NoDestination – Page 11 – The Kaintuckeean

No Destination: Paramount Arts Center

Paramount Arts Center, Ashland, Ky.

Ashland’s Paramount Arts Center is an amazing facility with an incredibly full schedule – Broadway Live, concerts, classic films, and so much more. With a seating capacity of over 1,400, it is one of Kentucky’s largest indoor entertainment venues.

Planning for the Paramount began in 1928; the design was specifically for the popular silent films of the era. By the time the Paramount opened in 1931 (the first show, Silence, was a talkie), technology and entertainment demand had changed. So too had the national economy – the Depression was in full force. In fact, Paramount (the movie company) wanted to drop the project altogether but locals provided the support to go forward with the local project. Paramount’s reluctance to go forward is understandable – the company’s plan was to build one of these grand theaters in each of the fifty states (Ashland was chosen as it was then viewed as a locale with tremendous promise of growth and increased visibility).

Today, only twelve Paramount theaters remain. Other than the Ashland, Kentucky location, the theaters are in Denver, Colorado; Aurora, Illinois; Oakland, California; Cedar Rapids, Iowa; Abilene, Texas; Bristol, Tennessee; Seattle, Washington; Charlottesville, Virginia; Anderson, Indiana; Austin, Texas; and Springfield, Massachusetts. Many (if not all) of these facilities closed for decades as multiplex movie houses became en vogue, only to be reopened after extensive upgrades and restoration.

This was the case with the Paramount Arts Center. It closed in 1971 as a movie house, but soon thereafter was reopened as an arts center. Extensive restorations continued for decades and the facility is as beautiful today as it was when it first opened nearly 80 years ago. I was lucky enough to be given an off-schedule tour of the facility during my quick trip through Ashland, but unfortunately my pictures don’t sufficiently show off the Paramount’s beauty. You can see them here on flickr.

No Destination: Carl D. Perkins Federal Courthouse

Carl D. Perkins Federal Building & Courthouse, Ashland, Ky.

Although Catlettsburg is the county seat of Boyd, it no longer houses a Federal courthouse for the Eastern District of Kentucky. The “Ashland Division” has existed since 1985 when the move was made from Catlettsburg to Ashland’s Carl D. Perkins Federal Building and Courthouse.

If you’ve accepted student loans, you’ve no doubt encountered Carl D. Perkins before. His “Perkins Loans” are a great help to struggling students. He served in the House of Representatives from 1949 until he died in 1984. The building constructed in his honor is very typical of a 1980s government building; utilitarian in design with clean lines and generous use of windows but void of either warmth or individualistic style.

Perkins worked tirelessly for the underprivileged, particularly those in eastern Kentucky. He brought many national leaders, including the late Sen. Edward Kennedy, to the area to gain support for efforts to improve the lives of Kentuckians. At the end of the video of Sen. Kennedy, Rep. Perkins is seen sitting next to the Senator.

No Destination: Catlettsburg

Catlettsburg, Ky.

The population of Catlettsburg is only two-thirds of its size as of the 1900 census. As the county seat of Boyd County… wait? I thought Ashland was the county seat of Boyd County. It’s not? No. It is actually Catlettsburg.

Confusion aside, the location of Catlettsburg is strategic being located at the confluence of the Big Sandy and Ohio Rivers. It was a home of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky from 1911 until 1985. The population also declined to “urban sprawl,” which is not a concept you would think of when you think of a hamlet of 1,800 (within the city limits, but Catlettsburg’s ZIP code has a population of about 10,000). But in the 1960s and 1970s, the realignment and expansion of US 23/60 through the area prompted the removal of many residential units which were never replaced.

Catlettsburg was a major timber market in the late 19th century and as a result there are very few trees. I selected the picture above because it was one of the few tree-lined streets I noticed in the central area. It also featured homes (though many were converted to commercial use) which were, as noted above, an anomaly. For more of my Catlettsburg pictures, check out Flickr.

No Destination: Courthouse Markers in Georgetown

Scott County Courthouse, Georgetown, Ky.

Some counties just have a lot of historic markers around their courthouses. Scott County is one of them. Rather than create a post for each, I’m letting the markers speak for themselves the tale of Scott County. The beautiful 1877 courthouse is surrounded by

General Basil W. Duke, CSA (Marker 1861):

Marker 1861: A close associate of brother-in-law John Hunt Morgan, Duke provided tactics, discipline, and spirit, major elements of success of famous 2nd Ky. Cavalry. Wounded in battle twice, 1862; captured July 1863 in Ind.-Ohio raid; exchanged August 1864. After Morgan’s death, Basil Duke appointed to command brigade. Later led part of the escort for Jefferson Davis in April-May 1865.

(Reverse) Basil W. Duke (1838-1916) – Scott County native Basil Duke-attorney, politician, and author-is most noted for Civil War service to Confederacy. Admitted to bar in 1858, he began law practice in St. Louis. After Civil War he settled in Louisville. Elected to Ky. House of Rep. Duke led powerful railroad lobby and was bitter enemy of Wm. Goebel. Writings include History of Morgan’s Cavalry. Buried Lexington.

Georgetown Raided (Marker 701):

CSA Gen. John H. Morgan, on Kentucky raid here, July 15, 1862, camped two days. Destroyed rail bridges, USA stores, dispersed Home Guards. On 17th defeated USA at Cynthiana. Started back to Tenn. On last raid, Morgan was here, July 10, 1864, after taking Lexington. On 12th CSA met defeat at Cynthiana and retreated to Virginia. See map on other side.

Remember the Raisin (Marker 508):

Rendezvous of Kentucky Volunteers, Aug. 15, 1812, ordered to relieve Gen. Hull at Detroit. Kentuckians took Frenchtown (Monroe) on Raisin River Jan. 18, 1813. Four days later enemy attacked-killed, massacred, wounded, or captured all but 30. Of 1050 men not half reached home. Ky. counties named for officers: Allen, Ballard, Graves, Hart, Hickman, Edmonson, McCracken, Meade, Simpson.

Scott County Courthouse (Marker 1454):

Present structure, 4th courthouse of Scott County, erected in 1877 at a cost of $34,600. It is an outstanding example of the French “Second Empire Style,” known in U.S. as “Gen. Grant Style.” Built of materials obtainable in this area. Distance from ground to top of steeple is 185 ft. Designed by Thomas Boyd of Pittsburgh, who served as supervising architect.

(Reverse) Goebel Trial Here – Scott County courthouse chosen by Judge J. E. Cantrill for trials of the 20 persons accused of being involved in the assassination of Governor William Goebel. Although the murder was in Frankfort, the hearings were held in Georgetown to insure fair trials to the indicted. Three of the principal suspects were found guilty and sentenced to life imprisonment.

Scott County, 1792 (Marker 1248):

Formed out of a part of Woodford County, it was the second created after Kentucky became a state. Named for Gen. Charles Scott, 1739-1813, a Va. native. Officer in Revolution, saw service at Trenton, 1776, Germantown and Monmouth, 1777, Stony Point, 1779. Came to Kentucky in 1785. Represented Woodford Co. in the Va. Assembly, 1789-90. Fourth governor of Ky., 1808-12.

No Destination: Bell County Coal Mining Museum

Bell County Coal Mining Museum, Middlesboro, Ky.

A small outdoor museum showcase in Middlesboro displays deep coal mine equipment from the 1960s. It is not a particularly informative display, but the dust covering every surface does seem to give you a more accurate portrayal. If you’ve ever seen Harlan County, USA or read King Coal by Upton Sinclair, you have discovered some of the horrors of coal mining. This display spoke to me of that story and not (its intended story) of the jobs and investment that the coal companies have brought to the people of Appalachia.

No Destination: Paris, Kentucky & the French

Flag of the Fleur-de-Lis, Paris, Ky.

Several months ago, I debated with a family member Kentucky’s French connections. They believed there were few, if any, connections. Then I began the list. The Governor’s Mansion (Marie Antoinette’s Petit Trianon). The Capitol (grand staircase modeled after that in the Paris Opera). Louisville (named after King Louis XVI). Versailles (no explanation necessary).

Our famed export, bourbon, is named after the House of Bourbon which was the noble line which ruled France for a couple centuries prior to losing their heads in the French Revolution. Also drawing this name is Bourbon County, of which Paris (again, no explanation necessary) is the county seat.

Flying in Paris is the flag bearing three fleur-de-lis which is the the modern French coat of arms.

Anyway, there is a strong Franco-Kentucky connection. And its strongest point is in Paris.

No Destination: John Milton Elliott

John Milton Elliott statue in Catlettsburg, Ky.

On the courthouse grounds of Boyd County is a statue dedicated to Judge John Milton Elliott. You may recall Judge Elliott from my earlier post on Frankfort’s Hampton House (where Judge Elliott was assassinated). Aside from being a judge on Kentucky’s highest court, Elliott had a storied c.v. as he served in the House of Representatives of both the United States and the Confederacy as well as in the Kentucky General Assembly. He was also indicted for treason in Frankfort’s federal court in 1861.

He was born in Virginia, but his family moved to Kentucky when he was a boy. In 1841, he began his law practice in Prestonsburg (Floyd County). After the Civil War, he located in Bath County and was elected to the Court of Appeals. Assassinated in Frankfort; he too is buried in Franklin County. Apparently, Elliott County is likely named after either him (but possibly for his father, who was also a state legislator). All of which begs the million dollar question: Why is this statue in Boyd County??

Of his murder, the New York Times wrote that it “could scarcely have taken place in any region calling itself civilized except Kentucky, or some other Southern state.” In kinder words, Elliott was described as “a man above medium height with a clean shaven full face, genial in manner and social by nature. He was a brave and true man in every sense of the word. He acted well his part in the great drama of life.”

No Destination: Middlesboro’s Meteorite

A town within the crater: Middlesboro, Ky.

About three hundred million years ago, a large meteor struck what is now southeastern Kentucky. The impact created a large, three-mile wide crater. Skip forward to about 120 years ago and the incorporation of the Kentucky community of Middlesborough (also spelled Middlesboro) which is built within the crater. According to the historic marker commemorating the town’s geology, the area has been “Designated by the Kentucky Society of Professional Geologists as a Distinguished Geological Site. Middlesboro is one of only a few cities on the North American Continent located in the basin of a meteorite impact structure.”

The picture above shows the high wall of the crater. Standing in Middlesboro, this crater wall is a 360-degree panoramic. Until the 1960s and research by the USGS, locals thought the unique topography was caused by tectonic shifting rather than the 1,500 foot in diameter that once struck the area.

The site is one of three known astroblemes in the Commonwealth (the others are in Shelby and Woodford counties). [*]

No Destination: Jacob Spears

Jacob Spears Marker, Bourbon Co., Ky.

My biggest mistake in driving with no destination was going down the road next to the above marker, not recognizing the “stone castle” and completely missing the Jacob Spears distillery. Fortunately, you can see someone else’s pictures here. From historic marker 2295:

Named after Bourbon Co. because of quantity and quality of whiskey produced within its borders. Made from a fermented mash of at least 51% corn, with less wheat, rye, or barley, yeast and limestone water. Distilled at no more than 160 proof and aged in charred oak barrels. In 1964, Congress recognized bourbon as a distinctly American product.

(Reverse) Stone Castle, 1 mile south, built 1790 by Thomas Metcalfe for Jacob Spears. A Pennsylvanian who settled in Paris, he was innovative farmer & one of first distillers of bourbon whiskey. Still standing on this farm are a springhouse and a storehouse for his bourbon whiskey. It is the most complete distiller’s complex still in existence today.

In fact, it was Jacob Spears who first used the term “Bourbon” to describe his whiskey. Now, I think I’m sufficiently inspired to go sip some Makers 46.

No Destination: “Aunt Julia” Marcum

Historic Marker, Williamsburg, Ky.

According to the Kentucky Encyclopedia, Julia Ann Marcum was raised in Tennessee. Her family sympathized with the Union cause and for this their home was attacked in September 1861. Julia fought off a Confederate soldier with an ax until her father shot the soldier dead, but during this fight Julia was badly wounded. Although she worked for a time as a schoolteacher, she ultimately became permanently disabled as a result of her war wounds. She moved to Williamsburg upon her retirement and became the only female ever admitted to the Grand Army of the Republic. Historic Marker #672 reads:

Only woman, as a fighter, to receive a U.S. pension: special Act of Congress, 1884. Marcum home in Tenn., a depot for southerners going north to Union army. She lost eye; badly wounded defending home against marauders; then the family came here. Unionist father killed in action. Her life devoted to patriotic, religious work. Died in 1936, age 91, military funeral.