type_Document_Title_here
A
Reach Into the Past "Callensville"
Written by Peggy Beckner for a Middle School History lesson.
Submitted by Nancy Bray
Note: Peggy Beckner was a 7th Grade pupil and her paper received first prize on $100 in the State contest and a blue ribbon as the best history paper written in the State, also a trip to Mammouth Cave in 1973. Her teacher was Mrs. Lois Wilson, one of our Society members.
When Callensville was mentioned in our Kentucky History class, as a part of Pendleton County history that no longer exists, I became fascinated with the idea of becoming a detective and uncovering as much information as I could. My first stop was our library in Falmouth. I talked with our librarian Mrs. Othelia Moore, who told me she had heard of Callinsville, but to her knowledge there was no written material about it at the library. This statement dimmed my hopes. As I was leaving she recalled the name of C. M. Hardin, a man who now lives near there the town of Callinsville was located and suggested I call. I did, and he agreed to talk with me the next afternoon.
The following afternoon, with my father and brother John, we drove to the fork of State Route 330 and Roanoke Road. About 1/2 mile up Roanoke Road we turned down a long dirt drive-way which led us to an old house that contained Mr. Hardin and his memories of Callinsville.
As Mr. Hardin began talking, sometimes pausing to collect his thoughts, I began trying to visualize the town that once was located at the fork in the road. Mr. Hardin explained that he had moved to the Callinsville area in 1907, some 66 years ago, and that it was still a town at that time. He recalled that there were six houses, two barns, one large building that housed a saloon, dance-hall, post office, and a general store (being run by Mr. Makemson), a mill where they ground corn, a race track and a slave cemetery. Other facts he was able to recall were that at one time the land was owned by the Hand brothers, Harry Hand (born 8-26-1809, never married, was a school teacher) and lived where James Wilson now lives. James Hand (born 2-1-1801, died 4-2-1885, never married, raised his sister Elizabeth's son after her death) owned at least three slaves. In fact, slaves had built part of Mr. Hardin's house. The town of Morgan (across the South Licking River) is in what was once called Callinsville district. Where the concrete block barn, built by Mr. Robert Thompson, whose family owns one time Callinsville land. As we were leaving, Mr. Hardin told us that he was 84 years old and that he was pleased that we were impressed by an old man's memories.
The next day I received a phone call from Mr. Hardin with more information and my next lead. He stated that the now paved Roanoke Road was not the original road, that there was a dirt road not far from it that had once led to the race track and on to Morgan. Then he told me to contact Mrs. Jeanna Carr, a teacher at the elementary school, that her mother might be able to give me more information.
After my talk with Mr. Hardin, I called Mrs. Carr's house and her mother, Mrs. Kells, answered the phone. Mrs. Kells explained that she herself had little memories of Callinsville, but that her father Minturn Milton Jenkins, age 91, probably could help me. She advised me that it would be best for her to talk to him and send the information to me. So, this is what he did, and this is what Mr. Jenkins recalled of Callinsville:
The village was located at the foot of the hill, near the mouth of the Fork Lick Creek and continued to the land fill, that supports Route 330 as it turns up the South Licking River, At one time there were at least sixteen buildings, a large store building, a race track, and a toll gate. The toll gate was located at the land fill and was kept by Mrs. Nee Bryone Fugate, a widow with two daughters. The village was named after John Callin, one of its founders. James Hand owned the race track, described as a long track, round in shape and about a mile in length. The race track attracted many people to the village. Dr. Minturn, a well known doctor in his days, was raised in Callinsville where he later practiced. The doctor died of cancer and his son, Fred was raised by his grandfather. Fred also grew up in Callinsville and later worked in the store and post office at Morgan run by the late Roger Ewing. Mr. Jenkins had been named after the doctor. Pierce Hand lived in a big house on the right side as you come down the hill and his home was used as a voting place for many years. Other residents of Callinsville were: Hayne and John Newman, Fred Day and Charlie Weaver.
At the bottom of Mr. Jenkins information, Mrs. Kells had added that a lawyer named Barton had done some research on John Callin and when he died it was given to the county library. So, it was back to the library to dig a little further with the name Barton.
At the library, Mrs. Moore showed me that Mr. Barton's work had been put on microfilm. The microfilm revealed the following information: John Callin and R. G. Stower had founded Callinsville and it was named after John Callin. John Callin was of Irish descent, he was of medium height and size, chunky, with a light complexion, and red faced. He was involved in almost every business in Callinsville. He ran a hog slaughtering house and produced pork products for the surrounding county. He ran the tavern, which sold liquor (which means Pendleton was not always a dry county) and also lived at the tavern. It is believed that John had three daughters, Martha (who married W.Brann, 10-23-1841), Margaret (who married B. F. Hume on 7-4-1842), and Catherine (who married Joseph Moore on 6-8-1850). There is no information on his first wife, who is the mother of the above mentioned daughters. John's second wife was Letha Lowe, whom he married on 12-31-1863. It is believed that John took his son-in-law Doc B. F. Hume in partnership (Hume is mentioned in the Makemson family history as running the dance-hall). In later years he bought a farm at Short Creek and John Callin moved there with him. Later they moved to Gum Lick where they both died. After John Callin left Callinsville, Bob Fugate took over the tavern and it is his wife, Mr. Jenkins recalled as the toll gate keeper. His daughter Jennie Fugate sold land to B. F. Hand on September 1897. John Hand was the father of James, Pierce, and Harry Hand. John Hand owned 100 acres in Callinsville. This land along with his many slaves was willed to his children. The will was dated April 15, 1833 and the land was valued at $225.00. William Makemson was Elizabeth Hand Makemson's son. William was raised by his uncle James Hand after his mothers death. (William Makemson is Risk Makenson's father and Risk still lives in Morgan and is 92 years old). In 1853 the store was being run by John Hume. The Hands took over 11-27-1854. In 1871 the store was being run by Ben Fugate. In 1907 the store was being run by Mr. Makemson. This is believed to be the nephew raised by Jim Hand.
My next source of information was Mrs. Edna Ewing, another elementary school teacher. When the name of Roger Ewing was mentioned as Post Master of Morgan, I thought of her. So, I called her and told her of my project. She told me Roger Ewing was her father-in-law but that she had never met him. She said that she married and moved to Morgan in 1923 and that there were only six houses remaining in Callinsville, the rest had just died away like their owners. Three of the six houses were condemned and torn down by 1929, and one burned in 1930.
Mrs. Wilson, my Kentucky History teacher, was to be my last source of information. Mrs. Wilson told me that she had a ledger that once belonged to the Callinsville store. She also told me that before Callinsville had been named after John Callin it had been called Littell's Station after William Littell, a representative of Pendleton County in the House of Representative, 1819. Mrs Wilson stated there were two homes where people lived in Callensville in the 1940's. The last one burned on the night of February 29, 1952.
Return home