Crittenden
| Crittenden
from records and legend, has shared the limelight as being one of the more
aggressive and progressive town in Grant County. History has been gracious
in recording its origin and progress throughout is one hundred and thirty-three
years of existence. Collin's History states that Crittenden was an established
community in the year 1831 and that its inhabitants were chiefly of Virginian
descent.The first known settlers of the community was a family of David Cooper
who lived near where old time residents will remember as the Sechrest Hotel.
This hotel was located on the west side of U. S. 25. The original name of
the community was "Pin Hook", a name given to it by a whiskey drinking carpenter
by the name of Grooms. Pin Hook remained as its title until 1834 when Mary
A. Fenley, wife of Captain. John Fenley, gave it the name of Crittenden after
the Honorable. John J. Crittenden who was, at that time, Kentucky's most
famous statesman, having been elected three times to the U. S. Senate, appointed
twice as U. S. Attorney General and elected once as Governor of Kentucky.
Crittenden was not only a progressive community in education, religion, and
commercial enterprises but shared with other communities along the ridge
road from Lexington to Cincinnati, the distinction of having been visited
by General Lafayette, a Frenchman, who contributed so much to the success
of the American battle for independence, "The Revolutionary
War".
In 1815 Colonel Littleton Robinson cleared from the poplar forest south of Crittenden, the logs with which he built a house, which was to become, seven years later, the Henderson home located one-half mile south of Crittenden and was operated as a stage coach change station. In 1822, two years after Grant County came into existence, The Reverend Thomas Henderson of Scott County purchased the home with 341 acres of land and in succeeding years many additional acres were added--including a tract of fifty acres from G. L. Brumback on which was located the Keyes Home. This house in later years was moved intact approximately one-half mile and joined to the original log house owned by Reverend Henderson. It was during the Reverend Henderson's ownership that the French General LaFayette was an overnight visitor on his tour of Kentucky.Crittenden was fortunate in having as a citizen the Reverend Thomas Henderson as he was nationally known as a surveyor, having assisted in the Cincinnati, St. Louis and Lawrenceburg, Indiana surveys and also surveyed as far west in Kentucky as Shipping Post where he became a personal friend of John J. Audubon who in 1819 sketched and autographed a portrait of Henderson, which today is a prized family possession. Henderson was also nationally known as an educator having been appointed in May 1825 by Colonel Richard M. Johnson, vice-president under President Martin VanBuren, as superintendent of the Choctaw Indian Academy at Blue Springs, Scott Count, Ky. This position he held until 1841 when he retired because of ill health. Choctaw Academy was at that time the only school, other than West Point Military Academy, that was under the U. S. War Department supervision.The Reverend Henderson was also a Baptist minister of the Elkhorn association and as late as 1842 pastored the Church of Center Ridge in Grant County. n April 26, 1846, the Reverend Henderson died and was buried in the family cemetery, which is still the burying grounds for the Rouse heirs who now own the original Henderson homestead.Prior to 1867, Crittenden boasted as having three three-story buildings within its boundary. Two of these buildings were built by a man named Keys and one was built by the Sons of Temperance. These buildings were located on the same site and are now a reconstructed part of the present business section of Crittenden. Records also show the following business enterprises were in operation. Two carding mills for wool, one hemp breaking plant, three flour mills two steam and one a tread mill (operated by horse power), two saw mills, two distilleries, one shoemaker, one tailor, one saddle and harness maker, one wagon maker.Ill fate has also played a harrowing part in the development of the community for in May 1867 fire destroyed the business section of Crittenden, including its 3 three-story buildings. This section was rebuilt in it original state and again was destroyed by a second fire on April 18, 1897. After the second fire the remains of what was once a prosperous appearing section was remodeled and today represents the remaining commercial section of the town.The school districts of Grant County were first established by the court in 1822, at which time districts were established according to the jurisdictions of the Captains of the Militia and the district under the jurisdiction of Captains Andrew Meyers and known as No. 6 was the district established for the Crittenden area. In 1838 the State Legislature passed an act establishing a state system of districting and with modifications this system governs the present method of districting. In the infancy of education at Crittenden many schools of private nature were in existence. These schools were known as Academy; and not until 1890 did public schools reach a standard to justify discontinuance of the private schools. In 1841-1846 the Reverend Henderson taught a private school in what was known as the Keys house and which at that time was located at the Wells, now a part of the Lloyd Wildlife Reservation.In the 1850's, a college was promoted by Captain John Finley and Captain Calvin Holton. Their efforts were successful and Union College came into existence. The name Union College was used to gain support of the three existing church. The college was conducted in the second of the three-story building constructed by Mr. Keys. The Crittenden Post Office now occupies what remains of the original structure. Not until 1868 did Crittenden have a central school system. At that time the first chartered school in the county was built by public subscription. This school was known as the Crittenden Seminary and was under the trusteeship of Little Finely, L. M. Ratcliff, F. T. Mansfield, A. L. Hagseil, J. Poor, and Thomas Rouse. Even with competent teachers the life of the Seminary expired in 1872. After its closing the building was sold to R. L. Collins and converted into a flour mill whose products were delivered by a mule wagon to all sections of the county. In 1868-1869 N. M. Lloyd, father of J. U. Nelson, and G. G. Lloyd of Boone County was persuaded to teach a private school. After Mr. Lloyd, a prominent educator, John J. Hagsett conducted school from which many a prominent person went into the business world throughout the United States. In 18922 the first public school building was erected on the same land, but directly behind the present Crittenden school building. In 1911 Crittenden held its first high school graduation exercises. At this ceremony Mrs. John Luckett (nee Jesse Crutcher) of Indianapolis, Indiana was the first hight school graduate. In 1919 the people voted to consolidate the Flingsville and Lebanon districts and at that time the present school building was erected. In transportation facilities Crittenden has experienced many changes. First it was the old Indian Trail laid out by John Felson who was sent to Kentucky by George Washington to survey and map Kentucky as it was then known and who later laid out that portion of Cincinnati known then as Losautesville. In 1845 the trail then a wagon road was macadamized and with improvements remained the direct route from Cincinnati south through Grant County. At Crittenden evidence of the original road can be traced through lands lying south of town. In 1928 the new paved road, U. S. 25, deviating from the original Lexington Pike, was built and again in 1962 the super highway, I-75, was constructed leaving completely the original highways of years past.
Source:
Sesqui-Centennial, 150th Year of Grant County,
Ky.
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