CATLETTSBURG —
A larger crowd than expected gathered at the Catlettsburg United Methodist Church to go on the second annual historic Lantern Tour Friday evening.
The tour is a new part of the town’s usual Labor Day festivities that continue throughout the weekend.
As the crowd gathered into the church, organizers expressed their surprise at the turnout, which was much smaller last year.
Garrett Campbell, 15, of Catlettsburg, said that as part of the city development club, he suggested a historical tour of the city last year when they needed another activity for Friday night. It grew into a Civil War-themed tour, he said, and has grown a lot since its first year.
“The biggest difference is that last year there were 27 people, and this year I stopped counting at 72. It’s incredible,” Campbell said.
“It’s a blessing to be involved in this. ... I’ve learned so much of the history (of the town) now. It’s cool that I can explain it to others,” he said.
Laura Tussey, another organizer of the tour, stood in front of the crowd as the tour began and explained that Catlettsburg was once an area that largely sympathized with the Confederacy. Because of the Big Sandy River, it was also a good location for soldiers to set up camp and to export supplies.
She said that on the tour, the group would be visiting and learning the history of historical sites that included the church sanctuary, a statue of judge John Elliott on the courthouse lawn and Kilgore and Collier Funeral Home. The tour also included a one-act dramatization of the arrest of known Confederates William Hampton, G.N. Brown and A.C. Campbell, a presentation on Civil War era mourning clothes and jewelry by the Daughters of the Confederacy and a presentation on Civil War weaponry.
“I encourage you to get acquainted with the history of your town. ... I’m sure you all have stories that overlap and are woven into the history of this town,” Tussey said.
Ashlee Childers, another tour organizer, said everyone involved spent months planning the evening’s festivities, recruiting volunteers from local high schools and contacting Civil War re-enactors. She said her hard work was worth it, and is very happy with the results.
Eleanor Trapp of Reynoldsburg, Ohio, said she learned about the history tour while she was in town restoring property owned by her family.
“My grandma grew up here. I just wanted to know more about the history of the town,” she said.
Karen Sperry, 41, of Catlettsburg, said she had been on historical tours in other cities and thought tour would be a good opportunity to learn about the town she lives in.
“The tour in Savannah was interesting, so I wanted to see the one in my own back yard,” Sperry said.
Missy McCalvin, 37, of Catlettsburg, said she is a history buff who always attends the Labor Day festivities and wanted to check out the tour because she did not get to go on it last year.
“It’s nice to put the names you’ve heard all your life into perspective and into history,” McCalvin said.
SHANNON MILLER can be reached at smiller@dailyindependent.com or (606) 326-2657.
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Large crowd for historic Catlettsburg Lantern Tour
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