Newman, Kentucky
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| Newman, Kentucky | |
|---|---|
| Type | Unincorporated community |
| County | Daviess County |
| State | Kentucky |
| Named for | Nathaniel Newman, magistrate and businessman |
| Post office | 1890–1972 |
| Railroad | Louisville, St. Louis and Texas Railroad |
| Distance from Owensboro | 13 miles west-northwest |
Newman is an unincorporated community in Daviess County, Kentucky, situated on US Highway 60 approximately 13 miles west-northwest of Owensboro, near the Henderson County line on the banks of the Green River.
History
Newman began as a small settlement along the Louisville, St. Louis and Texas Railroad, where it was known as Worthington Station. The Newman Post Office was established on May 28, 1890, located in the store of its first Postmaster, Edward W. Murphy Jr. The community was probably named for Nathaniel Newman, an area magistrate and businessman.
Early Newman supported several businesses. E. W. Murphy and Brothers operated a general merchandise store, hotel, and saloon, while R. M. Hagan and Company ran a second general merchandise store. Ralph Wimsatt served as Justice of the Peace, and Doctors L. A. Crimmons and F. F. Caraway were the local physicians.
In 1903 an advertisement in the Owensboro Messenger offered the Newman Post Office property for sale by then-Postmaster James Hill, describing a store building 62 by 22 feet with a 10-foot shed room the full length, a dwelling with several clean rooms, stables, buggy house, and a lot of two acres with fine gardens — with the railroad agency and post office both operating out of the store. The advertisement noted that "Worthington was a fine business point."
Post Offices
Three post offices served the Newman area at various times.
The Newman Post Office was the longest-lived, operating from May 1890 until 1972, when it closed and the name was applied to the rural hamlet on US Highway 60. Its postmasters over the decades included Edward W. Murphy Jr. and James Hill, among others.
The Dunbarton Post Office operated from April 1886 to October 1894 on the north bank of the Green River, less than one quarter of a mile from the Henderson County line and approximately 13½ miles from Owensboro — roughly where the Kimberly-Clark plant stands today. Ben Mitchell was its first Postmaster. Residents of the Dunbarton area included Alonzo Dunbar and Lon Dunbar (who may have given the post office its name), Jesse Mitchell, Ed Melton, Lon Hoskins, John and George Murphy, and Phil Porter and Grun Medley. John Smithhart owned a farm next to the school, and Miss Alice Greenward of Birk City taught in the one-room schoolhouse. The post office was discontinued in 1894 and its mail transferred to Newman, with John R. Cummings serving as its last Postmaster.
A third post office, Elfrieda, operated near Dunbarton for only ten weeks. Its sole Postmaster, John W. Cummins, later also served as a Dunbarton Postmaster. The origin of the name Elfrieda is not known.
1902 Train Derailment
On the night of September 10, 1902, the worst railroad accident in Daviess County history to that date occurred at Worthington Station. Engineer Ulysses Grant Hill and his crew had been holding on a siding, waiting for a westbound train to clear Bon Harbor Hills near Owensboro. At around 9:45 PM the passenger train passed, and Hill throttled forward. Rolling east through Reed and into Daviess County at about 28 miles per hour, the train was approaching Worthington Station when a longhorned bull — frightened by the oncoming locomotive — jumped onto the tracks and stopped.
The locomotive struck the bull but, rather than knocking it clear, ran over the animal and dragged it beneath the cars. The freight cars began bouncing over the railroad ties, dragging the coal tender and leading cars before crashing with a roar into the depot. Dirt and splinters flew as the locomotive, tender, and ten boxcars folded like an accordion, wiping out the station. The Owensboro Messenger later described the wreckage as "awful to look upon." The caboose and four boxcars remained on the track.
Engineer Hill, who desperately tried to reverse the engine when he saw the bull, stayed in the cab and was scalded and crushed in the wreckage. His fireman, William Hale, attempted to jump but was pinned in the cab with both legs terribly scalded by escaping steam. Head-end brakeman George Leaman fell against Hill's body with one leg smashed. Brakeman Joe Muir, riding in the cupola of the caboose with conductor Shehan, was thrown from his seat and received a bad gash.
Residents quickly reached the scene and telephoned Owensboro for medical assistance. Doctors Wilbur Stirman and R. E. Griffin were placed aboard a westbound passenger train, with the coaches cut out at the Stanley siding so the locomotive could rush directly to the wreck. Section workers were dispatched by handcar and a work train was ordered from Cloverport. About 150 yards of track had been torn up. Leaman was pulled from the wreckage still alive around 2:30 AM and placed on a train to Owensboro, but died as the train reached the outskirts of the city. Hill's body was recovered as well, and both men were taken to Owensboro mortuaries.
The work crew completed a bypass track around the wreckage in record time, aided by the flat terrain, and rail service resumed. The next day, large crowds arrived by horseback, buggy, wagon, and special trains from Owensboro and Henderson to view the scene.
Newman Baptist Church
The Newman Baptist Church was organized on August 8, 1910, as the result of revival meetings conducted by Mrs. G. A. Jett in the home of Mr. and Mrs. A. L. Waite. The first members transferred from Stanley Baptist Church and included Mrs. Lou Eberhardt, Ms. Opal Eberhardt, Harold Jesse, Mrs. Rosa Ray, Ms. Nola Ray, A. L. Waite, J. T. Eberhardt, Ms. Crystal Ray, Jeanette Waite, and Rosetta Young. Charter members included Mrs. G. A. Jett, Ms. Margaret Jett, Ms. Nina J. Jett, and Mrs. Ann Jett Jesse.
The council of recognition was composed of elders C. C. Carroll, B. F. Jenkins, N. F. Jones, C. S. Rush, E. O. Cottrell, E. E. Rush, and W. L. Shearer. The congregation took its name from the nearby railroad stop and post office. By 1911 the church had received a lot from Mr. and Mrs. G. A. Jett, and a building was erected at a cost of approximately $1,500. The building was paid off and formally dedicated on July 29, 1917. Sunday school was held in the old one-room schoolhouse for about a year during construction, with A. L. Waite as Superintendent.
The devastating flood of 1937 nearly destroyed the church, requiring approximately $400 in repairs. In 1943 the congregation purchased the Louisville and Nashville Railroad depot building and moved it to the church property, remodeling it for Sunday school use and naming it Bible Chapel.
1918 Red Cross Picnic
In August 1918, just west of Newman near the Henderson County line, a massive Red Cross picnic was held on the farm of Dr. R. P. Keene, adjacent to the railroad tracks. Sponsored jointly by the Owensboro, Stanley, and Reed chapters of the American Red Cross, the event was organized to raise funds during World War I and to inform the public about the war effort.
Plans were made to accommodate between 10,000 and 15,000 people. The Owensboro Messenger called it "the Greatest Picnic ever held in the County." Three special passenger trains ran from Owensboro, and all through trains made stops. Practically all business in Owensboro was suspended for the day — stores and barber shops closed, and people came from across western Kentucky.
Glenmore Distillery sent seventeen carpenters and twelve helpers to construct the picnic grounds a week in advance. The result resembled a small city: 32 buildings and three large tents housing theatrical attractions, Red Cross and food concessions, and other exhibits. The central feature was a barbecue hall 200 feet long with 16 cutting tables, where crews cooked 200 sheep, 50 hogs, and 1,000 chickens. Livestock was received at the Union Stock Yards on Ninth Street in Owensboro, with vegetables and other supplies staged at the Masonic Temple. The Delco Company lit the entire grounds by electricity; water was pumped in, fans ran in the concession buildings, and ice cream was frozen on site. The Evansville Municipal Band played patriotic and popular music throughout the day and furnished music for dancing, joined by four solo musicians and a group called the "Jolly Jesters" with twelve performers. The picnic was a substantial financial success, organized by more than 100 committee volunteers.
Happy Go Lucky Ranch
James L. Ellis — known as "Little Jim," named for his wealthy uncle James C. Ellis — owned a farm in Newman that he developed into the Happy Go Lucky Ranch, located about 10 miles west of Owensboro on Highway 60. Initially a thoroughbred horse trainer, Ellis became partial to hobby cars and began expanding the property into an entertainment and agricultural venue. He built a grandstand and arena for horse shows, then added a dirt race track and a second grandstand, followed by an asphalt track and additional buildings.
The ranch hosted horse shows, automobile races, and livestock sales, and civic organizations were invited to use its facilities. In 1966 the Daviess County Fair moved to Happy Go Lucky Ranch from its previous home at Ensor (the former Triple W Ranch), before relocating again to the Philpot area in the 1970s. The Daviess County Lions Club annually sponsored the fair as a charitable event.
Cain Brothers Trucking
James Cain moved to Newman in 1942, purchasing the King Family farm following the family's loss of their son — the first Daviess County casualty of World War II. James's twin sons, Laymond and Raymond, also served in the war. Upon returning, the twins took jobs driving long-haul for Orleans Poultry Company.
In 1950 Raymond was killed in a truck accident. Shortly thereafter, Laymond and his older brother George formed Cain Brothers Trucking, contracting with area farmers to purchase soybeans, wheat, and corn. Grain was stored in cribs, scooped into a sheller, and trucked to market. As farming practices changed and corn began to be shelled directly in the field, the business adapted — replacing grain truck beds with specialized "spreader" beds and launching a custom lime-spreading service, applying lime to cropland across Daviess and surrounding counties. The company also maintained a fleet of trucks available for farmer rental or lease. Cain Brothers remained in continuous operation until Laymond's death in 1997. His son Keith Cain was elected Sheriff of Daviess County in 1999.
Industry
The largest industrial development in Newman's history came in 1991 when Scott Paper Company opened a paper mill on the banks of the Green River on Innovative Drive near Highway 60. The facility covered more than 12 acres under roof, with ceilings over three stories high. In 1995, Scott Paper was absorbed by Kimberly-Clark in a corporate merger, and the plant has operated under that name since.