Looking for Tobacco!

This afternoon I had occasion to drive to the small town of Campbellsville, Kentucky.  88 miles from  Lexington, Kentucky, I set out west on the Bluegrass Parkway then went south past the very, very  small towns of Lebanon and Springfield.  Campbellsville was our Jurgensen family home for four years, 1965-69.  Three of our children were born there, Billy, Carole, and Cathy.  A Fiftieth Wedding Anniversary surprise party for my old friends, Alyce and Delynn was celebrated.  They couldn't believe that their three adult 'boys,' Dee, Robbie, and Charles could keep such a big secret.  It was great fun!

99% of my journey was delightfully through the country.  The farms had changed since I lived there.  They looked much more prosperous.  The trip was nearly field-to-field corn crops.  There were also plenty of fields recently harvested, scattered with the big rolls of hay.  Some cows were grazing but just a few horses were evident.  Used to be that the tobacco fields were quite numerous throughout central Kentucky.  I didn't see a single one!

Since my friends' friends had also lived other places, we talked about the reason why the tobacco fields have virtually disappeared.  The consensus was reached that harvesting tobacco is very labor-intensive and the farmers just couldn't find enough laborers willing to work in the hot fields, even at $9.00 an hour, the figure we heard when we lived there.

For years, when I lived in the small town of Danville, Kentucky, (1969-2000), I was a member of the Boyle County Homemakers.  Many of the ladies were farmers.  Our particular club was younger members and we were so opposed to growing tobacco that we declined to participate in hosting the annual Tobacco Appreciation Banquet.  Instead, we gave a donation.  The older ladies, the farmers who grew tobacco, respected our position but explained theirs: "We don't want to grow tobacco either.  We've tried to grow peppers and other crops but just can't make money on them." 

The corn fields looked beautiful, and I noticed more multiple silos in place on the farms.  Everything, everywhere was green!  Praise the Lord for all our rain!!

The Knobs: I had forgot about them.  'Knobs' is a succession of small hills, quite interesting in the landscape.  They are common in central Kentucky.

Knobs, Central Kentucky

Since our old homestead was off the same road as the church where the party took place, on the way home, I slowly drove past it.  How the memories crowded in!  I wore out several strollers and a baby carriage while taking the children for a walk nearly every day.  The field next to our house was vacant and the children loved to dig holes for mud in the summer. Now there's a house.

Our First House, Campbellsville

The old business district hasn't changed much.  I also wanted to drive by our church, Our Lady of Perpetual Help. The three children who were born in Campbellsville were also baptized there. The church was built when we lived there but a new facade has been added.  The old church, more than 100 years old at the time, was torn down.

Picturesque Old Business District, Campbellsville

Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Campbellsville

It's good to visit old homesteads and towns if you've moved around like I have.  It's even better to keep old friends!!