The Bullitt County History Museum

It Happened in 1923

Over the years, Charles Hartley has shared glimpses of what was being printed in The Pioneer News in different months and years. This page includes what was taken from the issues of 1923.


January 1923

Reba Devers, Beulah Barrall, Lydia Wilson, Cathryn Mathis, Elnora Trunnell, Gladys Ice, Dorothy Swan, Johnnie Summers and Ray Shanklin all made the eighth grade honor roll for the fourth month at the Shepherdsville School

Members of the Bullitt County girls basketball team included Janice Harned, Beulah Lee, Willie Mae Ridgway, Martha Lee, Rosetta Woods and Mary Blanche Hill. This independent team had recently defeated a Louisville team 31-2. The editor wrote that the team members were all county teachers and had a splendid team of experienced players.

The correspondent on the Mt. Washington Road wrote that Bro. Ryan was unable to fill his appointment at Bethel Sunday account of illness, but sent in his stead a bunch of laymen composed of Stuyler Harris, Ollie Hall, Hal Hall and Edgar Fisher, who conducted the services in such a splendid manner that the pastor was not missed at all. Wonder how he felt after reading that?

Mrs. Jose Roby Barger, age 60, wife of Lee Barger, died at her home near Solitude. She was the oldest daughter of the late John Roby and Martha Rouse Roby and years ago lived in Shepherdsville with her parents who ran the old American Hotel back in the eighties, until her family moved to their old home in Leaches.

At the Shepherdsville Graded School mid year examination, the following made the highest grades: 3rd Grade - Geneva Lloyd, Sara Fay Lee, Victor Lee; 4th Grade - Anna Barrall, Mary Carolyn Huber, Ruth Kerr; 5th Grade - Bobbie Sanders, Roy Carpenter, Dorothy Bridwell; and 6th Grade - Ailene Maraman, Tommy Wilson, and Christine Kerr.

County Court convened the second Monday of each month, and the following were almost always present: County Judge J. A. Shelton, County Attorney T. C. Carroll, County Court Clerk Lindsay Ridgway, Jailor E. G. Quick, Sheriff A. L. Roby and his deputy, W. F. Monroe.

Others who might make an appearance were Tax Assessor Bert Shepherd, and his deputy Ike Mudd, School Superintendent O. L. Roby, County Surveyor Charles G. Bridwell, and Coroner Dr. J. H. Shafer.

The County Magistrates included John Chambers, Claud Gentry, Ed Ash, and John Samuels.

Estella Beswick, Julia Clark, Mable Hardin, Ruth Napier, Helen Greenwell, Frances Stark, Willard Mattingly, W. B. Rencroat, Walter Miracle, and Joseph Welker got off on the right foot in their 1st Grade school work at Lebanon Junction by making the honor roll.

And at the Box and Pie supper given by Miss Mary Samuels, the teacher at the Woodland school, Miss Lula Horde received a cake as the most popular girl present, and Jim Mason also received one for being the ugliest man present.

February 1923

Two sisters, who had married two brothers, died a day apart and were buried together in the Knob Creek Union Church Cemetery. They were Mary, wife of Tom Corum, and Nomia, wife of Jim Corum. Both sisters died of pneumonia. Both couples lived together in one house near Cupio.

Geo. W. Maraman, one of the most successful merchants in this county died at his home. He was one of the most industrious men in Shepherdsville, and had built up a splendid general store along with his brothers, H. L. Maraman and W. J. Maraman. He was survived by his widow, Mrs. Sue (Swearingen) Maraman, one daughter, Mrs. Geneva Henderson, four sons, Conrad Maraman, Horace Maraman, Henry Maraman and Roy L. Maraman, all of Bullitt County.

Gabe Summers, of Shepherdsville, was elected captain of the Centre College Freshmen basketball team.

The Bullitt County Bank announced that it would begin business in its handsome new brick and stone banking house on Saturday, February 24. This fine building still stands on the northeast corner of the old town square, diagonally across from the old Maraman store building.

The bank's staff included J. F. Combs, President, O. P. Means, Vice President, H. H. Combs, Cashier, Miss Doris Miller, Stenographer and teller; bookkeepers and tellers - Myron L. Combs, Miss Holloway Miller, and Ralph C. Henderson; directors - B. F. Pope, J. W. Croan, R. L. Troutman, and W. N. Griffin.

J. T. Wickersham, of Lebanon Junction, sold an interest in his undertaking business to Mr. Otho Quick, former undertaker of Lebanon Junction and either or both of them were ready to serve the community with the most up-to-date equipment, including motor and horse hearse.

And the paper's editor wrote that someone played a shabby trick on Dr. Ridgway, Charles Morrison and W. E. Ashby. The three men went down Salt River in a motorboat and landed on the Howlett farm and walked up to J. C. Holsclaw's. While they were gone, someone rowed the boat across the river and tied it up over there. When the three men came back and found their boat on the opposite side they were naturally upset. Finally, Dr. Ridgway secured a rig and drove to Bardstown Junction and came home on the train, while Charlie and Willie raved and whooped on the river bank. They finally got Ben Hardy to bring their boat across to them and came home in the gathering shadows of the rapidly approaching night, too late for supper.

March 1923

The citizens of Cane Run district placed $550 in R. M. Hocker’s hands to be paid on a new modern school house to be erected on the pike leading from Belmont to Lebanon Junction.

These Bullitt County students were enrolled at Western Kentucky State Normal School and Teachers College: Mary Buckman, Robert Tyler, Lillian Daugherty, Ruth Murray, Mary Ping, Mabel Snellen, Johnson Ash, Madge Forrest, Meta Riley Cooper, Beryl Hall and Anna Wise.

Bullitt County Bank, organized in 1889 as E. W. Hall and Company Bankers, finally had a home of its own with the grand opening of its fine facility at the corner of Main and Second Streets. The festivities included a free lunch, singing by Professor Sanders accompanied by his wife on the piano, and a guessing contest to determine the amount of money in a jar. Howard Cundiff came closest, missing the correct total by eleven cents.

J. F. Collings, justice of the Shepherdsville police court, found himself in a bit of a pickle during a nighttime storm. Hearing the fierce wind and thunder, he stepped out on his porch in his night clothes to check out the approaching storm when the wind blew his door shut and locked behind him. The storm was so loud that he couldn't awaken anyone to let him in.

John Conniff, who came to America from Ireland in 1867 and settled at Chapeze in Bullitt County in 1881, died of cancer. He owned a fine farm at Chapeze, and was a director of the Peoples Bank.

Hardy Cruise of Bardstown Junction advertised that he had 19 shoats for sale.

Clarence Holsclaw, proprietor of the "Mountain Top" fruit farm, died following a bout with pneumonia that weakened his heart. He was a son of Hardin and Jane Holsclaw who owned the orchard before him.

Mr. and Mrs. Dan Greenwell sold their home near Bethel Church to Pete Bleemel for $900 and bought a house and lot in Mt. Washington adjoining the old Methodist Church for which they paid $600.

The Hebron correspondent remarked that Tom and Laura Borax had been married on March 28, 1874 by Rev. George Rogers and had lived in the community a long time. She suggested folks make plans to celebrate their golden wedding anniversary with a shower.

And Mary Engle, Elizabeth Harned, Lora Mae Deacon, Mary Triplett, Thelma Masden, Katherine Taylor, Audley Hatfield, Evelyn Adams, Hewitt Harned, Kenneth Bailey, Clarence Stansbury, Lynton Weller, Stanley Muir and Crumbacker Jenkins were seniors at Shepherdsville High School.

April 1923

Fay Magruder and Thelma Daugherty were going to enter school at Bowling Green that summer and were expected to continue in school there until they finished the life certificate course for teaching.

The April term of the Circuit Court began with William Whitman, Alonzo Jenkins, Clarence Hall, W. T. Close, Wayne Harris, Ben Crenshaw, Charles Nelson, Pink Roby, J. C. Gardner, Blanton Wise, Will Smith and Ed Brookshire as grand jurors. One of their jobs was to examine the condition of the courthouse and jail. Regarding the courthouse, they reported it was "in bad repair, especially to the plastering and we recommend that some step be taken to so repair it that the walls will not crack any more."

Robert Mattingly opened his new store at Huber, and was doing nicely and reported a nice business. The paper described him as a hustler and that his many friends wished him well.

The editor wrote a long editorial about the need for a good road from Shepherdsville to the Knob Creek area so that folks there could do business in the county seat rather than have to head to Louisville to buy and sell their goods. Have you traveled Highway 44 from Shepherdsville to Dixie Highway lately?

At Pleasant Grove, Mrs. Matt Bleemel spent several days with her sister, Mrs. Georgia Gentry, who had been ill with flu.

The Junior Class of Shepherdsville High School performed a three-act play titled "Aaron Slick from Punkin Crick" at the Masonic Temple with a cast that included Patrick Cruise, Roger Alford, Robert Ball, Mildred Hagan, Mary Jane Garr, Martha Hays Hill and Beatrice Moore.

The Mt. Washington columnist reported that Mr. and Mrs. Bailey Taylor and son of Louisville spent the weekend with her parents, Mr. and Mrs. J. B. Swearingen.

The newspaper editor wrote a fine column praising the Shepherdsville school under the leadership of Jack Sanders. In it, he identified some of the former students who were advancing their education. Mentioned were John Glenn at the University of Virginia, Sam Ridgway, Margaret Combs, and Elizabeth Weller at University of Kentucky, Tom Trunnell at Georgetown, Joseph Blankenship at Centre College, and Chester Hardin at Annapolis.

In other news, Rev. Father Smith of St. Aloysious was unable to say mass due to a lengthy siege of typhoid fever; Hugh Travis had the measles; and Duke Taylor of Clermont was bitten by a rabid dog and had to undergo the "Pastuer treatment." Ouch!

May 1923

The newspaper editor made a plea for a good road over Martin's hill and down to Richard Miller's where it would intersect the road leading up Knob Creek.

E. H. Mathis of Shepherdsville was selling his Ford "with 3 good tires." He'd also trade it for livestock.

Miss Annis Smith, of Hebron, spent a weekend at Shepherdsville, the guest of Miss Hazeldell Trunnell.

The Lebanon Junction school closed with the graduating exercises at the Masonic Hall. There were six graduates: Anna Lee Bandy, Bertha Westerfield, Fanny Essex, Frances Monroe, Evermont Fisel and Herman Johnson.

At Shepherdsville the graduates were Crumbacker Jenkins, Ruby Bowman, Hewitt Harned, Lillian Roney, Mary Engle, Clarence Stansbury, Lora Mae Deacon, Elizabeth Harned, Evelyn Adams, Thelma Masden, Pauline Crenshaw, Vernon Quick, Stanley Muir, Mary Triplett, Dorothy Samuels, Audley Hatfield, Kathryn Taylor, Rosalee McKinney, Charles Lee Bradbury, Jerome Monroe, Kenneth Bailey and Lynton Weller.

Elizabeth Weller, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Stony Weller of Shepherdsville, returned to the University of Kentucky after a trip to Columbus, Ohio to attend the Annual National Conference of Woman’s Student Government Councils.

McKinley Norman, pastor of the Shepherdsville Baptist Church, announced a special "Homecoming Sunday" with a goal of 300 in attendance. Former pastor, S. P. Martin was scheduled to speak.

Mrs. Abbie Atkisson of Medora advertised a 64 acre farm for sale two miles north of Knob Creek. She declared it to be good tobacco land.

Charles Howlett out on Pitts Point Road had 25 tons of clover and timothy hay for sale. And Mrs. H. G. Masden was selling pure bred Ancona eggs at $1.00 per setting of 17 eggs.

The newspaper noted that the O. W. Pearl family had just returned from wintering in Florida. Several other Bullitt Countians enjoying the Florida sun included Jess Buky, Charles Daniel & wife, Len Daugherty & wife, Mrs. Maud Bowman and her son, and Millard Daughterty, all down in the Fort Pierce area. Note that getting to Florida in 1923 was a mite more difficult then now.

Joe Chappell of Shepherdsville was offering to sell his 1921 model Maxwell Touring Car cheap, or trade it for any kind of stock. Wonder why?

The 1923 newspaper editor shared a brief commentary on the paper's front page about cigarettes. He wrote, "Cigarettes may not injure the health, but they have destroyed manners. In the olden days, when the old fashioned gentleman wanted to smoke a cigar or pipe in the presence of ladies, he asked permission, but now days when our modern smokers of coffin nails want to smoke, they ask nobody. They take it for granted that everybody likes their odor." Enough said.

And Hugo Rouse, Bud Combs, C. F. Troutman, Tom Martin, Charles Morrison and other fans from Shepherdsville attended the season opening game of the Louisville Colonels baseball team, and helped the team win an attendance trophy.

June 1923

Elizabeth Weller, a junior majoring in English at the University of Kentucky, made the Dean's List with all A's. Elizabeth had recently been elected president of the school's Student Government Council. She was Stoney Weller's daughter.

The paper listed the elected school trustees including W. S. Paulley (Nicholas), Hays Ashby (Mt. Olive), J. J. Defler (Sunny Side), C. E. Rodgers (Shades), E. L. Marcer (Woodlawn), Herman Pearl (Licks), Charles Alford (Mt. Elmira), R. P. Sharp (Sharp's), Jess Ridgway (Needmore), J. M Harvey (Brooks), W. N. Gentry (Zoneton), Ed Rhea (Hebron), Robert Wade (Green Briar), W. F. Clark (Mt. Washington), Wayne Harris (Sugar Valley), Fred Gentry (Edgewood), James Tinnell (Whitfield), P. K. Jones (Glades), Henry Jones (Pleasant Hill), Bert Deacon (Cedar Grove), Charles Ratliff (Victory), W. J. Shaw (Woodsdale), Alex Riley (Hobbs), W. F. Knight (Clermont), Will Combs (Glenn Ella), and Lee Dawson (Pitts Point).

The list continued with George Cundiff (Beech Grove), Fisher Harned (Hay's), Robert Basher (Zion), M. B. Stark (Cane Run), S. H. Ricketts (Harned), R. A. Masden (Mt. Carmel), Claud Hill (Culver Springs), O. H. Masden (Oak Grove), C. H. Moser (Bardstown Jct), Will Bradbury (Belmont), W. A. Ice, Will Griffin, Embra Deacon, S. B. Simmons, and C. C. Daugherty (Shepherdsville) and Charles Duvall, George Essex, Chester Roby, Andy Mann, and Abner Collings (Lebanon Jct.).

Charles P. Griffith, manager of Thompson's restaurant was wounded by a stray bullet that sped through his car just before he reached Gap-In-The-Knob on his way home from Louisville.

An auction advertisement to settle the estate of A. O. Lutes mentioned Lutes Addition to Shepherdsville, describing it as containing 10 acres located on the Bullitt's Lick road about 3 blocks northwest of the Court House.

The paper reported the death of J. W. "Jack" Hardy, a brother to Mrs. Sarah O'Brien who ran the O'Brien Hotel for some 30 years. He was a grape grower in California.

Baseball was the subject of a little gathering down at Bardstown Junction when the home team defeated the Old Charter team from Chapeze 8-0 by turning in four double plays.

Playing for Bardstown Junction were George Bradbury, Charles Ashby, Robert Rennison, Charles Bradbury, G. Bradbury, V. Laswell, S. Bradbury, H. Carr, and E. Stansbury. The Old Charter team included Guy Burns, J. Hagan, Clay Cundiff, J. Hall, A. Cundiff, C. Fehrnback, J. Hoagland, Bill Cunniff, and S. Muir.

And did you know you could buy Fisk tires at the Eaglet Garage in Lebanon Junction, from W. H. McFarland in Mt. Washington, or at the Shepherdsville Motor Company?

July 1923

Frank Goldsmith and his wife, Pauline Daugherty, and Judge Morrow left for several days at French Lick.

Norman and G. L. Bridwell of Shepherdsville just finished building a couple of large barns over at Solitude for Mr. Ash and Mr. Rouse.

Little Miss Elizabeth Sanders is spending this week at Campbellsville with her grandparents.

Professor Sanders, Misses Ruby Dean, Sallie Shultz, Virginia Clements, Geneva Gibson, Lillian Crume, Alma Hutchens and Hester Anderson have been elected by the local school trustees to teach at the Shepherdsville school for the fall term.

At Hebron, thieves broke into W. J. Bell's home during church services and stole Rev. Martin's suit case containing his clothes for his planned two week stay. The suit case was later found in a corn field, but all it contained was a Bible and Rev. Martin's planned sermons.

At Pleasant Grove, Amy Lee, little daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Grant, fell and broke her right arm just above the elbow and her elbow was thrown out of place. Dr. Kirk was called and she was doing very well.

Mr. and Mrs. A. J. Roby announced the engagement of their daughter, Rachel Frances to A. L. Bean. The couple were quietly married by Rev. J. J. Maloney, Fairfield, the morning of July 10th.

In Mt. Washington, Misses Mary Dent and Helen Harris and Sue Dent Rouse were the week end guests of Miss Lilberne Parrish and in the evening they with their friends, attended church.

In the Victory community, Misses Ollie Lee Maraman and Margaret Hughes, of Cedar Grove, spent Saturday night and Sunday with Mrs. Violet Thompson, Eva Mae and Mary Jones, Paul B. Roby of Solitude, and Calvin Boyd of Lick Skillet.

H. J. Paulson started a bus line from Shepherdsville to Louisville making daily trips. He left every morning for the city at 6 a.m. and returned to town at 5:15 p.m.

Rev. D. R. Peak and wife, of Shepherdsville, Mr. and Mrs. Carl Wiggington, Mr. and Mrs. James Chowning, Misses Georgia Porter and Hazel Hall, E. T. McAfee and R. K. Hall left for a motor trip to Yellowstone Park. Word was received from them along their way telling of beautiful scenery, good weather and a happy trip in every way. They sent a wire from Denver that all was well at that time.

And Jailer E. G. Quick offered a $15 reward to anyone who returned an escaped prisoner named W. C. Marshall to his jail. Any takers?

August 1923

Over at Pleasant Grove, Tillman Ridgway sent a load of lambs to market by the Montgomery truck; Farmers' Union donated several hundred dollars to help start a Union Store; and Harley Proctor had a new buggy.

The Kerr Drug Company, Cash-cut rate store in Shepherdsville was featuring a complete line of Eastman Kodaks and films. Everybody was excited about getting their picture taken.

In Shepherdsville on the Court House lawn there was a benefit for the St. Aloysius Church which featured lots of refreshments.

If you traveled up the Mt. Washington road about two and a half miles from downtown Shepherdsville, you would find 60 acres of land two thirds cleared with an everlasting spring. Sim Bridwell wanted to sell it.

When the August term of the Bullitt Circuit Court convened, the following men made up the grand jury: Harve Caudill, Fred Sadler, Walter Bishop, J. H. Lee Jr, Fred Sipes, Rufus Balee, Thomas Jenkins, W. F. Armstrong, Vernon Bell, R. H. Wheeler, R. E. McAfee, and W. T. Tyler.

Those called to be on the petit jury included John Adams, C. E. Alford, C. D. Ratcliff, J. S. Bergen, J. M. Cundiff, S. H. Rickets, P. H. Croan, W. H. Nusz, W. F. Clark, Virgil Hibbs, Chas. Edwards, Malcolm Harmon, Gabe Bealmear, John Greenwell, Clarence Hall, A. H. Harned, John Pounds, B. H. Hardy, Fred Hatzell, Earl Dacon, W. D. Ellaby, T. N. Adams, Frank Christman, Joe Owens, W. L. Booth, and Ed Tyler.

An ice cream and Box supper was held at Shaw's Lawn about 3 miles north of Deatsville on the Bardstown and Shepherdsville Road for benefit of Woodsdale School and its teacher, Mary Triplett. (School fundraisers are nothing new.)

In the school news section we read that members of the immediate family of Col. Charles Troll were invited to his home to assist his good wife in celebrating his 78th birthday. The paper wrote, "The Troll family are fine jolly people and Mr. Troll is one of our best citizens who has raised and educated a large family. Several are now teachers in the Louisville city schools."

Four fellows (names withheld to save embarrassing descendants) were indicted for stealing chickens, were found guilty, and the jury fixing their punishment at one year in the penitentiary at Frankfort. In response, the paper stated, "After a woman has toiled for the whole summer to raise a flock of chickens, she does not want them stolen!"

The paper reported that they have been informed by the Internal Revenue office at Louisville that they will have night revenue men here during the county fair to be on the lookout for any whiskey selling or drinking. (That should have been a challenge.)

And during the county fair, the chief attraction was the speed match between Cruise and Miller. Miller took the first heat, but Cruise won the last two on his steady Bruno. That horse had been on that track so much he knew it like a book.

September 1923

Mrs. Mattie Glenn, one of the county’s most popular ladies, accepted a teaching position at the school at Bardstown Junction.

The Victory School honor roll for the second month included Fonda Ratliff, Willie Maud Harris, Otis Ray Ratliff, Walter Lee Harris, Lillian Roby, Rouse D. Jones, Ella B. Bolton, Mary E. Jones, Nathan Bryan Harris, Eva Mae Jones, and Ralph Greenwell. Martha Hornbeck was their teacher.

Charles Lee Bradbury, Stanley Muir, and Crumbacker Jenkins left for Georgetown where they entered college. Others heading off to schools of higher learning included Mary Delle Barnes and Laura May Tyler for Logan College in Russellville; Sue Dent Rouse, Mary Dent, and Helen Harris to Nazareth; Katherine Crume to Springfield; Susie Long Swearingen, Josie Clark, Anna May and Mildred McClure, Marvin Deacon, Charlie Clark, Hubert and Louis McGee, and Clyde and Vreeland McClure to Cumberland College.

The Mountain Top Peach Farm, formerly owned by J. C. Holsclaw, was up for sale. It was the best fruit and tobacco farm in Bullitt County.

The editor wrote, "Mr. Nathan Morrow visited his brother, Judge W. T. Morrow. Mr. Morrow had a very fine memory and could recall with great exactness occurrences of fifty odd years earlier. He remembered well the visit of cholera in this town in 1854 and knew the names of all who died and those who recovered. It was certainly a great pleasure to talk with him and hear him tell of life here more than half a century ago. Very few are here now who were here then and of the houses which stood here at that time, but about eight or nine remain."

Will Smith struck oil at 160 feet on Ernest Miller's land near Bardstown Junction. Mr. Miller had been looking for oil for three years.

And I just had to share this tongue-in-check piece just as it appeared in the September 21st edition. "Mr. John D. James, of Leaches, who lives just above the fellow who lives just below him, and just this side the man who lives just beyond, was here Thursday and attended the sale. He bought a medium size hat of the vintage of 1922. It was a fine piece of head gear for the price and John wore it home in a paper sack. We are not sure about the color of the hat, but rather think it was a dark cream color with band to match. Bill Herps said the hat would have been cheap at half the money, but this was disputed by Jim Collings and others. The hat is used in Arkansas where it is known as 'The Chestnut Pickers Skypiece.' It is guaranteed to wear out in due time unless lost or destroyed in the meantime."

October 1923

With the 1923 election coming up in November, the paper identified the following officers for the various voting places in the county.

At Shepherdsville No. 1 (west) W. A. Cook and O. P. Means were judges, H. L. Wheatly was sheriff, and Mrs. J. W. Barrall the clerk. On the east side of Shepherdsville were A. W. Vance and Robinson E. Lee as judges, Wave Bell as Sheriff, and Mrs. W. C. Herps as clerk.

At Brooks were J. E. Quick and Bert Sanders as judges, J. W Smith the sheriff, and Mrs. Lea Hatzell clerk. At Giffin, Willima P. Foster and T. J. Barrall were judges, Granvill Welch was sheriff, and C. E. Rogers was clerk.

Continuing in that order of office, At Cupio were Ernest Funk, W. B. Nichols, Ed G. Marcum, and Mrs. Ada Samuels. At the Salt River precinct were William Combs, J. R. Buckman, Henry Hamilton, and T. D. McAlister. Precinct 7 at Mt. Washington included B. D. Burch, John Wallis, German Branham, and Miss Lula Swearingen; while that town's precinct 8 had W. A. King, Pete Bleemel, Henry Lutes, and Mrs. Hassie Parrish.

At Zoneton were W. A. Ladusaw, Tom Hackney, S. G. Thornsberry, and Josh Gore. Elbert Lutes, G. B. Herps, Barney Weller, and S. A. Shelton were at Cedar Grove; while Leaches had A. J. Roby, Harry Hummel, R. J. Clark, and Miss Jennie Bridwell. Clermont's officers were George Taylor, William Hodge, Virgil Duvall, and J. C. Hagan.

On the east side of Lebanon Junction were J. H. Waters, J. I. Samuels, Charles Duvall, and Mrs. Maud Beam; while the west side of town had L. L. Masden, C. C. Lutes, Alford Brown and Aliene Barrett.

The last two precincts were Belmont with L. L. Roby, W. A. Bradbury, John Boots, and Mrs. I. T. Mudd; and Beech Grove with W. H. Cundiff, H. C. Cundiff, Jess Dawson, and C. W. Skelton. The election commissioners were A. L. Roby, V. H. Rouse, and George I. Rennison.

Over in Mt. Washington, little James Franklin Kaze was on the sick list, as were Mrs. Curt Moore and son Haskel. Meanwhile, S. B. Owen was building a tobacco barn for Alvin Owen; and the Hall Brothers were building one for Pete Bleemel.

An advertisement in the paper encouraged you to "Stop at Masden and Roby's in Shepherdsville for good eats and drinks."

The Sugar Valley school, led by Miss Elizabeth Cash, had entertainment and pie supper, and raised $125 for the school.

Miss Anna Wilhoit of Zoneton married Ernest Foley of the Victory community in Leaches by Judge Shelton.

Miss Willie Mae Ridgway, who was teaching at St. Mathews in Jefferson County, returned home for a visit.

And J. R. Sargent of Boston was offering a reward of $25 for a cedar chest full of clothing he lost somewhere between Shepherdsville and Boston. Must have been a bumpy ride.

November 1923

Miss Mary Dawson, teacher at Brooks, was preparing a class of students for the diploma examination. They included Grace Flint, Katherine Quick, Beulah Elliott, Coleman Quick, Murrell Flint and Harry Farmer.

Oscar Prather has bought a new Ford Coupe.

The following men were re-elected on the County School Board Tuesday for term beginning in 1924: E. Z. Wiggington, Joe T. Harris, T. L. Mattingly, and H. M. Trunnell.

The Shepherdsville school honor roll included (First Grade) Virginia Lee Croan, Bernice Feather, Etta May Shepherd, Letta Ray Shepherd, and Joseph Songster; (Second Grade) Lydia Bowman, James Simmons Farris, Dorothy Hall, Norma Kerr, Ralph Ridgway, Alice Ray Sanders, Elizabeth Sanders, and Mary Carolyn Lee; (Third Grade) Edward Deacon, and Lydia Ray; (Fourth Grade) Sara Fay Lee, Geneva Lloyd, Beulah Richardson, Bertha Weller, Mary Elizabeth Harrison, C. V. Sanders, and J. C. Welch; (Grade Seven) Tommie Wilson, Ailene Maraman, Anna Lee Hill, and Christine Kerr; (Grade Eight) Wanda Adams, Adrian Crenshaw, J. W. Bradbury, Millard Deacon, and Julia Conniff.

Mr. and Mrs. Lem Swearingen entertained Friday night in their home in honor of their daughter, Miss Texia's 21st birthday. Present were Misses Blanche Weller, Eva Mae Jones, Violetta Thompson, Lovena Kulmer and Mary Elizabeth Jones, Messrs Calvin Boyd, Arthur Weller, Vern Jones and Mr. and Mrs. Alf Weller.

The Hebron School Honor Roll included (1st Grade) Florence Ball, Laura B. Ward, Irvin Robards, Willie Crenshaw, Samuel Rhea, and Lawrence Jackson; (2nd Grade) Sarah Whitman, Martha Wiggington, and Herman Williams; (4th Grade) Wanda Garr, Emma K. Harned, Georgia Jackson, Frank Whitman, and Burks Williams; (6th Grade) Katherine Williams, and Jack Gardner; (7th Grade) Elizabeth Whitman, and Ida Lee Ball; and (8th Grade) Margaret Baldwin, Elizabeth Wiggington, and Edward Rhea.

Bardstown Junction was well represented at the Shepherdsville High School. Their pupils included (Seniors) Miss Katherine Nusz, Messrs Pat Cruise, and Onie Magruder; (Juniors) Misses Flossie Lynch, Eula Shaw, and Mr. William Shaw; (Sophomores) Misses Edta Nusz, Mildred Bergen, Messrs Charles Shaw, Carl Shaw, and Thomas Ed Conniff; and (Freshmen) Misses Nellie and Katherine Triplett, Christine Stansbury, Mary Alice Shields, and Mr. George Francis Henderson.

At the Mt. Washington School a cake was sold for the prettiest girl which was easily won by Miss Hazel Hall. A box of cigars to the ugliest man went to "Grandad" Graham.

Near Hebron, Carolyn Hackney had an accident when her auto slipped off the road as she attempted to avoid a machine she was meeting. She stopped at once, but struck a telephone pole, demolishing her windshield and breaking the top off. She and her mother escaped injury. The Hebron correspondent voiced her opinion, "Our road is much too narrow!"

And when court was called by Judge Shelton, some 27 cases were on docket, all but 3 paid fines and their cases were continued. Most of the cases were for being drunk and disorderly. I wonder where the party was?

December 1923

Out Pleasant Grove way, Buck Price sent a bunch of hogs to market by the Union truck; and R. K. Hall was surprised with a birthday dinner at the Bethel Church.

B. A. Atherton advertised that he had two full stock Jersey cows for sale, one in full flow, the other one fresh in a few days.

At the annual election of the Bullitt County Farmer's Union, L. N. Patterson was elected president, J. R. Cornell was vice-president, Dr. David Smith was secretary, Carey Smith - conductor, A. F. Armstrong - doorkeeper, and J. O. Ridgway - chaplain. The executive committee included C. G. Bridwell, Herman Rouse, R. J. Clark, and Fisher Harned.

Hillery Dawson sold his fine 6-gaited saddle mare, Lillian Pride. She was a Chestnut at the county fair, and brought a good price.

The Hebron correspondent reported that Mr. and Mrs. Roy Mothershead were getting ready to leave for Miami, Florida. They were driving down in their coupe.

The paper printed information from a clipping found in an old Bible of the late Rev. Geo. L. Rodgers about the Mount Washington Academy dated December 25, 1848. In what remains of the paper, we learn that N. Kendall was the school's principal and teacher of the classics, mathematics, and natural science. Miss Sarah J. Kendall was principal of the female department, and teacher of modern languages and ornamental branches. Miss Lydia P. Weed taught music. A census check tells us that teachers Nathan and Sarah Kendall were boarding with William Barns in 1850. They were apparently brother and sister, children of Paul and Jane Kendall of Phillipston, Massachusetts.

W. M. Combs of Shepherdsville was selling fruit trees. Apple and peach trees were 35 cents apiece, and pear, plum, and cherry trees ran 50 cents each.

The Bardstown Junction correspondent reported that Mr. and Mrs. Coe Moser and Miss Francis Trunnell traveled to Georgetown to watch Thomas Trunnell, a local boy, play in a football game. Thomas was scheduled to graduate in 1924.

She also reported that Robert Rennison was having wonderful success with his music class.

Mack Shaw was in Circuit Court for allegedly having liquor in his possession. However, the witnesses couldn't state for sure if it was the real thing or not, so according to the paper, "the jurors instead of hanging Shaw, hung themselves."

And members of the Shepherdsville senior class, chaperoned by Miss Anderson, their teacher, left the school and walked to the site of the "Lone Grave." To get there, they jumped the swollen creek, climbing several fences, and roaming through thickets for an hour before finding the gravesite. There they built a small fire and roasted some wieners for lunch. Their teacher reported that the trip had been enjoyable in spite of two students slipping into the creek, and another in a sinkhole.


Copyright 2023 by Charles Hartley, Shepherdsville KY. All rights are reserved. No part of the content of this page may be included in any format in any place without the written permission of the copyright holder.


The Bullitt County History Museum, a service of the Bullitt County Genealogical Society, is located in the county courthouse at 300 South Buckman Street (Highway 61) in Shepherdsville, Kentucky. The museum, along with its research room, is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. Saturday appointments are available by calling 502-921-0161 during our regular weekday hours. Admission is free. The museum, as part of the Bullitt County Genealogical Society, is a 501(c)3 tax exempt organization and is classified as a 509(a)2 public charity. Contributions and bequests are deductible under section 2055, 2106, or 2522 of the Internal Revenue Code. Page last modified: 13 Jan 2024 . Page URL: bullittcountyhistory.org/happened/1923.html