February 2021
I was born and lived on a farm in Valley Station until I was 25. In 1955, my dad sold some land for a subdivision and purchased farmland in Hardin County. My wife, Carol, and I married in 1965 and in November of that year, we brought my family’s milk cows to the farm in Hardin County to start our lives together.
Our farm lies in District 1 of the Nolin service area. District 1 covers a portion of the northwest corner of Hardin County, along with small sections in Breckinridge and Meade counties (orange area on map). A main feature, Blue Ball Hill, can be seen for miles at its 1017 ft elevation. Two prominent farming areas in the district are “Nall’s Valley” to the east of Blue Ball Hill and “Moreman Valley” on the west. Rineyville-Big Spring Rd, Salt River Rd, Patriot Parkway, Deckard School Rd, part of Dixie Hwy and the western portion of Joe Prather Hwy are some of the main roadways included in District 1.
I have proudly represented District 1 on the Nolin RECC Board of Directors since July of 1978. The area has a long history and has seen many changes through the generations. When we first came to our farm in 1965, there were stone markers along a tree line in our field that we later discovered belonged to soldiers from the Civil War. There is a story told about their attack on a home in what was known as the “Tabor settlement” at the time. Our farm and much of the area in District 1 was settled as small groupings of farms and schools, built within walking distance of each other for convenience and protection. Our farm still holds remnants of the Tabor settlement – covered wells, groups of yellow daisies that come up in the Spring and a chimney still standing in our pasture (see photo).
Big Spring is a community nearby, just outside of the Nolin service area, where the boundary lines of Meade, Breckinridge and Hardin counties meet (see photo of marker) – and where the “Big Spring” itself comes out of the ground. Big Spring is one of the many water sources used by farmers and millers for generations in this area.
As far back as 1885, the Moorman Feed Company based in Big Spring had a significant presence in the area. Since then, many businesses and large farms have made District 1 their home. When we moved to the area in 1965, it was still mostly farmland with gravel roads. The paving of roads and availability of county water were two major factors in the urbanization of this area and the development of residential neighborhoods.
I am grateful to have called District 1 my home for over 55 years. With its role in the settlement of Hardin and surrounding counties, District 1 roots the Nolin service area to its history – and with its natural resources and entrepreneurial spirit, it continues to shape its future.
