Gracey, Kentucky




Cadiz Railroad Steam Engine Number 8 Spot
at Gracey Illinois Central Railroad Station about 1938.
Three railroads served Gracey: L & N 1886 - 1933, Ill. Central since 1892 and the Cadiz Railroad completed March 15, 1902. Station pictured replaced one burned by Night Riders July 22, 1908.


In the early days, one of the principal highways of the county was called the Eddyville Road, running westward to Eddyville, on the Cumberland River. Near the Trigg County line was a village known as Belleview. In its prosperous days it had two or three stores, a blacksmith's shop, two doctors, a Baptist church, a school house, etc. A new railroad line was built across South Christian from Clarksville in a northeastern direction that was making slow progress in 1887. It was called the Indiana, Alabama & Texas Road, just why was never known, as it did not touch either of those States. It was supposed to go to Evansville, Indiana with lines leading to Texas. This road finally reached the Belleview neighborhood,t en miles west of Hopkinsville, leaving that village a miles east and located a station on the farm of H. H. Bryant, at the crossing of the Cadiz Road.


Capt. Frank P. Gracey
1834 - 1895
From Whom Gracey Was Named
Clarksville Merchant and Tobacconist


This depot was first called Bryant's Station, but a few years later the road passed into the control of the Louisville & Nashville Company, and the station was named Gracey. This marked the beginning of the new town of Gracey and the end of Belleview that has long since been obliterated and forgotten. As the years came and went, the town became the junction of roads from Hopkinsville to Cadiz, and from Clarksville to Princeton controlled by the two great systems, the Louisville & Nashville and the Illinois Central.

Gracey thus became an important town and shipping point in four directions. At the present time (1930) it contains several business houses, two depots, a consolidated school for white children, a school for colored children, two or three churches and the usual shops, warehouses and filling stations, pertaining to a small town. It has a board of trustees, a peace officer and other municipal machinery. It is on the State highway, known as the Jefferson Davis Highway No. 68, and its importance is increasing as a shipping point. In the old days, it was one of the last places in the county to have saloons, and it was turbulent at times, but it is now a quiet and orderly little town, with many modern improvements, and a fine class of citizenship, making it a desirable place to live. Gracey, at one time, had a bank of its own, but it suffered from a destructive fire, about that time, that greatly retarded its growth for awhile and the bank went out of business. * - A History of Christian County 1930.



Gracey School, 1903
Teacher, MISS CORNELIA CHAMBERS. This school house was representative of the one room "academy," in operation throughout Christian County between 1880 and 1910.



TURNER & STEWART STORE, circa 1925

Owned by T. O. TURNER and E. O. STEWART (on left). LOFTON ALEXANDER in center. Branch of Planters Bank was located in this store circa 1910. Gracey Post Office was established July 7, 1887.


Gracey News
Hopkinsville Kentuckian 1895

January 1896 Rev. I.N. Strother has been recalled to the pastorate of the Cadiz Baptist church. West Union church, at Gracey has also called him for a part of his time.

BLAKELEY - SMITH Invitations have been issued announcing the approaching marriage of Miss Bobbie Blakeley, daughter of Mr. J.D. Blakeley, of near Gracey, to Mr. Marion F. Smith, a young farmer of the Montgomery neighborhood. The happy event will occur at the home of the parents of the bride to be, at 6 p.m., Jan 22.

WILSON - CROOMES Mr. Harry I. Wilson, a young Gracey farmer, will wed Miss Katie Croomes, of Wichita, Kans., in the latter city, next Wednesday. Immediately after the ceremony the couple will leave for Gracey where they will make their future home. Mr. Wilson is a very popular young man, and was formerly a salesman for McGehee Bros. Miss Croomes is a niece of Mrs. H.H. Bryant and is highly accomplished and made a host of friends in that neighborhood during her short sojourn last summer.

WATKINS Minnie Watkins, age 18 years, died of consumption at Gracey, Sunday night.

FOURQUREAN - COX Miss Estella Cox, daughter of Mr. M.H. Cox, of this city was married to Mr. Bullard Fourqurean, a prosperous young Gracey farmer Wednesday afternoon, Rev. S.N. Vail officiating. The ceremony was performed at the home of the bride's parents on East Seventh street, in the presence of only a few of the friends of the young couple. As soon as the ceremony was said Mr. Fouqurean and his bride left for the Gracey neighborhood, where they will make their future home.

Mrs. Hallie Ramsey is visiting Mrs. Sam Wright, of Gracey.

THOMPSON - STEWART Miss Ida Stewart, daughter of Mr. Wiley Stewart, of the Gracey neighborhood was married to Mr. Edward Thompson Tuesday evening. The event took place at the home of the bride's parents.

Two Hacks Collide The team attached to a hack belonging to B.J. Wall, of Gracey, became unmanageable while enroute home from Cadiz last Friday and ran off. A Nashville traveling man named Hodges was also traveling in a hack belonging to Mr. P.D. Dawson of Herndon, and was just ahead of the run away team. The two vehicles collided and Hodges was thrown out and badly cut and bruised. Dawson's vehicle was demolished and scattered along the road for two hundred yards. One of his horses was also badly and perhaps permanently injured. One of Mr. Wall's horses was crippled and his hack was also considerably wrecked. The loss to both liverymen will be considerable, while the drummer will be some time recovering from his injuries.

Laid To Rest Remains of Trigg County's Greatest Jurist Buried At Cadiz

The Kentuckian gave an account of the sudden death of Judge John R. Grace at Frankfort Thursday morning. The body left Frankfort Thursday night and arrived at Cadiz vis. Princeton and Gracey Friday afternoon. It was accompanied by Judges Hazelrigg, Paynter, and DuRelle, of Court of Appeals; Judge Fenton Sims and Mr. G.P. Thomas, respectively Senator and Representative from Trigg county, Messrs. Ed Hines and Turner, who are employed in the Court of Appeals office were also in the party. A committee of citizens of Trigg county, consisting of Judge G.B. Bingham, H.B McKinney, John J. Garton, John C. Dabney and others were appointed to meet the remains of Judge Grace at Gracey and the honorable gentleman attending them and conduct them to Cadiz. A bar committee consisting of Denny P. Smith, C.D. McKinney, Max M. Hanbery, John D. Shaw and others was appointed to take charge of the remains and make preparations to bury them. Funeral services were held at the city court room at 10 o'clock Saturday morning, conducted by Rev. P.T. Hardison, of Cadiz and Dr. H.C. Settle, of Hopkinsville.

Jane Hubbard, died near Gracey Friday night. She was about 80 years old.

Mr. and Mrs. Ballard Fourqurean of Gracey, visited relatives near the city Sunday.

One of Gracey's most popular young men visited us a few weeks since. Ever since his return home a certain Pee Dee girl has been singing. "I am watching and waiter for Lander."



SIX MAN - ONE WOMAN RAILROAD
"Not very long but just as wide"

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