1981 MONTHLY PICTURE |
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1981 calendar art winner - (Old Harrison School - drawn by
Cheryl Denton - 11th grade) |
Harrison School was built in 1901 or 1902 by the parents of children in the school
district without any tax money from the County. The following year, the County began
helping finance the construction of schools in other districts. Some of the early teachers
were Jake Hood, Kenneth Garrison, Harry Read, Noel Harper and Rose Anthony. The building
has been moved to the nearby farm of Woodrow Hughes and converted into a dwelling house. |
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JANUARY - (Lee Williams Home - drawn by Lee Tonda
Minix - 11 Grade) |
This two-story frame house
resplendent with its gingerbread trim was located on West Cherry Street, occupying the
site of the present Allen County-Scottsville Middle School. Known as the A. Lee
Williams residence, the house was built by W. H. Read on a portion of a 16 acre plot of
land which he purchased shortly after the end of the the civil War. Having served as
a Confederate soldier during the entire war, Mr. Read saw much action but had the good
fortune to never receive a wound or be taken prisoner. He was elected Allen County
Court clerk in 1882 and served until 1890. In 1905, he was elected treasurer of
Allen County. The home was purchased from the Reads by Mr. A. Lee Williams and wife,
may, in the early 1900's and here it was that their 3 sons and 3 daughters grew to
adulthood. Mr. Williams served Allen County as Sheriff during the years
1918-1822. As a Mason, he served as instructor of candidates in the ritualistic work
of the Masonic Order and was also a Shriner. The home remained in the possession of
the Williams family until 1940 when the site was purchased by the Allen County Board of
Education for the purpose of erecting the first county-wide high school. Upon the
completion of the new Allen County High School in 1970, it became the middle school
housing graded 6 through 8. |
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FEBRUARY - (Town Square - drawn by Elizabeth Shook -
12th grade) |
This picture of the Northeast
portion of the public square was made from the yard surrounding the octagon-shaped
courthouse. From left to right, O.S. Bryant's store, now occupied by Marsh's
Variety; Miss Jenny Mulligan's millinery and notions shop, upstairs over the millinery
shop was the law office of Bishop Huntsman. The next building is unidentified but
owned by Scott Brown who had a law office upstairs over it. This building and the
adjacent one - which at one time housed the firm of Settle & Welch, became part of the
National Store. The next building was a drug store owned by Rice Hendrick with
offices upstairs which housed Gilbert M. Mulligan's law office and a picture gallery
operated by Alfred Settle. the next and last building was a general store owned by
S. T. Hughes. Opposite, was a public well and watering trough. |
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MARCH - (Mt. Aerial Store - drawn by Brenda Kay Willoughby
- 12th grade) |
Mt. Aerial store located in West
Allen County on Highway 265 and is one of the oldest country stores in the county.
It was common in the early part of the nineteenth century for the country store to also be
a Post Office to serve the people in the area. Records show that a Mr. Willis E.
Arnold was Postmaster at Mt. Aerial in June 1854. At one time there was a drug store
across the road from the store and a Dr. Russell lived next door, a Dr. Alexander lived at
Mt. Aerial (He was the Father-in-law of Mr. E. H. Hancock, Sr. who now lives in
Scottsville). In 1907 when this picture was made, Mr. Presley Harrington was owner
and Postmaster. The Post Office was later moved to Trammel and Mr. E. H. Hancock,
Sr. was the first Rural Mail Carrier. Other owners of the Mt. Aerial Store were,
Euclid Wade, Hayden Eaton, Ezra Payne, Ezra Davis, Audrey Duncan, Harry Willoughby, Ernest
Willoughby, Sr., Mr. and Mrs. Ernest Willoughby bought the store in January 1954.
After Mr. Willoughby's death in 1962 Mrs. Willoughby continued to operate the store until
November 1979. Present owners are Mr. & Mrs. R. C. Herrington (as of 1981). |
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APRIL - (Read-Thompson Home - drawn by Maria Brogli -
10th grade) |
The home of E. H. Read, state
legislator and civil War veteran, was built in 1874 on the Old Jackson Highway which is
now 31-E. Timber on the farm provided material used in the constr4uction.
Bricks for the fireplaces and chimneys were also made on the property. The original
house had a small portico; in 1910 this was replaced by a full length front porch.
The old stile block which was used for mounting horses still stands on the front
lawn. This house presently is the residence of some of the Read descendants; it has
been family owned for 106 years. |
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MAY - (Bald Field or Meng's County Store - drawn by
Leanne Calvert - 12th grade) |
This country store was located 4
miles West of Scottsville just off the Bowling Green Rd. on the Old State Rd. and near a
large spring that was once considered to be the site for Scottsville. Also this
section of Allen County is known as "The Ball Field" because of a land grant
given to the "Bald Family" of Virginia, this family is said to be the family of
George Washington's Mother. After failure to claim the land it was divided and sold
in tracts and in the late 1800's Mr. Posie Justice purchased a tract of this land and
later sold the farm to the Guy Family, another land owner in this section was Mr. Willis
Mitchell, in early 1900 Mr. D. R. (Doc) Gardner purchased a 4 acre tract from Mr. Mitchell
and build a small store in 1910. In 1918 Mrs. Helen Gillmore Smith (Thomas)
purchased the store from Mr. Gardner and enlarged the store to include living
quarters Mrs. Thomas who now lives in Bowling Green and is known for her interest in
History and Genealogy said "She sol everything in general merchandise but the
"Buggy whip". Other owners and/or operators have been, George Lyles, Billy
Meng, James Gillmore, Ina Meng. This building is still standing and is used as a
garage for a private residence. |
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JUNE - (The Old Graham Mill - drawn by Jim Hogue - 12th
grade) |
This old mill was located on the
Chris Jones farm near what is now the Walnut Creek Boat Dock. In the late 180ss's
during the "Granger" flood, the logs on the lower-side of the mill were washed
away and weather-boarding was used on the lower-side of the building to replace the logs. |
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JULY - (Theophilus Read Home - drawn by Tina Gardner - 11th
grade) |
The Theophilus Read house,
located 2 miles north of Scottsville just off Ky. Hew 101 near Bay's Fork Creek and still
standing, was built in 1811 on part of the 450 acres of land Mr. Read settled on when he
moved to Allen County, Ky. (then Warren County) from Culpepper County, Va. with his wife
Peggy Margaret Duncan Read in 1810. Theophilus Read was born in Virginia on Feb.
21, 1775 and died in Bourbon County, Ky. on Oct.3, 1821. Two of his brothers also
came to Allen County around 1810. There were Samuel Read and Robert Coleman
Read. The father of these 3 original Read settlers of Allen County was James Read of
Virginia, his father was John Read who came to Virginia from England sometime before 1735. |
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AUGUST - (Mayhew's General Store - drawn by Diane
Dedman 12th grade) |
Mayhew's General Country Store
was built about 1910. It was located four miles west of Adolphus in the Pleasant
Ridge community. It was built, owned and operated by Burt Mayhew. |
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SEPTEMBER - (Mt. Zion School - drawn by Rose Bewley - 11th
grade) |
Holland, together with its
neighboring community of Mt. Zion, contributed greatly to the early educational activities
of Allen County. Local residents recall that in the early 1880's Andrew J. Dixon, a
practicing physician, organized the Mt. Zion Academy and that he was assisted in 1891 by
Miss Emma Guy, who as Mrs. Emma Guy Cromwell, later became Kentucky's Secretary of State
in the early 1920's. In 1941 Mt. Zion was consolidated into the new Allen
County High School as Scottsville, after the grades were moved to Scottsville in 1970 the
building was purchased from the Allen County Board of Education by a corporation formed by
citizens of the community and leased rent-free to Holland Industries, which increased the
size of the building. |
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OCTOBER - (Early Sawmill at Gainsville 1904 - drawn by Tim
Gardner - 11th grade) |
Shortly after the turn of the
century this mill was operated on the I. N. Hunt farm at Gainsville, sawing axe handles
from the timber in the foreground. Alex Hunt operated the mill in connection with a
grist mill. On the same farm Mr. Hunt, pioneer tobacco dealer, bought tobacco in
Allen and adjoining counties, graded and prized it in a large barn on this same farm and
sent it to Lousiville. Buyers from all over the country came to Gainsville to buy the
tobacco. |
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NOVEMBER - (Sulphur Springs Baptist Church - drawn by
Jessie Bewley - 8th grade) |
Sulphur Springs Baptist Church
is located about 2 miles off Highway 100 West in the New Roe community. It was
constituted in 1798 by John Hightower who served as Pastor until his death about
1823. It is said to be by three years the oldest church in Allen County. It
was organized under the authority of Old Union Baptist located on Drake's Creek in Warren
County. Alexander Devin was a co-laborer of John Hightower in organizing the first
churches in Allen and Warren County. Services are no longer conducted there, but a
building is till standing. |
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DECEMBER - (Chapel Hill General Store & Bluing Factory
- drawn by Tracy Mansfield - 11th grade) |
Chapel Hill General Store and
Gluing Factory was located about 5 miles west on Ky. 100. It was owned and operated
by the Graves Brothers, Pellie and Lattie who later became Doctors. the bluing
factory was operated behind the store. The bluing was packaged in round boxes of
sycamore made at a mill on John's Creek. They shipped this bluing to all surrounding
states and as far west as Texas. |