Wakefield Scearce Gallery On September 12th, 1949, the Wakefield Scearce Galleries held their grand opening in the old Science Hill Chapel, welcoming two thousand people from eleven states. It began as a dream for Mark Scearce and Mark Wakefield that became a reality after Mr. Scearce traveled to Europe for the acquisition of fine silver … Wakefield Scearce Gallery
Tick Creek Massacre Bland Williams Ballard had an adventurous life. He fought in the Revolutionary War as a teenager and served as a Scout in numerous expeditions with George Rogers Clark, when Ohio was still a territory and Kentucky was an extension of Virginia. He was an escort during the Long Run Massacre, and he … Tick Creek Massacre
“The Old Sexton’s Story”, from Where Silent Tents Are Spread George Lee Willis, 1932 “The man who knew most and could tell most to one searching among the seven thousand mounds for history [at Grove Hill Cemetery], has himself passed on. He was Frederick Moesser, the remarkable personage who was sexton for the forty-four years … The Old Sexton’s Story, Frederick Moesser
Jeff King, “The most handsome and also the worst young man in Shelby County.” Jeff King grew up on a farm in Shelby County. In 1822, he decided to work his way to New Orleans, LA, as a laborer on a barge traveling down the Ohio and Mississippi rivers. It wasn’t long after Jeff reached … Jeff King, “The most handsome and also the worst young man in Shelby County.”
How the Dust Bowl Affected Shelby County The Dust Bowl of the 1930’s was not isolated to the panhandles of Texas and Oklahoma. Atmospheric conditions and soil erosion affected agriculture all the way to the eastern seaboard. Ben Allen Thomas, Sr. wrote about the impact to Shelby County farmers in, “As I Recall It”, and … How the Dust Bowl Affected Shelby County
T.S. Baxter First African American City Councilman in Shelbyville Thomas Samuel Baxter was most likely born into slavery in 1843, as he did not appear in a Census record until he was twenty-seven years old. In the 1850 U.S. Census Slave Schedules, there were several slaveholders named Thomas Baxter throughout Kentucky. One Thos. C. Baxter … T.S. Baxter
T.E. Bland Bland Avenue was named for Dr. Thomas Eugene Bland, third Mayor of Shelbyville from 1906-1910. He was born near Bagdad, KY in 1864. He studied at Georgetown College and graduated from the UofL Medical School in 1892. So, what did this guy do that is important to us? According to the Shelby County … T.E. Bland
Stephen Decatur Choate Stephen Decatur Choate was born in 1815 in Delaware. In the 1830’s, he moved to Cincinnati to become an apprentice silversmith. From there, he moved to Louisville and opened a jewelry store on Fourth Street downtown, where he also manufactured silverware. After fifteen years, Choate came to Shelby County, first to Simpsonville … Stephen Decatur Choate
Southside Elementary School The 1950’s brought years of overcrowding without a solution in sight because of increased enrollment from county students wanting to attend city schools. There were also talks on desegregation and consolidating the city and county school systems. In 1957, a new school called, “Southside” was built off 7th Street, where a small … Southside Elementary School
Shelbyville Female Seminary The Shelbyville Female Seminary was founded in 1839 by the Rev. William F. Hill. In 1848, he completed this building at Seventh and Main Streets that would house a boarding school for the next 57 years. In 1851, the school was purchased by Rev. David Todd Stuart, a Presbyterian minister, who was … Shelbyville Female Seminary