at the south edge of the village, and for years
carried the name Carroll Cemetery because James and Mary Carroll lived
only a few yards north of it. James Carroll was a hard working citizen
and drove his ox team to haul logs to his sawmill. Like others of his day
who had inadequate medical service when epidemics swept through the land,
he felt the cruel blows of death-dealing misfortune. He lost one infant
six months old, two died at the age of one year, another reached seven,
while still another survived until he reached the age of ten. It is no
wonder the settlers called it the Carroll Cemetery. The Legion's graves
registration service was probably in error in listing it as the Hammers-Damman
Cemetery on its list.
Another Gabetown character was Jacob Lahr, a blacksmith who could very
well have been the counterpart of Longfellow's muscled hero. It is said
the farmers desperately needed a craftsman of his skill and enticed him
to move out of Peoria to Gabetown by offering to buy him an anvil. Business
was good, but it did not prevent Lahr from
An early blacksmith shop.
(By courtesy of Kentucky Department of Publicity.)
moving into Secor in 1856, then a tiny place located on the new Peoria
and Oquawka railroad line. There he opened another shop and built one of
Secor's early homes.
Page 41
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