http://wiki.historyofowensboro.com/api.php?action=feedcontributions&feedformat=atom&user=AdamHistory of Owensboro - User contributions [en]2026-10-01T16:18:19ZUser contributionsMediaWiki 1.46.0http://wiki.historyofowensboro.com/index.php?title=Owensboro,_KY&diff=15484Owensboro, KY2026-08-27T01:38:42Z<p>Adam: Add Floods section (1883, 1884, 1913, 1937) from Hayes, Sixty Years of Owensboro</p>
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{| style="width:260px; font-size:90%; border:1px solid #aaa; border-collapse:collapse; background:#ffffff; color:#222222;"<br />
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! colspan="2" style="background:#2b4162; color:#ffffff; text-align:center; font-size:115%;" | Owensboro, Kentucky<br />
|-<br />
| '''Type''' || City (second class); county seat<br />
|-<br />
| '''County''' || [[Daviess County, Kentucky|Daviess County]]<br />
|-<br />
| '''State''' || Kentucky<br />
|-<br />
| '''Former names''' || Yellow Banks; Rossboro; Owensborough<br />
|-<br />
| '''First settler''' || [[William Smeathers]], c. 1797&ndash;98<br />
|-<br />
| '''Post office''' || Yellow Banks 1806; Owensborough 1816; Owensboro 1893<br />
|-<br />
| '''Selected as county seat''' || 1815<br />
|-<br />
| '''Platted''' || March 1816, by Capt. James W. Johnson<br />
|-<br />
| '''Named for''' || Col. Abraham Owen<br />
|-<br />
| '''City charter''' || February 16, 1866<br />
|-<br />
| '''Population''' || About 8,000 (1875)<br />
|-<br />
| '''Location''' || South bank of the Ohio River, 75 miles southwest of Louisville<br />
|}<br />
</div><br />
<br />
'''Owensboro''' is the seat of [[Daviess County, Kentucky|Daviess County]], Kentucky, on the south bank of the Ohio River about seventy-five miles southwest of Louisville. Known to river travelers from the 1770s as the '''Yellow Banks''' for the color of the clay bluff, it was settled permanently by [[William Smeathers]] near the turn of the nineteenth century, platted in 1816 under the proposed name '''Rossboro''', and named instead for Col. Abraham Owen, who had been killed at the Battle of Tippecanoe. It was chartered as a city in 1866 and grew through the nineteenth century on tobacco, distilling, river traffic and the railroads.<br />
<br />
==The Yellow Banks==<br />
The site was known as the Yellow Banks by river travelers as early as 1776, though the first recorded use of the name dates from 1798. ''The Navigator'', a journal issued for Ohio River boatmen at Pittsburgh, recorded in its 1814 edition that the place was named for the yellow appearance of the banks of the river. The name was applied to the whole bank for three or four miles, and specifically to the landing where the first settler had his cabin.<br />
<br />
[[William Smeathers]], also recorded as Bill Smothers, was born in Virginia in 1762 and was a woodsman, hunter, scout and soldier. He had helped build the fort at Hartford, in Ohio County, about 1782 to protect settlers, and moved from there to the Yellow Banks &mdash; by his own account, for more elbow room. He made the first permanent settlement in the area about 1797&ndash;98. Some historians have reported a frontier military post at the banks as early as 1795.<br />
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Smeathers was an officer in Kentucky's "Corn Stalk" militia in 1803 and served in the War of 1812 under [[Samuel Hopkins]]. He later went to Texas as a hunter, guide and Indian fighter, and died there in 1837. A highway marker in Owensboro commemorates him.<br />
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A post office was established as '''Yellow Banks''' on July 1, 1806. The old name clung to the place long after the town had been renamed.<br />
<br />
==Founding and naming==<br />
The site was selected as the county seat in 1815 by commissioners appointed by the first county court, held in April of that year. The town was surveyed and platted in March 1816 by Capt. James W. Johnson, the first county surveyor, and an eighty-acre town was laid off and approved by the Daviess County Court.<br />
<br />
The name proposed to the Kentucky legislature was '''Rossboro''', or Rossborough, honoring David Ross, who died in 1817 and was one of the wealthiest Virginia merchants and landowners of his day and a friend of Thomas Jefferson. The legislature declined the proposal in favor of a name honoring one of its own members, Col. Abraham Owen. The county had already been named for [[Joseph Hamilton Daveiss]] more than two years earlier, and the naming of the town for Owen was understood as a companion tribute: the two men had been friends in life and both fell at the Battle of Tippecanoe in 1811.<br />
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Abraham Owen was born in Prince Edward County, Virginia, in 1769 and came to Kentucky in 1785. His father, Brackett Owen, had built Owen's Station, a frontier post about four miles from present-day Shelbyville. Abraham considered Shelby County his home and represented it in the legislature; he helped lay out the town of Shelbyville and served as its trustee and magistrate and as county surveyor, and was a member of Kentucky's second constitutional convention in 1799.<br />
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The post office name was changed from Yellow Banks to '''Owensborough''' on March 9, 1816, with James M. Rogers as postmaster, and the spelling was shortened to '''Owensboro''' on October 10, 1893. Owensboro received its charter as a city from the legislature on February 16, 1866.<br />
<br />
==Early history==<br />
Owensboro, the County seat of Daviess County, is located on the south bank of the Ohio River, at what was known to the early keel and flat-boat men as the Big Yellow Banks. The name was given because of the deep yellow color of the river bank, composed of yellow clay, extending about six miles along the river, and from ten to twenty feet above the highest floods in the Ohio. The site was selected as the County seat in 1815, by Commissioners appointed by the first County Court, held in April of that year. The survey of the first plat of the town extended from the Ohio River and a ravine on the north, to Fourth Street on the south, and from Lewis Street on the east to Walnut Street on the west. The survey and plat thereof was completed by Captain James W. Johnson, the first County Surveyor, on the 23rd day of March, 1816, and approved by the Commissioners and Court with the name of Rossboro, and ratified by the agent and owners of the land, George Hanley being agent for Ross and other proprietors. Later the name was changed to Owensboro, in honor of Colonel Abram Owen, formerly of Shelby County, Kentucky. Colonel Joseph Hamilton Daveiss and Colonel Owen were both officers serving under General W. H. Harrison at the bloody battle with the Indians under Tecumseh at Tippecanoe, now Indiana, but then Indiana Territory. Both fell in the thickest of the fight. The County had already received the name of Daveiss, and the old settlers, some of whom had been in the same battle in which Daviess and Owen were killed, determined, as a mark of respect, to link the names of the two together for all time to come. They had been associates and friends in life, fell together in battle, and it was appropriate that their names be joined after death.<br />
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The old name of "Yellow Banks," however, still clung to the place, and the town was hardly known by any other name, even by the citizens, until about 1839 or 1840. The post-office bore the name of 'Yellow Banks' up to the time of 1837 or 1838. In 1833, the population was scarcely 200 all told, and not a single church edifice or organization. The increase in population was small until 1850. A branch of the Southern Bank was located in Owensboro about that time. The power of the Trustees had been enlarged by Legislative action, and those officials began to drain and improve the streets. The action of the Trustees, and the fact that the Bank was one of the institutions of the place, gave assurance that there was some money in town, and seemed to infuse new life into the citizens, even the old fogy part of the population, which had been averse to enterprise. Improvements began to be made. Better houses were commenced, new-comers poured in and a steady growth was maintained until 1861, when the war put a stop to all enterprise and public improvement. The population decreased, and not until 1866 did improvements begin again or was an increase of population noted. A moderate but perceptible degree of progress and growth has continued until now in 1875, when the population is estimated at about 8,000.<br />
<br />
==Early trades and manufacturing==<br />
No record survives of when the first forges were established in Owensboro. Abe Bear of Frederica Street, one of the city's oldest residents when he was interviewed in the 1930s, recalled that three were in business in 1864: Simon Kuntz, at the corner of Daviess and Second; John Robinson, also on Daviess Street; and Smith &amp; Johnson on Fifth Street. All were called blacksmiths in those days. He also recalled that the Owensboro Foundry was founded about 1875 and operated by Thomas Guthrie at Fifth and Poplar.<br />
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The first courthouse in Owensboro was built of logs, and was soon followed by a brick structure. In 1881 the Planters' Bank became the First National.<br />
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The early settlers of Daviess County came from Maryland, Virginia and the Carolinas, and were largely of Scots and Irish descent. Nearly all were involved with tobacco in some way &mdash; growing it or owning warehouses &mdash; and the tobacco export business was substantial from an early date.<br />
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==Newspapers==<br />
The date of the first printing press in Owensboro is not recorded. Urey Woodson, for many years owner of the ''Owensboro Messenger & Inquirer'', described the city's early papers in an address entitled "The Good Old Days" delivered to the sixty-second annual meeting of the Kentucky Press Association at Paducah in 1931.<br />
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[[James A. Munday]] founded the ''Owensboro Messenger'' in November 1877 and was, in Woodson's estimate, a writer of wonderful ability who fought many a paper battle with Henry Watterson. An earlier paper, the ''Owensboro Monitor'', had been established some years before the ''Messenger'' by [[Thomas S. Pettit]] and edited by Dr. A. L. Ashby. The ''Southern Shield'' was edited by J. C. Ford. In a much earlier period the future senator George Vest of Missouri edited an Owensboro newspaper as a young man.<br />
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See [[Owensboro Newspapers]] for a fuller account.<br />
<br />
==The city in 1883==<br />
Owensboro contains churches of the following denominations: Baptist, Cumberland Presbyterian, Catholic, Methodist, Southern Presbyterian, Northern Presbyterian, Christian or Campbellite, Baptist, Episcopal, German Catholic, German Lutheran. The above have been named in the order of their establishment. There is also a colored Baptist, and a colored Methodist church. All, except two, of the houses of worship, are substantial brick structures, with a capacity of seating over one half of the entire population. There are three banks-the Deposit Bank, Planters' Bank, and Savings Bank. The public schools are two in number, each with a full roll of professors and teachers. The school buildings are large and commodious brick edifices, with a capacity for 900 to 1000 pupils. The Catholic Sisters have a female school with about 100 pupils, and the Vaughan Female Seminary, of which Mrs. E. S. Phillips is proprietress, is an institution richly meriting the patronage of the community. There are several other private schools in the city, altogether accommodating from 1000 to 1100 pupils. There are also one or two schools for colored children. Prominent among the other institutions of the city are sixteen stemming and prizing tobacco establishments. The smallest has a capacity for handling 600,000 pounds, whilst several of the largest have each a capacity for handling 2,000,000 pounds of tobacco each season. All of the together have a capacity of almost 20,000,000 pounds. There are also two planing mills, one furniture factory, a wheel, hub, and handle factory, chair factory, stave and barrel factory, with quite a number of wagon and carriage factories, blacksmith shops, carpenter shops, cabinet shops, etc.<br />
<br />
In the "professional" class of the community is numbered twelve or thirteen physicians, some of them quite eminent in their professions. About thirty practicing lawyers constitute one of the strongest bars in the State. Merchants, grocers, and all the trades are well represented.<br />
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==Seven Hills==<br />
The Seven Hills section of the city was laid off in town lots about 1900 on some 150 acres, and took its name from the seven small hills on which it sits. A post office called Seven Hills operated there from July 29, 1901, with John T. Hubbard as postmaster, until it was discontinued at the end of March 1905 and its mail transferred to Owensboro. Seven Hills Baptist Church grew out of a mission established on Alexander Avenue in 1901 by the Third Baptist Church of Owensboro. The section was later annexed into the city.<br />
<br />
==Owensboro in 1936==<br />
A survey of the county compiled for the Works Progress Administration in June 1936 described Owensboro as one of the large dark tobacco markets of the world, with two loose-leaf sales companies handling Daviess County tobacco and eight processing and grading factories. Apples and peaches were also important to the area. Two distilleries were located in the city, along with two electric appliance plants, and furniture, milling machinery, and brick and tile plants. There were a number of coal mines in the county and several oil wells then being further developed.<br />
<br />
The city was a stopping point for the Illinois Central Railroad, and the Louisville, Henderson &amp; St. Louis ran through from Louisville to St. Louis. Owensboro was served by local and interurban buses connecting with out-of-state lines, and had one ferry within the city and two more within three miles of the city limits, running day and night without fixed schedules.<br />
<br />
The compiler noted that the May 15, 1936 issue of ''Forbes'' magazine had included Owensboro in a list of the ten best cities in the United States, placing it among outstanding towns for business gains since the first of that year.<br />
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The Griffith House on Griffith Avenue, built by [[William R. Griffith]] in 1828 from materials found on the place, was described at that time as the only home in Owensboro remaining so nearly in its original state.<br />
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==Floods==<br />
Flood stage of the Ohio River at Owensboro is fixed at 41 feet. The great flood of 1883 reached about that height, and the 1883 ''History of Daviess County'' was published just late enough to carry a lively account of it, quoted from the ''Saturday Post'' and probably written by its editor, [[George Vest Triplett]].<br />
<br />
Its championship was short-lived. The next spring the high mark was exceeded by four and a half inches — a small figure until one considers that those inches were spread over many square miles. The crest of the 1884 flood came at the same time of year as those of 1883 and 1832, its only rivals: February 17, or in 1884 the 17th or 18th. The water did much damage to the surrounding country, worsened by a storm that struck while it was at its height, and Owensboro raised a relief fund of several hundred dollars for the sufferers. The city itself stayed, as the saying went, high and dry.<br />
<br />
The 1884 record stood for twenty-nine years. A stone had been set at the corner of St. Ann Street and the river marking the height the water reached that year; in 1913 a brick was laid edgewise on the stone and the water came to the top of it, exceeding the old mark by the brick's width of four inches, for a maximum of 48.9 feet. Still the river did not invade the city.<br />
<br />
Then in January 1937, through what contemporaries considered an unprecedented coincidence of meteorological conditions, the earlier floods were made to look like pleasant spring freshets. Once the creeping water passed flood stage there was some apprehension that previous records might be equalled. On the 18th a stage of 46 feet was predicted; three days later some bold spirit ventured that it might reach 50. On January 24 it stood at 50.7 feet, with water in Third Street from Elm to Sycamore and in other western streets. The rise continued until the 29th, when the crest was reached at 54.85 feet.<br />
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The flood then held almost stationary for two or three days — on January 31 it had receded only a tenth of a foot in twenty-two hours, and on February 2 it was still 53.9 feet. By the 8th it was down to 46.4 feet and falling rapidly. Owensboro could no longer boast of being high and dry at any stage of the river, though even in this greatest of floods the greater part of the city was untouched and no part suffered serious damage. At its height the water lay a few inches deep in Second Street at St. Ann.<br />
<br />
{{1943}}<br />
<br />
==Daviess County organization==<br />
Daviess County was formed in the year 1815. The County received its name from General Joseph H. Daveiss, whose residence for some years was on the Ohio River above Owensboro. The name should have been spelled "Daveiss," but through a mistake in enrolling the bill during its passage through the Legislature, the name was spelled "Daviess," and from that time down this way has been adopted of spelling the name of the County.<br />
<br />
===County officials===<br />
The following embraces the persons who have filled the various official positions in enumeration with the government and organization of the County:<br />
{| style="border-collapse:collapse; background:#ffffff; color:#222222; font-size:95%;"<br />
|+ style="background:#2b4162; color:#ffffff; padding:5px 8px; font-weight:bold;" | Judges of the Circuit Court<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | Henry P. Broadnax || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1815-1822<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | Alney McLean || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1822-1842<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | John Calhoon || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1842-1851<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | [[John P. Devereux]] || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1851<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | Jesse W. Kincheloe || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1851-1856<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | James Stuart || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1856-1867<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | James L. Johnson || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1867<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | George W. Williams || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1867-1870<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | [[Martin Hardin Cofer|Martin H. Cofer]] || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1870-1874<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | James Stuart || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1874-1880<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | Lucius P. Little || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1880-<br />
|}<br />
Besides these, special Judges were appointed at various times, among whom were John. H. McHenry and [[George H. Yeaman]].<br />
{| style="border-collapse:collapse; background:#ffffff; color:#222222; font-size:95%;"<br />
|+ style="background:#2b4162; color:#ffffff; padding:5px 8px; font-weight:bold;" | Clerks of the Circuit Court<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | George Handley || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1815-1827<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | Horace Allen || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1827-1832<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | John S. McFarland || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1832-1845<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | William B. Wall || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1845-1856<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | John P. Thompson || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1856-1862<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | Ward Payne || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1862<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | Joseph Thomas || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1862-1868<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | M. L. Ogden || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1868<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | John P. Thompson || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1868-1872<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | Joseph Thomas || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1872<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | John G. McFarland || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1872-1874<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | [[Frank F. Conway]] || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1874<br />
|}<br />
The first Clerk, George Handley retained his position until April 1827, when he resigned the duties of the office. Horace Allen, who had previously acted as Deputy, became Clerk. Allen died while in office and was succeeded by John S. McFarland, who resigned the position October, 1845. John P. Thompson also died while server as Clerk.<br />
<br />
{| style="border-collapse:collapse; background:#ffffff; color:#222222; font-size:95%;"<br />
|+ style="background:#2b4162; color:#ffffff; padding:5px 8px; font-weight:bold;" | Sheriffs of Daviess County<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | Charles Y. Duncan || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1815-1821<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | William Glenn || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1821-1823<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | John Piles || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1823-1825<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | Remus Griffith || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1825-1827<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | J. Leman || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1827-1829<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | Warner Crow || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1829-1831<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | John Daveiss || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1831-1833<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | R. C. Jett || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1833-1835<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | S. Hawes || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1835-1837<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | E. McCreery || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1837-1838<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | R. C. Jett || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1838-1839<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | William Newton || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1839-1841<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | William B. Baird || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1841<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | Joseph M. Potts || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1841-1843<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | John G. Howard || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1843-1845<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | Henry Dugan || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1845-1847<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | Abner Lee || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1847-1849<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | C. D. Jackson || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1849-1851<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | Thomas Landrum || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1851-1855<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | Joseph G. Harrison || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1855-1859<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | John Locke || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1859-1863<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | Joseph G. Harrison || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1863-1866<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | W. H. Perkins || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1866-1868<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | H. W. Scott || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1868-1872<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | W. H. Perkins || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1873-1874<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | H. W. Scott || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1874-1876<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | J. H. Gates || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1876-1878<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | Ed. C. Davis || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1878-1882<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | A. B. Miller || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1882<br />
|}<br />
<br />
{| style="border-collapse:collapse; background:#ffffff; color:#222222; font-size:95%;"<br />
|+ style="background:#2b4162; color:#ffffff; padding:5px 8px; font-weight:bold;" | County Judges<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | Thomas W. Watkins || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1850-1854<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | [[George H. Yeaman]] || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1854-1858<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | A. G. Botts || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1858-1866<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | George W. Triplett || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | Elected in 1866-'70-'74<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | H. W. Scott || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1879<br />
|}<br />
<br />
===Early representation===<br />
In 1788, when this portion of Kentucky was Nelson County, it was represented by John Steele and Matthew Walton, in the convention which ratified the present Constitution of the United States.<br />
<br />
Of the earliest justices of the peace, we mention the names of John Calhoon, and eminent lawyer and great man; John Daveiss, who was acting in 1818; and Warner Crow, who had the office at least from 1818-1823.<br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
* [[Daviess County Courthouse]]<br />
* [[St. Stephen Cathedral]] &middot; [[Temple Adath Israel]]<br />
* [[Owensboro Federal Building]] &middot; [[Owensboro Armory]] &middot; [[Carnegie Free Public Library (Owensboro)]]<br />
* [[Ames Building (Owensboro)]] &middot; [[Breidenbach Building]] &middot; [[Odd Fellows Building (Owensboro)]] &middot; [[George Mischel and Sons Building]]<br />
* [[Doctors Row Historic District]] &middot; [[J.Z. Moore Historic District]] &middot; [[Phillips Court Historic District]]<br />
* [[Kentucky Wesleyan College]] &middot; [[Daviess County High School]]<br />
* [[Owensboro Wagon Company]] &middot; [[Owensboro Distilling Company]] &middot; [[Daviess County Distilling Company]]<br />
* [[Owensboro Newspapers]] &middot; [[Louisville and Owensboro Telegraph Company]] &middot; [[Owensboro and Evansville Telegraph Company]]<br />
* [[Miller Field]] &middot; [[Colonel House Motel]] &middot; [[Sheehan Field (Airport)]]<br />
* [[Moonlite Bar-B-Q]] &middot; [[Old Hickory Bar-B-Que]]<br />
* [[Towns]] &mdash; the county's other settlements<br />
<br />
==Notes==<br />
The sources disagree on when the town's name changed from Rossboro to Owensborough. Post Office Department records give the change of the post office name as March 9, 1816. Hugh O. Potter's history gives 1817, and notes that the Kentucky General Assembly approved the act establishing Owensborough on February 3, 1817, thirty-five days after the county court had approved the town plat under the earlier name. The Works Progress Administration typescript compiled by Cecelia Laswell in 1936 gives 1818. The 1883 ''History of Daviess County'' records only that the plat was approved as Rossboro and that the name was later changed.<br />
<br />
The surveyor's name appears as James W. Johnson in the 1883 history and as James W. Johnston in later place-name research.<br />
<br />
The county's name was misspelled in the legislative act that established it in 1815 and was never corrected; the surname of the man it honors is properly '''Daveiss'''.<br />
<br />
[[Category:Towns]]<br />
[[Category:Owensboro]]<br />
[[Category:Daviess County, Kentucky]]</div>Adamhttp://wiki.historyofowensboro.com/index.php?title=Owensboro,_KY&diff=15483Owensboro, KY2026-08-27T01:36:22Z<p>Adam: Spelling: US English</p>
<hr />
<div><div style="float:right; clear:right; margin:0 0 1em 1em;"><br />
{| style="width:260px; font-size:90%; border:1px solid #aaa; border-collapse:collapse; background:#ffffff; color:#222222;"<br />
|-<br />
! colspan="2" style="background:#2b4162; color:#ffffff; text-align:center; font-size:115%;" | Owensboro, Kentucky<br />
|-<br />
| '''Type''' || City (second class); county seat<br />
|-<br />
| '''County''' || [[Daviess County, Kentucky|Daviess County]]<br />
|-<br />
| '''State''' || Kentucky<br />
|-<br />
| '''Former names''' || Yellow Banks; Rossboro; Owensborough<br />
|-<br />
| '''First settler''' || [[William Smeathers]], c. 1797&ndash;98<br />
|-<br />
| '''Post office''' || Yellow Banks 1806; Owensborough 1816; Owensboro 1893<br />
|-<br />
| '''Selected as county seat''' || 1815<br />
|-<br />
| '''Platted''' || March 1816, by Capt. James W. Johnson<br />
|-<br />
| '''Named for''' || Col. Abraham Owen<br />
|-<br />
| '''City charter''' || February 16, 1866<br />
|-<br />
| '''Population''' || About 8,000 (1875)<br />
|-<br />
| '''Location''' || South bank of the Ohio River, 75 miles southwest of Louisville<br />
|}<br />
</div><br />
<br />
'''Owensboro''' is the seat of [[Daviess County, Kentucky|Daviess County]], Kentucky, on the south bank of the Ohio River about seventy-five miles southwest of Louisville. Known to river travelers from the 1770s as the '''Yellow Banks''' for the color of the clay bluff, it was settled permanently by [[William Smeathers]] near the turn of the nineteenth century, platted in 1816 under the proposed name '''Rossboro''', and named instead for Col. Abraham Owen, who had been killed at the Battle of Tippecanoe. It was chartered as a city in 1866 and grew through the nineteenth century on tobacco, distilling, river traffic and the railroads.<br />
<br />
==The Yellow Banks==<br />
The site was known as the Yellow Banks by river travelers as early as 1776, though the first recorded use of the name dates from 1798. ''The Navigator'', a journal issued for Ohio River boatmen at Pittsburgh, recorded in its 1814 edition that the place was named for the yellow appearance of the banks of the river. The name was applied to the whole bank for three or four miles, and specifically to the landing where the first settler had his cabin.<br />
<br />
[[William Smeathers]], also recorded as Bill Smothers, was born in Virginia in 1762 and was a woodsman, hunter, scout and soldier. He had helped build the fort at Hartford, in Ohio County, about 1782 to protect settlers, and moved from there to the Yellow Banks &mdash; by his own account, for more elbow room. He made the first permanent settlement in the area about 1797&ndash;98. Some historians have reported a frontier military post at the banks as early as 1795.<br />
<br />
Smeathers was an officer in Kentucky's "Corn Stalk" militia in 1803 and served in the War of 1812 under [[Samuel Hopkins]]. He later went to Texas as a hunter, guide and Indian fighter, and died there in 1837. A highway marker in Owensboro commemorates him.<br />
<br />
A post office was established as '''Yellow Banks''' on July 1, 1806. The old name clung to the place long after the town had been renamed.<br />
<br />
==Founding and naming==<br />
The site was selected as the county seat in 1815 by commissioners appointed by the first county court, held in April of that year. The town was surveyed and platted in March 1816 by Capt. James W. Johnson, the first county surveyor, and an eighty-acre town was laid off and approved by the Daviess County Court.<br />
<br />
The name proposed to the Kentucky legislature was '''Rossboro''', or Rossborough, honoring David Ross, who died in 1817 and was one of the wealthiest Virginia merchants and landowners of his day and a friend of Thomas Jefferson. The legislature declined the proposal in favor of a name honoring one of its own members, Col. Abraham Owen. The county had already been named for [[Joseph Hamilton Daveiss]] more than two years earlier, and the naming of the town for Owen was understood as a companion tribute: the two men had been friends in life and both fell at the Battle of Tippecanoe in 1811.<br />
<br />
Abraham Owen was born in Prince Edward County, Virginia, in 1769 and came to Kentucky in 1785. His father, Brackett Owen, had built Owen's Station, a frontier post about four miles from present-day Shelbyville. Abraham considered Shelby County his home and represented it in the legislature; he helped lay out the town of Shelbyville and served as its trustee and magistrate and as county surveyor, and was a member of Kentucky's second constitutional convention in 1799.<br />
<br />
The post office name was changed from Yellow Banks to '''Owensborough''' on March 9, 1816, with James M. Rogers as postmaster, and the spelling was shortened to '''Owensboro''' on October 10, 1893. Owensboro received its charter as a city from the legislature on February 16, 1866.<br />
<br />
==Early history==<br />
Owensboro, the County seat of Daviess County, is located on the south bank of the Ohio River, at what was known to the early keel and flat-boat men as the Big Yellow Banks. The name was given because of the deep yellow color of the river bank, composed of yellow clay, extending about six miles along the river, and from ten to twenty feet above the highest floods in the Ohio. The site was selected as the County seat in 1815, by Commissioners appointed by the first County Court, held in April of that year. The survey of the first plat of the town extended from the Ohio River and a ravine on the north, to Fourth Street on the south, and from Lewis Street on the east to Walnut Street on the west. The survey and plat thereof was completed by Captain James W. Johnson, the first County Surveyor, on the 23rd day of March, 1816, and approved by the Commissioners and Court with the name of Rossboro, and ratified by the agent and owners of the land, George Hanley being agent for Ross and other proprietors. Later the name was changed to Owensboro, in honor of Colonel Abram Owen, formerly of Shelby County, Kentucky. Colonel Joseph Hamilton Daveiss and Colonel Owen were both officers serving under General W. H. Harrison at the bloody battle with the Indians under Tecumseh at Tippecanoe, now Indiana, but then Indiana Territory. Both fell in the thickest of the fight. The County had already received the name of Daveiss, and the old settlers, some of whom had been in the same battle in which Daviess and Owen were killed, determined, as a mark of respect, to link the names of the two together for all time to come. They had been associates and friends in life, fell together in battle, and it was appropriate that their names be joined after death.<br />
<br />
The old name of "Yellow Banks," however, still clung to the place, and the town was hardly known by any other name, even by the citizens, until about 1839 or 1840. The post-office bore the name of 'Yellow Banks' up to the time of 1837 or 1838. In 1833, the population was scarcely 200 all told, and not a single church edifice or organization. The increase in population was small until 1850. A branch of the Southern Bank was located in Owensboro about that time. The power of the Trustees had been enlarged by Legislative action, and those officials began to drain and improve the streets. The action of the Trustees, and the fact that the Bank was one of the institutions of the place, gave assurance that there was some money in town, and seemed to infuse new life into the citizens, even the old fogy part of the population, which had been averse to enterprise. Improvements began to be made. Better houses were commenced, new-comers poured in and a steady growth was maintained until 1861, when the war put a stop to all enterprise and public improvement. The population decreased, and not until 1866 did improvements begin again or was an increase of population noted. A moderate but perceptible degree of progress and growth has continued until now in 1875, when the population is estimated at about 8,000.<br />
<br />
==Early trades and manufacturing==<br />
No record survives of when the first forges were established in Owensboro. Abe Bear of Frederica Street, one of the city's oldest residents when he was interviewed in the 1930s, recalled that three were in business in 1864: Simon Kuntz, at the corner of Daviess and Second; John Robinson, also on Daviess Street; and Smith &amp; Johnson on Fifth Street. All were called blacksmiths in those days. He also recalled that the Owensboro Foundry was founded about 1875 and operated by Thomas Guthrie at Fifth and Poplar.<br />
<br />
The first courthouse in Owensboro was built of logs, and was soon followed by a brick structure. In 1881 the Planters' Bank became the First National.<br />
<br />
The early settlers of Daviess County came from Maryland, Virginia and the Carolinas, and were largely of Scots and Irish descent. Nearly all were involved with tobacco in some way &mdash; growing it or owning warehouses &mdash; and the tobacco export business was substantial from an early date.<br />
<br />
==Newspapers==<br />
The date of the first printing press in Owensboro is not recorded. Urey Woodson, for many years owner of the ''Owensboro Messenger & Inquirer'', described the city's early papers in an address entitled "The Good Old Days" delivered to the sixty-second annual meeting of the Kentucky Press Association at Paducah in 1931.<br />
<br />
[[James A. Munday]] founded the ''Owensboro Messenger'' in November 1877 and was, in Woodson's estimate, a writer of wonderful ability who fought many a paper battle with Henry Watterson. An earlier paper, the ''Owensboro Monitor'', had been established some years before the ''Messenger'' by [[Thomas S. Pettit]] and edited by Dr. A. L. Ashby. The ''Southern Shield'' was edited by J. C. Ford. In a much earlier period the future senator George Vest of Missouri edited an Owensboro newspaper as a young man.<br />
<br />
See [[Owensboro Newspapers]] for a fuller account.<br />
<br />
==The city in 1883==<br />
Owensboro contains churches of the following denominations: Baptist, Cumberland Presbyterian, Catholic, Methodist, Southern Presbyterian, Northern Presbyterian, Christian or Campbellite, Baptist, Episcopal, German Catholic, German Lutheran. The above have been named in the order of their establishment. There is also a colored Baptist, and a colored Methodist church. All, except two, of the houses of worship, are substantial brick structures, with a capacity of seating over one half of the entire population. There are three banks-the Deposit Bank, Planters' Bank, and Savings Bank. The public schools are two in number, each with a full roll of professors and teachers. The school buildings are large and commodious brick edifices, with a capacity for 900 to 1000 pupils. The Catholic Sisters have a female school with about 100 pupils, and the Vaughan Female Seminary, of which Mrs. E. S. Phillips is proprietress, is an institution richly meriting the patronage of the community. There are several other private schools in the city, altogether accommodating from 1000 to 1100 pupils. There are also one or two schools for colored children. Prominent among the other institutions of the city are sixteen stemming and prizing tobacco establishments. The smallest has a capacity for handling 600,000 pounds, whilst several of the largest have each a capacity for handling 2,000,000 pounds of tobacco each season. All of the together have a capacity of almost 20,000,000 pounds. There are also two planing mills, one furniture factory, a wheel, hub, and handle factory, chair factory, stave and barrel factory, with quite a number of wagon and carriage factories, blacksmith shops, carpenter shops, cabinet shops, etc.<br />
<br />
In the "professional" class of the community is numbered twelve or thirteen physicians, some of them quite eminent in their professions. About thirty practicing lawyers constitute one of the strongest bars in the State. Merchants, grocers, and all the trades are well represented.<br />
<br />
==Seven Hills==<br />
The Seven Hills section of the city was laid off in town lots about 1900 on some 150 acres, and took its name from the seven small hills on which it sits. A post office called Seven Hills operated there from July 29, 1901, with John T. Hubbard as postmaster, until it was discontinued at the end of March 1905 and its mail transferred to Owensboro. Seven Hills Baptist Church grew out of a mission established on Alexander Avenue in 1901 by the Third Baptist Church of Owensboro. The section was later annexed into the city.<br />
<br />
==Owensboro in 1936==<br />
A survey of the county compiled for the Works Progress Administration in June 1936 described Owensboro as one of the large dark tobacco markets of the world, with two loose-leaf sales companies handling Daviess County tobacco and eight processing and grading factories. Apples and peaches were also important to the area. Two distilleries were located in the city, along with two electric appliance plants, and furniture, milling machinery, and brick and tile plants. There were a number of coal mines in the county and several oil wells then being further developed.<br />
<br />
The city was a stopping point for the Illinois Central Railroad, and the Louisville, Henderson &amp; St. Louis ran through from Louisville to St. Louis. Owensboro was served by local and interurban buses connecting with out-of-state lines, and had one ferry within the city and two more within three miles of the city limits, running day and night without fixed schedules.<br />
<br />
The compiler noted that the May 15, 1936 issue of ''Forbes'' magazine had included Owensboro in a list of the ten best cities in the United States, placing it among outstanding towns for business gains since the first of that year.<br />
<br />
The Griffith House on Griffith Avenue, built by [[William R. Griffith]] in 1828 from materials found on the place, was described at that time as the only home in Owensboro remaining so nearly in its original state.<br />
<br />
==Daviess County organization==<br />
Daviess County was formed in the year 1815. The County received its name from General Joseph H. Daveiss, whose residence for some years was on the Ohio River above Owensboro. The name should have been spelled "Daveiss," but through a mistake in enrolling the bill during its passage through the Legislature, the name was spelled "Daviess," and from that time down this way has been adopted of spelling the name of the County.<br />
<br />
===County officials===<br />
The following embraces the persons who have filled the various official positions in enumeration with the government and organization of the County:<br />
{| style="border-collapse:collapse; background:#ffffff; color:#222222; font-size:95%;"<br />
|+ style="background:#2b4162; color:#ffffff; padding:5px 8px; font-weight:bold;" | Judges of the Circuit Court<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | Henry P. Broadnax || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1815-1822<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | Alney McLean || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1822-1842<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | John Calhoon || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1842-1851<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | [[John P. Devereux]] || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1851<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | Jesse W. Kincheloe || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1851-1856<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | James Stuart || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1856-1867<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | James L. Johnson || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1867<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | George W. Williams || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1867-1870<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | [[Martin Hardin Cofer|Martin H. Cofer]] || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1870-1874<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | James Stuart || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1874-1880<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | Lucius P. Little || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1880-<br />
|}<br />
Besides these, special Judges were appointed at various times, among whom were John. H. McHenry and [[George H. Yeaman]].<br />
{| style="border-collapse:collapse; background:#ffffff; color:#222222; font-size:95%;"<br />
|+ style="background:#2b4162; color:#ffffff; padding:5px 8px; font-weight:bold;" | Clerks of the Circuit Court<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | George Handley || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1815-1827<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | Horace Allen || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1827-1832<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | John S. McFarland || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1832-1845<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | William B. Wall || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1845-1856<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | John P. Thompson || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1856-1862<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | Ward Payne || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1862<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | Joseph Thomas || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1862-1868<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | M. L. Ogden || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1868<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | John P. Thompson || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1868-1872<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | Joseph Thomas || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1872<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | John G. McFarland || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1872-1874<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | [[Frank F. Conway]] || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1874<br />
|}<br />
The first Clerk, George Handley retained his position until April 1827, when he resigned the duties of the office. Horace Allen, who had previously acted as Deputy, became Clerk. Allen died while in office and was succeeded by John S. McFarland, who resigned the position October, 1845. John P. Thompson also died while server as Clerk.<br />
<br />
{| style="border-collapse:collapse; background:#ffffff; color:#222222; font-size:95%;"<br />
|+ style="background:#2b4162; color:#ffffff; padding:5px 8px; font-weight:bold;" | Sheriffs of Daviess County<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | Charles Y. Duncan || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1815-1821<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | William Glenn || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1821-1823<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | John Piles || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1823-1825<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | Remus Griffith || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1825-1827<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | J. Leman || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1827-1829<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | Warner Crow || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1829-1831<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | John Daveiss || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1831-1833<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | R. C. Jett || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1833-1835<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | S. Hawes || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1835-1837<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | E. McCreery || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1837-1838<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | R. C. Jett || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1838-1839<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | William Newton || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1839-1841<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | William B. Baird || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1841<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | Joseph M. Potts || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1841-1843<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | John G. Howard || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1843-1845<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | Henry Dugan || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1845-1847<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | Abner Lee || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1847-1849<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | C. D. Jackson || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1849-1851<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | Thomas Landrum || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1851-1855<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | Joseph G. Harrison || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1855-1859<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | John Locke || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1859-1863<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | Joseph G. Harrison || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1863-1866<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | W. H. Perkins || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1866-1868<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | H. W. Scott || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1868-1872<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | W. H. Perkins || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1873-1874<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | H. W. Scott || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1874-1876<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | J. H. Gates || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1876-1878<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | Ed. C. Davis || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1878-1882<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | A. B. Miller || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1882<br />
|}<br />
<br />
{| style="border-collapse:collapse; background:#ffffff; color:#222222; font-size:95%;"<br />
|+ style="background:#2b4162; color:#ffffff; padding:5px 8px; font-weight:bold;" | County Judges<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | Thomas W. Watkins || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1850-1854<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | [[George H. Yeaman]] || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1854-1858<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | A. G. Botts || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1858-1866<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | George W. Triplett || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | Elected in 1866-'70-'74<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | H. W. Scott || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1879<br />
|}<br />
<br />
===Early representation===<br />
In 1788, when this portion of Kentucky was Nelson County, it was represented by John Steele and Matthew Walton, in the convention which ratified the present Constitution of the United States.<br />
<br />
Of the earliest justices of the peace, we mention the names of John Calhoon, and eminent lawyer and great man; John Daveiss, who was acting in 1818; and Warner Crow, who had the office at least from 1818-1823.<br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
* [[Daviess County Courthouse]]<br />
* [[St. Stephen Cathedral]] &middot; [[Temple Adath Israel]]<br />
* [[Owensboro Federal Building]] &middot; [[Owensboro Armory]] &middot; [[Carnegie Free Public Library (Owensboro)]]<br />
* [[Ames Building (Owensboro)]] &middot; [[Breidenbach Building]] &middot; [[Odd Fellows Building (Owensboro)]] &middot; [[George Mischel and Sons Building]]<br />
* [[Doctors Row Historic District]] &middot; [[J.Z. Moore Historic District]] &middot; [[Phillips Court Historic District]]<br />
* [[Kentucky Wesleyan College]] &middot; [[Daviess County High School]]<br />
* [[Owensboro Wagon Company]] &middot; [[Owensboro Distilling Company]] &middot; [[Daviess County Distilling Company]]<br />
* [[Owensboro Newspapers]] &middot; [[Louisville and Owensboro Telegraph Company]] &middot; [[Owensboro and Evansville Telegraph Company]]<br />
* [[Miller Field]] &middot; [[Colonel House Motel]] &middot; [[Sheehan Field (Airport)]]<br />
* [[Moonlite Bar-B-Q]] &middot; [[Old Hickory Bar-B-Que]]<br />
* [[Towns]] &mdash; the county's other settlements<br />
<br />
==Notes==<br />
The sources disagree on when the town's name changed from Rossboro to Owensborough. Post Office Department records give the change of the post office name as March 9, 1816. Hugh O. Potter's history gives 1817, and notes that the Kentucky General Assembly approved the act establishing Owensborough on February 3, 1817, thirty-five days after the county court had approved the town plat under the earlier name. The Works Progress Administration typescript compiled by Cecelia Laswell in 1936 gives 1818. The 1883 ''History of Daviess County'' records only that the plat was approved as Rossboro and that the name was later changed.<br />
<br />
The surveyor's name appears as James W. Johnson in the 1883 history and as James W. Johnston in later place-name research.<br />
<br />
The county's name was misspelled in the legislative act that established it in 1815 and was never corrected; the surname of the man it honors is properly '''Daveiss'''.<br />
<br />
[[Category:Towns]]<br />
[[Category:Owensboro]]<br />
[[Category:Daviess County, Kentucky]]</div>Adamhttp://wiki.historyofowensboro.com/index.php?title=Owensboro,_KY&diff=15482Owensboro, KY2026-08-27T01:35:41Z<p>Adam: Expand into a full city article: founding and naming from Rennick/Potter, newspapers, trades, 1936 survey, Seven Hills, notes on source discrepancies</p>
<hr />
<div><div style="float:right; clear:right; margin:0 0 1em 1em;"><br />
{| style="width:260px; font-size:90%; border:1px solid #aaa; border-collapse:collapse; background:#ffffff; color:#222222;"<br />
|-<br />
! colspan="2" style="background:#2b4162; color:#ffffff; text-align:center; font-size:115%;" | Owensboro, Kentucky<br />
|-<br />
| '''Type''' || City (second class); county seat<br />
|-<br />
| '''County''' || [[Daviess County, Kentucky|Daviess County]]<br />
|-<br />
| '''State''' || Kentucky<br />
|-<br />
| '''Former names''' || Yellow Banks; Rossboro; Owensborough<br />
|-<br />
| '''First settler''' || [[William Smeathers]], c. 1797&ndash;98<br />
|-<br />
| '''Post office''' || Yellow Banks 1806; Owensborough 1816; Owensboro 1893<br />
|-<br />
| '''Selected as county seat''' || 1815<br />
|-<br />
| '''Platted''' || March 1816, by Capt. James W. Johnson<br />
|-<br />
| '''Named for''' || Col. Abraham Owen<br />
|-<br />
| '''City charter''' || February 16, 1866<br />
|-<br />
| '''Population''' || About 8,000 (1875)<br />
|-<br />
| '''Location''' || South bank of the Ohio River, 75 miles southwest of Louisville<br />
|}<br />
</div><br />
<br />
'''Owensboro''' is the seat of [[Daviess County, Kentucky|Daviess County]], Kentucky, on the south bank of the Ohio River about seventy-five miles southwest of Louisville. Known to river travellers from the 1770s as the '''Yellow Banks''' for the colour of the clay bluff, it was settled permanently by [[William Smeathers]] near the turn of the nineteenth century, platted in 1816 under the proposed name '''Rossboro''', and named instead for Col. Abraham Owen, who had been killed at the Battle of Tippecanoe. It was chartered as a city in 1866 and grew through the nineteenth century on tobacco, distilling, river traffic and the railroads.<br />
<br />
==The Yellow Banks==<br />
The site was known as the Yellow Banks by river travellers as early as 1776, though the first recorded use of the name dates from 1798. ''The Navigator'', a journal issued for Ohio River boatmen at Pittsburgh, recorded in its 1814 edition that the place was named for the yellow appearance of the banks of the river. The name was applied to the whole bank for three or four miles, and specifically to the landing where the first settler had his cabin.<br />
<br />
[[William Smeathers]], also recorded as Bill Smothers, was born in Virginia in 1762 and was a woodsman, hunter, scout and soldier. He had helped build the fort at Hartford, in Ohio County, about 1782 to protect settlers, and moved from there to the Yellow Banks &mdash; by his own account, for more elbow room. He made the first permanent settlement in the area about 1797&ndash;98. Some historians have reported a frontier military post at the banks as early as 1795.<br />
<br />
Smeathers was an officer in Kentucky's "Corn Stalk" militia in 1803 and served in the War of 1812 under [[Samuel Hopkins]]. He later went to Texas as a hunter, guide and Indian fighter, and died there in 1837. A highway marker in Owensboro commemorates him.<br />
<br />
A post office was established as '''Yellow Banks''' on July 1, 1806. The old name clung to the place long after the town had been renamed.<br />
<br />
==Founding and naming==<br />
The site was selected as the county seat in 1815 by commissioners appointed by the first county court, held in April of that year. The town was surveyed and platted in March 1816 by Capt. James W. Johnson, the first county surveyor, and an eighty-acre town was laid off and approved by the Daviess County Court.<br />
<br />
The name proposed to the Kentucky legislature was '''Rossboro''', or Rossborough, honouring David Ross, who died in 1817 and was one of the wealthiest Virginia merchants and landowners of his day and a friend of Thomas Jefferson. The legislature declined the proposal in favour of a name honouring one of its own members, Col. Abraham Owen. The county had already been named for [[Joseph Hamilton Daveiss]] more than two years earlier, and the naming of the town for Owen was understood as a companion tribute: the two men had been friends in life and both fell at the Battle of Tippecanoe in 1811.<br />
<br />
Abraham Owen was born in Prince Edward County, Virginia, in 1769 and came to Kentucky in 1785. His father, Brackett Owen, had built Owen's Station, a frontier post about four miles from present-day Shelbyville. Abraham considered Shelby County his home and represented it in the legislature; he helped lay out the town of Shelbyville and served as its trustee and magistrate and as county surveyor, and was a member of Kentucky's second constitutional convention in 1799.<br />
<br />
The post office name was changed from Yellow Banks to '''Owensborough''' on March 9, 1816, with James M. Rogers as postmaster, and the spelling was shortened to '''Owensboro''' on October 10, 1893. Owensboro received its charter as a city from the legislature on February 16, 1866.<br />
<br />
==Early history==<br />
Owensboro, the County seat of Daviess County, is located on the south bank of the Ohio River, at what was known to the early keel and flat-boat men as the Big Yellow Banks. The name was given because of the deep yellow color of the river bank, composed of yellow clay, extending about six miles along the river, and from ten to twenty feet above the highest floods in the Ohio. The site was selected as the County seat in 1815, by Commissioners appointed by the first County Court, held in April of that year. The survey of the first plat of the town extended from the Ohio River and a ravine on the north, to Fourth Street on the south, and from Lewis Street on the east to Walnut Street on the west. The survey and plat thereof was completed by Captain James W. Johnson, the first County Surveyor, on the 23rd day of March, 1816, and approved by the Commissioners and Court with the name of Rossboro, and ratified by the agent and owners of the land, George Hanley being agent for Ross and other proprietors. Later the name was changed to Owensboro, in honor of Colonel Abram Owen, formerly of Shelby County, Kentucky. Colonel Joseph Hamilton Daveiss and Colonel Owen were both officers serving under General W. H. Harrison at the bloody battle with the Indians under Tecumseh at Tippecanoe, now Indiana, but then Indiana Territory. Both fell in the thickest of the fight. The County had already received the name of Daveiss, and the old settlers, some of whom had been in the same battle in which Daviess and Owen were killed, determined, as a mark of respect, to link the names of the two together for all time to come. They had been associates and friends in life, fell together in battle, and it was appropriate that their names be joined after death.<br />
<br />
The old name of "Yellow Banks," however, still clung to the place, and the town was hardly known by any other name, even by the citizens, until about 1839 or 1840. The post-office bore the name of 'Yellow Banks' up to the time of 1837 or 1838. In 1833, the population was scarcely 200 all told, and not a single church edifice or organization. The increase in population was small until 1850. A branch of the Southern Bank was located in Owensboro about that time. The power of the Trustees had been enlarged by Legislative action, and those officials began to drain and improve the streets. The action of the Trustees, and the fact that the Bank was one of the institutions of the place, gave assurance that there was some money in town, and seemed to infuse new life into the citizens, even the old fogy part of the population, which had been averse to enterprise. Improvements began to be made. Better houses were commenced, new-comers poured in and a steady growth was maintained until 1861, when the war put a stop to all enterprise and public improvement. The population decreased, and not until 1866 did improvements begin again or was an increase of population noted. A moderate but perceptible degree of progress and growth has continued until now in 1875, when the population is estimated at about 8,000.<br />
<br />
==Early trades and manufacturing==<br />
No record survives of when the first forges were established in Owensboro. Abe Bear of Frederica Street, one of the city's oldest residents when he was interviewed in the 1930s, recalled that three were in business in 1864: Simon Kuntz, at the corner of Daviess and Second; John Robinson, also on Daviess Street; and Smith &amp; Johnson on Fifth Street. All were called blacksmiths in those days. He also recalled that the Owensboro Foundry was founded about 1875 and operated by Thomas Guthrie at Fifth and Poplar.<br />
<br />
The first courthouse in Owensboro was built of logs, and was soon followed by a brick structure. In 1881 the Planters' Bank became the First National.<br />
<br />
The early settlers of Daviess County came from Maryland, Virginia and the Carolinas, and were largely of Scots and Irish descent. Nearly all were involved with tobacco in some way &mdash; growing it or owning warehouses &mdash; and the tobacco export business was substantial from an early date.<br />
<br />
==Newspapers==<br />
The date of the first printing press in Owensboro is not recorded. Urey Woodson, for many years owner of the ''Owensboro Messenger & Inquirer'', described the city's early papers in an address entitled "The Good Old Days" delivered to the sixty-second annual meeting of the Kentucky Press Association at Paducah in 1931.<br />
<br />
[[James A. Munday]] founded the ''Owensboro Messenger'' in November 1877 and was, in Woodson's estimate, a writer of wonderful ability who fought many a paper battle with Henry Watterson. An earlier paper, the ''Owensboro Monitor'', had been established some years before the ''Messenger'' by [[Thomas S. Pettit]] and edited by Dr. A. L. Ashby. The ''Southern Shield'' was edited by J. C. Ford. In a much earlier period the future senator George Vest of Missouri edited an Owensboro newspaper as a young man.<br />
<br />
See [[Owensboro Newspapers]] for a fuller account.<br />
<br />
==The city in 1883==<br />
Owensboro contains churches of the following denominations: Baptist, Cumberland Presbyterian, Catholic, Methodist, Southern Presbyterian, Northern Presbyterian, Christian or Campbellite, Baptist, Episcopal, German Catholic, German Lutheran. The above have been named in the order of their establishment. There is also a colored Baptist, and a colored Methodist church. All, except two, of the houses of worship, are substantial brick structures, with a capacity of seating over one half of the entire population. There are three banks-the Deposit Bank, Planters' Bank, and Savings Bank. The public schools are two in number, each with a full roll of professors and teachers. The school buildings are large and commodious brick edifices, with a capacity for 900 to 1000 pupils. The Catholic Sisters have a female school with about 100 pupils, and the Vaughan Female Seminary, of which Mrs. E. S. Phillips is proprietress, is an institution richly meriting the patronage of the community. There are several other private schools in the city, altogether accommodating from 1000 to 1100 pupils. There are also one or two schools for colored children. Prominent among the other institutions of the city are sixteen stemming and prizing tobacco establishments. The smallest has a capacity for handling 600,000 pounds, whilst several of the largest have each a capacity for handling 2,000,000 pounds of tobacco each season. All of the together have a capacity of almost 20,000,000 pounds. There are also two planing mills, one furniture factory, a wheel, hub, and handle factory, chair factory, stave and barrel factory, with quite a number of wagon and carriage factories, blacksmith shops, carpenter shops, cabinet shops, etc.<br />
<br />
In the "professional" class of the community is numbered twelve or thirteen physicians, some of them quite eminent in their professions. About thirty practicing lawyers constitute one of the strongest bars in the State. Merchants, grocers, and all the trades are well represented.<br />
<br />
==Seven Hills==<br />
The Seven Hills section of the city was laid off in town lots about 1900 on some 150 acres, and took its name from the seven small hills on which it sits. A post office called Seven Hills operated there from July 29, 1901, with John T. Hubbard as postmaster, until it was discontinued at the end of March 1905 and its mail transferred to Owensboro. Seven Hills Baptist Church grew out of a mission established on Alexander Avenue in 1901 by the Third Baptist Church of Owensboro. The section was later annexed into the city.<br />
<br />
==Owensboro in 1936==<br />
A survey of the county compiled for the Works Progress Administration in June 1936 described Owensboro as one of the large dark tobacco markets of the world, with two loose-leaf sales companies handling Daviess County tobacco and eight processing and grading factories. Apples and peaches were also important to the area. Two distilleries were located in the city, along with two electric appliance plants, and furniture, milling machinery, and brick and tile plants. There were a number of coal mines in the county and several oil wells then being further developed.<br />
<br />
The city was a stopping point for the Illinois Central Railroad, and the Louisville, Henderson &amp; St. Louis ran through from Louisville to St. Louis. Owensboro was served by local and interurban buses connecting with out-of-state lines, and had one ferry within the city and two more within three miles of the city limits, running day and night without fixed schedules.<br />
<br />
The compiler noted that the May 15, 1936 issue of ''Forbes'' magazine had included Owensboro in a list of the ten best cities in the United States, placing it among outstanding towns for business gains since the first of that year.<br />
<br />
The Griffith House on Griffith Avenue, built by [[William R. Griffith]] in 1828 from materials found on the place, was described at that time as the only home in Owensboro remaining so nearly in its original state.<br />
<br />
==Daviess County organization==<br />
Daviess County was formed in the year 1815. The County received its name from General Joseph H. Daveiss, whose residence for some years was on the Ohio River above Owensboro. The name should have been spelled "Daveiss," but through a mistake in enrolling the bill during its passage through the Legislature, the name was spelled "Daviess," and from that time down this way has been adopted of spelling the name of the County.<br />
<br />
===County officials===<br />
The following embraces the persons who have filled the various official positions in enumeration with the government and organization of the County:<br />
{| style="border-collapse:collapse; background:#ffffff; color:#222222; font-size:95%;"<br />
|+ style="background:#2b4162; color:#ffffff; padding:5px 8px; font-weight:bold;" | Judges of the Circuit Court<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | Henry P. Broadnax || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1815-1822<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | Alney McLean || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1822-1842<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | John Calhoon || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1842-1851<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | [[John P. Devereux]] || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1851<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | Jesse W. Kincheloe || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1851-1856<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | James Stuart || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1856-1867<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | James L. Johnson || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1867<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | George W. Williams || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1867-1870<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | [[Martin Hardin Cofer|Martin H. Cofer]] || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1870-1874<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | James Stuart || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1874-1880<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | Lucius P. Little || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1880-<br />
|}<br />
Besides these, special Judges were appointed at various times, among whom were John. H. McHenry and [[George H. Yeaman]].<br />
{| style="border-collapse:collapse; background:#ffffff; color:#222222; font-size:95%;"<br />
|+ style="background:#2b4162; color:#ffffff; padding:5px 8px; font-weight:bold;" | Clerks of the Circuit Court<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | George Handley || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1815-1827<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | Horace Allen || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1827-1832<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | John S. McFarland || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1832-1845<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | William B. Wall || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1845-1856<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | John P. Thompson || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1856-1862<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | Ward Payne || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1862<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | Joseph Thomas || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1862-1868<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | M. L. Ogden || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1868<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | John P. Thompson || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1868-1872<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | Joseph Thomas || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1872<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | John G. McFarland || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1872-1874<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | [[Frank F. Conway]] || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1874<br />
|}<br />
The first Clerk, George Handley retained his position until April 1827, when he resigned the duties of the office. Horace Allen, who had previously acted as Deputy, became Clerk. Allen died while in office and was succeeded by John S. McFarland, who resigned the position October, 1845. John P. Thompson also died while server as Clerk.<br />
<br />
{| style="border-collapse:collapse; background:#ffffff; color:#222222; font-size:95%;"<br />
|+ style="background:#2b4162; color:#ffffff; padding:5px 8px; font-weight:bold;" | Sheriffs of Daviess County<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | Charles Y. Duncan || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1815-1821<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | William Glenn || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1821-1823<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | John Piles || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1823-1825<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | Remus Griffith || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1825-1827<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | J. Leman || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1827-1829<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | Warner Crow || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1829-1831<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | John Daveiss || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1831-1833<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | R. C. Jett || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1833-1835<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | S. Hawes || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1835-1837<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | E. McCreery || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1837-1838<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | R. C. Jett || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1838-1839<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | William Newton || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1839-1841<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | William B. Baird || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1841<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | Joseph M. Potts || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1841-1843<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | John G. Howard || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1843-1845<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | Henry Dugan || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1845-1847<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | Abner Lee || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1847-1849<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | C. D. Jackson || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1849-1851<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | Thomas Landrum || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1851-1855<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | Joseph G. Harrison || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1855-1859<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | John Locke || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1859-1863<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | Joseph G. Harrison || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1863-1866<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | W. H. Perkins || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1866-1868<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | H. W. Scott || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1868-1872<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | W. H. Perkins || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1873-1874<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | H. W. Scott || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1874-1876<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | J. H. Gates || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1876-1878<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | Ed. C. Davis || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1878-1882<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | A. B. Miller || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1882<br />
|}<br />
<br />
{| style="border-collapse:collapse; background:#ffffff; color:#222222; font-size:95%;"<br />
|+ style="background:#2b4162; color:#ffffff; padding:5px 8px; font-weight:bold;" | County Judges<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | Thomas W. Watkins || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1850-1854<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | [[George H. Yeaman]] || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1854-1858<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | A. G. Botts || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1858-1866<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | George W. Triplett || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | Elected in 1866-'70-'74<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | H. W. Scott || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1879<br />
|}<br />
<br />
===Early representation===<br />
In 1788, when this portion of Kentucky was Nelson County, it was represented by John Steele and Matthew Walton, in the convention which ratified the present Constitution of the United States.<br />
<br />
Of the earliest justices of the peace, we mention the names of John Calhoon, and eminent lawyer and great man; John Daveiss, who was acting in 1818; and Warner Crow, who had the office at least from 1818-1823.<br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
* [[Daviess County Courthouse]]<br />
* [[St. Stephen Cathedral]] &middot; [[Temple Adath Israel]]<br />
* [[Owensboro Federal Building]] &middot; [[Owensboro Armory]] &middot; [[Carnegie Free Public Library (Owensboro)]]<br />
* [[Ames Building (Owensboro)]] &middot; [[Breidenbach Building]] &middot; [[Odd Fellows Building (Owensboro)]] &middot; [[George Mischel and Sons Building]]<br />
* [[Doctors Row Historic District]] &middot; [[J.Z. Moore Historic District]] &middot; [[Phillips Court Historic District]]<br />
* [[Kentucky Wesleyan College]] &middot; [[Daviess County High School]]<br />
* [[Owensboro Wagon Company]] &middot; [[Owensboro Distilling Company]] &middot; [[Daviess County Distilling Company]]<br />
* [[Owensboro Newspapers]] &middot; [[Louisville and Owensboro Telegraph Company]] &middot; [[Owensboro and Evansville Telegraph Company]]<br />
* [[Miller Field]] &middot; [[Colonel House Motel]] &middot; [[Sheehan Field (Airport)]]<br />
* [[Moonlite Bar-B-Q]] &middot; [[Old Hickory Bar-B-Que]]<br />
* [[Towns]] &mdash; the county's other settlements<br />
<br />
==Notes==<br />
The sources disagree on when the town's name changed from Rossboro to Owensborough. Post Office Department records give the change of the post office name as March 9, 1816. Hugh O. Potter's history gives 1817, and notes that the Kentucky General Assembly approved the act establishing Owensborough on February 3, 1817, thirty-five days after the county court had approved the town plat under the earlier name. The Works Progress Administration typescript compiled by Cecelia Laswell in 1936 gives 1818. The 1883 ''History of Daviess County'' records only that the plat was approved as Rossboro and that the name was later changed.<br />
<br />
The surveyor's name appears as James W. Johnson in the 1883 history and as James W. Johnston in later place-name research.<br />
<br />
The county's name was misspelled in the legislative act that established it in 1815 and was never corrected; the surname of the man it honours is properly '''Daveiss'''.<br />
<br />
[[Category:Towns]]<br />
[[Category:Owensboro]]<br />
[[Category:Daviess County, Kentucky]]</div>Adamhttp://wiki.historyofowensboro.com/index.php?title=Category:Demolished_buildings_and_structures&diff=15481Category:Demolished buildings and structures2026-08-27T00:25:46Z<p>Adam: Create redirect / category description</p>
<hr />
<div>Buildings and structures in Daviess County, Kentucky that no longer stand.</div>Adamhttp://wiki.historyofowensboro.com/index.php?title=Category:Owensboro&diff=15480Category:Owensboro2026-08-27T00:25:46Z<p>Adam: Create redirect / category description</p>
<hr />
<div>Pages relating to the city of [[Owensboro, KY|Owensboro]], the seat of Daviess County, Kentucky.</div>Adamhttp://wiki.historyofowensboro.com/index.php?title=Category:Daviess_County,_Kentucky&diff=15479Category:Daviess County, Kentucky2026-08-27T00:25:46Z<p>Adam: Create redirect / category description</p>
<hr />
<div>Pages relating to Daviess County, Kentucky — its towns and communities, buildings, businesses, churches, schools and people.<br />
<br />
See also [[:Category:Towns]] for the county's settlements sorted by precinct.</div>Adamhttp://wiki.historyofowensboro.com/index.php?title=Owensboro&diff=15478Owensboro2026-08-27T00:25:46Z<p>Adam: Create redirect / category description</p>
<hr />
<div>#REDIRECT [[Owensboro, KY]]</div>Adamhttp://wiki.historyofowensboro.com/index.php?title=Colonel_House_Motel&diff=15476Colonel House Motel2026-08-27T00:14:49Z<p>Adam: Create article: Colonel House Motel</p>
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{| style="width:260px; font-size:90%; border:1px solid #aaa; border-collapse:collapse; background:#ffffff; color:#222222;"<br />
|-<br />
! colspan="2" style="background:#2b4162; color:#ffffff; text-align:center; font-size:115%;" | Colonel House Motel<br />
|-<br />
| '''Type''' || Motel<br />
|-<br />
| '''Address''' || 1829 Triplett Street<br />
|-<br />
| '''City''' || [[Owensboro, KY|Owensboro]], Kentucky<br />
|-<br />
| '''County''' || [[Daviess County, Kentucky|Daviess County]]<br />
|-<br />
| '''Architect''' || Max W. Bisson<br />
|-<br />
| '''Built''' || 1959<br />
|-<br />
| '''Cost''' || About $500,000<br />
|-<br />
| '''Rooms''' || 41 at opening; 49 after 1960<br />
|-<br />
| '''Earlier use of site''' || Model Dairy Products plant, 1939&ndash;1959<br />
|-<br />
| '''Acquired by city''' || 2025<br />
|-<br />
| '''Demolished''' || August 2026<br />
|}<br />
</div><br />
<br />
'''The Colonel House Motel''' was a two-story, mid-century motor hotel at 1829 Triplett Street in [[Owensboro, KY|Owensboro]], Kentucky. Built in 1959 on the site of the former Model Dairy plant and opened as one of the most modern lodging houses in western Kentucky, it operated for roughly sixty-five years under a succession of corporations, partnerships and families before declining into weekly-rate residential housing. The City of Owensboro purchased the property in 2025 and demolished it in August 2026.<br />
<br />
== The Model Dairy site ==<br />
<br />
Before the motel, the corner of Triplett and East 19th streets belonged to the dairy business. Model Dairy Products Company, Inc. opened a plant on the site in 1939, occupying roughly the southern half of what would later become the motel grounds. Fire insurance maps of the period show the dairy as a single consolidated complex addressed at 1825 Triplett Street, with separate parcels to the north along the same block and a filling station at the corner of 18th and Triplett. Some accounts of the early 1950s placed the dairy at 1829, the address the motel would eventually carry.<br />
<br />
On January 19, 1959, Model Dairy Products Company sold the property to Motels, Inc., a Kentucky corporation, for approximately $70,000. The transfer was recorded in Deed Book 281, page 80 of the [[Daviess County, Kentucky|Daviess County]] Court Clerk's office and reported in the newspaper's real estate column as a lot of ground with improvements on the east side of Triplett Street and the north side of East 19th Street. Motels, Inc. changed its corporate name by amendment to its articles of incorporation on March 4, 1959, recorded with the Kentucky Secretary of State on March 11 and in Daviess County Corporation Book 10, page 300. From that point forward the company was known as Colonel House, Inc.<br />
<br />
== Planning and construction ==<br />
<br />
Colonel House, Inc. was formed by Jerome Lighton, Marvin Cohen, Dr. Horace Harrison, George S. Wilson Jr. and William L. Wilson, all of Owensboro. The company retained architect Max W. Bisson, who designed the building after what the newspapers of the day called the two-story Florida type, with open balconies running the length of each floor.<br />
<br />
As first announced, the project called for a two-story, forty-room luxury motel on the northeast corner of Triplett and 19th, directly across from Gabe's Shopping Center and restaurant. Twenty units were planned for each floor. Every unit was to be carpeted, individually decorated and fitted with its own tile bath; many were designed to connect, and some could be combined into suites. The plans also included a manager's apartment, linen rooms and a lobby.<br />
<br />
The building was to be completely fireproof, framed in steel and concrete, with balcony rails of ornamental iron, trim of colored porcelain enamel and a special marble surfacing. Double-glazed window openings were specified to keep out street noise and control interior temperatures, and the mechanical and electrical work was designed for unit air conditioning, quiet plumbing, television and telephones. There were to be no dining facilities. A swimming pool was planned for a landscaped area but was deliberately excluded from the construction bid.<br />
<br />
Bids on the general construction work were opened at four o'clock on a Friday afternoon, with the owners hoping to open late that summer if a satisfactory price came in. Asked what the finished project would cost, Bisson conceded he doubted he could guess within $100,000 of the final figure once the building was constructed and furnished. An application to build had already been filed in the city building inspector's office.<br />
<br />
== Opening ==<br />
<br />
The Colonel House Motel was erected in three months at a cost of about $500,000 and opened for business in 1959. As built, it contained forty-one units rather than the forty originally advertised. Its arrival brought to thirteen the number of motels and tourist courts in or near Owensboro.<br />
<br />
Beginning at nine o'clock on opening morning, four rooms were made available for public inspection at an open house, and the first tenants were accepted that evening. The two-story, balconied steel and concrete structure contained twenty-eight rooms with two double beds, eight executive suites with two single beds, four rooms with twin beds, and the "Colonel's apartment," a large upstairs room with twin beds and a kitchenette. The building was faced in red brick with baby blue trimmings, and each room had a picture window of thermopane glass.<br />
<br />
The amenities were unusual for Owensboro at the time. Every room had a television set and a telephone, and the heating and air conditioning in each room could be controlled by the occupant. Wall-to-wall carpeting was standard throughout. A light on the base of the telephone illuminated when a call, a message or mail had arrived during a guest's absence, and the switchboard operator at the front office would explain what had come in. A small swimming pool was being finished in the front yard, and concrete parking for thirty-four vehicles was provided at the rear.<br />
<br />
Floyd Haire, formerly a purchasing agent for Glenmore Distilleries, was hired as manager, and the motel expected to employ ten to twelve people depending on the volume of business. Jerry Lighton served as president of Colonel House, Inc., with Marvin Cohen as vice president and William L. Wilson as secretary-treasurer; Dr. Horace Harrison, Lester Yeager and George S. Wilson Jr. were directors.<br />
<br />
Although the motel served no food of its own, arrangements were being worked out for Gabe's restaurant across the street to furnish meals under a room service system. Corporate demand was evident from the start: General Electric had already rented three of the executive suites on a year-round basis, and Green River Steel Corporation had contracted for two more on the same terms.<br />
<br />
== Expansion and early operation ==<br />
<br />
The building's success was immediate enough that expansion followed within a year. By late November 1960 the Colonel House was adding eight units to the original forty-one at a cost of approximately $32,000. The addition was built as a wing extending east along the northern edge of the lot, a footprint still plainly visible in aerial photographs decades later.<br />
<br />
The corporate year-round rentals of 1959 proved to be a preview rather than an exception. By February 1964 the motel was advertising directly to permanent residents, offering what it called luxury living at budget prices for $125 per month plus maid service, under the telephone number 684-5271. That number remained attached to the property for the next six decades. The shift toward long-term occupancy, which came to define the Colonel House in its final years, therefore began within five years of its opening rather than in its decline.<br />
<br />
Colonel House, Inc. held the property into the 1970s, mortgaging it to Citizens State Bank on September 19, 1974, in a mortgage recorded in Mortgage Book 393, page 815.<br />
<br />
== The Coomes years, 1976–1985 ==<br />
<br />
On December 23, 1976, Colonel House, Inc. sold the motel to Thomas H. Coomes Sr. of 905 Griffith Avenue, Owensboro, by deed recorded in Deed Book 462, page 660. The sale covered both the real estate and the personal property used in running the motel, and the total consideration came to $190,025.50 — $150,000 for the real estate, $40,025.50 for furniture, fixtures and inventory, and $3,083.89 for accounts receivable.<br />
<br />
The terms illustrate how such a business changed hands at the time. Coomes paid $3,000 in cash at execution and gave a $40,000 promissory note due within one year at seven and one-half percent with a ninety-day grace period. He assumed the $136,354.47 remaining balance of the corporation's first mortgage to Citizens State Bank along with a further note of $7,916.02, and paid $2,546.82 and $208.19 in accrued interest on the two obligations. Possession passed at five o'clock on the afternoon of the deed, and with it all income and rents then due from occupants of the premises. Colonel House, Inc. retained its outstanding accounts billed to the American Express Company and the National Aluminum Company, an echo of the corporate arrangements that had helped fill the building at its opening.<br />
<br />
The purchase money notes were satisfied, and the lien released, on November 21, 1977, in a marginal notation executed by William L. Wilson as president of Colonel House, Inc. The same day, Coomes took out a new first mortgage of $180,000 on the property.<br />
<br />
A quit claim deed dated October 1, 1980, recorded in Deed Book 501, page 144, corrected a typographical error in the legal description carried in the 1976 deed. The parcel comprised all of Lots 4, 5, 6 and 7 and part of Lot 1 in Block A of the Fair Ground Addition, bounded on the west by Triplett Street, on the south by 19th Street, on the north by the Fiorella lot and on the east by the property of the James E. Russell Sheet Metal Company.<br />
<br />
== B & L Motel Associates and the contract for deed ==<br />
<br />
Three weeks earlier, on August 22, 1980, Thomas H. Coomes Sr. and his wife Joyce had entered into a contract and bond for deed with B & L Motel Associates, a Kentucky limited partnership acting through general partner Bhaskar H. Desai. The arrangement was recorded in Deed Book 501, page 146.<br />
<br />
The total consideration was $365,000, allocated as $325,000 for the building, $20,000 for the real estate and $20,000 for the furniture, fixtures, vending machines and motel supplies. B & L paid $10,000 in cash at execution, $50,000 within ninety days, and $5,000 at one year, with the remaining $300,000 payable in 240 consecutive monthly installments of $2,995.14 at ten and one-half percent interest. The final installment was due on or before October 1, 2000.<br />
<br />
Under the contract, B & L took full possession of the motel upon payment of the $50,000 increment, meaning Desai's partnership was operating the Colonel House from late 1980 onward while Coomes retained legal title. A general warranty deed and bill of sale were executed the same day and placed in escrow with Central Bank and Trust Company of Owensboro, to be delivered when the balance had been paid in full. Coomes remained responsible for his own $180,000 mortgage, which then carried an unpaid balance of $169,124.13, and covenanted not to borrow further against the property.<br />
<br />
The contract offers a rare glimpse of the building's condition at the twenty-year mark. Coomes specifically warranted that the central air conditioning unit serving all motel rooms would be in good working order and that all rooms would be in commercially reasonable rental condition at the delivery of possession. An exhibit listing the handful of items Coomes retained — a calculator, a typewriter, a table and four chairs, an adding machine and the plants in the office — was written on Colonel House Motel letterhead bearing the address "Triplett and 19th" and the same telephone number advertised in 1964.<br />
<br />
An assignment recorded June 1, 1985 in Deed Book 543, page 281 transferred Coomes's interest in the contract, and on June 6, 1985 Thomas and Joyce Coomes conveyed the property itself to W. Gordon Iler, an Owensboro attorney, by deed recorded in Deed Book 550, page 358. Iler thereafter held title while B & L continued to operate the motel under the 1980 contract.<br />
<br />
Records from this period name at least one of the operators. On September 19, 1989, the Commonwealth of Kentucky filed two notices of state tax lien against the Colonel House Motel Limited Partnership, identifying Larry Mayfield of 2232 Becklyn as the responsible party. The liens were satisfied quickly; a certificate of release was signed on September 29 and recorded on October 12, 1989.<br />
<br />
That residents were living at the motel long-term through these years is confirmed in the public record. A notice of recoupment lien filed June 28, 1995 by the Division of Unemployment Insurance named Ronald J. Wagner at 1829 Triplett Street, Room 244, over $207.00 in benefits erroneously paid — a state agency corresponding with a man at his motel room as his permanent address.<br />
<br />
== Pavlas ownership, 1996–2025 ==<br />
<br />
On July 22, 1996, W. Gordon Iler of 207 West Second Street and B & L Motel Associates of 3136 West Second Street, again acting through Bhaskar H. Desai, jointly conveyed the property for $300,000, closing out the 1980 contract more than four years before its scheduled maturity. The buyers were Charalambos A. Pavlas and Nicholas A. Pavlas, who took a fifty percent interest jointly, and Christos Poulos, who took the other fifty percent. The deed was recorded in Deed Book 664, page 215, with a deed of correction following on August 15, 1996 in Deed Book 665, page 83. Iler, an attorney, prepared the deed himself.<br />
<br />
On November 6, 1996, Poulos quit-claimed his interest to the two Pavlas brothers by deed recorded in Deed Book 667, page 640.<br />
<br />
The family formalized its holdings at the end of the decade. OCA, LLC was organized as a Kentucky limited liability company on February 4, 1999, with its registered office at 1311 West Second Street, Charalambos A. Pavlas as registered agent, and its principal office given as the Colonel House Motel itself. A certificate of assumed name adopting "Colonel House Motel" for OCA, LLC was executed in February 1999, signed by Nicholas A. Pavlas as president through Charalambos under power of attorney, filed with the Secretary of State on February 10 and recorded in Daviess County on February 22. The same company held assumed names for the Cadillac Motel and for C & N Pawn and Check Advance.<br />
<br />
A deed recorded October 8, 2019 in Deed Book 1019, page 069 transferred the property from Charalambos A. and Nicholas A. Pavlas to Charalambos A. and Androniki Pavlas, an intrafamily conveyance recorded at no consideration.<br />
<br />
== Decline ==<br />
<br />
By the 2010s and 2020s the Colonel House had become a rent-by-the-week establishment and had fallen into general disrepair. Rooms were advertised at rates such as fifty-five dollars a night, two hundred fifty dollars a week or one thousand dollars a month, with a ten-dollar key deposit. Reviewers described a clientele composed largely of long-term residents.<br />
<br />
The property became a persistent subject of complaint from neighboring businesses and residents and a recurring focus of the Owensboro Police Department and city property maintenance staff. A compilation of police reports by the Messenger-Inquirer showed seventeen instances of reported criminal activity or arrests at the address over a five-year period, while police data cited in broadcast reports indicated officers had been dispatched to the motel more than three hundred times over two years. In January 2024, Daviess County Sheriff's detectives serving a search warrant on one of the rooms arrested three residents and recovered methamphetamine, synthetic marijuana, cash and surveillance equipment.<br />
<br />
The idea of a city purchase had first been raised in 2018. Although the motel stood within the Triplett Twist Neighborhood Revitalization Strategy Area, its owners never participated in the grant programs available for remodeling, even as the city and private developers spent $2.6 million in federal funds and $2.8 million in private money on projects nearby. The city had already purchased and demolished the dilapidated Tower Motor Inn in 2020, and Gabe's Tower, across the street from the Colonel House, was likewise razed while Gabe's Shopping Center was renovated.<br />
<br />
== City acquisition and demolition ==<br />
<br />
On November 19, 2024, the Owensboro Board of Commissioners approved Municipal Order 30-2024, authorizing the purchase of 1829 Triplett Street from Charalambos and Androniki Pavlas for $600,000. The Daviess County Property Valuation Administrator had the property assessed at $423,300 for 2025. City Manager Nate Pagan said the city intended to take possession once the building was vacant and immediately issue a request for proposals to convert it into affordable rental housing, adding that the city had no intention of becoming a landlord. Mayor Tom Watson and Mayor Pro Tem Mark Castlen both described the motel as a longstanding source of trouble in the neighborhood.<br />
<br />
Residents of the motel told reporters that week that they had learned of the sale through the news rather than from the owners. Community Development Director Abby Shelton said her department and the property owners would work with tenants to find other housing before the transfer.<br />
<br />
The deed to the City of Owensboro was recorded May 6, 2025 in Deed Book 1111, page 085. The city issued its request for proposals shortly afterward, setting a June 6 deadline for developers to propose either rehabilitating the building or clearing the site for new construction. Six developers showed some initial interest, but no viable proposal emerged. Assistant City Manager Lelan Hancock said that once prospective developers examined the building, the age and condition of the structure and the requirements of modern accessibility, electrical and plumbing codes made rehabilitation economically impossible.<br />
<br />
In November 2025 the city announced it would instead demolish the building, and issued a request for demolition contractors with bids closing December 16. The project had to be bid twice. Six bids came in during the first round, all above the city's estimate, with a low bid of $121,500; Hancock attributed the overage in part to contractors not knowing how much asbestos-containing material the building held. After the city commissioned an evaluation identifying what required abatement, seven firms bid a second time, at prices ranging from $116,895 to $204,700. Relatively little asbestos was ultimately found.<br />
<br />
Murphy Excavating took the contract at approximately $117,000, covering both demolition and abatement, and began work on the morning of Monday, August 24, 2026. Officials expected the structure to be reduced largely to rubble within the week and the debris to be removed over the following week. The city planned to leave a flat, seeded lot at the corner. Zoned B-4 general business, the site was to be marketed for private redevelopment, with the city expressing no preference for a particular use.<br />
<br />
== See also ==<br />
<br />
* [[Miller Field]] &mdash; the baseball park that stood one block north at Eighteenth and Triplett from 1937 to 1955, also since demolished<br />
<br />
== Notes ==<br />
<br />
The metes and bounds description of the property varies between recorded instruments. The 1976 deed and those following it begin at the northeast intersection of Triplett and 19th streets and run 162 feet along Triplett; the 1980 correction deed reads northwest and 167 feet. Contemporary newspaper accounts of 1959 place the motel on the northeast corner, consistent with the earlier description.<br />
<br />
The name of the founding president appears as Jerome Lighton in pre-construction coverage and as Jerry Lighton in reporting on the opening.<br />
<br />
<br />
[[Category:Buildings]]<br />
[[Category:Businesses]]<br />
[[Category:Demolished buildings and structures]]<br />
[[Category:Owensboro]]<br />
[[Category:Daviess County, Kentucky]]</div>Adamhttp://wiki.historyofowensboro.com/index.php?title=Birk_City,_Kentucky&diff=15475Birk City, Kentucky2026-08-26T23:03:01Z<p>Adam: Cleanup: add infobox and lead, organize into sections, unwrap OCR line breaks</p>
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{| style="width:260px; font-size:90%; border:1px solid #aaa; border-collapse:collapse; background:#ffffff; color:#222222;"<br />
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! colspan="2" style="background:#2b4162; color:#ffffff; text-align:center; font-size:115%;" | Birk City, Kentucky<br />
|-<br />
| '''Type''' || Former river town<br />
|-<br />
| '''County''' || [[Daviess County, Kentucky|Daviess County]]<br />
|-<br />
| '''State''' || Kentucky<br />
|-<br />
| '''Founded by''' || [[Jonas A. Birk]], 1857<br />
|-<br />
| '''Post office''' || Established 1864<br />
|-<br />
| '''First school''' || 1865<br />
|-<br />
| '''Population''' || 100 (1898); about 35 today<br />
|-<br />
| '''River''' || Green River, 22 miles from its mouth<br />
|-<br />
| '''Location''' || 12 miles east of Owensboro<br />
|}<br />
</div><br />
<br />
'''Birk City''' is a former river town on the Green River in [[Daviess County, Kentucky|Daviess County]], Kentucky, twenty-two miles from the river's mouth and twelve miles east of [[Owensboro, KY|Owensboro]]. Founded in 1857 by [[Jonas A. Birk]], it grew on tobacco, a ferry and river trade, was repeatedly flooded, and boomed briefly when oil was struck nearby in 1938. Today it is mostly farmland.<br />
<br />
==Early History==<br />
[[File:1886-Birk-City.jpg|thumb|370x370px|1886 Directory Listing for Birk City.]]<br />
'''Named After:''' [[Jonas A. Birk]]<br />
<br />
The little town of Birk City is located on the Green River, 22 miles from its mouth, and 12 miles east of Owensboro. It was founded by [[Jonas A. Birk]], who came to Birk City from Cloverport in 1857. Mr. Birk succeeded in laying the foundation for the town. It contained three stores, a blacksmith shop and one tobacco factory built by Mr. Birk. At the time of his death in October 1877, he owned over 450 acres of land. He was buried in the Birk City graveyard about ½ miles north of Birk City. <br />
==Industry==<br />
A saw mill was built in 1857 and used as such for 10 years. It was then used as a distillery for three years. In 1870, it was converted into a tobacco factory, approximately 60 x 70’ in size.<br />
The first blacksmith was Peter Rarick, who came with [[Jonas A. Birk|Mr. Birk]].<br />
===Ferry===<br />
The first ferry was granted a license in March, 1861. It was noted as being on the banks of Birk Mill. It was ran by Jonas Birk. It was required to keep one substantial ferryboat and skiff boat at the ferry landing. The boat was 38’ x 9’ with railings two feet high. Restrictions were for heavy loads with four horses and four-wheel wagons, or two wheel carriages with horses. Sheep, goats and hogs and lambs were a fifth of what the horse charge was. Horses cost $.10. Horses and man $.15, and foot man was $.05 cents.<br />
==Commerce==<br />
The first store was opened by William Hollace in a house built by [[Jonas A. Birk]] for that purpose. Other merchants were C.E. Birk and L.P. Birk, both of whom were [[Jonas A. Birk|Jonas Birk’s]] sons, along with C.B. Lancaster. <br />
<br />
It was a wilderness and no settlement had been made within a mile. No clearing was visible and the first tree cut down was where the old sawmill stood. The mill was built and work began on improving the land. Mr. Birk brought with him to Daviess County $5000 which was invested in the mill. The purchase money of the land amounted to $3000 more. Various misfortunes followed. His stock died from sickness, cash could not be obtained from lumber and in a couple of years Mr. Birk found himself in serious financial difficulty. Mr. Birk suffered heavily during the war but afterwards, he received $2000 for his tobacco crop, and his corn crop $2000 more. He was back on his feet again. <br />
<br />
In 1860, an ad was in the paper mentioned that town lots had been laid out and was being disposed of on reasonable terms. It stated that Birk City was located in a most desirable part of Daviess County, easy access, and immediately on the Green River, trade is good and constantly improving, and has a good class of citizens in the place and neighborhood. Mr. Birk predicted that a Catholic church was going to be erected in the place and other valuable improvements would be made in a short time. He also said it was a good opportunity to those wishing to invest; mechanics particularly will find this a splendid opening.<br />
[[File:Plots in Birk City 1860.jpg|thumb|The survey of plots in Birk City, 1860]]<br />
<br />
In 1874, according to the ''Owensboro Monitor'', an article stated that Birk City was 11 miles from Owensboro and was neatly situated on the Green River. Birk and his sons were the proprietors of the wagon, carriage and blacksmith shop and that they do extensive business. Ferdinand Birk was the proprietor of the dry and goods, notion and drugstore. George Birk was his salesman and bookkeeper and also Postmaster of the town. CE Birk ran a grocery and produce store and Frank Birk was the District Constable. The reporter added that there were several more he didn’t meet but it seems to be that every man there was a Birk. He said they were all clever, industrious and honest men who attended to their own business and that the city was thriving. Esq. Newman, one of the counties “dads” said that Birk City would furnish the next county judge and sheriff. Mr. Bellew still had a successful operation of a large sawmill.<br />
<br />
The city was on the Green River and had a road to Owensboro. Some towns on the river had no roads leading to the bigger towns. The Green River was how everything was shipped and sold in Evansville. They bore the excessive steamboat rates known as the Green River monopoly.<br />
A small distillery called the Eagle Distillery was built at Birk City in 1880. The Eagles Distilling Company had a still there along with bonded warehouses. It had 10 barrel capacity. TJ Monarch was President. Its office was located in Owensboro. The brands of whiskey placed on the market were TJ Monarch, Imperial, and Cliff Falls. JW McCulloch bought the Birk City Distillery and moved it to a site on the railroad west of Owensboro and made the famous Green River Whiskey. The distillery moved from Birk City by 1892 to western Owensboro and changed its name to Green River Distillery.<br />
<br />
===Post Office===<br />
A post office was established there in 1864 to serve a developing Green River port town. It was named by and for its first full Postmaster. After the town was laid out it was called Birk Mill. After his first two sons were Postmasters, John Duncan, Bud Wiles, Charles Reynolds, and family of Susan Whitehouse followed. It was discontinued and moved to Stanley December 1903 where there was rail service. Mr. Birk’s ambitious plans for the town failed to survive the century. A few years earlier a new Post Office between Oakford and Birk City opened up in 1886. It was named Adlai, in honor of Hon. Adlai Stevenson, the first assistant Postmaster Gen. BA Mitchell became the first Postmaster. It only stayed open a short time.<br />
<br />
===School===<br />
The first school opened in 1865. A black school opened in 1887 and the land was finally deeded over 15 years later in June 1902.<br />
<br />
In 1877 another tobacco factory was built and opened by John Gaw. It was a 40 x 80’ building. In 1879 he built a 42 x 90’ addition. It had a capacity of about 500,000 pounds. It cost about $25,000.<br />
The Baptist Church was organized in October 1876 in a house used as a store that was occupied for 13 years by the F J Birk. It was then sold to the Baptist and converted into a church. Rev. D E Yeiser was the first preacher of this congregation. R C Kenner was the town physician. Some of the residents listed in the 1876 Daviess County Atlas map are: William Balee, blacksmith; FJ Birk, merchant; LP Birk, J a Birk, farmers; HD Bellow, Miller; JW Grimsley, farmer; Edwin Hawes, M.D. physician and surgeon; Barnett Kelly, farmer; in N M Newman, Carpenter; JL O’Bryan, WH Payne, farmers; James Wiles, George W Wiles, farmers. B. A. Asher, general blacksmith; Charles Birk, Birk City ferry; C.E. Birk, groceries and hardware, furniture and grain dealer. In 1883 Birk City had a population of 200.<br />
<br />
According to the city directory in 1894, Birk City also had two boarding houses, one blacksmith shop, and one Baptist church with 44 members, one colored Methodist Church with 30 members. Rev. Jewell was Pastor. H. Scott was a ferryman. A man name Reynolds operated the livestock yard there where they loaded livestock on the boat. The man who helped him was a full-blooded Indian. In 1898 it put the population at 100 people. <br />
<br />
==Flooding==<br />
The Green River created many problems for Birk City over the years. The floods of 1883 and 1884 were big. According to the Messenger there was a high water in 1900 and which the river was so swift and high that the ferry was unsafe for passengers to attempt to cross the stream. The ferry got out of control and floated half a mile below the landing. The next day it returned from Henderson County and had the same experience. The boat was a considerable distance below the town and could not be brought back until the water went down.<br />
<br />
In 1904 Peyton Atkins was the blacksmith of the town. C E Birk was the grocery owner and undertaker. His wife ran the hotel. L P Birk was Postmaster and Magistrate. Thomas Chatham was a physician. Charles Nourse was a schoolteacher and C E Whitehouse ran the ferry boat. F.E. Birk was a tobacconist. C.E. Lancaster had a hotel, saloon, and grocery.<br />
<br />
==Cemetery==<br />
In the Birk City cemetery, there are some 15 tombstones and a several unmarked graves. The grave of [[Jonas A. Birk]] has a large headstone about 10 feet tall and a caption that says ''“Immigrated to the United States in 1838. Founded Birk City“''. The last person buried there according to the markers was Cynthia Wells. She died in 1901. The graveyard is approximately ½ mile northwest of the town. It is on a ridge that follows the Hurricane Slough. <br />
<br />
==Saloon==<br />
In 1899 when JM Wiles of Birk City made a renewal of his liquor license. A remonstrance was filed by many in that town saying the reason that they opposed the saloon was that it was in the same building as the Post Office and that Birk City was a small country town with no police protection. The people living in the place are often compelled to submit to indecent and profane displays of drunkenness which the saloon brings to the town. The bar room was not in the same room as the Post Office but it was under the same roof. Many went for their mail and were insulted by the drunken men according to the Messenger. The petition was signed by 40 people for the license and 20 people for the re-remonstrance.<br />
<br />
==Churches and Community Life==<br />
In July 1906 the Methodist Church was dedicated in Birk City. Rev. Frank Thomas, Pastor of Settle Memorial gave the sermon. The sermon was dedicated to the Elizabeth Birk Memorial M. E. Church. At the close of the service a collection was taken amounting to $132, the amount due on the building of the church. A bible was given to the church by the members of the crew of the Steamer Glenmore, which was well known between Cannelton and Evansville. In 1915, lightning struck the Methodist Church and destroyed it and then it was moved to Stanley. Church leaders were C W Tackett, E F Benham, Junis Whitehouse, J McHatton, C W Reynolds, John Brown, L A fields and H D Hunt. <br />
A few years ago I talked with a 93-year-old man who moved to Birk City in 1923. He lived in three different places around the little town. He operated the ferry for three years between 1923 and 1926. He would move the ferry back across the river by walking and pulling on a wire to pull it across. He said there wasn’t really that much traffic other than when he ran it. When the river would flood he could not operate the ferry. He remembers a few of the paddle wheelers passing by the town but only a few would stop and pick up cattle or hogs. The boats had already stopped picking up people by 1923 and livestock a few years later. Birk City had almost come to a standstill until the 1937 flood. Where the original town was located, it was the lowest spot in the area along the river. <br />
<br />
In the 1930s the Adam Bishops camp on the Green River near Birk City had several picnics including the Knights of Columbus. Different clubs from Owensboro would use the camp for their picnics on the Green River. E T Lyle had the only store left in Birk City in 1937.<br />
<br />
==1937 Flood==<br />
When January 1937 rolled around the rains came in the biggest flood ever and completely covered Birk City. The population had dwindled down to around 150 people. The Ohio River had reached the stage at over 54 feet in Owensboro the river raced so fast that the people got caught unprepared for the high water. When the water hit there was no radio station in Owensboro. The people did not have newspapers to see what was expected to be coming down the river. Jack McClure, County Agent, was placed in charge of boats to help rescue the farm families and livestock. In the county over 600 families were affected in that over 90,000 acres were flooded, about 30% of the county. When the Ohio River broke over in the Bon Harbor section and raced toward the Green River over Highway 60 it raced toward Katie Meadows Slough on toward Rhodes Creek toward Birk City. It had powerful current as the Ohio River was higher than the Green River and had a terrifying roaring sound. Nobody had ever seen this happen before. The planning mills of Owensboro built several deep bottom boats, 12 x 24 and one was sent to Birk City. Several other flat boats as well as the Birk City ferry help rescue families and livestock as the people went to the Knights of Columbus Hall in Owensboro. The livestock were taken to the Bellwood Hill section to be unloaded near Sorgho.<br />
<br />
H. H. McCain was cruising around in the Birk City section looking for refugees and found about 50 on house tops. They removed the people as well as many livestock but many animals drown. Murray Hagan’s house was used as a contact point by relief boats. When the flood receded, Horace Nelson went back to his house and found that several of the homes had water up to their roofs. Every house west of Mrs. Mittie Lee Birk’s had been washed away and were entirely gone. Mr. Nelson’s home had been washed away after anchoring it to some Maple trees with strong wires. Onis Greer’s ferry house and his camp house were gone. The only store, Bennett’s grocery store was deep in the water but the garages and outbuildings were turned over and were floating around. There was not a house in that section that was not in several feet of water. People had put some of their livestock in their homes before they left to keep them alive but the water drowned most of them. Several mules were found in neighbors houses. Because water came up so fast, residents were able to save very little from their home leaving only with their clothes on their backs. Most of the people returned after the flood but found it was in near ruins. The six homes that were washed away in the current were hanging in the trees along the Hurricane Slough all broken up. There were lots of livestock hanging on fences. The school was abandoned after the 1937 flood because of the big cleanup and also in the fall the new Sorgho’s consolidated school was opening and the children were bussed there.<br />
<br />
==The Oil Boom==<br />
In July 1938 the big oil boom hit Birk City. The Blackwell lease well hit big across the green River in Henderson County. There were four wells drilled in Henderson County before they drilled the first in Daviess County. The first was drilled on the Onis Greer ferry landing lease. Two weeks later a contract was let by the Daviess County Board of Education to drill two wells 1900 feet deep on the school lot. People from Texas and Oklahoma and anyplace there was oil business came to Birk City. Every farm around was leased up soon. The biggest lease to produce was the Lindsay Taylor lease. For over a month in July and August 1938, the oil news made front page coverage and headlines in the Owensboro Messenger every day. Some of the names of the leases were; S E Thruston, O L Boswell, Grover Harrington, Lindsay Taylor, Onis Greer. The Greer well was the first in Daviess County coming in with the flow of 1420 barrels a day and settled down to 300 barrels a day for a good while. Most of the oil sold for around one dollar a barrel. Aetna Oil and refining of Louisville first loaded oil on a barge and shipped it out on the Green River. Then a 5000 barrel tank was built in Birk City for storage and a new pipeline was built to load train cars near Newman to go to Spottsville refining. When it closed down tanks were set up on the Ohio River to load barges by Ashland Oil Company to be shipped out. A new pipeline was laid from Birk City to the Ohio River. By 1939, over 150 oil wells had been drilled. When the oil well on the C G Bennett property was drilled oil spurted about 125 feet into the air for an hour and 40 minutes before drillers could get it under control. A heavy gas fog spread over the town resulting in the temporary evacuation of some 100 residents. Parents carried their children from their gas field homes and according to the newspaper article, a Negro band playing for a dance said Bennett store obtained a boat and crossed the river after the gas had broken up the dance. Flares at surrounding oil wells were put out to eliminate dangers of fires. E L Newton, President of the Hoosier Drilling Company, who brought the 1600 barrel discovery well in on the Blackwell lease, formed a corporation known as the Birk City Oil Company Incorporated. Newton’s first six wells were producing over 2300 barrels daily. At one time there were 23 tanks holding 100 barrels each sitting on the Green River bank to hold the oil until the barge could load it.<br />
<br />
When the oil boom hit Onis Greer purchased two more ferryboats. One was an 18 x 60 ferry and he also bought the Hambleton ferry boat. Greer said he kept three boats busy for some time and even set up a soft drink stand in the summer time for the hot dusty conditions. In 1938 a truck with an oil rig on it slid off the ferry causing the boat to stand up right in the river. There was no damage to either the boat or the truck. Some of the farmers who own the leases were hired to dig the pits for the oil rigs when the wells were drilled. Some would use a team of mules with slip scrapers and some used tractors. Most would receive around $20 to dig a pit. It may have taken around two days for each one.<br />
Later on in the 1940s and 1950s after the oil business calmed down, there were a few summer houses built east of the original town. Most of the original town was gone by then except for the big brick house built by one of the Birks.<br />
<br />
Gas flares burned during the day and at night and eerie glow light shined in the region. Many of the people who move back after the flood built new small frame cottages when the pool began to yield oil. Alongside the river are a few summer camps but those were less attractive since the sound of the drills in the pumps and the odor of the gas and oil interfered with warm weather. By 2010 there probably wasn’t about 20 wells pumping, many making only one barrel a day.<br />
<br />
By 1945, as many as 250 wells were pumping in the seven mile square oil pool. In 1945 the river raised high out of its banks again. There were only a few people left to ride it out. There were many interesting flood stories told over the years. One true story is that my grandfather Peter J. Ebelhar along with Arch Harris, James Gillis, Dennis Ebelhar and his brother Vincent Ebelhar took a small boat from the Birk City area to the Sorgho neighborhood to get some groceries. Upon their return, the heavily loaded boat encountered difficulty as it entered the channel of Rhodes Creek where there was a strong current. The front end of the boat plunged under the water and the five jumped into the flooded creek, the channel being many feet deep. As the five jumped they were fortunate in being able to grab the small bushes to cling to. On the edge of Bellwood Hill stood two bystanders that happened to see what was going on. William McCann and Hugh Ebelhar heard them jump out of the boat and they quickly got another boat to go rescue them. Nobody could swim or had a life preserver. All were safe.<br />
<br />
==Murray Hagan==<br />
One of the names that most people recognize from Birk City was a man named Murray Hagan. He and his father Sylvester Hagan raised purebred Jersey hogs. He raised certified lespedeza seed which became a popular and useful commodity for farmers who could not raise other clovers. He also became the first to raise hybrid seed corn in Kentucky and soon was in the seed corn business known as Hagan Hybrids. According to Jack McClure, the County Agent, Murray became a leader in organizing the Kentucky seed improvement Association. He introduced to state legislators a number of statues controlling seed production. He also was chairman of the Daviess County Red Cross board. He worked with the Board of Trade which was a forerunner of the Chamber of Commerce; he brought about the appointment of the first county agent of Daviess County. In the early 1950's when the Corps of Engineers announced plans to replace the Green River dam at Spottsville with a higher one that would eliminate the dam in Calhoun. Hagan led a group that convinced the corps navigation that it would be helpful in that thousands of acres would avoid flooding if both dams were rebuilt rather than building a single high one. Hagan was a pioneer in calling the Corps hand on threats to the environment.<br />
<br />
==Later Years==<br />
In the 1950’s and 1960’s tug boats pushed barges down the Green River full of western Kentucky coal. Millions of tons have been pushed down river going to power plants going to different rivers. The last paddle boat to travel past Birk City was the Belle of Louisville. It made the trip to Calhoun for a festival that was being celebrated.<br />
<br />
At present Birk City is mostly farming area. It has only 15 homes and several trailers. Most are used as summer camps. There are only around 35 people remaining there full-time.<br />
<br />
''Information was obtained from 1883 History, 1876 Historical Atlas, Owensboro Messenger & Monitor Newspapers and oral history from several older residents of the area. Written by: Grady Ebelhar''<br />
<br />
[[Category:Towns]]<br />
[[Category:Daviess County, Kentucky]]</div>Adamhttp://wiki.historyofowensboro.com/index.php?title=Whitesville,_Kentucky&diff=15474Whitesville, Kentucky2026-08-26T23:02:42Z<p>Adam: Cleanup: add infobox and lead, organize into sections, unwrap OCR line breaks</p>
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<div><div style="float:right; clear:right; margin:0 0 1em 1em;"><br />
{| style="width:260px; font-size:90%; border:1px solid #aaa; border-collapse:collapse; background:#ffffff; color:#222222;"<br />
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! colspan="2" style="background:#2b4162; color:#ffffff; text-align:center; font-size:115%;" | Whitesville, Kentucky<br />
|-<br />
| '''Type''' || Incorporated town<br />
|-<br />
| '''County''' || [[Daviess County, Kentucky|Daviess County]]<br />
|-<br />
| '''State''' || Kentucky<br />
|-<br />
| '''Former name''' || Cross Roads<br />
|-<br />
| '''Laid out''' || 1844<br />
|-<br />
| '''Named for''' || Dr. William Lee White<br />
|-<br />
| '''Incorporated''' || 1867<br />
|-<br />
| '''Post office''' || Moved from Boston, 1859; permanent 1865<br />
|-<br />
| '''Railroad''' || Owensboro, Falls of Rough and Green River, 1889<br />
|-<br />
| '''Population''' || About 700<br />
|}<br />
</div><br />
<br />
Whitesville is the second-largest town in Daviess County<br />
with a population of about 700, an elementary school, a parochial<br />
elementary school and high school, a 22-acre park, and its own<br />
Chamber of Commerce.<br />
<br />
[[File:1886-Whitesville.jpg|thumb|left|500x500px|1886 Directory Listing for Whitesville]]<br />
{{Clear}}<br />
<br />
==Early History==<br />
Whitesville began when Robert Triplett of Owensboro, who<br />
owned a large tract of land along the Leitchfield Road near the<br />
Ohio County line, began laying out a town. Dr. William White<br />
moved there in 1842, opened a store, and eventually, as the population<br />
grew, resumed the practice of medicine.<br />
<br />
Several businesses moved to the new town, <br />
then known as“Cross Roads”, from the village of Boston, a short distance on<br />
the road to Owensboro. Among the settlers were wagon maker<br />
William Miller, blacksmith William Dillahay, and shoemaker J.T.<br />
Kelly.<br />
<br />
==Town Growth==<br />
The town grew rapidly in the 1850’s, but did not have either<br />
official charter as a town or a post office. The post office was<br />
moved from Boston in 1859, moved back briefly during the Civil<br />
War, and permanently relocated to Whitesville in 1865.<br />
Finally, in 1867, Whitesville was incorporated, under its<br />
present name, and “Cross Roads” was forgotten. By this time<br />
Whitesville had a population of 320, with a fine dry-goods store,<br />
a drug store, two saddling shops, two blacksmiths, and two<br />
churches—Baptist and Christian. In 1868 Jesse Haynes opened<br />
a flour mill which was later purchased by G.W. Mullen and expanded.<br />
The larger mill could grind 150 bushels of wheat or corn<br />
in ten hours, and accommodated farmers from both Daviess and<br />
Ohio Counties.<br />
<br />
Whitesville became an important station on the Owensboro,<br />
Falls of the Rough and Green River Railroad when it was completed<br />
through the town in 1889. Promotional literature for the<br />
railroad noted that Whitesville’s population was 600. The opening<br />
of the railroad gave Whitesville an all-weather transportation<br />
link to Owensboro and the wider world, further stimulating the<br />
town’s growth and business development.<br />
<br />
==1911 Fire==<br />
A disastrous fire broke out on May 8, 1911, and flames raged<br />
through he downtown district. The fire began in the warehouse<br />
of the A.P. Brooks store, and spread rapidly due in large part to<br />
the lack of fire-fighting equipment. An entire block of businesses<br />
fronting Main Street were destroyed. The losses included the<br />
Brooks store, the R.E. Knox Drug Store, the Christian Church,<br />
the town jail, and W.L. Miller’s Undertaking establishment.<br />
One of Whitesville’s best economic periods occurred in the<br />
1920’s when oil was discovered in that part of Daviess County<br />
and Ohio County. The oil “boom” began in 1925 and lasted about<br />
ten years.<br />
<br />
==100-Year Anniversary==<br />
When Whitesville celebrated its 100th anniversary on April<br />
5, 1967, the town had a bank, a volunteer fire department, public<br />
water system, 42 street lights, five miles of streets, 221 homes,<br />
one police officer, four churches, four grocery stores, two restaurants,<br />
a hardware store and a furniture store.<br />
<br />
==Train Station==<br />
Whitesville lost its passenger train service in 1941, but by<br />
that time KY 54 was paved and the automobile had become the<br />
main means of personal travel. Farmers and shippers also used<br />
the new road system and freight trucks delivered. The railroad<br />
was removed in 1981, and all that remains of the once-important<br />
element of Whitesville’s history is the caboose in the city park.<br />
Whitesville entered the 21st century as a still-vibrant community,<br />
serving a growing retail area, and with pride in its schools<br />
and sport teams, particularly those of Trinity High School.<br />
<br />
==Extract from the ''History of Daviess County'' 1883==<br />
Whitesville is situated in the eastern part of Boston Precinct and<br />
is the second town of importance in the county. Its population is<br />
in the neighborhood of 400 inhabitants, and is a good business<br />
center for a large extent of country for a number of miles in all<br />
directions. The village received its name from Dr. William Lee White.<br />
It was laid out in 1844.<br />
<br />
===First Buildings and Settlers===<br />
The first house built was by Dr. White and Ben. F. Ramsey,<br />
and used as a store. They did business some two or three years.<br />
The first wagon-maker was William Miller. Afterward, Martin<br />
Shanker was here a few years and then moved to Texas. William<br />
Miller remained here till his death. His son, William L. Miller, is<br />
now working at the business.<br />
<br />
Among the first settlers in the village was William Dillahay, the<br />
first blacksmith, who used to carry his coal in his leather apron<br />
from Ford's Knob to his shop. An apron full would last him a<br />
week or thereabout. He did all the blacksmithing in the neighborhood.<br />
<br />
Another early settler was John T. Kelley, who put up<br />
a log house, which is still standing. Thomas and Joe Birkhead,<br />
and Charles Brand, a German, all blacksmiths, came in an early<br />
day. The first shoemaker was John T. Kelley, commonly known<br />
as Terry Kelley, who carried on a shop in his house, remaining<br />
here a few years.<br />
<br />
===First School===<br />
The first school house was put up by Isaac E. Day, in 1853 or '4.<br />
The land was given by James Eddy, and comprised two lots: one<br />
was purchased for $15, for a church, and the other he donated for<br />
a school house. It was the only school house in this neighborhood.<br />
The first school teacher was Upton W. Hawkins, who taught a six<br />
months' school. After him, James Nall, Mason Haynes and George<br />
Bagott were teachers. The school building stood some five or six<br />
years when the Templars of Honor removed it and substituted a<br />
new building. They occupied the upper part of the building for<br />
their lodge, and the lower part was taken in charge by a stock<br />
company and used as a school room. It was used for this purpose<br />
until the present Baptist church building was put up, when school<br />
was held in the old church. The present number of pupils is in the<br />
neighborhood of forty, and frequently many more; present school teacher,<br />
F. P. Purcell.<br />
<br />
===First Physician===<br />
The first physician who settled in the place was Dr. Wm. Lee<br />
White, who came from the upper part of the State, and remained<br />
for a few years. He is now a resident of Washington D. C.<br />
Other physicians were two brothers, Dozier B. and Mars Lewis,<br />
who lived here a number of years. Dozier Lewis died here during<br />
the war, and his brother remained here a short time after that,<br />
and then went back to Nelson County, where they came from, and<br />
died there.<br />
<br />
===First Hotel===<br />
The first hotel here was built by James L. Stinnett, who kept it<br />
as a tavern a few years, when it was converted into a store-room.<br />
The present hotel was built by Dr. John Gillaspy, who used it as<br />
a dwelling-house; it was afterward converted into a hotel, and is<br />
now run by Joseph G. McCarty.<br />
<br />
===Post Office===<br />
The first post office was established in Boston, which used to receive<br />
mail once a week, via Owensboro. As Whitesville grew into<br />
popularity, business being centered here, the post office was transferred<br />
to Whitesville, where mail is now received three times a<br />
week. The present postmaster is Thomas C. Floyd. The place<br />
now contains five dry-goods and grocery stores, one drug store,<br />
one saloon, three blacksmith shops, one shoemaker's shop, two<br />
churches (Baptist and Christian), two tobacco houses, four physicians,<br />
one Masonic lodge and one flouring mill.<br />
<br />
===Incorporation and Trustees===<br />
Whitesville was incorporated in 1867, through the efforts of<br />
[[Richard C. Barrett]] and Camden Riley, when Joseph "Veech was<br />
Representative in the Legislature and aided the adoption of the<br />
bill. In February, 1882, an amended charter was drawn up by Mr.<br />
Barrett and submitted to the Board of Trustees, who endorsed it.<br />
It was then sent to J. A. Munday, then a member of the Senate,<br />
who took charge of it until it was adopted by the Legislature.<br />
<br />
The first Board of Trustees, elected April 6, 1867, were: B. P.<br />
Yewell, Chairman ; Hardin Gregory, G. W. Mullen, A. D. Mattingly<br />
and "W. Cate; J. E. Haynes, Clerk; John Lyons, Treasurer;<br />
and Henry Haynes, Marshal.<br />
<br />
Present Board: C. Hale, Chairman; C. L. Haynes, G. W. Mullen,<br />
A. D. Mattingly and A. P. Brooks; J. W. Haynes, Clerk; T. C.<br />
Floyd, Treasurer; R. C. Barrett, Police Justice; J. F. Stockton,<br />
Marshal.<br />
<br />
''Reference to an article by Glenn Hodges''<br />
<br />
{{1883}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Towns]]<br />
[[Category:Daviess County, Kentucky]]</div>Adamhttp://wiki.historyofowensboro.com/index.php?title=Sorgho,_Kentucky&diff=15473Sorgho, Kentucky2026-08-26T23:02:42Z<p>Adam: Cleanup: add infobox and lead, organize into sections, unwrap OCR line breaks</p>
<hr />
<div><div style="float:right; clear:right; margin:0 0 1em 1em;"><br />
{| style="width:260px; font-size:90%; border:1px solid #aaa; border-collapse:collapse; background:#ffffff; color:#222222;"<br />
|-<br />
! colspan="2" style="background:#2b4162; color:#ffffff; text-align:center; font-size:115%;" | Sorgho, Kentucky<br />
|-<br />
| '''Type''' || Community<br />
|-<br />
| '''County''' || [[Daviess County, Kentucky|Daviess County]]<br />
|-<br />
| '''State''' || Kentucky<br />
|-<br />
| '''Former names''' || Dog-Walk, Sorghotown<br />
|-<br />
| '''Named for''' || The Daviess County Sugar Company's sorghum works<br />
|-<br />
| '''Renamed Sorgho''' || 1883<br />
|-<br />
| '''Post office''' || Established 1869<br />
|-<br />
| '''First postmaster''' || Martin Mattingly<br />
|-<br />
| '''Population''' || 157 (1891)<br />
|-<br />
| '''Location''' || West Daviess County on the Henderson Road (KY 56)<br />
|}<br />
</div><br />
<br />
'''Sorgho''' is a community in west [[Daviess County, Kentucky|Daviess County]], Kentucky, on the old Henderson Road. It began as '''Sorghotown''' around a short-lived sorghum sugar works founded in 1868, was also known as '''Dog-Walk''', and took its present shortened name in 1883.<br />
<br />
[[File:1886-Sorgho.jpg|thumb|383x383px|1886 Directory Listing for Sorgho]]<br />
{{Clear}}<br />
<br />
==Early History==<br />
The Sorgho area of West Daviess County started to develop in the mid 1850’s. As one of the early articles in the Owensboro Examiner said that “it is situated in the most fertile part of Daviess County”. The land around was gently undulating, sufficiently so for good drainage, without any trouble from washing. It was most productive for growing tobacco, corn and grass.<br />
<br />
While the signs of industry were abroad in the county, the people of Sorgho were not. In the winter of 1868-69, the Daviess County Sugar Company was formed to manufacture sugar from “Sorgho cane” or sorghum. The business failed to continue because processes were developed for whitening cane sugar which made it impossible for the sorghum sugar to compete. The plant was built west of Owensboro at a point where the town of Sorghotown is located and that the town was all that was left when the process failed. A few houses where workmen connected with the plant, remained and were the nucleus for a small town, Sorghotown.<br />
<br />
It was Sorghotown that gave its name to one of the county precincts. Sorghotown was its only town in the section.<br />
<br />
One of the first residents was John W. Balee who came before the 1850’s. He was with Sherman all the way to Atlanta and the seize of Knoxville. He went to the Indian country in Kansas before returning and settling in Sorgho. There was also W. E. Clark, a prominent merchant of Sorghotown. Dr. Winfield Scott Gilmore was the only doctor in the town in the early days.<br />
<br />
The Calhoun family was one of the first families in the county. George Calhoun came to the section in 1812. Calhoun built a cabin for his wife and 8 children. One of his sons became the county’s most famous minister, the Rev. Samuel Calhoun. He held meetings in private residences, there being no churches or school houses. He was the founder of Pleasant Ridge Cumberland Presbyterian Church. Samuel’s son George built a home where the log cabin once stood just off Lyddane Bridge and Old Henderson Road (Hwy 56).<br />
<br />
1st Lt. George Calhoun buried near Sorgho, had served with Gen. George Rogers Clark on one or more expeditions. He died October 20, 1835. He served in the Revolutionary Army from 1776 to 1782. He was a surveyor and served as the first lay judge of Owensboro. He is buried in the Jones and Anderson graveyard just west of Sorgho on the ridge.<br />
<br />
The 1875 newspaper stated that three new homes going up and that other homes were being renovated. It had a school that deserved notice. It also stated that the soil was a rich sandy loam and good for growing apples, peaches and grapes. The town former name was Dog-Walk or Sorghotown, which it was called until 1883 when it was shortened to Sorgho.<br />
<br />
The Examiner also reported that Sorghotown rises to the importance of two dry goods stores, one blacksmith, one grist and a sawmill, one boat and one shoe shop. There was a tobacco stemmery located as well.<br />
<br />
W.W. Cavin, while plowing a field behind Sorgho, unearthed two bushels of Indian relics, consisting of stone tomahawks and many other curiously shaped stones. This section was a big Indian village. An archeological survey made in 1932 by Drs. Webb and Funkhouser, catalogued a village site of prehistoric occupation.<br />
<br />
In 1869 the Post Office was open in Sorghotown and Martin Mattingly was its first Post Master. Martin had a store in 1864 and was elected County Clerk of Daviess County. For four years, Martin taught school during the winter seasons.<br />
<br />
James Burnett was a store owner and became Post Master in 1871 after Martin Mattingly moved to Grissom’s Landing.<br />
<br />
In 1882, Mrs. Jesse Moore purchased Dr. J. Q. Stewart’s grove in what was called to resemble a scene in the “Arabian Nights”. Dr. Rose was said to have the most handsome place in Sorgho. Dr. Milton Rose became Post Master in 1881 and 1883, the town name was changed to Sorgho. In the spring of 1882 there were high waters in Sorgho and the threat of malaria. Dr. Rose was overflowing with sympathy for suffering humanity and vaccinated everybody for free.<br />
<br />
By 1883, the town contained two blacksmith shops by George Sweigert, one wagon shop, one good grist mill by William Burnett, three general stores, two carpenters, millers and engineers, two successful physicians and a resident preacher. There was a telephone line coming from Owensboro as well. The townsmen were talking of having the Henderson Road (Hwy 56) graveled. It was reported that it would be better for the county then a railroad and pay better. The way the road was, it was almost impossible to travel on it in the winter and spring. In the summer the sand was so deep it was actually as bad as mud in winter. It was one of the most traveled roads leading to Owensboro and merchants would greatly benefit. The floods from both the Ohio and Green rivers meet about a mile from Sorgho and covered the whole low county to the north. Skiffs and barges from Birk City and Grissom’s Landing came to patronize the mill and merchants. Dr. Rose said it would be a good time for those that favor the Grissom’s Landing route for the new railroad to see what it would be like some time and then try to Dog-Walk ridge. W.E. Clark was building a new residence in the corner of the Glenn Bridge and Old Henderson Road.<br />
<br />
==Sorgho in 1884==<br />
Sorgho – 1884<br />
<br />
Business Men:<br />
<br />
D. Balew, saw mill; Mrs. Elizabeth Burnett and William Burnett, grist mill; Scott Gilmore, physician; George Lawson, saloon; George Sweigert, blacksmith; and M.H. Rose, Post Master.<br />
<br />
Farmers:<br />
<br />
C.L. Balee, Clay Bartlett, Mrs. Elizabeth Bennett, William L. Bishop, William Boswell, Mrs. Elizabeth Burnett, John M. Calhoun, Mrs. Mary Chatham, William H. Chatham, Richard Clark, A.W. Coward, Joseph Crabtree, Washington Duke, Beld Everly, William Fry, Lucy Gibson, Mrs. Mary Goff, Jesse Gregory, William Hale, Ed Hamilton, John F. Hitchcock, Thomas Hunley, George Hutchings, Peter Jacobs, Thomas Ling, George Long, Sam Lloyd, Mrs. Bettie McNeemer, Phillip McNeemer, J.S. Mulligan, James Patterson, William Pendleton, John Pennington, John Pierce, Mrs. Mary Pierce, William Price, Thomas Protsman, Ben Pruden, Elijah Rafferty, Steven Rafferty, Mrs. Margaret Rafferty, C. Randolph, Mrs. Lizzie Shaw, Mrs. T.B. Shaw, William Smith, John Smith, Richard Stowers, James L. Smith, Mrs. E.B. Smith, John Steel, Mrs. Mildred Steel, George Swegeart, William Timbrook, James Trice, Trice and Bro., Oliver Trice, John Williams, Mrs. Emily Winstead, Steven Winstead, and William Wood.<br />
<br />
==Pleasant Grove Baptist Church==<br />
The Pleasant Grove Church was organized in May 1835 in the home of Brother Andrew Jones on Panther Creek about 3 or 4 miles from the present site near what is now known as the Hayden Bridge Road. The first church was built in 1839 of yellow poplar logs near the Benjamin Rafferty home on the road between Hayden Bridge and Lydanne Bridge Road. A more modern house on the Henderson Road was built. The third house of Worship was built by the Church after the close of the Civil War.<br />
<br />
Except for a few who might have been freed by their masters, the majority of the negroes were slaves. They had membership in the church until the year 1866 when they were organized into a separate congregation known as Little Flock Baptist Church. It was located about 1.5 miles west of Sorgho on Old Hambleton Ferry Road. It had 74 members in the transfer.<br />
<br />
The fourth House of Worship was approved in 1908. The new one is directly in front of the old one. The new church had electric lights, powered by a generator nearby; it even included a “hot air furnace”.<br />
<br />
==Sorgho Baptist Church==<br />
In 1883, the Sorgho Baptist Church was separated from Pleasant Grove. The church had no houses of worship until the year 1888. A frame building 34 x 50 feet was erected at a cost of $1200 and the first service was in October, 1889. The church was destroyed by fire May 9, 1923. A new and modern concrete block building was erected at a cost of $7300 and was entered sometime in the early part of 1924. The building was dedicated in September 1926. William Harrison Dawson, third Pastor of Sorgho, led in the acquiring of the lot of the church and secured the plot for the cemetery in 1901.<br />
<br />
==Sorgho in 1891==<br />
In the 1891 Post Office Village, the town of Sorgho had a population of 157. It listed a public school with 126 pupils enrolled. The Justices of the Peace were Richard Stowers and Ben Stout. The Constable was Tom Protsman. J. Steele ran the saloon and hotel. Thomas A. Fuqua was a farmer and Post Master and grist miller.<br />
<br />
William Barnett was a plasterer. William Burnett was half owner of the coal mine on Bellwood Hill. William E. Clark, general merchandise; E. W. Crowder, barber; W. F. Kamuf, farmer and wagon maker; Rouse Bros., engineers; Ms. Theresa Thompson, school teacher; George White, carpenter; C.R. Walden, dry goods and groceries; Emison Shaw, farmer; N. McFarland and P. McFarland (Col.), farmers; J. Medley, livery and feed stable; Edwin Hambleton, owned a farm on the Green River and kept the old Calhoun Ferry.<br />
<br />
==Notable Residents==<br />
John S. Mulligan returned from was where he was enlisted in Company A, 16th Mississippi Infantry, Confederate service June, 1861. He remained in the service nearly three years then returned to Daviess County in 1864 and built a home near Panther Creek. He was elected Sheriff of Daviess County in 1892 and served for several years. The home is still standing today.<br />
<br />
James Patterson practiced law before the war. After the war he moved to Sorgho and was practicing in 1873 -1874. Went to Texas a short while and returned to Sorghotown. In 1878, he was elected Magistrate of Sorghotown Precinct and was reelected in 1881. Emerson Shaw moved to Daviess County in 1852 when he was one year old. He owned a farm near Sorgho. He served as Deputy Clerk of Daviess county for a time and as Chairman of the Board of School Trustees in the Sorgho District. His daughter Ella married Dr. R. G. Cary, a well know Sorgho physician. Daughter Margaret married G. Ivan Barnes, Principal of Daviess County High School and Sorgho Elementary School.<br />
<br />
==Interurban Railroad Proposal==<br />
In 1905, the people of Sorgho had heard that there was talk of getting an interurban line that would run from Owensboro through the town. The road would serve several prosperous communities in Daviess County. The report said that since Sorgho had four stores, a Post Office, a church, a school, houses, and a small hotel as well as a recently opened coal mine, that it may be good to get the line. It was proposed to go to Curdsville. Even West Louisville was talking of a three mile spur from it. Transportation needs were met by two daily hack lines connecting with Owensboro, a mail stage and one daily trip by store wagons.<br />
<br />
The survey crews began their work along the Henderson Road to Sorgho. Throughout the year 1906, there was an ominous lack of news about railroad projects. After a meeting in Owensboro there was little seen in the newspaper about programs on any of the interurban plans. In the spring 1906, the Daviess County Road Department announced a substantial road graveling program. Graveling was begun on the road linking Owensboro and Henderson, through Sorgho and West Louisville. The project was completed in the fall of 1907. As more roads were graveled and more cars and road wagons increased, the hopes for building the railroad diminished.<br />
<br />
==1906 Bellwood Mine Disaster==<br />
On January 24, 1906, , tragedy met two miners at the Bellwood Coal Mine near Sorgho. William Burnett and Herbert Walden were both crushed by falling slate. Edward Pierce and Cash Trice were fatally injured at the Oldham and Burnett mine on Bellwood Hill.<br />
<br />
Burnett and Walden were instantly killed. They were removed from the mine an hour after the accident and there was no sign of life in either of them. Physicians at the bedside of Pierce and Trice stated to the Messenger that there was little hope for either of them.<br />
<br />
The Messenger claimed that no accident of this kind had ever happened in the Sorgho area and that the neighborhood was greatly excited. About two hundred people crowded near the shaft of the mine after news was known about the falling slate. For some time it was not known who was in the mine at the time of the accident. There were many pathetic scenes among those related to the unfortunate men.<br />
<br />
A “shot” was fired in the mine about noon and after 2 o’clock. Walden and Pierce left their homes at Sorgho and walked to the mine. They were allowed to go down into the mine with purpose of inspecting it.<br />
<br />
Mr. Burnett, who was a half-owner in the mine, and Trice were standing and talking to two the young men in one of the rooms. Without the slightest warning in the roof room, which was slate, caved in and buried the four men under many tons of the slate. The section of the slate that fell was about twenty feet long and ten feet in width. As it fell it broke in two pieces.<br />
<br />
The sound of the slate falling greatly frightened George Rocker, a black miner who was in the other room of the mine.<br />
<br />
William Robertson, a coal miner, was going down in the mine at the time of the cave in. When he heard the crash he became frightened and climbed up to the entrance of the shaft. He met James Burnett, a son of the man in the mine, and said “Something happened down there”.<br />
<br />
It was necessary for the engineer to get someone to run the engine for him while he went to the assistance of the men in the mine. In a few short minutes the news of the accident had reached Sorgho and several people raced to the mine to help.<br />
<br />
The entire menu had been removed from the mine within an hour after the slate fell. The injured men were removed to their homes and the Sorgho physicians and several from Owensboro were summoned.<br />
<br />
Mr. Burnett was a well known resident of the Sorgho neighborhood. He had been connected with the mine since the mine opened. Herbert Walden was a well known citizen to Sorgho as well as a merchant there. Ed Pierce was a student at the school.<br />
<br />
The mine was known as the old Bellwood mine and was owned jointly by Dr. Oldham and William Burnett. It had been in operation about six months before the accident. It was considered a good vein of coal where about forty bushels of coal a day were taken from the mine. The shaft was around 110 feet long with two rooms in it.<br />
<br />
The next day Edward Peirce died at his home. He became the third victim of the accident. Cash Trice was reported in the Messenger that there was little chance of surviving. He did manage to survive and lived a long life. He owned a farm and lived there near the mine for many years. It was the first time he had ever been in a mine and this was experience of Walden and Pierce as well. Cash Trice lived to be 89 years old and died on February 29, 1968.<br />
<br />
Walden, twenty years old, and Pierce, seventeen years old, had been best friends from early childhood and always seem to be together. Bellwood hill had been their playground for many years as youngsters. The remains of the two boys were buried side by side in the Sorgho Cemetery near to where the mine was located.<br />
<br />
The mine is all but forgotten these days. The mound of dirt and slate dug out of the mine is still visible today. Kenneth and Maurice Ebelhar own the farm today where the mine is located on French Island Road about one mile from Sorgho.<br />
<br />
==St. Mary Magdalene==<br />
In the summer of 1907, W. E. Clark, store owner, donated an acre for St. Mary Magdalene Church, located at the west end of Sorgho, next to the Sorgho Public School. The framing lumber was cut at the sawmill nearby and finish lumber was shipped from Evansville and unloaded at Hambleton’s Ferry on the Green River. There were 36 families that made up the first congregation. The St. Mary Magdalene school opened in 1918.<br />
<br />
==Businesses and Residents, 1907 Onward==<br />
William Sherman White had a grocery store in Sorgho in 1907 when he became Post Master. There was also a telephone line located in the store. He held the position until the Post Office closed in October 1918 and was discontinued to Owensboro. Pete Williams also had a grocery store. In the 1930’s, Sorgho had a town of many trades.<br />
<br />
Jim Burnett was a grocery-merchant owner. Meta Burnett was the telephone operator.<br />
<br />
Alex Smith had a dry goods store next to Ben and Bertha O’Bryan’s grocery store. The O’Bryan’s store caught fire and all three buildings were destroyed. Mr. O’bryan’s large two story residence on the west side of the store building and Mary Calhoun’s residence on the east side of the store burned to the ground. The Michael Head family lived in the Calhoun house. He owned a store next to the house that he lived in. The Owensboro Fire Department was unable to save the buildings but was able to prevent the flames from spreading to the chemical tanks. Most of the personal belongings were carried from the burning residences by the many neighbors.<br />
<br />
Joseph Long who lived in Sorgho was a County Judge. Leon Coots and Charley Schrecker were both auto mechanics. Dr. Reemus Cary was a Medical Doctor living in Sorgho and delivered many babies.<br />
<br />
Thomas Bristow was a trucking agent. Powell Karns drove the school bus when the students began riding in the 1930’s. Roman Marrett was a carpenter in town. Reed Walden ran the saloon. The Sorgho area farmers were William Timbrook, Ben Stout, Willie Crump, Warden Bartlett, Herman Rafferty, Edgar Rafferty, Oldham Wimsatt, Richard Stowers, Leo and Richard Mulligan, William Hungate, Chapman Monday, Henry Gatton, Francis and Bernard Thompson, Williams Clark, Logan Thompson, John and Albert Kaelin Titus Terry, James Whitaker, Phil Mattingly, Henry Faith, Frank Clayton, John Bartley , Albert and William Steele, Cal Norris, Lee Crask, Sherman Balee, Henry Elder, Claude Crask, Robert Bittel, Russell Hambleton, Ben Stephen, John Smith, Phil Timbrook, Joe Rummage, Peter J. and Leo Ebelhar, Romulus Knott, John and Tom Beyke, Lester Nalley, Ray Prottsman, Ellen Willett, Krissman Schrecker, and Morris Ford.<br />
<br />
==The 1937 Flood==<br />
In January, 1937, the flood came up in the Sorgho area. Water got in the basement of the Sorgho Baptist Church and did much damage to the motor to the light plant. They had to replace the large storage batteries of the old carbide lights. Water was all around the Woodman Hall building. The hall was used by the Red Cross as a contact point for relief boats. Water got up to the first step of the St. Mary Magdalene Church and school which was closed due to high water.<br />
<br />
In the fall of 1937 the Sorgho consolidated school was opened next to Pleasant Grove Baptist Church. It replaced nine one room school houses. The Haydentown, Grant, Ash Valley, Martin Wilson, Pleasant Grove, Lower Pleasant Ridge, Birk City, Harris, and the Sorgho which was located next to St. Mary Magdalene Church. The Sorgho School was sold to the St. Mary Magdalene Church and was used by the church from 1937 to 1947 when it was torn down to make room for the new St. Mary Magdalene Church built in 1948.<br />
<br />
==Electricity==<br />
In the summer of 1938, electric power lines moved thru Sorgho toward West Louisville and Birk City area. This was a big event for the people especially the farmers. Lighting for homes and electricity to run power tools on the farms was a great asset. People even had fans after the record heat of 1936 to move air. Dairy farms now had refrigeration for milk and new electric milkers for the dairys. New furnaces replaced old coal burning stoves.<br />
<br />
==People in Sorgho, 1940==<br />
* Ernest Hamilton — carpenter<br />
<br />
* Parrill Hamilton<br />
<br />
* Phil Timbrook<br />
<br />
* J.H. Rummage<br />
<br />
* H. C. Trice<br />
<br />
* Francis Plumridge — restaurant<br />
<br />
* W. G. Steele<br />
<br />
* George Head — grocery<br />
<br />
* John Smith<br />
<br />
* Thomas Taylor<br />
<br />
* John Collins<br />
<br />
* Elmer Alvey — bridge contractor<br />
<br />
* John Collins<br />
<br />
* John Frazier<br />
<br />
* Elmore Young<br />
<br />
* U. L. Baughn — Minister Baptist Church<br />
<br />
* Victor Wimsatt<br />
<br />
* Louis Barker — mechanic –repair<br />
<br />
* M.I. Head — grocery<br />
<br />
* Jacob Collignon<br />
<br />
* Robert Rummage — grocery<br />
<br />
* Alexander Smith — paper hanger<br />
<br />
* Betty White<br />
<br />
* Frank Clayton<br />
<br />
* G. P. Mattingly, Sr.<br />
<br />
* W. E. Clark — carpenter<br />
<br />
* George Wiles — distillery worker<br />
<br />
* Lin Coots — mechanic – repair garage<br />
<br />
* Mits Burnett<br />
<br />
* Robert I. Knott<br />
<br />
==Sorgho in the Mid-Twentieth Century==<br />
The George Head grocery started running a truck route throughout the Sorgho area. Bob Rummage drove the grocery truck from 1937 until WW II when they could no longer get gas or tires for the vehicle. His route went as far as Reed, Stanley, River Road, West Louisville and St. Raphael areas. He carried can goods, flour, sugar, potatoes, some candy, crackers and the only meat was jowl bacon and bologna since there was no refrigeration. On the back he carried a barrel of kerosene for the lighting. He would buy their chicken and eggs for partial payment. There was a cage on the top to hold the chickens.<br />
<br />
In the 1940’s, Sorgho had two car repair shops, Lin Coots and Jiggs Barker. The garage that Lin Coots had was on the edge of Sorgho. When he retired, Virgil Hancock became the mechanic and ran the garage until he left. The building then became Cecil’s Farm Supply. He sold seed, fertilizer and had hardware supplies. He branched out to West Louisville and Stanley. His place at Stanley was strictly a fertilize operation and West Louisville was for grain storage and custom feed grinding and mixing.<br />
<br />
In 1948, St. Mary Magdalene Church built a new church in Sorgho. The old church that was built in 1907 was showing some age. The new church was built out of stone. In 1951, a new school was built replacing the 2 schools behind the old church. One of the schools was the old Sorgho Public School.<br />
<br />
The other garage in downtown started about being a feed mill before Jiggs Barker became owner and operator. Later G. C. Spencer ran the garage until he got into the racing business. He started in Sorgho. In the late 1940’s and 1950’s he dominated the short tracks in Kentucky and Indiana with a car called the “Flying Saucer” stock car. He moved up to NASCAR in 1958 where he drove the last race on the beach in 1958.<br />
<br />
The garage closed down several years before being torn down and in 1972, Knights of Columbus Hall was built on that spot.<br />
<br />
Mary Ruth medley ran a grocery next to the Woodman hall in the 1950’s up to the middle 60’s when she built a store next to her house in front of St. Mary Magdalene Church. The grocery store across the highway from Medley’s was owned and operated by Willie and Ned Steele. Later became Whittaker’s Grocery.<br />
<br />
George Marrett ran a tavern across from the Steele grocery until the 50’s when Thomas “Red” Saltsman opened and operated the small tavern. Saltsman got his start behind the grill at Cornell Brothers in downtown Owensboro before going into business for himself in Sorgho in 1957. In 1958, red started having a picnic in the summer as a way of thanking his customers for their business. In a few years he moved in the old Whittaker grocery store and added on a dining room. His specialty was catfish fiddlers. It became known as “The Fish House of the South”. Several of his customers were politicians.<br />
<br />
Katherine, his wife, created a political wall of fame in the restaurant with stories about area politicians. But Wallace Wilkinson put Red’s picnic on the map in 1985. There were more than 1000 people at the picnic. Wilkinson said after he was elected governor that the reception at Red’s made him confident that he could win the 1987 Governor’s race. The Sorgho community volunteers helped for it was a lot for two people to put on.<br />
<br />
They cancelled the picnic for the first time in 2002 because of health reasons and decided that the event was too much work.<br />
<br />
==Audubon Parkway==<br />
The Audubon Parkway was built in 1969 – 1970 near the Sorgho community. The Green River Ferry at Hambleton’s Ferry kept traffic going to Henderson. The six car ferry decided to close after 160 years at the location. It only had 7 different operators during that span.<br />
<br />
The parkway was only one third miles south of the ferry crossing. That made the nearest crossing on U.S. 60 at Spottsville on Ranger’s Landing to the south.<br />
<br />
==Later Years==<br />
The Sorgho subdivision started being built in the mid 60’s as Woodland Acres on Hayden Bridge and Hwy 56. Woodland Ridge subdivision opened up in the 1990’s.<br />
<br />
In 1996 a new Sorgho school was opened up from the older school that was opened in 1937.<br />
<br />
In 1988, St. Mary Magdalene became “Holy Angels”. In 1997 the school closed and moved to the old Sorgho Elementary School next to Pleasant Grove Church.<br />
<br />
[[Category:Towns]]<br />
[[Category:Daviess County, Kentucky]]</div>Adamhttp://wiki.historyofowensboro.com/index.php?title=Owensboro,_KY&diff=15472Owensboro, KY2026-08-26T23:02:42Z<p>Adam: Cleanup: add infobox and lead, organize into sections, unwrap OCR line breaks</p>
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{| style="width:260px; font-size:90%; border:1px solid #aaa; border-collapse:collapse; background:#ffffff; color:#222222;"<br />
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! colspan="2" style="background:#2b4162; color:#ffffff; text-align:center; font-size:115%;" | Owensboro, Kentucky<br />
|-<br />
| '''Type''' || City; county seat<br />
|-<br />
| '''County''' || [[Daviess County, Kentucky|Daviess County]]<br />
|-<br />
| '''State''' || Kentucky<br />
|-<br />
| '''Former names''' || Yellow Banks, Rossboro<br />
|-<br />
| '''Selected as county seat''' || 1815<br />
|-<br />
| '''Plat completed''' || March 23, 1816<br />
|-<br />
| '''Named for''' || Col. Abram Owen<br />
|-<br />
| '''Population''' || About 8,000 (1875)<br />
|-<br />
| '''Location''' || South bank of the Ohio River<br />
|}<br />
</div><br />
<br />
'''Owensboro''' is the county seat of [[Daviess County, Kentucky|Daviess County]], Kentucky, on the south bank of the Ohio River. Known to early keel and flat-boat men as the Big Yellow Banks and platted in 1816 as Rossboro, it took its present name in honor of Col. Abram Owen.<br />
<br />
==Early History==<br />
Owensboro, the County seat of Daviess County, is located on the south bank of the Ohio River, at what was known to the early keel and flat-boat men as the Big Yellow Banks. The name was given because of the deep yellow color of the river bank, composed of yellow clay, extending about six miles along the river, and from ten to twenty feet above the highest floods in the Ohio. The site was selected as the County seat in 1815, by Commissioners appointed by the first County Court, held in April of that year. The survey of the first plat of the town extended from the Ohio River and a ravine on the north, to Fourth Street on the south, and from Lewis Street on the east to Walnut Street on the west. The survey and plat thereof was completed by Captain James W. Johnson, the first County Surveyor, on the 23rd day of March, 1816, and approved by the Commissioners and Court with the name of Rossboro, and ratified by the agent and owners of the land, George Hanley being agent for Ross and other proprietors. Later the name was changed to Owensboro, in honor of Colonel Abram Owen, formerly of Shelby County, Kentucky. Colonel Joseph Hamilton Daveiss and Colonel Owen were both officers serving under General W. H. Harrison at the bloody battle with the Indians under Tecumseh at Tippecanoe, now Indiana, but then Indiana Territory. Both fell in the thickest of the fight. The County had already received the name of Daveiss, and the old settlers, some of whom had been in the same battle in which Daviess and Owen were killed, determined, as a mark of respect, to link the names of the two together for all time to come. They had been associates and friends in life, fell together in battle, and it was appropriate that their names be joined after death.<br />
<br />
The old name of "Yellow Banks," however, still clung to the place, and the town was hardly known by any other name, even by the citizens, until about 1839 or 1840. The post-office bore the name of 'Yellow Banks' up to the time of 1837 or 1838. In 1833, the population was scarcely 200 all told, and not a single church edifice or organization. The increase in population was small until 1850. A branch of the Southern Bank was located in Owensboro about that time. The power of the Trustees had been enlarged by Legislative action, and those officials began to drain and improve the streets. The action of the Trustees, and the fact that the Bank was one of the institutions of the place, gave assurance that there was some money in town, and seemed to infuse new life into the citizens, even the old fogy part of the population, which had been averse to enterprise. Improvements began to be made. Better houses were commenced, new-comers poured in and a steady growth was maintained until 1861, when the war put a stop to all enterprise and public improvement. The population decreased, and not until 1866 did improvements begin again or was an increase of population noted. A moderate but perceptible degree of progress and growth has continued until now in 1875, when the population is estimated at about 8,000.<br />
<br />
==Churches, Schools and Industry==<br />
Owensboro contains churches of the following denominations: Baptist, Cumberland Presbyterian, Catholic, Methodist, Southern Presbyterian, Northern Presbyterian, Christian or Campbellite, Baptist, Episcopal, German Catholic, German Lutheran. The above have been named in the order of their establishment. There is also a colored Baptist, and a colored Methodist church. All, except two, of the houses of worship, are substantial brick structures, with a capacity of seating over one half of the entire population. There are three banks-the Deposit Bank, Planters' Bank, and Savings Bank. The public schools are two in number, each with a full roll of professors and teachers. The school buildings are large and commodious brick edifices, with a capacity for 900 to 1000 pupils. The Catholic Sisters have a female school with about 100 pupils, and the Vaughan Female Seminary, of which Mrs. E. S. Phillips is proprietress, is an institution richly meriting the patronage of the community. There are several other private schools in the city, altogether accommodating from 1000 to 1100 pupils. There are also one or two schools for colored children. Prominent among the other institutions of the city are sixteen stemming and prizing tobacco establishments. The smallest has a capacity for handling 600,000 pounds, whilst several of the largest have each a capacity for handling 2,000,000 pounds of tobacco each season. All of the together have a capacity of almost 20,000,000 pounds. There are also two planing mills, one furniture factory, a wheel, hub, and handle factory, chair factory, stave and barrel factory, with quite a number of wagon and carriage factories, blacksmith shops, carpenter shops, cabinet shops, etc.<br />
<br />
==The Professions==<br />
In the "professional" class of the community is numbered twelve or thirteen physicians, some of them quite eminent in their professions. About thirty practicing lawyers constitute one of the strongest bars in the State. Merchants, grocers, and all the trades are well represented.<br />
<br />
==County Organization==<br />
Daviess County was formed in the year 1815. The County received its name from General Joseph H. Daveiss, whose residence for some years was on the Ohio River above Owensboro. The name should have been spelled "Daveiss," but through a mistake in enrolling the bill during its passage through the Legislature, the name was spelled "Daviess," and from that time down this way has been adopted of spelling the name of the County.<br />
<br />
==County Officials==<br />
The following embraces the persons who have filled the various official positions in enumeration with the government and organization of the County:<br />
{| style="border-collapse:collapse; background:#ffffff; color:#222222; font-size:95%;"<br />
|+ style="background:#2b4162; color:#ffffff; padding:5px 8px; font-weight:bold;" | Judges of the Circuit Court<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | Henry P. Broadnax || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1815-1822<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | Alney McLean || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1822-1842<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | John Calhoon || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1842-1851<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | [[John P. Devereux]] || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1851<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | Jesse W. Kincheloe || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1851-1856<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | James Stuart || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1856-1867<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | James L. Johnson || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1867<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | George W. Williams || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1867-1870<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | [[Martin Hardin Cofer|Martin H. Cofer]] || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1870-1874<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | James Stuart || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1874-1880<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | Lucius P. Little || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1880-<br />
|}<br />
Besides these, special Judges were appointed at various times, among whom were John. H. McHenry and [[George H. Yeaman]].<br />
{| style="border-collapse:collapse; background:#ffffff; color:#222222; font-size:95%;"<br />
|+ style="background:#2b4162; color:#ffffff; padding:5px 8px; font-weight:bold;" | Clerks of the Circuit Court<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | George Handley || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1815-1827<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | Horace Allen || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1827-1832<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | John S. McFarland || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1832-1845<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | William B. Wall || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1845-1856<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | John P. Thompson || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1856-1862<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | Ward Payne || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1862<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | Joseph Thomas || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1862-1868<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | M. L. Ogden || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1868<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | John P. Thompson || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1868-1872<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | Joseph Thomas || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1872<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | John G. McFarland || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1872-1874<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | [[Frank F. Conway]] || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1874<br />
|}<br />
The first Clerk, George Handley retained his position until April 1827, when he resigned the duties of the office. Horace Allen, who had previously acted as Deputy, became Clerk. Allen died while in office and was succeeded by John S. McFarland, who resigned the position October, 1845. John P. Thompson also died while server as Clerk.<br />
<br />
{| style="border-collapse:collapse; background:#ffffff; color:#222222; font-size:95%;"<br />
|+ style="background:#2b4162; color:#ffffff; padding:5px 8px; font-weight:bold;" | Sheriffs of Daviess County<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | Charles Y. Duncan || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1815-1821<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | William Glenn || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1821-1823<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | John Piles || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1823-1825<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | Remus Griffith || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1825-1827<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | J. Leman || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1827-1829<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | Warner Crow || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1829-1831<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | John Daveiss || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1831-1833<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | R. C. Jett || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1833-1835<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | S. Hawes || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1835-1837<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | E. McCreery || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1837-1838<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | R. C. Jett || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1838-1839<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | William Newton || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1839-1841<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | William B. Baird || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1841<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | Joseph M. Potts || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1841-1843<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | John G. Howard || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1843-1845<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | Henry Dugan || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1845-1847<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | Abner Lee || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1847-1849<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | C. D. Jackson || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1849-1851<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | Thomas Landrum || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1851-1855<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | Joseph G. Harrison || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1855-1859<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | John Locke || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1859-1863<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | Joseph G. Harrison || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1863-1866<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | W. H. Perkins || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1866-1868<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | H. W. Scott || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1868-1872<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | W. H. Perkins || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1873-1874<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | H. W. Scott || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1874-1876<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | J. H. Gates || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1876-1878<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | Ed. C. Davis || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1878-1882<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | A. B. Miller || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1882<br />
|}<br />
<br />
{| style="border-collapse:collapse; background:#ffffff; color:#222222; font-size:95%;"<br />
|+ style="background:#2b4162; color:#ffffff; padding:5px 8px; font-weight:bold;" | County Judges<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | Thomas W. Watkins || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1850-1854<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | [[George H. Yeaman]] || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1854-1858<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | A. G. Botts || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1858-1866<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | George W. Triplett || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | Elected in 1866-'70-'74<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | H. W. Scott || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1879<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Early Representation==<br />
In 1788, when this portion of Kentucky was Nelson County, it was represented by John Steele and Matthew Walton, in the convention which ratified the present Constitution of the United States.<br />
<br />
Of the earliest justices of the peace, we mention the names of John Calhoon, and eminent lawyer and great man; John Daveiss, who was acting in 1818; and Warner Crow, who had the office at least from 1818-1823.<br />
<br />
[[Category:Towns]]<br />
[[Category:Daviess County, Kentucky]]</div>Adamhttp://wiki.historyofowensboro.com/index.php?title=Curdsville,_Kentucky&diff=15471Curdsville, Kentucky2026-08-26T23:02:42Z<p>Adam: Cleanup: add infobox and lead, organize into sections, unwrap OCR line breaks</p>
<hr />
<div><div style="float:right; clear:right; margin:0 0 1em 1em;"><br />
{| style="width:260px; font-size:90%; border:1px solid #aaa; border-collapse:collapse; background:#ffffff; color:#222222;"<br />
|-<br />
! colspan="2" style="background:#2b4162; color:#ffffff; text-align:center; font-size:115%;" | Curdsville, Kentucky<br />
|-<br />
| '''Type''' || Town<br />
|-<br />
| '''County''' || [[Daviess County, Kentucky|Daviess County]]<br />
|-<br />
| '''State''' || Kentucky<br />
|-<br />
| '''First settled''' || 1797, by William Glenn<br />
|-<br />
| '''Population''' || 275 (1907)<br />
|-<br />
| '''Rural population''' || 2,835 (1907)<br />
|-<br />
| '''River''' || Green River, with ferry<br />
|-<br />
| '''Post office''' || Closed August 1, 2008<br />
|}<br />
</div><br />
<br />
[[File:Curdsville_Map_-_1876.jpg|thumb|right|Detailed Map of Curdsville in 1876]]<br />
<br />
Perhaps the best description of Curdsville was by a Chicago railroad promoter, A.L. Frank, who was trying to drum up interest in building an interurban line from Owensboro to Calhoun early in the century. He described Curdsville in 1907 as having a population of 275, with a rural population in the area of 2,835. The town, he reported, “has 3 general stores, on drug store, a post office, hotel, 2 physicians, 2 churches, and a two story school house, a ferry across the Green River, a branch of State Bank of Kentucky of Owensboro and a tobacco factory.” The businesses were supplied “about evenly” between the Green River packets and hacks and wagons from Owensboro.<br />
<br />
== Founding Families ==<br />
Curdsville Precinct was first settled by William Glenn in 1797 on the north side of Panther Creek about 3 miles from the Green River. He raised a family of nine children. His son William was a Colonel of Militia, a representative in the Legislature and Sheriff of Daviess County.<br />
<br />
Glenn was among the first men to settle in what became Daviess County. He bought 1200 acres of land and built a log cabin close by what is now called Glenn’s Bridge on Hwy. 56. He was a close friend of [[William Smeathers|Bill Smothers]]. Glenn was one of the six original commissioners appointed in 1815 by the governor of Kentucky to select a place for the permanent county seat for newly formed Daviess County.<br />
Curdsville’s beginning dates back to 1818 when George Husk built a cabin where Panther Creek flows into the Green River. The town was named after H. T. Curd of the firm of H.T. Curd and Co. of Louisville, who gave Aprilla Spray a barrel of whiskey to name Curdsville in his honor. Spray settled there in 1842 and ran a shop several years and operated the first store in Curdsville. He became the first Postmaster when the Post Office opened in 1855. That same year a ferry was established across Green River at Curdsville by Madison Priest of Henderson County. Four years later John Eads came and cleared four acres. His wife died shortly and Eads decided to leave. John Traverse purchased his place. Mr. Spray and two men, a Mr. Allen and a Mr. Brown built houses and opened the second store. Six years later financial circumstances forced them to close. In 1852, the community had the first blacksmith shop built and owned by Calvin Bennett.<br />
Situated on the Green River about 14 miles from [[Owensboro, KY|Owensboro]], Curdsville became a booming town because of the river trade and traffic.<br />
<br />
== 19th Century Daily Life ==<br />
In August, 1881 the old wooden Mattingly bridge, approximately one mile from Curdsville, was replaced by a one lane iron bridge and was over 200feet long crossing Panther Creek.<br />
According to the 1883 history book, the town had four grocery stores, a drug store, hardware store, fire department, two saloons, a coffin factory, livery stable, a jail, a two story hotel and a tobacco factory. It had a physician, a lawyer, an undertaker, police judge, town marshal and five trustees.<br />
In 1891, 340 people lived in Curdsville.<br />
<br />
There was a lot of river traffic active in the town. The boats would stop and pick up tobacco raised in the area and store it in the tobacco warehouse. The hotel was a place where the traveling salesman could eat and stay while conducting his business. In those days, a trip to Evansville was faster than riding a wagon on a rough road going to Owensboro.<br />
<br />
=== Church Life ===<br />
The Pleasant Hill Cumberland was the first Protestant Church organized in the Curdsville precinct by C. C. Boswell. It was organized in 1840 at a meeting held at the house of Stephen S. Winstead, on the north side of Panther Creek. For several years services were held in a private home, and then the Knob Lick Schoolhouse was used. In 1846 the church was built. It was a log structure, 26 x 20 feet built on Beech Grove Road on Knob Lick, just beyond St. Joseph. St. Raphael’s Catholic Church was established in 1832 by Father Durbin.<br />
The first schoolhouse in the precinct was built around 1820. It was a log structure with a clapboard roof. The chimney was in the center of the room. A log was left out for a window. Almost the entire length of the building, and the window, had a single sash with 60 panes of glass in it. It was the oldest school in Daviess County.<br />
The Curdsville Baptist Church was established in 1869 with 24 members. Twelve of the members were black. The church was organized in the old Pleasant hill Cumberland Presbyterian house of worship and first took the name of “Green River Baptist Church”. The church later moved to the town of Curdsville and worshipped in the “Union” house of worship with other denominations until their own church was completed about the year 1875. When the church was completed the name was changed to “Curdsville Baptist Church”. It started with A. B. Smith and D. E. Yeiser who were the first two pastors. The building was replaced by a black building in 1956.<br />
<br />
=== Civics ===<br />
In March, 1887, a newspaper article reported that Curdsville had 275 inhabitants, one large tobacco stemmery with a capacity of 1,000,000 pounds of tobacco, two dry goods stores, two family grocery stores, two churches and a third one going up (which became St. Elizabeth) two saloons and a third one would be in operation, two livery and feed stables, two blacksmith shops, one corn mill, one brick yard, one town hall, and last but not least, no schoolhouse at that time.<br />
<br />
== Local Points of Interest ==<br />
<br />
=== Tobacco ===<br />
It is said that the land south of town was level and rich for many miles. Mr. T.J. Reynolds had purchased the drug store in Sorgho, but was going to remain in the drug business in Curdsville. The tobacco stemmery was a large wood frame building that was designed so that the purchased tobacco could be placed on sticks and hung in the building to allow it to cure to a stage called “summer order” when it would be taken down and prized in hogsheads for storage or shipment to order markets. The buildings were often called factories. This was before tobacco started to sell at auctions around 1900.<br />
<br />
=== Panther Creek Bridge ===<br />
In October 1895, Press Moseley finished the stone work for the new bridge on the Panther Creek east of town. A new iron bridge was completed and levee was nearing completion. This bridge was the longest bridge in the county and was said to be the best looking anywhere. The bridge was a great advantage to the people of Curdsville and the vicinity. It would shorten the distance between Curdsville and Owensboro about two miles.<br />
<br />
=== Local Businesses and Social Events ===<br />
In 1896, Mr. Brady built a large livery stable on a lot south of Baird’s Dry Goods Store. Judge Erwin reported that there had not been a case in police court for a long time.<br />
Near the crossroads of KY 456 and 500, about a mile south of Curdsville, was the site of Ellendale, home of William Rapier. In the summer of 1894, Rapier decided to promote the family’s livestock business by staging a fair at the Ellendale farm. <br />
The Ellendale Fair became on the most popular attractions in the region over the next four years. No county fair anywhere could match it. The fairgrounds included a grandstand that held 5,000 people, a floral hall, livestock quarters and a half mile track for horse and bicycle racing. People could also stay at a three story hotel on the site, which was used as a business college during the winter.<br />
The fair was always during the mid summer when school was in vacation and neither would interfere with the other.<br />
The fair reached its peak in 1896, attracting 30,000 people during the five day run. It ended in 1898 when drought, storms and adverse economic conditions caused the attendance to drop. The company Rapier had formed to run the fair went bankrupt.<br />
<br />
=== Ellendale Epidemic ===<br />
<br />
==== College Foundation ====<br />
W.F. Rapier completed arrangements for starting a college at Ellendale sometime before 1886. Over 100 pupils agreed to attend. He had a good faculty assured. The classrooms were in the floral hall and the hotel was used for the boarding department.<br />
<br />
==== Epidemic ====<br />
The Ellendale College stayed open for several years as a newspaper article reposted that the school had 22 students that had been afflicted with typhoid fever and had seven to die. The president, Professor Gardina, had closed the school and nearly all students returned to their various homes. A few days earlier, Professor Gardina was in Owensboro and admitted that his luck from the disease was extraordinarily bad for the year. The infection, which had amounted to be a local epidemic, was contributed to the water supply for the school. It also said that the St. Joseph Academy, which had 65 ladies in attendance and only one mile away, had a different water supply. They lost no students and had no serious illnesses.<br />
<br />
=== Electric Railroad Proposal ===<br />
The people from Curdsville questioned that if a daily stage from Curdsville to Owensboro was a paying thing, why wouldn’t they extend an electric car line to Hickman Park from Curdsville. The stage line was a convenience and they could not do without it and since they had built a new bridge and opened up a new road, it lessened the distance to the city. But what they needed was a more rapid and direct transit and something that would shelter them from the summer sun and the winter cold. Where such a line is constructed is it not reasonable to suppose that thousands of dollars annually that were spent in Evansville would go to Owensboro?<br />
In April 1896, W.F. Rapier went to Henderson and got several capitalists interested in his Ellendale electric railroad scheme.<br />
<br />
Rapier then started the Rapier Grain and Seed Company in Owensboro, which eventually became Owensboro Grain Company.<br />
<br />
== 20th Century History ==<br />
In the 1900 Gazetteer listed the following names of Curdsville residents:<br />
<br />
{| style="border-collapse:collapse; background:#ffffff; color:#222222; font-size:95%;"<br />
|-<br />
! style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px; background:#2b4162; color:#ffffff;" | Name !! style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px; background:#2b4162; color:#ffffff;" | Occupation<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | T. S. Abrams || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | General Store<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | William Bernard || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | Brick Mason<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | Bethel and Bro. || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | Brick Mason<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | James Bethel || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | Carpenter<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | Mack Brown || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | Blacksmith<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | Freed Cask || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | Shoemaker<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | J. F. Cummins || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | School Teacher<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | Erwin and Bro. || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | Saloon and Livery Stable<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | Emanuel Fenwick || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | Livery Stable<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | William Goodman || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | Hotel<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | Heavrin and Bro. || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | Physicians<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | Hugh Derr and Co. || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | Tobacconists<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | Rev. G. W. Lathom || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | Pastor ME Church<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | Layson & State || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | Livery Stable<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | Samuel Likens || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | Grocery<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | John Litler || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | Tinner<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | H. H. McCain || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | General Store<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | Williams Moseley || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | Blacksmith<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | J. B. Morse || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | Postmaster<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | Mrs. John Oldham || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | Ferry Owner<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | Finis Osborne || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | Hotel<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | J. B. Osborne || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | Sawmill<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | Henry Reynolds || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | Silversmith<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | J. W. Reynolds || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | Drug Store<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | P. C. Steele || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | Saloon<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | Rv. B. F. Swindler || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | Baptist Church Pastor<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | J. M. Welden || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | Weigh Master<br />
|}<br />
<br />
===Martine Yewell Tompkins===<br />
Martine Yewell Tompkins moved to Curdsville in the 1960’s and was likely the most famous person to live in Curdsville to date. She had a riverfront house on First Street and made a habit of waving to the towboat crews who were pushing barges of coal heading down the Green River. She was the first woman in Daviess County to drive an automobile. Tompkins was also Assistant Secretary of State and Deputy State Treasurer under Governor A. B. “Happy” Chandler.<br />
In 1974, the Governor, Wendell Ford, gave her the honorary title of Admiral of Green River. Martine Tompkins died in March, 1998 and lived to be 109 years old<br />
<br />
=== Notable Dates ===<br />
* In September, 1903, P. M. Whitt of Hanson organized a bank at Curdsville. It was called the Bank of Curdsville and had a capital stock of $15,000. Witt put up half and H. H. McCain, J. H. Cain, George Roberts, and J. W. Reynolds put up $5250 worth of stock. Witt became cashier of the bank. The Messenger noted that Curdsville was very wealthy vicinity and the bank would doubtlessly prosper.<br />
* In 1904, Dr. William Tyler, Sr. practiced medicine in Curdsville with his brother in law, J.H. McCain. He also was the house physician for Mt. St. Joseph while living in Curdsville. He moved to Owensboro in 1923 and practiced with Dr. W.F. Stirman.<br />
* On August 10, 1904, the Owensboro City Railroad filed amended articles of incorporation increasing its capital stock, and authorizing the extension of its line from Owensboro west to Curdsville by way of the Dean Coal Mine for a total of 16 miles. This was never built.<br />
* R. K. Hagan, a tobacco buyer located in Curdsville, sold the season’s entire purchase of 800,000 pounds to three Owensboro dealers. Imperial Tobacco Company bought 70,000 pounds, American Tobacco Company bought 600,000 pounds and Richard O’Flynn 130,000 pounds. It was all shipped out on boats to Owensboro.<br />
* On September 2, 1904, Tom Oldham was killed in Ed Orkeis saloon. According to the Messenger, the two had trouble of long standing. A few hours previous to the killing, Oldham and another man engaged in a fight. Orkeis went to Owensboro the next morning to turn himself in. Oldham kept a hotel and the ferry at Curdsville. Orkeis drove harness horses for a number of years before he got into the saloon business.<br />
* Across Panther Creek was located about 30 acres of fire clay which would be interesting to tile and brick makers, he observed, while 2 miles from the town the Utopia Coal Mine furnished coal to the town and businesses for local merchants. The town, he concluded, was surrounded by “an exceptionally fertile and desirable agricultural section, even more productive than the $100 to $200 per acre land between Owensboro and Sorgho.<br />
<br />
===Fire of 1921===<br />
In 1921, fire swept through the business block in Curdsville. Two business houses and a residence were lost along with several other businesses, including a large tobacco factory. The Messenger reported that the loss was only prevented from being heavier by the work of the bucket brigade of men, women and children who commandeered every bucket in the town and soaked nearby buildings. One of the buildings was the poolroom and the other was the barbershop and soft drink stand. Wallace Burns had a 5 room house burn down but the neighbors did get all the furniture out. J.M. Collger owned the poolroom. Andrew Allen owned a shop next to the pool room and had some small damage as well as Lucian Clements. The trees in front of the large tobacco factory helped to protect the factory. The store of W.T. O’Bryan which joined the two stores was saved by the work of the fire brigade. When the fire was discovered, those who arrived said there was a strong odor of coal oil. It was claimed that the building had been the hang out for a number of bootleggers who had been operating in and around Curdsville.<br />
<br />
== Decline of Curdsville ==<br />
When automobiles replaced the paddle wheelers, the trade shifted to Owensboro. Many stores closed and the population decreased.<br />
<br />
The 1937 flood caused the last big decline in the growth of Curdsville; the record breaking flood water surrounded the town. Some people had to boat to Sorgho to get their supplies. Three underground mines across the river were put out of business. Several of the miners lived in Curdsville. The Curdsville Ferry closed in 1942.<br />
.<br />
By the 1970’s, Curdsville was more of a place to live in quiet times. The only business was the Calhoun Grocery along with the Post Office run by Mrs. Pauline Wahl for over 30 years.<br />
In 1978, the one lane iron bridge at Panther Creek was replaced by a new two lane concrete bridge. It was moved several hundred feet towards the river and now come in on Dick Street and now is known as the Curdsville Delaware Road.<br />
In the 1990’s, the Daviess county Fiscal Court wanted to change the name of the streets because of the 911 emergency telephone service. Two of the residences, Wendell Mattingly and Max Bishop wanted to keep the old names because of the history of the town. They took the town’s case to the Commission meeting.<br />
In August 2008, another piece of history was done away with. The Post Office closed on August 1. The town had about 45 Post Office boxes. The nearest Post Office was at Maple Mount in Mount St. Joseph. In December, 2013, the old Ellendale racetrack ticket office was removed from the home where it started in 1894 and was moved to Owensboro.<br />
<br />
== Curdsville Today ==<br />
Today Curdsville remains as a small residential town with two churches, and one small grocery store. Few indications remain of its commercial past. Yet today, Curdsville stands as a reminder of a town that once was one of the first settlements of Daviess County and an important commercial center when the river packets steamed down the Green River.<br />
<br />
'''Source:''' ''Article by Grady Ebehlar''<br />
<br />
[[Category:Towns]]<br />
[[Category:Daviess County, Kentucky]]</div>Adamhttp://wiki.historyofowensboro.com/index.php?title=Birk_City,_Kentucky&diff=15470Birk City, Kentucky2026-08-26T23:02:42Z<p>Adam: Cleanup: add infobox and lead, organize into sections, unwrap OCR line breaks</p>
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<div><div style="float:right; clear:right; margin:0 0 1em 1em;"><br />
{| style="width:260px; font-size:90%; border:1px solid #aaa; border-collapse:collapse; background:#ffffff; color:#222222;"<br />
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! colspan="2" style="background:#2b4162; color:#ffffff; text-align:center; font-size:115%;" | Birk City, Kentucky<br />
|-<br />
| '''Type''' || Former river town<br />
|-<br />
| '''County''' || [[Daviess County, Kentucky|Daviess County]]<br />
|-<br />
| '''State''' || Kentucky<br />
|-<br />
| '''Founded by''' || [[Jonas A. Birk]], 1857<br />
|-<br />
| '''Post office''' || Established 1864<br />
|-<br />
| '''First school''' || 1865<br />
|-<br />
| '''Population''' || 100 (1898); about 35 today<br />
|-<br />
| '''River''' || Green River, 22 miles from its mouth<br />
|-<br />
| '''Location''' || 12 miles east of Owensboro<br />
|}<br />
</div><br />
<br />
'''Birk City''' is a former river town on the Green River in [[Daviess County, Kentucky|Daviess County]], Kentucky, twenty-two miles from the river's mouth and twelve miles east of [[Owensboro, KY|Owensboro]]. Founded in 1857 by [[Jonas A. Birk]], it grew on tobacco, a ferry and river trade, was repeatedly flooded, and boomed briefly when oil was struck nearby in 1938. Today it is mostly farmland.<br />
<br />
==Early History==<br />
[[File:1886-Birk-City.jpg|thumb|370x370px|1886 Directory Listing for Birk City.]]<br />
'''Named After:''' [[Jonas A. Birk]]<br />
<br />
The little town of Birk City is located on the Green River, 22 miles from its mouth, and 12 miles east of Owensboro. It was founded by [[Jonas A. Birk]], who came to Birk City from Cloverport in 1857. Mr. Birk succeeded in laying the foundation for the town. It contained three stores, a blacksmith shop and one tobacco factory built by Mr. Birk. At the time of his death in October 1877, he owned over 450 acres of land. He was buried in the Birk City graveyard about ½ miles north of Birk City. <br />
==Industry==<br />
A saw mill was built in 1857 and used as such for 10 years. It was then used as a distillery for three years. In 1870, it was converted into a tobacco factory, approximately 60 x 70’ in size.<br />
The first blacksmith was Peter Rarick, who came with [[Jonas A. Birk|Mr. Birk]].<br />
===Ferry===<br />
The first ferry was granted a license in March, 1861. It was noted as being on the banks of Birk Mill. It was ran by Jonas Birk. It was required to keep one substantial ferryboat and skiff boat at the ferry landing. The boat was 38’ x 9’ with railings two feet high. Restrictions were for heavy loads with four horses and four-wheel wagons, or two wheel carriages with horses. Sheep, goats and hogs and lambs were a fifth of what the horse charge was. Horses cost $.10. Horses and man $.15, and foot man was $.05 cents.<br />
==Commerce==<br />
The first store was opened by William Hollace in a house built by [[Jonas A. Birk]] for that purpose. Other merchants were C.E. Birk and L.P. Birk, both of whom were [[Jonas A. Birk|Jonas Birk’s]] sons, along with C.B. Lancaster. <br />
<br />
It was a wilderness and no settlement had been made within a mile. No clearing was visible and the first tree cut down was where the old sawmill stood. The mill was built and work began on improving the land. Mr. Birk brought with him to Daviess County $5000 which was invested in the mill. The purchase money of the land amounted to $3000 more. Various misfortunes followed. His stock died from sickness, cash could not be obtained from lumber and in a couple of years Mr. Birk found himself in serious financial difficulty. Mr. Birk suffered heavily during the war but afterwards, he received $2000 for his tobacco crop, and his corn crop $2000 more. He was back on his feet again. <br />
<br />
In 1860, an ad was in the paper mentioned that town lots had been laid out and was being disposed of on reasonable terms. It stated that Birk City was located in a most desirable part of Daviess County, easy access, and immediately on the Green River, trade is good and constantly improving, and has a good class of citizens in the place and neighborhood. Mr. Birk predicted that a Catholic church was going to be erected in the place and other valuable improvements would be made in a short time. He also said it was a good opportunity to those wishing to invest; mechanics particularly will find this a splendid opening.<br />
[[File:Plots in Birk City 1860.jpg|thumb|The survey of plots in Birk City, 1860]]<br />
<br />
In 1874, according to the [[Owensboro Monitor]], an article stated that Birk City was 11 miles from Owensboro and was neatly situated on the Green River. Birk and his sons were the proprietors of the wagon, carriage and blacksmith shop and that they do extensive business. Ferdinand Birk was the proprietor of the dry and goods, notion and drugstore. George Birk was his salesman and bookkeeper and also Postmaster of the town. CE Birk ran a grocery and produce store and Frank Birk was the District Constable. The reporter added that there were several more he didn’t meet but it seems to be that every man there was a Birk. He said they were all clever, industrious and honest men who attended to their own business and that the city was thriving. Esq. Newman, one of the counties “dads” said that Birk City would furnish the next county judge and sheriff. Mr. Bellew still had a successful operation of a large sawmill.<br />
<br />
The city was on the Green River and had a road to Owensboro. Some towns on the river had no roads leading to the bigger towns. The Green River was how everything was shipped and sold in Evansville. They bore the excessive steamboat rates known as the Green River monopoly.<br />
A small distillery called the Eagle Distillery was built at Birk City in 1880. The Eagles Distilling Company had a still there along with bonded warehouses. It had 10 barrel capacity. TJ Monarch was President. Its office was located in Owensboro. The brands of whiskey placed on the market were TJ Monarch, Imperial, and Cliff Falls. JW McCulloch bought the Birk City Distillery and moved it to a site on the railroad west of Owensboro and made the famous Green River Whiskey. The distillery moved from Birk City by 1892 to western Owensboro and changed its name to Green River Distillery.<br />
<br />
===Post Office===<br />
A post office was established there in 1864 to serve a developing Green River port town. It was named by and for its first full Postmaster. After the town was laid out it was called Birk Mill. After his first two sons were Postmasters, John Duncan, Bud Wiles, Charles Reynolds, and family of Susan Whitehouse followed. It was discontinued and moved to Stanley December 1903 where there was rail service. Mr. Birk’s ambitious plans for the town failed to survive the century. A few years earlier a new Post Office between Oakford and Birk City opened up in 1886. It was named Adlai, in honor of Hon. Adlai Stevenson, the first assistant Postmaster Gen. BA Mitchell became the first Postmaster. It only stayed open a short time.<br />
<br />
===School===<br />
The first school opened in 1865. A black school opened in 1887 and the land was finally deeded over 15 years later in June 1902.<br />
<br />
In 1877 another tobacco factory was built and opened by John Gaw. It was a 40 x 80’ building. In 1879 he built a 42 x 90’ addition. It had a capacity of about 500,000 pounds. It cost about $25,000.<br />
The Baptist Church was organized in October 1876 in a house used as a store that was occupied for 13 years by the F J Birk. It was then sold to the Baptist and converted into a church. Rev. D E Yeiser was the first preacher of this congregation. R C Kenner was the town physician. Some of the residents listed in the 1876 Daviess County Atlas map are: William Balee, blacksmith; FJ Birk, merchant; LP Birk, J a Birk, farmers; HD Bellow, Miller; JW Grimsley, farmer; Edwin Hawes, M.D. physician and surgeon; Barnett Kelly, farmer; in N M Newman, Carpenter; JL O’Bryan, WH Payne, farmers; James Wiles, George W Wiles, farmers. B. A. Asher, general blacksmith; Charles Birk, Birk City ferry; C.E. Birk, groceries and hardware, furniture and grain dealer. In 1883 Birk City had a population of 200.<br />
<br />
According to the city directory in 1894, Birk City also had two boarding houses, one blacksmith shop, and one Baptist church with 44 members, one colored Methodist Church with 30 members. Rev. Jewell was Pastor. H. Scott was a ferryman. A man name Reynolds operated the livestock yard there where they loaded livestock on the boat. The man who helped him was a full-blooded Indian. In 1898 it put the population at 100 people. <br />
<br />
==Flooding==<br />
The Green River created many problems for Birk City over the years. The floods of 1883 and 1884 were big. According to the Messenger there was a high water in 1900 and which the river was so swift and high that the ferry was unsafe for passengers to attempt to cross the stream. The ferry got out of control and floated half a mile below the landing. The next day it returned from Henderson County and had the same experience. The boat was a considerable distance below the town and could not be brought back until the water went down.<br />
<br />
In 1904 Peyton Atkins was the blacksmith of the town. C E Birk was the grocery owner and undertaker. His wife ran the hotel. L P Birk was Postmaster and Magistrate. Thomas Chatham was a physician. Charles Nourse was a schoolteacher and C E Whitehouse ran the ferry boat. F.E. Birk was a tobacconist. C.E. Lancaster had a hotel, saloon, and grocery.<br />
<br />
==Cemetery==<br />
In the Birk City cemetery, there are some 15 tombstones and a several unmarked graves. The grave of [[Jonas A. Birk]] has a large headstone about 10 feet tall and a caption that says ''“Immigrated to the United States in 1838. Founded Birk City“''. The last person buried there according to the markers was Cynthia Wells. She died in 1901. The graveyard is approximately ½ mile northwest of the town. It is on a ridge that follows the Hurricane Slough. <br />
<br />
==Saloon==<br />
In 1899 when JM Wiles of Birk City made a renewal of his liquor license. A remonstrance was filed by many in that town saying the reason that they opposed the saloon was that it was in the same building as the Post Office and that Birk City was a small country town with no police protection. The people living in the place are often compelled to submit to indecent and profane displays of drunkenness which the saloon brings to the town. The bar room was not in the same room as the Post Office but it was under the same roof. Many went for their mail and were insulted by the drunken men according to the Messenger. The petition was signed by 40 people for the license and 20 people for the re-remonstrance.<br />
<br />
==Churches and Community Life==<br />
In July 1906 the Methodist Church was dedicated in Birk City. Rev. Frank Thomas, Pastor of Settle Memorial gave the sermon. The sermon was dedicated to the Elizabeth Birk Memorial M. E. Church. At the close of the service a collection was taken amounting to $132, the amount due on the building of the church. A bible was given to the church by the members of the crew of the Steamer Glenmore, which was well known between Cannelton and Evansville. In 1915, lightning struck the Methodist Church and destroyed it and then it was moved to Stanley. Church leaders were C W Tackett, E F Benham, Junis Whitehouse, J McHatton, C W Reynolds, John Brown, L A fields and H D Hunt. <br />
A few years ago I talked with a 93-year-old man who moved to Birk City in 1923. He lived in three different places around the little town. He operated the ferry for three years between 1923 and 1926. He would move the ferry back across the river by walking and pulling on a wire to pull it across. He said there wasn’t really that much traffic other than when he ran it. When the river would flood he could not operate the ferry. He remembers a few of the paddle wheelers passing by the town but only a few would stop and pick up cattle or hogs. The boats had already stopped picking up people by 1923 and livestock a few years later. Birk City had almost come to a standstill until the 1937 flood. Where the original town was located, it was the lowest spot in the area along the river. <br />
<br />
In the 1930s the Adam Bishops camp on the Green River near Birk City had several picnics including the Knights of Columbus. Different clubs from Owensboro would use the camp for their picnics on the Green River. E T Lyle had the only store left in Birk City in 1937.<br />
<br />
==1937 Flood==<br />
When January 1937 rolled around the rains came in the biggest flood ever and completely covered Birk City. The population had dwindled down to around 150 people. The Ohio River had reached the stage at over 54 feet in Owensboro the river raced so fast that the people got caught unprepared for the high water. When the water hit there was no radio station in Owensboro. The people did not have newspapers to see what was expected to be coming down the river. Jack McClure, County Agent, was placed in charge of boats to help rescue the farm families and livestock. In the county over 600 families were affected in that over 90,000 acres were flooded, about 30% of the county. When the Ohio River broke over in the Bon Harbor section and raced toward the Green River over Highway 60 it raced toward Katie Meadows Slough on toward Rhodes Creek toward Birk City. It had powerful current as the Ohio River was higher than the Green River and had a terrifying roaring sound. Nobody had ever seen this happen before. The planning mills of Owensboro built several deep bottom boats, 12 x 24 and one was sent to Birk City. Several other flat boats as well as the Birk City ferry help rescue families and livestock as the people went to the Knights of Columbus Hall in Owensboro. The livestock were taken to the Bellwood Hill section to be unloaded near Sorgho.<br />
<br />
H. H. McCain was cruising around in the Birk City section looking for refugees and found about 50 on house tops. They removed the people as well as many livestock but many animals drown. Murray Hagan’s house was used as a contact point by relief boats. When the flood receded, Horace Nelson went back to his house and found that several of the homes had water up to their roofs. Every house west of Mrs. Mittie Lee Birk’s had been washed away and were entirely gone. Mr. Nelson’s home had been washed away after anchoring it to some Maple trees with strong wires. Onis Greer’s ferry house and his camp house were gone. The only store, Bennett’s grocery store was deep in the water but the garages and outbuildings were turned over and were floating around. There was not a house in that section that was not in several feet of water. People had put some of their livestock in their homes before they left to keep them alive but the water drowned most of them. Several mules were found in neighbors houses. Because water came up so fast, residents were able to save very little from their home leaving only with their clothes on their backs. Most of the people returned after the flood but found it was in near ruins. The six homes that were washed away in the current were hanging in the trees along the Hurricane Slough all broken up. There were lots of livestock hanging on fences. The school was abandoned after the 1937 flood because of the big cleanup and also in the fall the new Sorgho’s consolidated school was opening and the children were bussed there.<br />
<br />
==The Oil Boom==<br />
In July 1938 the big oil boom hit Birk City. The Blackwell lease well hit big across the green River in Henderson County. There were four wells drilled in Henderson County before they drilled the first in Daviess County. The first was drilled on the Onis Greer ferry landing lease. Two weeks later a contract was let by the Daviess County Board of Education to drill two wells 1900 feet deep on the school lot. People from Texas and Oklahoma and anyplace there was oil business came to Birk City. Every farm around was leased up soon. The biggest lease to produce was the Lindsay Taylor lease. For over a month in July and August 1938, the oil news made front page coverage and headlines in the Owensboro Messenger every day. Some of the names of the leases were; S E Thruston, O L Boswell, Grover Harrington, Lindsay Taylor, Onis Greer. The Greer well was the first in Daviess County coming in with the flow of 1420 barrels a day and settled down to 300 barrels a day for a good while. Most of the oil sold for around one dollar a barrel. Aetna Oil and refining of Louisville first loaded oil on a barge and shipped it out on the Green River. Then a 5000 barrel tank was built in Birk City for storage and a new pipeline was built to load train cars near Newman to go to Spottsville refining. When it closed down tanks were set up on the Ohio River to load barges by Ashland Oil Company to be shipped out. A new pipeline was laid from Birk City to the Ohio River. By 1939, over 150 oil wells had been drilled. When the oil well on the C G Bennett property was drilled oil spurted about 125 feet into the air for an hour and 40 minutes before drillers could get it under control. A heavy gas fog spread over the town resulting in the temporary evacuation of some 100 residents. Parents carried their children from their gas field homes and according to the newspaper article, a Negro band playing for a dance said Bennett store obtained a boat and crossed the river after the gas had broken up the dance. Flares at surrounding oil wells were put out to eliminate dangers of fires. E L Newton, President of the Hoosier Drilling Company, who brought the 1600 barrel discovery well in on the Blackwell lease, formed a corporation known as the Birk City Oil Company Incorporated. Newton’s first six wells were producing over 2300 barrels daily. At one time there were 23 tanks holding 100 barrels each sitting on the Green River bank to hold the oil until the barge could load it.<br />
<br />
When the oil boom hit Onis Greer purchased two more ferryboats. One was an 18 x 60 ferry and he also bought the Hambleton ferry boat. Greer said he kept three boats busy for some time and even set up a soft drink stand in the summer time for the hot dusty conditions. In 1938 a truck with an oil rig on it slid off the ferry causing the boat to stand up right in the river. There was no damage to either the boat or the truck. Some of the farmers who own the leases were hired to dig the pits for the oil rigs when the wells were drilled. Some would use a team of mules with slip scrapers and some used tractors. Most would receive around $20 to dig a pit. It may have taken around two days for each one.<br />
Later on in the 1940s and 1950s after the oil business calmed down, there were a few summer houses built east of the original town. Most of the original town was gone by then except for the big brick house built by one of the Birks.<br />
<br />
Gas flares burned during the day and at night and eerie glow light shined in the region. Many of the people who move back after the flood built new small frame cottages when the pool began to yield oil. Alongside the river are a few summer camps but those were less attractive since the sound of the drills in the pumps and the odor of the gas and oil interfered with warm weather. By 2010 there probably wasn’t about 20 wells pumping, many making only one barrel a day.<br />
<br />
By 1945, as many as 250 wells were pumping in the seven mile square oil pool. In 1945 the river raised high out of its banks again. There were only a few people left to ride it out. There were many interesting flood stories told over the years. One true story is that my grandfather Peter J. Ebelhar along with Arch Harris, James Gillis, Dennis Ebelhar and his brother Vincent Ebelhar took a small boat from the Birk City area to the Sorgho neighborhood to get some groceries. Upon their return, the heavily loaded boat encountered difficulty as it entered the channel of Rhodes Creek where there was a strong current. The front end of the boat plunged under the water and the five jumped into the flooded creek, the channel being many feet deep. As the five jumped they were fortunate in being able to grab the small bushes to cling to. On the edge of Bellwood Hill stood two bystanders that happened to see what was going on. William McCann and Hugh Ebelhar heard them jump out of the boat and they quickly got another boat to go rescue them. Nobody could swim or had a life preserver. All were safe.<br />
<br />
==Murray Hagan==<br />
One of the names that most people recognize from Birk City was a man named Murray Hagan. He and his father Sylvester Hagan raised purebred Jersey hogs. He raised certified lespedeza seed which became a popular and useful commodity for farmers who could not raise other clovers. He also became the first to raise hybrid seed corn in Kentucky and soon was in the seed corn business known as Hagan Hybrids. According to Jack McClure, the County Agent, Murray became a leader in organizing the Kentucky seed improvement Association. He introduced to state legislators a number of statues controlling seed production. He also was chairman of the Daviess County Red Cross board. He worked with the Board of Trade which was a forerunner of the Chamber of Commerce; he brought about the appointment of the first county agent of Daviess County. In the early 1950's when the Corps of Engineers announced plans to replace the Green River dam at Spottsville with a higher one that would eliminate the dam in Calhoun. Hagan led a group that convinced the corps navigation that it would be helpful in that thousands of acres would avoid flooding if both dams were rebuilt rather than building a single high one. Hagan was a pioneer in calling the Corps hand on threats to the environment.<br />
<br />
==Later Years==<br />
In the 1950’s and 1960’s tug boats pushed barges down the Green River full of western Kentucky coal. Millions of tons have been pushed down river going to power plants going to different rivers. The last paddle boat to travel past Birk City was the Belle of Louisville. It made the trip to Calhoun for a festival that was being celebrated.<br />
<br />
At present Birk City is mostly farming area. It has only 15 homes and several trailers. Most are used as summer camps. There are only around 35 people remaining there full-time.<br />
<br />
''Information was obtained from 1883 History, 1876 Historical Atlas, Owensboro Messenger & Monitor Newspapers and oral history from several older residents of the area. Written by: Grady Ebelhar''<br />
<br />
[[Category:Towns]]<br />
[[Category:Daviess County, Kentucky]]</div>Adamhttp://wiki.historyofowensboro.com/index.php?title=Yelvington,_Kentucky&diff=15469Yelvington, Kentucky2026-08-26T22:57:02Z<p>Adam: Cleanup: add infobox and lead, organize into sections, unwrap OCR line breaks</p>
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|-<br />
! colspan="2" style="background:#2b4162; color:#ffffff; text-align:center; font-size:115%;" | Yelvington, Kentucky<br />
|-<br />
| '''Type''' || Village<br />
|-<br />
| '''County''' || [[Daviess County, Kentucky|Daviess County]]<br />
|-<br />
| '''State''' || Kentucky<br />
|-<br />
| '''Founded''' || 1790s<br />
|-<br />
| '''Named for''' || Yelverton Overly, first settler<br />
|-<br />
| '''Baptist church organized''' || June 1813<br />
|-<br />
| '''Methodist church formed''' || 1842<br />
|-<br />
| '''Destroyed by fire''' || April 10, 1890<br />
|-<br />
| '''Location''' || Eastern Daviess County<br />
|}<br />
</div><br />
<br />
'''Yelvington''' is a village in eastern [[Daviess County, Kentucky|Daviess County]], Kentucky, probably the oldest in the county. Founded in the 1790s and named for its first settler, it was virtually destroyed by fire in 1890 — perhaps the biggest fire in the county's history — just as it was about to mark its hundredth anniversary.<br />
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==The 1890 Fire==<br />
Perhaps the biggest fire in Daviess County's history virtually destroyed the town of Yelvington on April 10, 1890.<br />
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Fanned by high winds, the fire which began in the Beechwood Hotel was soon spread by the wind to neighboring buildings and quickly engulfed the entire business district, including the hotel, three general stores, warehouses, stables, barns, a tobacco factory filled with leaf tobacco, a cooper's shop, and the City Hotel, as well as a butcher's shop and at least seven houses.<br />
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It was a sad blow for the town, which was soon to mark its one hundredth anniversary.<br />
<br />
==Founding==<br />
Yelvington had been founded in the 1790s on the wagon road from Elizabethtown to the Ohio River ford at Shawneetown, Indiana, at the point where a road was beginning to be developed running from Fort Hartford on the Rough River to Grandview in the Indiana territory.<br />
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Located above the floodplain, the well-drained hills of the area were free from mosquitoes; it was generally considered to be healthier and more pest-free than the lowlands. The area was also blessed with fertile soil and abundant timber.<br />
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The first settler was Yelverton Overly, for whom the town was later named. By 1830 there was a store operated by Thomas Pointer, and soon another store and hotel were opened.<br />
<br />
==Growth and Churches==<br />
Yelvington thrived on the traffic along the bisecting roads, and by 1883 there were two dry goods stores, a grocery, two hotels, a physician, two saloons and two churches. The [[Yelvington Baptist Church]] was organized in June 1813, and the first services began on June 30. A Methodist Church was formed in 1842.<br />
<br />
==Decline==<br />
But Yelvington was threatened by decline even before the fire. The Louisville, St. Louis, and Texas Railroad, completed in 1888, bypassed the hilly area of eastern Daviess County, opting to build on the flat lands along the Ohio River.<br />
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This economic blow, coupled with the fire, stimulated many residents and businessmen to abandon Yelvington and move to the new village of [[Maceo, Kentucky|Maceo]], then being established along the railroad line.<br />
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Yelvington remained as a residential area with small stores serving the neighborhood, and with the coming of paved roads became a destination for people looking for country living.<br />
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[[File:1886-Yelvington.jpg|thumb|left|401x401px|1886 Directory Listing for Yelvington]]<br />
{{Clear}}<br />
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''Reference to an article by Lee Dew''<br />
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[[Category:Towns]]<br />
[[Category:Daviess County, Kentucky]]</div>Adamhttp://wiki.historyofowensboro.com/index.php?title=Whalen,_Kentucky&diff=15468Whalen, Kentucky2026-08-26T22:57:01Z<p>Adam: Cleanup: add infobox and lead, organize into sections, unwrap OCR line breaks</p>
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! colspan="2" style="background:#2b4162; color:#ffffff; text-align:center; font-size:115%;" | Whalen, Kentucky<br />
|-<br />
| '''Type''' || Former village<br />
|-<br />
| '''County''' || [[Daviess County, Kentucky|Daviess County]]<br />
|-<br />
| '''State''' || Kentucky<br />
|-<br />
| '''Also known as''' || Short's Station<br />
|-<br />
| '''Named for''' || Joseph R. Whalen, first postmaster<br />
|-<br />
| '''Post office''' || 1884 – April 15, 1949<br />
|-<br />
| '''Railroad''' || Falls of Rough Railroad<br />
|-<br />
| '''Location''' || Short's Station Road and Jack Hinton Road<br />
|}<br />
</div><br />
<br />
'''Whalen''', otherwise known as '''Short's Station''', is located in the eastern part of [[Daviess County, Kentucky|Daviess County]], Kentucky, about four miles from [[Philpot, Kentucky|Philpot]]. Whalen's post office was established in 1884, and it was a thriving village along the tracks of the Falls of Rough Railroad, and the former site of a large clay mining operation. Whalen is situated around Short's Station Road and Jack Hinton Road.<br />
<br />
==Post Office and Namesake==<br />
In 1886, Whalen had a school house run by Miss Lena Coots. It also had a post office in which Joseph R. Whalen was the first postmaster, and also the community's namesake. Other early postmasters included Ambrose Cundiff, James S. Short, and Emily Whalen. James S. Short was the namesake of the train station and synonymous with Whalen, Short's Station.<br />
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The post office was the central gathering place for men of the neighborhood to discuss politics and world affairs, and to have a good time playing checkers and cards.<br />
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==Businesses==<br />
At one point there was a dry-goods store, blacksmith's shop, the Short's Station Depot, and of course many farms.<br />
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==The Railroad==<br />
The railroad which ran through Whalen carried passenger and freight trains, and at one time it carried up to eight trains a day. The small Short's Station Depot contained a waiting room for passengers, and a ticket and freight office. The passenger line was discontinued in 1941, as was the mail line in 1948.<br />
<br />
==Decline==<br />
Around the 1940s and 1950s, businesses began to close due to improved roads and increased opportunity of transportation and availability of automobiles. The blacksmith shop run by Wallace Estes closed around 1930, and the General Store in 1942. In part due to the decreased rail traffic and businesses closing, the post office closed April 15th, 1949, and until 1980 only freight was carried on the railroad through Whalen.<br />
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[[File:1886-Whalen.jpg|thumb|left|424x424px|1886 Directory Listing for Whalen]]<br />
{{Clear}}<br />
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[[Category:Towns]]<br />
[[Category:Daviess County, Kentucky]]</div>Adamhttp://wiki.historyofowensboro.com/index.php?title=Thruston,_Kentucky&diff=15467Thruston, Kentucky2026-08-26T22:57:01Z<p>Adam: Cleanup: add infobox and lead, organize into sections, unwrap OCR line breaks</p>
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! colspan="2" style="background:#2b4162; color:#ffffff; text-align:center; font-size:115%;" | Thruston, Kentucky<br />
|-<br />
| '''Type''' || Community<br />
|-<br />
| '''County''' || [[Daviess County, Kentucky|Daviess County]]<br />
|-<br />
| '''State''' || Kentucky<br />
|-<br />
| '''Named for''' || Algernon Sidney Thruston<br />
|-<br />
| '''Earlier name for area''' || Beechwoods<br />
|-<br />
| '''Notable residents''' || Two U.S. Senators<br />
|-<br />
| '''Location''' || Four miles northeast of Owensboro on KY 405<br />
|}<br />
</div><br />
<br />
'''Thruston''', located four miles northeast of [[Owensboro, KY|Owensboro]] in [[Daviess County, Kentucky|Daviess County]], Kentucky, was in a section of the county called Beechwoods, known for its beech trees and the plantations that lined the old river road from Owensboro to Hawesville.<br />
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==Algernon Sidney Thruston==<br />
The town is named for Algernon Sidney Thruston, a Kentucky native who owned land in Daviess County although he did not live here until 1854. A veteran of the Texas War for Independence in the 1830s, who served on Governor Sam Houston's cabinet, he moved to a 700-acre tract bordering KY 405 in the 1850s and lived there until his death in 1864.<br />
<br />
==Notable Residents==<br />
Another landowner in the area was Thomas Clay, who settled there in 1806 or 1807, the uncle of the abolitionist Cassius Marcellus Clay. Thomas Clay was a member of the convention that drafted Kentucky's second constitution in 1799.<br />
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Two farms were homes to men who later became U.S. Senators — Thomas Clay McCreery and Wendell Hampton Ford. Ford lived in the Throckmorton house, built in 1840 by Major Aris Throckmorton, War of 1812 veteran and owner of the Galt House in Louisville.<br />
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Another farm in the neighborhood was the home of Justus Vairin, a former member of the bodyguard of the Emperor Napoleon, a veteran of the Battle of Waterloo, and a tobacco exporter. The site of the Vairin house is now Spend-a-Buck Farm, named for the 1985 Kentucky Derby winner who was raised there.<br />
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==Thruston Today==<br />
By 2015 Thruston contained two churches, a convenience store, and Yellow Creek Park — famous as the site of ROMP (the River of Music Party), an annual bluegrass festival drawing thousands of fans, and home to Pioneer Village.<br />
<br />
Other nearby sites include Reid's Orchard, more than 130 years old, now run by the 4th generation of Reids. Known for apples, peaches, strawberries and more, Reid's has been a part of county life since Allan Reid settled here. Each year, thousands enjoy the Apple Festival and the Big O Music Festival.<br />
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''Reference to an article by Glenn Hodges''<br />
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[[Category:Towns]]<br />
[[Category:Daviess County, Kentucky]]</div>Adamhttp://wiki.historyofowensboro.com/index.php?title=Sutherland,_Kentucky&diff=15466Sutherland, Kentucky2026-08-26T22:57:01Z<p>Adam: Cleanup: add infobox and lead, organize into sections, unwrap OCR line breaks</p>
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! colspan="2" style="background:#2b4162; color:#ffffff; text-align:center; font-size:115%;" | Sutherland, Kentucky<br />
|-<br />
| '''Type''' || Neighborhood<br />
|-<br />
| '''County''' || [[Daviess County, Kentucky|Daviess County]]<br />
|-<br />
| '''State''' || Kentucky<br />
|-<br />
| '''Stave factory''' || Built 1875<br />
|-<br />
| '''Population''' || 24 (1906)<br />
|-<br />
| '''Railroad''' || Owensboro &amp; Russellville<br />
|-<br />
| '''Location''' || Rolling hills south of the Panther Creek bottoms<br />
|}<br />
</div><br />
<br />
'''Sutherland''' is a neighborhood in [[Daviess County, Kentucky|Daviess County]], Kentucky, located on rolling hills south of the Panther Creek bottoms.<br />
<br />
==The Land==<br />
It contained fertile soil and was timbered with virgin forests, but was somewhat isolated because of the lack of transportation. A corduroy road, with logs laid crossways to combat the mud, ran south from [[Owensboro, KY|Owensboro]] to a ford at Panther Creek on the south, to connect with a road running east to west through what is now [[Utica, Kentucky|Utica]].<br />
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==Civil War==<br />
A wooden bridge was completed over Panther Creek just in time to permit Union forces on September 19, 1862 to defeat a band of about 400 Confederate troops threatening Owensboro. The Union forces were able, thanks to the new bridge, to bring their cannon into play on the battlefield, thus assuring their victory.<br />
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==Stave Factory and Mill==<br />
In 1875 Thomas S. Pettit and James A. Munday built a stave factory near the Sutherland site and close to the Owensboro &amp; Russellville Railroad. A few years later, Pettit and Levi Marble built a lumber and planing mill nearby. As many as two million staves were shipped by barge to Pittsburgh each year from the factory.<br />
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==Decline and Revival==<br />
But with the clearing of the forest and converting the land to agriculture, the jobs disappeared, and the population declined. By 1906 the population was 24, but Sutherland still had a physician, Dr. Arthur L. Coke, who was a true "country doctor."<br />
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Although the old Sutherland elementary school was demolished, early in the 21st century a new elementary school was constructed there.<br />
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''Reference to article by Glenn Hodges''<br />
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[[Category:Towns]]<br />
[[Category:Daviess County, Kentucky]]</div>Adamhttp://wiki.historyofowensboro.com/index.php?title=St._Joseph,_Kentucky&diff=15465St. Joseph, Kentucky2026-08-26T22:57:01Z<p>Adam: Cleanup: add infobox and lead, organize into sections, unwrap OCR line breaks</p>
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! colspan="2" style="background:#2b4162; color:#ffffff; text-align:center; font-size:115%;" | St. Joseph, Kentucky<br />
|-<br />
| '''Type''' || Community<br />
|-<br />
| '''County''' || [[Daviess County, Kentucky|Daviess County]]<br />
|-<br />
| '''State''' || Kentucky<br />
|-<br />
| '''Also called''' || St. Joe<br />
|-<br />
| '''First log church''' || 1854<br />
|-<br />
| '''First resident pastor''' || Father Ivo Schacht, 1861-1864<br />
|-<br />
| '''Post office''' || July 1886 - 1976<br />
|-<br />
| '''First postmaster''' || Emma Pike<br />
|}<br />
</div><br />
<br />
'''St. Joseph''', locally '''St. Joe''', is a community in [[Daviess County, Kentucky|Daviess County]], Kentucky, that grew up around St. Alphonsus Church.<br />
<br />
==Early Days==<br />
Thomas Downs was the first man who lived in the vicinity of the St. Joseph area. His home was on a hill half a mile south of St. Alphonsus Church. The first log church was built on five acres donated by John Rodman in 1854.<br />
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Some of the early settlers were J.E. Smith and Aquilla P. Blandford. Blandford went to school in a log cabin and came to Daviess County in 1856. He was a school trustee for several years, as well as a trustee of St. Alphonsus Church. W.E. Clark, R.A. Merimee, B.B. Blinco, J.A. Thompson and Thomas Vowels were early settlers. William E. Rodman was a Justice of the Peace for the [[Curdsville, Kentucky|Curdsville]] district. John O. Warren was also an early settler.<br />
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The first resident pastor was Father Ivo Schacht, who served the parish from 1861 to 1864.<br />
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==Civil War Era==<br />
Two young Confederate soldiers were buried under a single tombstone in the St. Alphonsus Cemetery. Charles W. Thompson, 18, and Pierman Powell, 25, were Confederates from the Curdsville precinct and St. Joseph area, and were Union prisoners at Henderson when a Henderson man was shot and wounded by guerillas. Under a rule imposed by General Stephen Burbridge, they were executed. Two soldiers were selected for execution for every "outrage" perpetrated on unarmed Union citizens by guerillas.<br />
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Burbridge was a Union commander of the Department of Kentucky and was greatly disliked for his harsh zeal in behalf of the North.<br />
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In the middle 1860s a log school was built on land where the Ursuline Motherhouse now stands. The log church burned down in 1868.<br />
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==Stores and Post Office==<br />
The new church was built in 1870.<br />
<br />
Patrick Pike opened up a general store in St. Joe in the mid 1880s. The people in the area either had to travel to Curdsville or [[West Louisville, Kentucky|West Louisville]] for their supplies; both were bigger towns. Dr. Patrick Pike died, and Mrs. Pike opened up a general store and a blacksmith shop and had a telephone line. In July 1886, the first post office was opened in the Pike Store. Emma Pike became the first postmaster.<br />
<br />
Victor Merimee and John Rodman were the next two postmasters, until the Ballard Bros. opened up a general store in St. Joe. In 1904 Joseph H. Ballard became postmaster. The mail was handled in the store until Joe Ballard retired in 1942. Since 1942, some of the postmasters were Joseph O'Bryan, Bernard Abell, Mrs. Katherine Riney, Alvin Trogden, Bernard Dockemeyer, Mrs. Mary Clayton and Mrs. Mary O. Mattingly.<br />
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Carl and Norma Medley owned the grocery store until around 1960 and sold it to Wendell and Martine Calhoun. They sold it to Fuzz Brennan in 1969.<br />
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==Water, Fire Station and the Closing of the Post Office==<br />
After a county water line was laid through the St. Joe area in 1969, a new fire station was built in the town in 1975. It had all volunteer fire fighters.<br />
<br />
In 1976 there were two rural routes from St. Joe and the post office had 14 general patrons. The post office closed; the United States Postal Service moved to close down all fourth class post offices to economize. William Mattingly, Jr. was the rural mail carrier for Route 6 and would drop the mail off to be sorted. The mail was then run through the Mt. St. Joe office, and was discontinued to Owensboro in 1995.<br />
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==Nearby Settlements==<br />
Near the St. Joe area was a place called [[Possum Trot, Kentucky|Possum Trot]]. It was referred to by the older residents as Possum Trot and said to have been named by J.P. Waltrip, who said that the narrow hollows located about two miles from St. Joe were full of possums.<br />
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[[Blue Ruin, Kentucky|Blue Ruin]] was another early settlement. It has long since vanished, and New Macedonia Church is built on the exact site of Blue Ruin. Cleveland was still another small community of Curdsville precinct. It was a couple of miles south of West Louisville and the St. Joe area.<br />
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[[Category:Towns]]<br />
[[Category:Daviess County, Kentucky]]</div>Adamhttp://wiki.historyofowensboro.com/index.php?title=Rome,_Kentucky&diff=15464Rome, Kentucky2026-08-26T22:57:01Z<p>Adam: Cleanup: add infobox and lead, organize into sections, unwrap OCR line breaks</p>
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|-<br />
! colspan="2" style="background:#2b4162; color:#ffffff; text-align:center; font-size:115%;" | Rome, Kentucky<br />
|-<br />
| '''Type''' || Village<br />
|-<br />
| '''County''' || [[Daviess County, Kentucky|Daviess County]]<br />
|-<br />
| '''State''' || Kentucky<br />
|-<br />
| '''Settled by''' || German Catholic farm families<br />
|-<br />
| '''Parish organized''' || 1873 (St. Martin)<br />
|-<br />
| '''Post office''' || Established 1885<br />
|-<br />
| '''First postmaster''' || W. J. Tharp<br />
|-<br />
| '''Population''' || 50 (c. 1911)<br />
|-<br />
| '''Location''' || Southeast of Owensboro on KY 81<br />
|}<br />
</div><br />
<br />
'''Rome''' is a village in [[Daviess County, Kentucky|Daviess County]], Kentucky, southeast of [[Owensboro, KY|Owensboro]] on KY 81. It owes its beginning to the migration of German Catholic farm families into the area in the decade after the Civil War.<br />
<br />
==Settlement==<br />
Land in the Panther Creek bottoms was swampy, flood-prone, heavily timbered and cheap. The industrious Germans soon turned the timber into houses and barns, and ditched the area to convert the wetlands into some of the nation's most fertile farmland.<br />
<br />
==St. Martin Parish==<br />
One of the settlers' first priorities was a church. The Parish of St. Martin was organized in 1873, and for a brief time masses were on Tuesday, conducted by a priest from Owensboro. The first permanent priest was Father Louis Herberth.<br />
<br />
==Post Office==<br />
A post office was established in 1885, with W.J. Tharp as postmaster; and by 1911 there was a rural mail delivery route from Rome as well. The village's population at this time was 50, but it served a well-populated rural region.<br />
<br />
==Physicians and School==<br />
Rome in the early twentieth century boasted three physicians: Doctors Charles Medley, Edward Barr and George L. Barr. By 1920 the physicians were gone, but the following year a parochial school opened at St. Martin, taught by the Ursuline nuns. It operated until 1987.<br />
<br />
''Reference to article by Lee Dew''<br />
<br />
[[Category:Towns]]<br />
[[Category:Daviess County, Kentucky]]</div>Adamhttp://wiki.historyofowensboro.com/index.php?title=Red_Hill,_Kentucky&diff=15463Red Hill, Kentucky2026-08-26T22:57:01Z<p>Adam: Cleanup: add infobox and lead, organize into sections, unwrap OCR line breaks</p>
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<div><div style="float:right; clear:right; margin:0 0 1em 1em;"><br />
{| style="width:260px; font-size:90%; border:1px solid #aaa; border-collapse:collapse; background:#ffffff; color:#222222;"<br />
|-<br />
! colspan="2" style="background:#2b4162; color:#ffffff; text-align:center; font-size:115%;" | Red Hill, Kentucky<br />
|-<br />
| '''Type''' || Community<br />
|-<br />
| '''County''' || [[Daviess County, Kentucky|Daviess County]]<br />
|-<br />
| '''State''' || Kentucky<br />
|-<br />
| '''Also known as''' || Andersonville<br />
|-<br />
| '''Church organized''' || September 9, 1893<br />
|-<br />
| '''Post office''' || 1892-1906 (as Andersonville)<br />
|-<br />
| '''Location''' || About 14 miles from Owensboro on KY 140<br />
|}<br />
</div><br />
<br />
'''Red Hill''' is a community in [[Daviess County, Kentucky|Daviess County]], Kentucky, about fourteen miles from [[Owensboro, KY|Owensboro]]. It was first known as '''[[Andersonville, Kentucky|Andersonville]]'''.<br />
<br />
==Early Settlers==<br />
Some of the early residents, and most noticeable family names around the area, include but are not limited to the Yeisers, Salmons, Cundiffs, Hoovers, Johnsons, and Parks.<br />
<br />
==School==<br />
There was a school house in Red Hill located near the crossroads, named the Red Hill School House. It educated many generations of young people in the community throughout the years until it closed. In 1886, the teacher at the school house was Miss Mollie Dalson.<br />
<br />
In the late 1800s, the school house was also used by Elders Daniel E. Yeiser and B.Y. Cundiff to hold church services. These services were held until September 9th, 1893, when members from [[Sugar Grove Baptist Church|Sugar Grove Baptist]], [[Green Brier Baptist Church|Green Brier Baptist]], and Oak Grove Baptist Churches came together and formed a new church in the neighborhood. This new church would be called [[Red Hill Baptist Church]], after the school house nearby.<br />
<br />
==General Stores==<br />
In 1886, there was one general store owned by G.O. May. Later in the twentieth century there were two general stores directly across from each other, one owned by the Salmon family and the other by Homer Cossler. These two stores formed an interesting business partnership: when one store did not carry something the customer needed, they were sent to the other store for what they needed. Salmon's store shut down in the early 1950s, and Homer Cossler's store closed in the late 1960s or very early 1970s.<br />
<br />
==Hal Riddle==<br />
Red Hill was also home to William Harold Riddle, better known as Hal Riddle. Riddle was a Hollywood star and part of the movie industry in Hollywood, and a part of Broadway theater for years, and is best known for his role in ''Little House on the Prairie''.<br />
<br />
Although the community is not as vibrant as it once was, it is still alive and well in the memory of those who grew up and lived there.<br />
<br />
==Andersonville Post Office==<br />
The post office of ''Andersonville'', which was established by Americus F. Davis on June 30, 1892 (and closed in March 1906), was on Ky. 140, at the site of the crossroads hamlet now locally called ''Red Hill'', thirteen miles SSE of Owensboro. It is not known for which of the county's several prominent Andersons it was named. Samuel Anderson was a pioneer preacher; James B. Anderson (1808-1867) was the director of Owensboro's first bank (established 1850); and the brothers T. S. and W. K. Anderson, also bankers, served many county farmers.<br />
<br />
{| style="border-collapse:collapse; background:#ffffff; color:#222222; font-size:95%;"<br />
|-<br />
! style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px; background:#2b4162; color:#ffffff;" | Postmaster !! style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px; background:#2b4162; color:#ffffff;" | Appointment Year !! style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px; background:#2b4162; color:#ffffff;" | Compensation !! style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px; background:#2b4162; color:#ffffff;" | Compensation Year<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | Americus F. Davis || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 6/30/1892 || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | $19.79 || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1893<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | $31.63 || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1895<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | $37.28 || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1897<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | $43.56 || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1899<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | Travis M. Chapel || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | <br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | $56.73 || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1901<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | $52.56 || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1903<br />
|-<br />
| style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | $37.69 || style="border:1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:4px 8px;" | 1905<br />
|}<br />
<br />
[[File:1886-Red-Hill.jpg|thumb|left|437x437px|1886 Directory Listing for Red Hill]]<br />
{{Clear}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Towns]]<br />
[[Category:Daviess County, Kentucky]]</div>Adamhttp://wiki.historyofowensboro.com/index.php?title=Philpot,_Kentucky&diff=15462Philpot, Kentucky2026-08-26T22:57:01Z<p>Adam: Cleanup: add infobox and lead, organize into sections, unwrap OCR line breaks</p>
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{| style="width:260px; font-size:90%; border:1px solid #aaa; border-collapse:collapse; background:#ffffff; color:#222222;"<br />
|-<br />
! colspan="2" style="background:#2b4162; color:#ffffff; text-align:center; font-size:115%;" | Philpot, Kentucky<br />
|-<br />
| '''Type''' || Unincorporated community<br />
|-<br />
| '''County''' || [[Daviess County, Kentucky|Daviess County]]<br />
|-<br />
| '''State''' || Kentucky<br />
|-<br />
| '''Also known as''' || Philpott, Philpott Station<br />
|-<br />
| '''Founded''' || March 1872<br />
|-<br />
| '''Named for''' || Augustus J. Philpott<br />
|-<br />
| '''Post office''' || Established June 1872<br />
|-<br />
| '''Population''' || 42 (1892)<br />
|-<br />
| '''Location''' || Along KY 54<br />
|}<br />
</div><br />
<br />
'''Philpot''', formerly '''Philpott''' or '''Philpott Station''', is an unincorporated community in [[Daviess County, Kentucky|Daviess County]], Kentucky, extending for several miles along KY 54.<br />
<br />
==Founding==<br />
Philpott and Company, which was made up of Samuel Clements, John Marcus Wagoner, and Augustus J. Philpott, bought two acres on the Leitchfield Road in March 1872. There they built a general store, a house and a blacksmith shop. In June 1872 a post office was established and named for Philpott.<br />
<br />
==Name Changes==<br />
In 1875 the name was changed to Philpott's Station because it was on the stagecoach line between [[Owensboro, KY|Owensboro]] and Leitchfield. Later the name was shortened to Philpot. Founder Augustus Philpott operated the town's first grocery store and ran an unsuccessful race for the Kentucky House of Representatives in 1875.<br />
<br />
==Growth==<br />
By 1874, Philpott had its first physician, Dr. Samuel J. Harris, and a decade later had added a flour mill and sawmill. The railroad from Owensboro to Fordsville was opened in 1889, and by 1892 the population had increased to 42 people.<br />
<br />
==Philpot Today==<br />
Philpot has never been an incorporated community, but has continued to grow. The establishment of Premium Allied Tool Company greatly increased employment opportunities, and the area has developed as a residential suburb of Owensboro. By 2010 Philpot extended for several miles along KY 54. It is the current site of the Lion's Club County Fairgrounds.<br />
<br />
==Schools==<br />
* Philpot School House<br />
* Philpot Elementary<br />
<br />
==Churches==<br />
* [[Hopewell Baptist Church]]<br />
* [[Dawson Baptist Church]]<br />
<br />
[[File:1886-Philpot.jpg|thumb|left|432x432px|1886 Directory Listing for Philpot]]<br />
{{Clear}}<br />
<br />
''Reference to an article by Glenn Hodges''<br />
<br />
[[Category:Towns]]<br />
[[Category:Daviess County, Kentucky]]</div>Adamhttp://wiki.historyofowensboro.com/index.php?title=Pettit,_Kentucky&diff=15461Pettit, Kentucky2026-08-26T22:57:01Z<p>Adam: Cleanup: add infobox and lead, organize into sections, unwrap OCR line breaks</p>
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{| style="width:260px; font-size:90%; border:1px solid #aaa; border-collapse:collapse; background:#ffffff; color:#222222;"<br />
|-<br />
! colspan="2" style="background:#2b4162; color:#ffffff; text-align:center; font-size:115%;" | Pettit, Kentucky<br />
|-<br />
| '''Type''' || Former depot community<br />
|-<br />
| '''County''' || [[Daviess County, Kentucky|Daviess County]]<br />
|-<br />
| '''State''' || Kentucky<br />
|-<br />
| '''Named for''' || Thomas S. Pettit, newspaper editor<br />
|-<br />
| '''Railroad''' || Owensboro and Russellville<br />
|-<br />
| '''Settled''' || 1872, by woodcutters<br />
|-<br />
| '''Location''' || Panther Creek bottoms<br />
|}<br />
</div><br />
<br />
'''Pettit''' was a depot community in [[Daviess County, Kentucky|Daviess County]], Kentucky, in the Panther Creek bottoms, named for the newspaper editor whose land the railroad crossed.<br />
<br />
==Thomas S. Pettit==<br />
Thomas S. Pettit, editor of the ''Owensboro Monitor'' during much of the 1860s, was a great "booster" for the development of Daviess County. He was particularly vocal in support of the county's first railroad, the Owensboro and Russellville. He saw the line, completed as far as Livermore in 1871, as making accessible a vast stand of virgin timber on land Pettit owned along Panther Creek.<br />
<br />
==The Depot==<br />
As was the custom, he donated land upon which to build the railroad to the O. &amp; R. company, and also land for a depot which was named Pettit in his honor. Before the coming of the railroad, the low, swampy Panther Creek bottoms had little value, but Pettit envisioned his acres cleared of the valuable timber which would be converted into lumber, barrel staves, railroad cross ties and other salable products.<br />
<br />
==Clearing the Bottoms==<br />
The land, once drained, would be some of the richest farmland anywhere, and would be one of the reasons that Daviess County would become one of six Kentucky counties included in the U.S. Cornbelt. By 1872 a small community of woodcutters developed around the depot and began realizing Pettit's vision.<br />
<br />
However, the location was unhealthy, and the wood cutting and processing soon moved south to higher ground at [[Sutherland, Kentucky|Sutherland]]. Although the area is still prone to flooding, a perhaps advantage to the bottoms clearing was the mitigation of the anopheles mosquitoes which had long been the cause of malaria in the area and a bane to development.<br />
<br />
==Pettit Today==<br />
The name Pettit still stuck, and today it is home to a few families and a Baptist church.<br />
<br />
''Reference to article by Glenn Hodges''<br />
<br />
[[Category:Towns]]<br />
[[Category:Daviess County, Kentucky]]</div>Adamhttp://wiki.historyofowensboro.com/index.php?title=Moseleyville,_Kentucky&diff=15460Moseleyville, Kentucky2026-08-26T22:57:01Z<p>Adam: Cleanup: add infobox and lead, organize into sections, unwrap OCR line breaks</p>
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<div><div style="float:right; clear:right; margin:0 0 1em 1em;"><br />
{| style="width:260px; font-size:90%; border:1px solid #aaa; border-collapse:collapse; background:#ffffff; color:#222222;"<br />
|-<br />
! colspan="2" style="background:#2b4162; color:#ffffff; text-align:center; font-size:115%;" | Moseleyville, Kentucky<br />
|-<br />
| '''Type''' || Former community<br />
|-<br />
| '''County''' || [[Daviess County, Kentucky|Daviess County]]<br />
|-<br />
| '''State''' || Kentucky<br />
|-<br />
| '''Former names''' || Narrowville, Narrows, Narrows Bridge<br />
|-<br />
| '''Mill built''' || c. 1830, by Johnathan Barnett<br />
|-<br />
| '''Post office''' || 1842–1909 (under several names)<br />
|-<br />
| '''Coal mines''' || Seven within a mile by 1902<br />
|-<br />
| '''Location''' || Lower Panther Creek bottoms<br />
|}<br />
</div><br />
<br />
'''Moseleyville''' was a community in the lower Panther Creek bottoms of [[Daviess County, Kentucky|Daviess County]], Kentucky, which grew up around a grist mill and passed through four names before settling on Moseleyville in 1886.<br />
<br />
==The Mill==<br />
Settlement came slowly to the lower Panther Creek bottoms, but there were enough farmers working the rich lands of the area to justify a mill. Sometime about 1830, Johnathan Barnett built a water-powered grist mill on the creek near a spot called Narrows. Around 1860, the mill was fully equipped to grind wheat into flour and to saw lumber. The mill was later bought by the Vanover family and was afterward known as Vanover's Mill. The mill was destroyed by fire in 1900, but by then a little settlement had grown up around the site.<br />
<br />
==Names and Post Office==<br />
It was first called Narrowville, and a post office was established there in 1842. The office was discontinued in 1845, then re-established as Narrows in 1850. In 1852 the office was again closed, reopening as Narrows Bridge in 1867. It closed again in 1870, and reopened as Moseleyville in 1886. Postal service ended in 1909, but the name remained. At various times Jesse B. Moseley, Presley T. Moseley and John P. Moseley all served as postmasters.<br />
<br />
==Tile Factory==<br />
The Clark Manufacturing Company built a factory in Moseleyville in 1895 to manufacture field drainage tiles, bricks, and blocks. Products were shipped by barge down Panther Creek to Green River and on to markets as far away as Illinois. The facility was torn down in 1973.<br />
<br />
==Coal Mining==<br />
Coal seams were found in the hillsides, and by 1902 there were seven mines operating within a mile of the town. Among the mines were the Bramer, English, Nation, Rafferty, Wood, Vanover, Miller, Vowels and Church.<br />
<br />
==Schools==<br />
The tile plant and coal mines meant jobs, and as the population grew there came the need for a school. About 1900 the first school was built in the home of Jack Moseley, with "about" thirty-five students.<br />
<br />
The modern school building was built in 1927 and named for County Superintendent J.W. Snyder, and in 1930 a house was built next door for the principal, J.R. Martin.<br />
<br />
==Miller Lakes==<br />
In 1939, T.P. Miller constructed Miller Lakes, which had a swimming lake, a fishing lake, a small zoo and other attractions. Miller's sons, Hal and Tom, later developed Windy Hollow Lake and Restaurant, and the Windy Hollow Racetrack. The Miller Mines Company Store was located at the site of the race track.<br />
<br />
''With reference to Roger Berry article''<br />
<br />
[[Category:Towns]]<br />
[[Category:Daviess County, Kentucky]]</div>Adamhttp://wiki.historyofowensboro.com/index.php?title=Masonville,_Kentucky&diff=15459Masonville, Kentucky2026-08-26T22:57:00Z<p>Adam: Cleanup: add infobox and lead, organize into sections, unwrap OCR line breaks</p>
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{| style="width:260px; font-size:90%; border:1px solid #aaa; border-collapse:collapse; background:#ffffff; color:#222222;"<br />
|-<br />
! colspan="2" style="background:#2b4162; color:#ffffff; text-align:center; font-size:115%;" | Masonville, Kentucky<br />
|-<br />
| '''Type''' || Village<br />
|-<br />
| '''County''' || [[Daviess County, Kentucky|Daviess County]]<br />
|-<br />
| '''State''' || Kentucky<br />
|-<br />
| '''First settler''' || A man named Wiley, 1815<br />
|-<br />
| '''Named for''' || George Mason of Gunston Hall, Virginia<br />
|-<br />
| '''Laid out by''' || George Triplett, county surveyor<br />
|-<br />
| '''Post office''' || Established 1857<br />
|-<br />
| '''Population''' || 100 (1876); 41 (1906)<br />
|-<br />
| '''Location''' || On the Hartford Road (U.S. 231)<br />
|}<br />
</div><br />
<br />
'''Masonville''' is a village in [[Daviess County, Kentucky|Daviess County]], Kentucky, on the old Hartford Road — the buffalo trail that brought the first settlers to the county — named for a Virginian who never lived there.<br />
<br />
==Settlement==<br />
The first resident of what would become Masonville was a man named Wiley, who settled at the forks of Panther Creek in 1815. Five years later James Kirk settled nearby, and in 1827 Christopher "Kit" Jackson arrived and purchased Wiley's land.<br />
<br />
Masonville was named for George Mason of Gunston Hall, Virginia, who was the original owner of a large tract of land he received as a land grant. Mason was an author of the Bill of Rights, had large land holdings in Daviess County, and was the original owner of the plat on which Masonville was built.<br />
<br />
George Triplett, Daviess County surveyor, who was also county judge and a member of the state Senate and House of Representatives and the Confederate Congress, laid out the plans for the growing village.<br />
<br />
==Churches==<br />
The first church in Masonville Precinct was [[Bethabara Baptist Church]], organized in 1825. It was originally open to all denominations and most of its members were women. With the church on the verge of collapse when only two male members remained and the minister and male clerk had left, Polly Stout volunteered to serve as clerk, a position of authority not many women held in that era. A new minister was found and the church went on to prosper.<br />
<br />
Macedonia Baptist Church was started in 1849 by the Lashbrook and Hale families, and [[Sugar Grove Baptist Church|Sugar Grove Baptist]] was begun in 1861 by the Yewell, Noel, and Dawson families. Masonville Christian Church was organized in 1859.<br />
<br />
==School and Post Office==<br />
The first school was built in 1820 where Bethabara cemetery is now located.<br />
<br />
A post office was established in 1857 but was shut down during the Civil War, to reopen at war's end.<br />
<br />
==Civil War Records==<br />
Four Masonville men had interesting war records. Capt. William J. Taylor fought in the Mexican War and also served under Confederate Capt. Charles Noel of Masonville during the Civil War. After the war, Taylor returned to his farm and was elected to the Kentucky House of Representatives in 1875.<br />
<br />
Capt. Noel was credited with helping to organize Sugar Grove Church. He and Taylor raised a company of Confederate cavalry, and he was killed in Alabama in 1862.<br />
<br />
Two other Masonville residents fought for the Confederacy — Squire Camp, who fought at the Battle of Sutherland Hill in 1862, and Adam Yeiser, who fought at Perryville and other battles.<br />
<br />
==Growth and Decline==<br />
By 1876 Masonville had a population of 100, and by 1883 boasted a blacksmith shop, a wagon shop, a general store, and a Masonic Lodge. By 1906 the population of the village was listed as 41, but the surrounding area was sufficiently populated that two physicians — Dr. J.W. Ellis and Dr. Alvah J. Gordon — practiced there.<br />
<br />
Masonville was located on the Hartford Road, the old buffalo trail which brought the first visitors and settlers to Daviess County, but it never acquired railroad service. With the paving of the highway between Owensboro and Hartford (U.S. 231) the town got a new lease on life, as people could now live in Masonville and commute easily to jobs in Owensboro.<br />
<br />
''Reference to an article by Glenn Hodges.''<br />
<br />
[[Category:Towns]]<br />
[[Category:Daviess County, Kentucky]]</div>Adamhttp://wiki.historyofowensboro.com/index.php?title=Livia,_Kentucky&diff=15458Livia, Kentucky2026-08-26T22:57:00Z<p>Adam: Cleanup: add infobox and lead, organize into sections, unwrap OCR line breaks</p>
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{| style="width:260px; font-size:90%; border:1px solid #aaa; border-collapse:collapse; background:#ffffff; color:#222222;"<br />
|-<br />
! colspan="2" style="background:#2b4162; color:#ffffff; text-align:center; font-size:115%;" | Livia, Kentucky<br />
|-<br />
| '''Type''' || Former railroad community<br />
|-<br />
| '''County''' || [[Daviess County, Kentucky|Daviess County]]<br />
|-<br />
| '''State''' || Kentucky<br />
|-<br />
| '''Former name''' || Riley's Station<br />
|-<br />
| '''Named for''' || Olivia Hansford<br />
|-<br />
| '''Railroad''' || Owensboro and Russellville<br />
|-<br />
| '''Population''' || 25 (1914)<br />
|-<br />
| '''Passenger service ended''' || 1941<br />
|}<br />
</div><br />
<br />
'''Livia''' was a railroad community in [[Daviess County, Kentucky|Daviess County]], Kentucky, first known as '''Riley's Station'''.<br />
<br />
==Naming==<br />
Riley's Station was a stop on the Owensboro and Russellville railroad. It was named for Higdon Riley, a tobacco farmer who gave the land for the depot building. Later, when a post office was established there, the name was changed to Livia to honor Olivia Hansford, who was said to be the most beautiful girl in the district.<br />
<br />
==The Railroad Years==<br />
By the 1890s Livia boasted a tobacco factory, several stores, a school and a blacksmith shop.<br />
<br />
Like many small towns founded by the building of the railroads, the O & R railroad was the town's lifeline for two generations. Farmers in the area had access to the markets of [[Owensboro, KY|Owensboro]] for the sale of their products, and Livia merchants depended on rail express shipments for their supplies. Two passenger trains per day offered transportation to Owensboro — for people, live chickens, eggs, fresh vegetables and fruit, and dairy products.<br />
<br />
==Decline==<br />
By 1914, Livia had a population of 25 and had two physicians, Dr. Alpha F. Ayer and Dr. Augustus W. Crow. The paving of U.S. 431 meant that cars and trucks offered greater mobility, and by 1941 passenger rail service ended, and economic activities were siphoned off to Owensboro, reducing Livia to a collection of homes, Coke's general store and a post office attached to the store.<br />
<br />
[[File:1886-Livia.jpg|thumb|left|430x430px|1886 Directory Listing for Livia]]<br />
{{Clear}}<br />
<br />
''Reference article by Glenn Hodges''<br />
<br />
[[Category:Towns]]<br />
[[Category:Daviess County, Kentucky]]</div>Adamhttp://wiki.historyofowensboro.com/index.php?title=Knottsville,_Kentucky&diff=15457Knottsville, Kentucky2026-08-26T22:57:00Z<p>Adam: Cleanup: add infobox and lead, organize into sections, unwrap OCR line breaks</p>
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|-<br />
! colspan="2" style="background:#2b4162; color:#ffffff; text-align:center; font-size:115%;" | Knottsville, Kentucky<br />
|-<br />
| '''Type''' || Community<br />
|-<br />
| '''County''' || [[Daviess County, Kentucky|Daviess County]]<br />
|-<br />
| '''State''' || Kentucky<br />
|-<br />
| '''Earlier names''' || Goreham; Grocery; Blacksmith Shop; Heart's Delight<br />
|-<br />
| '''Laid out''' || 1836, by William R. Griffith and James Millay<br />
|-<br />
| '''Named for''' || Leonard Knott, town blacksmith<br />
|-<br />
| '''First house''' || 1827<br />
|-<br />
| '''Location''' || Eastern Daviess County, on the old Vincennes-Hartford trail<br />
|}<br />
</div><br />
<br />
'''Knottsville''' is a community in eastern [[Daviess County, Kentucky|Daviess County]], Kentucky, on the old Indian trail from Vincennes, Indiana to Hartford. It went by several colorful names before it became known as Knottsville, and was the cradle of the county's first Catholic community.<br />
<br />
==Goreham==<br />
The first settlement there was called Goreham and was 1½ miles east of where Knottsville was eventually built. At one time it had a post office — the only one in that section of the county, second only to the post office in Yellow Banks. A town was staked off, some buildings erected, and the community was named for a resident, Thomas Goreham. A voting place was established there.<br />
<br />
==Naming==<br />
The village that became Knottsville was laid out in 1836 by William R. Griffith and James Millay. For the first few years it was called the "Grocery", "Blacksmith Shop", and "Heart's Delight". But when Griffin was elected to the state legislature, he had the town named Knottsville. That was to honor Leonard Knott, who had built the first house there in 1827 and was the town blacksmith. The name Knottsville endured.<br />
<br />
==Early Businesses==<br />
Millay ran the first store in Knottsville. Other early settlers included B.J. McDaniel, William Higdon, L.T. Brown, and Mrs. Mary Drury. By the 1880s, the village of Knottsville included two general stores, a drug store, a shoe shop, a wagon shop, two undertaker parlors, a flour mill, saw and grist mills, and three tobacco factories.<br />
<br />
Many Native Americans lived in that section of Daviess County in earlier years, and a large hill six miles east of Knottsville, now in Hancock County, was named Indian Hill because of the stone houses or huts that had been erected there.<br />
<br />
==First Settlers of the Precinct==<br />
Valentine Felty Husk was the first settler of the Knottsville precinct. He came from Virginia to Yellow Banks in 1796, and a few years later moved up the river to the mouth of Pup Creek. He stayed there awhile, then in 1804 followed the Indian trail inland and settled on the Knottsville-[[Yelvington, Kentucky|Yelvington]] Road.<br />
<br />
Shortly thereafter, George Raleigh, Charles, and Benjamin Duncan came from Nelson County. James Adams settled in a spot about four miles northwest of Knottsville. The Smeathers and Bell families arrived soon afterward.<br />
<br />
==Catholic Community==<br />
The first religious service in the precinct was conducted by a preacher named Craig in the house of Benjamin Duncan in 1808. Knottsville was the cradle of the county's first Catholic community, and the Knottsville precinct would draw hundreds of early settlers to the popular religious revivals every year at the nearby campgrounds.<br />
<br />
The first priest to visit the section was Father Elisha Durbin, who came once a month from Union County. [[St. Lawrence Church|St. Lawrence]], the oldest Catholic Church in Daviess County, was started in 1821 in the home of Mr. and Mrs. Ezekiel Henning on Aull Road east of Knottsville. A log church was built in 1831 and Father John Wathen became the first resident pastor in 1833. In 1839, a brick church was built. It was replaced in 1870 with the present church, which was dedicated in 1872.<br />
<br />
==Coal Mining==<br />
Coal mining became an important activity in the Knottsville area late in the 19th century, and this activity continues to the present. At first the mines were "slope" mines, burrowing into coal seams exposed on hillsides. Improved mining techniques later led to strip mining, which greatly reduced mining employment.<br />
<br />
==Community Life==<br />
Always a strong Catholic community, Knottsville youngsters were prone to intermarry with Catholic families from [[Whitesville, Kentucky|Whitesville]], according to Judge Gene Lanham, a descendent of early settlers. The Mary Carrico parochial school and the Bishop Soeneker Nursing Home continue the tradition of strong Catholic influence in the shaping of the abiding closeness of the people of Knottsville.<br />
<br />
==Businesses in Knottsville==<br />
* [[J. B. Aud & Brothers]] - Merchants<br />
* [[Knottsville Free Public Library]]<br />
<br />
''Reference to an article by Glenn Hodges''<br />
<br />
[[Category:Towns]]<br />
[[Category:Daviess County, Kentucky]]</div>Adamhttp://wiki.historyofowensboro.com/index.php?title=Iceland_Landing&diff=15456Iceland Landing2026-08-26T22:57:00Z<p>Adam: Cleanup: add infobox and lead, organize into sections, unwrap OCR line breaks</p>
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|-<br />
! colspan="2" style="background:#2b4162; color:#ffffff; text-align:center; font-size:115%;" | Iceland Landing<br />
|-<br />
| '''Type''' || Ohio River landing<br />
|-<br />
| '''County''' || [[Daviess County, Kentucky|Daviess County]]<br />
|-<br />
| '''State''' || Kentucky<br />
|-<br />
| '''Named for''' || Ice cutting a natural port into the bank<br />
|-<br />
| '''First owner''' || Richard Hawes, founder of Hawesville<br />
|-<br />
| '''Later owners''' || The Taylor family<br />
|-<br />
| '''Location''' || Off Highway 60 on the Iceland Road, near Maceo<br />
|}<br />
</div><br />
<br />
'''Iceland Landing''' is a landing on the Ohio River in [[Daviess County, Kentucky|Daviess County]], Kentucky, located off Highway 60 on the Iceland Road near [[Maceo, Kentucky|Maceo]].<br />
<br />
==Anti-Slavery Crossings==<br />
Iceland Landing is most notably associated with Daviess County's part in the anti-slavery movement. It was a point on the Ohio River slaves would most likely utilize to cross onto free soil. Before the Civil War, many slaves were able to cross due to low waters during the dry season. Slave advertisements in the 1850s have been found referring to Iceland Landing as an area where slaves managed to escape. Some slaves were even aided by anti-slavery activists from the Rockport area and others from Daviess County.<br />
<br />
==Native American Trail==<br />
Iceland was an old Native American trail that led to the Hartford area in Ohio County. Many Native American artifacts have been found in the vicinity of Iceland Landing, such as knives, axes, and pipes.<br />
<br />
==The Port==<br />
It was also a well-known port on the Ohio River used by many who lived in Daviess County, and especially those from the [[Yelvington, Kentucky|Yelvington]] neighborhood.<br />
<br />
When the river would freeze, ice would hit the banks of Rockport and travel downriver to the Daviess County side, subsequently cutting into the bank, creating a natural port where boats could land so they could load and unload goods. Therefore the name Iceland Landing was rightfully bestowed upon the landing.<br />
<br />
==Ownership and Commerce==<br />
The landing was first owned by Richard Hawes, the founder of Hawesville, and then changed hands into the Taylor family. Hawes wished to develop the port into a chief site of commerce along the river. In Yelvington, a warehouse was built by George Birk to store the goods brought to the landing. It was also where Nathan Allgood, a lumber merchant, built his logs into rafts and floated them down river to Evansville saw mills.<br />
<br />
[[Category:Towns]]<br />
[[Category:Daviess County, Kentucky]]</div>Adamhttp://wiki.historyofowensboro.com/index.php?title=Habit,_Kentucky&diff=15455Habit, Kentucky2026-08-26T22:57:00Z<p>Adam: Cleanup: add infobox and lead, organize into sections, unwrap OCR line breaks</p>
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! colspan="2" style="background:#2b4162; color:#ffffff; text-align:center; font-size:115%;" | Habit, Kentucky<br />
|-<br />
| '''Type''' || Former farm community<br />
|-<br />
| '''County''' || [[Daviess County, Kentucky|Daviess County]]<br />
|-<br />
| '''State''' || Kentucky<br />
|-<br />
| '''Former name''' || Bethabara<br />
|-<br />
| '''Incorporated''' || July 30, 1884<br />
|-<br />
| '''Named for''' || Frederick Habit, English-born blacksmith<br />
|-<br />
| '''Post office''' || 1884–1906<br />
|-<br />
| '''First postmaster''' || James C. Miller<br />
|-<br />
| '''Settled by''' || 1815<br />
|}<br />
</div><br />
<br />
'''Habit''' was a thriving farm community in [[Daviess County, Kentucky|Daviess County]], Kentucky. Officially incorporated July 30th, 1884, the post office at Habit was established and named for the English-born blacksmith Frederick Habit.<br />
<br />
==Bethabara==<br />
The community's focal point was [[Bethabara Baptist Church]], one of the oldest churches in Daviess County. It was organized October 5th, 1825 by members from surrounding churches such as [[Yelvington Baptist Church|Yelvington]] and [[Panther Creek Baptist Church|Panther Creek]] Baptist Churches.<br />
<br />
The Habit area was first settled by 1815, the year Daviess County was established. Until the late 1800s the community was known as Bethabara, and some of the area's earliest settlers were Kirks, Millers, Bristows, Barnhills, and Harrisons, just to name a few.<br />
<br />
==First School==<br />
The first school near Habit was Tribbel's School House, named for Jack Tribbel, its first teacher. The school was organized in 1825, and located on the present site of the Bethabara Church Cemetery.<br />
<br />
==War Soldiers==<br />
During the Mexican and Civil Wars, Habit produced many soldiers, some of whom are buried in Bethabara Church Cemetery. Some of the most noteworthy Civil War veterans include Squire Adams Camp and James H. Bozarth.<br />
<br />
==After the War==<br />
After the Civil War, Habit experienced rapid growth, and by 1876 a general store had opened up across from the church.<br />
<br />
In 1886, the community of Habit had a physician, Dr. L.G. Armendt; Glass &amp; Becker's wagon maker's shop; a post office; Habit &amp; Coots blacksmith shop; Miller's general merchandise store; a school and a school teacher, Miss Mamie Miller; and, of course, Bethabara Baptist Church. Habit also at one time had a Masonic Lodge, a railroad station, a grist mill, and in 1889 a "summer hotel" run by Hiram Bristow.<br />
<br />
==Post Office==<br />
The first postmaster of Habit was James C. Miller (1884–1891), followed by Henry C. Miller Jr. (1891–1903), and the last was James W. Harrison (1903–1906). On September 29th, 1906 the post office closed, and the mail was then sent to [[Philpot, Kentucky|Philpot]].<br />
<br />
[[File:1886-Habit.jpg|thumb|left|415x415px|1886 Directory Listing for Habit]]<br />
{{Clear}}<br />
<br />
''Reference to an article by Isaac Settle''<br />
<br />
[[Category:Towns]]<br />
[[Category:Daviess County, Kentucky]]</div>Adamhttp://wiki.historyofowensboro.com/index.php?title=Grissom%27s_Landing&diff=15454Grissom's Landing2026-08-26T22:57:00Z<p>Adam: Cleanup: add infobox and lead, organize into sections, unwrap OCR line breaks</p>
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! colspan="2" style="background:#2b4162; color:#ffffff; text-align:center; font-size:115%;" | Grissom's Landing<br />
|-<br />
| '''Type''' || Former river village<br />
|-<br />
| '''County''' || [[Daviess County, Kentucky|Daviess County]]<br />
|-<br />
| '''State''' || Kentucky<br />
|-<br />
| '''Named for''' || Alfred Grissom, settled 1856<br />
|-<br />
| '''Post office''' || 1868–1899; renamed Grissom 1895<br />
|-<br />
| '''First postmaster''' || Thomas Monarch<br />
|-<br />
| '''Location''' || Ohio River, nine miles below Owensboro<br />
|}<br />
</div><br />
<br />
'''Grissom's Landing''' was a village on the Ohio River in [[Daviess County, Kentucky|Daviess County]], Kentucky, nine miles below [[Owensboro, KY|Owensboro]]. Most of the town moved to [[Stanley, Kentucky|Stanley]] when the railroad was built through there in 1888.<br />
<br />
==Namesake==<br />
The town was named after Alfred Grissom, who settled in the area in 1856. He originally came to Daviess County in 1828/29 and first settled in Owensboro and worked as a tailor. In February 1930, Alfred Grissom lived in St. Louis. His last 18 years were in the Old Folks Home there.<br />
<br />
==Town Information==<br />
[[File:1886-Grissoms-landing.jpg|thumb|right|1886 Directory Listing for Grissom's Landing]]<br />
In 1874, the ''Owensboro Monitor'' stated that Grissom Landing did not "show off" well from the river and one would not suspect that up the bank is a good sized village. It is noted that the village could boast of one of the best string bands to be found anywhere, composed of Messrs. Gaw, Mattingly, Price and others.<br />
<br />
As of 1883, there were two stores, a hotel, post office, and U. S. Express Company agency.<br />
<br />
In 1888, the railroad was being built through Stanley and most of this town moved there.<br />
<br />
The road consisted of dirt and in the winter became quite muddy. The Monarch family helped to build the Grissom Landing rock roads to Stanley after 1890, since that would help them transport whiskey via the railroad.<br />
<br />
==1904 Land Sale==<br />
[[File:Grissom_Landing_Sale.jpg|thumb|right|The Messenger, Thursday Jan 24, 1904 - Land Sale at Grissom Landing]]<br />
In January 1904, there was a Master Commissioners sale of Grissom Landing farms, hotel and lots. One tract had 50 acres; one tract had an acre with hotel, and one tract with an old mill.<br />
<br />
==Post Office==<br />
Thomas Monarch became Postmaster in 1868 for 20 years, followed by James Mattingly and William Grissom. The name changed to Grissom in 1895. James Ralston, Richard Graham, and Richard Monarch were the last Postmasters until in 1899 it closed and papers were transferred to Stanley.<br />
<br />
==Businesses in Oakford Precinct==<br />
* [[Eagle Distillery]]<br />
<br />
[[Category:Towns]]<br />
[[Category:Daviess County, Kentucky]]</div>Adamhttp://wiki.historyofowensboro.com/index.php?title=Gatewood,_Kentucky&diff=15453Gatewood, Kentucky2026-08-26T22:56:57Z<p>Adam: Cleanup: add infobox and lead, organize into sections, unwrap OCR line breaks</p>
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! colspan="2" style="background:#2b4162; color:#ffffff; text-align:center; font-size:115%;" | Gatewood, Kentucky<br />
|-<br />
| '''Type''' || Community<br />
|-<br />
| '''County''' || [[Daviess County, Kentucky|Daviess County]]<br />
|-<br />
| '''State''' || Kentucky<br />
|-<br />
| '''Named for''' || Griffin Gatewood<br />
|-<br />
| '''Oldest institution''' || Friendly Grove Baptist Church<br />
|-<br />
| '''Masonic Lodge''' || Organized 1868<br />
|-<br />
| '''Location''' || KY 1389, a mile south of the Hancock County line<br />
|}<br />
</div><br />
<br />
'''Gatewood''' is a [[Daviess County, Kentucky|Daviess County]] community on Kentucky 1389, about a mile south of the Hancock County line. The area was settled very early, as it offered fertile, rolling, well-drained land, lots of timber for buildings, and Blackford Creek as an avenue of transportation.<br />
<br />
==Naming==<br />
The town was probably named for Griffin Gatewood, who at the age of eleven moved with his family to Hancock County in 1830. His father died in 1838 and Gatewood moved across the creek to Daviess the next year.<br />
<br />
==Early Village==<br />
Few records exist for the early history of the village, but Isaac W. Lambert is known to have operated a farm and small grocery store. The oldest entity in Gatewood was [[Friendly Grove Baptist Church]]. The Rev. William Head was the pastor of Friendly Grove and Rock Spring ([[Yelvington, Kentucky|Yelvington]]) churches in 1842.<br />
<br />
==Lodge, Schools and Store==<br />
A Masonic Lodge was organized in 1868. A plat of the town in 1876 shows a school about a quarter mile out Kentucky 951. There was also a previous school, the Scifres School or Gatewood School, located behind the Friendly Grove Church.<br />
<br />
The Gatewood Grocery, probably the successor of Isaac Lambert's store, operated until the 1970s. The building was later destroyed by fire.<br />
<br />
==Politics==<br />
Gatewood was known for years as a stronghold of the Democratic Party. In 1864, for example, General McClellan received 147 votes to Abraham Lincoln's zero. In 1868 the Democrat, Seymour, got 288 votes, while General Ulysses S. Grant received only four.<br />
<br />
[[File:1886-Gatewood.jpg|thumb|left|406x406px|1886 Directory Listing for Gatewood]]<br />
{{Clear}}<br />
<br />
''Reference to an article by Bonita Brown''<br />
<br />
[[Category:Towns]]<br />
[[Category:Daviess County, Kentucky]]</div>Adamhttp://wiki.historyofowensboro.com/index.php?title=Delaware,_Kentucky&diff=15452Delaware, Kentucky2026-08-26T22:56:57Z<p>Adam: Cleanup: add infobox and lead, organize into sections, unwrap OCR line breaks</p>
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! colspan="2" style="background:#2b4162; color:#ffffff; text-align:center; font-size:115%;" | Delaware, Kentucky<br />
|-<br />
| '''Type''' || Former town<br />
|-<br />
| '''County''' || [[Daviess County, Kentucky|Daviess County]]<br />
|-<br />
| '''State''' || Kentucky<br />
|-<br />
| '''Laid out''' || 1864, by Andrew Allen<br />
|-<br />
| '''Named for''' || Delaware Creek<br />
|-<br />
| '''Post office''' || 1860-1966 (with several closures)<br />
|-<br />
| '''Population''' || 80 (1888); 200 (1898)<br />
|-<br />
| '''Location''' || Extreme southwestern Daviess County, 21 miles from Owensboro<br />
|}<br />
</div><br />
<br />
'''Delaware''' was a town on the Green River in the extreme southwestern part of [[Daviess County, Kentucky|Daviess County]], Kentucky, twenty-one miles from [[Owensboro, KY|Owensboro]]. It takes its name from Delaware Creek, a short distance from the town.<br />
<br />
==Early History==<br />
The town was laid out in 1864 by Andrew Allen on his farm on the Green River. The first settler in the area was Colonel Samuel Harralson. He kept a store for a few years, had the first blacksmith shop, and built the first school. He also ran the ferry in the 1840s.<br />
<br />
==First Mill==<br />
The first mill in Delaware was built by Hall, Moore and Burkhardt in 1868. It was a saw mill and corn cracker. For three years the company sawed for the penitentiary in Jeffersonville, Kentucky.<br />
<br />
In 1881, Turner Day and Company of Louisville built the Delaware Handle Factory, run by Nathan Brumfield. It employed as high as 50 men during the peak period. It burned on November 17, 1882.<br />
<br />
The town had three tobacco factories, one owned by A. M. Allen, one by S.C. Cook and another by N. B. Cook. S.C. Cook also had a hotel and saloon.<br />
<br />
==Commerce==<br />
The first store was opened in 1844 by Henry Fleming. H. C. Cosby opened one later and sold it to A. M. Allen. Dr. B.F. Harralson was the first physician.<br />
<br />
In the 1880s, Delaware had one dry goods store, a general store, drug store, two groceries, two saloons, two churches, a blacksmith shop, two physicians, a saw mill and one flour mill owned by W. J. Lumpkin. There were three private boarding houses: Mrs. A.M. Allen was proprietor of one, Mrs. M. Harrison another, and Mrs. B.W. McFarland had the other.<br />
<br />
Mrs. M. Harrison was a seamstress. H. Hix and J.B. Jordan were farmers, W.H. Johnson was a blacksmith and miller. L. R. Jordan was the barber. F. May was a druggist. J. Yeiser was a physician. The Montague Brothers were the merchants. Mrs. B.R. Reeks was a seamstress. B.C. Hix was a saw logger. J. Travis and J. Davis were laborers. L. Piper and Seton Nichols, both Black, were laborers. J. A. McDonald was a merchant and postmaster.<br />
<br />
==Post Office==<br />
The post office was established in 1862 and A. M. Allen was the first postmaster. Mr. Harralson was robbed and murdered on the road between Delaware and Calhoun in 1859. In 1888, the population was 80.<br />
<br />
The first post office started in 1860 with Andrew Allen as postmaster. It closed and was reopened four times by 1873, when Rob Harralson became postmaster. John Faith, N.B. Cook, Joseph Carrico, Ben Harralson and Thomas Jennings all had the job by 1921, when it closed for 4 years and was reopened by Nora Sharp and then Louis Davis. Some of the postmasters were Louis Davis, J. E. Carrico, and James Kennedy. Sallie Kennedy held the post for over 20 years until she retired, and Mrs. Edna Hulsey held the position until June 1966, when it was closed and mail moved to [[St. Joseph, Kentucky]].<br />
<br />
==River Trade and Decline==<br />
In 1898, the population was put at 200. It had a good trade on the Green River in livestock and other products. It had more trade with Evansville than Owensboro by using the Green River. It was in the 1920s and 30s when Owensboro got more trade from Delaware, due to more roads being built out of town.<br />
<br />
By 1920, Delaware was starting to get smaller. H. C. Fleming was the physician and also owned a drug store with Alexander. King owned a saloon.<br />
<br />
==Church==<br />
The [[Delaware Creek Church]] was started in 1894. E. H. Maddox was the first pastor. For a while the church met in the Hall School House, and still later in the house of worship of the Methodists in Delaware, until they built their own church in 1900. The church had regular service through the year but was unable to meet in the winter due to bad roads.<br />
<br />
The flood in 1937 caused much damage to the church. An effort was made to move the location of the church but the motion was lost, and the building was finally torn down. All usable lumber was salvaged and it was rebuilt with smaller dimensions.<br />
<br />
==Delaware Today==<br />
In 1971 there were only six families living in Delaware. Only one place of business existed, Adkisson's Grocery, which was a general store with one gas pump.<br />
<br />
[[File:1886-Delaware.jpg|thumb|left|384x384px|1886 Directory Listing for Delaware]]<br />
{{Clear}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Towns]]<br />
[[Category:Daviess County, Kentucky]]</div>Adamhttp://wiki.historyofowensboro.com/index.php?title=Buzzard%27s_Roost,_Kentucky&diff=15451Buzzard's Roost, Kentucky2026-08-26T22:56:57Z<p>Adam: Cleanup: add infobox and lead, organize into sections, unwrap OCR line breaks</p>
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|-<br />
! colspan="2" style="background:#2b4162; color:#ffffff; text-align:center; font-size:115%;" | Buzzard's Roost, Kentucky<br />
|-<br />
| '''Type''' || Former area<br />
|-<br />
| '''County''' || [[Daviess County, Kentucky|Daviess County]]<br />
|-<br />
| '''State''' || Kentucky<br />
|-<br />
| '''Terrain''' || Low, swampy, heavily forested<br />
|-<br />
| '''Opened up by''' || Louisville, Henderson and St. Louis Railroad, 1880s<br />
|-<br />
| '''Location''' || Northwestern Daviess County, west of Bon Harbor<br />
|}<br />
</div><br />
<br />
'''Buzzard's Roost''' was the name given to the northwestern section of [[Daviess County, Kentucky|Daviess County]], Kentucky, west of [[Bon Harbor, Kentucky|Bon Harbor]] — a low, swampy area infested with mosquitoes.<br />
<br />
==Wilderness==<br />
The area was also inhabited by feral cattle and hogs which had escaped from early farms. As a result it was a great area for hunters, and its heavy forests and wetlands discouraged settlement.<br />
<br />
As late as the 1840s, settlement was discouraged in the area because of the presence of white snake root, which caused the disease called "Milk Sickness" when people drank the milk of cows which had grazed upon the weed.<br />
<br />
==Reputation==<br />
The area was home to people who were considered "rough and indolent", according to the 1883 ''Daviess County History''. "Most of their time was spent in hunting and chopping cord wood to supply steamboats...a good share of their money was spent on whiskey," the History declared.<br />
<br />
==Drainage and Farming==<br />
Much of the Buzzard's Roost area remained largely undeveloped until the coming of the Louisville, Henderson, and St. Louis Railroad in the 1880s, the construction of which required the draining of vast areas of wetland, enabling the land to then be cleared for agriculture.<br />
<br />
Its reputation as a "rough" area continued, however, especially along the long sand bars along the south bank of the Ohio River. Today the entire area is in cropland.<br />
<br />
''Reference to an article by Glenn Hodges''<br />
<br />
[[Category:Towns]]<br />
[[Category:Daviess County, Kentucky]]</div>Adamhttp://wiki.historyofowensboro.com/index.php?title=Boston,_Kentucky&diff=15450Boston, Kentucky2026-08-26T22:56:57Z<p>Adam: Cleanup: add infobox and lead, organize into sections, unwrap OCR line breaks</p>
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|-<br />
! colspan="2" style="background:#2b4162; color:#ffffff; text-align:center; font-size:115%;" | Boston, Kentucky<br />
|-<br />
| '''Type''' || Former community<br />
|-<br />
| '''County''' || [[Daviess County, Kentucky|Daviess County]]<br />
|-<br />
| '''State''' || Kentucky<br />
|-<br />
| '''Also known as''' || Burtonville<br />
|-<br />
| '''Settled''' || 1810, by Bassett Burton<br />
|-<br />
| '''Post office''' || Until 1859; briefly again during the Civil War<br />
|-<br />
| '''Location''' || KY 54, 2½ miles northwest of Whitesville<br />
|}<br />
</div><br />
<br />
'''Boston''', first known as '''Burtonville''', was a community in [[Daviess County, Kentucky|Daviess County]], Kentucky, located on KY 54 about two and one half miles northwest of present-day [[Whitesville, Kentucky|Whitesville]].<br />
<br />
==Burtonville==<br />
In 1810, Bassett Burton and his wife Polly Carter purchased a large section of land along what is now the Leitchfield Road. They were soon joined by other families. Burton built a horse-powered grain mill in 1822, and farmers within a fifteen mile radius brought corn and wheat to be ground into meal and flour. The population grew and soon a school was built on Burton's property.<br />
<br />
Burton died in 1832, and by this time the settlement was known as Boston. The origin of the name is not known.<br />
<br />
==Growth and Post Office==<br />
By the mid-1830s, Boston boasted a store, a church, the grain mill and school, and several residences. It also had a post office, which remained until 1859 when it was moved to Whitesville.<br />
<br />
During the Civil War the post office returned for a time to Boston because of the alleged disloyalty of the postmaster to the Union cause. But shortly after the end of the war, the post office was returned to Whitesville.<br />
<br />
==Decline==<br />
By this time the stores had either closed or moved to Whitesville, as had most of the residents, and Boston gradually disappeared, remembered today only by the name Boston Rd.<br />
<br />
''Reference to an article by Glenn Hodges''<br />
<br />
[[Category:Towns]]<br />
[[Category:Daviess County, Kentucky]]</div>Adamhttp://wiki.historyofowensboro.com/index.php?title=Bon_Harbor,_Kentucky&diff=15449Bon Harbor, Kentucky2026-08-26T22:56:57Z<p>Adam: Cleanup: add infobox and lead, organize into sections, unwrap OCR line breaks</p>
<hr />
<div><div style="float:right; clear:right; margin:0 0 1em 1em;"><br />
{| style="width:260px; font-size:90%; border:1px solid #aaa; border-collapse:collapse; background:#ffffff; color:#222222;"<br />
|-<br />
! colspan="2" style="background:#2b4162; color:#ffffff; text-align:center; font-size:115%;" | Bon Harbor, Kentucky<br />
|-<br />
| '''Type''' || Former industrial town<br />
|-<br />
| '''County''' || [[Daviess County, Kentucky|Daviess County]]<br />
|-<br />
| '''State''' || Kentucky<br />
|-<br />
| '''Founded''' || 1842, by Robert Triplett<br />
|-<br />
| '''Named for''' || The natural harbor there<br />
|-<br />
| '''Post office''' || April 17, 1848; lasted 2 years<br />
|-<br />
| '''Population''' || 200-300 at its peak<br />
|-<br />
| '''Location''' || Two miles west of Owensboro<br />
|}<br />
</div><br />
<br />
'''Bon Harbor''' was an industrial town two miles west of [[Owensboro, KY|Owensboro]] in [[Daviess County, Kentucky|Daviess County]], Kentucky. Robert Triplett, a Virginian who arrived in the area during the 1820s to open several coal mines, founded the town at the landing in 1842. He called it Bon Harbor for the natural harbor there, and built textile factories and homes for the workers.<br />
<br />
==Rise and Fall==<br />
Bon Harbor post office was established April 17, 1848, but lasted only 2 years. Triplett's efforts to develop an industrial metropolis ended by 1860. In the 1890s coal mining was re-established and the settlement was also called Bon Harbor Hills. The street car line extended its tracks to Bon Harbor to run coal into Owensboro.<br />
<br />
'''Source:''' ''Reference to article by Shelia Heflin''<br />
<br />
==The 1883 County History Account==<br />
The first survey of Bon Harbor into town lots was in 1842. The place then bid fair to become a manufacturing town of some importance. A woolen factory was built there, and afterward a large cotton and woolen factory was put up; but the machinery was too old and worn out to accomplish much. It was one of the largest factories at that time in the West. In this business Robert Triplett and Alexander Beard were partners. Triplett went to Europe to bring out factory hands; but the enterprise dragged along so tediously that it was finally abandoned.<br />
<br />
The Bon Harbor coal mines were the first to be put in successful operation in the county. An old man named Bassett opened the first mine, and the Bon Harbor mine proper, three fourths of a mile from the river, was the next mine worked. About 1830 a considerable quantity of coal was shipped to New Orleans from this point by Robert Triplett. He constructed a railroad from the mine to the river, at the terminus of which was erected the large cotton and woolen factory before mentioned. Several houses were built, the population being principally composed of operatives, and numbering two or three hundred.<br />
<br />
There is no village now at the old site of Bon Harbor.<br />
<br />
==The Aud Case, 1878==<br />
About the middle of June, 1878, Mr. Aud was cultivating the farm of Mrs. Carter, near Owensboro, and boarding at her house, while his own family were at their home in [[Knottsville, Kentucky|Knottsville]], about sixteen miles distant. One night, without any warning, a number of disguised men, who suspected Mr. Aud of too great intimacy with Mrs. Carter, collected at the house of the latter, took Mr. Aud out, tied him to a tree and threshed him most unmercifully. They debated among themselves whether to kill him outright; but, on his promise to leave the country, they let him go.<br />
<br />
He afterward took out a warrant against a half-dozen or more persons, charging them with ku-kluxing him. Among the accused were some very reputable and worthy citizens. William T. Ellis was prosecuting attorney, and on the other side were most of the prominent lawyers of Owensboro. The case was an exciting one. In the preliminary examination the defense relied mainly upon proving alibis. The witnesses were examined separately. All the accused parties, however, were held over to court; but the grand jury failed to indict them, and Mr. Aud left the community.<br />
<br />
{{1883}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Towns]]<br />
[[Category:Daviess County, Kentucky]]</div>Adamhttp://wiki.historyofowensboro.com/index.php?title=Yellow_Creek,_Kentucky&diff=15448Yellow Creek, Kentucky2026-08-26T22:35:22Z<p>Adam: Cleanup: add infobox and lead, organize into sections, unwrap OCR line breaks</p>
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{| style="width:260px; font-size:90%; border:1px solid #aaa; border-collapse:collapse; background:#ffffff; color:#222222;"<br />
|-<br />
! colspan="2" style="background:#2b4162; color:#ffffff; text-align:center; font-size:115%;" | Yellow Creek, Kentucky<br />
|-<br />
| '''Type''' || Former community<br />
|-<br />
| '''County''' || [[Daviess County, Kentucky|Daviess County]]<br />
|-<br />
| '''State''' || Kentucky<br />
|-<br />
| '''Post office''' || Owensboro<br />
|-<br />
| '''Listed in''' || 1886 county directory<br />
|}<br />
</div><br />
<br />
'''Yellow Creek''' was a community in [[Daviess County, Kentucky|Daviess County]], Kentucky. Its post office was [[Owensboro, KY|Owensboro]].<br />
<br />
==1886 Directory==<br />
[[File:1886-Yellow-Creek.jpg|thumb|1886 Directory Listing for Yellow Creek]]<br />
The 1886 directory lists Miss Lena Jones as the local school teacher. S.M. Lockhardt is the doctor. Groceries and liquors could be purchased from A. Montgomery and S.R. Tolle. J.M. Wilhite is the only blacksmith in town. Local farmer William Lostutter is also a member of the Kentucky Legislature.<br />
<br />
[[Category:Towns]]<br />
[[Category:Daviess County, Kentucky]]</div>Adamhttp://wiki.historyofowensboro.com/index.php?title=Wolf_Hill,_Kentucky&diff=15447Wolf Hill, Kentucky2026-08-26T22:35:21Z<p>Adam: Cleanup: add infobox and lead, organize into sections, unwrap OCR line breaks</p>
<hr />
<div><div style="float:right; clear:right; margin:0 0 1em 1em;"><br />
{| style="width:260px; font-size:90%; border:1px solid #aaa; border-collapse:collapse; background:#ffffff; color:#222222;"<br />
|-<br />
! colspan="2" style="background:#2b4162; color:#ffffff; text-align:center; font-size:115%;" | Wolf Hill, Kentucky<br />
|-<br />
| '''Type''' || Former community<br />
|-<br />
| '''County''' || [[Daviess County, Kentucky|Daviess County]]<br />
|-<br />
| '''State''' || Kentucky<br />
|-<br />
| '''Known for''' || Medicinal springs; farming and mining<br />
|-<br />
| '''Location''' || 12 miles southeast of Owensboro<br />
|}<br />
</div><br />
<br />
'''Wolf Hill''' was a community in [[Daviess County, Kentucky|Daviess County]], Kentucky, twelve miles southeast of [[Owensboro, KY|Owensboro]], noted in the newspapers of the 1880s for its mineral springs and its healthy situation.<br />
<br />
==Newspaper Accounts==<br />
'''May 4, 1881''' — 12 miles southeast of Owensboro, in one of the healthiest portions of the county. Medicinal springs gush from the rocky cliffs. “Wolf Hill might rival other mineral regions in sending away the halt and maim all healed.”<br />
<br />
'''Oct. 27, 1882''' — finest farming and mining sections. Not mined as much as other areas, but fortunes could be made. One of the healthiest sections.<br />
<br />
[[Category:Towns]]<br />
[[Category:Daviess County, Kentucky]]</div>Adamhttp://wiki.historyofowensboro.com/index.php?title=Tuck,_Kentucky&diff=15446Tuck, Kentucky2026-08-26T22:35:21Z<p>Adam: Cleanup: add infobox and lead, organize into sections, unwrap OCR line breaks</p>
<hr />
<div><div style="float:right; clear:right; margin:0 0 1em 1em;"><br />
{| style="width:260px; font-size:90%; border:1px solid #aaa; border-collapse:collapse; background:#ffffff; color:#222222;"<br />
|-<br />
! colspan="2" style="background:#2b4162; color:#ffffff; text-align:center; font-size:115%;" | Tuck, Kentucky<br />
|-<br />
| '''Type''' || Former community<br />
|-<br />
| '''County''' || [[Daviess County, Kentucky|Daviess County]]<br />
|-<br />
| '''State''' || Kentucky<br />
|-<br />
| '''Population''' || About 15 (1936)<br />
|-<br />
| '''Location''' || Smith County Road, about 8 miles south of Owensboro<br />
|}<br />
</div><br />
<br />
'''Tuck''' was a small community in [[Daviess County, Kentucky|Daviess County]], Kentucky, located on the Smith County Road about eight miles south of [[Owensboro, KY|Owensboro]].<br />
<br />
In 1936 the population was about 15. The community included a Christian church and an African-American school.<br />
<br />
[[Category:Towns]]<br />
[[Category:Daviess County, Kentucky]]</div>Adamhttp://wiki.historyofowensboro.com/index.php?title=Thompsonville,_Kentucky&diff=15445Thompsonville, Kentucky2026-08-26T22:35:21Z<p>Adam: Cleanup: add infobox and lead, organize into sections, unwrap OCR line breaks</p>
<hr />
<div><div style="float:right; clear:right; margin:0 0 1em 1em;"><br />
{| style="width:260px; font-size:90%; border:1px solid #aaa; border-collapse:collapse; background:#ffffff; color:#222222;"<br />
|-<br />
! colspan="2" style="background:#2b4162; color:#ffffff; text-align:center; font-size:115%;" | Thompsonville, Kentucky<br />
|-<br />
| '''Type''' || Former community<br />
|-<br />
| '''County''' || [[Daviess County, Kentucky|Daviess County]]<br />
|-<br />
| '''State''' || Kentucky<br />
|-<br />
| '''Named''' || April 1885<br />
|-<br />
| '''Post office''' || Owensboro<br />
|-<br />
| '''Location''' || Calhoun Road, 6 miles from Owensboro<br />
|}<br />
</div><br />
<br />
'''Thompsonville''' was a community in [[Daviess County, Kentucky|Daviess County]], Kentucky, on the Calhoun Road six miles from [[Owensboro, KY|Owensboro]]. The post office for the town was Owensboro.<br />
<br />
==Naming==<br />
[[File:1886-Thompsonville.jpg|thumb|439x439px|1886 Directory Listing for Thompsonville]]<br />
On April 14, 1885 it was reported that the town on the Calhoun Road, six miles from the city, had been named Thompsonville, and an effort would be made to have a post office established there. People were determined to build a town so they would not have to come to Owensboro over the gravel road for their supplies.<br />
<br />
==1886 Directory==<br />
The 1886 directory lists two groceries owned by J.B. Thompson and Marion Humphrey. Humphrey also sold liquors.<br />
<br />
[[Category:Towns]]<br />
[[Category:Daviess County, Kentucky]]</div>Adamhttp://wiki.historyofowensboro.com/index.php?title=Stringtown,_Kentucky&diff=15444Stringtown, Kentucky2026-08-26T22:35:21Z<p>Adam: Cleanup: add infobox and lead, organize into sections, unwrap OCR line breaks</p>
<hr />
<div><div style="float:right; clear:right; margin:0 0 1em 1em;"><br />
{| style="width:260px; font-size:90%; border:1px solid #aaa; border-collapse:collapse; background:#ffffff; color:#222222;"<br />
|-<br />
! colspan="2" style="background:#2b4162; color:#ffffff; text-align:center; font-size:115%;" | Stringtown, Kentucky<br />
|-<br />
| '''Type''' || Former community<br />
|-<br />
| '''County''' || [[Daviess County, Kentucky|Daviess County]]<br />
|-<br />
| '''State''' || Kentucky<br />
|-<br />
| '''Described''' || 1875<br />
|-<br />
| '''Location''' || 12 miles south of Owensboro on the Owensboro and Calhoun Road<br />
|}<br />
</div><br />
<br />
'''Stringtown''' was a community in [[Daviess County, Kentucky|Daviess County]], Kentucky, located about twelve miles south of [[Owensboro, KY|Owensboro]] on the Owensboro and Calhoun Road, on both sides of Wolf Creek.<br />
<br />
==Businesses==<br />
In 1875 the town included two dry good houses, one blacksmith shop and two grocery houses. The Templars were building a large hall and planned to have it done in four years. They were meeting every night and twice on Sunday night at Mr. Goodwin’s grocery.<br />
<br />
==Soapstone Mine==<br />
Citizens were organizing a company to work a recently discovered soapstone mine. They felt they had great mineral wealth with this discovery.<br />
<br />
[[Category:Towns]]<br />
[[Category:Daviess County, Kentucky]]</div>Adamhttp://wiki.historyofowensboro.com/index.php?title=Scythia,_Kentucky&diff=15443Scythia, Kentucky2026-08-26T22:35:21Z<p>Adam: Cleanup: add infobox and lead, organize into sections, unwrap OCR line breaks</p>
<hr />
<div><div style="float:right; clear:right; margin:0 0 1em 1em;"><br />
{| style="width:260px; font-size:90%; border:1px solid #aaa; border-collapse:collapse; background:#ffffff; color:#222222;"<br />
|-<br />
! colspan="2" style="background:#2b4162; color:#ffffff; text-align:center; font-size:115%;" | Scythia, Kentucky<br />
|-<br />
| '''Type''' || Former community<br />
|-<br />
| '''County''' || [[Daviess County, Kentucky|Daviess County]]<br />
|-<br />
| '''State''' || Kentucky<br />
|-<br />
| '''Post office''' || 1892–1906<br />
|-<br />
| '''Post office site''' || Winkler’s Store<br />
|-<br />
| '''Location''' || Junction of KY 1389 and Scythia Road<br />
|}<br />
</div><br />
<br />
'''Scythia''' is located at the junction of KY 1389 and Scythia Road in the northeastern part of [[Daviess County, Kentucky|Daviess County]], Kentucky. Its location, approximately one-half mile from Blackford Creek, gave the early residents of the neighborhood easy access to transportation via the creek to the Ohio River.<br />
<br />
==Businesses and Post Office==<br />
Like many other county villages, Scythia by the late nineteenth century boasted a small handful of businesses including churches, and in 1892 a post office, located in Winkler’s Store, was established. It operated until September 1906, when it was closed with the onset of rural free mail delivery in the area.<br />
<br />
==Scythia Today==<br />
In 2015 little remained to indicate that once there was a thriving community, other than “Scythia Road” on a road sign, a long abandoned store building, and a cemetery.<br />
<br />
[[Category:Towns]]<br />
[[Category:Daviess County, Kentucky]]</div>Adamhttp://wiki.historyofowensboro.com/index.php?title=Pleasant_Ridge,_Kentucky&diff=15442Pleasant Ridge, Kentucky2026-08-26T22:35:21Z<p>Adam: Cleanup: add infobox and lead, organize into sections, unwrap OCR line breaks</p>
<hr />
<div><div style="float:right; clear:right; margin:0 0 1em 1em;"><br />
{| style="width:260px; font-size:90%; border:1px solid #aaa; border-collapse:collapse; background:#ffffff; color:#222222;"<br />
|-<br />
! colspan="2" style="background:#2b4162; color:#ffffff; text-align:center; font-size:115%;" | Pleasant Ridge, Kentucky<br />
|-<br />
| '''Type''' || Former village<br />
|-<br />
| '''County''' || [[Daviess County, Kentucky|Daviess County]]<br />
|-<br />
| '''State''' || Kentucky<br />
|-<br />
| '''Described''' || April 1881<br />
|-<br />
| '''Listed in''' || 1886 county directory<br />
|}<br />
</div><br />
<br />
'''Pleasant Ridge''' was a village in [[Daviess County, Kentucky|Daviess County]], Kentucky, described in the newspapers of the early 1880s as a live, progressive community.<br />
<br />
==1881 Description==<br />
[[File:1886-Pleasant-Ridge.jpg|thumb|436x436px|1886 Directory Listing for Pleasant Ridge]]<br />
In April 1881 the newspaper reported that it was a live, progressive village with three blacksmith shops, one drug store, one grocery, one dry goods store and an undertaker. There were four stock dealers and one doctor residing in the community. The local school was taught by Miss Fannie Westerfield, an accomplished lady and experienced teacher.<br />
<br />
''Reference to article by Shelia Heflin''<br />
<br />
[[Category:Towns]]<br />
[[Category:Daviess County, Kentucky]]</div>Adamhttp://wiki.historyofowensboro.com/index.php?title=Panther,_Kentucky&diff=15441Panther, Kentucky2026-08-26T22:35:21Z<p>Adam: Cleanup: add infobox and lead, organize into sections, unwrap OCR line breaks</p>
<hr />
<div><div style="float:right; clear:right; margin:0 0 1em 1em;"><br />
{| style="width:260px; font-size:90%; border:1px solid #aaa; border-collapse:collapse; background:#ffffff; color:#222222;"<br />
|-<br />
! colspan="2" style="background:#2b4162; color:#ffffff; text-align:center; font-size:115%;" | Panther, Kentucky<br />
|-<br />
| '''Type''' || Former post office community<br />
|-<br />
| '''County''' || [[Daviess County, Kentucky|Daviess County]]<br />
|-<br />
| '''State''' || Kentucky<br />
|-<br />
| '''Post office''' || Established 1881<br />
|-<br />
| '''First postmaster''' || John P. Burns<br />
|-<br />
| '''Named for''' || Panther Creek<br />
|-<br />
| '''Location''' || Junction of Hwy 554 and Hwy 1514, 8 miles SSW of Owensboro<br />
|}<br />
</div><br />
<br />
'''Panther''' was a post office community in [[Daviess County, Kentucky|Daviess County]], Kentucky. An abandoned post office sits at the junction of Hwy 554 and Hwy 1514, eight miles SSW of [[Owensboro, KY|Owensboro]]. It was established in the store of John P. Burns. The town was named Panther Creek for the stream located four miles north.<br />
<br />
==Naming of Panther Creek==<br />
[[File:1886-Panther.jpg|thumb|471x471px|1886 Directory Listing for Panther]]<br />
Panther Creek received its name in 1776 when Leonard Helms and Edward Hogan were on an exploring expedition of the Ohio and Cumberland rivers. Near the mouth of the creek, they were attacked by a huge panther which they killed. They named the creek in honor of this exciting event.<br />
<br />
==Post Offices==<br />
''Aug. 10, 1881'' – A new post office established in Vanover’s Precinct called Panther. John P. Burns is the Postmaster.<br />
<br />
An earlier Panther Creek post office was established on the creek in 1830. In 1839, it was renamed Howardsville and was discontinued in 1843.<br />
<br />
[[Category:Towns]]<br />
[[Category:Daviess County, Kentucky]]</div>Adamhttp://wiki.historyofowensboro.com/index.php?title=Lockhart,_Kentucky&diff=15440Lockhart, Kentucky2026-08-26T22:35:21Z<p>Adam: Cleanup: add infobox and lead, organize into sections, unwrap OCR line breaks</p>
<hr />
<div><div style="float:right; clear:right; margin:0 0 1em 1em;"><br />
{| style="width:260px; font-size:90%; border:1px solid #aaa; border-collapse:collapse; background:#ffffff; color:#222222;"<br />
|-<br />
! colspan="2" style="background:#2b4162; color:#ffffff; text-align:center; font-size:115%;" | Lockhart, Kentucky<br />
|-<br />
| '''Type''' || Former community<br />
|-<br />
| '''County''' || [[Daviess County, Kentucky|Daviess County]]<br />
|-<br />
| '''State''' || Kentucky<br />
|-<br />
| '''Named for''' || Dr. Simon Lockhart<br />
|-<br />
| '''Location''' || Hardinsburg Road, five miles above Owensboro<br />
|}<br />
</div><br />
<br />
'''Lockhart''' was a community in [[Daviess County, Kentucky|Daviess County]], Kentucky, on the Hardinsburg Road about five miles above [[Owensboro, KY|Owensboro]].<br />
<br />
The newspaper reported on March 11, 1886:<br />
<br />
<blockquote>Dr. Simon Lockhart is having a telephone put into his residence 5 miles above the city on the Hardinsburg Road. The new town of Lockhart is thriving finely. It is now proposed for establishing a post office and a voting place there.</blockquote><br />
<br />
[[Category:Towns]]<br />
[[Category:Daviess County, Kentucky]]</div>Adamhttp://wiki.historyofowensboro.com/index.php?title=Herrwood,_Kentucky&diff=15439Herrwood, Kentucky2026-08-26T22:35:21Z<p>Adam: Cleanup: add infobox and lead, organize into sections, unwrap OCR line breaks</p>
<hr />
<div><div style="float:right; clear:right; margin:0 0 1em 1em;"><br />
{| style="width:260px; font-size:90%; border:1px solid #aaa; border-collapse:collapse; background:#ffffff; color:#222222;"<br />
|-<br />
! colspan="2" style="background:#2b4162; color:#ffffff; text-align:center; font-size:115%;" | Herrwood, Kentucky<br />
|-<br />
| '''Type''' || Former community<br />
|-<br />
| '''County''' || [[Daviess County, Kentucky|Daviess County]]<br />
|-<br />
| '''State''' || Kentucky<br />
|-<br />
| '''Post office''' || Established April 1894<br />
|-<br />
| '''First postmaster''' || William H. Sheffer<br />
|-<br />
| '''Location''' || On the Owensboro city border<br />
|}<br />
</div><br />
<br />
'''Herrwood''' was a community in [[Daviess County, Kentucky|Daviess County]], Kentucky, laid out right on [[Owensboro, KY|Owensboro]]’s border.<br />
<br />
==April 1894==<br />
Post office established with William H. Sheffer as postmaster and his assistant Capt. James H. Cox. The post office operated at Lancaster’s store. The establishment of a post office completed the organization of Herrwood, a new city right on Owensboro’s border.<br />
<br />
==November 19, 1896==<br />
Still exists and flourishes despite the hard times and the defeat of the Democratic party. New street opened from Main just below the end of the street car line to Fifth St.<br />
<br />
[[Category:Towns]]<br />
[[Category:Daviess County, Kentucky]]</div>Adamhttp://wiki.historyofowensboro.com/index.php?title=Haynes,_Kentucky&diff=15438Haynes, Kentucky2026-08-26T22:35:20Z<p>Adam: Cleanup: add infobox and lead, organize into sections, unwrap OCR line breaks</p>
<hr />
<div><div style="float:right; clear:right; margin:0 0 1em 1em;"><br />
{| style="width:260px; font-size:90%; border:1px solid #aaa; border-collapse:collapse; background:#ffffff; color:#222222;"<br />
|-<br />
! colspan="2" style="background:#2b4162; color:#ffffff; text-align:center; font-size:115%;" | Haynes, Kentucky<br />
|-<br />
| '''Type''' || Former railroad station community<br />
|-<br />
| '''County''' || [[Daviess County, Kentucky|Daviess County]]<br />
|-<br />
| '''State''' || Kentucky<br />
|-<br />
| '''Named for''' || Joe Haynes, early settler<br />
|-<br />
| '''Railroad''' || I.C.R.R.<br />
|-<br />
| '''Location''' || 14 miles east of Owensboro on the Haynes Country Road<br />
|}<br />
</div><br />
<br />
'''Haynes''' was a community in [[Daviess County, Kentucky|Daviess County]], Kentucky, located fourteen miles east of [[Owensboro, KY|Owensboro]] on the Haynes Country Road.<br />
<br />
It was just a station for the I.C.R.R. It was named for Joe Haynes, an early settler, farmer, and a tobacco buyer.<br />
<br />
[[Category:Towns]]<br />
[[Category:Daviess County, Kentucky]]</div>Adamhttp://wiki.historyofowensboro.com/index.php?title=Green_Brier,_Kentucky&diff=15437Green Brier, Kentucky2026-08-26T22:35:20Z<p>Adam: Cleanup: add infobox and lead, organize into sections, unwrap OCR line breaks</p>
<hr />
<div><div style="float:right; clear:right; margin:0 0 1em 1em;"><br />
{| style="width:260px; font-size:90%; border:1px solid #aaa; border-collapse:collapse; background:#ffffff; color:#222222;"<br />
|-<br />
! colspan="2" style="background:#2b4162; color:#ffffff; text-align:center; font-size:115%;" | Green Brier, Kentucky<br />
|-<br />
| '''Type''' || Dispersed rural area<br />
|-<br />
| '''County''' || [[Daviess County, Kentucky|Daviess County]]<br />
|-<br />
| '''State''' || Kentucky<br />
|-<br />
| '''Church founded''' || October 29, 1820<br />
|-<br />
| '''First pastor''' || Thomas Downs<br />
|-<br />
| '''Location''' || Southeastern Daviess County<br />
|}<br />
</div><br />
<br />
'''Green Brier''' was not really a community at all. It was a general area spread out over a distance in southeastern [[Daviess County, Kentucky|Daviess County]], Kentucky.<br />
<br />
==Green Brier Baptist Church==<br />
One of the oldest structures in the area was [[Green Brier Baptist Church]], founded on October 29th, 1820 with twenty-five founding members. The first pastor was the well-known Baptist preacher and early pioneer Thomas Downs. By the 1840s regular services were being held at the church.<br />
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==School and Store==<br />
There was a one-room school house named Locust Grove School by the intersection of Locust Grove and Greenbriar Roads. Around the mid-1900s the area had a general store that was run by Mr. Hayden Smith, around where [[Red Hill, Kentucky|Red Hill]]-[[Maxwell, Kentucky|Maxwell]] Road and Greenbriar Road meet.<br />
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[[Category:Towns]]<br />
[[Category:Daviess County, Kentucky]]</div>Adamhttp://wiki.historyofowensboro.com/index.php?title=Ensor,_Kentucky&diff=15436Ensor, Kentucky2026-08-26T22:35:20Z<p>Adam: Cleanup: add infobox and lead, organize into sections, unwrap OCR line breaks</p>
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|-<br />
! colspan="2" style="background:#2b4162; color:#ffffff; text-align:center; font-size:115%;" | Ensor, Kentucky<br />
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| '''Type''' || Former community<br />
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| '''County''' || [[Daviess County, Kentucky|Daviess County]]<br />
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| '''State''' || Kentucky<br />
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| '''Post office''' || Established February 1886<br />
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| '''First postmaster''' || Ed. W. Jesse<br />
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| '''Location''' || 8 miles from Owensboro on the Hardinsburg Road<br />
|}<br />
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'''Ensor''' was a community in [[Daviess County, Kentucky|Daviess County]], Kentucky, eight miles from [[Owensboro, KY|Owensboro]] on the Hardinsburg Road.<br />
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==Post Office==<br />
[[File:1886-Ensor.jpg|thumb|418x418px|1886 Directory Listing for Ensor]]<br />
February 25, 1886 — A post office called Ensor has been established at Ed. W. Jesse’s new store, eight miles from the city on the Hardinsburg Road. Mr. Jesse will be the postmaster.<br />
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==1890 Description==<br />
February 10, 1890 — Ensor is eight miles east of Owensboro on the Hardinsburg Road. It has a grocery owned by Mr. Ed Hawes Jesse. The post office is in the store. B.B. Burton has a drug store there. Blacksmith shop, good school, large flouring mill to go up soon.<br />
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In 1886 the local physician was C.J. Lockhardt.<br />
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''Reference to article by Shelia Heflin''<br />
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[[Category:Towns]]<br />
[[Category:Daviess County, Kentucky]]</div>Adamhttp://wiki.historyofowensboro.com/index.php?title=Dermont,_Kentucky&diff=15435Dermont, Kentucky2026-08-26T22:35:20Z<p>Adam: Cleanup: add infobox and lead, organize into sections, unwrap OCR line breaks</p>
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{| style="width:260px; font-size:90%; border:1px solid #aaa; border-collapse:collapse; background:#ffffff; color:#222222;"<br />
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! colspan="2" style="background:#2b4162; color:#ffffff; text-align:center; font-size:115%;" | Dermont, Kentucky<br />
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| '''Type''' || Former community<br />
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| '''County''' || [[Daviess County, Kentucky|Daviess County]]<br />
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| '''State''' || Kentucky<br />
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| '''Also known as''' || Cruse, Cruseton<br />
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| '''Post office''' || Established January 1886<br />
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| '''First postmaster''' || Frank Stone<br />
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| '''Listed in''' || 1886 county directory<br />
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| '''Location''' || Leitchfield Road, 4 miles from Owensboro<br />
|}<br />
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'''Dermont''', also known as '''Cruse''' or '''Cruseton''', was a community in [[Daviess County, Kentucky|Daviess County]], Kentucky, on the Leitchfield Road about four miles from [[Owensboro, KY|Owensboro]].<br />
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==Founding==<br />
[[File:1886-Cruseton.jpg|thumb|415x415px|1886 Directory Listing for Cruseton/Dermont]]<br />
The November 12, 1885 ''Tri-Weekly Messenger'' reported that a new town was being established on Leitchfield Road four miles from Owensboro in Jim Cruse’s neighborhood. Frank Stone built a storehouse and an application for a post office was made for the town of Cruse.<br />
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==Post Office==<br />
January 12, 1886 — Frank Stone has been appointed postmaster at the new post office established at the fork of the Leitchfield and Miller’s Mill Road.<br />
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''Reference to article by Shelia Helfin''<br />
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[[Category:Towns]]<br />
[[Category:Daviess County, Kentucky]]</div>Adamhttp://wiki.historyofowensboro.com/index.php?title=Brown%27s_Valley,_Kentucky&diff=15434Brown's Valley, Kentucky2026-08-26T22:35:20Z<p>Adam: Cleanup: add infobox and lead, organize into sections, unwrap OCR line breaks</p>
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! colspan="2" style="background:#2b4162; color:#ffffff; text-align:center; font-size:115%;" | Brown’s Valley, Kentucky<br />
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| '''Type''' || Former railroad station community<br />
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| '''County''' || [[Daviess County, Kentucky|Daviess County]]<br />
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| '''State''' || Kentucky<br />
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| '''Depot names''' || Crow’s Station, Crow-Hickman<br />
|-<br />
| '''Named for''' || Orville O. Brown, first postmaster<br />
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| '''Railroad''' || Owensboro & Russellville Railroad<br />
|-<br />
| '''Location''' || South of Panther Creek, on the Livermore Road<br />
|}<br />
</div><br />
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'''Brown’s Valley''' was a railroad station community in [[Daviess County, Kentucky|Daviess County]], Kentucky, south of Panther Creek on the Owensboro & Russellville Railroad.<br />
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==Crow’s Station==<br />
[[File:1886-Crow-station.jpg|thumb|434x434px|1886 Directory Listing for Crow Station/Brown’s Valley.]]<br />
As the Owensboro & Russellville Railroad built south from [[Owensboro, KY|Owensboro]], one of the families who contributed land for the right-of-way was Joshua G. Crow. Crow owned 290 acres that lay along the range of hills south of Panther Creek. In return for the easement for the rail line, Crow was granted the right for a “station” or flag-stop on the line. This depot was named Crow’s Station or Crow-Hickman for [[James H. Hickman|Mayor Hickman]]’s large estate across the Livermore Road.<br />
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==Post Office==<br />
The Post Office for that area was named Brown’s Valley to honor Orville O. Brown, a farmer and carpenter, who owned the General Store and was the first Postmaster. He served as the local agent for the railroad and performed many years of service representing the people’s interests in disputes with the railroad.<br />
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[[Category:Towns]]<br />
[[Category:Daviess County, Kentucky]]</div>Adam