Cane Valley, Then and Now

Editor of News:

I will give a short history of Cane Valley as it was in 1855 and as it is to-day...

In 1855 the writer had a post-office established and gave the name Cane Valley and had himself appointed post-master. At that time there was not a post-office between Columbia and Campbellsville, a distance of 20 miles. Farmers were compelled to ride ten and twelve miles for their mail. Now there are five post-offices immediately on the pike between the two towns. In 1855 there was but one storehouse and that was owned by my father, J.F. Bridgewater, his dwelling and the cabins for his slaves, 30 in number, were all the houses in Cane Valley at that time. There were ten persons in my father's family and they and his slaves constituted the population.

Now there are three dry goods stores, one grocery, one drugstore, one general repair shop, one stove and tin shop, one broom factory, two blacksmith shops, one millinery store, one steam saw and roller mill, one planing-machine, four churches and one bank, and more business than in Chicago--I mean Chicago, Marion county. We have a high-school and good many modern built houses with a population between two and three hundred...
/s/ P.H. Bridgewater
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Cane Valley advertisers in this edition of the News included:

R.B. Wilson: I have just received and Opened Up a full and complete line of Drugs, Patent Medicines, Staple and Fancy Groceries, Paints and Wall Paper. Call and see me in old stand--next door to the Bank.

H.W. Wilson: Dealer in All Kinds of Produce. Highest market price paid for poultry, eggs and all kinds of produce.

Farmer's Bank, Incorporated: S.G. Banks, President; F.P. Rice, Vice-President; O.W. McAllister, Cashier. Capital Stock: $15,000. "Your Business respectfully solicited." (The Wednesday, January 9, 1907 News stated that "The Farmers' Bank at Cane Valley opened its doors for business last Wednesday, January 2nd. We could not learn the exact amount on deposit but understand that it was very satisfactory...")

J.W. Sublett & Bro. (J.W. Sublett, R.A. Sublett): Dealers in General Merchandise, Dry Goods, Groceries, Harness, Fertilizers, Undertaker's Goods.

The Dudgeon Company (C.R. Dudgeon, W.I. Feese, F.P. Rice): Manufacturer of Stoves, Stove Pipes, Brooms, etc. Agents for Rubberroid Roofing, We also do gutting and Tin Roofing. Write us for prices.

Hutchison Bros. (W.B. & M.W. Hutchison): The Grocerymen at Cane Valley. A Happy Thought: Have your Old Harness made new or Buy a New and Up-to-date Set at a Very LOW COST.

Eubank & Son (E. & D. Eubank): General Merchandise, Groceries, Harness, School Books. Agents for Oliver Chilled Plows. (The April 8, 1908 edition of the News noted that "Ed Eubank has the most complete line of queensware ever shown in Cane Valley.")
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Instructors at the Cane Valley High School in 1908 included J.H. Sanders, Principal; Miss Elizabeth "Lizzie" Blevins, Primary Dept.; & W.W. Kerr.
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"Miss Lizzie Blevins says that if she crosses the river to the better land while residing in Cane Valley that she will not know the difference."