Originally Published in the Estill Herald
Republished in the ECHGS newsletter - Used with their permission
01/06/1931
Dr. Cornelius Marcum died at his home on Main Street from pneumonia after an illness of five days. Dr. Marcum practiced medicine here for 38 years and was one of the best known and best liked physicians in the country.
02/24/1931
Tax on gasoline in 1930 is five cents on the gallon. The average price for a gallon is 20 cents.
02/27/1931
B.F. Wilson, mortician, has purchased the property formerly owned by W.P. Williams and plans to convert it into a modern funeral home. The property is located on Main Street next to the hardware store of Christopher Brothers.
President Hoover sent the appointment of Arthur G. Powell for postmaster of Irvine to the Senate for confirmation. Mr. Powell received the endorsement of Congressman Blackburn after the strong local support from the community has been placed in his hands.
03/10/1931
Col. Hebbert Henderson has cast his hat in the ring for the democratic nomination for State Treasurer. At present he is assistant cashier at the Union Bank and Trust Company.
03/17/1931
Members of Carhartt Holding Company met with Mr. Wiley Carhartt and his attorney, representing the Hamilton Carhartt Overall Company, and signed a contract by the terms of which the plant at Detroit will be moved to Irvine.
03/20/1931
The Irvine post office will be moved to the building on Main Street previously occupied by Wilson's Insurance Agency.
04/03/1931
Charles Rogers won first prize and Billy McIntosh won second prize in an old fiddlers contest held here. Clyde Barlowe and Columbus Williams were the judges.
04/10/1931
The Ravenna Board of Education met and elected the teachers for the coming year. They are: A.C. Duncan, principal, Mrs. Louise Gibson, Miss Maggie Broaddus, Miss Myrtle Broaddus, miss Mary Maupin, Miss Geneva Kincaid, Miss Georgia Bush and Miss Laura Riddell
04/14/1931
Durb Townsend, Lizzie Arvin and Alpha Barrett were sentenced to life imprisonment for killing Townsend's wife, Vina Townsend.
04/21/1931
Grant Rose, 22, and Clark rose, 30, brothers, engaged in a pistol duel near their home at Jinks, which resulted in their both being killed.
05/05/1931
In response to a call by county authorities, Governor Sampson order troops sent to Harlan County to aid in suppressing lawlessness that had caused more than a dozen killings in that county. Governor Sampson stated that "Reds" or communists were responsible for the outbreak of lawlessness in Harlan.
05/15/1931
While losing the nomination for state treasurer, Estill County's Col. Hebbert Henderson received splendid support from the mountain counties.
05/22/1931
Ravenna Graded School held commencement exercises with the following graduating from the eighth grade: James Babb, Manuel Freeman, Woodrow Samples, Delmar Gabbard, James Maurice Hughes, Porter Simpson, Foxter Berry, Walter Morris, Dortha Hackworth and Vivian Ballard.
05/26/1931
Estill County is faced with another mysterious murder in the death of Faircilla Reece, 20, whose body was found in her room at South Irvine, shot through the heart. Nearly two years before, Daisy Horn, 19, was found dying of a bullet wound in her breast. No clue to her murder has been discovered.
06/02/1931
M.V. Adson, 44, of Heidelberg, a traveling salesman, was arrested at the Cruse Hotel in Ravenna and charged with the murder of Faircilla Reece.
06/12/1931
The fiscal year, which ends on June 30, will be the greatest year of road building in the history of the nation and Kentucky is one of the leading states in that line.
07/07/1931
Two masked men held up Joe Tuttle, keeper of the West Irvine toll bridge and at the point of pistols, robbed him of about fifteen dollars.
07/10/1931
James, Circuit Court Clerk, has a diary of his father, who had kept a daily record from 1880 to his death in 1927. The diary tells that on June 17, 1910, Jack Underwood and William Sparks were killed by lightening at the West Irvine mills and that Josiah Kelly and William Canter, two Mexican War veterans, died. On the following day, a son of Jim Steward was drowned at the locks.
07/14/1931
John Newton, 22, son of Burlin Newton, was struck and fatally injured by a train near Old Landing.
07/17/1931
Miss Minnie Durbin, 94, was killed by a freight at Old Landing in nearly the exact spot where John Newton was killed a week previously.
07/21/1931
Gasoline seems to be the prime necessity among the people and its sales continue to grow, despite the depression. Irvine and Ravenna have 14 filling stations, all doing a thriving business.
08/18/1931
The Estill Herald notes that Babe Ruth has not been non the front page of the daily newspapers for several days.
08/28/1931
After considerable correspondence with state military authorities, Capt. M.T. Bach, Mayor of Ravenna, has secured the location of a company of National Guards for the twin cities. The company will be called the 126th. Wagon Company of the 38th, Division, Quartermasters Train, N.G..
09/18/1931
M.V. Absom, traveling salesman of Heidleberg, is on trial for Faircella Reese, 22, a young woman who formerly lived in Lee County
10/09/1931
County Court Clerk, Luther Park, has received the automobile tags for 1931. There are 1450 automobile tags and 150 truck tags. The tags have a maroon background.
12/04/1931
R.M. Bergman, Jr. has been appointed to replace J.A. Nocton as superintendent at the Mobray-Robinson Lumber Company's mills at West Irvine.
12/25/1931
The West Irvine Toll Bridge Company was granted a temporary franchise to continue to operate and charge tolls.
12/29/1931
The Irvine City council re-elected Jeff D. Lunsford as chief of police for a two year term and J.R. White was elected city clerk for a like term.
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