Today's Features

If it’s true, as the proverb says, that “envy rots the bones,” then my bones are dust.
Every once in a while, I hear from a certain friend whose life is perfect, or so I think.
Just recently she posted on Facebook: “Well, we can cross a trip to Ireland off our list!! Had a fabulous vacation with all our wonderful kids, their spouses and our five — five!! — adorable grandbabies!!!”

He was perhaps best known for his stories of riverboat life on the Kentucky, but for decades Charlie Johnson preserved the history of Owen County in countless articles, which today give insight into our past.
From river life to the Civil War to local lore, Charlie shared his vast knowledge of Owen County, its communities and the folks who settled its land.
One of Johnson’s early articles, submitted to the News-Herald in the 1960s, described the rise and fall of Owen County toll roads, and the vital role they played in the development of the area.  

Perhaps it was the letters written by her great-aunt Bea that inspired Marlene Browning-Wainscott to record stories of Owen County veterans. Aunt Bea had lost her husband in the war, and years later, her correspondence with Marlene provided a link to the past and a treasure of cherished memories
Marlene Browning-Wainscott has devoted much of her life the past few years interviewing Owen countians who served in World War II. She felt an urgency to record the stories of these vital freedom-fighting Americans before they were lost.

The letter was tucked inside an old book in the historical society collections, and the book, titled “The Charm of Fine Manners,” illustrates the high regard placed upon proper etiquette in the 1900s.
The letter, which was penned almost 100 years ago, was dated December 24, 1922, and was signed “Grandmother.”
“Grandmother” was an Owen counitan who wrote this lovely note to her granddaughter, Helen; and its contents illustrates the significant impact of grandparents upon the lives of their grandchildren.