Jean Paxton Morrow interviewed by Elsie Matheny

This collection began with the Kentucky Oral History Commission’s effort to establish oral history programs in each of the state’s 120 counties. County libraries worked with local volunteers to collect interviews. Since 1987, county oral histories have been generated primarily by recipients of technical assistance grants from the commission that provide training and equipment to volunteer interviewers. Interviews donated by independent researchers are also included. Original collection held at Kentucky Oral History Commission/Kentucky Historical Society.  Access copies available at Lincoln County Public Library. Authorization must by granted by KHS to use or publish by any means the archival material to which the Society holds copyright.

LINCOLN COUNTY ORAL HISTORY INTERVIEW 

(MRS. CLAYTON) JEAN PAXTON MORROW INTERVIEWED BY ELSIE MATHENY 

October 7, 1976

Ms. Matheny: The following is an unrehearsed interview with Mrs. Jean Paxton Morrow, a descendent of the Logan family of Lincoln County, with Mrs. Elsie C. Matheny, interviewing, for the Kentucky Bicentennial Oral Project, on October 7, 1976, at her home at 109 Danville Avenue.  Mrs. Morrow, will you tell us something about one of the old boarding houses on Main Street?  Mrs. Morrow visited there many times as a child, and I am sure that she has many fond remembrances of this place. 

Mrs. Morrow: Mrs. Florence Trueheart came from Prince Edward County, Virginia to Stanford, where she lived with her sister, Mrs. Bourne, the wife of Dr. M.L. Bourne, our druggist.  Mrs. Bourne died in 1890, and that same year, the country home of Mrs. Maggie and Betty Paxton burned, and they moved temporarily to the St. Asaph’s Hotel.  They were close friends of Mrs. Trueheart and soon moved into the Bourne house with her.  Mrs. Martha Paxton and her niece, Mary Pennington, also began taking their meals there, and that was the beginning of the boarding house.  Soon Mr. and Mrs. John McRoberts and their daughter, Dolly, also joined them for meals.  Mr. McRoberts sat at the end of the table and asked the blessing before each meal.  Next came Mr. and Mrs. Yancey (sic) Hayes, and Mrs. Eliza Blaine (sic), who lived across the street.  Mrs. Maggie Withers who lived nearby, joined them, and although Mrs. Florence never took transients, but as time went on, she did take a few young men, who included Mr. Jack Beasley, Mr. Walter Wolcott, Dr. R.A. Jones, Mr. Nevin (sic) Carter, the Reverend Mr. Hagen and the Reverend Mr. Glass, and most of them stayed with her until they married, had homes of their own.  The same colored woman, Harriett Salter (sic), did the cooking, for the group for many years, and a young woman waited on the table and washed the dishes.  The meals were excellent and Mrs. Florence charged $3.00 a week board.  She made her own cakes and used pure cream for the ice cream, which was frozen in an old fashioned freezer with the handle to be turned.  Mrs. Florence’s niece, Virginia Bowen, lived with her until she married, Dr. U.B.W. (sic) Darlington in Huntington, West Virginia.  Virginia was the pet of the entire household.   The boarding house was located where the Town and Country Beauty Parlor now is (311 W. Main St.).  The dining room was the big room in the rear of the house.  Miss Annie McKinney and cousin Belle Denny (sic) lived next door where Mrs.Willie (Thelma) Burton now lives (309 W. Main).  In those days ladies were ladies and the Mrs. Paxton and cousin Belle Denny and Miss Annie McKinney, after their noon meal, took long naps and then sat on the long porch on the side of the house and embroidered and visited until time for their evening meal.  As small children, my brother James and I, felt like we had had a trip to the city when we were allowed to go down to the boarding house for a meal with our aunts.  One incident I remember particularly, was cousin Sally Havens (sic) hunting the best piece of chicken for Mr. Havens and knocking all the other pieces on the floor. 

Ms. Matheny: Thank you, Mrs. Morrow, for making some of the past living for us today.  I just wish we could get meals like that for three dollars a week.  This concludes the interview. 

 END OF INTERVIEW 

 

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