xt78sf2m6g2z https://exploreuk.uky.edu/dips/xt78sf2m6g2z/data/mets.xml Bowling Green and Warren County Immigration Society (Bowling Green, Ky.) 1885 books b92-143-29441768 English Park City Daily Times Print, : Bowling Green, Ky. : Contact the Special Collections Research Center for information regarding rights and use of this collection. Bowling Green (Ky.) Description and travel. Warren County (Ky.) Description and travel. Bowling Green and Warren County, Ky., immigration society : a condensed, accurate, and fair description of the resources and development of the city and county. text Bowling Green and Warren County, Ky., immigration society : a condensed, accurate, and fair description of the resources and development of the city and county. 1885 2002 true xt78sf2m6g2z section xt78sf2m6g2z THE BOVVLI NG G3REIN AND WARREN COUNTY, KY., l 3oci ty. A CONDENSED, ACCURATE, AND FAIR DESCRIPTION OF THE RESOURCES AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE CITY AND COUNTY. OOMPILED AND PUBLISHED FOR THE INFORMATION OF THE GENERAL PUBLIO. BOWLING GREEN, KY.: PARK CITY DAILY TXoxzs PRINT. 1886. fnpli ratios Bowfiq4 4reta AIl N UfarrQp Jout5y (KENT UCKY) I MMIGRATIONSOCIETY COXPOSED OF Citizens of the City and County. N ON -SELCTARIAN, NON- POLITICAL, BUT Purely and Strictly Business. For information concerning any or all subjects embraced In this Pamphlet, address or' BOWLING OREEN, Dr. W. H. BLAKELEY, Swertry,3 WARREN 00., KY. T H E E3OXVLI NG GREEN ANV WARREN COUNTY, MMIGRATION S OCIETY. A CONDENSED, ACCURATE, AND FAIR DESCRIPTION OF THE RESOURCES AND DEVELOPMENT OF' THE CITY AND COUNTY. Compiled and Published for the Information of the General Public. BOWLING GREEN, KY.: PARK CITY DAILY TIMES PRINT. 1885. KY., I ELECTROTYPED BY THE COURIER-JOURNAL JOB PRINTING COMPANY LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY. 3OGJAlP AND USJGIOUL As the fountain, which bubbles up from the earth and flows out to cheer and bless, or embitter and destroy, gets its sweetness or bitterness from the soil through which it percolates, so the society of any place is determined as to its character by the substratum of individual lives out of which it flows. We have in Bowling Green twenty-one resident minis- ters of the Gospel, thirty-two lawyers, seventeen physicians, and forty- three school teachers. None of these are in a starving condition, but are appreciated by the community and have full opportunity to give character to the stream of our social life. With such a large number of intelligent men and women to mold the character of our youth and public opinion, our city can not but rank high in all that makes a community intelligent, moral and social. We have among us, also, a large number of earnest, upright, and intelligent artisans representing the many callings found among men. On the principle that "water seeks its level " and " birds of a feather flock together," all men, of whatsoever vocation in life, can find a flock of congenial spirits here with which to identify themselves socially, a little Bethesda pool in which each can find his or her level and be at rest. Of course, every community is more or less disturbed by the presence of a "criminal class," and none can expect that our sun can be free from such spots. But we have a well-regulated police force, whose chief is a Christian man, a member of one of our churches. The force is free from corruption, and there is no terror by night or pestilence walking in darkness. Gambling and selling liquor to minors, in fact, all of the many means employed by evil-disposed persons to entice into ways of sin and ruin are well watched and rigidly punished. The judges of our courts are selected for their moral firmness as well as legal acumen. So, we feel that we can rather boast of the intelligence, morality, and general Christian conservatism of our community. As to our different social circles, it can only be said that here true merit finds its reward. There are no artificial lines drawn among us. In all our churches the poor and the rich, the Northerner and the South- erner, may be found sitting side by side. The entrie to our firesides is BOWLING GREEN AND WARREN COUNTY, KY., not gained by a gold ring or goodly apparel, but by moral worth and congeniality of spirit. There is no turning of the cold shoulder to a man because he is poor or from the North. In fact, all our people, coming out of the " late unpleasantness" more or less impoverished, appreciate fully the struggles of those who, in the spirit of true man- hood, are seeking to get on in the world. The Southern heart cherishes no malice. It knows but one definition of manhood, and that applies to the inward rather than the outward. We welcome all who come to be one with us, to live with us, to work with us, to rejoice with us, to weep with us, to love us. To all such, we bid a social welcome and a God-speed, to eat our bread and marry our daughters, if they can woo them successfully. There are twelve churches in Bowling Green. Eight of these are for the use of the whites and such colored people as desire to worship with them. The remaining four have been built principally by the whites for the colored people, and are owned and entirely controlled by the latter. The detailed facts concerning each of these different denominations, which have been furnished by officers of the various churches, combine to show that, of whatever religious persuasion a person may be, he can find a spiritual home among us. The following is a list of the churches owned by the whites, accompanied by a brief description of the Christian facilities afforded by each: BAPTIST CHUCH. The Baptist Church of Bowling Green was organized in i8I8, and is one of the oldest church organizations in our city. It has had a career of great usefulness, along with its share of the various kinds of difficulties which impede the progress of the Lord's work. Her mem- bership, consisting of more than three hundred and fifty, includes persons from the various classes of society; lawyers, doctors, teachers, merchants, mechanics, and laborers. The church is well organized and growing in efficiency. It supports a pastor for all his time. Services are held twice on Lord's day at the usual hour. There is also a " young people's prayer-meeting" on Sunday afternoon. The regular church prayer-meeting is held on Wednesday evening. The regular business meeting of the church is on the first Wednesday evening in each month. There is also maintained an efficient Sabbath-school, which meets at nine A. M. every Sabbath. Besides its superintendent and other officers, it has eighteen teachers. The school numbers more than two hundred and fifty, with an average attendance of about two hundred. The financial ability of the church is fully equal to all its demands. The member- 4 IMMIGRATION SOCIETY. ship generally are in sympathy with the various missionary enterprises, and quite a large proportion contribute regularly to these objects with- out the visit of any missionary agent. The church owns a comfortable and convenient parsonage, located on one of our best streets, five squares from the church building. The church building is situated on the west side of Main street, one block from the Public Square. It has a basement, containing one large and two small rooms, used for prayer-meetings and Sabbath-school. The main audience room is approached by a flight of fifteen stone steps, and has a seating capacity for four hundred and fifty to six hun- dred people. There is a baptistry under an elevated platform in the rear of the pulpit supplied from the city water-works. The members of this church will welcome to a share in her privi- leges and blessings all who may seek to become one with them in the hope of the Gospel. CUK33NEELAND PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. The Cumberland Presbyterian Church was organized August I2, 1866, with twenty-four communicants. Soon after the organization the "little flock," under the leadership of Rev. Jesse Grider, erected a neat, commodious, brick house of worship. During the past nine- teen years peace, harmony, brotherly-love, and patient labors have characterized this humble band. Her register now shows a member- ship of one hundred and eighty-five, and among these are not a few of Bowling Green's best men and women. In addition to this congregation in the town there are five others in Warren county. With open hearts and extended hands they will welcome to their quiet family circle all lovers of their Heavenly Father. METHODIST-EPISCOPAL CHURCH. The Methodist-Episcopal Church South is one of the oldest churches in Bowling Green. The church edifice is centrally located, being on State street one- half square from the Park. It is an old building which has, from time to time, undergone the process of remodeling until it presents quite a handsome appearance. The church is known in the Conference as a station, and therefore commands the entire services of a pastor. The membership numbers three hundred and six, counting among them many of the best people of the community, both in point of 5 BOWLING GREEN AND WARREN COUNTY, KY., social standing and religious influence. They have a large and flourish- ing Sunday-school, well officered and equipped. Their congregations are large; and in addition to their regular Sunday service they hold a weekly class meeting Sunday afternoon at three o'clock, a young peo- ple's Bible reading Sunday at four iP. x., general prayer-meeting Wednesday night, a young people's meeting Thursday at four P. M., and a meeting for the promotion of holiness Friday night. EPISCOPAL CHURCH. A parish of the Protestant Episcopal Church was organized in Bowl- ing Green about forty years ago. Christ Church, the edifice now used, was erected in I 868. It is a neat and substantial brick building, in the Gothic style, and has a seating capacity of about three hundred per- sons. In the parish there are about forty-five communicants. The present rector is Rev. V. 0. Gee. The church Sabbath-school is held every Sabbath at nine A. 'M. CHRISTIAN CHURCH. The Christian Church of Bowling Green was organized in 1846, and built a house of worship in 1847. The church at present has a membership of about one hundred and thirty, with a good Sunday- school of about one hundred pupils. They have preaching every Sab- bath, and prayer-meeting every Thursday evening. Their house of worship is a neat brick building, worth about 5,ooo. The church is situated on Court street, two squares from the Court-house and about the same distance from the Public Square, in a nice and pleasant part of the city. FIRST PRESBYTERI CHURC. The First Presbyterian Church is almost as old as the century in which we live. Its old house of worship has passed away, and the congregation now occupies a handsome Gothic church, built of brick, with white stone trimmings, and stained-glass windows. It is situated on the corner of State and Court streets, one square distant respect- ively from Fountain Park and the Court-house. It is heated by a fur- nace and lighted with gas. It has a handsome pipe organ, and its pews, which are comfortably cushioned, are free to all. The officers of this church consist of a pastor, seven ruling elders, and ten deacons. The ruling elders are co-pastors with the minister, and to the deacons are entrusted the financial affairs of the church. Its membership, which has been twice depleted by the historical Pres- 6 IMMIGRATION SOCIETY. byterian divisions of I838 and I868, now numbers two hundred and sixty-five. The Sabbath-school is held in rooms fitted up especially for that purpose in the basement of the church. Besides a large assembly room, there are two commodious rooms devoted respectively to the infant and Bible classes. It is a morning school. In addition to the church build- ing, this congregation also owns a small parsonage and a chapel. At- tached to the church are societies for the promotion of Christian activ- ity and development. The Foreign Mission Society is divided into three sections, the division being according to the ages of the members. The Home Mission Society devotes itself to the general work of evan- gelization and the particular work of the home church. The ecclesiastical connection of this church is with what is popu- larly known as the Southern Assembly; yet, it knows no North or South, East or West, but will welcome to its fellowship all who love the Lord Jesus and the faith handed down by the saints. SECOND PRESBYTERIAN. Though the youngest of our churches, having been organized in z868, this church has become an efficient worker in the Lord's vine- yard. It owns a neat and tasteful building, distant only two blocks, north, from the Square. It has a membership of about eighty, and a very flourishing Sabbath-school of one hundred and forty pupils. There are two societies in the church: The Ladies' Aid Society and the Young People's Society. This church is connected with the Northern Presbyterian Assembly. While denominational it is yet not sectarian in its character, but extends open hands and loving hearts to the stranger within its gates. ROXAN CATHOLIC CHURCH. The formation of St. Joseph's Roman Catholic Church dates from the beginning of i859. The Rev. Jos. de Vries, who is still its pastor, commenced the erection of the church in that same year, but it was only completed in i862 in consequence of interruptions caused by the war. The congregation has kept pace with the growth of our young city, and soon the first church, no longer sufficiently capacious to hold its members, gave way to a new structure of greater capacity and ele- gance. The new church, built in the beautiful Romanesque style, has a dimension of 125x6o feet, and is ornamented with a graceful spire upwards of one hundred and forty feet in height. 7 BOWLING GREEN AND WARREN COUNTY, KY., Connected with the church there was established in 1863 the St. Columbia's Academy, conducted by the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth, which is one of the most flourishing branches of that widely-known community. The number of Catholics in Bowling Green is estimated at between five hundred and six hundred. Attached to the parish are various societies for mutual support and advancement, among which may be mentioned: The St. Joseph's Benevolent Society, The Catholic Knights of America, the Altar Society, and a flourishing young ladies' Sodality. COLORED CHURCH3S. FIRST COLORED BAPriST CHURCH.-This church was organized prior to emancipation, and is among one of the largest colored churches in the State. The present building was erected in 1873, the size of the building being 6oxioo feet. The present membership is seven hun- dred. The property of the church is valued at io,ooo. The church has preaching every Sunday, prayer-meeting every Tuesday and Thurs- day nights. The Sunday-school numbers two hundred scholars. The church is situated on State and Monroe streets. It is under the pastoral charge of Rev. Eugene Evans, and is out of debt. AFRICAN M. E. CHURCH.-This church was organized in 1870, and now numbers about two hundred and ten members. It is situated on Shelby, between Green and Summer streets, in a well-constructed brick building, 5ox9o feet, having an auditorium seating a congregation of six hundred persons. The property is valued at io,ooo. Regular services are held every Sabbath at the usual hour. Sunday-school at half-past nine in the morning. THE CUMBERLAND PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH was organized about the year 1872. The house now occupied is a handsome brick, 35x55 feet, situated on Summer street, one and one-half blocks from the Public Square, south.- There is a modest little parsonage on the lot, all of which is worth about 3,000. It now has a membership of one hun- dred and thirty, a Sabbath-school numbering sixty. Preaching and Sabbath-school every Sabbath, and prayer-meeting every Thursday evening. Gas lights to and in the church. Singing by a well-trained choir. Persons visiting the city will always find a welcome. The church is under the charge of Rev. H. A. Gibson. 8 IMMIG;RATION SOCIETY. CDLUGAPLfONAPL ]LDY.PJ72,PGs . The welfare of a city or community is indissolubly linked with its commercial and educational advantages. The time was, when educa- tional matters did not possess the importance in the South which now attaches to them. The lethargy which enthralled the public mind on this subject has given away to a full realization of its importance. Public-spirited enterprise has removed old barriers in the road of progress, and a new era dawns upon us, redolent with the brightest anticipations. The old regime has been buried in the same grave with political distinctions. Progress infuses zeal and enterprise, where lethargy for generations had placed its paralyzing hand. The spirit of intolerance has vanished with the dawn of a more progressive era, and we confidently look forward to the time when all barriers in the road of our material and educational prosperity will have been removed. To the parents who are about to seek new homes, a question for first consideration is, what are the educational facilities of a given place If these are inferior, it is generally the case that some other point is sought, even though it may be at decided disadvantages in other respects. And this is as it should be, for there is no question of more vital importance to parents than the one of the mental training of their children. It is this point which, in the vast majority of cases, decides their destiny. This is an age of education. An age that demands educated minds in all the departments of labor. That person who enters the arena of active life, uneducated, is placed at a very great disadvantage, whatever his vocation may be. It is the realization of the necessity of a liberal system of education that has inspired the citizens of Bowling Green to institute the system of education which she now possesses. This system is broad and com- prehensive, and reflects the highest honor upon the liberality and enterprise of her citizens. Our graded schools were organized in January, 1883. They have been successful in an eminent degree, and now stand foremost among our most cherished enterprises. They have been frequently visited by educators of distinction, and are pronounced the best system in the South, and the equal of the very best in the North. The teachers of the various departments are employed with a view to their peculiar . 9 BOWLING GREEN AND WARREN COUNTY, KY., fitness tor the work; they receive liberal salaries, consequently our system of education is not permitted to languish by reason of the efforts to run it upon a false and dangerous idea of economy. One peculiar feature attaches to our schools, which is to make them a desirable place to be in. All things proper are done to draw the children to their work, and to inspire them with that love for it which is inseparable with their success. So successful have we been in this respect, that the percentage of absence has been extremely small, which is an excellent indication as to the healthful and satisfactory condition of the schools. OUR WHITR SCHOOL BUILDING Has a seating capacity of eight hundred, and is a model of architectural beauty and convenience. It has been constructed after the most approved plans, the comfort and health of pupils being paramount considerations. The heating and ventilation, points of such very great importance in public buildings, are as perfect as can be found in any building of its class. In fact, the entire arrangement and construction of the building is first-class in every regard, and is a just pride to our city. THE COLORED SCHOOL BUILDING, Situated in the eastern part of the city, has a seating capacity of four hundred. The building is a new and very substantial structure, and, in the matter of architectural arrangement and comfort, is the counter- part of the white school building. These buildings are both brick and were erected and furnished at a cost of 30, 000. The white and colored schools are under the same management, having the same course and methods of instruction. It is impossible for one to observe the facilities that are here offered for the education and elevation of the colored people, without admiring the liberality of those who were the instrumentalities in its accomplishment. It opens to the colored people a new era, replete with bright anticipations, and places before them possibilities for their race to which they have here- tofore been unknown. There has been prevalent throughout the North the opinion that there is a spirit of intolerance in the South which will not affiliate with those from the North, and which, if true, would necessarily seriously interfere with immigration from the Northern States. This is certainly an erroneous idea, and were it true of some parts of the South, it is IO IMMIGRATION SOCIETY. certainly not true of Bowling Green. The writer is a native of Ohio, and has been a resident of Kentucky for nine years. Her citizens are ever ready to extend the hand of friendship and of welcome to whom- soever may choose to cast their lots among them, the only require- ments being honest hearts and willing hands. The public schools, as the name implies, are free to all resident pupils, either white or colored. The course of instruction is thorough and comprises all the English branches, so that a pupil, who has finished the course of the public schools, has obtained an education without money and without price, save that of industry, fitting him for any station in life. From the graded schools we pass to the consideration of Ogden College, a liberally-endowed institution, which is also free to all resi- dent pupils. This institution was endowed by the late Robert Ogden, and it is through his liberality that the children of Bowling Green and Warren county are enabled to secure a thorough collegiate education without cost. The course of instruction is thorough, and the corps of professors is composed of men eminent in their respective departments. The college building is finely located, and the appointments of the institution are all that could be desired by the most exacting. The Board of Directors are men who have at heart the success of the col- lege, and their management of its interests is a sufficient guaranty that the Welfare and progress of pupils entrusted to their care will receive the most faithful consideration. Aside from these institutions, we have the Normal School and Bus- iness College, which is the largest and most flourishing institution of its class in the South. This institution was established in I875 by Professor A. W. Mell, and later Professor J. T. Williams became one of the proprietors, under whose control it is at the present time. During the ten years of its existence it has steadily increased in patronage and prosperity, and its enrollment for the present year is near five hundred. It has in its enrollment representatives from all the Southern States, and some from the North, and its reputation is in the ascendant, with exceedingly encouraging prospects for the future. The school embraces the following separate and distinct depart- ments, viz: Collegiate, including the department for the preparation of teachers, scientific, elocution, and classic courses. Business, includ- ing commercial, engineering, telegraphy, shorthand, type-writing, etc. The best talent is employed in the various departments, and the proficiency and thoroughness of the school are such that we can confi- I I BOWLING GREEN AND WARREN COUNTY, KY., dently recommend it to the consideration of those who may wish for instruction in any of its various departments. The Catholic schools of this city are in a flourishing condition, the teachers able, the buildings commodious and comfortable, and an air of prosperity in their surroundings which argues well for their contin- ued success. The Bowling Green Institute, under the auspices of the Colored Presbyterian Church, and of which Rev. H. A. Gibson is President of the Board of Education, is in a flourishing and prosperous condition, it having been established a little over a year, and has over seventy-five students, with fine prospects of doubling the number at the coming session. Having thus passed in review the various educational institutions of our city, we think, in all candor, we can boast superior advantages, and we can not suppress the expression of a just pride in the excellence of our educational advantages. They are the outgrowth of a public sentiment and enterprise that are entitled to recognition. They are open for the inspection of the most scrutinizing. We invite you to share with us the beneficent influences which they are shedding upon our city, and share with us in the honor of their continuation and prosperity. MUSICAL ADVANTAGNB. Bowling Green, with its extraordinary educational facilities, has not failed in its encouragement of the study of music. In the midst of all the beauties with which the lavish hand of nature could surround an intelligent and sympathetic community, its citizens have responded heartily and generously to foster and encourage that art, which goes so far to make home happy, beautiful, and refined. Hence, almost every residence contains a piano, organ, or some other musical instrument; and no stranger can take a stroll through the city but his attention will be drawn to the harmonious strains of music, with which the air seems to be laden. Two factors have been silently but industriously at work to bring about this happy condition. Public opinion has set its seal of approval on anything that tends to enlarge this art of arts; and very many pri- vate citizens, whose culture and refinement shed a soft luster around our domestic and social circles, lend their encouragement not only, but their purse as well, to advance its study either as an accomplishment or an art. No wonder, then, that the lady or gentleman visitor, endowed with musical talent or accomplishment, is at once received in our best families as an honored and welcome guest. I 2 IMMIGRATION SOCIETY. 13 It is not strange, then, that under these conditions our facilities for an excellent musical education are unsurpassed. There are several excellent private music teachers; every school, and the public school is no exception to this, has its musical department; and a school of music, called the Conservatory of Music, has been established, and is in suc- cessful operation. Several teachers are employed in this institution, who, under the guidance of its director, employ their time and talents in teaching all the branches of vocal and instrumental music, as well as theory, harmony, counterpoint, and composition. The charges made by this institution, as well as those of the other schools and private teach- ers, will compare most favorably with those of the cities of the North and East, while they are much lower than those of any city south of the Ohio river. Another advantage Bowling Green possesses lies in the fact that this is the headquarters of the Third Regiment Band, Kentucky State Guard. No other city in the State of Kentucky can boast of such an honor, as no other regiment in the State has shown so much liberality or culture to organize and sustain a band. This band frequently gives open-air concerts in the park, to the enjoyment of all citizens. A tg PSCO 2CWI2 CA GAR'Ee Ky. iSETtNf.APA t O INIMIURATION SOCIETY. POW sfJ GPAJJSy. In ante-bellum days Warren county was a great stronghold of the old Whig party, and the principles advocated by Henry Clay had no more loyal adherents than the followers of the Great Commoner in this county. Educated and nurtured in the doctrines peculiar to the slave- holding States, and entertaining decided convictions concerning what was believed to be their constitutional rights, the people of this county, like those of every portion of the Commonwealth, were loyal to their convictions, and bravely contended for the rights which they had been educated to believe were guaranteed to them under the Federal Con- stitution. When the vexed question of slavery had baffled the minds of the leaders of the people, and the arbitrament of civil war was invoked to decide whether or not this Union of States was to remain one-half free and one-half slave, the cause of the Union and of freedom found no more ardent supporters than were numbered among the old Whigs of Warren county. What tended to swerve them finally into the ranks of their oppo- nents it is unnecessary here to state; but candor compels the statement that, in loyalty to the Union and submission to the results of the civil war that swept away at once their property and political institutions, there is no community within the confines of the nation that excels this people in their patriotic devotion to their country. As an index of the character of the men who molded public opin- ion and were leaders of thought in this section during the stormy days of slavery, it may be stated that Warren county furnished the only representative in the Unitpd States Congress from south of Mason and Dixon's line who voted for the famous Wilmot Proviso; Henry Grider was the representative of this people in the House of Representatives at the time the measure was being discussed, and of all his colleagues from the slave States he stood alone in its defense, and faithfully repre- sented his constituency. The same spirit that controlled Mr. Grider animated the leaders of thought in this section, and it has never ceased to be the controlling element in the politcs of this community. Probably, the greatest and most harmful drawback from which this favored section has suffered is the misrepresentations of partisan dem- is BOWLING GREEN AND WARREN COUNTY, KY., agogues, and a sensational and unscrupulous partisan press of the political condition of all classes in the late slave-holding States. The public mind has been poisoned, and immigration, that otherwise would have sought our great natural advantages and flourished, has been turned from us, to its detriment and our loss. From the day that the lightning and thunder of a bloody war forever sealed the doctrines of secession and States' rights as enunciated by John C. Calhoun and his school of statesmen, there has not been an hour when all citizens of Warren county were not as free to exercise every right of citizenship as they would have been in the most favored locality in the Union. The writer of this is a Northern man, and entertains political con- victions directly opposed to those entertained by the dominant party in Kentucky politics, and after ten years' residence among these people, during which time he has taken an active part in three exciting presi- dential elections, truth compels the statement that political action is as free in Kentucky as he has ever seen it in his native State of Ohio. In political privileges and social intercourse, the writer can testify to the generosity of the people of Warren county, and what is his experience is also the experience of scores of other Northern men who have for years enjoyed the confidence and respect of the people here, although politically opposed to them in thought, speech, and action. It is true that here, as elsewhere, politics often assume a white heat in hotly-contested campaigns, and contending parties strain every nerve to avert defeat; but never within the knowledge of this writer has any man been deprived of perfect liberty in the exercise of his political rights. Political parties are essential