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.