The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1921-11-23

Green River Is the boundary line
'of Ohio County ON the west and
south for about eighty miles. This
river was improved and opened to
navigation about the year 1895 or
1895. Point Pleasant. Ceralvo and
Cromwell we're trading points in
Ohio County. South Carrolton,
Ohio County. South Carrollton,
Paradise and Rochester were locat-
ed in Muhlenburg and Butler Coun-
ties on Green River and did a
iourishing business, much Of which
was drawn from Ohio County.
Oliver Cromwell Porter founded
Cromwell and gave II part Of his
name. Abe Kahn. Archie Montague
and others we're traders and ran
general stores there. Q. c. Shanks
put up large lumber mill and
Cooper put up good -four mill
(both were run by steam.) Shanks
Wob tiic uhot man " uSC what was
known as the "Muley Saws" Up to
this time in Ohio County all lum-
Der was hewn or sawed by hand
with Whip Saws or by old-fashioned
Sash Saws. My grandfather--Mos
by James-owned a mill on Indian
Creek that was run by water power.
/ can remember when he would set
the saw for a line In a twelve-foot
dog, start the saw, go and have his
lunch before the say. cut through
the log. While Shahk's mill in
Cromwell using "Muley Saws"
would run such line In FIVE to six
minutes. The flour mill did a
1iourishing business.
Rochester was one of the best
and largest trading points on Green
River and had several stores. The
Kinnimoths, Evans, and Pools
were the leading business men.
Skilesville at the mouth of Mud
River was another fourishing town
with stores and Marble Works con-
Quoted by Craig Bres. Brewer and
-Cowan built large carding machines,
-four mill and saw mill, that drew
an enormous trade from Ohio and
Muhlenburg counties. Prior to the
building of the mills at Cromwell
and Skilesville, the southern and
western parts of the county had
had to patronize the Hartford mills.
Jacob Stom founded the town of
Paradise and he also gave it its
name. Captain William Wand was
doing good business there before
the year '61.
The first steamer ever saw was
in 1879 years ago-it was the
General Breathitt. Later on the
General Warren, General Logan,
Sofia, Evansville, Bell Quigley. Falls
City. Fulton, Bridges, Bowling
Green. Lyon, James White and sew
eral tow boats all navigated Green
River. l was at Paradise on the
occasion when three steamers with
passengers and freight landed, all
within an hour. Scarcely a day
passed that we did not see one or
more steamers blow in for landing
along Green River. 1t is said that
Green River is the deepest river in
the world considering it's width and
length. So far as know, this
statement has never been disputed
for 1t is never unnavigable and sell
dom freezes up.
Spinning wheels winding blades
and handlooms were almost all laid
aside fifty years ago. People were
wearing store clothes and custom
made shoes and the girls began to
decorate themselves with ribbons
and fills. When I was a small boy
the farmers cut much of their wheat
with sickles but cradles soon took
the place of sickles. Grass was
cut with scythes and wheat was
tread out on the ground by driving
oxen or horses over, 1t or threshed
out with fails. The first thresher
In this end of the county was
operated in 1860. IT was only
cylinder with teeth in It.. The wheat
chaff and straw all came out to-
gether and had to be separated by
hand. In 1851 Jt>hua Benton operat-
a separator in this community. 1t
separated straw and wheat. but left
the chaff mixed with the grain.
Fifty-four years ago there was
combined reaper and mower in the
Hopewell neighborhood and year
later there were two or three single
run in that community. j.
r. Shull and L. T. Reid ran the first
rean ar and .mnwer in this and of