This morning (Saturday, June 26, 2010 started around 7 a.m.) I had a great bicycle ride around the Sloughs of Henderson County KY. The Sloughs are in the Geneva-Smith Mills area. The ride was about 35 miles round trip from downtown Henderson. Many of the roads (all paved) were totally without traffic. There was a lot of wildlife including a turtle and deer.
After my bicycle ride, I was determined not to spend it on any connected device (e.g. computer/internet). So I went to our public library Henderson County Public Library and looked at old newspapers on another technology device- a microfiche (how 1970’s). I specifically looked at May and June 1975.
During that time period, I was just completing the 5th grade at East Heights School – which was the very first year that school was opened. I was 11 years old, a Highlander Acres kid and highly entrenched into the workings and activities of the First Baptist Church in Henderson.
Several of the news stories in that time period from the Henderson Gleaner popped out to me as interesting. Below is a short recap:
Ginny Newman started the cable TV show “Round Town” one of her first guests was the town dog catcher. Ginny had that show for many years. I wish the archival videos of the show could be reclaimed. I am told that the budget was tight and many times the tapes were reused. What an archive that would be today.
The Henderson Housing Authority sees a demand for public housing.
My great Aunt Henrietta Priest Culver was running for Circuit Court Clerk. She did not win.
Beauty Salons who usually were accustomed to serve more of a women clientele were seeing more men. JR Cardwell a male hairdresser came to Henderson from Lexington and opened up a shop at 326 N Main. He had specific times (Wednesday evenings) that he took care of styling men’s hair. He believed men wanted more of a “natural look”, “they don’t want a plastered oily look anymore they are asking for a softer fuller look”. He says this is achieved with the right cut and drying technique. Bee Bracket owner of Bee’s Beauty Salon (located in Henderson’s East End), reports that her male and female customers are happy about the new trends of male hairstyles. She says “men are taking more pride in their appearance and they should since we have to look at them all the time”.
Sureway had their weekly treasure chest drawings. People put their name in a pot and had to get their card punched each week at a local Sureway grocery store. If you name was drawn, and you had your card punched that week you could win money. Many weeks the Sureway Treasure chest had over $600 in prize money people could win. My grandmother Hancock was very consistent about getting her card punched weekly.
Michelle Gilliam (now Deep) coordinated a bicycle tour for the American Cancer Society. Probably, the first organized bicycle tour in Henderson KY. Now we have almost 3 a year.
Dr. Paul Wilder came to town and opened a practice.
Gail King wrote a book about flatboats “A Flatboat Hornbook”. The 28 page book gave you all the information you needed to know about Flatboats. This was in preparation for the Flatboat Days Celebration that became so popular during the 1970’s in Henderson. She said her family was proud the book was done; they were tired of TV dinners.
Downtown Henderson property owners worked to reach a goal of $80,000 for replacement of curbed gutters and sidewalks between 4th St to Washington St and from Water Street to Green Street. The project also included new street lights and underground utility wires. Reconstruction of central park fountain is to be done as well. One of the news articles have a picture of Mrs. James (Frances) S. Priest (a distant kin to our family and Virginia P. Berland’s mother) speaking against the redoing of the fountain. Mrs. James S. Priest wanted the fountain redone to its original state. She would be proud to know that was done in 2002.
Computerized checkouts in grocery stores are worrying some consumer groups. They fear the removal of price tags on merchandise. Now we hardly ever see a price just a barcode these days.
Vaughn Insurance advertised in the Gleaner a lot with a somewhat blog style insurance tips material. My father Norris Priest had just purchased the business in August of 1974.
Atkinson Park on the north end of Henderson Kentucky along the Ohio River opened and expanded recreational area providing playgrounds and ball parks over a former landfill.
That’s a lot of interesting news stories and history for spending 2 hours at Henderson County Public Library looking at just two months of newspapers (May & June 1975). I enjoyed it and will have to do it again sometime soon.
Do you remember some of these stories? Do you have anything to add to them? Please leave your comments. All welcomed!
That was the last year that we had graduates from City High and County High. In August the first combined school opened. I was a member of that first freshman class.
The last year for City High was the 1975-1976 school year. The Freshman Center had its one year 1976-1977.I think the Freshman Center was a pretty awful experience for all. We did the best we could but nobody wanted to be there: the faculty were miffed that they weren't at the High School and the students were equally miffed that they weren't at the High School. I was fortunate to have been the librarian at both City High and the Freshman Center. City was a great high school with many advantages over the current institution. It had a much smaller student population and a very, very good faculty. It was acredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, something County High was not. Most important, I think, was the community feeling. The kids came from a small defined area. There was a genuine feeling of "school spirit" among the students and faculty. Being a mid-sized school, about 750 students, you knew most all of the students and faculty. It was a good atmosphere and I was very lucky to have been there. To this day I have many wonderful memories and friendships from Henderson High. Go Flash!
And Nibby, believe it or not, microfilm is still the gold standard in preservation. The Library of Congress and many other Libraries in the forefront of technology still make extensive use of it. I wish you would also mention that the Library has very advanced technology available to the public, both at our building and on our web-site. But of course you can still come and pursue many "old fashion" quiet pursuits, as well.
Keep on biking! And come back soon.
Donald Wathen
Thanks Mr Wathen for the comments! I had a blast at the Library Saturday.
Sometimes I think I should be a Henderson KY reference librarian, but not a genealogy one though. The staff is always so friendly to me and help me with that Microfiche machine.
I'm going to write some stuff about all the technological resources and databases http://www.hcpl.org has to offer.
Thanks for creating a FIRST CLASS facility in Henderson. The library building itself is a well kept facility. I notice it always to be extremely clean both inside and out and has numerous public visits daily.