Winter Snows

As a child growing up in Crayne, me and my friends always wished and prayed for a big snow during the wintertime.  When you are kid snow is wonderful, it's just something new and wonderful to play in.  I know now what a hardship it was for our parents.

The picture at the right is the winter of 1958.  I have written in my picture album, "The Biggest Snow is Seven Years."  I was thrilled.  So was our best friend and dog, "Bullet."  He loved the snow as much as us kids did.  He would run through it throwing it up in the air and catching it in his mouth.

You can see the old Crayne school house in the back ground.  We were still going to school there when this picture was made.

This picture was made in the winter of 1959-60.  That is my Dad, Billie M. Travis, standing on the porch of our home at Crayne.   Two big snows this close together was really something.

This was a big wet snow.  It had to be rather bad to travel on because it kept my Dad from going to work at Mexico.  I hardly ever remember him not being able to get to work.

These are wonderful memories for me, playing in the snow, making snow angels, snow forts, snow men, tracking wild animals in the fields, and mom's wonderful snow cream she always made for us. What a way to end a glorious day playing in the snow.

W. R. and Minnie Cruce's Homeplace

The home place of William Richard "Uncle Dick" and "Aunt Minnie" Cruce. The beautiful old two-story home has been a landmark for many years. It sits at the top of what we always called Crayne Hill.

Uncle Dick and Aunt Minnie always kept their Civil War era home is top repair, and it was a show place of the area.

The picture at the right is the way the home used to look in the 1920's and up until the past 10 years or so. Today the porches are still there but the screened in section has been removed and the second story balcony and railing have been removed. It's hard to tell that it is this same home in the picture.

Today, Edna Nell Cruce Dunagan, the fifth generation of Cruces' lives in the house. There is some new work going on at the place with bricks being layed on the porch floors and bottom of the columns.

Aunt Minnie Cruce was known for her love of flowers and her beautiful flower gardens.  They were a showcase of color in the summer.  One I remember so well was her pink and white Peonies.  She was known as having a 'green thumb' in that all she planted grew to be large and beautiful.  The story was told that when she died July 30, 1965, that she had made arrangements that her garden hoe was to buried with her.  The local undertaken told me some years later that this was true, that she did have her hoe place in the casket with her.  I'd say there are some beautiful flowers in Heaven today.

Cortis Hill Farm

In 1958 The Crittenden Press ran a series of pictures of local farms. The readers were suppose to see if they could identify the farms. This picture appeared in August 1958.

Mystery Farm 14 was identified as the Mrs. Eugene Dorroh and Mr. and Mrs. Cortis Hill farm, which is operated by the Hill's. It was located on the Crayne View Road several miles from Crayne.

The history of the farms was Mr. Dorroh purchased the farm from Mr. Jeff I. Clement in 1947 and began to use soil conservation practices on t he farm. There was 840 acres in the farm as Mr. Dorroh had two farms which joined the Clement farm.

Cortis said that he began farming with Mr. Dorroh, his father-in-law in 1951 and continued to operate the farm. Corn, wheat, barley and soy beans were the main crops. Livestock consisted of beef cattle, mostly Angus and hogs.

Cortis married his wife, Dorothy Dorroh, in 1946. They had two children, at the time, Gary, 10 and Richard 5. The family belongs to Crayne Cumberland Presbyterian Church and are active in its affairs.

This history was from the 1958 Press article. The farm now is owned by Bonnie Turner and farmed by Van Hunt. I don't believe the nice home is still there today.

Church Steeple

The Crayne Presbyterian Church Steeple was placed in memory of Jackie Dorroh. On Wednesday August 31, 1994, a steeple was erected on top of the church. The steeple was placed there in memory of Jackie Elizabeth Dorroh, who died in an automobile accident June 16, 1993. Her husband James Robert Dorroh and family undertook the project.

James Robert said his family was given permission to place the steeple on the church because his wife had said before her death that she would like to see a steeple on the building.

This picture was made last week, Tuesday, Nov. 24th, 2009. The hale storm we had in August had badly dented the steeple. It had to be taken down and repaired at the place where it was purchased. So Tuesday it was put back in it's place of honor on the church.

Crayne Items, Dec. 7, 1951

Crayne was busy little community in the 1950's. During Thanksgiving time there was a lot of visiting of family and friends. Here are some Crayne items from November 1951.

• Mr. Jerry Brown, of Detroit, spent the Thanksgiving holidays with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Walter Brown.
• Miss Margaret Howard was the week end guest of Mr. and Mrs. Werdie Woodward and family.
• Mr. Bud Davenport, of Gary, Ind., has been visiting his mother, Mrs. Alma Davenport and Mrs. Clarence Agee.
• Mr. and Mrs. Charles Alexander and Diana, Mrs. Lola Alexander, Misses Lois and Louise Woodall and Miss Margaret Howard were the Sunday visitors of Mr. and Mrs. Lessly Woodall.
• Mrs. Leffell Boswell and Mrs. Seth Ferguson were in Paducah, shopping Monday.
• Miss Sue Keeling spent Saturday night with Miss Bernice Sutton.
• Mr. and Mrs. Herb Cruce, Mrs. Claude Cruce and family visited Mr. and Mrs. Don Grandstaff and son Sunday.

Carlton Grocery Store

For those of that grew up in Crayne, this store was a familiar sight. Mr. J. C. Carlton built this store in 1932.

In 1935 Mr. and Mrs. George Long purchased the store building, the residence, and the inventory from Mr. Carlton. There was also a cream station located in the store run by Mrs. Long.

Through the years this building was a grocery store, a restaurant, run by Mr. and Mrs. Orlin Binkley. This was in the 1950's. I remember the booths in the restaurant and the old jute box they had. I was only a little girl then, but it was fun to go the restaurant and watch the older girls and boys dance to the jute box music.

Later the store was a lamp store run by Mr. and Mrs. Bob Ordway, then back to a grocery store run by James Robert and Jackie Dorroh, and the last business located there was a craft store run by Mr. Rubin Height. He made and sold wood crafts there. I still have a Christmas reindeer that he made. This was in the late 1980's.

It seems all good things have to go, and so did the little building with all its history and memories. It was torn down in 1988.

Crayne Presbyterian Church Corner Stone

From The Crittenden Press, April 6, 1893.

The Corner Stone. Imposing ceremonies mark the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid.

On March 26, 1893, at 4 o'clock a large congregation from different parts of the county were gathered together at Crayneville, Ky to see Rev. B. T. Watson, your pastor, lay the corner stone of the new Presbyterian Church here.

All present joined in singing the grand old hymn, "How Firm a Foundation." Twelve elders were chosen from the following churches: Marion, Sugar Grove, Piney Fork and Crayneville. Each Elder took their stand at twelve stones of the foundation and remained there during the service.

The following records were deposited in the stone.

• Holy Bible
• Roll of Membership
• One copy of Confession of Faith
• One copy of C. P. Paper
• One copy of Missionary Record
• One copy of S. S. Comments
• One copy of Rays of Life
• One copy of Our Lambs
• One copy of Crittenden Press
• One copy of Marion Monitor
• Roll of membership of the Christian Workers Society
• Roll of membership of S.S.
• A memento, a lock of hair of Mr. D. W. Deboe, and a silver dime giving the date when he was elected elder in the C. P. Church

These were placed in a small box and then placed in the box which was cut in the stone and the stone was laid in its place to stand as a monument that the people of this generation love and serve the Great Father of the Universe, who's Son is our "Chief Corner Stone."

This historic corner stone is resting today at the entrance of the new Presbyterian Church that was built after this old church was torn down in 2001, due to the tornado damage of Jan. 3, 2000.

From our home in Crayne there was just a field between our house and this church. As children we roamed and played around this whole area and around the church grounds. I would have been around 9 and my brother Billie about 12 years old. Billie was at the church during this time when some men were doing some work on the church's foundation.  When they removed the stone from it's place it was found that the metal box had all rusted and it was just bits of metal.  Most of the paper items had all rotted away.  You could see bits of Bible pages and a few scraps of paper with writing.   The piece of braided hair was still there and the silver dime.  Those two things was all that survived the water that had collected in the rock over the years.

Railroad Crossing Trestle

This is a picture of the railroad crossing that used to be located on the A. H. Clement Road. The large sandstone rocks, taken from the rock quarry in the article below, were used to help build up the banks to hold the track.

The crossing was taken out in 1999-2000 right after the rail road tracks were taken up in 1999.

Crittenden County has one rail road trestle left, it is located at what we called Winlow Park on Hwy. 60 East about 5 miles from Marion. I wonder if the people that owned the land didn't want it taken down and that it why is was saved from destruction.

Crayne's Rock Quarry

Illinois Central Railroad Rock Quarry

The information for this history was shared with me by Greg Stallion. His family used to live on Loyd Road just South of Crayne.

Located on approximately 160-180 acres of woodland 1.5 miles East of Crayne midway between the Crayne Cemetery Road and Loyd Road. The current property owner is former Crayne resident Marcus Norman of Evansville, Indiana.

This quarry is believed to have been first established in Crayneville by the Illinois Central Railroad Company in order to supply stone needed to construct the railways being built through Crittenden County during the late 1870's. Large deposits of sandstone were extracted from this site and also used to build chimneys, stepping stones and foundations of various community homes. (There was a couple of these large stones that were at my Grandmother's home, Ethel Brantley's, at her home on the corner of Crayne Cemetery Road and Hwy. 641) and they were used as a walking bridge over the large ditch to walk from her yard to the highway.) I've also been told that some of these stones were also used in the community of Fredonia, Ky as stepping stones for sidewalks and patio's.

The site of which the rock quarry once stood is only visible by those who knew where it once was. Although heavy wooded growth now dominates the old working area, large cut rocks of various sizes are still present in the old quarry.

It appeared to be that the workers of the Illinois Central Railroad Rock Quarry first began cutting their stones out of the nearby bluff itself, starting approximately 35 feet in height and working down.

The quarry was only active for a period of a few short years (1-2), closing shortly after the full construction of the railway.

In the picture above made by Greg Stallion about 5 years ago, the stones were nicely stacked. I've been told just last year, that many of the large cut stones have been taken and not many are left now and the place is a mess.

Crayne School Reunion August 22, 2009

Crayne School Reunion

The Crayne School Reunion was held August 22, 2009. Although not as many attended this year as in 2006, the afternoon was sure enjoyed by those that came.

The oldest student there was Houston Kirk, he is 86 years old. The next oldest was James Robert Dorroh at 83 years old. Both are in good health and attend church and activities regularly.

Edwin White of Kingsport, TN, drove the farthest at 350 miles.

John Walker, who I hadn't seen for over 40 years, drove from St. Louis for the day.

The picture at the right, are three old friends, who attended school all 12 grades together. Grade school at Crayne and High School at Crittenden County High School. Left to Right. Harold Cannon, Clinton Bigham and Me. Thanks for the memories.

Hail Storm of August 11, 2009

Catching up on the Happenings in My Home Town.

Crayne was once again hit with a storm on August 11, 2009. This time it was a terrible wind and hail store. Many homes were damaged as much or more than by the January 3, 2000 tornado that devastated our little community.

The picture at the right is what was left of one of the windows in my family home. This is a storm window and the inside window, both busted by the large golf size pieces of hail. The shutters were also busted out, shown on the right of the window. The pieces that you see plastered on the upper part of the picture are leaves that was shred from the trees. Siding had holes in it the size of baseballs.

The last of the damaged homes are being repaired this month. New roofs and siding are being completed and people are about back to normal.

The Crayne knobs, which are usually a colorful site in the fall, were so damaged by the wind and hail that they have looked brown and shredded for the rest of the summer. There wasn't one colorful tree to be seen on them this fall.

Making of Future History

The Crayne School Reunion Committee met last night and formed the plans for the 2nd Crayne School Reunion. The first-ever Crayne School Reunion was held on Sept. 9, 2006 and was a big success. Several generations of Crayne school students met at the Crayne Presbyterian Church and exchanged memories, stories, laughter, hugs and friendship.We hope this one will bring back even more of the Crayne students and another enjoyable, memorable day.

• Here is the information.
  Crayne Reunion Scheduled for August 22, Crayne School reunion will be held August 22, at the Crayne Presbyterian Church fellowship hall, starting at 2:00 p.m.
• Anyone who attended school or taught at Crayne and their spouse or guest are invited to attend. Finger foods, desserts and drinks will be served.
• Old school pictures and other memorabilia are welcome for display. Dig through those old pictures and share them with old friends.
  
• Reservations may be made by mailing a check for $7 single, or $14 couple as soon as possible to Betty Hodges, 4770 US Hwy 641, Marion, KY 42064,
• or Linda Tabor, 5229 US Hwy 641, Marion, KY 42064.
  
  
  _

Vernon and Wilma Sutton Home

One of the old homes in Crayne was torn down recently. The home of Vernon, Wilma and Bernice Sutton. It was located just below the home of James Robert Dorroh. The railroad track used to be just to the right of the home on the hill. Bernice grew up with the sounds of the old locomotives going past each day.

Bernice told me that her mom and dad bought the house about 1941 and it was only a two room little house. Through the years, her dad built several more rooms and a bathroom to it and made it the house you see in the picture.

It had a little stream running beneath the trees and Uncle Vernon had built a small concrete bridge over it. I remember when me and Mom visited them when I was little, how I love going back and forth across that little bridge over the stream. Probably hoping I would fall in it.

Bernice had kept the home for many years after her parents passed away, but decided it was time to let go and so she sold it to some folks in Fredonia. They tore the house and out buildings down in May of 2009 and have now moved in a double wide mobile home in the lot.

Bernice and I are first cousins, our Mom's were half-sisters.

Crayne Day History con't.

Crayne Day 25th Anniversary, June 6th, 2009.

James Robert Dorroh and Houston Kirk, enjoy the morning sitting under the shade of the Maple tree. Both Crayne people from way back. Both are in their 80's. Both fine gentlemen.

Crayne Day was only a shadow of it's former days, with only a few yards sales sit up and that was all. James Robert had some entertainment of music and Rodney Paris was there with his wooden puppet Finis, who danced on a wooden board. Both were really good entertainment.

So many of the former residents that helped with that first Crayne Day so many years ago, have passed away. It's sad to see the little community without it former citizens. People who loved the community and made it a wonderful place to live. But thanks to James Robert for trying to keep the tradition of Crayne Day alive.

Crayne Day History

Tomorrow, June 6th, 2009, will be the 25th anniversary of the start of Crayne Day. It is only a shadow of the original Crayne Days that were held until the year 2000. After the tornado that hit Crayne on January 3rd, nothing was ever the same. It destroyed much of the community and also damaged people's homes, spirits and lives. Not they didn't whole heartily try to come back, rebuild and repair they homes and lives, it was just a hard time.

Now in 2009, James Robert Dorroh, one of the few original remaining Crayne citizens, tries to keep Crayne Day going, it is a hard task. Most all of the first families that helped those first few years are gone. The older residents passed away, and even one of the original creators, Peggy Malcom, has passed away. The homes that held these Crayne families may be empty or have new families in them, that really don't care about the neighborhood like those in the past.

In the first years of Crayne Day, it was just the most wonderful times, the yard sales and vendors would begin as you started down Crayne hill and continue all through the community until you left the other side of Crayne. Old Crayne residents would even plan their trips around this time so they could attend this event. Vendors from surrounding states had heard of the crowds and wanted to come and be a part of the day. Ruby Poindexter Franz became a special attraction each year with her home made fried apple pies. Everything imaginable was avaliable on Crayne Day.

In May of 2007, the Press ran an interview articles with Roseann Bebout, one of the original creators. It tells the history of Crayne Day.

Starting out as a small idea in 1984, it soon ballooned into something more that seemed to bring the life back into a once dying community.

Roseann Bebout, the postmaster at Crayne Post Office, was the one who formulated the plan and mentioned it to a good friend and neighbor of hers, Peggy Malcom. "I had heard James Robert Dorroh mention that Crayne was a dying community, and I wanted to fix it." Bebout said. "So I cam up with an idea that would bring all the neighbors together and just put life back into our community. Of course, when I mentioned the idea to Peggy Malcom, my good friend and neighbor, it was a hit and we started to work on it."

The plan was to just have a neighbor day with yard sales and cooking so life could be restored to the little town. With the plan in their heads, Malcom and Bebout went to setting it in motion. Malcom started moving the idea to other residents of Crayne by word of mouth and Bebout put a poster up at the post office.

It wasn't long before they began to get volunteers and neighbors who were offering their yards so that booths could be set up. Dorroh was one of the neighbors who volunteered to help.

What started out as just an idea for a day for neighbors to get together and have fun, soon grew into a large event and became a yearly celebration for Crayne, which was quickly dubbed Crayne Day.

With visitors coming to Crayne Day, local bands, volunteering to sing and more neighbors participating, Crayne Day had become a huge success.

Now these past times are just a wonderful memory that some of us that participated in the first Crayne Days are lucky to have.

Crayne News August 1949

Can't beat these old Crayne news items to bring back memories of how Crayne used to be, and all the families that lived there. These once familiar names are about all gone in the village of Crayne now. Many of the old home places have been torn down too.

August 19, 1949. Crayne Items submitted by Margaret Howard and Wilma Fletcher.

• Mr. and Mrs. D. L. Marvel of Princeton spent the day with Mr. and Mrs. Herb Cruce and Betty Sue Sunday.
• Miss Bernice Sutton spent Saturday night with Miss Dorothy Ann Agee.
• Mr. and Mrs. Maurie Houston Kirk of Evansville, Ind., spent the week end with Mr. and Mrs. Allie Kirk.
• Miss Mary Jean and Helen Cruce, Miss Doris June and Carol Ruth Perryman visited Miss Betty Sue Boyd Sunday afternoon.
• Miss Wilma J. Fletcher visited Mr. and Mrs. Willie Fletcher Friday afternoon.
• Mrs. E. R. Brown of Princeton, Eddie, Carl, and Helen Brown visited Mr. and Mrs. Pete Binkley and children.
• Mrs. Orgie Stevens is very ill and is now in Marion Hospital.
• Mr. and Mrs. Preston Perryman and Billy Joe visited Mr.and Mrs. Thomas Perryman and family on Sunday.
• Mr. and Mrs. Jack Thompson and son of Frankfort, Ky. spent the week end with Mr. and Mrs. Preston Perryman and Joe of Crayne.
• Mr. Marcus Norman is home from college.
• Miss Wilma Fletcher and Miss Margaret Howard spent Friday night and Saturday with Mr. Emmett Fletcher and children of Fredonia.
• Mr. and Mrs. Leslie Woodall, Lois, Louise and Bernice Sutton went to Kuttawa Sunday afternoon.
• Miss Louise Bigham, Mr. and Mrs. Houston Bigham and boys, Jimmy and Clinton, visited Mrs. Georgia Howard Sunday afternoon.
• Mrs. Ethel Brantley visited Mr. and Mrs. Vernon Sutton Sunday afternoon.
• Several from Crayne attended the Box Supper at Mexico School Friday.

Crayne's World War I Hero

Ellis B Ordway, First Crittenden Countian Killed in WW I

Ellis B Ordway was the son of Mr. and Mrs. W. H. Ordway, of Crayne. He was a member of the Crayne Cumberland Presbyterian Church, as were his parents.

Although he died on June 28, 1917, his body wasn't able to be sent home until April 1921. The Crittenden Press headlines read, Remains of Overseas Hero Brought Home.

Ellis Ordway was a volunteer in the World War, Having enlisted in June 1917 and was sent to Columbus, Ohio where he was kept in training for only a short time, going over seas in the last of June. He was in Co. A. 16th Infantry.

His comrades speak of him as a brave soldier. He was sent to the front to Argonne Forest, where he was wounded twice by a machine gun in the right leg on the 17th day of July and died the 28th from his wounds.

His body arrived in Crayne Tuesday morning from overseas and the funeral was conducted in the presence of a large crowd of sympathetic friends. The body was laid to rest in the Crayne Cemetery.

Crayne Railroad

Crayne Railroad, remembered by James Robert Dorroh. James Robert is the oldest living resident of Crayne, that has lived here all his life and knows more history of the little community than anyone. Most all the old Crayne families have died out or moved away. There may be some older folks than James Robert, but none that has spent their whole life in the community of Crayne.

The picture of the Rail Road Crossing sign is located at Crayne, behind James Robert's home place. I'm sure he had the railroad leave it when they took out the railroad tracks, for it is the only sign in it's kind left in the county.

In or about 1888 the Ohio Valley Railroad Company built a new railroad through Crittenden County. This road came through Crayneville, Ky., opening up a new way to travel and move products. Crayneville also had a tobacco factory, located on the East side of the railroad, known to us as the freight yard.

There were three passenger trains running north and south a day stopping at Crayneville, plus the freight train schedule. Located here were a passing track and section crew, who worked repairing the tracks. Also a nice depot where many agents worked through the years of the railroad. Remembering three agents, a Mr. Weams Croft, Mr. Alvie Brown and a Mr. Marshall.

In my day the railroad was known as the Illinois Central.

In 1982 the tack closed and sometime later was purchased by Pyro Equipment Company. In 1989 the P. and L. Company of Paducah leased the railroad and rebuilt the track from Princeton to Blackford.

In 1999 the removal of the railway that was established through the heart of Crittenden was started, and then the end of our railroad history was finished. Many people thought this was a foolish thing to do, removing our railroad tracks.

The picture above is a pleasant sight to see, reminding us of the trains than once ran through our community of Crayne.

Crayne Musicians

Crayne String Band

My article in The Crittenden Press this week will include the picture on the right. It is will be about old time Fiddler's contest and Singing conventions.

This picture is a wonderful old picture of some of Crayne's hometown families.

On the left is Jonas Rushing, with guitar, although he was better remembered for his fiddling talents. He won several fiddling contests around the area.

Next is Elbert Brown with his fiddle. Everyone in the Crayne area new Mr. Brown and his fiddle. He also played at many on the local and school get togethers.

Mr. Hughey McCaslin, played the Base fiddle.

Mr. Nat Sutton, in this picture played the mandoline. He also played the fiddle.

Crayne 4-H Friends

Crayne 8th grade 4-H's in 1959. The Crayne 4-H Cooking Class had gathered at Merle Cannon's house for a cooking class in February 1959.

Left to right: Peggy Binkley, Sheryl Ferguson, Dottie Parmley, Paulette Rushing holding the flour sifter, Merle Cannon our leader in the background, Nancy Ellen Sutton with the measuring cup, and Linda Jo Baird looking up receipts. I was behind the camera at this meeting.

Crayne School had a very active 4-H Club thanks to our caring teacher, Mrs. Annabelle Alexander. She kept us girls busy with all the projects and activities that went with being 4-H members. She also was active with the boys in our class, teaching them basic of cooking a delicious stew and many other useful things that wasn't taught in the average school day.

Crayne Items - 1950

Crayne Community Items, Jan. 5, 1950 submitted to the Press by Margaret Howard.

• There was a Christmas program at the U.S.A. Presbyterian Church Saturday night nd also one at the C. P. Church Sunday night. There was a nice crowd each one.
• Rev. James H. Jones preached at the U.S.A. Presbyterian Church Sunday.
• Rev. Eugene Lindsey filled his regular appointment at the C. P. Church.
• Rev. Eugene Lindsey, Mr. Wordie Woodard, Marion, Mr. and Mrs. Leffel Boswell, Mr. and Mrs. Ernest Brown and Dorothy Nell, Miss Bernice Sutton and Miss Margaret Howard attended a Young Peoples Rally at Madisonville, Sunday.
• Mr. Jerry A. Brown spent the holidays with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Walter Brown.
• Mrs. Jennie Baird has returned to her home in Crayne after a visit with relatives in Hammond, Ind.
• Miss Lois and Louise Woodall, of Evansville spent the week-end with their parents, Mr. and Mrs. Lessly Woodall.
• Mr. and Mrs. Burnie Stone have returned to their home after spending the holidays with Mr. and Mrs. Harold Alexander and Nancy.
• Mr. and Mrs. Roy Jones and Tommy returned to their home Friday after spending a few days with their daughter and family in Gary, Ind.
• Those on the sick list are: Mrs. Julie Belt and Mr. Tom York.

Crayneville School Closes for Year

Crayneville School Closes, from The Crittenden Press, March 2, 1905.

The Crayneville School closed Friday afternoon with a very interesting entertainment under the management of the teacher, Miss Rosa Schwab. The program was as follows:

• Salute to the Flag - By the School
• Recitation, The Rifleman - Carrie Crider
• Take Keer of Yerself - Ellis Ordway
• Grant and Lee - Dennis Carlton
• Recitation, Ain't Goin' to Cry No More - Audie Ordway
• Recitation, The Fire Kink - Lucy Bradford
• Faith and Work - Ethel McCaslin
• School Ma'ams Courtin' - Ida Ordway
• The Little Brother - Hester Rushing
• The Cheerful Farmer - Claud Tabor
• Dialogue, Aunt Pious - Ruby Cook

Early Crayneville

Crayneville, KY 1891-1892

The ad at the right and the following community items are some of the earliest items I have found on Crayneville. The ad was published in the Sept. 24, 1891 Crittenden Press, and the following community items were May 19, 1892.

Crayneville Community Items.

• P.H. Woods and Deboe & Dorroh are our merchants. We have only one church and school house combined.
• We have ten dwelling houses, all occupied.
• Deboe & Dorroh will pay 11 cents per dozen for eggs this week.
• Judge Rushing has departed for parts unknown.
• Deboe & Dorroh are selling Fredonia straight grade flour at 65 cents per sack.
• Jesse McCaslin had a log rolling Saturday.
• Rev. J. F. Price preached to a large crowd here Sunday evening. We have a good Sunday School here; it meets every Sunday at 3 o'clock.
• Miss Ada Deboe is visiting Miss Linnie Crayne this week.
• Miss Ida Adams gave her friend's a birthday party Saturday night.
  

Crayne Students 1932-1933

Crayne Students in 1932-1933.

This photo belonged to my Mom, Evah Lee Brantley Travis.

1st row: Left to Right Bottom step.

Allie Bradford Jr., Wilbur Woodall, Gladys Beard, James Robert Dorroh, Bobby Butler, Ophelia Brown, Louise Jones, Thelma Louise Elkins, Hilda Mae Woodall, Ruby Hunt.

2nd row: Clifton Tabor, Dorothy Glenn Dorroh, Jewell Tabor, Ruth Jane Bigham, Imogene Jones, Ada Nell Bradford, Helen Perryman, Anita Houston, Ronella Stevens, Henry Ewell Baird.

3rd row: James Woodall, Doyle Brown, Evah Lee Brantley, Verble Louis Cruce, Mildred Paris (Teacher), Hilda Baird, Lilly Mae Tabor, J. T. Brown, Oliver Hunt.

The second Crayne School

The second Crayne School building was built in 1925. It was erected on KY Highway 91 next to the present day Unity General Baptist Church.

It was frame and consisted of two rooms, one larger than the other, and they were called the "big" room, for the upper grades, 6th-8th, and the "little" room for the lower grades.

This school became so crowded that a building down the highway owned by James Dorroh was used for a short time. The 6th-8th grades attended there.

A short time later a small concrete block building was built next to the two room school building for these pupils. (This small concrete building was where I went my first three years of school. The rest of my grade school years were spent in the frame building picture above.)

Crayne school was closed in 1960 and pupils were transported to Marion or Frances. Mrs. Annabelle Alexander was the teacher in the upper grades when the school closed.

Both of these school houses are gone now, due to the tornado damage on January 3, 2000.

Crayne Post Office History

Crayne Post Office

The photo at right is the original Crayne Post Office. It is located today on display at the Crayne post office building.

In 1886 James Lee Cruce became the first postmaster of Crayne. The post office was located at his farm about half a mile south of Crayne. In 1890, Richard Dorroh was named Postmaster, followed by Hugh Glenn in 1900-1902, James F. Canada in 1904, and Newton Bishop in 1907.

James Franklin Dorroh, William Robert Dorroh and Eugene Dorroh each served as Postmaster of Crayne. At the time the Dorroh's served as Postmaster, the office was located in the Hugh Glenn Store. This store later became the Dorroh General Store and the post office remained in this building until 1953.

In 1953, Seth Ferguson became Postmaster. Mr. Ferguson moved the post office to his general store. He retired as Postmaster of Crayne in 1982. Mrs. Velma Ferguson and Mrs. Jackie Dorroh served as Assistant Postmaster during this time.

In 1982, George Tucker of Mayfield became Postmaster in charge until his retirement.

In Feb 1983, Rose Ann Bebout was appointed Postmaster and remains the Crayne Postmaster today. Some of the postmaster relief people under Rose Ann were Wanda Mott, Jackie Dorroh and Linda Highfil Padget. Today Kim Asbridge serves as Postmaster relief under Rose Ann Bebout.

In 1992 the post office was remodeled and a twenty-four hour lobby was post office boxes for rent became available to customers. The original post office window and box service area is now a lobby display for everyone to remember where we came from. The display will remain a part of the Crayne Post Office history.

Hopefully the Crayne Post Office will remain a vital part of the daily life of its community for many years to come. It is all that is left of a once lively and busy community.

Easter at Crayne

This picture of a group of relatives and friends was made one Easter Sunday at the Crayne Presbyterian Church. It was in the early 1950's, about 1953-54.

Back row left to right: Belle and Leffell Boswell, Velda (Ordway) Johnson, holding her young son, and her husband Doug Johnson, Velma (Ordway) and Seth Ferguson, and Evah Lee Brantley Travis.

Front row: Sheryl and Sandra Ferguson, Brenda Travis, and Gary Hill.

We were dressed in our Easter finery, even to the little hats that we had on, and our Easter baskets.

Some Crayne News Items During this time. Crayne News Reporter - Margaret Howard.

• Those on the sick list are: Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Holloman, Mrs. Julie Belt, Mrs. Sarah Cruce, Mr. Rob Dorroh.
• Miss Bernice Sutton is now employed at the Marion Cafe.
• Mr. and Mrs. Leonard Campbell and Darell, were the Sunday guests of Mr. and Mrs. Clifton Ordway and Ronnie.
• Mr. Donald Hodge, of Texas, is visiting Mrs. Sarah Cruce and other relatives in this community.
• Mr. Jerry Brown, of Murray State College, spent the week end with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Walter Brown.
• Mr. and Mrs. Raymond Jones were the Sunday dinner guests of Mr. and Mrs. Ray Jones and Tommy.
• The infant son of Mr. and Mrs. Goldie Rushing, of Detroit, formerly of Crayne, passed away yesterday at Detroit.

Crayneville's First School

Crayneville's First School. This picture was made in 1915.

The first school was built sometime in the late 1800's and it was located of McCaslin land. That land was across the road from the United Presbyterian Church on Crayne Cemetery Road and the home of the Seth Ferguson's for many years.

Crayne's Early Churches

Crayne USA Presbyterian Church on the left, and the Cumberland Presbyterian Church on the right. These are pictures of the churches in their earlier days. The way they looked when I was growing up in Crayne in the late 1940's and 1950's.

The first Church organized in the Crayneville community was in 1892, as a Cumberland Presbyterian, from the congregation of the Piney Fork Church. Elders were Mr. Jacobs, McCaslin, DeBoe, Ordway and Adams. In 1907 this church became a United Presbyterian Church U.S.A. This division developed over the education of the Clergy and the Revival movement. The dedication ceremonies for this church was held March 26th, 1893.

The church observed it's 100 years celebrate on June 7, 1992. A large crowd attended this service.

This church building, with a few renovations, served the community and its members until January 3rd, 2000, went the a tornado came through Crayne and did extensive damage to homes and families, and also the church. It seems the foundation of this old loved church had been damaged and the insurance company claimed it was unsafe for people to be inside. So the church building was torn down in June 2001 and the ground cleared to built a new building.

This new church building, built by a Crayne native, Harold Cannon and his crew, was finished and the dedication service was held June 22, 2003. This church is active today, with a small dedicated group attending regularly. Some even with family ties to the very first church that was build in 1893.

In 1913 a group of people organized and built a new church building on Highway 91, and it was a Cumberland Presbyterian Church. The beautiful new house of worship was dedicated in July 1913.

This building was destroyed by fire, caused by a lightening strike in a summer storm of July 1943. It would be several years before a new building was built, but the dream came true in 1949. The new Cumberland Presbyterian Church was completed of concrete block construction. The dedication service would be held on February 27, 1949 with Rev. Eugene Lindsey in charge of the services. This is the church which I grew up in, it being located just across the highway from where I was born and raised.

This church would continue to serve the community and its member's until 1975. With a falling membership and some strife among the last members, the church closed. Gone was my church since childhood. The building today has been completed remodeled, with colored brick and it serves as a Baptist Church.

How Crayneville, KY Got Its Name

Crayne, Kentucky is located five miles south of Marion. In the early days when it was a new community just getting settled, it was named Crayneville.

In 1886 the railroad was making it's way through the county. As it came to this little village, a right-of-way was needed for the crews to lay the track. Mrs. Emma Crayne, who's family lived here and owned the land the railroad needed, gave her consent for the right-or-way, and the village was given the name of Crayneville in her honor. It was pronounced Crayne'e'ville.

In October 1907, the name of the thriving little town of Crayneville, had to be changed. There was another town in Kentucky that was named Caneville. It was also on the Illinois Central railroad route. It seems the names were too similiar in name and spelling and the mail and freight for both towns, would end up in the wrong town. So Crayneville lost the 'ville' and was renamed as Crayne.