Bad Storm in Christian County, KY

High winds, heavy rain

A bad storm passed through Christian County (KY) today. We had several hours of high winds and heavy rain. A factory between Hopkinsville and Pembroke was badly damaged (apparently by a tornado), and farmers in the adjacent area reported damage to buildings. Residents of Pembroke and Lacy in Christian County also had storm damage, including a tree that fell on a mobile home.

I heard on the radio that 180 workers were in the TGASK building when it was hit. Seven people were injured badly enough that they went to the hospital, but no one was in serious condition. The wind took off part of the front of the building, ripped off the roof, and blew through the back of the building, according to the radio report. Debris was scattered for a wide area.

Along the highway in front of the plant, half-a-dozen or more wooden electrical poles were snapped in half, and several steel poles were bent double. Electrical wires were on the ground, causing power outages in the Pembroke area.

I was at work while all this was taking place. Except for the weather, it was a very boring morning because we had almost no customers.

Squall after squall rolled over us. At one point, big waves of water were scooting across the parking lot like whitecaps on a lake.  The electricity went out for about a minute, then flickered several more times. I suppose that was when the tornado hit TGASK.

When Dennis got home from work, he called to tell me that everything at our house was OK.  No big tree limbs had fallen, our animals were all safe, and the electricity was still working. That was good news.

More about the storms in this region:

• Middle Tennessee Lashed by Strong Storms
• Hopkinsville Factory Damaged and Workers Injured When Possible Tornado Hits Building
• Possible Tornado Touches Down Leaving Damage Near Pembroke Road
• Heavy Winds Damage Factory Building 
• Hoptown Hall thread about the storm

Tornado near Pembroke

Weather service confirms twister

The National Weather Service at Paducah has sent out investigators, and they've verified that a tornado also struck just south of Pembroke on Tuesday. (See "High Winds in Hopkinsville," Oct. 26, 2010, for more about the dangerous storm that passed through our area.)

The tornado passed a mile or so south of the Pembroke Elementary School. A staff member told me that the children spent much of that morning in "crouch and cover" position in the hallways.

Damage survey revealed EF0 tornado 2.5 miles south of Pembroke... from just north of Anderson Rd to near the Junction of Hwy 1453 and US Hwy 41. Peak wind estimated at 70 mph. Path length 2 miles intermittent. Path width 50 yards. Tree and several large tree limbs down. Tin damage to a couple of barns. (Source: National Weather Service, as reported on Weather Underground)

WKDZ reports a tornado near Central City in Muhlenberg County, in the path of the same storm front that spawned tornadoes in Christian County.

Downtown Pembroke, KY

Post office, bank, and more

This photo captures at least 25% of Pembroke, KY's downtown area -- the post office and the bank. The bank is a branch office of BB&T. I'm glad that they have decided to use the old bank building.

Just to the left of this photo, several railroad tracks intersect the street. On the other side of the tracks, you will find a liquor store and a feed store. A general merchandise and bargain store sits across the street from the post office. Several churches are located in the general area, as well. More businesses are located along Highway 41.

Pembroke has a population of about 1000 people. The children attend Pembroke Elementary School south of town, and the teenagers go to Hopkinsville for middle and high school.

Old Gymnasium in Pembroke, Kentucky

The Physical and Industrial Arts Building in Pembroke (KY) stands along Highway 41, right next to the Minit Mart on the west side of town. The inscription across the top of the building reads, "19-  Physical & Industrial Arts Building -39". I think I've taken a better picture, but I can't find it, so this one will have to do.

I've been curious about the building for a while. When I passed through Pembroke yesterday, I decided to stop and take a closer look. At the right side of the double doors, I found two plaques (pictured at left). They answered my question of whether the building was a government-funded project of the Depression. It was indeed a project of the Public Works Administration.

In the Kentucky New Era archives (viewed via Google news search), I found a little more information about the building's history. On October 14, 1938, the Pembroke superintendent of schools, Mr. L. W. Allen, said he was nearly ready for bids on the construction.  A loan and a grant, $35,000 in total, had been approved by the Federal government, and the old, frame gymnasium had already been torn down to make room for the new one.

The new facility was to contain a manual training (shop) classroom and a home economics classroom. Shop and home economics classes had not previously been offered at Pembroke. However, the biggest room in the structure would be the new gymnasium.

Pembroke's new gym will have a basketball floor measuring 48 by 80 feet, which will probably be the second largest playing space in the county. Hopkinsville has the largest playing floor but county teams have maintained for years the Tigers' gym was entirely too large. The old Pembroke gym, although the scene of several important tournaments, was too small for real offensive play and had only a limited seating capacity and no out-of-bounds arrangements.

Source: "Pembroke to Ask Bids on Project" by staff, Kentucky New Era, October 14, 1938.

The first basketball game in the new gym was scheduled for Friday, October 27, 1939. Pembroke's first and second teams played against Guthrie's first and second teams. Pat McCuiston was the coach of the Pembroke team. I did not find any information on who won the game.

A Halloween carnival was also held that night. The community was invited to come to the new facility and support their school. It was surely an exciting night for the students.

The new building was adjacent to the existing school. In September of 1940, the school building burned, but firefighters managed to save the gym. A newspaper story stated that a new building would be built so close to the gym that they would almost appear to be a single building. I am not sure whether that came to pass. There is an old, brick Pembroke School building located several blocks east of the Physical and Industrial Arts Building. The two buildings are very similar in architecture. That must surely be the new school that was built. Do you know this part of the story?

Pembroke High School was closed at the end of the 1957-1958 school year. Students from Pembroke High  and other rural high schools of the county enrolled in a new school, the newly-formed Christian County High School, in September of 1959.

W. F. Ware Plant in Pembroke, KY

Small town, big bins

The website of the W. F. Ware Company says that they are "Buyers of Barley, Corn, Popcorn, Soybeans, & Wheat; Specializing in Corn for Human Food Products."  I've photographed their plant in Pembroke before.

Biggest Moon in 15 Years

Spectacular moonrise

Have you noticed that the moon seems large and bright tonight? It's not your imagination. Tonight's moon is closer that it has been in 15 years. It won't be this close again until 2016. High tides are expected.

You can read more about this astronomical event in the National Geographic news:
Sky Show Tonight: Biggest, Brightest Full Moon of 2008.

I took this photo in Hopkinsville when I left work about 5:00 pm. The moon was clearing the treetops on the eastern horizon. I should have waited for the cloud to pass across the moon's face, but I was impatient.

The house in the photo was the clubhouse for the Skyline Golf Course until it closed six or seven years ago. Now it's a sports bar. But years before its rather frivolous modern history, it was a farmhouse, just a mile or two southeast of Hopkinsville.

The house has a name, but I can't remember it. I've searched all my Hopkinsville history books twice and can't find it.

I would have looked it up in the Kentucky New Era archives, but sadly, the Kentucky New Era made their archives inaccessible in a recent facelift to their website. Their puny little search engine now only gives results (including classified ads) from the last week or two.

If you know the proper name of this old house, please let me know.

Pembroke (KY) High School

Needed: Old photos of the Pembroke area

I received the following note from Chuck and Dean Norfleet. The Norfleets are nice people who both grew up in the Pembroke area and attended Pembroke High School. They have done a lot of research on Pembroke High School history and also have researched the St. Elmo rural elementary school.

If you can contribute to this project, please e-mail them at phs1957@hesenergy.net.

We are working on a photo DVD about former Pembroke High School, the town, the area and the students. This will not be for sale but will be a gift from us to the former PHS students who attend the school reunion on 17 October 2009. The first section will be composed of old pictures of anything in and around Pembroke before 1959 (that was the year the last class graduated). If you have access to any photos that fall into that category, we sure would like you to email them to us. You may find our website interesting. www.pembrokeowls.net

Chuck and Dean Norfleet

Tornado Damage at Crofton KY, Tonight

Another night of severe weather in Christian County, KY

This report is for the people who are visiting the blog seeking information about the tornado in the Crofton, KY area, tonight.

Related post: Tornado Damage Reports, Crofton, KY, Area, 2-5-08

Around 7 p.m. tonight, a tornado cut through northern Christian County from Cerulean, across Dawson Springs Road and Old Palestine Road, and through Empire. The Pembroke area also suffered some wind damage.

No serious injuries or loss of life have been reported so far, so we've been more fortunate than many communities this stormy night.

The Kentucky New Era sent out a reporter after the storm and posted a story about the tornado that hit northern Christian County. According to the KNE story, damage includes power lines and transformers lying on the ground, roofs ripped off houses, barns and mobile homes destroyed, and trees blown over.

Our local news radio station, WHOP AM, was broadcasting full-time storm coverage as the front passed through the area. The broadcast included the audio portion of one of the Nashville television stations as their weather people watched the regional radar, took in storm reports, etc.

We are now under another severe thunderstorm watch. On our current radar map. Hopkinsville and Christian County lie directly in the path of a squall line. When this passes, the temperature is supposed to drop rapidly, and then, perhaps we'll have a quiet rest-of-the-night.

Below, I've posted the National Weather Service damage reports that appeared on Weather Underground.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

02/05/2008 0954 PM
Pembroke, Christian County.
Thunderstorm wind damage, reported by trained spotter.
Late report. Widespread power outages near Pembroke area. Deck off of home near Interstate 24 exit 86 along Good Hope Cemetery Road.


02/05/2008 0735 PM
3 miles SW of Crofton, Christian County.
Tornado, reported by trained spotter.
On Old Palestine Road... numerous houses damaged or destroyed and people are trapped in homes. Emergency personnel en route.


2/05/2008 0730 PM
3 miles E of Bainbridge, Christian County.
Thunderstorm wind damage, reported by law enforcement.
Several structures and numerous trees and power lines down on Old Palestine Road


02/05/2008 0730 PM
3 miles SW of Crofton, Christian County.
Thunderstorm wind damage, reported by law enforcement.

St. Elmo School Revisited

A local couple is compiling information about the St. Elmo School in southeastern Christian County, KY

An early photo of the
St. Elmo School in Christian County, KY

I had a nice note recently from Charles and Dean Norfleet, who grew up in the St. Elmo community of southeastern Christian County, KY. The Norfleets happened to find a post about three old Christian County schools (St. Elmo, Fairview, and Ralston) that I had made a few months ago. Charles wrote the following in an e-mail:

As one who went to the St. Elmo School, I appreciate your interest in it. My wife and I both attended there. I left in 1948 to attend Pembroke and she was among the last group of students to attend there in 1949. I am 70 years old. There are a few people in Christian County still alive who went there earlier than I did (1943).

The building is still being used as a Homemakers Club meeting place. My wife is a current member of the club. They are searching for advice/procedures to have this building placed on the Kentucky Historical Register. If you have any ideas please share them.

This Club has been hosting a BBQ every year for over 55 years. You should attend. 500+ Christian Countians look forward to the 2nd Thursday in July when they come out to the old school for a great outdoor BBQ. Please find attached a very early picture of St. Elmo Elementary School.

If you have information about the school or experience with the Kentucky Historical Register, please get in touch with the Norfleets. They are documenting the school's history from old school rosters, people's memories, etc. You can write to me at prairiebluestem at gmail.com, and I will gladly forward your e-mail to Charles and Dean.

As you can see from the photo at right, which I took earlier this year, the building appears to be very well preserved in its historic condition.

Charles also sent a link to "The Pembroke Connection", a great website that you'll enjoy even if you're not from this part of Kentucky. The site is mainly about the Pembroke school -- that is, the Pembroke school along Highway 41, not the new Pembroke school on Highway 115 south of town. The old photos are a trip back in time.

Related post: Three Old Schools in Christian County, KY

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Grain Elevators in Pembroke, KY

Life in Christian County, Kentucky...

These grain elevators on the east side of the little village of Pembroke are surely the tallest structures within city limits. This photo was taken on a quiet Sunday afternoon.

Pembroke is a thriving little town of about 400 inhabitants, situated on the Louisville & Nashville Railroad, ten miles south of Hopkinsville. Its founder was R. C. Jameson, who at first (about 1848-49) kept the post office in his private residence, but afterward built a storehouse at the junction of the Tobacco and Nashville roads to which he removed it. It has a score or more of business houses, a church, a flouring-mill, a planing-mill, two tobacco warehouses, a rehandling establishment, several shops, and last but not least two excellent schools...

...There are a number of excellent flouring-mills in the several precincts [Pembroke, Casky, and Longview] that do a large and flourishing business, but want of space forbids their mention. Like the other parts of southern Christian most of the lands are well adapted to the growth of corn and wheat, and keep the mills well supplied with grist."

Quoted from William Henry Perrin's 1884 Christian County, Kentucky History .

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Christian County, KY