Edmonton

Taken from a homemakers booklet written ca 1940. It is provided to us by Sandi Gorin.

"The little town of Edmonton, the county-seat of Metcalfe County is located near the center of the county. Edmonton was surveyed and laid off as a town in 1800, then when the county of Metcalfe was formed in 1860, it was named the county-seat, as it is less than a mile from the center of the county. The county-seat was named for Edmund ROGERS. Mr. ROGERS was born in 1762, reared in Caroline county, VA. He was a soldier in the Revolutionary War, and he immigrated to Kentucky in 1763. He was a land surveyor, a very successful financier, and acquired from 15,000 to 20,000 acres of land, and slave property. When Mr. ROGERS surveyed and laid off the town of Edmonton he would give a lot to any man who would build a house on it.

November 1896, the population of Edmonton was one hundred and seventy-five. In 1940 the population was 500, but the population has rapidly increased since the last census.

In the year 1871, the General Assembly of Kentucky fixed the boundary of Edmonton that all portions of Metcalfe County extending from the court-house in Edmonton, in said county, to east of South Fork of Little Barren at the mouth of Cave Spring Branch and within one-half mile from said court-house, shall be the town of Edmonton.

In 1863 the first court-house, a wooden structure, was burned, another building was erected and it, with all records were burned in 1868. The present court-house was built in 1868 and 1869.

The first county officers of Metcalfe county: Robinson Beauchamp, who assisted in organizing Metcalfe county, was elected its first county attorney; James F KEEL, County Clerk; J. Y. WALLACE, County Judge; R. H YOUNG, Circuit Clerk; Joe WITTY, Sheriff, and James T JONES, Jailor.

The earliest church in Metcalfe County was the U.S.A. Presbyterian. It ws a log structure located on what is known as the POOLE property. The site where the church now stands was given by Edmund P. ROGERS, and the deed for the ground was made in 1838.

The first church erected was a wooden building. The next building was brick and was destroyed by fire in 1920. The present brick building was erected in 1922-23.

The early schools of Edmonton were private ones. One of the first was taught by a member of the REID family in a log house situated in the beech woods just back of the present T K REID home. Part of the old building stood as late as twenty years ago. Around 1873 Richard U SLEMMONS, father of Mrs. J W BARTON, built the home where the J W BARTON family now lives and used it for a school room. Pupils came not only from Metcalfe county but from all surrounding counties. The school was known as the Edmonton Academy. It had three departments, primary, intermediate and senior. The senior course included many of the subjects not taught in the High Schools.

Edmonton High School was organized January 1910. A. B. THOMPSON was the principal and only high school teacher. The first Edmonton High School students were Joe MARTIN, Paul BUSHONG, Maurice MUNCIE, Bessie AMOS and Wyatt ROMINES. Bessie AMOS was the only graduate in the class of 1914 as some of the others entered school elsewhere and some dropped out of school.

The first industry of Edmonton was the "One man soap Factory" built and operated for a short time by the late J. W. COMPTON in 1901. It was located in the spot where the COMPTON home now stands. Mr. J W COMPTON employed Jake COMPTON as his chief soap maker. A very excellent quality of soap was produced for laundry purposes. The venture was a financial failure and was soon a closed shop.

The second industry was a tile factory. It was built and operated a few months by Tilford THOMPSON and Henry HOOVER in 1906-07. The plant was a long wooden building that stood on the high bank across the road from the old mill shed that stood in front of Meredith Pedigo's home. They made a very excellent tile but seemed unable to create a market for them in the county. They soon abandoned their project at a considerable loss in effort and money.

In 1920 the first state highway was begun from Edmonton to Glasgow. A few years later it was hard surfaced and now it is a federal highway. Highway 163 runs from Edmonton to Tompkinsville. State highway 80 runs northeast from Edmonton to Columbia. Federal highway 68 runs from Glasgow through Edmonton to Greensburg.

The first county Health Program was organized in 1931 with its headquarters located in Edmonton. Dr. William ISOM was the first County Health Doctor. The county was without a County Health Doctor from October 1932 to 1934. Dr. H. T. CARTER was employed as the County Health Doctor in 1934. He is yet in the servie. The first County Health Nurse was Iva DORIS, who served in 1931. Nancy Jane CUMMINS, 1932, Mary HOLLEY 1935, Mrs. Agnes GILLESPIE 1934-35, Mrs. Dorothy DYCHE THOMPSON was employed in 1936 and is still serving the county.

There are no factories in Edmonton but one of the greatest assets of Metcalfe County is the establishment of the Edmonton Stock Market by HOLLINSWORTH and PROFFITT in 1946. It is located just across Little Barren River near the bridge at the foot of the hill on the northeast side of Edmonton.

From: Sandi Gorin <sgorin@glasgow-ky.com>
Subject: EDMONTON, KY
Date: Thu, 12 Feb 1998 09:45:19 -0600

and

From: Sandi Gorin <sgorin@glasgow-ky.com>
Subject: THE HISTORY OF EDMONTON, KY - PART 2
Date: Tue, 17 Feb 1998 10:33:10 -0600