Hickman County Ky. Historical Society
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THE NEW FAMILY HISTORY BOOK VOL.lll IS NOW AVAILABLE AND IS A GREAT BOOK TO ADD TO YOUR COLLECTION. JUST GO TO OUR STORE AND ORDER THERE. THANKS HICKMAN COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCEITY
HOME TOWN HERO BANNER
The Home Town Hero Banner Program has been opened up, and we are taking applications again.
Anyone may obtain an application at either of the banks in Clinton.
If someone can't get to the banks, please leave a message with any member of the Historical Society and we will see that you receive one.
Some old papers we have and scanned
AN EXCERPT FROM "THEIR STORIES TO THIS EXPRESSION OF OUR THANKS TO VIETNAM VETERNS".
DAVID MALUGIN
At age 19, three months out of high school, David Malugin served in Camp Carroll, Vietnam, which was one mile from the DMZ. He was a 175-millimeter artillery (self-propelled) gunner. His unit was the shooting support (20-30 miles) from other outfits. He lived in underground bunkers covered in sandbags, and they burned candles for light at night and to keep the rats at bay.
David received two Purple Heart Medals for injuries sustained in duty from incoming fire. After receiving his second Purple Heart, David was sent south to see if he wanted to be a general's aide. On that trip, he rode in a bubble helicopter that skimmed the treetops (any higher and they could be shot at). David still carries the shrapnel from his wounds.
when he left Vietnam, David flew to Seattle, Washington. He and his fellow soldiers arrived home with dirt from Nam on their fatigues. He had been told to get civilian clothes as soon as he arrived, so he shopped at J. C. Penney.
The most difficult part of his experience was staying alive.
New book available now. New histories of old timey business in Hickman County Ky. Available to purchase on this site store or at our location in Clinton, Ky. Thanks
EXCERPT FROM GOLDEN AGE OF HICKMAN COUNTY
SMALL COMMUNITIES, COUNTRY STORES AND MUCH MORE
HILL DAVIS STORE
Hillery Ervin Davis, known by most as Hill, was said to have been a man ahead of his time. He was born to George Washington and Cassie Vaughn Davis on October 4, 1861, in Graves County, Ky. His paternal grandparents were Nathaniel and Dolly Mills Davis, natives of Kentucky.
In 1896, Hill bought a half-acre of land on which he built a country store in the Roper Community which was located on the line between Hickman and Graves Counties. The store served as the home of the Davis family also.
Hill's store contained merchandise just like any other general store of that time and area. There were dry goods, such as sugar and flour, dress material and thread of all colors, bars of soap, hoops of cheese, candles and fresh produce when in season.
Mrs. Virginia Jewell wrote about Mrs. Modean Batts remembering a particular section of the store that contained all sorts of decorated China--teapots, pitchers, plates, vases and many other items that would catch one's eye.
Mr. Davis was also the local postmaster until the rural mail service was started. Customers would come to buy groceries or just stop by to see what the latest news was and then pick up their mail all in one trip. Miss Lula Bradley became Hill's wife, and they were blessed by the birth of one daughter, Rosa. Rose married Willie Elliott.
A hobby that Hill had was photography. He ordered a camera and tripod and all the other necessary items and took pictures of things that interested him. He liked to take pictures of his wife and daughter.
In their later years, Lula and Hill were known to have green thumbs as they planted all varieties of flowers and shrubs. Their home was known to have some of the most beautiful arrays of flowers in the county.
The Hill Davis Store closed in 1937 when Hill passed away on October 10, 1937, and in the summer of 1982 the old building burned taking with it a lot of memories.
EXCERPT FROM NEW BOOK "HICKMAN COUNTY CHURCHES"
FRIENDSHIP METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH SOUTH
Very little is known about the Friendship Methodist Episcopal Church South.
On March 1, 1894, the land the church was built on was donated by Theressa Brown. Three acres and one hundred poles were deeded to the trustees of Friendship Methodist Episcopal Church South who were J. H. Craig, J. R. Graham, and H. C. Brown for the consideration of "the love I bear for the cause of Christ and from an earnest desire to promote His heritage on earth". Also three-fourths acre, adjoining the above tract, was donated by A. L. Day on April 19, 1894 to the same trustees.
The house of worship sat on the left side of the Clinton-Mayfield Road, what is now Highway 58 east, just past Mrs. Joyce Bugg's house. It was a white frame building which sat east to west with the front entrance facing east. It had no front porch or upstairs. The church building was also used as a school house for some time. The church was on the East Clinton Charge.
Families known to have attended Friendship Church were: Hardin and Adaline Batts Weatherford, Emmett and Swannie Mobley Weatherford, the Garland Hoskins , and the Gore Sisters, Jessie and Ruby.
The church was said to have closed in the 1940's. On November 20, 1947, a deed was found between the trustees of the Friendship Methodist Church and C. B. Harper and Leacy M. Harper. The trustees of the church were deeding the two tracts the church was built on "thru authority granted them by the Memphis Annual Conference held in Paducah, Kentucky, November 5-9, 1947, inclusive and under direction and authority recorded in said minutes and properly entered and adopted and ordered by the Presiding Bishop". The trustees were M. E. Weatherford, J. L. Craig, and E. M. Nall.
Even though this is a very short history of Friendship Methodist Church, we all know that the people who formed this church made a difference in their community.
The new book "Hickman County Churches--the Old and the New includes histories of all the churches in Hickman County that could be found. The book will be at a cost of $25.00.
GATEWOOD FURNITURE
Archie Gatewood was born in 1903 to Benevolance and Martha Elizabeth Nethery Gate wood. Martha O'Rena Luter was born in 1912 to Robert Clarence and Maly O'Rena Mitchum Luter. They all lived in Tennessee until the 1920's when Archie's parent moved to Fulton County, KY.
Archie and Martha were married in 1929 and moved to Graves County, KY. in 1931. In 1933, they moved to Hickman County and the Fulgham Community. There they made chicken coops for about a year. During this time Archie lost his job on the Illinois Central Railroad.
At this time, without a job, Archie and Martha decided to build furniture. As Archie had already fashioned two chairs, one out of willow and the other out of hickory. Both chairs turned out to be comfortable with a pleasant appearance.
The couple contracted with landowners for hardwood timber like cherry, walnut, hickory, maple, oak and some persimmon. Also, they contracted for some ash and hackberry.
Together, with crosscut saw in hand they climbed into their T-Model Ford and drove to the woods. With Archie on one side of the saw and Martha on the other, they would bring down trees, cut them into four- foot sections, split them, then load them into the T-Model and head for home.
They had a shop at their home and Archie made all his tools form salvaged parts of a discarded T-Model Ford. Those tools included a pan for wood boiling, a turning lathe, a drill, a router, a sander, chisels and cutting heads.
Martha helped bottom chairs and finish furniture. She mastered the graceful designs of open caning and bottoming chairs with herringbone patterns.
Their first set of chairs were sold to Crawford Store and a furniture business was started.
The chairs became known as Gatewood chairs and, along with dining room sets, rockers, secretaries, tables, doll beds, footstools, cupboards and ladder back chairs were shipped all over the United States. Destinations included New York, Memphis, Chicago, Texas, and Western Kentucky.
Later, Archie went back to work for the railroad and worked until his retirement. But before that the Fulgham couple used their artistic abilities to ensure a way of making a living when jobs were scarce. They lived in Fulgham until their deaths.