Hancock County, Kentucky Stories
Memories of Pellville and its people
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By L.D. “Sam” Bruner
Retyped as it appeared in the Clarion, by
George Lee Gibbs, Sr., Mary L. Gibbs, George Lee Gibbs, Jr. for
non-profit use
I would like to recall some of my
memories of Pellville and its people of the years ago. I lived
there in 1909 and 1910. My grandfather, Amos Corley, lived on a
hill in what was known as the Gabbert Property, now owned by
Shelby McBrayer.
As I remember the town, the Floral Road
crossed the Owensboro Road. On the southwest corner was the
general store run by Mr. John Glover. In this building was also
located the Masonic Hall. Opposite, on the southeast corner, was
the grocery store owned by Uncle Sam Bruner. The hotel, managed
by Mr. Helms, was on the northwest corner. Mr. J.H. Obenchain and
his daughter, Miss Sue, operated a produce and feed store on the
northeast corner. Mr. Hardin Brown owned a large gristmill. Mr. W.W.
“Bee” Spencer also owned a gristmill where I used to
fire the engine to power the mill. I also fired an engine that
ran the sawmill owned by Mr. Pearl Stevens.
I remember one Saturday; Jim Stevens, Vince
Newman and I coupled the traction engine to a county grader and
graded up all the roads in town.
Among the older inhabitants I remember
were Mr. Mort Mosley, Dave Morrison and his wife, Aunt Julie, Mr.
Helms, H.D. Brown, Uncle Jim Morgan, John St. Clair, the
blacksmith, and Lafe Brown, a carpenter. I bought all his tools
when he retired.
I also remember Elder Harrison, John
Burdette, Mr. Jim Barlow, Bob Adams, James Temple, Mr. Pat
Stevens, and John Jenkins, who carried the mail to Patesville and
Cloverport.
The younger generation whose names I
remember and some of my associates were Bion Brinton, Pratt and
Miss Hortense Moseley, Bessie, Clara, Clellan: Slick” Floyd,
Myrtle, Leslie and Bedford Helm, Eva, Frank, and Virgil Morgan,
Lula, Susie, Richard, and Otis Jenkins, Miss Clara Brown, Ida,
Katie, Herbert, and Jonnie St. Clair, Rosa, Alma, Fairy, and
Bryan Spencer, Edna and Oscar Adams, Fairy and Claude Gabbert;
Sue and Eva Obenchain, Stella Bruner, Gladys, Etta, Katie May,
and Clarence Burdette, Mary and Lorel Haskins, Mammie and Lafe
Stevens, Robert Temple, Vince and Will Newman, Ruth Temple, Rosa,
Beulah, and Harvey Ashworth, Ethel, Guy, Embert, and Orris
Barlow, Reuben and Walter Glover.
Others near Pellville were Mary, Barney
and Wallace Gardner. Barney and I were photographers. I visited
them often at Floral.
Yes, in 1909 and 1910 Pellville was a
prosperous town.