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Columbia Gas Dept. GAS LEAK or GAS SMELL Contact Numbers 24 hrs/ 365 days 270-384-2006 or 9-1-1 Call before you dig 
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Local history: Memories of the Toll Plaza at Edmonton, KY The night they robbed the Toll Plaza - and got away with it - left collectors always apprehensive about '3:00 AM in the morning on a third shift' By Geniece Marcum For a hair raising experience we look back at thenight the Edmonton Toll Plaza was robbed. The timewas 3AM in the morning, third shift; and as usualonly three collectors were on duty. Wayne Edwards was on relief in the building with Don Bastin and Janet Bell in the lanes. Neither collector had any indication that anything was wrong until they were faced with an armed robber entering their booth and ordering the attendant to get out and run down the Parkway. The entire robbery was carried out so quietly and quickly that neither collector knew the other was being robbed at the same time on the opposite side. Janet says that the first indication she had that Don was in trouble too, was as she was running away from the gate she heard someone else running too, and thought the robber was coming after her. Imagine her relief to see that it was Don on the opposite side of the Parkway. When Wayne Edwards came out to give breaks he found both collectors missing and both open cash drawers emptied. The robbers had taken the cash and fled already. Not a single collector, whether they were on duty or not at the time of the robbery ever got over the feeling of apprehension that accompanied "3:00 AM in the morning on a third shift" that there might be a repeat performance by the robbers. After all they were never caught. I guess you could call it a near miss, the day Eugene Harlow was busy attending a motorist who stopped to pay his toll when a runaway semi roared thru an inside lane, side swiped Eugene's booth, demolishing it and scattering the pieces all the way up to the exit ramp. About all that was left standing of his booth was the opposite wall with the window and Eugene hanging out it counting change to the motorist before him. So busy was he that he neither saw nor heard that big rig coming, heading for the wrong lane and at such a rate of speed that it surely couldn't have been stopped. Afterwards, as he surveyed the damage and fully realized what a close call he'd just had, Collector Harlow was as calm as could be. Marty Wilson had a little bit different experience with big trucks than Eugene. Marty stood in his booth one evening watching a semi top the hill in a west bound lane, heading for the Toll Gate. Nothing unusual about that. But just as he reached the gate, the driver did a crazy thing. He deliberately jack-knifed his truck, blocking all of the lanes, where no other traffic could get through. What was he doing? Marty ran from his booth waving and hollering. "Hey!" he yelled at the driver, "You can't do that here." But Marty says the driver was climbing out of his truck with a gun in his hand. Marty says, "y-you can do any thing you want to!" Turned out that a car with several passengers riding in it had been harassing the trucker along the Parkway. This was it he said. When the car reached the toll gate they found the lanes blocked and there was a stand-off for a while. Best I recall someone in the car told the trucker they were going thru. Open the way or else one of them would die there. Somehow the problem was finally resolved and everyone went on their way without anyone getting hurt. Next evening while I was working, a trooper came through. "Boy, when I got out here last night," he said, there were collectors running everywhere! and I truthfully admitted that had I been on duty I would have outrun them all. And you thought being a toll collector was a dull job. - Geniece Marcum This story was posted on 2012-07-01 17:06:08
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Have comments or corrections for this story? Use our contact form and let us know. (AD) - Many Reunion organizing efforts are also advertised in our REUNIONS category in our CM Classifeds. These are posted at a very low cost. See RATES & TERMS More articles from topic Local History:
More Paul Harvey of Jamestown Hill Gangs United There were 2 Jamestown Hill Gangs BDY - Before Darrell Young Remembering Cortez Butler: A 1942 Lindsey Wilson love story The Hill: (Jamestown Hill) as it was commonly known Remembers when the Fortune Street dispensary was a Cab HQ Taylor Co. KY Historical Society Annual Meeting, June 19, 2012 Dave Burton, now Tarheel, descended from Adair's NC People H.P. McDonald ironwork album Several families in Ashe Co., NC named Greer E.L. Dohoney farm is now home of Mr. and Mrs. Wally Burress View even more articles in topic Local History |
 
115 Jamestown St. Columbia, KY. 270-384-2496 
  
   
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