Woolgathering is a natural human instinct. We find ourselves waiting in a doctor’s reception or standing in line at the restaurant’s drive-in, or perhaps when sitting still after the meal is over and the dishes done, and you relax a moment. Any time of day is good for woolgathering. Often it occurs when driving and you are stopped for a traffic light to turn green. You look across the lane at the new coffee shop on the corner of Broadway and the 31W ByPass. You recall the service station and car lot that were there recently. Then your thoughts remind you of the little Broadway Methodist Church which occupied the corner for many years. You glance at the Kentucky Fried Chicken located where you recall several little shops that used to stand there in the 1930s because that’s where you used to visit the little grocery to buy your Cracker Jacks. Woolgathering can often renew some happy memories.
Tour north from the mentioned Broadway corner and stop at the corner of Tenth and Laurel. Remember when there was no ByPass in existence. Can you name the filling station on that corner, one of the first in this part of town? How about the building across Tenth? Ever drop your clothes there? Now take a look north down Laurel. You can’t see far because most of the land you will see contains trees, bushes, vines, and pathways, a delightful woods where the neighborhood children like to play. Standing on a path in the woods, look toward town center to the right of Reservoir Hill and you can see the land where the local baseball team plays and the carnival landed in town. Oh, my! This is too much woolgathering in this area.
Like the corners at Broadway and 31W, Bowling Green has been a city with areas constantly growing and adjusting to its needs and demands to improve its quality of life for its residents. The downtown area is a good example, like the corner of 11th Street and State Street. A large three-storied YMCA building was built to meet the health and social needs of young people in the community. In the passing of time, the pool was covered over, the building revamped to provide apartments and office space, and then finally removed and parking space was developed. The small building next to the YMCA changed its use from shoe shop, to burger restaurant, then several other uses before inclusion in the parking lot. It’s fun to ride around the city and try to remember former landscapes. It’s easy to do with the abundance of resources available to citizens today.
Downtown has more common memories. Take the corner of State and Frozen Row (so named because the sun’s rays never fully reached that side of the square). Most citizens know this as the location of Woolworth Five and Ten Store but it started out as one of the notable hotels catering to visitors and the progressive river trade, but during the Civil War it was used as a hospital. This is only one of the many delights for wandering around the square or resting in the park. The Landmark Association, among other historical writings, makes woolgathering in this area time well spent. Pick a building and trace its existence. Enjoy!
Of course, the most notable structures will be those that blessed the northeast corner of State and Main Street. When the founding trustees drew the plots for sale around the square, this piece of land was included in the plan. It’s not noted the price of this space (maybe $16 like many of the others), but sales were slow to begin the township because most settlers were busy raising crops and building a home. In 1842, it is known in a brief reference that businessmen McGoodwin, Baker, and Hodge conducted a general store here. Typical of the time, it contained items from river trade and traveling peddlers, as well as produce for sale by farmers in the area.
Records are not known as to how long the store existed, but it is known that Charles D. Morehead bought the land and constructed the Morehead House Hotel in 1844. With the help of trained African American hotel employees, the managers and staff offered a new standard of hotel room, special event catering and food service in the P & H cafe. In 1878, sisters Camilla (Hess) Herdman and Sarah (Hess) Armitage acquired the hotel and continued to enhance its reputation and services. In 1891 they remodeled the three-storied hotel and added an annex and a lovely garden overlooked by the rooms. The hotel served three square meals a day and on Thanksgiving served a special meal free to all guests of the hotel. Throughout the year, Herdman and her popular African American cook, Minerval Pollard, hosted banquets, wedding receptions, ladies’ luncheons, and a host of local events in addition to caring for their boarders, short-term guests and daily meals. Camilla Herdman’s White Cake, made with 28 eggs, 5 cups of sugar, 7 cups of flour, 3 cups of butter, a touch of cream of tarter and soda, was a local favorite up until her death in 1908.
In 1915, this 110-room hotel changed hands again when it was purchased by Dr. Thomas Oliver Helm. Previously, Dr. Helm operated a hospital on 12th Avenue, a location which he traded for the Morehead House. The new owner refurbished the hotel some before deciding to raze the structure and build in 1923 a new facility in this prime location in the city. It was formally dedicated September 1, 1924 with more than 200 people attending the opening banquet and ball. To enter the new lobby with its bright yellow walls, its majestic, coffered ceiling, carved wooden pillars, and handsome upholstered leisure seats, one just knew it was to become a magical delight for the city of Bowling Green. Truly it was until it was sold once again in 1961. Bought by Citizens National Bank, the hotel structure was razed once again in January of 1970.
Once again, woolgathering is a common experience among all ages. May your adventures around town, bring you happy memories of this fine city we fondly call home.
-by Mary Alice Oliver
About the Author: Mary Alice Oliver is a Bowling Green native who is a 1950 graduate of Bowling Green High School. She retired from Warren County Schools after 40 years in education. Visiting familiar sites, researching historical records and sharing memories with friends are her passions.