Ford, Clark County, Kentucky 1887-1908

Copyright 1999 by Pam Brinegar

Not long before the turn of the century, Michigan investors named Wellington R. Burt and M.I. Brabb bought and renamed the existing T.J. Asher Lumber Company located at Ford, Clark County, Kentucky. Burt dispatched his son, Charles R. Burt, to oversee The Burt and Brabb Lumber Company's operations. The company, which operated for a decade, shipped a significant percentage of its inventory to its London, England office. Charles R. Burt moved from Winchester in Clark County to Lexington in Fayette County where he maintained a large home on Nicholasville Road (the former Alleghan Hall). If you're interested in the scale of the lumber operation that was located in Ford.   What follows is a list of Ford businesses for 1887 and 1895 as well as a complete list of residents for 1908.

Ford in 1887

A village in Clark county, 10 miles south of Winchester, the county seat. It is a station on the K.C.R.R. and is the center of large lumbering interests. Nearest bank is at Winchester. Population, 400. Mail, daily, Exp., Adams. Tel., W.U. J.W. Howard, postmaster.

Businesses: Bentley & Stevens, saw mill Ford Lumber Co, B J Clay Pres, A R Burnam Sec, C Stafford Genl Mngr. Howard John W, General Store and Hotel Long, H C, saw mill Martin Bros, saw mill Owen, T J, railroad, express and tel agent Source: R.L. Polk & Co., Kentucky State Gazetteer and Business Directory 1887-8, Detroit.

Ford in 1895

On the Kentucky river and the L.&N.R.R., in Clark county, 10 miles south of Winchester, the county seat and banking point. Population, 1000. Exp, Adams. Tel, W.U. J.W. Howard, postmaster.

Businesses:Asher Lumber Co, general store and saw mill Bentley & Parmley, distillers Brown O H, physician Bush J F, shoemaker Ellis Charles, railroad and exp. agt. Ford Lumber Co, saw mill and general store Ford Supply Co, general store Hampton M A, livery Howard Mrs. Florence, hotel Howard John W, Insurance and Collections McGuire T, genl store and distiller Persley Samuel, justice Profit Robert, saloon Rood C F, box factory Sawyer Charles H, barber Stevens H L, saw and planing mill Stevens & Bentley, general store Todd T Lee, police justice Tudor Bros, grocers Source: R.L. Polk & Co., Kentucky State Gazetteer and Business Directory 1895-6, Detroit.

Ford in 1900

The second town of importance in Clark county is Ford. It is situated at the Kentucky river, ten miles from Winchester, on the Louisville & Nashville Railroad. According to the Constitution of the State, it is a city of the sixth class and it has a population of about 1,200. It is a lumber town, and the two principal mills are those of Burt & Brabb and J.M. Thomas. Both are among the largest in the State, and cut large quantities of stock for export, the former company shipping nearly all of the output of their mill to London. The town has a hotel, an opera house and an Odd Fellows Hall. The post-master is E.C. Gibbons. Source: Lexington Herald (Fayette County, KY), 20 May 1900

Ford in 1908

Ford, Ky., Directory 1908(Note that the town's population is now down to a little over 300) Colored people designated with star (*) Allen, Mrs, Kittie (wid. James N.) Amster, Morris (Josie), farmer Ashcraft, Amos (Eliza), lab.; Cyrus Ashcraft, Robert (Minnie), lab. Bales, Chas. P. (Debbie), butcher Banister, Earl, bkkpr. Barnett, Jas. M., lab. Barnett, Milton (Nannie), lab.; Ernest, Edgar, Ida, Ruth *Bates, John (Emma), lab. *Bell, George, lab. Bellows, Harm (Ella), lab; James, Stanley *Blackwell, Elijah (Margaret), lab.; Rachel, Henry *Blackwell, John (Sallie), lab. Bowman, Jesse (Alice), wks. sawyer Bowman, Kie (Milda), lab. *Bronston, Oliver (Maranda), retired *Bronston, Ollie (Dora), wks. saw mill *Brown, Green (Cora), wks. saw mill Brown, Joda, electrician Brown, W. Allen (Annie), confectioner Bunch, Ira (Annie), lab. Burt & Brabb Lumber Co., M.I. Brabb, pres.; C.W. Burt, vice pres. and gen. mgr.; E.T. ph. Bush, Joe (Lucy), lab. Bush, Lucy Butler, John V., lab.; Lummie, Marshall *Chenault, Geo. (Mattie), wks. saw mill Church, Christian, Main *Church, New Vine Baptist, Rev. Baker, pastor Church, Presbyterian, C.P. Mickels, pastor Conway, Thomas, clerk Curtis, Isaac (Anna(, watchman Daugherty, James (Mary), retired David, Robert F. (Nannie) bkkpr. Day, Stephan (Zylpha), lab.; Daniel T., Lee *Deuiett, David (Ada), wks. saw mill Domoe, John C. (Minnie S.), foreman saw mill *Duncan, Will, lab. Dunn, Harding (May), lab. Dunn, Jessie (Jincy), lab. Dunn, Stephen (Jane), retired Dunn, William F. (Catherene), wks. saw mill Eades, Mrs. Ebb, dry goods and notions Eads, Josiah (Mary) stone mason Edge, Logan (Mary), lab. Edwards, James A., barber shop and pool room Edwards, Martin (Mary J.), retired; Callie, Ann, James Elford, Robert, stu. Elkin, Field R., tie inspector Elkins, Grant (Hattie), bkkpr. Ellington, E. Lafe (Mayme) blacksmith Emerson, Benj. F. (Sarah M.), retired *Ewings, Mrs. Sarah (wid. Anderson); Tip F. Flynn, Bettie, millinery Flynn, Mahlon, retired; Shirley, Newt, Fred, Bettie Ford Lumber & Mfg. Co., Robert T. Thomas, pres.; William R. Thomas, vice pres., E.T. ph. Ford Supply Co., Florence Howard, prop. Fraley, John, barber shop *French, Mrs. Ann (wid. Riley); Riley, Jr. French, James, wks. saw mill Gee, Frank D. (Lucy), mch. Getlif, Henry (Julia), farmer Griffith, Mrs. Easter A., widow; Denny, Stella, Earl, Fleming Grimes, Howard (Nannie), wks. saw mill *Haddix, Mrs. Jensie (wid. Jacob) *Haddix, Richard (Jane), wks. saw mill; Myron, Nathan *Haddix, Wm. (Dova), lab. Hall, John, carpt. Ham, Robert (Etta) Hammons, George (Mary), lab. Hann, Richard, lab.; Belle Hatten, Samuel (Delina), wks. box fact. *Hisle, Wm. (Nannie), sta. engr. Howard, Jerd C. (Susie), wks. saw mill Howard, John W. (Florence), mgr. Ford Supply Co. Howard, Jas. (Eunice), lab.; John Hubbard, Fred E. (Julia), mgr. Burt & Brabb Lumber Co.Hubbard, Isaac M. (Elizabeth), teacher Hukle, John D. (Alice), farmer Jeffries, James (Anna), physician *Johnson, Allen (Sallie), night watchman Johnson, Mrs. Bettie, widow Johnson, Chas. (Bessie), telegraph opr. *Johnson, James M. (Cora), wks. saw mill *Johnson, John (Nannie), sta. fireman Johnson, Robert, lab. Johnston, James H. (Sarah F.), wks. saw mill Karr, Thomas T., deputy sheriff Kidd, Robert (Hannah), lab. King, Isaac (Bertha), wks. box fact.; Bertha King, Jas. F. (Renes), saw filer; Janey King, Mrs. Mary E. widow; Alpha King, Sam, lab.; Lizzie, Bertha Lovett, Andrew J. (Elizabeth), lab. Lovitte, Tyre (Elizabeth), lab; Carrie Lowry, Strother J. (Lizzie), clerk *Lyles, Everett (Ida), lab. McCarthy, Charley (Mattie), lab. *McCord, Emma *McCord, Ernest, lab. *McCord, John (Mary), night watchman *McCowen, Letishia McGowan, Elijah, night watchman McKinney, Mrs. Lydia, widow McKinney, Mitchell (Lena), mch. McKinney, Tine (Addie), sta. engr. Mastin, Arthur (Cordie), lab. Maupin, Wm. (Nancy), wks. saw mill Moberly, Tandy, Jr., groceries Morton, Frank (Nora), lab.; Edgar B. Morton, John W. (Eva), groceries Murphy, James (Rosa), lab. Neal, Robert (Mary), wks. box fact.; May Ogden, George W., Sr. (Bettie), teamster; Mattie M., Nora, Benj. A. *Oldham, David (Sallie), sta. engr. Owens, Mrs. Margaret (wid. John P.); Wm. Dock Park, James W. (Eula), ship. clerk Burt & Brabb Lumber Co.; H. ph. Parrish, Eugene, wks. saw mill Pence, Sidney (Eliza), lab. Pence, William (Gertrude), carpt.; Sarah J. Pennington, Joe (Eva), lab. Pitcher, Major (Delina), lab. Quesenberry, Enoch (Sarah), lab. Rice, Mrs. Ann (wid. Harry); Robert, Vernon, Langley Rice, Charley (Louise), lab. *Richards, Ham (Jennie), lab. Richards, James C. (Mildred), retired; Mattie, James C., Jr. Richardson, Clarence (Mildred), saw filer Rison, Jas. (Lillie), lab.; Mary J. Roberts, David, lab. Roberts, Evans (Sarah), engr. Roberts, John, carpt. Rogers, Guy (Nancy), lab. Schooler, Stewart, lab.; Herbert *Shearer, Lawrence, stu. *Shirley, Thomas (Lulu), lab. Smith, Andrew (Addie), wks. Ford Lumber Co. Smith, William F. (Emma L.), saw filer Sowders, Lewis (Mary), lab. Terrill, John (Ida), lab. Tharp, Sylvester (Margaret), wks. planing mill; Fannie Thomas, Simpson (Mary), sta. engr. Thomson, James (Effie), lab. *Toliver, Geo. (Mary), lab. *Toliver, Isaac (Frances), section hand; Frank, Benj. Tudor, Harry M. (Emma) sawyer Tudor, Sidney H. (Louise), retired; Nellie S. Tudor, Vergil (Mildred), lumber inspect. Tuttle, Henry (Dollie), wks. box fact. Waller, P. Koffer (Tillie), saw filer Webb, John (Eva), sta. engr. Wilder, Jordon, (Carrie), lab. Williams, David (Phoeba), physician Williams, David J. (Nannie), drug store Winkle, Emma Winkle, Ora, block setter Witmer, Solomon (Annie) lumber inspect. Witt, Pleasant (Charlotte), lab. Woods, Jas. A. (Susan), sta. fireman Source: The Inter-State Directory Company's Directory of Winchester and Clark County Gazetteer for the Year 1908, Marion, Ind.