Daily News for Columbia, KY and Adair County from Thursday, January 10, 2008 on ColumbiaMagazine.com

2008-01-10 - Holmes Bend Road (now), Columbia, KY - Photo From George Rice Album.

GEORGE RICE shares this favorite old photo from 60 years ago. It is the school picture taken in 1947 of the Jericho students. In the background is the Charity Baptist Church. The students include, front row, from left, Nellie Gilbert, Nina Parker, Sonny Loy, Billy Schuler, Lillian Davis, Betty Hovious, Roy Hovious, Norene Willis, Arlene Parker, Morris Merritt, Joe Grant, Eugene Davis.Second row Vitis Pendleton, Billy Gilbert, Bobby Pendleton, Nancy Renfro, Fanny Bell Willis, Jimmy Rice, George Rice, Jr; James Merritt. (?), Bernice Knight, Geneva Knight, Viola Willis, Vaughn Schuler, and the teacher, Mrs. Eula Schuler. Mrs. Schuler was one of most wonderful teachers for those who knew her, George Rice says. The Schuler boys were her sons. Her husband, their father, was a one-time Adair County judge. The Riall's Store, with Holmes Post office, was located across the street, and with the Charity Baptist Church and Jericho School, was the entire downtown. The village was called Jericho Community. Going to what is now Green River Lake, the road beyond Jericho Community went down to Fisher's Ford, named for S.L. (Steven Leslie, "Hunter") Fisher, one of the area's most memorable citizens. What is now the other major street in Jericho, Corbin's Bend Road, was then called Mt. Carmel Road. That road, in those days, went to the Mont Corbin farm, and branch went down to Mt. Carmel Church, and on to Coburg. The Jericho school was discontinued in the mid 1950's. Charity Baptist Church was established in 1868 and met in various schoolhouses for worship until the above was built in 1914; the church still stands and still holds services twice a week, on Sunday mornings and Wednesday nights. An unexplained mystery is where one of Jericho most famous graduates, Robert Renfro, is not in the picture. Renfro's name brings to mind that this school provided many of "The Green River Kids," outstanding students at Columbia High School and Adair County High. Renfro was 1958 ACHS Salutatorian, classmate Nina Parker (Day) was 1958 ACH Valedictorian. Nina Parker Day commented, January 12, 2008, "This group shared many happy school daystogether and most of us went back to Sunday School and church serviceson Sundays at Charity Baptist Church," Clicking Read More accesses the "Today, Thurs. Jan. 10, 2008" feature.