The Bullitt County History Museum

It Happened in September

We will be looking back 20, 40, 60, 80, and 100 years to see what was being printed in The Pioneer News in 2002, 1982, 1962, 1942 and 1922 in the month of September.

2002 - 20 Years Ago.

Justin Bishop was pictured trying to clean the mess made by pranksters in the new Mt. Washington fountain. Robert White took the picture.


Justin Bishop

Druck and Bringhurst

Holbert and Henry

Bullitt East's Mark Druck was pictured running the football off-tackle behind the block of Aaron Bringhurst in their victory over Bullitt Central.

In another game, East's Shawn Holbert was pictured looking for a block behind Josh Henry on his way to an 80 yard touchdown run against Fairdale.

The Mt. Washington Youth Baseball League crowned the Royals as the 11-12 division champions. Team members pictured in the paper included Joe Sironen, Chris Seitz, James Miles, Tyler Downs, Austin Hatter, Grant Collins, Matthew Okruch, Grant Polston, Benjamin Rigdon, Atlee Zabel, Alex McMahan, Evan Willis and Wes Griffen. Their coaches were Tony McMahan and Ken Downs.


Denise Robinson

Courtney Longacre

Sarah Baker wrote about ten year old Tabitha Rash whose drawing of her memories of the September 11 attack earned her a blue ribbon and a merit award at the Kentucky State Fair.

In local high school golf, Bullitt East junior Ryan Sanders had a hole-in-one in a match against Southern and Bethlehem High Schools.

Denise Robinson of Hillview was pictured lining up a picture in her studio, Hot Shots Photography in that community.

Morris Courtney Longacre Jr. was pictured receiving his certificate for completion of his work to become a sergeant in the Kentucky State Police.

Matthew Hughes, James Goodlett, Jeremy Frost and Anthony Schoenhoff were pictured upon their graduation from the Bluegrass Academy.

Katherine Williams of Mt. Washington, Rebekah Hasty, Rachael Hurt, and Ashley Reynolds of Shepherdsville, and Maria Rosenbarger of Taylorsville were each presented with Leadership Awards by Campbellsville University.

Dino Henon used a winning essay about her favorite math teacher at Hebron Middle School to thank Stewart Brentzel for his help, and for being a good friend.

Terri Peters and Libby Kerr enjoyed making soap products as proprietors of Bold and Beautiful Soaps, Etc.


Larry & Linda Belcher

Anne Ballou of Bullitt Central was selected as a semifinalist in the National Merit Scholarship program; quite an achievement!

Larry and Linda Belcher were pictured in a political ad supporting his run for the State Senate.


Michael, Nick, Matt, Silas & John

Michael Fox, Nick Meredith, Matt Porter, Silas Adkins and John Wigginton were pictured in the paper in honor of their becoming five of the first seven Bullitt County high school students to earn college credits in Advanced Placement Classes. The other two were Becky Firesheets and Jacob Donlon.

Fifth grader Cody Keown helped Principal Terry Price unveil the school logo and mascot - the Falcon.

And the rooms that would become the home of the Bullitt County History Museum were slated for a complete refurbishing as that part of the old courthouse was being prepared to become the front of the new one.

1982 - 40 Years Ago.

Dr. Millard J. Cundiff, local dentist, former Shepherdsville mayor, and long-time member of the school board, died following complications of a medical procedure. Dr. Cundiff also served as a deacon at Shepherdsville First Baptist Church for many years. He was survived by his wife, Polly Whitehouse Cundiff, his mother Nora Cundiff, three children and a granddaughter, Polly Beth.

Ruth Owens of Lebanon Junction wrote that Teddy Barker of Horsefly Hollow Road won two chess matches at University of Louisville. He was president of the Bullitt County Chess Club.

Vicki Senn's first grade class at Overdale was pictured in the paper. Shown were Joe Paulowski, Jamie Marshall, Jennifer Berry, Tommy Lewis, Marlis McIntosh, Robin Reed, Jessica Pugh in the front row; Kenny Buckner, Chris Johnson, Jeff Hammer, Chucky Turner, Jaime Best, Jason Badami, Michael Webb in row two; Brad Gretsinger, Kim Miracle, Kerry Carlton, Greg Gullette, Michael Purtilar, Kathy Milby, Tobi Adams in row three; Donald Wood, David Parkerson, Kim Hatcher, Philip Skaggs, Jason Ritchey, Jasmine Sanders, Stephen Parker in the fourth row; and Noreen Hamilton (teacher's aide), Keith Singleton, Crissy Burden, Lisa Cissell, Tommy Smith, Vicki Senn (teacher) in the back row. Gene Johnson was absent.


Loretta Ray

Oretha Ridgway of Nichols congratulated Mr. and Mrs. Floyd Faith who celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary. Also congratulated were Mr. and Mrs. Dewey Foster on their 64th anniversary.

She also mentioned Mrs. Alma Brown Funk who had a grocery at Stites Station for many years, and who was then residing in a nursing home in Georgia.

Sue Edmonds of Cedar Grove reported that Larry Robinson of Cub Scout Pack 686 participated in the Cub Olympics and placed first in the 50 yard dash and the softball throw, second in sit-ups and push-ups, and third in the standing broad jump. Pretty impressive!

Cadet Lt. Loretta Ray was chosen as the first female Battalion Commander in the Bullitt Central High School JROTC program.

Mary C. Holsclaw of Hebron reported that Mr. and Mrs. John Harper entertained Mr. and Mrs. Bill Robey, Mrs. Sue Wigginton, Mrs. Sue Jones, and Miss Glenda Jones on their houseboat.

Another great picture was that of the St. Aloysius Falcons B-team youth football cheerleaders. Those pictured included mascots Karen Fackler and Katie Alligeier in the front; Shelly Fackler, Becky Allgeier, Dawn Ballard, Holly Wethington, Jamie Lee, Stephanie Etherton, Kim Zocklein, Karen Smith, Jennifer Wethington and Donna Campbell. Their coaches were Ann Coe and Darlene Sohm, and their sponsor was Carolyn Zocklein.


Joe Herde with Joann Bealmear

Clara Simmons of Pleasant Grove wrote that J. B. Proctor, as a good neighbor, took Mr. and Mrs. Sammy Gentry to the hospital to see their daughter.

In the Bullitt County Junior Miss contest, North Bullitt senior Renee Hamilton was chosen as the winner. She also won the scholastic competition. Suzanne Lee Roe, a Bullitt Central senior, was first runner-up. Another B.C. senior, Karen Bleemel was second runner-up; she sang a song from Fiddler on the Roof for the talent portion, and also won the creative and performing arts portions of the event.

And Joe Herde was selected as Teacher of the Year in Bullitt County. Mr. Herde had taught in the county since 1958, first at Shepherdsville and then at Bullitt Central as band director.

1962 - 60 Years Ago.

Otis Ray Ratliff, a local mail carrier, and Mary Collins who worked at the Breezeway Beauty Shop were married in the home of Rev. and Mrs. Henry Powell.

The Mt. Washington correspondent welcomed Mrs. Stuart Tichenor as the new school secretary, and thanked the outgoing secretary, Mrs. Janice Porter.

Among the many Lebanon Junction students off to college were Carolyn Sipes and Gene VanMeter at Campbellsville, and Billy Pope Beeler, Johnny Samuels, Henry Beeler and Kaye Samuels to Lexington.


Linda Hill

Jack Gardner advertised that he would fix your TV; just give a call at Henderson & Hardy Co. (LI. 3-2241).

Burlyn Pike was appointed Bullitt County Chairman for the Kentucky Highway Historical Society's Historical Highway Markers' program.

Mr. and Mrs. W. T. Hill of Shepherdsville announced the engagement of their daughter Linda to Robert William Parker. The wedding was to take place at St. Aloysius.

Citizenship patches were awarded at 4-H camp to Linda Light, Ronnie Crouch, Curtis Hart, Benny Armstrong, Brenda Hubbard, Jimmy Tyler, Bill Becknell, Neal Armstrong, Jimmy Dawson, Nan Williams and Becky Becnel.

Miss Margaret Foster of Bardstown Junction reported that Bill Underwood, the youngest son of T. J. and Amelia Underwood, was attending medical school in Nashville. He was in county visiting his grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. J. E. Hoagland.

In Solitude News, Mrs. Bertha Bowman wrote that Hyte Rouse would soon complete his new dairy barn; that Elizabeth Rouse was still busy cooking for the farmhands; that Bill Bowman and his family went to the state fair; and that the boys and girls of Mt. Washington were proud of their class rings.

Brownie Troop 4 elected as quarterly president Pamela Gentry. Paula Cundiff was vice president and Lynn Hardy secretary. The flag bearers were Susan Young and Judy Myers, and the color guards were Ellen Givhan and Rebecca Hartsell.

The Shepherdsville Lions Club accepted four new members: Frank Hatfield, employed by the school board, James Hall, an accountant with offices in Bud Hardy's insurance building, Jack Snyder, county agriculture agent, and Clarence Duncan, manager of the Blue Grass Lodge Motel.

If you read the paper you would have known that Ann Maraman, Joe Troutman, Bill Crowe, and Mary Hardaway were vacationing in the Smokies; that Billy Lee had returned to Cumberland College where he was majoring in biology; that Mrs. Zilpoh Nutt was much better; and that Lelia Stallings and Aileene Dickey were among the guests of Effie Owen of Mt. Washington.

Clinics were set up at the schools in Mt. Washington, Shepherdsville, and Lebanon Junction for administering the Sabin Polio vaccine. Do you remember receiving your sugar cube?

Those interested in joining beginning instrumental classes at Overdale or Nichols should contact Joe Herde at Shepherdsville.

And a young couple, destined to spend most of the rest of their lives in Bullitt County, were married by J. Chester Badgett at Campbellsville in a ceremony witnessed by Tom and Penny Pack.

1942 - 80 Years Ago.

The class reunion of the Shepherdsville Class of '30 was held at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Burks Williams Jr. There were 13 present who made a recording of singing and being interviewed for a record to be sent to Jimmy Harned and Charles Farmer who were far away. Each departed, thanking Pauline and Burkie for a fine time, and looked forward to the next year's event to be held at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Claud Rodgers. We wonder if that record survived?

As a side note, Pauline Williams taught at the Victory School before she was married, and a remembrance by her of that time is available to read on the History Museum website [bullittcountyhistory.org] under the title "A Victory School Remembrance."

In Lebanon Junction, a shower was given by Mrs. N. E. McMillian in honor of Mrs. John L. Thompson Jr., the former Miss Lula Gardhouse, the Home Economics teacher at the local high school.

Church activities were frequently in the news, like the report from Needmore Road that a baptism was scheduled to be held in Albert Armstrong's pond.

The metal work class taught by Ben Parrish and supervised by James Albert Hays, had enrolled 12 students to learn welding. The students included Ray Bush, Charles Croan, W. W. Smothers, Sam Vittitoe, J. W. Smothers, Berel Coakley, J. C. Boyd, J. L. Ash, Stanley Crenshaw, Raymond Coakley, Ray Masden and R. L. Horning.

The Mt. Washington Methodist Church was the scene of the wedding of Miss Lillian Dean McAfee to Pvt. Woodrow (Barney) Spurr. The bride was given in marriage by her father R. E. McAfee. Pvt. Spurr was the son of Mr. and Mrs. Sidney Spurr of Waterford.

In an advertisement for Hallie's Gift & Baby Shop in Shepherdsville we found three-piece snow suits on sale for $2.98 and up.

In other ads we read that Ed Rhea had two Collie pups for sale; Claud Coleman had a kitchen range that burned wood; William Sowders was selling two fine young brood mares; and that T. J. Payton would sell 3/4 acre of river bottom corn at a reasonable price.

With the county still populated with numerous small schools, it was quite common for these schools to sponsor social events as fund raisers. For example, the Woodsdale school had a fish fry and ice cream supper on the 28th; the Sunnyside school featured a chicken and box supper on the 26th; and the Beech Grove school had pie and ice cream on October 2.

The paper tried to keep folks in touch with where their young servicemen were being stationed. At Cupio, Dewey Foster and wife were happy to learn that their son was doing his basic training at nearby Fort Knox; and the folks up Needmore Road way learned that Pvt. Hillery T. Bleemel and Pvt. Norman F. Armstrong were at Atlantic City, New Jersey while Pvt. Millard H. Proctor was stationed in Warren, Wyoming.

And the paper reported on the traveling done by local folks as they visited their young men, like the trip taken by Everett Hawkins and his sister, Mrs. Barbie Lee, along with Miss Loretta Cundiff, to visit Mrs. Lee's husband in Alabama.

1922 - 100 Years Ago.

In Judge Shelton's court, several bootleggers and whiskey haulers paid some pretty heavy fines. J. H. Harris was fined last week $200.00 cost and 30 days in jail while Will Davis paid over $430.00 in costs, fines, etc. Deacon Jim Collings was foreman of the first jury, while the second jury was composed of H. A. Cundiff, foreman, J. E. Smith, P. T. Mumford, Charles Johnson, Embra Deacon and J. H. Boes. The arrests were made by Cundiff and Showalters at the Salt River Bridge.


Home of Old Grand Dad

Perhaps as many as 15 thieves surrounded the Old Grand Dad Distillery at Hobbs, bound and hoodwinked Mr. Head, the superintendent, William Hodge, the distillery watchman, and William F. Joyce, the government guard. After securing all hands, the plunderers then loaded a big truck with about a hundred cases of choice liquors which had been bottled, cut all telephone wires leading to this place and elsewhere and made their escape.

Mr. and Mrs. Ewing Crenshaw entertained with a birthday dance in honor of their niece's birthday, Miss Ollie Lee Maraman. Those present were Misses Kathryn M. Duncan of Louisville, Margaret E. Hughes, Texia Swearingen, Elizabeth Magruder of Deatsville, Lovena Kulmer, Blanche Weller, Violetta Thompson, Ruth Crenshaw, Mildred Hagan, Ophelia Masden, Julia Weller, Gladys Masden and Ollie Lee Maraman, Messrs Orbra Lee Masden, Paul D. Roby, Otis Magruder and Harry Houck of Deatsville, Nathan Hughes, J. E. Hagan Jr., Clifford Bolton, Norman Bridwell, W. A. Roby and Wayne Harris of Cox's Creek, Robert Barger and Hugo Maraman. Sounds like a grand time was had by all.

Some one broke into the Shepherdsville school building after school closed for the summer and stole most all the books to the amount of over $200.00. Professor Sanders got busy and went to all the second handed stores in Louisville and finally locating them on Jefferson Street between 3rd and 4th. He had some mighty good information and it was hoped arrests would soon be made.

The Shepherdsville School opened with 115 students including 24 seniors. They included Dorothy Samuels, Ruby Bowman, Lillian Roney, Rosalie McKinnie, Pauline Crenshaw, Evelyn Adams, Audley Hatfield, Katherine Taylor, Thelma Masden, Mary Triplett, Lora Mae Deacon, Elizabeth Ray Harned, Mary Engle, Alice Pope, Jerome Monroe, Charles Lee Bradbury, Crumbacker Jenkins, Stanley Muir, Linton Weller, Clarence Stansbury, Kenneth Bailey, Vernon Quick, Ray Walker and Hewitt Harned.

And the services at the laying of the corner stone of the new Baptist Church (Mt. Washington) drew a large crowd to the town Sunday afternoon. Several pastors of nearby churches were present. Rev.Frazier, of Louisville, made the principal address. The two quartets by Rev. W. S. Coakley, Messrs W. D. Swearingen, C. A. Porter and Edgar Fisher were fine. Among the different articles placed in the stone were pictures of the oldest and youngest member, the deacons etc., also of Mrs. Sara McGee Fox, who was a member of this church before her marriage to Herman J. Fox, going to Japan as a Missionary from the Church of Christ.


The Bullitt County History Museum, a service of the Bullitt County Genealogical Society, is located in the county courthouse at 300 South Buckman Street (Highway 61) in Shepherdsville, Kentucky. The museum, along with its research room, is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. Saturday appointments are available by calling 502-921-0161 during our regular weekday hours. Admission is free. The museum, as part of the Bullitt County Genealogical Society, is a 501(c)3 tax exempt organization and is classified as a 509(a)2 public charity. Contributions and bequests are deductible under section 2055, 2106, or 2522 of the Internal Revenue Code. Page last modified: 13 Jan 2024 . Page URL: bullittcountyhistory.org/happened/sep2022.html