The Blue Grass Trust for Historic Preservation

03/12/2025

It is with heavy hearts that we mark the passing of Kent Pleasants, a dedicated leader, devoted supporter, and cherished member of the Blue Grass Trust. Kent’s unwavering commitment to our mission has left an indelible mark on our organization. He served multiple terms on the Board of Directors and was currently serving as Treasurer and chair of the Finance and Nominating Committees.

Kent was deeply passionate about preserving, revitalizing, and promoting the historic places that define our community. His efforts have significantly enhanced the quality of life for Kentuckians—both now and for generations to come. Through his advocacy, service, and educational work, Kent embodied the mission of the Blue Grass Trust, and we are committed to continuing that work in his honor.

We invite you to learn more about the incredible legacy Kent leaves behind by reading his memorial, linked in the comments.

Kent’s sudden passing has left a profound void, and we know he will be deeply missed by all who had the privilege of working alongside him, especially within the Blue Grass Trust community.

03/07/2025

Hartland Stud, also known as Spring Farm, once encompassed 1,600 acres north of Versailles between routes 60 and 62. Today’s Forgotten Friday post explores its storied history.

Settler Nathaniel Hart bought this land from William Preston and constructed a house with neoclassical styling around 1805. Perched on top an “immense cavern,” it lay near several Indian mounds. Hart’s daughter, Louisiana, married plantation owner Tobias Gibson in 1827, and their son, Randall, was born at Spring Farm in 1832. He would later gain recognition as a Confederate brigadier-general, Louisiana senator, and Tulane University administrator. Thereafter, ownership of the estate passed to Randall’s brother, Hart Gibson.

Nathaniel’s granddaughter, Susan Preston Hart, and her new husband, railway manager Johnson Camden Jr., moved into the house in 1892. Shortly thereafter, Camden’s illustrious horse breeding career began; his initial stock at Hartland Stud included Spendthrift, the great grandsire of Man O’ War. A member of the first State Racing Commission, Camden was also president of the Kentucky Jockey Club. Yet his interest in husbandry extended beyond horses, as he raised prize-winning Hereford cattle and Hampshire sheep as well. To boot, he also represented Kentucky in the U.S. Senate.

Camden financed these pursuits by investing in the Kentucky coal sector and introducing railway feeders that linked new mines with the main lines. When the original Hartland burned in 1899, he lavishly rebuilt it at the cost of $30,000. In 1931, Camden sold the farm to construction magnate W. Arnold Hanger – the partner of Silas Mason – and relocated to Runnymeade in Paris. For several years, realtor Mary C. Tipton operated Hartland as a tearoom and event space. There was a scheme in 1942 to convert it into a convalescent home for crippled children, but this foundered due to the lack of orthopedic surgeons during wartime.

A decade later, Hanger sold 1,400 acres of Hartland Stud to oil tycoon James Abercrombie, who established Pin Oak Farm on the estate. As for Hartland itself, it was likely demolished in the 1950s, as the c. 1958 mansion at 3000 Frankfort Road occupies its general location.

Sources
“Tract of Land,” Kentucky Gazette, May 26, 1877
“Gibson Wedding Date Set,” Lexington Leader, January 14, 1896
Daniel Mayes Bowmar, “A Famous Bluegrass Home and its Historic Associations,” Courier-Journal, October 23, 1898
“Land, Stock and Crop,” Jessamine Journal, June 2, 1899
“The Residence at Hartland Burns,” Kentucky Gazette, December 30, 1899
“Over the State,” Lexington Leader, February 21, 1901
“Southdowns Most Popular,” Lexington Herald, March 6, 1922
“Camden Cattle will be Shown,” Lexington Herald, November 6, 1922
Neville Dunn, “Horse Talk,” Lexington Herald, March 24, 1931
“Tea Room to be Opened at Old Woodford Estate,” Lexington Leader, November 1, 1936
“Hartland House May be Used by Convalescent Crippled Tots,” Lexington Herald, April 14, 1942
“Hartland House Plan for Tots Abandoned,” Lexington Herald, May 22, 1942
“Senator Camden Dies Following 10-Day Illness,” Lexington Herald, August 17, 1942
“Company Sells 1,400 Acres,” Lexington Herald, May 18, 1952
Arden Bullock, “At Keeneland,” Lexington Herald, April 15, 1953

03/05/2025

Tune in online on March 5th for a special virtual deTour in collaboration with our friends at Ashland, The Henry Clay Estate! This program will highlight the...

03/04/2025

“Hartland” (3685 Winding Wood Lane) is a stellar Greek Revival residence that was once
surrounded by 400 acres of farmland. A BGT plaque property, it is associated with one of
Central Kentucky’s earliest settler families.

Virginian Captain Nathaniel Hart ventured west in 1775 and brokered a treaty with Cherokee
chiefs that transferred nearly half of present-day Kentucky to the Transylvania Company.
Nathaniel’s son, John Sr., then inherited a significant portion of his father’s land along Tates
Creek Road. The National Register nomination for Hartland indicates it was built for John’s son,
John H. Hart, in the 1840s, but the date of construction may be earlier. In 1839, relative Edwin
Hart sold John Jr. 53 acres, which included a standing residence.

The façade of Hartland features tripartite windows and rather uncommon squared, brick
columns upholding the pediment. The entry is surrounded by wooden, fluted pilasters and Doric
columns that support an entablature. A rear, two-story ell extends behind the main block and
has been lightly modified.

Historical references to John H. Hart are scarce, but he did serve as county delegate to a
convention of the nativist American (Know Nothing) Party in 1857. Hartland, meanwhile, was
regaled in the press as a bucolic retreat on account of its old-growth forests. When Hart died in
1877, the estate passed to daughter Mary. At the turn of the century, her son, J. Hart Brown.
frequently entertained at their country seat and hosted rabbit hunts under the auspices of the
Iroquois Hunt Club.

Hartland was finally sold out of the family in 1922. From 1940 to 1981, it was owned by Mary
Sayre Combs, whose father had founded the Iroquois Hunt Club. When she was not in the
fields, Mary was showing her purebred poodles and Siamese cats throughout the country. In
1987, Combs’ trust sold the entire acreage to the Hartland Development Partnership, which
rehabilitated the house and subdivided the land to construct the neo-Georgian residences that
now pervade the neighborhood.

Check back this Friday for a post on a wholly different Hartland that once stood on Hart family
land near Versailles!

Sources
Fayette County land records
1850, 1870 federal censuses
“400 Acres of Land!” Lexington Observer & Reporter, April 5, 1851
“Convention of the American Party of the Eight Congressional District,” Tri-Weekly
Commonwealth, May 15, 1857
“In the Country,” Kentucky Gazette, June 1, 1872
“Executors’ Sale,” Kentucky Gazette, May 12, 1877
“Social and Personal,” Daily Leader, November 19, 1896
“Social and Personal,” Daily Leader, September 8, 1897
“Society,” Lexington Herald, March 13, 1921
“The Loss of Mrs. James Augustine,” Lexington Herald, July 26, 1928
Mary Jane Gallaher, “First Call,” Lexington Leader, July 13, 1950
“Mary Sayre Combs, 81, Dies” Lexington Leader, August 30, 1974
Mrs. Robert McMeekin and Richard S. DeCamp, “Hartland – National Register Nomination
Form,” 1986

02/21/2025

The February 28th deadline for nominations for our 2025 Preservation Awards is fast approaching! Check out the Advocacy page on our website for details (link below) and honor the impactful preservation leaders and projects in your community!

https://www.bluegrasstrust.org/preservation-awards-nominations

02/14/2025

As we celebrate 70 years of making preservation possible, we're looking to fill in the chapters of our own history — and we need your help! The Blue Grass Trust History Harvest is an initiative to gather stories, photographs, documents, and artifacts that help tell the full story of our impact in Central Kentucky.

Do you have old event photos, letters, memorabilia, or personal stories connected to BGT? These pieces, big or small, can help us gain a more complete perspective of our history and the people who’ve shaped it.

If you have something to share, reach out to Executive Director Dr. Jonathan Coleman at [email protected]. Together, we can preserve the legacy of the Blue Grass Trust for generations to come!

02/11/2025

James Turner (1818-1885), a vocal proponent of education for Lexington’s African American youth in the Reconstruction era, resided in the 1812 plaque property at 331 S. Mill.

Liberated in 1841, Turner acquired this Federal-style row house through his former enslaver, farmer John H. Wilson. Wilson had bought the property from the heirs of original builder James Lemon in 1843; six years later, he won a lawsuit against a Matilda Prather, who was likely his tenant, and forced a sale of the house. Repurchasing it at auction, Wilson then transferred it to Turner, who was working as a plasterer.

In the 1860s, Turner emerged as a key advocate for educating the city’s 2,000 Black children. The American Missionary Association had set up a school on Fourth Street (where St. Andrews now stands) that was helmed by E. Belle Mitchell, but this space quickly reached capacity. Meanwhile, the city’s leading Black women – including Turner’s wife, Arena – launched a campaign to acquire the old Methodist Episcopal Church on Church Street and rechristened it as Ladies’ Hall. Turner then allied with the Freedmen’s Bureau and the AMA to finance and staff the Howard School, which was based at this location.

With the support of Judge M. C. Johnson, the school board appointed Turner as a trustee to disburse the tax money of Black property owners that was earmarked for public education. Yet this percentage was inadequate, and Turner was constantly beseeching the Council to provide more funds. His exertions led to the founding the Daniel Hand School at Corrall and Race and another facility at the old Pleasant Green Baptist Church in the 1870s. None of these survives.

A trustee of St. Paul AME Church, Turner orchestrated the purchase of an adjacent lot for a new parsonage in 1862. While some accounts identify Turner as a preacher and church elder, others omit him from their list of reverends based at St. Paul. However, he did buy two houses between Mechanic and Third that the church may have utilized. To complicate matters, a wholly different James M. Turner served as pastor from 1887-89 and resided in the parsonage.

Addendum: In addition to promoting public education, Turner served as a delegate at the first Convention of Colored Men of Kentucky, which was held at the Ladies’ Hall and St. Paul in 1866. He was also the first treasurer of the Agricultural and Mechanical Fair of Colored People; in 1871, M. C. Johnson granted this organization a long-term lease of 25 acres on his estate. Tragically, the c. 1822 Ladies’ Hall was demolished in 1958 for surface parking.

When the AMA outgrew the Daniel Hand School, it constructed a stately Romanesque building on Georgetown Pike: the Chandler Normal School, which was named for benefactor Phoebe Chandler of Andover, Massachusetts. The fascinating story of this lost building is the subject of this month’s virtual deTour.


Sources

Fayette County land records
1867, 1888 city directories
History of Fayette County, Kentucky, ed. William Henry Perrin (1882)
“Bible Society Meeting,” Kentucky Gazette, January 4, 1868
“Editor Kentucky Gazette,” Kentucky Gazette, January 27, 1869
“An Appeal to the Citizens of Lexington,” Kentucky Gazette, April 11, 1869
“Colored School,” Lexington Observer & Reporter, July 7, 1869
“City Council Proceedings,” Kentucky Gazette, November 6, 1869
“City Council Proceedings,” Kentucky Gazette, January 6, 1872
“Kentucky Legislation,” Kentucky Gazette, March 9, 1872
“Report of the Committee,” Kentucky Gazette, June 8, 1872
“Examination of the Colored Schools,” Kentucky Gazette, July 1, 1874
“A Colored School,” Kentucky Leader, January 14, 1890
E. A. Clarke, “St. Paul’s Church,” Lexington Leader, April 13, 1911
“Negro Minister of M. E. Church Dies,” Lexington Herald, September 8, 1911
“Builders of Lexington --- VI,” Lexington Herald, December 17, 1911
“Negroes Growing with Lexington,” Lexington Herald, December 26, 1920

02/07/2025

Don’t miss our upcoming Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credits Workshop on February 20, which will be a valuable session for property owners and preservation enthusiasts seeking to make the most of tax credits for historic properties.

Learn the ins and outs of the application process, eligibility requirements, and how these credits can support your preservation projects. Mark your calendar and join us for an informative evening!

This FREE workshop is presented in partnership with the Blue Grass Trust and the Kentucky Heritage Council (State Historic Preservation Office). Complimentary parking is available in the parking lots of 201 North Mill Street and 210 North Broadway.

02/04/2025

This month’s BGT success story profiles the 1835 Samuel Oldham House at 245 S. Limestone,
a National Register-listed property that almost suffered demolition by neglect in the early 2000s.
One of the earliest extant residences in Lexington built for a free Black person, it underwent a
major transformation that is chronicled in this slideshow.

Samuel obtained a deed of emancipation from his enslaver, James Harper, in 1826. Four years
later, he purchased his wife, Daphney, and their two children, Samuel C. and Lawson; he
manumitted them four days after that transaction. By this time, Samuel was an established
barber and operator of the Caledonia Baths on E. Main. The proceeds from these ventures
allowed him to buy a lot on S. Limestone on which he constructed a stately Federal-style house.
However, Samuel lost a lawsuit in 1839 and was compelled to sell his new residence.

Later owners included the oft-married Juretta Taylor, who lived there from 1848 to 1871 with her
second and third husbands. The latter of these – obstetrician and justice of the peace Dr.
Joseph Graves Chinn – had trained under Dr. Benjamin Dudley at Transylvania University. In
the second half of the 19 th century, the house’s fenestrations were elongated and outfitted with
Italianate windows. It contained an antiques store from 1933-57 and then functioned as a
boarding house until the LFUCG condemned it in 2000.

After BGT put the Oldham House on its Eleven Endangered List, we approached the owner and
offered our assistance in creating a rehabilitation plan and applying for historic tax credits.
Although he signed an agreement to this effect, no material action was taken. In 2004, the
owner approached the Board of Architectural Review to sanction the house’s demolition
(despite failing to provide evidence of economic hardship). Thankfully, this request was denied.
Stephen Dawahare then purchased the Oldham House as a stopgap measure to prevent further
deterioration. Beginning in 2006, Coleman Callaway oversaw a full rehabilitation of the building,
which included a total repointing, chimney reconstruction, and rear addition.

Addendum: Samuel C. Oldham followed his father into the barber trade and later served with
the Kentucky Infantry during the Civil War. He participated in the First Convention of Colored
Men of Kentucky, which was held at St. Paul AME Church and the nearby “Ladies Hall” at Upper
and Church in 1866. His own son, who was also named Samuel, died relatively young from
pneumonia in 1896 and is buried in African Cemetery No. 2.

Sources
Fayette County land records
BGT plaque files and internal correspondence
1864, 1867 Lexington city directories
1860, 1870 federal censuses
“Sale of City Property,” Kentucky Gazette, May 9, 1839
Proceedings of the First Convention of Colored Men of Kentucky (1866)
“A Venerable Physician,” Lexington Leader, June 24, 1890
Michelle Ku, “Time short for historic house,” Herald-Leader, February 23, 2002
John Stamper, “Oldham House stays put for now,” Herald-Leader, September 8, 2004
Mike Meuser, “Threatened Demolition of Limestone Properties Challenges Trust Resources and
Existing Preservation Laws,” Preservation Matters, Fall 2004
Jillian Ogawa, “Historic home needs loving owner,” Herald-Leader, February 11, 2006
Jillian Ogawa, “Closing a deal on history,” Herald-Leader, March 1, 2006

01/31/2025

One of Kentucky’s leading social reformers, Madeline McDowell Breckinridge founded the Abraham Lincoln School in Lexington’s Irishtown at De Roode and W. High. Today’s Forgotten Friday post examines the history of that remarkable building.

The daughter of Major H. C. McDowell, Madeline enjoyed an idyllic childhood on Woodlake Farm (see our January 10 post). She married Lexington Herald publisher Desha Breckinridge in 1898 but soon emerged as a prominent public figure in her own right. As a president of the Kentucky Equal Rights Association and vice president of the National Woman Suffrage Association, she doggedly sought to extend the franchise. Madline’s advocacy work also extended to public health and child welfare, leading her to serve as vice president of the Kentucky Child Labor Commission, a trustee of the Fayette County Tuberculosis Sanitarium, and a director of Fayette County Public Health Nursing Association.

Recognizing the needs of Lexington’s impoverished children, Breckinridge established the Lincoln School as a progressive institution in 1912. Having received $10,000 from the Board of Education, she privately raised $25,000 (including a donation from Robert Todd Lincoln). The Lincoln School was inspired by Chicago’s settlement houses that catered to entire communities. It therefore provided manual training in areas like carpentry and sewing, while its facilities were open to local residents after hours. These included the city’s first public pool, which magnate J. B. Haggin subsidized. Breckinridge also accommodated students with tuberculosis by constructing a rooftop garden and offering open-air classes.

By 1965, the Lincoln School was suffering from deferred maintenance and required a new roof, masonry repairs, and systems upgrades. A critical report drawn up by UK’s Bureau of School Services concluded that Lincoln had “little to recommend it as a modern school facility.” However, Irishtown residents protested its looming closure; they formed the Manchester Street Community Action Group and enlisted the aid of Governor Chandler’s law firm. Unfortunately, these efforts were unsuccessful, and the school was demolished in the 1970s.

Sources
“The Abraham Lincoln School,” Lexington Herald, April14, 1912
“Some Recent Photographs of New Lincoln ‘Model’ School,” Lexington Herald, November 24, 1912
“Propose Roof Garden for Lincoln School,” Lexington Herald, January 10, 1913
“Swimming Pool to be Opened this Week,” Lexington Herald, June 11, 1913
“Many Things Needed at Open Air School,” Lexington Herald, November 22, 1913
“Memory of Henry Clay is Revered on his Birthday,” Lexington Leader, April 11, 1913
William Elsey Connelly and E. M. Coulter, History of Kentucky, vol. 3 (1922)
Beverley Fortune, “Lincoln School Opened in 1912 as a Model School, ‘Unique in Several Respects,’” Lexington Leader, December 30, 1965
Juliet Galloway, “Board Decides to Close Abraham Lincoln School,” Lexington Herald, June 3, 1966
“Survey Critical of Lexington Schools,” Lexington Herald, July 27, 1966
Beverley Fortune, “People in Community ‘Cherish That School,’” Lexington Leader, August 3, 1966

01/28/2025

01/23/2025

The Blue Grass Trust’s annual Preservation Awards honor individuals and organizations that have made major contributions towards safeguarding Central Kentucky’s remarkable built heritage. These nine awards recognize a variety of preservation-related accomplishments including educational publications, adaptive reuse projects, community advocacy, and craftsperson skill.

Would you like to acknowledge and celebrate a veteran practitioner or a rising star in the field? Nominations may be submitted by completing the form on our website and emailing additional materials to community outreach manager Jackson Osborne. See the link below for specific instructions.

https://www.bluegrasstrust.org/preservation-awards-nominations

Nominations are due by February 28, 2025.

Pictured: 2024 Preservation Awards event at Thomas Hunt Morgan House auditorium

01/21/2025

One of the country’s premier Standardbred operations, Col. W. T. Withers’ Fairlawn Farm encompassed 150 acres between N. Limestone and Russell Cave Road.

A Mexican-American War veteran, Withers commanded the Mississippi Light Artillery during the Civil War, as his wife owned a plantation in that state. Following that conflict, the governor of Mississippi tasked Withers with securing a pardon for Confederate soldiers who were not included under the general amnesty. He then established a company to sell vacated lands in the South and, for a time, managed estates that northern capitalists had purchased.

His finances depleted, Withers moved to Lexington and established Fairlawn in 1875. He soon attained a global following by publishing expansive catalogues and selling trotters by correspondence. Withers’ horses were “sent to Canada and Prince Edward Island, to Oregon, to Australia and New Zealand, to Italy and to the Russian province of Bessarabia.” King Kalakaua of Hawaii was a favored customer and even visited the farm.

Withers resided in the Italianate house at 906 N. Broadway that surgeon and racing enthusiast Dr. Benjamin Dudley had constructed in the 1850s. From its library, one could observe a “commodious training track, laid out like one of those mythical fairy circles.” Withers’ principal stable resembled a kind of “horse cathedral” with hardwood floors and colored glass windowpanes.

Despite Withers’ substantial investment, Fairlawn Farm was short-lived. Prior to his passing in 1889, the Belt Land Company was already attempting to acquire part of his acreage for its rail line. Fairlawn sold that year for $105,000 and was lauded as “one of the most beautiful dwelling places in Lexington, to say nothing of the stock-breeding establishment.” Yet new owner A. Smith McCann faced obstacles for the outset. In 1892, vandals set fire to the aforementioned stable, leading to the death of five trotters and the loss of that structure. Shortly thereafter, McCann resold part of Fairlawn to Withers’ widow; the main house remained under family ownership until 1948. The Thoroughbred Record then acquired 906 N. Broadway and occupied that location until 2013.

01/17/2025

Celebrating 70 Years of Preservation!

In 2025, we mark a monumental milestone: seven decades of making preservation possible. This is not just a time to honor our past but an opportunity to expand our commitment to preserving the places and histories that make Central Kentucky unique. Join us as we reflect on our shared legacy and look forward to an exciting future ahead!

Swipe through historical photos from our archives to see how far we’ve come together since 1955.

To celebrate, we’re launching a year-long series of events and initiatives:
- History Harvest: Share your stories, photos, and artifacts to help preserve BGT’s history.
- Founders’ Day Celebration: Become a member and join us in July for a special event honoring 70 years of impact.
- Virtual Historic Tour: Explore Central Kentucky’s earliest log and stone buildings in a free, curated online tour.
- Special deTours: Visit iconic sites saved through our advocacy over the past seven decades.

Stay tuned for updates on these events and ways you can get involved!

01/14/2025

ADVOCACY ALERT! Lexington is in the midst of a building frenzy, as de facto privatized
dormitories continue to spring up all along the perimeter of the University of Kentucky.
The recent rezoning of E. Maxwell and Stone Avenue notably permitted the construction
of a 278-unit, 656-bed, 75-foot-high building (The Maxwell) that will replace twelve
National Register-listed residences currently offering affordable housing. Troublingly, the
owners of that property are now reneging on promised design features that helped
secure the project’s approval. How is this permissible? And more generally, how do
commissioners and staff monitor these sprawling complexes to ensure they cohere with
their often-historic settings?

Dr. Zak Leonard’s recent op-ed in the Herald-Leader (link below), which is also available
on our website blog, explores these issues and questions the appropriateness of the
developer’s design and tactics. The Blue Grass Trust fervently believes that new
construction should harmonize with the existing building stock in historic neighborhoods.
The city’s comprehensive plans also support this position. Lexington’s distinctiveness is
something to celebrate and elevate, not eradicate.

https://www.kentucky.com/opinion/op-ed/article298446358.html

01/10/2025

Today’s Forgotten Friday post explores Woodlake Farm (6000 Georgetown Road), a grand estate that once belonged to harness horse breeder Major Henry Clay McDowell.

Born in Fincastle, Virginia, McDowell moved to Louisville with his family in 1838. The son of a physician, he was also a relative of Dr. Ephraim McDowell, the famous surgeon whose house still stands in Danville. Henry saw active duty in the Civil War with the federal Army of the Cumberland and was appointed U.S. marshal for the District of Kentucky from 1862-64. During combat, he contracted a serious fever that led to lasting health complaints and reportedly contributed to his death.

In 1870, McDowell acquired the 430-acre Woodlake Farm and began raising Standardbred horses, or trotters, who competed in the increasingly popular sport of harness racing. He soon attained fame as “one of the leading turfmen of Kentucky” and, in 1877, was elected President of the National Trotting Horsebreeders’ Association. In this period, Woodlake’s expansive grounds included a stone, cross-gable Gothic-Revival mansion, a keeper’s cottage, and numerous outbuildings.

McDowell left Woodlake in 1882 and relocated his breeding enterprise to Lexington’s Ashland estate. This choice of residence was fitting, as he was married to one of Henry Clay’s granddaughters. Under McDowell’s stewardship, Ashland was transformed into a “mecca of the admirers of Henry Clay” and regularly hosted “visiting delegations from the East.” Aside from managing his stud farm, McDowell was also active in the city’s civic affairs. At the time of his death in 1899, he was serving as president of the Lexington & Eastern Railroad, a commissioner of the Eastern Kentucky Lunatic Asylum, and a director of the Kentucky Trotting Horse Breeders’ Association.

As for Woodlake Farm, it remained under the ownership of John C. Noel, the longtime president of the Farmers Bank of Frankfort. The Gothic residence burned in the early 1920s and was replaced by a two-story, Craftsman-style dwelling. When Noel died in 1941, the farm passed to his daughter, Mary Anne Hockensmith, who resided there until her passing at the age of 97 in 2021.

Sources
“Fine Trotting Stock at Col. H. C. McDowell’s Woodlake Farm,” Tri-Weekly Yeoman, April 6, 1875
No title, Weekly Yeoman, December 11, 1877
“McDowell Calvary,” Tri-Weekley Yeoman, May 10, 1879
No title, Frankfort Roundabout, October 21, 1882
“Maj. M’Dowell,” The Leader, January 7, 1896
“Leaning on the Arm of the Servant of Death, Major H. C. McDowell Passes into the Presence of His Maker,” Morning Herald, November 19, 1899
“John C. Noel,” State Journal, January 20, 1951
McKenna Horsley, “Life on Woodlake Farm: Hockensmith family continuing to work the land,” Frank., September 1, 2019