Jackson Purchase Historical Society

Teresa Ray

The speaker for our Winter Meeting was Teresa Ray who spoke about her upbringing in the South Graves County orphanage, Paradise Friendly Home, and her project “Paradise Friendly Home Revisited”.   Teresa became a resident of Paradise Friendly Home in December 1961 and lived there until her high school graduation in 1967.   She spoke of the founders, Leslie and Thelma Murdock, about how she came to be a resident, about life with 50-70 “siblings”, and the demise of the orphanage.   Although in the beginning (1935) the Murdocks did not receive any financial or other assistance, eventually almost all of Western Kentucky, through churches, service organizations, educational organizations and individuals,  pitched in and helped in some way.   The first building was the Murdocks’ two bedroom home but the physical plant grew to five buildings in order to house the estimated 500 children they parented from 1935 until 1978.

Ms. Ray has undertaken the task of preserving the story of the Murdocks and the orphanage.   The task has been named Paradise Friendly Home Revisited and its stated purpose is to “identify, gather and archive the oral histories of the children, staff, and families who lived at Paradise Friendly Home between the years of 1935 and 1978″.  The oral histories are also being collected for the Kentucky Historical Society’s Oral History Commission.  More information on this project, along with pictures of the Murdocks, can be found on the website: www.paradisefriendlyhome.com.  Ms. Ray also hopes to write a book about Paradise Friendly Home and its children.

If you haven’t already, please listen to our interview with Teresa; you will find it under the podcast category on the right side of this webpage.

Dr. Kit Wesler, Speaker at Fall Meeting, November 14, 2009, Kappis Restaurant, Martin, Tennessee.  This meeting was held jointly with the West Tennessee Historical Society

Dr. Wesler earned his B.A. from Washington University-St. Louis and his M.A. and Ph.D from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.   Dr. Wesler is a past contributor to the Journal (Vol. X, June 1982).  He was Director of Murray State University’s Wickliffe Mounds Research Center until it became a state historic site under the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

Dr. Wesler ‘s presentation was an update of his historical archaeology prospectus published in the 1982 issue of the Jackson Purchase Historical Society’s Journal. Beginning with a discussion of the “Vacant Quarter”, an area of the Lower Ohio-Mississippi Valley where total depopulation occurred around the period A.D. 1400-1500, he showed slides of his field research and some of the artifacts recovered on sites at Whitehaven in Paducah,  at Columbus-Belmont State Park in Columbus,  at the Thomas Moore home in Ballard County and in the Hematite area of the Land Between The Lakes, to name a few.  He also discussed the new imaging equipment that allows him to locate ground areas that have been disturbed and therefore contain likely evidence of habitation.

He concluded with a brief discussion of his ongoing research into “lost” towns in the Jackson Purchase area.   Among two mentioned were Nashville, KY once located in southwest McCracken County, and the  other the first county seat of McCracken county, Wilmington.  By maps and the written word, Dr. Wesler knows these towns existed but as he said, archaeology “puts them on the ground” and to do that he needs physical locations to begin his research design. A brief question and answer period followed his presentation.

The West Tennessee Historical Society brought several publications that were given away by raffle; a wonderful surprise for the attendees!!

Pictured are past presidents of the JPHS at the 50th Anniversary Meeting.  Seated, left to right: Melissa Earnest, Harvey Elder, Corinne Whitehead; Standing, left to right: Bill Wells, Sarah Strange (current President), Charles Blair, Greg Miller, Walter Haden, John Robertson, Lonnie Maness

Held at Kenlake State Resort Park in Aurora, Kentucky – The 50th Anniversary of the Jackson Purchase Historical Society was celebrated with several past presidents of the Society in attendance. Dr. Harvey Elder, president from 1968-1969, spoke about wonderful memories of the early formative years of the Society. Several other long-time members recalled special events and people throughout the 50-year history of JPHS. All those attending received a special commemorative program, a notepad with the JPHS 50th Anniversary logo imprinted on it in gold, a gold pencil with “JPHS 50th Anniversary!” on it, and two specially marked 50th Anniversary Hershey’s ™ almond kisses wrapped in gold foil. Each past president in attendance received lovely engraved paperweights marking the year(s) of their service to the Society. Past issues of the JPHS Journal were also available for guests to take to distribute or keep as desired. A vote to begin the incorporation process was passed and wishes were expressed for the future of the Society with hopes that the next 50 years will be as successful as the past 50!

Held at Kentucky Dam Village State Resort Park in Gilbertsville, Kentucky – Lanette Thurman introduced the program on Luther Draffen, presented by JPHS member Bobbie Foust, a long time journalist in the Jackson Purchase area. Luther Draffen was a visionary who worked tirelessly to locate Kentucky Dam where he thought it would benefit the most people, business and industry. Mrs. Foust talked about the early years of Luther Draffen’s life which formed his character that later served him well as he shared his vision with others. After the disastrous 1937 flood, Mr. Draffen was finally able to see the Kentucky Dam project begin in 1938. On October 10, 1945, President Harry S. Truman addressed a crowd of people gathered below the dam on the Tennessee River dedicating Kentucky Dam. Other dignitaries on the platform included Senator Alben Barkley of Kentucky (who later became Vice President Alben Barkley) and Luther Draffen, President of the Lower Tennessee Valley Authority. JPHS was pleased to have as guests members of Luther Draffen’s family in attendance at this meeting.

Held at Whaler’s Catch in Paducah, Kentucky – Betty Dobson, brought Maggie Steed to life as she talked about the experiences of coming to Paducah from Tennessee and opening the Hotel Metropolitan. Maggie, a woman of “color”, was far ahead of her time, becoming a successful business woman. Maggie’s father was a slave and when President Lincoln offered slaves a chance to fight in the Civil War effort, he promised them and their families freedom after the war. Many colored regiments were continued after the war and Maggie arrived in Paducah in 1898 mainly due to the colored regiment that was located there and for the opportunities for young colored women in the area. For $2 a day, guests could stay at her hotel and be treated to biscuits and coffee in the mornings at 6 a.m. Famous guests who stayed there through the hotel’s operation were Louie Armstrong, Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Thurgood Marshall, B. B. King, Ike and Tina Turner, Marcus Haines, Jessie Owens, and the Harlem Globetrotters. Many famous African-Americans traveled the Chitlin Circuit which was the name of the route of hotels that accepted African-Americans as guests. Langford Hughes and the Negro Baseball League were just some of the guests along the Chitlin Circuit. The Hotel Metropolitan, named by Maggie to give it a high-class sound, was very forward-thinking because it had lights and running water. After Maggie’s death on May 29, 1925, her son ran the hotel for two to three years, then sold it to Mamie Burbridge. After her death, Lester and Olivia Gaines owned it and their son, Clarence “Big House” Gaines became the 3rd winningest coach in the United States at one point. The Hotel Metropolitan was located in Upper Town and it is due to Ms. Dobson’s efforts and the Upper Town Heritage Foundation’s support that it is now a museum. After the meeting concluded, guests toured the Hotel Metropolitan, guided by Ms. Dobson.

Held at Lacey’s Restaurant in Benton, Kentucky – Michael Freeland, author of Blood River to Berlin, spoke on his time overseas during World War II as a medic.  He noted that these were difficult stories to hear, but that they needed to be told.  Freeland joined the military and turned 20 years of age on the ship as he was sent overseas.  He kept a journal of his experiences which later helped him pen his book.  Freeland joined the 82nd Airborne in France and traveled the first time by airplane to London, England to attend jump school.  There he saw devastation – cold, smokey, bombed places and people standing in long lines just for a chance to buy anything that might be available. In early May of 1945, traveling by jeep toward Cologne, France and Berlin, Germany, Freeland and others in the 82nd Airborne found an SS concentration camp in France.  He said one could smell the stench from a half-mile away and the question was always how could something like this happen in a civilized country with culture, literature, and music?  Freeland was invited to return to Europe in 2005 as a guest of the Greatest Generation Foundation.  Even though he hesitated to make such a trip, he was glad that he did because it did bring him some closure.  However, Freeland noted that some images would be forever etched into his mind.