Once again we have more questions than answers. The Mason Company could have given a little more consideration to future chip collectors and historians, with a few employee lessons in bookkeeping.

Owensboro had a lot of small clubs with some form of gambling. I’m betting a lot of them were house backed and “raked” poker games that were illegal under KY laws. All red neck’s think they are the best poker player in the world.

Enough of that:

Kentucky:

The Hub Bar & Cafe
326 Frederica St
EN Wood
Owensboro, KY
1939

Enter a “Friend Of The Hobby.”

ENW

Looking at the order card, it looks like maybe the first two orders were sent to Midland and the 1939 order was sent to Owensboro? I can’t determine from the card whether all the orders were sent to E.N.Wood, or just the Midland order. In any event, I haven’t been able to locate Wood in either Midland or Owensboro (still checking Midland).

The Hub Bar & Café was located at 326 Frederica St, Owensboro. (the structure which housed the address no longer exists).

The proprietor of the Hub when the chips were ordered was John Riley Heflin. Heflin, a native of Kentucky, died at Owensboro in 1950, age 49. Heflin was the proprietor of the Hub from as early as the mid 1930’s up until the time of his death.

My notes:

EN Wood may or may not have received the 1935 & 36 orders in Midland. We do not know when the address change on the Mason card was made. It “could” have been made before the 1st order shipped. IMO, it is for sure he received at least the last order at The Hub, in Owensboro. Club owners often contracted out gambling to a person not listed on the liquor license. It gave them a little protection if a push came to a shove.

I am not sure of the liquor laws in KY in the 1930’s. When I took over the Mustang in Newport in the 1970’s you could not buy a new liquor license from the state. State liquor licenses were limited out. You had to buy an existing license from someone. They were expensive to come by, $50,000-$100,000 comes to mind, but memory is not good at my age.

EN Wood is a ghost to us. No record of him anywhere. Was he a real person or was it an alias? For sure he ran under the radar.

At least we now have a street address for The Hub.

I am leaving this one as a KY chip.