment Levels:

___Partner ___Visionary ___Downtowner ___Supporter ___*First time member

$500 & above $250-299 $100-249 $50-99 $25

*Listing available for first-time Main Street members only

Corporate/Business Investment Levels:

___Platinum ___Diamond ___Gold ___Silver ___Bronze

$2000 and above $1000-1999 $500-999 $250-499 $100-249

Become a

Member Today!

Murray Main Street is a 501(c)3 organization. Donations may be tax-deductable. ___Please list my/our name at the appropriate level in publications and advertising. ___List my/our investment as "ANONYMOUS"

“Drive One Away Today”

Checks should be payable to Murray Main Street. Deliver to the office or mail to PO Box 143, Murray, KY 42071. Thank you.

Murray Main Street 30 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .December . . . . 2012 . .

MURRAYMAINSTREET.TUMBlR.COM FACEBOOK.COM/DOWNTOWNMURRAY TWITTER.COM/MURRAYMAINST

December . . . . .2013 . .

Murray Main Street . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31 .

Murray Main Street 32 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .December . . . . 2014 . .

BE A pART OF MURRAY MAIN STREET BECOME A MEMBER TODAY

In Business for 50 years!