George W Reed was a man for all Seasons! He demonstrated time and again an uncanny ability for analysis; the board feet of finished lumber in a standing tree; the size of a corn crib required to hold 5 acres of shucked corn; the capacity of a barn and number of sticks to required to cure 3 acres of tobacco. And he could build whatever was required. He was progressive, seeked, and followed, good advice.
He bought 140 a. of unproductive, water saturated land in 1939. He sought out the recommendations of the Agriculture College of the University of Kentucky for improving drainage for farmland. He installed tile drain fields and planted nitrogen enriching crops. By the end of WW 2, the farm was the among the most productive Powell County, in a league with the best in the County.
In 1938, when he built the family home on Furnace Road, the Stanton water supply was safe but with a horrid taste. Again George sought advice from the Ag. College and obtained brochures showing how to build and maintain a rural home water supply and for sanitary disposal of waste. At the new home he built and installed an activated charcoal filter fed by an underground cistern, complete with pump and pressure tank. This treatment technology is considered advanced today (2001). It also had a thermostatically controlled motorized coal stoker and furnace. The new home had the most modern approved inside plumbing; characteristically, George installed an outdoor toilet, in an out-of-the-way location, built and installed in accordance with the U of K Ag. College recommendations.
The yield of his tobacco crops confounded local agriculture authorities whose job was to limit production; blue ribbons at the county fair were commonplace for crops, livestock, and fine saddle horses. An expert butcher, his recipes for curing ham and making and seasoning sausage were copied by the community. Yet farming was always a hobby or sideline, albeit profitable.
His earliest known job was in the oil fields of Estill & Lee Counties just before WW 1. He told the story of "living in a boarding house with electric lights powered by a Delco generator and food served at a large table seating 8 hungry men. One stormy night there was 1 chop left after each man had taken his share. As the platter with the remaining chop was placed in the center of the table, lightening flashed and the lights failed. A man screamed, and when the lights were restored, he had six dinner forks sticking in the top of his hand". George would never say this was a true story, but he enjoyed telling it to small boys.
Early in the 20's George was the Chevrolet dealer in Bowen. He was also in partners with Uncle Abe Crabtree in a retail general store. He married Mattie Sept 21, 1921, and the late 20's found them in Newport, Ky., where he worked for The Newport Rolling Mill (Steel) Co. as a chemistry laboratory assistant. After Mattie developed pneumonia, they returned to Bowen where George entered into a partnership with father James Jesse and brother Sherman in a large crossroad general merchandise store located on Highway 15. This business continued under various family members until the late 80's. He also engaged in the logging business in the mid-late 30's.
In 1937 he was elected County Court Clerk, the first Republican to hold office in Powell Co since the Civil War. He was reelected 3 more times before being defeated in Nov 1953 by George Billings, Jr., a young WW 2 veteran. Other election opponents were Johnny Woodard, Cain Rogers, and Fanny Derickson. He was unopposed one term.
He continued to farm during these years and owned a large Miami River island farm in Ohio as well as the farm on Furnace & Hatton Creek Roads. He also actively bought & sold livestock, land, and real estate. After WW 2 he built several homes for resale near Lexington, Ky., and Middletown, Oh. In spite of his prosperity, he was widely known as a fair & honest businessman.
After leaving public office, George studied and passed the state test required for an insurance brokerage license and entered into an Agency partnership with D. I. Hobbs, a career cut short by his untimely death July 3rd, 1954.
Mattie was a wife and mother from the old school; she cooked, cleaned, sewed, and crocheted, and was excellent at all these skills. She rarely participated in social affairs unless family was involved. She received her education at a boarding high school in Frenchburg, Ky. operated by the Presbyterian Church.
She often fondly recalled her experiences in living and learning at the school. Most of her younger younger sisters also attended, while the older sisters attended high school at Hazel Green in Wolfe Co.
Mattie told the story of mother Belle slapping all 9 sisters when one transgressed, stating, "she was sure to get the right one that way." But can you imagine raising 9 girls? She always said her father Shelby "never laid a hand" on any of the girls.
Being widowed at 52 yrs, Mattie continued to live in the Stanton home until ill health finally forced her into the Stanton Nursing Home in 1992, where she passed away 13 Aug 1995. She had spent several months at a Clarksville, Indiana, home, several times but would somewhat recover and return home to Stanton.
Mattie and George are side by side at the Stanton Cemetery.
Francis Earl Rowland was a veteran of both World Wars. In WW 1 he served in the AEF 26 July 1918 to 8 June 1919. He was in the Merchant Marine in late WW 2 and stayed at sea until age and health forced his retirement to the White City, OR, VA hospital early in 1962.
Earl worked as a travelling salesman for the Kirk Milling Co (flour, meal, oats) of Findlay, O., in the 20's and 30's and was a meticulous dresser. Little is known of his early life the Youngstown-New Castle area of Ohio and Pennsylvania where the family lived and worked.
Evelyn Lucille was born, lived and worked in Findlay most of her life. She clerked in a jewelery store about 11 years, then travelled 10 states for Kirk Milling Co. of Findlay, from 1936 until 1941.
On 17 Sept 1941, she married (2nd) Lucian Brownlow Keeton and moved to Pikeville, Ky. where he was employed by a wholesale grocery co. Mr. Keeton was manager of the Winchester Rolling Mill (flour, meal) from c. 1944-47, then moved to Clay City and operated a popular restaurant until retirement in 1956. They moved back to Winchester where he passed away 24 July 1971. Mr. Keeton was b. c. 1886, Boyd Co, Ky.
14. Louis Marchini
SSN # 111-07-4091