Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1885-05-29
A Citizens Recolleotions.
Ed. SOUTH KENTUCKIAN:

Ed, SOUTH KENTUCKIAN:
About May 18th, 1864, l came to
llopkinsviIlc TO make it my home,
and have done so ever since. And |
now propose to note some Of the
changes that have taken place here
since that time. | have 10 notes and
write from recollection. Therefore
| am liable to overlook or forget
some things. III do, | hope yoG
will remember that mans memory Is
not the surest mode of preserving
records Of cvcnts. The office holders
at the above mentioned date were
ii. II. Littell, county judge; Joab
Clark, circuit clerk ; Granville Law
son, county clerk; 10 McCarroll,
sheriff. Either Lang Bell or Paul
Fuller was town marshal and they
had some pretty hard characters to
deal with assure you. There are
but few men here now in the same
business they were then. The fol-
lowing are the only ones as near as |
can rccollcct:
Beginning at the Cd Bank on the
North end Of Main and on the West
side, john c. Latham was Presi-
dent, Then we 90 South on same
side Of the street, E. IL. Hopper was
next with dry goods and drugs; he
has dropped the dry goods but con-
tinues i'll the drugs. The next was
Strcng " Frankel. The Fraukel firm
is still i'll existence. This completes
The west side of Main. George o.
Thompson and Ilooser IL Overshiner
complete the list Of business men
that were here then and are here yet.
There is not preacher here now
that was here then. In the legal
profession the changes are not so
great, comparatively. II. A. Phelps,
r. Il. Petree, j. w. Mcpherson, j. |.
Landcs and II. II. Littell were here
praclicing then and are still here.
The doctors who were here then are
r. W. Gaines, DR.. lIopson and DR..
Gish. The mechanics were John
Orr, carpenter; Dick Trainum, car
penter. l believe these are all the
carpenters that are here now.
| don't believe there is exceeding
seventy-hve men living here now all
told that were living here then and
were grown at that time. Now in
regard to the houses in which bust
ness was carried OH. There was not
a solitary house in which any kind
OF business was done off of Main
street except two or three wagon and
blacksmith shops. There did not
pound Of tobacco come TO this town
then priced in hogsheads. 1t was all
sold loose. There was not q steam
engine III ten miles of town that / re-
member of. The business houses
that were then standing aud in use
and are still standing, to commence
on West side of Main, the old Bank
in the bottom, the old Clerks Office
where the post-oflice is at present,
then the block where IIopper's drug
store is now; then we 90 clear down
to the block in front of the Wilhers
block; then we cross to the east side
of Main. The Phoenix Hotel, IIooser
~ Overshiner's and two houses i'm
south Of them and that is
all. There was not railroad nearer
than Tate's Station on the Memphis
Branch OF the IL. " N. IL. IL. What
change in twenty one short years.
There were no newspapers publish
ed here at all. Think of it. Now
we have three newsy sheets to read
every week, full of all kind of news
but especially local news. Then
young lady would visit our town
and wear out all of her finery before
the boys would find out she was
here. Now they find her out before
she can change dresses. But it
would require all your columns for
a full year to note all the changes as
they occurred, even if my memory
served me faithfully. l may say
in the future in regard to
the changes as they have. occurred |
since the above mentioned date.
DrrtyrN