KYBARREN-L Archives

From: Sandi Gorin <>
Subject: [KYBARREN] BELL'S TAVERN - PART 3
Date: Sat, 18 Sep 1999 11:44:04 -0500

17 Mar 1832 John G. Clements sold his stated half share of the 300 acres
and hewed log house adjoining the brick tavern to Robert Slaughter Bell.
Unlike the previous schemers, the honest citizen Bell knew Clements owned
the land. Robert Slaughter Bell paid the Clements court costs and $345.00
for a deed to the last share of land.

2 Mar 1839 Robert Slaughter Bell, (NOT WILLIAM BELL), bought the entire
Moorehead heirs landed holdings in the forks area to include the "TAVERN
KNOWN AS WALKER"S STAND."

17 Oct 1845 Robert's widow Maria Gorin Bell deeded two thirds of the
tavern property to her two sons William F. and John M. Bell with
survivorship. Maria Bell retained a one third part. When John M. died in
1864, she and William F. were the inheritors of his share.

23 May 1868William F., the lone Bell survivor, sells the "old tavern
property" to Walker R. Proctor, of Cave City.

20 Feb 1870 Walker R. Proctor of Cave City, Ky. sells the tavern
property to George M. Proctor for $7000.00. This is the first time George
M. Proctor ever attained title to the tavern. Walker R. Proctor died the
same year.

April term 1873 W. A. Parker as administrator for the Walker Proctor
estate sued George Proctor for unpaid debts of $4333.33. A sale was ordered
at the Court House.

Sept 1873 Wm. H. Dickinson as Master Commissioner sold the tavern
property debt of $4333.33 to the administrator's private attorney Lewis
McQuown for the quoted sum of $3000.42 and McQuown immediately deeded same
to Thomas M. Dickey. Thomas M. Dickey was the court appointed administrator
of the John M. Bell and Maria L. Bell Proctor estate. He was suing for a
division of the Robert S. and Maria L. Bell estate. When all facts are laid
out in the open, it becomes easy to see why George Proctor would refuse to
honor the Court's authority.

Again the Barren Circuit Court was being asked to legalize a misdeed and
take the tavern property from the rightful owner. George Proctor realized
the scam being pulled by the attorney and the two administrators. It would
appear to almost anyone there was a conflict of interest herein. Again the
Court had its head in the sand and approved the confiscation of the Tavern.
George M. Proctor refused to vacate and maintained possession for several
years much to the chagrined court's disbelief!

A frustrated Thomas M. Dickey then sued for possession of the property he
bought from the Court. The Court merely ordered a resale of the tavern
property, hoping to appease both Dickey and Proctor. George Proctor would
not buy what he rightfully owned. He still would not budge!

12 APR 1877 Thomas M. Dickey again bought the property he had previously
bought, but Proctor still would not vacate. The Court did nothing.

27 DEC 1877 Four years and two months after purchase of the tavern
property and with Proctor still in possession, Thomas M. Dickey gave up and
sold the tavern property to the Deposit Bank of Glasgow.

1 Jun 1883 The Deposit Bank of Glasgow sold the tavern property to John
T. Gardner. Previous to the tavern property purchase, John Gardner had been
in oil exploration. George M. Proctor moved from the premises.

My grandmother, Florence Doyel Snoddy was born 1872 in the Knobs just
North of and in back of the Park City school. She remembered, as a young
girl in the mid-1880's hearing the blasting of rock "over in the knobs."
Her grandmother Sally Owens Gardner said it was John T Gardner rebuilding
the tavern. Judge Shelly Riherd said the old state quarry out US 31-W was
used long before they took control of quarrying.

June 1888 John T. Gardner made a trip to New York seeking investor
capital which he could not obtain here. Investment was desperately needed
to continue construction. While there, he became seriously ill. His son
John W. Gardner was summoned and brought his father home, and John T.
Gardner died on 18 June 1888.

John T. Gardner lays sleeping in the Tavern families burial ground as
the last owner, and attempted rebuilder. In the same burial ground lies the
first builder and owner, James Clements.

Colonel Sandi Gorin
205 Clements,Glasgow, KY 42141
(270) 651-9114 or E-fax (707)222-1210
Member Glasgow-Barren County Chamber of Commerce

Gorin Genealogical Publishing:

http://members.delphi.com/gorin1/index.html

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This thread:

• [KYBARREN] BELL'S TAVERN - PART 2 & a note by Sandi Gorin <>

  • [KYBARREN] BELL'S TAVERN - PART 3 by Sandi Gorin <>