| 1983 MONTHLY PICTURE |
|
 (click on picture to see an enlarged view) JANUARY - (Halfway Lodge and School - drawn by Sherry Wade - 9th grade) |
One of the oldest one room school buildings still standing in Allen County is located on Highway 231 in the Halfway community at the intersection of Highway 1332 East. It is believed that school was conducted there in the early 1890's, but the first records on file are 1896. Mrs. Lillie Willoughby was the teacher. She taught grades one through six to 40 to 50 students per day. The floors were of hardwood treated with oil to preserve them. The trustees at that time were G. F. Stone, Charlie Cole and R. E. Oliver. In 1940 a new two room school was built at a different location. There was a back entrance to the building with a stairway leading up to the "loft" where the Masons conducted their meetings. In October, 1917 the Eastern Star began using it for their meetings, and at one time the Modern Woodmen of America held their meetings there. It is now known as the Halfway Lodge with the Masons and Eastern Star holding their regular meetings there. |
 (click on picture to see an enlarged view) FEBRUARY - (Enoch Buchanon Home - drawn by Stacy Spears - 11th grade) |
This home will be best remembered as the Enoch Buchanon property, located in the Halifax community. The house was built in the early 1800's by Enoch's great grandfather, Joshua, who came to this area in 1797. He married Susan Wood and fathered thirteen children. As the children were born, more rooms were built - all with fireplaces for a purpose other than to furnish heat. Joshua reasoned that cutting wood for all these fireplaces would help keep his sons out of mischief. The house passed from generation to generation in the same family. Enoch married Martha Moody and they had six children. After the death of Enoch and Martha, Ira H. Buchanon, father of Loran and L. O. Buchanon and husband of Rebecca Frances Pruitt purchased the property. Ira died when the boys were still very small and his widow had to work very hard in order to clear it from debt - working in the fields as hard as any man. Loran Buchanon married Cleo Swarford and they lived in this home until the 1970's when they sold it, and the 82 acres on which it stands, to William Henry Cornwell. |
 (click on picture to see an enlarged view) MARCH - (Portable Sawmill - drawn by Randy Whitlow- 11th grade) |
The portable sawmill operated by Vivion Brown from 1902 to 1912 in Allen County, consisted of a steam boiler steam engine which was mounted separately, a saw mandrel on which the saw was mounted, a carriage which carried the logs to and form the saw, an edger table and saw which trimmed the bark strip from the planks. Since the mill was dependent on steam for its power, it was necessary to locate near a source of water, usually a stream. A crew of about twelve men operated the sawmill. In order to cut a tract of timber, Mr. Brown would move his sawmill to it; set it up, which meant building a furnace of stones and mortar around the steam boiler; digging a pit under the saw to catch the sawdust and carious other laborious chores. Once in operation, the logs were moved from the woods by teams which usually consisted of three or four horse teams. During this period, the tracts of timber in the country were so large that it would take from six months to one year to work it out. Mr. Brown was the father of Miss Anna Brown, Scottsville, Ray Brown, Glasgow, and grandfather of Carl Marion, Mrs. Erma Whitlow and Mrs. Laverne Foster, Scottsville. |
 (click on picture to see an enlarged view) APRIL - (New Mt. Gilead Church - drawn by Suzie Huizenga- 12th grade) |
New Mt. Gilead Missionary Baptist Church is located one mile off Highway 100 on the Red Hill Road. It was organized on December 13, 1873 in the Pleasant Grove School House with eight charter members: William Taylor, Matilda Taylor, J. C. Rather, Mary Rather,H. S. Moore, Martha Moore, Hezakiah Wheat, and Margaret Wheat. The church held its first service in a new building on the present location on November 7, 1874. The first Pastor was F. S. Harlon. Sometime between the first and second quarters of the 1900's regular services were no longer conducted there. In the latter part of 1973, some ministers from Fairview Missionary Baptist Church, Woodburn, Ky. began holding services there. In July, 1974 a Mission was established under the leadership of Fred Brown, David Brown, Charles Long and Nolan Long. On July 29, 1975 this mission was constituted a duly organized church. The present Pastor is Elder Stanley Keen. Services are conducted every Sunday and Sunday night. |
 (click on picture to see an enlarged view) MAY - (Betty Downing Home - drawn by Carrie Wright - 9th grade) |
This house was built around 1870 by Woodson Johnson or his son-in-law, James henry Downing, on Punch Gut Creek, Highway 1333, two miles off Hwy 98 at Mount Zion near Holland. Henry's wife, Mary Elizabeth was widowed with six young children to rear: Vade, Jim, Ed, Oll, Lucy and Mag. "Miss Betty" owned extensive acreage and she sold portions of the land from time to time in order to rear and educate her children. She also boarded farmers who drove stock to the railroad in Scottsville. Ralph Johnson purchased the farm from Miss Betty in 1920. His daughter, Ada Reed Covington, was born in this house. He tore the house down in 1963 in order to build another house. Reports tell of good times, bountiful tables of food and warm hospitality at this home. |
 (click on picture to see an enlarged view) JUNE - (Petroleum Store & Post Office - drawn by Lorri Whitney - 11th grade) |
A posts office was established in what is now known at Petroleum in 1886. The residents of the community asked that the post office be named Oil City, but because there was already an Oil City post office in Kentucky, so the name, Petroleum, was chosen. John M. Hinton had a store there, probably as early as 1875, since that earlier building was replaced by the present one about 1900. Mr. Hinton became postmaster in 1889 and that was the beginning of the post office being located in the general store in Petroleum. The business was purchased form the John Hinton heirs by Roy P., Charlie and Toy Hinton in 1918. In time, Roy P. Hinton, who was a pharmacist, became the sole owner and the name was changed to Petroleum Mercantile and Drug Company. He |