InTouch with Southern Kentucky July 2020 | Page 19

The Ferguson Shops were located
where the former Crane building
used to be (and where the proposed
Extiel-Advantage gas-to-liquid plant
is planning on locating to).
In fact, the town of Ferguson got
it’s name from Edward Ferguson, a
Cincinnati attorney instrumental in
bringing the line through the area.
As for the history of agriculture in
the area, Mardis brings up the name
of Hugh Hurst, the late University
of Kentucky Cooperative Extension
agent who took the job in 1944 and
spent 34 years in the position.
Mardis credits Hurst with bringing
several innovations to Pulaski,
introducing farmers to the concept
of no-till farming, sewing seeds into
slits in an unplowed field, sometimes
under a winter cover crop.
Hurst also popularized double-cropping,
or growing corn and
soybeans in the same field in the
same growing season, and convinced
many dairy farmers to build
silos, which allowed them to increase
their number of cattle.
Mardis also said Hurst was instrumental
in getting Southern Belle
Dairy (Now Prairie Farms) into the
area.
The mural’s artist, Justice, is a
native of Eastern Kentucky who has
called Somerset home for 12 years.
Besides the Chamber of Commerce
building, Justice has had a
hand in several local projects. His
first mural was in 2009 for the break
room of Summit Aviation, and he
has painted several more, here in
Somerset and in Pikeville.
Girdler said Justice’s showpiece
on the Chamber of Commerce has
been a benefit for the community.
“Jordan Justice is an extremely
talented local artist, and we are
very excited for him to be doing the
work on this mural. There is not a
week that goes by where we are not
hosting an out-of-town client and
during our community tour they are
so complimentary and impressed
with the mural on the side of the
Chamber of Commerce building,” he
said.
“[Chamber Director] Bobby Clue
and his staff really enjoyed working
with Jordan, and the proof of his immense
talent is there for everyone
to seen on a daily basis.”
He said that SPEDA is working on
several other art-related projects in
downtown and throughout Pulaski.
“We are excited to start unveiling
them in the very near future,” he
said.
SUBMITTED PHOTO
These photos show what the Ferguson Shops looked like. The Shops were built in 1096 and were used to
inspect and repair steam engines for the Southern Railroad.
July 2020 In Touch with Southern Kentucky • 19