HISTORY: Towns in Bullitt Co., KY ********************************************************************** USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. http://www.usgwarchives.net Transcribed by: bobndonnaky@alltel.net Date: 21 Aug 2000 *********************************************************************** These are from the Pioneer News June 10, 1982. This was their 100th Anniversary Issue, and it reprinted many articles originally run in "The Bullitt Pioneer", "The Salt River Tiger" and "The Pioneer News". Also included were brief histories of many of the places in the county. Here is a SMALL sampling of what is contained in this edition. I am not sure of the copyright laws on newspapers, so here goes the verbatim version. NICHOLS ELEMENTARY Nichols Elementary School records do not show the dates that a log house on Cow Branch was used as a school, but this building was abandoned in May, 1888. The HOPEWELL place on Cow Branch was purchased in May, 1888 from Simon and Roberts ARNOLD by School District # 9 for $300. The school was first known as Nichols Elementary and the attractive one room frame structure was nestled among a grove of beech and sycamore trees. For several years water was carried from a spring in a wooden bucket. The School was named for an early trustee, L.W. NICHOLS. This building was used until the end of World War 1. LEBANON JUNCTION The first hotel in Lebanon Junction was built in 1888. It was built by Sam CROWE. In the same year, the Louisville and Nashville Railroad built a hotel and leased it to Harvey WELLS. The First Baptist Church was built in 1895, the first Methodist church was erected in 1888. The first Catholic Church was constructed in 1906. The Lebanon Junction Bank was organized in 1897, and the first Directors were R. M. HOCKER, J. H. HOSKINS, C. C. RICKETTS, B. N. ROLLER, Luther WARREN. The President was J. H. HOSKINS, Vice President was R. M. HOCKER, and the Cashier was C. C. RICKETTS. The town of Lebanon Junction was a railroad terminal from 1892 to 1929. Money flowed freely during those days. Many fine men established buisinesses whose names have meant much to the community such as W. W. DAVIS, R. M.HOCKER,Tom and Ben JENKINS, the HEFT Brothers, A. R. FIELDER, W. T. WICKERSHAM, Ed. HEITZER, Sam MAGRUDER, and Shelby PATTERSON. Lebanon Junction was incorporated in to a township by judgement of the Bullitt County Court April 1, 1895, J. L. THOMPSON was appointed Police Judge, J. E. MASDEN, Town Marshall, R. A. COLLINGS, Assessor, and R. M. HOCKER, SR, T. B. MEALS, J. E. JOHNSON, William FARRAR, and William HIBBS were appointed Trustees. BULLITT COUNTY FAIR The Bullitt County Fair was established in 1895. In that same year, the first fair was held. JIM BEAM The James B. Beam Distilling Company has been a corporate citizen of the Commonwealth of Kentucky for over 187 (now 200) years. Six Generations of the Beam family have been distilling Jim Beam, the company's principal product, since 1795. This longevity makes the oldest continuing buisiness in the state. The Beam Distilling Company in Clermont was established in 1882 by Colonel HAYDEN and F. L. FERRIELL. The Foundations of the former operation may be viewed from Highway 245 near the present Hobb's Baptist Church. BERNHEIM In April 1888, the BERNHEIM Brothers transferred from Paducah to Louisville where they occupied a building with a red sandstone exterior on Main Street between First and Second Streets. In 1895, the adjoining store building was bought. It became apparent that the new addition was not sufficient for the buisness was continuing to expand by leaps and bounds. >From this thriving buisness, one of the BERNHEIM Brothers, Isaac Wolfe BERNHEIM established the Isaac W. BERNHEIM Foundation (which is known as Bernheim Forest) SHEPHERDSVILLE MIDDLE SCHOOL Shepherdsville Middle School records show that a few years after 1880 - 1890, Professor G. E.HANCOCK was an instructor here and Jack RICHARDSON served as chairman of the Shepherdsville Board of Education. In 1905, the outmoded and unsatisfactory building was torn down, and replaced with the red brick building , containing four classrooms and two halls. Until 1886, there was no uniform system of education known as the county schools. BULLITT COUNTY HISTORY "As told by J. W. CROAN on March 19, 1897" "The county was formed in 1796 and the county government attained full sovereignity in 1800. Settlements had been made in 1780 at Bullitt's Lick, and near the Mouth of Floyd's Fork. Bullitt's Lick was named for William G. Bullitt. "Bullitt County as formed from parts of Jefferson and Nelson Counties and was the 22nd Kentucky County to be formed after the original three -- or, the 25th in Kentucky.The line with Jefferson County was not definately established until Aug 11, 1811, and it was re-run in 1846. Before Kentucky became a state, the first land entered in the territory now Bullitt County was located and entered under the Virginia Pated (sic) and Entry Acts of March 28, 1781, by Peter SHEPHERD, founder of Shepherdsville. About 1810 or a little later, the first steel rails manufactured west of the Allegheny Mts. were made here. The dam across the river made a ferry neccessary almost year round ; this was kept by James CROAN, Sr. Booker BARKER (or Baker) had a large brick building (in 1820) at the river front, on Main Street. "This was later used by TROUTMAN Brothers. Thomas JOYCEhad a tavren on the S.W. corner of the public square -- now the American Hotel. About one half block from the river on the west side of Main Street was the Bank of Shepherdsville, this bank occupied the only storehouse in Shepherdsville, which is in a perfect state of preservation and is occupied by Carpenter Wayne CALDWELL as a residence. "From 1810 until the building of the L and N RR, Shepherdsville did an immense buisness. A state turnpike from Louisville to Bowling and Nashville went through Shepherdsville, and this was a popular resting point for immense wagon trains. " Shepherdsville had five or six inns and coffee houses, perhaps 50 flourishing dry goods stores and as many groceries. Thomas JOYCE had a flour mill and corn mill on the west side of town, H. J. CRAYCRAFT owned a saddle and harness shop working five to eight journeyman employees and he kept two or three wagons on the road selling his wares and Henry KALFUS had a large tannery just above the Methodist Church. There were numerous carpenter shops and J. I. Richardson had a cabinet shop and made beds, bureaus, etc."