Morehead History and Railroad Museum

09/03/2026

09/02/2026

Historical Extras! Old Restaurants in Morehead!
Mutt’s Café – Day and Night Café –Cottage Café

S.C. “Scorch” Mutters had been in business in many different capacities, in Morehead since the early 1900’s. He operated a barbershop and later managed the People’s Hotel, then worked in the restaurant business for more than 20 years until 1943 when he retired due to his health beginning to fail.

He began his restaurant business on Railroad Street (First Street) as Mutt’s Café in 1931.

April 23, 1931 Rowan County News, “Morehead for the first time is going to have a Day-And-Night Café, S.B. “Scorch” Mutters, owner and manager of Mutt’s Café on Railroad Street in the People’s Bank building, had decided to give the public just what it demands, A Day-And-Night eating place.

On and after May 1st, is the date set for the opening. Through the hot summer nights the late joy riders who detest the idea of going hungry will be able to satisfy his wants at Mutt’s Café. The tourist who happens to be traveling at a late hour and the local late parties may likewise take advantage of this long felt need.

You will find on our counters, the best food the market affords, cooked and prepared right before your eyes so you can see and know what you are getting.

At all hours of the day and night when traffic is congested on Main Street, you will find ample parking space on Railroad Street with no parking restriction. Just park as long as you like. You will find our prices far below the others in the city”.

The Cottage Café, “a cozy home café, where friends may gather and sit, what they eat their sandwiches and lunches and drink soft drinks.” The Cottage Café, in April 1936 was under the management of Mutters when in was moved it to Fairbanks Avenue (South Wilson Avenue).

Montiful Burns “Scorch” Mutters was born in Boyd County, KY in 1883. He married Ida Gertrude Smedley (1886-1914) in 1905 and had three children –Juanita Helen Mutters Wilson (1906-1971), Mary Louise Mutters Adams (1911-1994), and Edmon Mutters (1914 - )

Scorch married Ada Louise Kissinger (1897-1943) in 1915 and had two children with her –Elizabeth F. Mutters Montjoy (1916-1997) and Monte Burns Mutters (1922-1995).

Montiful Burns “Scorch” Mutters died at Good Samaritans Hospital in Lexington on September 12, 1949.

Photo will be posted Friday in Historical Photo Friday!

Rowan County News 4/23/1931, 4/30/1936, 9/15/1949, Findagrave.com

08/19/2026

Historical Extras! Something Different!!

There are a lot of places and businesses that have been in the Rowan County News, Morehead Independent and the Mountain Scorcher that I need information on. If you have any insight into any of these, please share! Or any other historic business you want to share information on, it would be greatly appreciated!

Green Lantern Inn (Green Cove Inn) 1931
Keystone Café (Canary Garden Café) 1931
Mary-Grace Tea Shoppe 1932
Roadhouse in Haldeman off Open Fork?
Kegley’s Interaction Dance Hall, 123 East First Street. 1977
W.T. Baumstark, opposite the courthouse, 1929
Spurlock Drugs 1932
Sparks Pharmacy 348 Main Street, 1932

Distillers (names found in a book but I do not remember which one!)
J.A. Thomas late 1880’s Elliottville
E.S. Turner 1870’s Elliottville
J.H. Harris 1890-1900 Eadston
Robert F. Stamper early 1900 Christy
C.E. Jones 1890 Farley??

Names and locations of “Additons” in Morehead, like Tolliver Addition
Where is –
Jack Cecil Subdivision
Swift Addition
Pigman Branch

08/12/2026

Historical Extras! Tourist Camp! Rose Tourist Camp and MORE!

The Rose Tourist Camp was operated by James Brady Rose (1894-1976) with his wife Dorothy Jonas Rose (1897-1980) and stepson Leroy Hill.

Dorothy was married first to Roy Hill and had three children -George Hill, Leroy Hill, and Dorothy Hill Messer. She had two children with James - James B. "Brady" Rose and Mary B. Rose Day.
Rose Tourist Camp was located 6 miles west of Morehead, just past Bluestone, in Farmers, KY. The cabins had comfortable beds for tourists, with gas-heated rooms from a natural gas well located on the property. The camp also served lunches and soft drinks. In 1936, Rose was planning on extensive improvements to make it the most modern tourist camp in this part of the state. The camp was still around in 1941 but I know nothing after this.

Sources
Rowan County News April 30, 1936, July 7, 1939, July 20, 1967, February 19, 1976

Joe’s Place

US 60 East across from the old MSU golf course. They specialized in hot dogs and barbeque and even had a playground with swings, merry go round and slide for the kids and picnic tables. Joe’s Place closed during World War II.

Sources
Scholarworks: Jack Ellis Files

Way Side Inn

John Craig and son
Sources
Morehead Independent July 2, 1927

Hollan’s Drive-In Restaurant and Motel

For Auction: “Hollan’s Drive Inn Restaurant along with all equipment and supplies, large lot, plenty of parking space, located just outside the city limits on US 60. Motel had four rooms with private bath and one with lavatory only (strictly modern in every aspect). The five rooms are fully equipped, just recently constructed –everything new and modern. The building lot is a corner lot suitable for any business–this is the only business lot available in Morehead today.” Boone Hollan Jr., owner.

According to the Rowan County News, D. Boone, Jr. and Lena Mae Hollan so three lots in College Subdivision to M.M. Ross
Also for sale is Hollan’s 72 acre farm in Fleming County and 2 small baby farms. Everything is being sold to settle Boone Sr.’s (1882-1951) estate.

Daniel Boon Hollan Sr. was born in Fleming County in 1882 and died in in 1951. He married Martha Susan Hollan and they had six children – William Ursel, Daniel Boone, Jr., Dorothy Lee (Steele) Alice Beulah (Miller), James Harold and Edna Marie (McKinney).

Sources
Morehead News, June 21, 1951, June 28, 1951.

If anyone has more information about this post, or any of my posts, please post in the comments.

08/07/2026

Historical Photo Friday! Mountain View Inn, Farmers, KY. Photo courtesy Morehead News.
For more information on the cabins, see Preserving Your Heritage post on the Rowan County Public library site from Wednesday

08/05/2026

Historical Extras! Tourist Camp! Mountain View Tourist Camp!

According to the Licking Valley Courier December 2, 1948, Mountain View Tourist Court are facing the new US Highway 60 in Farmers, KY, seven miles west of Morehead, with plenty of parking space in front and beautiful shady lawn all around the building and cabins.

The main building was a large restaurant with large dining room and kitchen with separate living quarters with two bedrooms, living room, hall and bath with running water and electricity.
There were two nice double sized and three single cabins with bath, electric and furnishings.

There was also a large poultry house and seven acres of poultry range, a public wash house and pump house. Water and electricity in all buildings

Mountain View Tourist Court had several owners over the years.
One of the early owners was Mort May (3/22/1894-11/17/1942), former Sheriff of Rowan County (1932-1936), and World War I veteran. He died in Dayton,Ohio at Wright Air Field where he had been working during Word War II. He was married to Lottie Jane Stewart May (8/7/1899-6/20/1951) and had one daughter Myrtle. Lottie was the long time treasurer for the Board of Education and had assisted Mort in the office when he was sheriff.

Mr. and Mrs. Hobart Stamper purchased the camp and in 1936, they leased their restaurant, garage and cabins to Jerry Combs of Wi******er. In December 4, 1948 they sold the business at auction.
In June of 1950, and restaurant and dining room were still open and run by Maida Hamm, according to the Rowan County News, June 16, 1950.

The camp was for sale again in March 1952. According to the advertisement in the Rowan County News on July 17, 1952, "this is profitable, going business and is a wonderful opportunity for an energetic couple. The owner is selling due to ill health of her mother and they are planning on leaving the state.

Well located farm on good road, fifty acres of tractor land, to***co base, 25 acres of good grass. A seven room home in good repair, concrete block cellar, wash house and canning house. Barn, double cribs with drive way."

Mountain View Tourist Court was purchased by Mr. and Mrs. Leonard Davis, who sold their home in Tolliver Addition and moved to the camp in 1952. I 1960, Davis applied for a permit to operate a restaurant at the camp.

In 1963, “County Judge Wilford Flannery stopped two county owned and operated trucks from spreading rocks and gravel on a private driveway in Farmers and openly charged that Magistrate Ott Caldwell was responsible and had given the truck drivers the instructions.

The Judge said Caldwell claimed in a fiscal county meeting that “such works was a trade with a state employee to get a county road improved.” The Judge said the rock and gravel were being spread on approaches and the driveway of the Mountain View Tourist Home, a truck stop and restaurant.” Ten truckloads had been dumped before the judge found out about it.

Magistrate Caldwell denied in a written statement handed to the Morehead News that the gravel was paid for by the county and produced a weigh bill from Morehead Limestone Company to substantiate this point. He did not deny the gavel was hauled by county owned trucks or that he had instructed the drivers to make deliveries to Mountain View Camp.

At a meeting of the Rowan County Fiscal Court held January 8, 1963 with all Magistrates present, as well as the county judge, a signed receipt from Morehead Limestone Company was produced showing that Jim Haney personally paid in full for 68.5 tons of gravel spread on the drive in front of Mountain View Truck Stop.
There was no contradiction offered by the judge or anyone else.
From the charges made by Flannery and Caldwell there were two statutory violations –county-owned trucks and county paid drivers who delivered gravel for a private driveway, which Caldwell admits, and statues were violated if Flannery failed to pay over the $4.50 and costs on each fine he has collected since he took office in 1962 which Caldwell charges.

Flannery, a Democrat and Caldwell, a Republic have been at odds since they took office in January 1962.

(Photo will be published on Historical Photo Friday on the library FB page. If anyone has more information about this post, or any of my posts, please post in the comments.)

Sources
Grayson Journal-Enquirer March 13, 195, Licking Valley Courier Dec 2 1948, Morehead News May 26, 1960, January 10, 1963, January 17, 1963, Mt Sterling Advocate December 4, 1948, Rowan County News August 1,1935, June 16, 1950, July 17, 1952, Sept 25, 1952.

07/29/2026

Historical Extras! Tourist Camp! College View Inn

In 1937, Bob Day (1903-1988) erected a modern building facing US 60 (Main Street) on the east end of Morehead. This building replaced their small frame service station and repair shop.

The lower floor of the building was occupied by the service station and repair shop and was modern in every way. It had ample space to guarantee a really modern station.

The upper floor was divided into apartments which will be rented out to tourists. There was ten one-room apartments, modern and up to date on all details. The building was steam heated with modern plumbing and convenience. Two bath rooms and lavatories took care of the sanitation needs of the apartments on the second floor.

He began the Oldsmobile dealership in Morehead in 1938.
In 1946, Day worked with the US Government to help veterans of World War II. Paris Jackson, Jr. of Morehead lost his right leg during the war when a Japanese dive bomber made a direct hit on his ship. Jackson was the recipient of a new Oldsmobile from Day's dealership. Day had three more Oldsmobiles in his showrooms which will go to veterans who lost a leg or the use of a leg in the war. Jackson, who was 21 years old, lived near the Fleming County line

The Oldsmobile dealership lasted until the 1970's when Day began to lose his eyesight and he closed the dealership. Eventually the building was razed.

Bob Day served one term on City Council, played semi-pro baseball in the old Bluegrass League from 1920-1930 and helped start the Little League program in Morehead, and he was a member of the Morehead Masonic Lodge and the Morehead United Methodist Church.

He married Lorene Sparks (1906-1988). Lorene, retired English professor at Morehead State University, was first woman to service on the MSU Athletic Board, active fund raiser for St Claire Medical Center Expansion, 50 year member of the Order of the Eastern Star, member of the Governor James T. Morehead Chapter DAR, Garden Club and the Morehead United Methodist Church.

(Photo will be published on Historical Photo Friday on the library FB page. If anyone has more information about this post, or any of my posts, please post in the comments.)

Sources
LexingtonHerald Leader August 15, 1988, October 9, 1988
Morehead News April 22, 1937, November 7, 1946, January 13, 1955, March 31, 1961, February 18, 2000.

07/29/2026

Our museum is officially recognized as a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization! From now on, any donations can be a tax deductible.

07/24/2026

Historical Photo Friday! Valley View Inn! Date unknown but probably the 1950's. For more information on the Inn, see Preserving Your Heritage post on the Rowan County Public library site from Wednesday. Photo courtesy Art Stewart Collection.

07/22/2026

Historical Extras! Tourist Camps! Valley View Inn

Valley View Inn advertised, as the “only out-of-town resort” was located on the edge of Morehead and later became Vernon Alfrey’s service station and later the Rowan County Ambulance headquarters. It is now multiple businesses.

Chester Vernon Alfrey (1897-1887), was born in Clearfield, the son of Harve and Nellie McKenzie Alfrey, he attended the Alfrey One-Room School, graduated from Morehead Normal School, taught in the Rowan County school system for more than 12 years and was a former principal at Clearfield Grade School. He quit teaching and worked as a C&O Railroad clerk for 12 years.

Alfrey served three terms as Rowan County Clerk 1934-1946
He was the owner/operator of Alfrey Pontiac for 10 years then ran the Valley View Service Station for more than 20 years. The station sold Gulf gasoline and rented rooms.

Alfrey married Chloe Dee Amburgey (1899-1951) in 1915 and had five children –Austin (1916-1995), Opal (1918-2007), Virginia (1921-1968), Nell Marie (1923-1996) and Phyllis Ann (1929-2006). He married his second wife, Eura Caudill Toombs Alfrey in 1954 and gained two step-sons, Max and Rex Toombs.

Alfrey sold the business in 1966 to Dick and Bernard Stone.

(Photo will be published on Historical Photo Friday on the library FB page. If anyone has more information about this post, or any of my posts, please post in the comments.)

Sources
Morehead News July 24, 1987, March 31, 2000
Daily Independent November 14, 1935