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Butler County Historical Tour

The first Historic Tour of Butler County was held on Saturday, October 18th.  The group loaded on the motor coach with driver, Keith Lee and tour guide Roger Givens. The group stopped at the Green River Museum for a tour guided by Tommy Hines, Museum Director.  The Board of Directors served morning coffee and sweets to the group.

The bus rolled into Rochester and the first stop was the Rochester Community Building.  Lunch of old fashioned beans, cornbread and drink was served by the Rochester Community Ladies, and Sue Hammers talked about the History of Rochester.

Joan Southard’s father had a drive-in theater in Rochester.  Connie Howard Drake, one of the workers/servers, grew up in Rochester.  Rochester was founded in 1839 by William Towell, he was married to Nancy Jordan of Rochester.  In 1802 Thomas Redding founded neighboring town. 
The lock and dam help to make Rochester the largest Butler County town in 1870.  The railroad industry flourished after the Civil War.  There was a hotel, the Cullem Hotel, next to where the fire department is currently.  The Rochester Billing Company was on the corner of the town.
When the Green River Bank opened its doors in 1898, Rochester was a thriving river town of some 1,000 residents.  The bank’s opening was heralded by the community’s two newspapers, the Rochester Sun and the Rochester Gazette.  Mr. Jake Wilson, Mr. Bailey Wooten, Mr. Wallace Brown, Mr. George Shultz, Mr. J.F. Hayes, and Mr. John Bowles were instrumental in the bank’s organization.  William Willis, Jr, Jim Brown, Aubrey Conway and Hallie Brown were some of the early bankers.


The bank remained solvent through the depression.  In 1970, the name was changed to the Green River Bank, and the main bank was constructed in Morgantown with the Rochester Branch remaining in the original building.
H.L. Myers Drug Store was located at the corner of Main Street and Russellville Road.  It was a two-story building with living quarters upstairs.  J.D. Baugh had a shoe store next to the Myers Drug Store in what looks to be the same building.  These were wood structures next to the Green River Bank.  The bank was built of brick.  Kininmonth Furniture Store was on the other side of the bank, and was also a wooden building.  The next store was Kininmonth’s General Merchandise Store and it was built of brick.


In 1913 Rochester had the first of three major fires.  Fire destroyed the Myers Drugstore, J.D. Baugh’s Shoestore and Kinninmonth’s Furniture Store.  The bank, a brick building, did not burn; nor did the Kininmonth General Store, which was also brick and beside the Kininmonth Furniture Store.
In January 1914, the Rochester City Council passed an ordinance which prohibited the building of any wooden structure on or near Main Street.  Only metal, stone, brick or concrete could be used for foundation, walls, roof, of any new building or repair of existing buildings.  The ordinance was later repealed.
Bricks were made at two kilns in Rochester.  One was on the lot behind William Willis’ house; the other, on land owned by the late Charles Davenport.  It was located near the road past H.W. Vaughn’s house.  Clay for the brick was taken from what was called the Jackson Place.  Both the bank and Kininmonth’s store were built of bricks manufactured locally.
The 1930 and 1941 fires basically destroyed downtown Rochester.  The Green River Bank was deemed oldest bank while still operating in original location in the state of Kentucky.  The City of Rochester presently owns the bank. 


The tour group headed to the Provo Rural Development Building to hear Provo history. Provo, Little Muddy, Reedyville and Logansport are the only Rural Developments still operating in the county.  As soon as everyone took their seats, Mrs. Wanna Pendley Evans, introduced by her daughter Linda Deweese, gave a talk to the crowd about “Old Provo”.
Resident Wanna Evans spoke to the crowd about her life and times.  She told of school, the flood, and much more.  The group had dessert and drinks in Provo.


The group also toured the following:  the Davenport horse racing track, Renfrow Creek Valley, Butler Co. Poor House, Butler Co. Fairgrounds, Limestone community, Cook’s Cemetery, Back Swamp Branch, Little Muddy Bridge, Little Muddy Creek Valley, Little Muddy Academy, Little Muddy Church, Sugar Grove, Dr. Coffman homeplace, Rev. Nathaniel Porter home site, Sharer PO, Paul Ferguson home, trail of Gen. Simon B. Buckner, Ben Davis home site, Berry’s Lick Salt Works, Forgyville (Quality), Huntsville, Hays’ House, Willis House, Mining City, Alabama Mines, Borah’s Ferry, Salem Church and School, Logansport Post Offices, Dr. Graves homeplace, Christopher Funkhouser home site, Union Church, oldest brick home in Morgantown, oldest house in Morgantown, W. A. Helm home, and Gov. W. S. Taylor’s first home in Morgantown.


Everyone who went on the tour certainly learned a lot about the history of Butler County.
The tour was sponsored by The Butler County Arts Guild and underwritten by the Morgantown – Butler County Tourism Commission.
A Tour of Historic Sites in Butler County, North of Green River, is planned for October 2015.


 
Story  by Andy Sullivan, Beech Tree News

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