C. T. Suddeth

Gravel Switch is in Marion County, Kentucky, south of Louisville. Named after a railroad track next to a gravel deposit. As you can see, downtown is ripe for developing. Nowadays, its only claim to fame is nearby Penn’s Store, oldest general store still owned by same family.

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Penn’s Store is the oldest general store in the country still operated by the same family. It has been with the family since 1850—it had 2 earlier owners, so it may be as old as 1840. It is located in Marion County, a couple miles from Gravel Switch, Kentucky. This would be south of Louisville.

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October 19 is National Kentucky Day. We were the 15^th state. Kentucky Derby, Mammoth Cave, and bourbon are what we are known for. Burgoo and hot Browns, too. Y’all are welcome to visit us or just stop by and say howdy.

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Van Buren, Kentucky was flooded in 1983 to make Taylorsville Lake. While they were building the dam, I had a chance to visit the town—I wish I had gone there. It is gone forever. Photos about 1960.

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Hoga Tribe (leaders) lived in southern Illinois and western Kentucky in the vicinity of Paducah where the Tennessee River merges with the Ohio River. About 1650, they crossed the Mississippi and became the Dheiga Sioux. They then separated into the Omaha/Ponca, Kaw/Osage, Quapaw. No one knows why they left: weather, plagues, war are possibilities.

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But what about the possums? Possum Trot is a small town near Paducah Kentucky. It has a store and a Christian camp but no possums! (they should consider annual possum races)

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You can’t make this stuff up. Monkey’s Eyebrow is a small town in Ballard County Kentucky whose claim to fame is that it is home to goose hunting and near the town of Possum Trot. It has no stores but it once had 2 business districts—Old Monkey and New Monkey.

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Hell for Certain (Hell Fer Sartin) is a village in Leslie County, SE Kentucky. (locals prefer Dryhill) It is named after a creek of the same name—named after peculiar rock formations. Vacation destination?

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You don’t need to go out west! Photos of cowboys, deserts, and prickly pear cactus always amuse me. Kentucky has the Eastern Pricky Pear cactus. I found out the hard way when I found it in my yard. At first, I thought someone had played a practical joke on me. But then again, Kentucky—the horse state—would have cactus.

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Fountain Run AKA Jim Town is in Monroe County, Kentucky. It once sported a large business district, still has the Fountain Run Barbecue Festival. My great-grandmother, Louisa Ward was born on a nearby farm. My great-grandfather, Thomas Gillenwaters, signed up for the Union Army here.

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