On Sept. 30, 1897, a Kentucky newspaper reported on a terrible drought that had been plaguing Warren County since early summer.

The article described area fields as barren wastelands, reminiscent of the landscape of winter. Livestock suffered greatly, as farmers had to feed them like they did in winter, since there was no vegetation for them to eat in their pastures. Vegetable gardens were no longer yielding produce and wheat was not being sowed, as the ground was too dry to be broken.

– “Way Back When in Warren County” is compiled by researchers at the Warren County Public Library and appears twice weekly in the Bowling Green Daily News. For more information about the library, visit warrenpl.org.