Ice Cave

In 1945 at the Kentucky State Fair, Wayne County placed fourth in natural resources with things like oil, timber, coal, the largest number of miles of natural fishing streams and abundant wildlife and natural scenery resources like the 'ice cave.'

An ice cave?

The Louisville Courier-Journal reported in 1899 that there was an ice cave on old "Uncle" Tom Kelsey's farm, about 14 miles east of Albany and 1.5 miles from Gap Creek Store, near the Clinton/Wayne county line, on a spur of Poplar Mountain. Inside, a sink of some eighty yards almost perpendicular opened up a cavity in the earth filled with rooms of various sizes and dimensions. On all sides was large deposits of the most perfect process of the refrigerator, compact pure, lasting and perfect in every respect. The cave was high up on the ridge and anybody in the surrounding community having a yen for ice could go in and get it.

The newspaper wrote that Mammoth Cave had been praised and eulogized time and again as being the greatest curiosity of Kentucky, and even of the world, but It remained for the county of Clinton to come to the front with a phenomenon in the nature of a cave that surpassed all others.

In the article, Bony Baker and William Cheek, who had visited the cave and used the ice, vouched for "the truth of it, and said ice cave was the finest refrigerator In the world. They reported that people for miles and miles around would go there during the summer for their ice. Cheek said he explored the cave on July 4, 1880, took out a lump of ice, wrapped it In a bed blanket and drove to Somerset, where the Ice weighed fifty pounds, thus showing Its compactness and endurancs of heat.

In 1933, the Times Tribune in Corbin, Kentucky said Ice Cave had gotten its name because of its ability to preserve ice through the summer months. Kelsay said he had known of ice being removed from the cave as late as September. The ice formed early in the spring and if properly taken care of would be a great help to a family through the summer. Cheek had gone into the cave in late May of 1933 and brought out ice for freezing ice cream.

A Joyous Day for Pauline

Pauline Conner accepted the Medal of Honor from President Donald Trump on behalf of her late husband, 1st Lt. Garlin Murl Conner, on June 26, 2018 at a White House ceremony in Washington, D.C. After the 89-year-old Pauline rose from her wheelchair to give the President a hug and a kiss on the cheek before receiving the award, a beaming Trump said, "I like her."

It was a joyous day in the East Room for Pauline, who had fought to attain the medal for her husband for 22 years. "If he were present, Murl would feel highly honored," Pauline told Pentagon reporters. "I just wish he was here to get it," she said. Of her husband, who died at age 79 in 1998, Pauline said "my husband was a very humble man. He was my hero for 53 years."

When the news came that Murl was being awarded the MOH, Pauline thought it was a scam, but she gathered family members to her home to be by her side in case that call did come and it was real. After two decades of trying, Pauline had almost given up on Murl receiving the MOH. So when her phone rang in the spring of 2018 and the voice on the line belonged to Trump — who told her he had read her late husband's impressive file and intended to award him the Medal of Honor — she said, “You gotta be kidding.” But he wasn’t kidding. In fact, he called Murl an “incredible hero” who had finally taken his rightful place in the eternal chronicle of American valor. "You sound just like an old country girl," President Donald Trump told her after confirming what she had been waiting so many years to hear. "Tell that beautiful wife of yours to give you a big hug and kiss," she told the President.

At the Pentagon, Pauline's eyes welled up with tears as she spoke before a large audience at 1st Lt. Conner's induction into the Hall of Heroes. With her son, Paul, looking on with her four grandchildren and four great-grandchildren, she said "We did it Murl," her voice quivering. "No more regrets." It was the most touching moment of the entire trip.

When Murl returned to Albany in the summer of 1945, a 15-year old Pauline was in the crowd that gathered to celebrate their war hero. Even the great Sgt. Alvin York himself, the Medal of Honor recipient from WWI, had shown up for the "speakin'. Pauline wasn't quite sure which one he was but she had read stories about him in the newspaper and wanted to meet him. She didn't think much of the scrawny fellow they were making all the fuss about with a parade and the speeches. "I was expecting a giant of a man," she said. But Murl was maybe 5-foot-6 and about 120 pounds at the time. She turned to her mother and said, "My God, Mama, that little guy couldn't have done all of what they said he'd done. All of what they said he had done included earning the Distinguished Service Cross, four Silver Star's, three purple hearts and a battlefield promotion from tech sergeant to first lieutenant.

One year later, they were married. "Our beautiful life together was simple," she said. "Our calling was having a family, building a home and a farm; and helping family and friends -- especially veterans who returned home with hardships. With the help of Pauline, Murl had found a way to still serve others by volunteering to help other veterans with benefits. He would do the interviews and she did the paperwork Even after he died in 1998, Pauline kept on doing it until she no longer was able.

By the way, the documentary, "From Honor to Medal: The Story of Garlin M. Conner," which was originally released in 2020 and tells Murl's story as one of the most decorated soldiers in American military history, will be shown on May 27th at 7pm and May 29th at 12:30am and 3am on KET. Albany native and UK School of Journalism and Media Professor Al Cross was the executive producer.

A Father and his Son

Billy Graham once said, "The greatest tribute a boy can give to his father is to say, ‘When I grow up, I want to be just like my dad.”

By the time Todd Messer came to Clinton County to be the basketball coach, his daddy had already made a name for himself in Eastern Kentucky. A veteran basketball official of 27 years, Leighman Messer had called multiple regional championship games, all a state tournaments and the girls Sweet 16. He had coached football and girls and boys basketball and had been an assistant basketball coach at Clay County. Along the way, he made a lifelong impact on hundreds of kids.

Coming to Clinton County would become icing on the cake in Leighman Messer's already celebrated career. For 16 years, as he helped his son coach the Mighty Bulldogs, he witnessed Todd become one of the most respected coaches in Kentucky.

Coach Leighman Messer was on the sidelines for six all a classic regional championships, an all a state tournament runner up, seven district championships, 13 appearances in the regular regional tournament and nine seasons of 20 or more wins, and when the Kentucky State Senate honored Todd when he became the all-time winningest head coach in Clinton County High School history - 314 wins against 166 career losses, it was an especially proud moment for Leighman, an exclamation point on a beautiful 'like father, like son' story.

On Facebook, Amanda Messer posted a beautiful photo of her husband and their daughter, Lexi, and with it she wrote, "Sometimes all you need is your dad." How very apropos. I am sure going to miss Leighman Messer and his faithfulness to Todd and his family in Clinton County. It has sure been a joy to watch.