VEGETABLE SIGN POSTED ON OLD FARM

Don't know what the paper with duct tape is for? Even though this sign just says tomatoes, cucumbers everyone knows it means --  that they are for sale at this farm. It is a sign that has a dual meaning; one is that farm produce is for sale and two, it is an example of local economies. And perhaps it can also mean that one can get some wonderful fresh stuff at this farm! Stop and support your local farmers and gardeners.

CREPE PAPER, PARADES AND LABOR DAY -- Sunday Simplicities

PROBABLY 40s SMALL TOWN PARADE

When I think of Labor Day visions of small town parades come into my head. I was raised in what was then a small town and I guess it still would be considered a small town had it has not been swallowed up by nearby growth, giving it the appearance today of being a larger whole. 

On Monday we will celebrate our federal holiday -- Labor Day -- established so in 1884 although its beginning really began in 1882. It came about thorough the labor union movement advocating for an 8 hour work day -- its proposal for a federal labor holiday said that there should be a parade to exhibit the strength and spirit of trade and labor unions. Thus, began the pattern of our Labor Day celebrations. 

MY BIKE AND I DECORATED IN CREPE PAPER
BEFORE THE PARADE

The photo at the top of this post was probably taken in one of the many small towns of our country in the 1940s. I picked up the photo in my wanderings through second hand stores -- looking for old photos and ephemera. Although I can't say it is a Labor Day parade -- it is similar -- lots of crepe paper decorating floats and trucks. I believe it is a forties photo as the women are in slacks probably a result of the WWII Rosie the Riveter influence. And, the fact that the cars along the side street were made in the 30s -- it was tough to get new model cars in the 40s because metals were needed for the war effort. Also, it was probably a small town as the crowds along the sidewalk are minimal. 

In this top photo we have the typical material used in parades to decorate floats, trucks, cars, and even people -- crepe paper. Crepe was a light weight paper that could be bought in either rolls or sheets in all colors. This material was great to twist and turn around vehicles in Labor Day parades. 

THE PARADE I RODE IN WITH THE COMMUNITY ATTENDING

I was subject to my mother's addiction for crepe paper decorating.. With love in her heart she produced a crepe paper dress for me to wear in our small town 40s parade and even decorated my bike  in matching colors with the paper.  I think the colors were red, white and blue if I remember correctly. But as a child I loved the dress and rode in the parade with a smile. 

The photo above is the parade I rode in. Children were encouraged to participate in the parade as well as citizens, organizations and politicians. It was a gathering of community for the small town. 

And why do I remember parades so fondly -- because I won a prize for being the best decorated person in the children's part of the parade -- thanks to my mom!

Have a good Labor Day everyone!

DYNAMIC ARCHITECTURE OF AN OHIO RIVER TOWN

OLD ROW HOUSES ALONG MARKET STREET
MAYSVILLE, KENTUCKY 

Maysville, Mason County, Kentucky, is a small town with a  large area of housing and commercial buildings that need to be seen to be appreciated. It is an old river town, along the Ohio River,  that had its beginning in the late 1700s.

Here is a town in situ (buildings not moved) that has remained viable for the folks that live in the area. There is a movement to upgrade sympathetically -- keeping the structure in line with its original design. 

I recently talked with Sara Swope from the Maysville Chamber of Commerce and Lynn David from the Kentucky Gateway Museum Center to ascertain the architectural history of their town. They were both very informative about the mindset of the folks that live there. They both said that the town had families going back several generations and were not anxious to change the architecture of the town. Many natives of the area owned the buildings and felt they should remain as they are.. With such citizens their buildings have become their architectural legacy to Kentucky. 

2ND STREET -- STREETSCAPE --  MAYSVILLE KENTUCKY

My trip to Maysville was a jaw-dropping experience. As I rode into town I was met by a commercial downtown that seems to have every historic type of style imaginable.. Known locally as Old Town, it reflected its economic pattern  by the types of buildings standing -- they were built from 1784 through the late 1800s. If you are a folklife or historic preservation student or layperson of architecture this is where you should visit, to not only see the structures but the connections that they have to the land and the social setting of the town, This is a real working and living town not a planned museum complex. 

OLD OPERA HOUSE -- 2ND STREET --  MAYSVILLE, KENTUCKY

Unfortunately, my time was very limited in the town. I had my camera with me however, some turned out dark as the sun was going down. Given the wrong conditions for taking streetscapes, I still pointed the camera and clicked. I wanted to at least give you a small window of some of Maysville's streetscapes. I plan to revisit this place often as it holds threads to our present life -- such as art history, architectural history, settlement patterns, economies, and a cultural matrix of other realities. 

A couple thoughts stood out in my mind as I glanced at the buildings. First and foremost was that the town essentially resembled a time warp. not economically but through their buildings. If I were designing a mid- 1800s movie location, I would say that this town would be the perfect set.

EARLY 1930s SHERWIN WILLIAMS SIGN, 2ND STREET

Above is an Italianate building that housed the Hendrickson Paint Company beginning in 1908  through 2004. The Sherwin Williams sign was installed on its facade in the early 1930s. Its retail business was paint, wallpaper and home furnishing. This is just one of the many examples of the historic and cultural  elements of the town.

2ND STREET -- STREETSCAPE
MAYSVILLE, KENTUCKY

More of  2nd Street. This street section appears to hold earlier buildings than the photo -- second one down from the top -- of this post.  Of course my fast glimpse of the town didn't allow time for close examination.

Ms Swope and Ms David provided quite a bit of detail of the Maysville area. Their generoisity and time was greatly appreciated. 

Now when I visit Maysville again (and again) I will allow plenty of time to take in the town.

KENTUCKY SMOKEHOUSE -- BOX CONSTRUCTION

SMOKEHOUSE -- Where meat is cured from a slow hardwood fire. Usually the smoked meat is stored in the smokehouse after being cured.

The above smokehouse sits on the Rodgers-Trible Homestead in Madison County, Kentucky, just outside Richmond. It is part of a large restoration effort by the Madison County Fiscal Court and the Battle of Richmond Association.

Presently the Rodgers-Trible Homestead is closed to the public. All outbuildings extant on the property appear to be untouched since becoming part of the museum homestead property. The exception is with what is believed to be a slave house -- it is presently under major restoration due to a severe state of decline.

It was a pleasure to walk the grounds (with permission) and be the only one peeking and peering into the outbuildings. Sometimes outbuildings are not appreciated for their "language" that "talk and tell" the history of a place. Hopefully, the buildings on this place will be left in their original state and only maintained as needed -- keeping their character. Every piece of an old structure is a story.

The Rodgers-Trible Homestead was settled in the early 1800s. As with all properties, over time, they change. The smokehouse is box board construction, a type of construction popular in the late 1800s and early 1900s. A shed roof structure is attached on the side -- perhaps constructed after the smokehouse was erected? The smokehouse sits perhaps 30 feet or so from the rear door of the main house. Even though it is labeled a smokehouse, it could have been used for various other rural uses.

Could the metal roof of the smokehouse have been wood shingles at one time? There are dirt floors inside both the smokehouse and its attached shed. Only one door leads into the smokehouse and one door into the shed. There is not a connecting interior door between the shed attachment and the smokehouse. Stepping into the smokehouse is accomplished by using a low elevated slab of quarried limestone.

The shed's one and only window is now empty of glass panes. It acts as a frame for the ancient tree just outside. As I walked about the large section of property I felt an eerie sense of people who once lived and worked there. This always seems to happen to me when I come across an empty homestead. I look for shadows of use on the buildings and paths worn over time. These shadows represent the living of a time past.

OLD ABANDONED KENTUCKY HOMESTEAD

About a month ago I was lost on twisting narrow roads that you find in the back-country where I live. Even though I was lost I was observing the beautiful views from my windshield. I knew I would eventually find my way out of the road maze.

While lost, I spotted this old abandoned Kentucky homestead off the side of the road with a real estate for sale sign. The place was gated so I had to shoot my post photos from quite a distance.

Now I am speculating that the attitude of most people who drive pass this homestead view it as a bunch of falling down, useless shacks (except developers). I view it in another way.

This is what I view when I gaze out upon such places. I see -- continuity and change, tradition, folk culture, authentic people, family, settlement patterns, craftsmanship, material culture, life and death, and sustainability over time and space. What do you see?

BEFORE THE MUSIC STOPPED IN HAITI

BEAUTIFUL
FOLK ARTIST-- LOUISANA SAINT FILEWRANT
Source Medalia Art

A tribute to the vibrant art of the Haitian people. Above an example of the spirited folk art that they are known for -- and below one can listen to the rhythmic sounds of their original music. They have contributed dazzling art and music to the world.

OLD RURAL KENTUCKY FENCING

EARLY 1800s PROPERTY WITH ORIGINAL DRY STACKED LIMESTONE FENCING

Dry stacked fencing has a history reaching back into ancient times. In Kentucky its history of construction can travel as far back as the late 1700s -- believed to be built by slaves and/or Irish immigratnts. Kentucky's natural limestone beds have provided the resources to construct the beautiful fences. Today there is an effort to maintain what still exists through training by the Dry Stone Conservancy. Also an excellent researched book by Carolyn Murray-Wooley presents a fascinating history of the early years of building Kentucky's limestone fences. Unfortunately, of the hundreds of miles of fencing of this type in the state, much are in need of repair. It takes knowledgeable people to maintain them of which the Dry Stone Conservancy is working toward.

SPLIT-RAIL OR ZIG-ZAG TYPE OF FENCING, KENTUCKY
Source: city.data.com

Abe Lincoln was raised in Kentucky and was known as a rail splitter in his youth. Therefore, split-rail fencing has become associated with him. I picked this photo (above) off the internet and am not sure as to its age. Let's just say it is similar to what he might have made. I do not see old split rail fences, perhaps if I do I will post it. The split rail fences that I have seen are the Home Depot or Lowes newer types.

1800s PRIMITIVE COUNTRY PICKET FENCING

Crudely made fence posts arranged as precursors to the more polished type of picket fences are found in old photographs of Kentucky's early log homes. It reflects a "get by" existence that for either economic reasons or lack of appropriate tools served early settlers as well as fine fencing. Also referred to as paling fencing.

1931 MORTAR AND LIMESTONE MASON BUILT FENCING

This beautifully constructed fence is located in Central Kentucky. It is located on land that has been in one family going back to some of the earliest settlements in the area. Built as this country was falling fast into the Great Depression. The date 1931 is chiseled on the gate post. The mason that built the fence probably was grateful for the work.

REMAINING SECTION OF OLD PICKET FENCE ON ABANDONED PROPERTY

Many times I come across properties that have much of their cultural landscape missing. It might be the homestead house or a few outbuildings, etc. Here was a stand-alone fence. No trace of its position in its relevance to the landscape. If one looks carefully or enlarges the photo one can see the nicely turned tops of the pickets.

20TH CENTURY BOARD AND POST FENCING

Reaching into the 20th century one finds the board and post around many properties. Usually left in a natural state or perhaps with some white wash applied. With the cost of wood accelerating I assume that in the future these will become a thing of the past.

MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM FANNIE SCOVELL

Miss Fannie Scovel sent this card out to wish the receiver a Merry Christmas and happy New Year in the early twentieth century. She placed her words in pencil, "with my flowers'" at the top of the message. The bottom is her simple signature Fannie Scovel.

Photo postcards span the early twentieth century and open up the world to the folkways of the people. The back of photo postcards have a regular postcard backing with a space for message, stamp, and date and town postmark. This sparse information along with the photo can tell us about housing stock, clothing, hairstyles, interests, pets, cars, and other sorts of clues. They are windows to this early era.

Collecting them can be interesting and they can still be found at reasonable prices. I have had this Fannie Scovel photo postcard for many years. Personal clues, to this early 1900s elder woman's passion, are roses, creative gardening, living in a middle class neighborhood, and loving hats. She probably lived alone as no family is mentioned. Other clues can be picked out from this postcard.

Picture postcards were taken by the common people, not studio produced, so they are true reflections of the time. For more information click here.

FOLK HOUSING -- TENANT OR SADDLEBAG?

Two Tenant Houses in Madison County, Kentucky.

Houses are built  fore and  aft on the property

Kentucky has been my home for about two years now. That makes me almost a native in my eyes. 

In the past I have traveled extensively in the states to experience various cultures. You might say that this country of ours is all one culture but as you travel and live in various regions with your antenna up you may discover that our country has many various cultures, all with a strong sense of place.

One mark of a culture is the houses it builds.

In Kentucky, where I presently live, I am exposed to various  types of vernacular architecture. Tenant houses and  saddlebag houses being but two types within this area.These two forms are similar. 

Tenant and Saddlebag can be confusing to label. Within this post is a description of the historical differences between the two.

The Saddlebag house and the Tenant house are very similar in construction. They are what is referred to generically as a two pen house or double pen, one room deep and two rooms wide. An easy signature of identifying both is that they often have two front doors. 

The Saddlebag 's exterior usually has two different building materials such as log on the original one room and weatherboarding on the one room addition. 

Tenant homes are usually built with board construction from early sawmills. Tenant houses grew out of the saddlebag design. From my observation, Central Kentucky extant tenant houses built in the early twentieth century are two rooms across and two rooms deep.   

Saddlebags have an interesting history of how they came about. Common Houses In America's Small Towns by Jakle, Bastian and Meyer claim that the houses were called saddlebag as they were originally one room wide houses and as the use expanded they added one room off to the side. This meant that the house now was two rooms wide along the front facade while still remaining one room deep. The addition was the "saddlebag." 

The saddlebag house has a center chimney and two fireplaces serving each room. Often they have two front doors. These particular houses in my part of central Kentucky reflect the settlement patterns of late 1700s to early 1900s. They exist yet they are disappearing from the landscape due to development or abandonment. Often the saddlebag's one room addition would be constructed of different material than the original one room house. An example being an original log one room house having a side room addition built with weatherboarding. 

Tenant House design grew out of the Saddlebag influence. The tenant house arrived in the late 1800's and continued through the early 1900s. They were originally built incorporating the two room width and either one or two rooms deep. They reflected the early Saddlebag by having a central flue, rather than a fireplace with a central chimney.  The flue serviced stoves in each room. Tenant house configuration imitated the Saddlebag by having double front doors.

Tenant or Saddlebag houses usually have a front porch with a roof extending out from the house roof line. Many times it was almost as wide as the front of the house. The front porch was a social place rather than a working place – working was reserved for the back of the house. The front porch provided a place to relax, view the landscape, sunsets or sun-ups, neighbors passing and most of all a place to cool off in the pre-air-conditioned days.

Rocking chairs were usually part of the front porch scene. Even today houses in central Kentucky retain the wide covered front porch along with several rocking chairs of both old and new vintage. And the rocking chairs are used -- not just an adornment.

Many Tenant houses in Central Kentucky have evolved from one room deep to two rooms deep. In Central Kentucky they usually have a skin of vertical wide boards, two rooms deep and two rooms wide, small to medium sized rooms, crawl spaces below, two windows on each side of the house, sometimes a back porch with roof overhead, side gable roof-line, usually one and a half story, roof of metal or wood shingles, center chimney or flue, two centered front doors flanked by a window on each side of a door.

The construction of many of these early1900s Tenant houses are called "box construction" or locally, "boxed." Click here for more about box construction techniques.

Although some researchers of vernacular housing feel that tenant housing was originally built for tenants there are some who claim Tenant houses were for folks seeking low cost housing. 

About once a week, I would ride by two Tenant houses that sat fore and aft on its rural landscape. The houses had been sided with gray shingles probably during the 30’s. Each house had two front doors. The house in the “fore” of the property had another set of two doors in the back of the house.

Recently, one of the two houses was torn down by the descendants of the original family that built and lived in them since the early 1900s. Their reason for taking them down was to make space for a new large mobile home. The one saving grace is that the wood and various parts of the housing were methodically saved for building a small church by some of the owner's family. A photo of the two original tenant houses is located at the top of this post.

With the razing of one of the houses and a soon scheduled razing of the remaining -- a part of the feeling of this historic landscape will disappear.

Close up of Madison County Kentucky Tenant Home.

Vernacular historic houses have been overlooked as important features of the landscape to save. However, vernacular houses overall play an important role in giving us a sense of the cultural ways in which people lived.
VISIT MY OTHER POSTS ON FOLK HOUSING -- CLICK BELOW:

VERNACULAR MOUNTAIN HOME

HISTORIC BOX CONSTRUCTION VERNACULAR ARCHITECTURE

FOLK REGION -- GIVING IT DEFINITION -- CENTRAL KENTUCKY

TOWN OF BEREA -- SUMMER FARMERS MARKET -- MADISON COUNTY, 2009
CLICK HERE TO READ POST

SILVER MAPLE WITH ROBIN'S NEST
WEDDED TO THE LAND AND THE LAND HOLDS MEMORIES

COUNTRY FARM -- ESTILL COUNTY -- RED LICK CREEK AREA 2009

SMALL TOWN OF PAINT LICK -- GARRAD COUNTY -- 2009

BARBARA'S 1940S CHICKEN HOUSE -- ESTILL COUNTY -- 2009
CLICK HERE TO READ POST

TOWN OF BEREA -- ONE ROOM BLACK SCHOOLHOUSE -- 1922
PHOTO COURTESY JESSE WARD

EARLY LARGE FARM HOUSE AND LAND -- EARLY 1800s OR BEFORE -- MADISON COUNTY

EARLY LOG CRIB -- HALF DOVETAIL NOTCHING -- CIRCA EARLY1800S -- CLIMAX, KY
CLICK HERE TO READ POST

The above photos represent pieces of the folk culture that was or is now found in Central Kentucky. Together they start to define a folk region.

In the book Kentucky Folk Architecture a definition of a folk region is put forth by Richard M. Dorson from his book American Folklore -- as follows: "a place where the people are wedded to the land, and the land holds memories. The people possess identity and ancestry and close family ties through continuous occupation of the same soil."

ONE TEACHER -- ONE ROOM SCHOOL HOUSE

IRENE TAYLOR (LEFT) AND BESSIE BALLINGER POSE TOGETHER AS FORMER TEACHER AND FORMER STUDENT, RESPECTIVELY, OF TODD SCHOOL

Sometimes things just happen. I discovered the Todd schoolhouse by noticing the construction form and decided that originally it was probably a one room schoolhouse. I stopped to get a closer look and a neighbor wandered over to see what I was up to. She was extremely helpful and took me for a tour through the schoolhouse. She mentioned she knew a woman who was a student at the school at one time, so she put me in touch with her. And that is how things happen when you are out scouting the territory -- one thing leads to another and before you know it you have a post to share.

The person she put me in touch with was Bessie Ballinger who attended Todd school in about 1944. She only attended one year at Todd -- the first grade when she was seven. After talking with Bessie, Bessie began searching for former teachers that taught at the school. And before you could snap your fingers Bessie and I were on our way to visit Miss Irene, former Todd teacher, at her country home outside of Paint Lick, Kentucky. Miss Irene is now 83, sharp as a tack and looks much younger than her years.

We sat down to hear her story about when she taught at the Todd one room schoolhouse. She was 19 years old when she started to teach in 1945. She taught for two years until 1947, then left to marry Frank Taylor, moved to her husband's hometown and taught 1st grade there for three years until she became pregnant with her first child. She then ended her teaching career to raise a family.

THE TODD ONE ROOM SCHOOLHOUSE AS IT APPEARS TODAY.

The Todd one room schoolhouse has been spared decline as it has survived through reuse. At one time it was a garden shop. Today it is being used as a church. Newer changes to the schoolhouse are the bumped out front porch vinyl siding, and the front windows have been apparently reduced in size. It still has the original tin ceilings inside and a lingering feeling of originality.

CLASS PHOTO AT TODD SCHOOL
BESSIE BALLINGER'S UNCLE TOM McCOMB-- BACK ROW, FAR RIGHT, WHITE SHIRT
TODD TEACHER UNKNOWN
Photo Courtesy Bessie Ballinger

The above photo is a class picture taken in front of Todd school. It shows the original columned porch and door type. From the style of clothing it was probably taken in the 30s or 40s.

TODD SCHOOL 1922
Courtesy Jesse Ward

One room and two room school houses were the building blocks of present day school systems. Previous to school systems were informal gatherings of children in a designated place where they could learn, almost always located near several family homes.

To learn about old school houses, I was able to talk with a valuable resource, Jesse Ward, a consultant and historian with the Madison County School District in Kentucky. He provided the above early photo of the class of 1922 taken at the Todd school house.

The above photo appears to be a smaller school building than the existing Todd school in the 30s/40s photo. It was likely that some reconstruction to the school house was undertaken between the 1922 photo and the 30s/40s photo.

IRENE TAYLOR WITH THE ORIGINAL SCHOOL BELL IN HER HANDS THAT SHE USED TO RING TO BRING THE CHILDREN IN FROM THEIR LUNCH TIME BREAK.

Moving back to Miss Irene's story of the Todd school house. We were to learn that there was only one school room and a cloak room in the rather large schoolhouse and only one teacher for all the grades -- first through the fourth.

The school system provided the text books while the children brought a little notebook and pencils. She stated they had a regular curriculum of math, science, and English. I asked her how she would compare her school environment to the schools of today. She responded, " . . . there is too much material competition among the children as well as the teachers which takes away from their education."

She went on to tell us that she was a single teacher at the time, living with her parents, so she could afford to buy extras for the children to supplement their education. She even made warm soup and corn bread for their lunches in the winter. She said, "I would make the corn bread and soup at home and bring it to school. I would set the soup kettle on top of the pot belly stove in the class room to warm it for the student's lunch."

Todd school did not have a large school bell usually found on the top of most school houses. So in lieu of this she brought in a large cow bell to ring them in at the end of their lunch hour. Still in her possession, she sits with it on her lap in the above photo.

Recess was organized games that she would schedule for the students. Softball was their favorite and she played right along with them. She said they would have fun trying to strike her out. Recess was not timed -- it was when Miss Irene had a notion -- then it was time to go in.

Christmas was celebrated at the school with Miss Irene's home baked Christmas cookies and a curtained stage for the Christmas play. Many parents attended to join in the holiday fun.

MISS IRENE WITH HER TEN YEAR OLD BOXER DOG THAT IS HER CONSTANT AND LOVING COMPANION.

Miss Irene graciously provided a glimpse into the daily schedule of her Todd experience. What I took away were her words describing her class, "we were like a family." Perhaps these small school houses have something to tell us about the value of small community schools.

RED FOLEY, COUNTRY MUSIC HALL OF FAMER, HIS BOYHOOD HOME

STATE MARKER SIGN

I read this sign scratching my head. Why was I scratching my head? Because I was standing in front of the boyhood home of Red Foley where this state marker was placed -- only the dignity of the sign did not meet the dignity of the home. It had become an eyesore -- in my eyes not really a tribute to the man.

FRONT OF THE BOYHOOD HOME OF RED FOLEY

I read the other side of the state marker. It said, " SITE OF BOYHOOD HOME OF RED FOLEY." It continued with, " Born Clyde Julian Foley June 17 1910 and nicknamed "Red" for his red hair.

BACK SIDE OF THE BOYHOOD HOME OF RED FOLEY

I read on -- "Recruited by Chicago's WLS radio station to perform on Barn Dance 1931, renamed National Barn Dance and broadcast on NBC, 1933.

AN OLD SIX OVER SIX PANE WINDOW IS SURROUNDED BY A MAZE OF PEELING PAINT.

More info on the sign --- "Foley helped found Renfro Valley Barn Dance in 1938. Hosted Grand Ole Opry's "Prince Albert Show, 1946" And a few other attributes were mentioned.

FIVE TAPERED WOODEN PILLERS STAND WITH PEELING PAINT ON THE FRONT PORCH

I realized this man had a large impact on country music. He was elected to the Hall Of Fame of Country Music, and I found out on internet later that he had many successful recordings post World War II. In fact 25 million records of his were sold during this time. Click here to listen to one of his popular songs, Old Shep. Later in his career he got into acting and was, again, successful in this genre.

WEATHERBOARDING BREAKING AWAY EXPOSING THE BOX TYPE STRUCTURE

What happened to this house? Next to the house, about 20 feet away, is an empty storefront that was once was a grocery and feed store that belonged to Red's parents. According to my research they were a musical family. The storefront has been updated and appears in good condition. Only the old bay front store windows hint at its time as Red's parents store.

THE BAY WINDOWS OF THE FORMER STOREFRONT OF RED FOLEY'S PARENTS.

OLD "GRANDFATHER" TREES DOT THE LANDSCAPE OF RED FOLEY'S BOYHOOD HOME

The large lot where the empty house is located is rather country in feeling. As I stand in front of the home, I imagine the action that once abounded in the Foley household. Perhaps music drifting through the windows.

However, the house needs lots of work. If not done soon it will fall into extreme decline. Then it will be difficult to imagine it as a boyhood home of a famous musician that lived here with his family as he was nurtured with his talent and dreams.

KENTUCKY RAILROAD FAMILY

THE FORMER L AND N RAILROAD STATION IN BEREA, KENTUCKY
Photo: by Barbara, Folkways Notebook

WAYNE DENNY -- 4TH GENERATION RAILROAD MAN
Photo: by Barbara, Folkways Notebook

Wayne Denny sat comfortably at a round table in the old train depot in Berea, Kentucky. He was participating in a L and N oral history project. He can count five generations of family that have worked or are working for the railroad making him a credible story teller. As he spoke, I recorded his words for the Old Town Berea Rail Depot's archives.

His story begins with his family settling in Kentucky from Scotland and the British Isles in the 1700s. This generation of Denny's that arrived were stone masons and iron workers. By 1850 the Louisville and Nashville (L and N) Railroad Company was chartered and soon after in the latter part of the 1800s his great-grandfather, Levi Denny, was the first Denny generation to join with L and N. He was working for the railroad while he lived in Broadhead , Kentucky. Great-grandfather Denny and all the other employees at the time were paid in gold for their work.

MULES, MEN, SHOVELS, WAGONS, AND BLASTING ROD -- KENTUCKY-- PROBABLY ROCKCASTLE COUNTY.
Photo Courtesy of Maude Moore.

The second generation to work for L and N was Roscoe Denny, born in 1904. He was Wayne Denny's grandfather who worked out of Cynthiana, Kentucky laying double tracking with horses and mules, also double tracked to Sinks, Kentucky.

As well as working track installation he helped build RR bridges. The photo above displays the early working conditions during Roscoe's time with the RR. The photo above is a section crew other than the one Roscoe Denny worked with but taken during the period when he was doing the same type of work.

L and N divided up the track line into sections. A section was about 55 to 60 miles or so long. Section crews were assigned sections to work and maintain.

Roscoe Denny died of typhoid fever in 1927 at 23 years of age. He had worked for L and N for 4 years and had become a #1 bridge man when he died.

The gold payroll was dismissed by the time Roscoe Denny began working for the RR and the currency payroll system was established for all future workers.

L and N didn't sub-contract out their work. They were in charge of records, signals, bridges, tracks, engine manufacturing (except for the M1 engine), building depots, and all other concerns that meant running a successful rail line. They manufactured their steam engines in Louisville, Kentucky.

ROSCOE DENNY JR. WITH A STEAM ENGINE AT THE BEREA, KENTUCKY DEPOT IN 1949.
Photo Courtesy of the Denny Family

The third generation to work for L and N was Roscoe Denny Jr. He was Wayne's father. He worked on a section that included Berea, Kentucky.. He started with L and N in the bridge gang in 1944 and went to fire and steam engines in 1948. Eventually he became an assistant train master. Roscoe Jr. worked 42 years and 9 months for L and N.

Eventually, L and N became a top contender of rail transportation with Union Pacific and New York Central.

Wayne related that when the family would be together that RR talk would be one of the main subjects.

L AND N SECTION HOUSE.
(Possibly repainted green to white?)
Photo from L and N section houses in Georgia.

Wayne Denny, fourth generation, lived a good part of his younger life in Berea, Kentucky. He lived with his grandmother and grandfather in a section house on W. Jefferson Street. He explained how L and N provided section housing for minimal rent to workers of each section. These were usually sets of smaller frame houses with one central large house. Wayne's grandparents lived in a large section house. He told me that all the section houses in Berea are no longer extant (existing). He remembers the section houses as painted a dark green with white trim-- these colors were used in all that Wayne was familiar with -- making it easy to identify houses in other sections. The homes all had large lots and his grandparents grew a large garden every year on theirs. He remembers walking to the Berea train depot to pay the minimal rent on his grandparents section house.

Wayne Denny, born in 1933, has worked almost 42 years with the railroad. He began with L and N which was then bought out in the 70s and is now the CSX railroad.

ROBERT DENNY
photo by Barbara, Folkways Notebook

The fifth generation and the youngest family member to work for the now CSX railroad is Wayne's son Robert Denny. He speaks highly of the railroad. They sent him to school at Marshal University in Huntington, W. Virginia and then sent him to the Railroad Development Institution in Atlanta, Ga. He foresees a future of more lines being established in the U.S. The U.S. government is one of the largest users of the rail system. Presently he is an extra board conductor. An extra board conductor means, "on call"

Five generations of family members tells one that the railroading life was a good life.