Merry Christmas from the Crayne Post Office

Our postmaster, Rosa Ann Stalion Bebout.  Always smiling and always ready to help you.  She's been a part of the Crayne post office history for many years now.

December 2013.  

Landmark Ordway Home Burnt

On the early morning of Sat. Sept. 28, 2013, the old homeplace of W. H. and Julia Ordway was burned.  It had been a well-known landmark for many, many years. 

 

The old house was the home place of W. H. "Bill" and Julia Ordway.  It was thought to be at least a hundred years old.   Bill and Julia lived there until they died, Bill died April 10, 1925 and Julia died Dec. 23, 1935.

Their daughter, Ida, lived there until her death in Jan. 22, 1967.

The house had set empty all these years, but was a familiar sight to all that traveled Hwy. 641.  And considered a part of the history of the area.

 

 All that is left of the familiar homeplace just outside of Crayne.  

The cause of the fire hasn't been stated, but it is thought that it must have been deliberately set as there was no electricity and it was a clear night when it happened.

This picture was taken Oct. 4th, 2013.

Church Picnic Sept. 22, 2013

Crayne Community Church held their annual picnic at Riverside Park (the old Dam 50 site), on Sunday, Sept. 22, 2013.  It was a beautiful day.

Steve Underdown stands by the original old Dam 50 Reservation marker that had been saved since 1980 when the Dam was destroyed.  It's good to see the sign back home again.

Some wonderful Crayne folks enjoying the day and the company are Virginia Kirk on left and Linda Tabor on the right.

Good friends and good neighbors.

Rena Mae Beshears and Marie Conditt enjoying the day and some good foods.  These two ladies are best friends and also neighbors in the Chapel Hill neighborhood.  Both Crayne Church people.

Oliver "Pick" Perryman recently moved to Evansville, but he and his son, Jon, still come to the Crayne Community  Church.   A part of the Crayne community for many years.  Was married to Nell Boyd. 

New Cumberland Presbyterian Church Building

The Crayne Cumberland Presbyterian Church was destroyed by lightning during a late afternoon storm on Monday July 26, 1943.  The blot struck directly into the bell tower and the blaze burst forth immediately.
(Crittenden Press, July 30, 1943.)

All contents of the building were saved including the piano and pews but the structure was a total loss.

I have wondered many times if there was a picture of this early church building.  I have never been told by anyone about seeing a picture of it, or even how it looked.

The new church was completed in Feb. of 1949.  It was built of concrete block construction. 

 The dedication service would be held Sunday, February 27, 1949, with Rev. Eugene Lindsey in charges of the services.  Talk by Harry Haynes on the Church and Rededicating of lives.  Rev. James Houston Jones gave the opening and closing prayers.

This vintage photo of the new block church building shortly after it was completed in 1949, was shared with me by long time friend and Crayne neighbor, Harold Cannon.

 My early child hood memories are from attending this new church.  Attended until it closed in the 1970's.

Remembering the Crayne Days

Good memories of Crayne wouldn't be complete without the great memories that were made at the once popular Crayne Day, always held the first Saturday in June.  These pictures were made June 1991. 

Every parking spot available would be filled with cars.  Old Crayne residents that had moved away planned their vacation as to be in town for this much looked forward to event.   Friends and family gathered together to visit for awhile.  This picture was made in my parents yard, Evah Lee and Billie Travis, you can see the old school house in the background.  At this time both buildings were still standing.

 Cousins, Evah Lee (Brantley) Travis, Clinton Crowell, and Ester (Holeman) Rogers.
Their mothers, Ethel Brantley, Anna Crowell and Ester Holeman were all Duffy sisters.

Aunt Wilma (Deboe) Sutton and daughter, Bernice Jennings. 

All dear friends and family, and all gone now, but my cousin, Bernice Jennings, who lives at Fredonia, Ky. 

Such wonderful memories of our little town.

Some School Memories

The eighth grade graduation of years ago were a special time.  Mrs. Annabell Alexander made our very special.  The graduation would take time about being in the two church in Crayne, one year the Cumberland Presbyterian and the next year at the Presbyterian USA.

In May of 1958 it was the Presbyterian USA Church's turn to have it.  There would be several practices marching in and learning where to stand and what to say if you had a part.  Music would be played on the church's piano, the traditional graduation march. The church would be decorated with local grown spring flowers that someone would donate and maybe some crepe paper ribbons.  It was always very festive and exciting.  Parents and friends would all come to the ceremony.   As I think back now I appreciate so much the time and efforts our teacher and our dear parents gave to make this a special time in our lives.  

Although I am not in this graduating class, I was a part of it, as I played the piano for them to march in to, and we were all friends as we were all together in the "big room" at Crayne.

The big night for these 8th grade student in May of 1958.  Left to right front:  Janie Driver, Doug Binkley, teacher Annabell Alexander, Ronnie Ordway, Larry Binkley.  The two in back: Carol Collins and Larry Bragdon.

The Public School Diploma that was given to each 8th grade graduate.

It was your admission to the High School.  Your future.

Days Of The Crayne Grocery Stores

Remembering the good old days of our hometown of Crayne.  The days when all you needed was in walking distance of your home.   Here are a few of the old grocery stores. 

Dorroh Bros. store was located near the railroad track on the northern end of our community. 

James Franklin Dorroh came to Crayne and went to work for a Mr. Glenn.  He soon purchased the building and stock of good, and he spent his life in this business.

Later his sons and daughter operated the business from around 1892 to the late 1940's.

Pictured left to right:  Eugene and Robert Dorroh.

This is the Brown's General Store, Walter and Lois Brown.

 Dully Baird is resting on the bench. 

Those wonderful old wooden store benches, what memories they bring back. 

This building burned in 1959.

New Crayne Welcome sign

Crayne has a newly redone sign to replace the old one that had deteriorated with time and had been taken down.  

Although not as colorful as the first one, it is clean and neat looking once again.

James Robert Dorroh had the first one made in 1993 when his wife, Jackie, passed away from a car accident.  The sign was in remembrance of her.

On Monday, April 22, 2013, some Crayne friends and neighbors help get the new sign in place.

Left to right:  Tom Omer, Rose Ann Bebout, Pam Dorroh Tinsley (almost hidden in the back), and Paul Malcom.

Tom Omer on left and Paul Malcom on right.  If not for Paul and his extra work putting on the new metal plates and drilling new holes for the bolts, the sign may not have been possible.  Here Tom, neighbor and friend, assists Paul in the final steps getting the sign secured.

We are proud of the new sign, just a small thing we can do to help keep the history of Crayne alive and remembered.  We love our hometown.

Also helping get the sign ready is Brennan Cruce.  He helped with drilling the holes and attaching the sign to the posts.  Also in transporting the sign to Crayne.   Thank you.

Spring time in Crayne

If you happen to be driving through Crayne during this time in April 2013, you will see several bright yellow forsythia bushes in bloom at the Travis home place. 

My father, Billie M. Travis, planted these shrubs, probably in the early 1950's. 

Although they have been hurt by the ice and snow through the years, they managed to survive and come back year after year. 

Crayne Folks

How I wonder what this group of young Crayne mothers were doing on this spring day many years ago.  The picture was made about 1941.

Left to right: Thelma and Donnie Cruce, Juantia Cruce, Evah Lee Travis and little son, Billie Ewell and Mae Binkley and little daughter Doris Ann.   Evah Lee, of course was my Mom, and Billie my brother. He was born in April 1940, 

The little girl is Barbara Cruce, and the other lady is Mildred Highfil and standing with her is Thelma's oldest son, Richard Cruce.

The picture was made in the yard of Thelma and Gene Cruce, which was located across the highway from the Calvery Baptist Church.

Here is another picture made the same day with the all the children in the picture.

Thelma and Donnie, Barbara, Richard, and the little ones in front are Doris Ann Binkley and Billie Ewell Travis.

Old Crayne Folks

These wonderful old pictures were shared with us from Brennan Cruce, the grandson of Gene and Thelma Cruce.  Gene and Thelma started their married life at Crayne in the 1930's and 1940's.

They lived in the house that is located across the road from Calvary Baptist Church.  When the home was built, it was made with a little grocery store in the front part and their living quarters in the back.  There was even a gas pump out front.  This is a picture of Thelma and Donald by their store/home.  You can see the ice cream truck in front of the store.  Picture would have been made in the summer of 1940.   (This house is still standing today.)

This is a picture of Richard Cruce, standing, and little brother, Donnie, made in 1940.

The store in the background is Dorroh's Grocery Store.

When the picture was made, I'm sure they didn't realize they were saving some Crayne history by the buildings in the background.

This is a picture of Richard Cruce, would have been made in the early 1930's.

 Notice the trees in the back ground, they have their trunks white washed.  Something that was done a lot in these times.  I'm not sure if it had a reason other that sprucing up your yard for the summer months or not.

It's wonderful to see these old pictures of the Crayne community and the families that lived there.