The Other Clooney Girl Singer ( Click here for more )

Elizabeth “ Betty “ Clooney was born April 12, 1931 at Maysville, KY. She married Pupi Campo on September 7, 1955. They had 4 children. Betty died on August 6, 1976 at Las Vegas, NV. She died, unexpectedly of a brain aneurysm. In honor of Betty the Clooney family founded the Betty Clooney Foundation . The Betty Clooney Foundation is for Persons with Traumatic Brain Injury and has been serving the needs of persons with Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) since 1983.

After the Clooney Sisters broke up their act and Rosemary went solo, Betty, who was still just a teenager, had her own local television show in Cinncinati, Ohio called "Teen Time". She later appeared on countless variety shows in the 1950s where she sang, danced and acted in skits that showcased her beautiful voice and brilliant sense of humor. She recorded for several record labels including King, RCA and Coral where she had a minor hit with the song "Sin And Satin" and also filmed several soundies of popular hits. She provided the singing voice for Vera Ellen in the film White Christmas that starred her sister Rosemary and features their now famous duet "Sisters". Not one to really seek fame, she subsequently retired from showbiz to raise her family appearing only sporadically on her siblings TV shows until her death.

Eastern State Hospital, Lexington, KY

The Eastern State Hospital was established by a legislative act of Dec. 4, 1822 and is the 2nd oldest mental hospital in the United States. On May 1, 1824 the hospital, known then as the Lunatic Asylum, welcomed it's first patient. Over the years, the name changed several times, until 1912 when the General Assembly officially renamed it Eastern State Hospital.

The following individuals, from Maysville-Mason County died while patients at Eastern State Hospital prior to 1946

Mr. John Bond - 1904
Mr. John Bond, aged 68, a resident of Maysville, died in the Lexington asylum Sunday of apoplexy.
Mr. Bond came to the asylum about a month ago. Friday he suffered a severe stroke of apoplexy and Sunday the attack was repeated with fatal results. Mrs. Bond and relatives came Monday to arrange for his funeral.
Mr. Bond was a chemist of ability, was president of the Bond Herb Co., of Maysville, and had been a distiller for several companies throughout the state. He was in business here about twenty years ago at the stand where the Navarre saloon at Water and Limestone now is and had a lucrative trade. He was a man of good standing and the misfortune which led to his presence in the asylum was deeply regretted.
Source: Lexington [KY] Leader, 24 October 1904, p. 5 col. 1; Contributed by Pam Brinegar

Judge Lewis Collins - 1870
The venerable Judge Lewis Collins, widely known as the author of Collins' History of Kentucky, died at the Eastern Lunatic Asylum last Saturday evening. Judge Collins was the oldest member of the Press, in this State. For many years he was the editor of the Maysville Eagle. When he abandoned the duties of newspaper life, he was made judge of the Court Court of Mason, and was President of several corporations. He had been insane for some years, and was so violent as to render his confinement in the Asylum a necessity. When in his right mind, he was actively benevolent and religious. For more than half a century he was a leading and devoted member of the Presbyterian Church. The good old man is at rest. Peace to his ashes.
Source: The Observer and Reporter, Lexington, KY, 02 February 1870, p. 3 col. 4 ; Contributed by Pam Brinegar

Mrs. Eliza Cooper - 1905
Mrs. Eliza Cooper, of Mason county, died at the Asylum Friday. Her body was sent to Maysville Saturday morning and was taken to her home at Rectorville, where the interment will take place Sunday afternoon at 2 p.m.
Source: Lexington [KY] Leader, 15 October 1905, sec. 2 p. 5 col. 5; Contributed by Pam Brinegar

Maria Green (colored).
"Not long after the death of my wife [in September 1880] my daughter Maria was stricken very severely, which resulted in her losing her mind and thus having to be taken to the Lexington Asylum, where she died in a short time."
Source: Life of the Rev. Elisha W. Green, Maysville KY, The Republican Printing Office, 1888; Contributed by Pam Brinegar

John C. Mackley - 1907
Maysville, Ky., Dec. 6 John C. Mackley, died in the Lexington Asylum this morning. He was an Odd Fellow, Elk, and a resident of this city, where he had many relatives. He was unmarried.
Source: Lexington [KY] Leader, 06 December 1907, p. 6 col. 3; Contributed by Pam Brinegar

Myrtle Dryden Stanton - 1945
MOTHER OF EIGHT DIES IN HOSPITAL: Today's Maysville Independent contained the following item that will be read with regret by many in this county, the lady named being a grand­daughter of the late Mr. and Mrs. Ambrose Barnett of this county. "Mrs. Myrtle Dryden Stanton, aged about 40, of Central Avenue, wife of Thomas William Stanton, Chesapeake and Ohio gate-man at the Carmel Street crossing, died last night at 9 o'clock at St. Elizabeth Hospital, where she had been a patient for the past four weeks. "Mrs. Stanton, about six weeks ago, underwent surgery at the hospital and recovered sufficiently to be brought home, but about a week after her return it was necessary for her to be hospitalized again. "A native of Maysville, she was the daughter of the late John and Lucy Dryden, of this city. "A member of St. Patrick Church, Mrs. Stanton was deemed by all who knew her as an excellent wife and mother, possessed of all Christian virtues. "Besides her husband she leaves eight children, Benny and Barney, in the United States Navy, Mildred, at St. Rita School, near Cincinnati, Juanita Jean, Catherine, Helen, Betty and Michael, all at home. "The body was returned last night to the Higgins and Slattery Funeral home where funeral arrangements have not been completed."
Source: TRIBUNE DEMOCRAT—November 15, 1945; Contributed by Mary Bishop

Maysville Fires

The Maysville Fire Department for a lot of years

The Parker Tobacco Company fire got me to thinking about other local fires. In the early 1950s there was the Modern laundry fire at the corner of Second and Wall streets. In 1956-57 there was a big fire at the then Texaco storage facility on Lexington Street extension across from Wald Park. In the late 1970s there was a big fire at Carpenter Motors on Second Street. It was where the empty lot is next to the OTB and of course a few years ago the fertilizer plant fire owned by Cargill. We also shouldn’t forget the burning of the Washington school. It was arson but never proven and no one was ever arrested. These are from memory in recent times. Of course there was the Opera Theatre fire in the 1890s.
If anyone remembers others, please tell us in the comment section.

Andrew McConnell January Cochran

Andrew McConnell January Cochran, (1854 - 1934)
the oldest son of Robert Armstrong and Harriet Frances (January) Cochran, was born February 4, 1854, in Maysville, Kentucky. His early education was in the public schools of his native town and continued at an academy conducted by W. W. Richerson, one of the most distinguished educators in northeastern Kentucky. In 1870, he marticulated in Centre College at Danville, Kentucky, from which he received an A. B. in 1873 and a M.A. in 1878. Cochran entered Harvard Law School in 1874 graduated, cum laude, with an LL.B. degree in 1877. On October 13, 1877, Cochran was admitted to the Kentucky Bar and joined the Maysville law firm of Barbour & Cochran, which existed until 1882. When Mr. Barbour retired, the firm continued under the name of Cochran & Son. After his father retired, Cochran joined W. H. Wadsworth in forming the Maysville law firm of Wadsworth & Cochran. They became the general counsel for the Chesapeake & Ohio Railway Company. In addition to his legal practice, Cochran was president of three companies: Maysville Street Railway & Transfer Company; the Maysville Gas Company, and the Maysville Cotton Mills Company. He also succeeded his father as vice-president of the Bank of Maysville. On April 24, 1901, the Senate was not in session when President William McKinley appointed Cochran as the first district judge on the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky. After McKinley's assassination, President Theodore Roosevelt renominated him on December 5, 1901, and the Senate confirmed him on December 17, 1901. After thirty-three years on the court, Judge Cochran died on June 12, 1934. Before his appointment to the bench, Judge Cochran was affiliated with the Republican Party. Fraternally, he was affiliated with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and Beta Theta Pi. He was a member and elder of the First Presbyterian Church of Maysville. He was a director of the Danville Theological Seminary and was a trustee of his alma mater, Centre College. On May 24, 1882, Cochran married Lucy B. McElory, daughter of John McElroy, a prominent farmer of Marion County, Kentucky, and his wife Lou Ellen (Skiles) McElroy.7 The Cochrans were the parents of three children: John McElroy Cochran, Harriet Francis (Cochran) Duke, and Robert Armstrong Cochran. Judge Cochran died on June 12, 1934.8

Maj. Gen Earnest O. Robbins II

From UK’s Engineering Hall of Distinction

Maj. Gen. Earnest O. Robbins II, was born in Maysville, Ky. And graduated from Maysville High School. He participated in UK Air Force ROTC and received a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from UK in 1969. Called to active duty shortly after graduation, he has had an illustrious military career by anyone’s standards, serving in various civil-engineer positions at home and abroad. He is currently assigned to the Pentagon as the Air Force’s highest-ranking civil engineer. His numerous responsibilities include policy, planning, development, construction and maintenance of all Air Force bases and installations.

Barry McCormick

William J. “ Barry “ McCormick was born in Maysville, KY on December 25, 1874. On September 25, 1895, at the age of 20, he broke into the major leagues at Louisville. He spent 9 years in the big leagues mostly with the Chicago Orphans who eventually would become the Cubs. Barry McCormick died on January 28, 1956 in Cincinnati and was buried in the St Joseph New Cemetery.

Maysville and Lexington Railroad

Maysville and Lexington Railroad Founded March 6, 1850.


The line of road was purchased by the Kentucky Central and later by the Louisville and Nashville
Railroad. The line ran approximately 50 miles of track from Paris, KY to Maysville, KY.
Bonds were sold to finance the construction. Apparently not everyone was happy being taxed to pay the interest
on the bonds because on Jan. 27, 1852: The Court of appeals, in Jacob A. SLACK et al. v.
Maysville and Lexington Railroad company, decide the tax to pay the interest upon the county bonds
issued to pay for subscription of stock constitutional. Ben. HARDIN, Thos. F. MARSHALL, John W. MENZIES, and Harrison TAYLOR attorneys for plaintiffs, and George ROBERTSON, James HARLAN, Henry WALLER, Thos. Y. PAYNE, and Frank T. HORD for defendants.. Henry Waller, who was born in Maysville, was the main organizer of the railroad. He Traveled as far as New York City selling the bonds.

A personal note: Jacob Slack b June 5 1814 d March 27, 1895 married Nancy Downing b Jan 29, 1819 and died July 16, 1886. Nancy was the daughter of Reason and Elizabeth Ellis Downing this writer’s ggg grand parents. Jacob and Nancy are buried in a family cemetery on Slack Pike. Guess old Jacob didn’t like taxes and more than I do.

Dr. Harry C. Denham

Photo from UK Wildcat Playing Days


He was born on June 17, 1918, a native of Lewis County, Kentucky, and he traversed these earthly bounds on August 25, 2001.
Harry C. Denham graduated from Maysville High School in 1936 where he lettered in football and basketball; he received his bachelor's degree from the University of Kentucky in 1941 where he also lettered in football and basketball, and he was past president of the University of Kentucky Alumni Association and served on the Board of Trustees for 10 years; he graduated from the University of Louisville Medical School in 1944, and after serving his country with distinction in the United States Army Medical Corps Department of Surgery in Vienna, Austria, he returned to Maysville in 1950 as general practitioner, obstetrician, and surgeon; and in 1956, he and his brother, Dr. Mitchell Denham, opened the Denham Medical Clinic from which he retired on August 31, 1984; and
Harry C. Denham was an esteemed member of the Maysville community where he was a devout member and chairman of the board of Trinity United Methodist Church; he served as past chairman of the Mason County Medical Society, was a member of the Kentucky Surgical Society, and served several terms as Hayswood Hospital Chief of Staff; he was an advocate of education, serving on the Kentucky School Board Association for 12 years and on the Maysville School Board for 21 years, but his proudest moment came as being one of the founding fathers of Maysville Community College; he was past president of the Maysville Country Club and the Maysville Lions Club; he was the recipient of the 1970 Maysville High School Distinguished Alumnus Award and he was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame;

J. Fred Helf

J. Fred Helf (born 1870?-died 1915?) was an American composer and sheet music publisher during the early 20th century.
Helf was born in Maysville, Kentucky. He went to seek his fortune in New York City at the age of 31. There he composed over 100 songs, some in collaboration with Will A. Heelan.
In October 1910 his music publishing company, J. Fred Helf Music, filed for bankruptcy with Elihu Root, Jr. acting as receiver. All the company's property and assets were sold at auction on March 12, 1913 in New York. He retired from the music business five months before he died due to an illness. He died in Liberty, New York at the age of 45 leaving a widow and a daughter.

For more go to Goggle and type J. Fred Helf

Maysville Earthquake

A 5.2 earthquake occurred on July 27, 1980 near Sharpsburg in Bath County some 30 miles northeast of Lexington. This earthquake is believed to have originated along a buried ancient fault zone from an unmapped area of geologic stress and was, therefore, a geologic surprise. This quake caused $3 million in damages, mostly in Maysville, Kentucky, not Sharpsburg at the epicenter. In Maysville 269 homes and 37 businesses were damaged. We lived in Cynthiana at the time and our brick house shook for several minutes but did not suffer any damage. Scared the heck out of me and my family.

The responsible fault begins at the eastern edge of the Blue Grass Region, the Kentucky River Fault System runs East-Northeast toward the Morehead/ Ashland areas and into West Virginia. This fault system runs beneath the Clays Ferry Bridge at the 99-mile marker on I-75 at the Madison- Fayette County line, and is part of a larger fault system. The southern band of the Kentucky River Fault System is the Paint Creek Fault, which runs through Hazard and further south.

Hayswood Hospital

Main entrance hallway









Opened in 1915 Hayswood Hospital served the medical needs of a seven county area for over 68 years. Since its closing in 1983 it has fallen into disrepair. For over 24 years it has slowly deteriorated to a condition that appears to be beyond saving. So what does the future hold for this Maysville landmark ?

Thanks Jeremy !

The following is from StrangeUSA.com
Located at the north end of 4th street, Abandoned since the early 80`s. People who live near it have said they have often seen strange lights in the windows and heard infant’s cries. Also some have claimed to see a figure standing in the last window on the third floor both day and night. Others who have been inside since its closing have noticed an old stretcher that seems to move on its own, others have said to have been followed by shadows accompanied by voices and the feeling of being watched. Others have claimed to see doctors in the halls and heard the cries of past patients. Red glowing eyes and what seems to be some sort of dog that seems to be chasing something have been seen, also cold spots and children playing in the waiting rooms. In the basement and all over the building are strange markings as if they are warnings of some kind, anyone who goes in, walks past, or drives by have said they felt sick and a threatening hostility. It is believed to haunt the entire town.

Maysville Escapes Cholera

Maysville 1873

So much of the epidemic of cholera in 1873 as affected the county of Mason, was confined to the city of Maysville, located upon the south bank of the Ohio river, sixty miles above Cincinnati. Maysville is a city of some importance, being the entrepot ( French for trading centre ) for the greater portion of Northeastern Kentucky, having a considerable tobacco-trade, and being the most extensive hemp-market in the United States. The manufacturing interests are large and growing. According to the census of 1870, Maysville has a population of 4,705 individuals, of whom 681 are negroes. The city is built upon an elevated, well-drained position, at the foot of an extensive range of hills, by which it is nearly encircled. It has daily communication with Cincinnati, Ohio, Parkersburg, and Wheeling, W. Va., and all intermediate points, by river-steamers, and with Lexington, Ky., sixty miles to the southwest, by the Maysville and Lexington Railway. The hills or bluffs in rear of the city are composed, according to Owen's geological survey, entirely of limestone, clay, and marlite. At Maysville, in 1849, cholera remained in force from the month of April until October; and there seemed to be just grounds for apprehending a serious epidemic in 1873, but the city escaped almost entirely.

Thomas Marshall

Thomas Marshall, soldier, born in Mason county, Kentucky, 13 April, 1793; died in Lewis county, Kentucky, 28 March, 1853, was well educated. He was severely wounded in a political duel with Charles S. Mitchell in 1812, served as a lieutenant in the war of that year, and was in the legislature several times between 1817 and 1844, serving one term as speaker of that body. He was commissioned by President Polk a brigadier-general of volunteers in the Mexican war, and commanded the Kentucky brigade under General John E. Wool. In consequence of disagreements with that officer, Marshall was left with only a part of his brigade to guard Rineonada pass and to drill raw recruits. He received orders to march for Buena Vista, cut his way through the forces of General Minon, but reached the field after the victory had been won. General Marshall, in conjunction with Gem Worth, preferred the charges against General Winfield Scott which led to a court of inquiry on that officer's conduct. After his return to Kentucky he was murdered by a tenant at his home in Lewis county. He was originally a Federalist, but became an ardent Democrat.--

Elijah Conner Phister

Elijah Conner Phister (October 8, 1822 - May 16, 1887) was a United States Representative from Kentucky. He was born in Maysville, Kentucky. He attended the Seminary of Rand and Richardson in Maysville, Kentucky and was graduated from Augusta College, Kentucky in August 1840. He studied law, was admitted to the bar, and commenced practice in 1844.
Phister served as mayor of Maysville, Kentucky in 1848. He was a circuit judge 1856-1862 and a member of the Kentucky House of Representatives 1867-1871. He was appointed one of the commissioners to revise the Kentucky statutes in 1872 but declined. Phister was elected as a Democrat to the Forty-sixth and Forty-seventh Congresses (March 4, 1879-March 3, 1883). After leaving Congress, he resumed the practice of law. He died in Maysville, Kentucky in 1887 and was buried in the City Cemetery.

Stanley Forman Reed

1884–1980, Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court (1938–57), b. Mason co., Ky. After receiving the B.A. degree from both Kentucky Wesleyan (1902) and Yale (1906), he studied law at the Univ. of Virginia and Columbia Univ. and then studied in France. A lawyer of Maysville, Ky., he became general counsel of the Federal Farm Board (1929–32) and of the Reconstruction Finance Corporation (1932–35). He was (1935–38) Solicitor General and presented the government arguments in numerous New Deal cases. Appointed to the Supreme Court by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Reed was generally considered a moderate there and often held the balance between the liberal and the conservative members of the court in split decisions.

1957 Maysville Bulldogs

The 50th Anniversary of the 1957 Maysville Bulldog Basketball Team

All Time School Records Held By This Bulldog Team

Most Wins In A Season = 34
Fewest Losses in A Season = 2
Highest Winning Percentage = 94.4
Longest Winning Streak = 23
Most Points In A Season = 2,680
Highest Average Per Game = 74.4
Highest Winning Margin = 20.7

1957 Team Members On All Time Scoring List
2. Allen Smith = 1,975
21. Jackie Allison = 1,014
28. Bobby Jones = 848
38. Dickie Breeze = 671
81. Kenny Downing = 426
91. Charlie Stewart = 391
107. Gene Peters = 322

Home Record = 16 – 0
Road Record = 18 – 2

Ed McClanahan

Ed in 1960s garb

Edward Poage McClanahan was born on Oct. 5, 1932, and grew up in Brooksville, Ky., in Bracken County.
He moved to Maysville, Ky., in 1948 and graduated from Maysville High School in 1951
He received his bachelor's degree in sociology from Miami University of Ohio in 1954.
He graduated with his master's in English from UK in 1958. He received a Stegner Fellowship in Creative Writing from Stanford University in 1962. In 1983, his first book The Natural Man, was published. He had worked on the coming-of-age story for the previous 22 years. In 1985, Famous People I Have Known, a collection of autobiographical essays, was published. In 1996, Congress of Wonders was published. This was a collection of modern day fairy tales. In 1998, My Vita, If You Will: The Uncollected Ed McClanahan was published. This brought together his essays and fictional stories. In 2002, the novella Fondelle: or The Whore With a Heart of Gold , a memoir, was published. In 2003, he edited Spit in the Ocean #7: All About Kesey, a group of essays devoted to Ken Kesey. His work has appeared in numerous magazines including Esquire, Rolling Stone and Playboy.
He has been awarded two Yaddo Fellowships, an Al Smith Fellowship and two best non-fiction awards from Playboy magazine. He has five children and lives with his wife, Hilda, in downtown Lexington.


An Interview Story with Ed

And then came his fateful visit to Maysville in 1968, which would set his creative juices flowing.

But by now this country-fried Kentuckian was a resident of the Left Coast, and being a resident meant more than owning a home and paying California taxes. McClanahan strived to keep his Kentucky accent, he says, but the 36-year-old was a neon-dusted groover of the Beautiful People by this point. He was of Beach Boy Brian Wilson's realm - not of Bluegrass and blue blood anymore.

Here's the story: "I had made a trip home to Kentucky ... and went in my hippie garb.

"I was wearing my bellbottoms and a shirt with great big sleeves, and I had long hair and granny glasses and had grown a mustache. People would stare at you on the street if you turned up in Maysville in clothes like that, and people did. But I thought, 'Aww, I can handle this, you know. It's no big problem.'

"I went to this place called Penington Club. ( This blogger might have been there…LOL ) And I was there drinking beer, and three big guys, young guys - much younger than I - immediately wanted to take me out, you know.

"They said, 'God damn hippie from Cali ... Wella, wella, what are you anyway, you know? Are you some kind of freak, you know? What is this?'

"I said, 'Well, let's talk about this a little bit.' I said, 'I bet I'm nearly twice as old as you are.'

"They said, 'Aww, the hell you are.'

"I said, 'Yeah, I am. I went to Maysville High School and graduated in '51.'

"And one of these guys said, 'You're full of shit because you never went to Maysville High School in 1951 because my brother was in the class of 1951 at Maysville High School.'

"And I said, 'Who ... what's your name?'

"And he told me, and I said, 'Your brother was one of my best friends, you know.' And so it turned out we ended up drinking beer together for a couple of hours and having a good time."

George Mason 1725-1792

George Mason (December 11, 1725 – October 7, 1792) was a United States patriot, statesman, and delegate from Virginia to the U.S. Constitutional Convention. He is called the "Father of the Bill of Rights". For all of these reasons he is considered to be one of the "Founding Fathers" of the United States.
Mason wrote the Virginia Declaration of Rights, which detailed specific rights of citizens. In addition to anti-federalist Patrick Henry, he was later a leader of those who pressed for the addition of explicitly stated individual rights as part of the U.S. Constitution, and did not sign the document in part because it lacked such a statement. His efforts eventually succeeded in convincing the Federalists to modify the Constitution and add the Bill of Rights (the first ten amendments of the Constitution). The Bill of Rights is based on Mason's earlier Virginia Declaration of Rights. Although an owner of black slaves, and a plantation owner, Mason favored the abolition of the slave trade. He once referred to slavery as "that slow poison, which is daily contaminating the minds and morals of our people." However, he spoke out against including any mention of slavery in the Constitution — whether from an abolitionist or anti-abolitionist standpoint.

Mason County KY was named after George Mason