Muhlenberg County Heritage Volume 17, Number 1
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Western Kentucky University TopSCHOLAR® Muhlenberg County Heritage Kentucky Library - Serials 3-1995 Muhlenberg County Heritage Volume 17, Number 1 Kentucky Library Research Collections Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.wku.edu/muhlenberg_cty_heritage Part of the Genealogy Commons, Public History Commons, and the United States History Commons This Newsletter is brought to you for free and open access by TopSCHOLAR®. It has been accepted for inclusion in Muhlenberg County Heritage by an authorized administrator of TopSCHOLAR®. For more information, please contact [email protected]. ER ICA VOLUME 17 NUMBER 1 JAN FEB MAR 1995 PUBLISHED QUARTERLY CARL ARVIN,EDITOR MUHLENBERG COUNTY GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY c/o HARBIN MEMORIAL LIBRARY, 117 SOUTH MAIN STREET GREENVILLE, KENTUCKY 42345-1597 PAGE 2 "THE HERITAGE" VOL.17 NO.1 JAN FEB MAR 1995 ************************************************************* The following exerpt is from "A NEW HISTOR OF MUHLENBERG COUNTY" page 21, by Paul CAMPLIN and presented here with the permission • of the author. A hardbound copy of the book is available from the author for $28.90 (price includes s/h). Write to: Paul CAMPLIN,P.O. BOX 303, Greenville, Ky 42345. BREMEN GERMAN-AMERICANS SETTLED THE AREA AROUND 1880. It wasn't located in the right place and didn't have a name. Finally the name came-Bremen-from the Old World. The village never boasted a railrod depot in town or have a river at its door or even a hard surface road. It did have a flour and grist mill,a college and some bright,energetic, hard working German-AMericans who propelled it into the 20th. century by human force. It worked and is still working well. The first settlement in what was later to be called Bremen, was located on the present KY 181, near the McLean County line. Some of the pioneers who settled there between 1795 to 1812 included John WHITMER,Lot STROUD,Jacob NOFFSINGER, Daniel and Dr. John NOFFSINGER, Susan H. STONER,Jacob KITTINGER,John GOSSETT,Mary NOFFSINGER,Christian GISH,Jacob GARST,Reverend Samuel DANNER and Benjamin COFFMAN. On February 9,1832, a post office was established in the settle ment and called Bremen in honor of the first postmaster's (Pete SHAVER) father's home city, Bremen,Germany. The post office was located in a residence near the county line. On March 10,1857, Benjamin F. ARNOLD became postmaster. Then around 1860,the post office was moved about a mile and a half south to Andrew BENNETT'S store and blacksmith shop. It was first called Bennettsville but later the name changed to match that of the post office. In the early days Bremen was sometimes called the "Dutch Settle ment." That probably came about as a result of the proud German Americans who settled there and when asked where their decentants came from, answered "from Deutschland"(Germany). Some mistook it to mean "Dutch Land," thence "The Dutch Settlement." On February 12,1861, John W. MOREHEAD became the postmaster. Then on August 27,1861, B.F. ARNOLD took on that job. Again in that same year, October 3,1861, Thomas MARTIN was installed • as postmaster. JAN FEB MAR 1995 "THE HERITAGE" VOL. 1 7 NO. 1 PAGE 3 ************************************************************* On January 24,1866, Jesse S. HILL became postmaster. Near the end of the year, on November 9,1866, David W. GRUNDY became the seventh postmaster of the village. In 1869,the town was incorporated and listed a population of approximately 75. There were two stores,two tobacco factories and a blacksmith shop in Bremen at the time. On January 12,1870, Richard D. SIMMONS was appointed postmaster, then later that same year,on September 19,1870, David GRUNDY again became the village postmaster. About a year later on Sept. 14,1871, John E. RHOADES took over the job as postmaster. On July 1,1872, Richard B.SUMMERS inherited the job as postmaster. During the same year,on November 14,1872, the job changed hands again und James N.CALHOUN was installed as the Bremen postmaster. On April 21,1876, John Henry FROST took on the postmaster's job. Then on November 27,1876, storekeeper Andrew BENNETT became the fourteeth postmaster of Bremen. On June 28,1881, Joseph A. SHAVER took office of postmaster and on March 19,1886,E.R. RUST was selected postmaster. On February 12,1889,Joseph C. SHAVER took on the postmaster's job. On September 9,1889, The Bremen College and Perryman Male and Female Academy was opened, with Milton T. BROWN as president. The first trustees were Joseph SHAVER,John HUMPHREY, Peter SHAVER the Reverend John PERRYMAN and Joseph WHITMER. The object of the school was to offer a preparatory course to those intending to enter the ministry of the Methodist Episcopal Church and to offer general education courses to others. What was known as the college building later became a public school. However, the school buildings (Bremen grade and high school) used today are in a different location. On November 20,1893, Jesse MILLARD became the nineteenth post master. A year later on December 10,1894, Clarence WOODBURN became the postmaster. Four years later, on Decmeber 12,1898, William M. LEWIS was appointed postmaster. Then William J. STIRSMAN became postmaster on August 29,1907. Beginning in 1908, the Madisonville,Hartford & Eastern (MH&E) Railroad was being constructed through the Bremen area. The job of clearing the right-of-way and laying the dirt roadbed was laboriously accomplished with mules,slip scrapers and shovels. One of those help build the Bremen-Mogg section of the line was Tom SIMMONS,100,of Drakesboro. The contractors for the portion of the railroad was Lewis and Zollie KIRKPATRICK of Greenville and Penrod. The job was completed in 1910. PAGE 6 "THE HERITAGE" VOL. 1 7 NO. 1 JAN FEB MAR 1995 ************************************************************* ORIGINAL MUHLENBERG SETTLERS The following article appeared in the Nov. 11,1971 issue of the Times-Argus. Editor's Note-- The following article is part of Chapter XI of "Two Centuries of Brothervalley" by the Rev. H. Austin COOPER. It concerns the migration to Muhlenberg County from Pennsylvania of members of the Church of the Brethren,commonly called the Dunkers. The migration was headed by Capt. Henry ROTH,Jr., who changed his name to RHOADS. He became Muhlenberg's first representative in the Kentucky General Assembly and named this county for Gen John Peter Gabriel MUHLENBERG, his commanding general in the Revolutionary War. The Kentucky Migration: 1785 The terrible winter of 1784-85 all but depleted the hopes of the frontiersmen who had faith in the crops of the spring and summer. The snows began early in October and continued almost without letup until after Easter. This is not uncommon to the area as the storms both in summer and winter come quickly and violently and often last for long periods without diminshing in force and fury. The altitude and the formation of the mountains to the west and east cause the storms to funnel into this area. As related to the former section on Brothers Valley, the area is like an inverted saucer or dish lifted up above the surrounding countryside. Thus the storms beat heavily upon the land and temperature drops quickly and holds on for many weeks sometimes without varying much either way. On Easter Monday when the sun shined warmly, the snow measured 85 inches on the level. This was one of the contributing factors for so many people leaving the area. However, this was only one. Perhaps the other factors that induced the settlers to seek more pleasant settlement in the southern wilderness were the stories of some of their relatives such as Capt. Henry ROTH Jr. and Phillip ASWALD who had traveled extensively in the Ky country. They came back with glowing tales about the rich and fertile grasslands of the "blue grass region." At that early time most of the land was unsettled and there seemed to be room for all to settle in a more temperate climate. No doubt, the determing factor for their departure from Bruedersthal in the summer of 1785 was the dual fact that the State of Virginia offered free land to her soldiers who fought in the Revolution. Many of the young men who had joined the Brothers Valley Militia and followed General George WASHINGTON throughout his campaigns against the British, recieved large land grants in then what was called "Western . Virginia", which was the Kentucky County. JAN FEB MAR 1995 "THE HERITAGE" VOL. 1 7 NO. 1 PAGE 7 ************************************************************* Capt. Henry ROTH,Jr. led more then 100 to Kentucky from Penn sylvanis, Marland,Virginia and what is now West Virginia. Several from New Jersey joined the band at New MArket,VA. in the early part of the summer of 1785 and prceeded to the new "promised land." For the most part the people in the party were listed as heads of families. To be sure,there were many children in the group. It seems that they went by way of Wichester,VA. and tere met a group from Maryland, especially from Washington and Fredrick counties. It is know that at least a dozen from the Pipe Creek country, in what is know Carroll County, met them at Winchester and accompanied them to New MArket,VA. Here they rested for several weeks before going on to the Roanoke Settlement where many others met the band and proceeded on their way. The other reason for so many going along with the small band of leaders who recieved "military grants" were those who were termed later in Kentucky as "squatters" on the land. These people had the approval of these who recieved the grants.