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Musings from thirty years ago
This is a retrospective column as our author is out of town this week. This is from Mrs. Jean Calvert's: Museum Musings..." and appeared in the Ledger-Independent on January 21, 1975.
In researching the past history of Maysville and her citizens, we find it quite remarkable that this city produced two of Kentucky's poet laureates.
The first was Henry T. Stanton, editor of two early newspapers, the Maysville Express and the Maysville Bulletin, and the second was a lady well-known in the city's club circles in the early 1900's, Mrs. Eleanor Duncan Wood.
Both had books of poems published, and both immortalized Kentucky scenes and events with the power of the pen. Mrs. Wood's words are cast in bronze at the University of Kentucky where her poem commemorating the soldiers lost in World War I won her a state award.
Stanton contributed many articles to nearly all the periodicals printed in this country during the 1850's, then took time out for a military career, becoming a Major, and subsequently, Adjutant General under John C. Breckinridge and John Hunt Morgan. He was also an excellent lawyer, and practised with his father in this city. The last few years of his life were devoted to writing poetry.
Can any other town of this size boast two poet laureates?
A perusal of a microfilmed copy of The Union, paper published in Washington every Friday by David D. Rannels, and dated August 30, 1816, gives pertinent information about the businesses flourishing at that time.
We were amazed to discover two advertisements about cotton mills. David & Duke announced that they "have again commenced spinning cotton yarns at our Cotton Factory, on the corner of Main Cross and Upper Streets".
Also, Cleneays & Ellis said "They have commenced Cotton Spinning at their new Brick Building, on the corner of Main Cross and Water Streets. Good Flax, Tow Linen, and Country Sugar will be taken in exchange for Cotton Yarns."
"Littel's Laws of Kentucky" and Ramsay's "Life of Washington", the latest editions were on sale at the Post Office. Could the post office have also been a cultural center, being book store and the early library of which historians tell us?
Thomas Mountjoy was the village blacksmith, and Alexander R. Depew had settled in Washington as a new attorney, where he "may be consutled at his office, in a room above stairs in Mr. Massie's Tavern."
We will treasure all this information for use in any future researching done in Old Washington!
In researching the past history of Maysville and her citizens, we find it quite remarkable that this city produced two of Kentucky's poet laureates.
The first was Henry T. Stanton, editor of two early newspapers, the Maysville Express and the Maysville Bulletin, and the second was a lady well-known in the city's club circles in the early 1900's, Mrs. Eleanor Duncan Wood.
Both had books of poems published, and both immortalized Kentucky scenes and events with the power of the pen. Mrs. Wood's words are cast in bronze at the University of Kentucky where her poem commemorating the soldiers lost in World War I won her a state award.
Stanton contributed many articles to nearly all the periodicals printed in this country during the 1850's, then took time out for a military career, becoming a Major, and subsequently, Adjutant General under John C. Breckinridge and John Hunt Morgan. He was also an excellent lawyer, and practised with his father in this city. The last few years of his life were devoted to writing poetry.
Can any other town of this size boast two poet laureates?
A perusal of a microfilmed copy of The Union, paper published in Washington every Friday by David D. Rannels, and dated August 30, 1816, gives pertinent information about the businesses flourishing at that time.
We were amazed to discover two advertisements about cotton mills. David & Duke announced that they "have again commenced spinning cotton yarns at our Cotton Factory, on the corner of Main Cross and Upper Streets".
Also, Cleneays & Ellis said "They have commenced Cotton Spinning at their new Brick Building, on the corner of Main Cross and Water Streets. Good Flax, Tow Linen, and Country Sugar will be taken in exchange for Cotton Yarns."
"Littel's Laws of Kentucky" and Ramsay's "Life of Washington", the latest editions were on sale at the Post Office. Could the post office have also been a cultural center, being book store and the early library of which historians tell us?
Thomas Mountjoy was the village blacksmith, and Alexander R. Depew had settled in Washington as a new attorney, where he "may be consutled at his office, in a room above stairs in Mr. Massie's Tavern."
We will treasure all this information for use in any future researching done in Old Washington!
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| Wendy Mitchell | DANETTA BARKER |
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