History

WALTON
THE BEGINNING
Mid-1790’s – 1840’s

   The town now known as Walton, in the southeastern corner of Boone County, was founded in the mid 1790s. Its early development is associated with two men. One of them was Archibald Reid who opened the first tavern in Boone County about 1795, just north of what is now the City of Walton. He is credited with founding the county’s first distillery five years later as well as becoming one of Boone County’s first justices in 1799.

    Abner Gaines purchased the tavern and inn from Reid around 1813 and built a striking new house around 1814 (currently 150 Old Nicholson Road). In 1818 Gaines founded the first stagecoach line carrying mail and passengers between Cincinnati and Lexington: a 34-hour trip over the Covington-Lexington Turnpike.  The settlement that grew up around the tavern came to be called Gaines’ Fork Roads.

    The first recorded post office for Gaines’ Fork Roads (later called Gaines’ Cross Roads) was established on July 4, 1815. Our fourth United States President, James Madison, appointed James Matthews Gaines, Abner Gaines oldest son, Postmaster. 

    Col. Abner Gaines, as he was later called, served as a Boone County Justice from 1805 to 1817, at which time he was appointed sheriff. John Pendleton Gaines, son of Col. Gaines, served in Congress in the 1840’s and was governor of the Oregon Territory from 1850 to 1853. The house remained in the family for four generations and was sold shortly after the Civil War.

   On January 21, 1840, the town known as Gaines Cross Roads was renamed Walton by an act of the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Kentucky. The boundary included the town lots belonging to the following persons: E. Brasher, William Pitcher, John Arnold, Reuben Noel, Michael Snyder, William Vanhorn, Margaret Leonard, Silas Bridges, Elizabeth Butts, Nathan Connelly, Samuel McLean, Melville Rich and W. W. Gaines.

    In 1847, records show that Walton had 538 residents. That was 35 more residents than Petersburg and almost 100 more than Florence.

    In the early 1800’s, during the town’s infancy, there was a county public grade school in the corner of Beaver Grade (Old Beaver Road) and Stephenson Mill Road (Old Stephenson Mill Road). A Mrs. Clara Myers started the first school to offer high school subjects.
 

1850’s – 1890’s

    During this time, Walton was a small town of about 50 residents. Tobacco factories, livery stables and carriage builders were the businesses in town. In the years following the Civil War the town became the railroad center of Boone County. The railroad prompted rapid growth for the City. In the late 1860’s, the Kentucky Central Railroad, later acquired by the Louisville & Nashville (L&N), laid tracks through Walton and Verona, our neighbor to the west. In the mid-1870’s the Cincinnati, New Orleans & Texas Pacific, later part of the Southern rail system, was built through Walton and Richwood. Walton became the most important shipping point in Boone County for farm produce, as well as a local drop-off point for mail-order items. Following the turn of the 20^th century, passenger service was introduced, and daily commuter trains linked Walton with Cincinnati, Covington, and Ludlow. As late as the 1920’s Walton residents commuted to work or to school by train.

    Walton developed as a railroad town, bound by rail lines on the east and west. A business district between the tracks flourished along Main Street, and residential neighborhoods developed to the north and south. A small industrial and warehouse district grew up beside the L & N tracks, and worker housing was built near the Southern depot. The early streets of Walton were Locust Street, Church Street, Beaver Road, High Street, and the Covington & Lexington Turnpike (Main Street) according to the Walton map of 1883.         

    In the years following the Civil War a small African American Community formed in north Walton. Several Generations of the Steele and Ingram families, descendants of freed slaves, made their homes in the modest hall-parlor and saddlebag dwellings along Church Street. The center of the community was the Zion Baptist Church, founded on 1872.  

    Also during these early years the Churches of Walton were established. The earliest being First Baptist Church, Walton was established on August 8, 1866, followed by Zion Baptist in 1872, Walton Christian Church in 1876, Walton Methodist in 1879, and All Saints in 1894.

    In 1880 Walton had the first known organized firefighters. They were known as the “Bucket Brigade”. There were 12 cistern built along the roadside to be used only for fighting fires. These cisterns were used until 1936 when the City installed a water system.

    In 1883 a Mr. Henry Newton was a teacher of the “select school offering all branches of mathematics and a regular course of thorough instruction”. In 1902 this private school located on South Main Street became a public school.   

    The Walton Deposit Bank was established in 1890 with a capital stock of $25,000, which increased later to $50,000, all paid up. Dr. D.M. Bagby was President, O. Percival was Vice President, R.C. Greene was the Cashier. The building was a very commanding structure commodiously arranged for the special use assigned. Dr. Bagby was an ex-Confederate soldier, popular and public-spirited. He was also a director in the Walton Perpetual Building and Loan Association. He succeeded Dr. B.D. Allen as President of the bank. The Vice President, Mr. Percival, was a very prosperous and influential citizen and business man. R.C. Green was born in Grant Co., and reared in Kenton, and had filled the office of Cashier since the inception of bank, being previous agent for C. & S.R.R. at Brock, KY. He married Miss Eleanor Southgate; they had one daughter. Mr. C.C. Metcalf was the Assistant Cashier and succeeded Mr. C.E. Ford, who went with the Fifth National Bank in Cincinnati. Mr. W.L. Rouse was a very worthy young man and was retained as Clerk and Bookkeeper.

   William H. Metcalf served as Postmaster by appointment from November 1897 through 1901.

   In 1894 the names of the streets in Walton were Main, High Street, Columbia, Scott, Cruse, Locust, Botts, Verona, Arnold and Banklick Street.

   In the late 1800's-1900's the town marshal of Walton was paid $6.50 per month and $1.00 for each dog he killed and buried.

   In 1897 an ordinance was passed prohibiting trains from running more than 15 mph though Walton.

   In 1898 Walton had only 2 paid fireman. The first fire chief, Taylor Stilley and his assistant chief Eugene DeMoisey. These two men were paid $2.00 for every fire they went to.

    In 1899 the Walton Lodge F & A.M. was organized.

   The Percival Southgate House, standing at 189 North Main Street, is believed to have been built for a Canadian named Percival Southgate during the Civil War era around 1860. The J. G. Tomlin House, standing at 109 North Main Street, was built around 1885. Behind the house is a former summer kitchen or smokehouse. J. G. Tomlin was a lawyer and the proprietor of a tobacco re-handling house in Walton.
 

1900 – 1920’s

    During this time Walton is the largest town in Boone County, with the county’s largest business district and diverse manufacturing enterprises. In 1900 the local school district merged with Verona, forming one of the county’s first consolidated districts. The Walton Graded School opened in 1901 at 85 North Main Street (now converted into apartments). The building included 12 grades under one roof. Classrooms for the first eight grades were on the first floor, and a high school and a chapel occupied the second. In 1902 the Walton Independent School District was created. It was the first public secondary school in Boone County. Students from outlying areas boarded with town families during the week, returning home on the weekends. In the early 20’s basketball games were held in a tobacco warehouse on Depot Street. Walton High School graduated five students in 1926. Graduation ceremonies alternated every year between the Baptist and Christian Church.

    According to the recorded minutes of the Walton Board of Trustees meeting June 4, 1902 the following were present: J. T. Booth, chairman, G. W. Ransler, Cyrus Coffman, J. M. Stamler, and J. L. Adams, and W. L. Rouse, Clerk. During this meeting the following motion was recorded: “Mr. Alford Stephens take charge of the fire engine for one year for $15.00 and $1.00 for each time he takes it out for fire provided if said Stephens does not keep said engine clean, and primed and in working order at all times he is not to have any compensation whatever. The money is to be paid at the end of the year”.  A. R. Hance was the town Marshall and tax collector and John G. Tomlin was the city’s attorney.

   Following are excerpts of a description of Walton that was printed in the first edition Walton Advertiser, the local newspaper, in August of 1914. The Advertiser was founded by G. B. Powers and Roy D. Stamler and was “published as often as necessary”.

   Walton is not a sleepy little village hid away among the hills, with nothing to boast of but beautiful scenery, but it is a ‘regular’ town, with a miniature Broadway, electric lights, with houses showing the best of attractions in living and silent drama, a beautiful pike “The Highway to Lexington”, crosses within the city limits, two railroads, The Louisville & Nashville and the Queen and Crescent accommodating the traveling public with eleven trains daily. The accommodations of these roads are so good, and the rates so low, that we are but a step from Cincinnati, Ohio, nineteen miles away. Many men work in Ludlow, Covington and Cincinnati, leave in the morning and return in the evening securing the mileage for the month for the small sum of $5.00.

   Two prosperous banks and a building and loan association lend a helping hand to those desiring financial assistance, at a very low rate. Two lumber companies of no small proportion are kept busy supplying our local contractors. Twelve mercantile establishments in the town do a prosperous business and there is room for more. Our Marshall, Police Court and jail are luxuries. In the past thirteen years only one white man has been incarcerated, and then only for a misdemeanor.

    The town is local option in its fullest meaning, intoxicated men are so seldom seen they appear as curiosities to the younger generation. The day of the “blind tiger” has long ago passed away and the drunkard of a few years ago is the homebuilder of today. Our standard of culture is far beyond any town of equal population.

    Our excellent schools, churches, library and Lyceum Courses are the direct causes of Walton’s high standing on the list of progressive Kentucky towns.

    In 1900, C. Scott Chambers and his wife, Alta, left Petersburg, Kentucky, to move to Walton the largest city in the county. He was an ambitious young “undertaker” and father of three daughters, Mary Scott, Aleen, and Ella Mae. His daughter Mary Scott, was very interested in the funeral business. She conducted her first service, a graveside service, at the Richwood Presbyterian Church at the age of 13. She graduated from high school at 16 and went to Cincinnati College of Embalming daily by train, but had to wait until she was 21 to receive her license. She was the first lady embalmer in the state of Kentucky. Chambers & Grubbs Funeral Home, the city’s oldest business, is still in operation today at the corner of North Main Street and Alta Vista Drive and is operated by the fourth generation.

    In October 1901, President Theodore Roosevelt appointed John Grant Tomlin, a lawyer and tobacco proprietor, Postmaster. He served until July 12, 1905 when Samuel Lycurcus Edwards was appointed to his third term as Postmaster. Mr. S. L. Edwards, the son of Dr. R. A. Edwards who came to Walton from Scotland before the Civil War, also had a hardware store that housed the post office and a building and loan association. Lycurcus also served as an undertaker, although he didn’t have a funeral home. He had the first elevator and the first telephone in Walton.  This building is the current A. Q. W. building at 18 North Main Street.

    An engineer named Dan J. O'Conor had an idea that was pretty straightforward: take fabric, coat it with resin while it winds on a spindle into the shape of a tube, split the tube lenghtwise, unroll it, press it flat and then cure it. The result was a laminated plastic material that was tough, light, and an excellent electrical insulator. It was easy to see the commercial potential of this new material. O'Conor was just 31 years old, and he worked for Westinghouse in Pittsburgh as head of the process section of the research engineering department. One of O'Conor's friends at Westinghouse was Herbert A. Faber, 30, the manager of insulating-material sales. Faber's engineering training at the University of Cincinnati gave him a technical appreciation of O'Conor's new insulating material. O'Conor filed for a patent in February of 1913 and within weeks, O'Conor and Faber quit Westinghouse to start their own insulator business. O'Conor sought investors. They found what they needed in Walton KY., where a lawyer-banker named John G. Tomlin agreed to put up $7,500. He became a silent partner. O'Conor and Faber ran they business and named it Formica.

    In 1926 the franchise for the sale of Chevrolet cars in Boone and Gallatin Counties was taken over by John L. Vest of Walton, with whom is associated Denver Bassett acting in the capacity of manager of the Boone County Chevrolet Co. The organization is housed in an especially constructed building on Main St. with a 60-foot frontage and a depth about the same. The business was one of the most successful in this territory, and was the only Chevrolet dealer in Boone and Gallatin Counties. They handled altogether about 500 cars each year, new and used. They kept a complete line of Chevrolets on display at all times including roadsters, phaetons, coupes, coaches, sedans, and trucks. This Chevrolet Dealership was located were the Walton Maintenance Garage is now.

   The old Walton Equitable Bank came to be in February 1927 when The Walton Bank and Trust Company merged. The capital stock totaled $50,000 and they had a $50,000 surplus with $30,000 in undivided profits and combined resources of $750,000.00. At the time of the merger the following respected and representative men were chose directors: R.C. Greene, President; J.D. Mayhugh, Vice President; D.B. Wallace, E.K. Stevens, Oliver Brown, G.N. Powers, A.M. Edwards, D.E. Dudley, J.C. Bedinger and R.E. Ryle. R.B. Brown and Chas. W. Ransler were also vice presidents with Anan H. Gains secretary and E. Sleet West, cashier; J. Ben Doan and H.E. Metcalf as assistant cashiers. J.D. Mayhugh was later elected president and upon his death in March 1930 Wilford Rice was selected to fill that high place making him the youngest bank president in the state. After the merger had been effected a beautiful new home for the bank was erected at a cost of $52,000.00. The two-story limestone building with one hundred foot frontage on the main street of Walton.

               DEADLY GUNSHOT KILLS WATCHMAN IN 1929

         Times were hard in 1929. The combination of no jobs, too much alcohol and bent toward mischief would lead three young Ohio men on a crime spree in Northern Kentucky that would include the murder of a 73 year old man in Walton.

         Based on his testimony, Leroy Milton of Middletown said he had been unemployed for three years due to a physical condition. As a result, he had too little cash and too much time on his hands. On the evening of January 10, 1929, Milton, Charles Keplinger, of Trenton, and Thomas Brewer, of Middletown, met at a pool hall, had a few drinks and discussed their plans for the evening. Brewer had a date that fell through, but Milton had a .38 caliber revolver he planned to see to a brother-in-law in Covington. The trio planned to head to Covington to sell the gun, problem was they had no car, so they stole a car in Middletown and headed south. In the meantime they found a pint of whiskey in the stolen car and drained it.

        Upon arriving in Covington, Milton’s brother-in-law was not at home, so while driving around town, someone suggested "sticking up a street car". Milton and Keplinger hopped onto a street car at Fifth Street and Madison Avenue. They robbed the conductor, Clyde Menifee and motorman, Whitney Preston, and then jumped off. They apparently got away with about $10.

        During the robbery Brewer had waited in the parked stolen car. By this point it was about 1 a.m. on January 11. The trio, in their early 20’s, drove further south on Dixie Highway into Elsmere where they decided to break into a store owned by Robert Jones. Keplinger broke the glass to gain entry, but from inside someone heard the noise, Jones would later testify he was awakened by the breaking glass and fired a couple of shots at what he said were three men trying to break in.

         No one was hit and the trio quickly ran back to their car and sped away. Once again they headed south on Dixie Highway. It was about 2 in the morning when the trio rolled into Walton. Still looking for a store to break into for some easy cash, the men spotted the Kroger Grocery store on the east side of Main Street, next to the Phoenix Hotel. (The former site of Kroger is the current Gross Insurance and Walton Florist; the former site of the Phoenix Hotel is the current Grandeur Hall).

         At the time Walton only had a town marshal. He basically worked daytime hours or when called out. As a result, Walton merchants hired a night watchman – also called a "merchant policeman". He was 73 year-old William Lee Johnson.

         When the trio broke into the Kroger store, Johnson was stoking a furnace at the Walton Equitable Bank Building. The bank was directly across the street from the grocery store. (The Walton Equitable Bank building was next to the current US Bank). Milton would later say he and Keplinger got out of the car to break into the Kroger’s, while Brewer again waited in the getaway vehicle. They broke the glass out of the grocery’s front door and were entering the store when they heard a shot. Johnson heard the glass breaking across the street and, with gun in hand, had gone to investigate.

        Exactly what happened during the next couple of minutes would be debated by the trio, but there was an exchange of gunfire between Johnson and the would-be burglars. In the process, Johnson was shot in the stomach and fell to the street. An account later that day in the Kentucky Post said several people reported hearing the shots, but no one ventured out to help Johnson until after the car with the trio sped away to the south. Once the car was out of sight, locals poured into the street. Johnson was driven to Booth Hospital in Covington, while the town marshal, W. Dickerson, organized a posse to search for the robbers.

        The trio crossed into Grant County and made it through Dry Ridge when they ran out of gas. They apparently stopped near the farm of Fred Conrad near Williamstown. They abandoned the car near the farm of Ernest Chipman and walked to a restaurant in Williamstown to get something to eat. Grant County Deputy Sheriff Walter Conrad, meanwhile, found the abandoned car with the Ohio license plates and learned the men were in Williamstown. They were arrested at the restaurant.

        Upon hearing of the Walton shooting, the men were taken to Walton and identified by witnesses there. Later they also were identified as the robbers of the Covington street car. Since the most serous crime was the Walton shooting, the men were lodged in the Boone County jail in Burlington.

        Johnson died at Booth Hospital at 1 p.m. that day. The men were charged with murder. The feelings against the men were such that newspaper accounts mentioned a possible attempt to lynch them. The trio was moved to the Covington jail for safe-keeping. They were indicted by a Boone County grand jury on January 26, 1929. Boone County Judge J. C. Vallandingham set trial for March 11. The defendants asked for separate trials after speculation loomed the prosecution would seek "the chair" if the men were found guilty of murder.

        First to go on trial was Milton. John J. Howe of Carrolton and Horace Root of Newport made up the defense team. Boone County Commonwealth Attorney Ward Yeager, County Attorney B. H. Riley and John L. Vest would head the prosecution team. Among damaging testimony against Milton was that of Boone County Sheriff L. T. Utz. He said Milton had admitted firing a shot at a "man in uniform" in Walton. In all, 24 prosecution witnesses were called, including Mrs. Etta Underhill, the Walton telephone operator. She testified she saw the shooting outside the Kroger’s store.

        Melton testified that he remembered little of the events due to the alcohol. He admitted firing a gun, but said he fired only to get away. Milton said he believed Keplinger fired the first shot at Johnson. The prosecution sought the death penalty for Milton. After about 8 ½ hours of deliberation the jury found Milton guilty, but recommended life in prison.

        Brewer was tried next. The trial was moved to Owenton. Jury selection began on July 22. Brewer’s attorneys were John Howe of Covington, Henderson Estes of Middletown, Ohio, and A. Floyd Byrd of Lexington. Much of the evidence against Brewer was the same as against Milton, except Milton testified that Brewer was in the getaway car in Walton, and had no part in the shooting. After 12 hours of deliberating, the jury announced it could not reach a verdict. The judge declared a mistrial. A new trial date was set for October 28, 1929 for Brewer, but was later changed to December 13. Again the testimony was about the same as the earlier trial, but this time the trial was held in Burlington. After 14 hours of deliberation, the jury found Brewer guilty of a reduced charge of manslaughter. He was sentenced to 10 years in the state penitentiary.

         The remaining defendant, Keplinger, pleaded guilty on December 16 to a charge of manslaughter. He was sentenced to 15 years in jail.

         Brewer died in prison about 1 year after his conviction from spinal meningitis. According to state prison records, Keplinger was paroled on January 30, 1937, and Milton was released from prison on August 7, 1940.

          Johnson’s wife of 53 years, Emma, died in 1935. She is buried next to her husband in the Walton Cemetery. Johnson was a lifelong resident of Boone County, and the father of nine children.

 Interesting Tid-Bits 

• Around 1908, Dr. Menefee, Mr. Jones and Ralph Edwards owned the first cars in Walton. These cars were Buicks.

• Main Street was the first street in Walton to be paved with concrete. It was paved for one mile from one end of Walton to the other. It was told that Clifton Mayhugh, proprietor of the J. D. Mayhugh Lumber Company, drove is family back and forth on this concrete street every Sunday.

• In the early 1900’s Morphine was sold off grocery store shelves.

• Roy Stamler owned an open-air theater on Main Street called the Air Dome. Movies were shown there and people sat on bleacher-type seats to watch them.

• Mr. Moxley used to light the town lights every night. He also had a cow and sold milk to people. During this time, even people who lived on town had chickens. Some even had pigs and cows. Mr. Moxley lived where the former Steve’s Pub is now at 11 South Main Street.

•  In 1914 the city’s lights went out at midnight because that’s when the plant shut down for the night. Warren Stephenson operated the plant for Harry Mayfield of Mayfield Electric Company was located across from today’s City Hall.

• Walton has the distinction of having the first Laundromat, in 1921. Mr. Theodore Burdsall built a building on the east side of Main Street north of the railroad tracks (across from Walton Food Mart). The building housed Bendix washing machines and the dryers were metal housing that was heated with oil. There was a large cistern below getting water from the roof.

• Many of the homes along Main Street were built during this period.

• The Walton Canning Co. was owned by Mr. Metcalfe and located on Nicholson Avenue.

• The Community Public Service Company was a utility company, which started serving electricity to several locations in Kentucky in the early 1920’s including Walton.

• The present day Zion Baptist Church on Church Street was build in 1922

• The basketball team from Walton won it's way to participate in the State Tournament in March 1928.
   

Walton Baseball Team

   Six teams signed up for the Boone County League in 1928: Walton, Burlington, Petersburg, Union, Hebron, and Belleview. The teams played a 20-week schedule.

   A Kentucky Post account from May 4, 1928, said Boone County Baseball fans were flocking to the games and the spirit of play was clean and under the direction of league commissioner John M. Lassing, who was a circuit court judge in Boone County. The Walton team was considered the best in the league. It also competed in the Northern Kentucky Semipro League. Clyde Laws was the team manager and center fielder.

   Walton and Belleview concluded the 1928 season playing a best-of-five series for the league championship. Belleview won the first game 2-0. Walton won the next two games, 11-6 and 16-9, and then claimed the championship 14-8 before a crowd of 1,300. Laws and his team received a gold trophy for their victory.

    Walton and Belleview again competed in a five-game playoff a year later. The teams split the first four games and played the deciding fifth game on a neutral field in Hebron. Umpires were brought in from outside the county. A Kentucky Post account on October 11, 1929, predicted one of the largest crowds in the history of Boone County baseball.

    The Walton manager was Ben Zimmer. In the ninth inning of a tie game, Zimmer put himself in as a pinch hitter. He laid down a perfect bunt, which surprised the Belleview players. Walton scored and won the game and league championship.

    The success of the league and particularly the Walton team were such that the Boone County Chevrolet dealership offered Chevrolets to transport the Walton players to games.

     Local baseball, on the scale of the early 1930& 1940's, ended with World War II. After the war, softball became the game of choice for most returning veterans.
(The study of Northern Kentucky Baseball history was written by Jim Reis, a reporter for the Kentucky Post.. This is part of an account that appeared in the May 6, 2002 edition.)
 

1930’S – 1940’S