Hadensville Precinct, Todd County, Kentucky

THE district of Hadensville, or Guthrie, which forms the subject of the following pages, is a somewhat level body of land lying in the southeast portion of the county. It is bounded on the north by District No 6, Allensville; on the east by Logan County, on the south by Tennessee, and on the west by No. 5, Trenton. The surface of the district is somewhat diversified. In the south, especially in and around Guthrie, it is swampy, and at one time a part of the district was under water. In the center it is rolling, and in the north it is somewhat hilly. The main portion of the soil in the district is of the red clay subsoil over a limestone basis. Originally a large amount of the surface of the district was in what is known as " barrens." But there were two or three groves of some sise in the district, the main one being the Gabriel Roach Grove. The timber of the district consisted mainly of red oak, black oak and post oak. In the lowlands there were some pin oak and swamp oak, with an occasional tree of white oak, and in the barrens some scrub hickory was found. Scattered here and there were fine large meadows, in which the finest of strawberries were wont to grow, and these furnished many a hungry pioneer with food in an early day. It is stated by old settlers that there is more timber in the district now than there was in the early days. As an agricultural district this portion of the county stands at the head. Large crops of tobacco, wheat and corn are raised there, and of late years considerable attention has been paid to stock raising with merited success. Some slight notice is also being given to fruit culture. Two railroads, the L. & N., and the Memphis Branch of the same road, run through the district, and with two railroad points -Guthrie and Hadensville-within the boundaries. The resources have been developed by means of bringing its rich farming lands into easy communication with the outside world.


Creeks and Roads

The main creek of the district is Spring Creek, which rises from a spring at the western edge of the district, flows generally in a southerly direction into Tennessee. It has several smaller branches, all bearing the same common name.

The first road in this district was the Clarksville, Elkton and Russellville road. Probably the next one was the Gallatin road, which ran from Port Royal to Trenton, and thence to Hopkinsville. This was, probably surveyed as early as 1819, although many years before that there had been traces here.
 

The Mills of the District

The first mill ever put up in the district was built in about 1815 by Col. Smith on Elk Fork, in the southwest portion of the district. He ran it for many years and then sold out to Mr. Donnelly. The latter in turn disposed of it to a man by the name of Kimbrough, and from the last-named gentleman Robert Graham purchased it some years ago, and is still running it. It is now the only mill in the district, and is doing an excellent business. In about 1870 Powell & Phillips put up a steam mill in Guthrie. It continued in operation about two years, and then was destroyed by fire.

One of the early schools in the district was at Old Graysville. It was commenced in about 1850, and did not last long. Among the teachers were Dr. Richardson, Dewitt Farmer, who afterward became a Colonel in a Texas regiment during the war, and Smith Dulin.


Churches

Drake's Pond Baptist Church, organized about 1807, is the oldest church in the county. Among the early members were Gabriel Roach, Richard McGowan, Elisabeth Wilcox, Mrs. Kendal and Mrs. Gray. The first meetings were held in a low house that stood near a pond which bore the euphonious name of Drake, situated about half a mile from Guthrie, hence the name of the church. The log-house was used until 1825, when a frame was built at a cost of about $500. This was burned down in about 1835, and another log-house built within the next two years which was used by this congregation as a place of worship until 1866. In that year the present frame church was erected at a cost of about $700. The present membership is about twenty. The officers now in charge of the church are as follows: Deacons, L. B. Bryant and J. C. Parham. Among the ministers who have preached at this church might be mentioned Revs. Philip Boel, Dr. Watson, John Coonells, Archie Bristow, Rev. Munday, Thomas White and Needham Jones.

Hadensville Methodist Episcopal Church South was organized in about 1828, and was first called Ellis' Chapel. The meetings were first held in a log-house that stood near old Hadensville. Among the first members might be mentioned John Garrett, J. N. Barker, Jenkins Murphy, David Hooser and Robert Ellis. The latter was instrumental in having the church built, and hence it was called after him. The society continued to meet in the log-house until 1867, and then the present church was erected about a mile west of there on the Russellville road. It cost about $3,500, and is still being used. The membership at present is about fifty. Among the ministers who have acted as pastors over this charge have been Eli B. Crane, Thomas Bottlemy, L. P. Crenshaw, James Lewis, Ed Bottlemy, James Petrie and Dennis Spurrier. The present officers of the church are: Stewards, John Snadon, S. W. Taliaferro, J. H. Hooser and R. L. Smith. For some years a Sunday-school has been held in connection with the church. The average attendance has been about forty, and it is now held all the year round. The present Superintendent is John H. Hooser. Among the teachers are S. W. Taliaferro, Mack O'Brien, Mrs. John M. Roach, Dr. McClellan and Robert Kimbrough. The present Secretary is Robert Kimbrough.

• Pioneer Settlers of Hadensville Precinct
• Graysville, Todd County, Kentucky
• Guthrie, Todd County, Kentucky
• Hadensville, Todd County, Kentucky

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