A Bill Creating Clinton County, Kentucky was Signed into Law on this Day in 1836

Clinton County, Kentucky was formed from parts of Cumberland and Wayne counties in a bill co-sponsored by Senator's Ambrose Bramlette of Clinton County, who was serving his first term, and Frank Winfrey of Columbia. The General Assembly passed the bill in 1835, and it was signed into law by Gov. James Morehead on February 20, 1836.

The first government was organized on April 1, 1836 at the home of Pleasant Williams, later the home of the Alford Frank Burchett, on Kentucky Highway 639 at Wago, where I grew up, and you know the rest of the story about how the first county seat was established at Peolia, then later moved to the present site originally known as Benny Dowell’s Place.

THE BILL

"...to wit beginning at the state line due North from the mouth of Wolf River, and thence a straight line to the plantation of Alexander Smith, including it, thence a straight line to the mouth of Tear Coat Creek on Cumberland River, thence up said river to the Russell County line, thence with said line to within a half mile of Beaver Creek, up Beaver Creek to the mouth of Otter Creek, thence up Otter Creek so as not to run nearer than within one half mile of said creek to Jacob Citt’s, leaving him in Wayne County, thence to the twelve mile post on the road that leads from Monticello to Stockton Valley: thence to the Poplar Mountain at Peter Stockton’s, leaving him in the new county, thence up said mountain to the top; thence with the top of said mountain to the state line; thence with the same at the beginning, shall be erected into one separate county known as the County of Clinton."

Nearly all histories written about us say the county was named after Dewitt Clinton, the distinguished governor of New York who died in 1928. A second story tells us that Frank Winfrey had a son named Clinton. He was born the year Dewitt Clinton died. Perhaps the two namesakes combined made for a stronger reason to name it Clinton County and we should leave it at that. Clinton Winfrey was the owner of Winfrey Hotel in Columbia, the site of a cholera epidemic in 1873 that resulted in the deaths of 42 people, including Clinton and two of his children.

Cecil Pryor was my Idol

When I was a young boy my dad tried to teach me how to play guitar, but I told him I wanted to play piano like Cecil Pryor. The son of a 5 string banjo picker and grandson of a church songleader, Cecil started out playing guitar, but his chosen instrument would later become the piano, and in 1960, upon hearing Floyd Cramer’s “Last Date," he decided it was so pretty he just had to play it. That song set Cecil on a course that would last the rest of his life.

"Last Date" wasn't just another song for Cecil Pryor. To him, it was a work of art, as if Rembrandt himself had walked into RCA Victor Studio B and said "where do I sit up my easel?" When Cecil learned how to play the song, he also picked up on Cramer's slip note piano playing style. It was a marriage made in Heaven. "Last Date" became Cecil's signature song and the piano became Cecil's way of life. He played it so well, I had always told him that some guy named Cramer had recorded HIS song, but that Cramer's version was no where near as great as Cecil Pryor's version.

Cecil and my dad, and their drummer, JR Byers, made great records at Norm Atwell's studio at Lafayette Tennessee back in the 1970's. They performed live together in many different places for several years, from the Cow Palace at Chattanooga, fronting Mel Tillis, to the Somerset Holiday Inn, where when Mickey Gilley and his entourage walked in to the lounge one night, the band, taking the cue from Cecil, started playing "Don't The Girls All Get Prettier At Closing Time."

Cecil still holds the record for receiving the most encores at the Lincoln Jamboree in Hodgenville. He and others, including founder Joe Ray Sprowls, were honored during the Jamborees 4000th show on Dec. 4, 2021.

Cecil Pryor was my idol. He was on the air at my family's radio station, WANY in Albany KY, for nearly two decades as Art Pryor. Myself and Cecil's fellow broadcaster, Al Cross, were honored to speak at his funeral service, which also featured Grammy Award winner Mike Farris, gospel and blues artist EmiSunshine and country music singer, songwriter and renowned guitarist, Lee Roy Parnell.

(Cecil Pryor at the Lincoln Jamboree, 1966)

The Means Family of Whitewright, Texas

Caleb and Docia Means left Albany around 1915 and moved to Whitewright, Texas, near Mesquite. Caleb was 63 years old and Docia was 59 years old when they moved there. Nine of their children also moved west to either Texas or Oklahoma, another moved north to Indiana and two stayed in this area, twins William Ezra and Azel Edra Means. William, or Bill, was my great-great-grandfather.

Caleb and Docia, and their children, raised up a big family and they were proud of that. So proud, that on March 28, 1928, Caleb stopped a reporter from The Whitewright Sun newspaper to tell him about his family. It appeared in the weekly edition, which came out on the following day...

"Mr. Means has a large family, and is proud of the fact. The following figures were given to prove it. Mr. Means is 75 years old and has fourteen children, all of whom are living, five boys and nine girls. He has ninety living grandchildren and fifteen dead, thirty-five great grandchildren and one dead. These figures total one hundred and fifty-five descendants for Mr. Meant, which is not a bad record. Mrs. Means is 72 years old. There is probably not another family in this section as large with as few deaths recorded as the Means family."

Docia Means died in 1929 at the age of 73. When Caleb died in 1936, his obituary appeared in The Whitewright Sun...

(Sept. 10, 1936) "Funeral services for C. S. Means, 84, were held from the home of his daughter, Mrs. J. P. Thornhill, at 4 o’clock Tuesday afternoon, with interment following at the City Cemetery. Funeral services were conducted by J. R. Waldrum, pastor of the Church of Christ. Mr. Means had been a member of the Church of Christ for a number of years. Pallbearers were grandsons of the deceased. Mr. Means was ill three weeks preceding his death. Mr. Means was born December 2, 1852, in Clinton Co., Kentucky. His parents were Mr. and Mrs. Azel Means. He came to Texas a number of years ago, and had resided in Whitewright for more than twenty years. Mr. Means is survived by four sons and eight daughters and approximately 100 grandchildren and great-grandchildren. The surviving children are: Mrs. J. P. Thornhill, Mrs. M. L. Thornhill, Mrs. B. H Thrasher and Mrs Gus Taylor of Whitewright, Mrs. Lucy Cline, Mrs. E. Cecil of Durant, Okla., Mrs. J. A. Cecil of Raymondville and Mrs. R. C. Burnett of Slaton, Bill Means of Livingston, Tenn., Azel Means of Albany, Ky., Jim Means of New Castle, Ind. and Ben Means of Denison."