The Covered Bridge

…continued from previous issue

The Sherburne Bridge was built in 1870-1871. It was constructed mainly by local workmen and some of the problems it presented were almost more that they could handle.

The two end abutments did not bother them, but the middle one gave them some trouble.

After many weeks of futile attempts, it was finally suggested by Mr. D.M. Emmons, who had a store in South Sherburne, that a large box be constructed and anchored where the abutment would stand.

Stones could be laid in the box and as it sank the sides could be built higher until it was above water level.

This plan was adopted and succeeded. Mr. Emmons was the great-grandfather of Mr. James Arnold Mark, cashier of the Farmers bank in Owingsville.

For many years there was a toll on the bridge and a house was built at the Fleming County end for the toll takers. One of the most popular of these was Mrs. Kate Ryan Greene.

As long as horse and buggies were common means of transportation many still used the ford rather than pay the ten cent toll charge. Automobiles had to pay twenty-five cents.

Mr. D.B. Emmons and his family lived in a house near his store. This house had a small room with a door so small that when a big four-poster bed was pushed in front of it no one could tell the door was there.

Mr. Emmons, his family and many of their friends kept their valuable possessions in this room during the Civil War and they were never discovered by the soldiers who searched for them.

First woman school superintendent came from Sherburne

Miss Anna Six, who later became Mrs. Garry Crain of Flemingsburg was the first female superintendent in Fleming County.

Miss Anna ran against the popular Mr. L.N. Hull, but she won hands down.

As one voter said of her, “She is so pretty that when she asks you to vote for her, you can’t say no. ” She made a good superintendent and was elected for other terms.

There were many good teachers in the Sherburne school. Miss Hattie Watson, later Mrs. Lee Davis, Dr. J.B. Lukens, who taught during the years before he became a doctor, Miss Lutie Palmer of Ewing, Mr. J.B. Lindsay, who was one of the few with a college degree.

The school house had two rooms, the downstairs room was used for the little ones and the upstairs for the older children.

The lodges also used the upstairs for their meetings and their charts around the room were quite intriguing to the students who were constantly trying to figure out what they meant.

But the most exciting thing was a very small room, always locked in which the lodge members kept their paraphernalia.

Rumor had it that they also kept a goat in the locked room that they used for initiations.

The most imaginative of the little ones were sure they heard the goats hoofs from time to time.

An interesting item about the very early residents of Sherburne that was published in the Maysville paper told of their reaction to the cholera epidemic that ravaged Kentucky.

Business stopped and many of them took to the hills. Considering the death rate one could hardly blame them for running.

Some of Sherburne’s best doctors located in Flemingsburg, among them was Dr. Aitkin, who started the Aitkin Drug Store, Dr. Robertson and Dr. T.B. Vice.

Among the African American citizens in Sherburne were the Browns, Routts, Saunders and Hendrix families.

“Aunt Maria” Brown was a celebrated cook and “Uncle Oliver” Saunders was Superintendent of the Sunday School and a mainstay of the church for almost forty years. One of his daughters, Cinda, had such a beautiful contralto voice that when she sang outdoors on the hill above town where she lived, folks stopped what they were doing to listen.

There were many wonderful people who contributed to Sherburne through the years; the Tanner family, whose daughter Violet married State Senator John Henry Smoot, who was a Spanish American war veteran; Mr. France who was an expert cabinet maker and the father of Mr. Ike France.

Some of the furniture Mr. France made is still in use.

Mr. Mansfield Vice, father of Dr. T.B. Vice, the Williams family whose daughter Miss Nelle, was one of the best loved of Fleming County teachers, the Overly family, the Calvert family and Mr. Louis Campie, Sherburne’s Italian who had the respect of the town for his many fine qualities. It was sad of him that he couldn’t swim. His two sons, Charlie and Jim and his daughter, Mrs. Gee France were Sherburne residents for many years.

If all the fine people who lived in Sherburne were named, the list would be endless.

And the river! The Licking River, in spite of its floods, has always been a kind river.

We would like to thank our wonderful friend, Tommy Kiskaden for sharing the history of Sherburne as it was told to him by the folks who lived there many years ago.