Tomorrow in Henderson

We’re going to Henderson tomorrow. “On the Ohio but never in it,” it’s a fine town that has played prominently in and around my life.

My dad was living there when he was 16 and enlisted in the Navy to go to World War II.

I once subbed (incompetently) for the injured catcher on my oldest brother’s softball league in a tournament there when I was in high school.

I was living there just out of college while working for the now-defunct Evansville Press across the river in Indiana.

On Aug. 23, 1997, I met a homeless man in Washington, D.C., who said he was 53 years old and had lived on Jefferson Street in Henderson for 30 years, working at a glass factory. “I've still got more than a little glass in me.” He said he worked 12-hour days. “They didn't give me much time to fool around. Met some nice ladies, though.” Now the man was living on the steps of a church, hiding his sleeping bag during the day. “Homeless because, you know, my momma and daddy are dead. … Brought my money home, and my momma and daddy and me had us a good time.” The man said he had a aon and daughter in school and that his son had been on the honor roll. “I don't want to bother them too much because I want them to do good in school. Then, if they can get a good job, well, …”

On Sept. 23, 2001, less than two weeks after the terrorist attacks in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania, I noted this sign in front of Henderson Audubon Church on Zion Road: “If You’re Looking for a Sign from God, This Is It.” (And this one in front of the Shoney’s on U.S. 41 on: “DEFEAT OSAMA, GOOD LUCK TO ALL BANDS, BREAKFAST BAR: $5.99.”)

Finally, Rachel and I strongly considered relocating there when we moved back to Kentucky from North Carolina.

So, there you go—important place.

I once asked a lifelong Kentucky if he was a little suspicious of the folks in Henderson because they were so close to Indiana. “No, those boys are our first line of defense,” he said.

Here are some things about Henderson that we might want to explore/think about tomorrow:

--Zion United Church of Christ—Here are some notes I took from my visit there on July 4, 1993: “Boys in oversized Sunday shoes. Services performed in German. Woman still in congregation who played organ for 70 years. ‘Zion Church, organized in 1871, still worships in its first sanctuary built in 1873. For years, the church was a haven for German-speaking immigrants who sought community with those of similar background and beliefs. Organized as Zion Evangelical Church, our roots are historically Lutheran. … In August 1992, Zion UCC was suffering from a small and declining membership base. The church was contemplating closure. Today, you are an important ingredient in a renewal movement that is making Zion UCC an integral part of the religious fabric of the tri-state area. We do not seek to be a mega-church, but rather an exciting, progressive alternative for those seeking a meaningful church experience.’”

--The unusual localness of The Gleaner, the local newspaper—An editor there once told me, “God knows we try to reflect the community. In our daily budget meetings, ‘the invisible community members’ are usually the most influential voice. More specifically, what news can we focus on that will be of concern and interest specifically in our community? That's why, a lot of times, the most ‘important’ stories of the day—the ones that will be a lock in bigger dailies for A1—will go inside for us. I think that's why our circulation is so high. You want to know what's going on in the world? Then watch TV or read a bigger daily. But if you want to know what's up in Henderson, you better read The Gleaner.” And here’s what a Kentuckian friend of mine says about that: “I think this is exactly the right attitude. And I think if more provincial papers had followed this approach, they would be a lot more profitable today. Think of all the people in Kentucky who are currently getting their news from Rush Limbaugh, Paul Harvey and the Fox News Channel. If The Courier-Journal had set itself up as the true voice of Kentucky--if it had even tried to be somewhat fair--it could have had all of those customers, and might have been able to nudge them a bit to the left. That's what Henry Watterson did. Instead, folks like me just view The C-J as nothing more than a lapdog of the national media, so we don't pay any attention to it.”

--Mother’s Day—Henderson says it is the birthplace of Mother's Day. According to Kentucky's 191st historical marker—in front of a former Hardee's on U.S. 60 downtown—the holiday dates back to 1887 and a school teacher named Mary Towles Sasseen Wilson, “Originator of Idea.” National observance began in 1893, the marker says, and Congress adopted Mother's Day as a national holiday in 1914.

--Douglass basketball—I once found a program for Kentucky’s black state basketball tournament, and it featured Henderson Douglass (Coach Peter Rembert and Principal H.B. Kirkwood), in addition to Paducah Lincoln, Mayfield Dunbar, Murray Douglass, Princeton Dotson, Dawson Springs Charleston, Earlington Million, Madisonville Rosenwald, Hopkinsville Attucks, Providence Rosenwald, Morganfield Dunbar, Bowling Green high Street, Franklin Lincoln, Lebanon Rosenwald, Lincoln Ridge Lincoln Institute, Covington Holmes, Paris Western and Sinai Western.

--Gen. Hopkins—In November 2004, the local Daughters of the American Revolution chapter dedicated a marker in Henderson’s Fernwood Cemetery honoring Gen. Samuel Hopkins, one of the men who, along with Gen. George Washington, crossed the Delaware River at Trenton on a wintry Christmas Eve during the Revolutionary War. The high-school ROTC presented colors, and there were ceremonial bagpipe-playing, wreath-laying and remarking. Hopkins is actually buried in another cemetery, but, surrounded by private farm land, is no longer accessible to the public. After the war, as an agent of the Henderson, N.C., Transylvania Company, Hopkins, a surveyor and attorney laid out the new town of Henderson, Ky. The downtown streets were drawn extra wide to discourage the spread of fire, and the layout included the large, downtown Central Park which continues to play host to the town’s fantastic annual “Christmas in the Park” exhibit, featuring oversized toys.

--Husband E. Kimmel—A historian friend says, “The commander at Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941, was born near Henderson. Kimmel was made out to be a scapegoat in a plot to bait a Japanese raid. He worked from his office window while the Japanese destroyed our Pacific fleet. A spent .50 caliber machine gun round burst through the window and thumped him in the chest. He picked up the round, twirled it in his fingers and said, ‘It would’ve been merciful if it killed me.’”

--Executed soldiers—Near Henderson, the grave of Charles W. Thompson and Pierman Powell is marked: “Confederate soldiers, executed in the City of Henderson July 22, 1865, By Order of Gen. Burbridge, CSA.”

--Coach Mojo—In 1976, James “Mojo” Hollowell coached Henderson County to the at-large Class 4-A championship. Over coaching career, Hollowell nicknamed every player he every coach—including Henderson County’s star that season, Barry “Bang-Bang” Skaggs.

We will be visiting a downtown furniture story for some of tomorrow, but I suspect there will also be time for a little nosing around on these or other subjects at Henderson County Public Library, one of the 3,000 Carnegie libraries in the United States.