A historic trip through Denton, Ky

Were you to have ridden a horse, driven a car (if you could make it), or held on tightly as the wagon made its way on the dirt road called Straight Creek, these are the homes and farms you would have passed on your journey around the year 1925.

Starting at the head of Straight Creek at the top of Cunningham Hill, and going west toward Hitchins.

The first home you would see on the edge of the road on your right would have been that of William Cunningham with his store standing next to it. Then you would see the little log home of Willis Green on your left. As you moved down the creek on the right hand side of the road you would have seen the homes of Bill Evans and William Holbrook. A small peice further and you would have passed the home and store of John McCormick. At the foot of Cunningham hill you would have passed Stanley hollow which was home to Alex Stanley and his family, and then you would pass the home of Henry Church. A small peice further would have brought you to the home of Mason Reeves, which was later sold to Riley Tussey for $2,000 lock, stock and barrell. A very small peice further on your right was the home of Brack Bellew and on your left was the home of Butler Tussey and his family. Butler was working at the Hitchins Brickyard during this time. You would then be drawing near Sergant hollow on your left that contained the home and small country store of the Evans family. Also up this same hollow your trip would next bring you to the very large home of Jack Sergant, and also the home of Earl Sergant. The next home as you moved down Straight Creek would have been that of Monroe and Effie Burk on the left next to the road, just at the foot of the hill past Sergant hollow. Just past there you would have passed the Bellew farm which included the homes of Bill Bellew and Charles Bellew. Once past these homes you would pass the hollow on your right that contained the homes Eventine Reeves and his wife Easter and the home of Alex and Emma Reeves. The next few homes would have been that of John Reeves and another home owned by Mason Reeves. This hollow also held the farm of William and Hattie Reeves. On the left side of the road just around the curve from the Reeves hollow was the Straight Creek School. The home directly across the road from the School was the home of Herbert Burk. You would have next ridden by the homes of Jack Baldridge and Clyde Tussey. Around the corner from there was the home of of Golda Glass on your right at the edge of the road. Just out the straight stretch from Golda's across the the pasture and creek on your left was the home of Alden Reeves, and his family. Around the next bend on your right was home of Joe Webb, and also the large home of Samuel McCormick. The very next building on the right just past the mouth of the hollow that contained the homes of Hiram Rogers and Horton Rogers was the store owned and operated by Hiram (Hi) Rogers and his wife Martha. About 1/4 a mile past Hi Rogers down the road up the hollow on your left was the home of Frank Reeves who was the teacher at the Straight Creek School at the time, he later became the principle of the much larger Denton School. Just past the hollow where Frank lived was the home and farm of Calvin Queen on your left. The next house was that of George Sergant, and the up the hollow just down the road on your left was the home of Frank and Samantha McWhartar as well as the home of Tom Rice and his family. Then would have been the home and small store of Ant and Lilla Blankenship. The next few houses on your right were the home of Bill Waugh and Tona Waugh. Just past there on your right across from the the large store at mouth Hamertight was the home Robert and Mary Bailey. The next large house just before the winding "S" curves on your left was that of John and Mary Reeves. just past the "S" curves on your right was the old Henry Queen home and then the Denton Baptist Church built in 1901. Just a little past the church on your left across the creek was the home of Steven Clay. Just beyond the home of Seven Clay on your left was a large rock cliff where they held "Kangaroo Court", which was supposedly held here when the community took the law into it's own hands. Legend has it that this was the site of many public whippings and hangings. Next we come to the large group of buildings at the mouth of Glancy Fork. These included a Hotel, Doctors Office, and post office. As well as the home Ed Tussey. Andy Pennington's store was on the corner of Glancy fork and Straight Creek. Andy's store was owned by his father John Washington Pennington before him, and Andy took over the buisness after his fathers passing. This same store was later ran by Balis Stewart. This is also an interesting story since Balis and his brother Oscar were very competitive in everything. Oscar originally owned the (Pennington Store) and sold it to Balis, so that he could go and "try out" a job at a Steal Mill expecting to have the store sold back to him upon his return. Much to his surprise Balis refused to sell it back, so Oscar ordered a "Sears and Roebuck" kit home and built it across the street from Balis' store. Oscar then ran his own store from that building and competed with his brother for buisness for years. Back to our trip, The large home owned by William and Elmira Stewart and the "Sears and Roebuck" kit home of Oscar Stewart was located across from the Pennington store. Oscar Stewart worked as mail carrier, and he also ran the Denton Train Depot which stood on the bank next to the turntable behind Andy Pennington's store. One other note a man named General Lafayette Stewart was the telegraph at the Depot. Andy Pennington lived in a large two story home just over the next small hill on the left. Just a little past Andy's home was the large Denton School which at this time was the most valued school in Carter County at $1,000. The Denton School was destroyed by fire in 1960.

This is as accurate as currently possible and will most likely be revised as I learn more.

If you have any photographs of any of the homes mentioned PLEASE! send them to me so that I might help to share them with other researchers. mmchenry@netwalk.com

Thank you!