JPHS Meetings

Jackson Purchase Historical Society to Meet in Clinton on October 22

The Jackson Purchase Historical Society will meet at 10:30 am on October 22 at the Hickman County Historical and Genealogical Society on the Court Square (107 S. Washington Street) , Clinton, Kentucky. The program will feature a panel discussion by those involved in writing and producing the Hickman County Bicentennial book and planning the other events that celebrated this milestone.

The meeting will NOT be available by ZOOM due to unavailability of a stable Wi-Fi signal. A video of this presentation will be available on our website at https://jacksonpurchasehistoricalsociety.org/videos/ sometime later next month.

Hickman County was established in 1821. It was named for Captain Paschal Hickman of the 1st Rifle Regiment, Kentucky Militia. A resident of Franklin County, Kentucky, Hickman was wounded and captured at the Battle of Frenchtown in January 1813 and was killed by Indians in the Massacre of the River Raisin. Columbus, Kentucky, located on the Mississippi River was the original county seat. A log structure built in 1823 served as the first courthouse. In 1830, the county seat was moved to Clinton, a more centrally located community. During the Civil War, Columbus was a key strategic point, held first by the Confederacy, and after March 1862, by Union forces. It was a major Union supply depot and recruiting point for African American troops. The 1927 Mississippi River flood destroyed much of historic Columbus, which was relocated. Marion Rust, of the Red Cross, played a major role in relocating the community and establishing the state park. Clinton has hosted several educational institutions, Clinton Seminary, Clinton College, and Marvin College, alma mater of US Vice President Alben Barkley. the Hickman County Historical and Genealogical Society has worked for many years to preserve this rich history.

Our 2022 Journal will be mailed out to members shortly. Articles are welcome for the 2023 Journal and can be sent to the editor, Jim Humphreys, at jhumphreys@murraystate.edu. The editor would also welcome inquiries about topics, books for review, or offers to review a book.

Copies of the Journal are available from the Jackson Purchase Historical Society, PO Box 531, Murray, KY 42071. The cost is $15.90 including postage and sales tax. Anyone interested in Jackson Purchase history is welcome to join the JPHS. Free electronic access to back issues of the Journal through 2016 is available through the Murray State University libraries is at https://digitalcommons.murraystate.edu/jphs/.