A Glimpse of the Past

Submitted by McCreary County Museum Kentucky Coal Crafters is a unique business that was a fixture in McCreary County for almost fifty years. Business owners Jim and Rosetta Waters, Alvin Powell, and Milton Morrow sold the business to Mike Johnson from Pikeville, KY in October 2023. In 1975, Dave Beams purchased KY Coal Crafters along…

Submitted by McCreary County Museum (This week, The Voice continues the story of McCreary County’s WW II Battle of the Bulge POW, George Grady Wilson, Jr.)  February 21 – “The coffee was terrible this morning. We had pea soup today. It was thicker than usual. The news was pretty good today. I get a shave…

Submitted by McCreary County Museum (This week, The Voice continues the story of McCreary County’s WW II Battle of the Bulge POW, George Grady Wilson, Jr.)  From December 27 to January 5, George writes about the green soup the prisoners are given each day. On December 30 each prisoner received a blanket. January 5 –…

Submitted by McCreary County Museum   George Grady Wilson, Jr. entered the U.S. Army April 20, 1943, and served in the infantry as a tank destroyer, advancing to the rank of Corporal. George was captured in December 1944 during the Battle of the Bulge and spent the remainder of the war in Stalag IX-B, a…

Submitted by McCreary County Museum One of the most important jobs in the railroad industry is that of train dispatcher. Dispatchers ensure that trains run smoothly and safely. They monitor train movements, track the location of each train in the area, and communicate with other train dispatchers to ensure that all trains proceed as planned.…

Submitted by McCreary County Museum Row 1 L-R: Pete Lewis, Ned Kidd, Arnold or Harry Winchester, Tom Coffey, Harley Tucker, Inman Newport, Roy Anderon, John Cox, Luther Dixon, Glenn Winchester Row 2 L-R: Harry Nichols, Erin (Yoddler) Freeman, Lewis Hill, Lake Earls, Elmer Barrier,                 Bill Davis, Omer…

Submitted by McCreary County Museum Erma Bombeck, the acclaimed American humorist, reflected the volunteer spirit of this inspiring group who support the McCreary County Museum and The Artisan Shop when she stated, “Volunteers are the only human beings on the face of the earth who reflect this nation’s compassion, unselfish caring, patience, and just plain…

Submitted by McCreary County Museum   In the September 1, 1916, edition of the Stearns Co-Operator one of the articles is entitled Pertinent and Impertinent Facts in Regard to the Activities or Otherwise of the Company’s Employees – A Cohesive and Effective Working Organization. The target audience of the pamphlet is companies and/or power plants…

Submitted by McCreary County Museum   On September 1, 1916, the Stearns Co-Operator published Volume II of The Stearns Co-Operator with illustrations by Robert Lyon Stearns. The editor was A. M. Johnston, and many of the articles and the artwork were contributed by Robert Lyon Stearns, the only child of Justus S. Stearns and Paulina…

Submitted by McCreary County Museum