Miss Dynamite: Scottsville’s Most Famous Dog (1958-1973)

I moved back to Scottsville about 18 months ago and realized that I had truly missed my hometown.  I missed our town square, our golf course, and mostly my friends and family.  I also missed the great stories that helped shape my childhood and adult life.  Scottsville has more “characters per square foot” than any other place on earth.  Storytellers are still alive and well in this town.  We just have to do a better job listening to them.

Miss Dynamite was born in 1958.  She was a mix of Chihuahua and Toy Fox Terrier.  She only weighed 3.5 pounds but was a larger-than-life figure in this small town.  Fred Hale, who was Miss Dynamite’s owner, is my great-great uncle.  How, might you ask?  My great grandfather was Dr. Charles W. Holland, who was a medical doctor here in Allen County.  He graduated from the University of Tennessee Medical School in Knoxville.  He served as the County Physician.  He was married to Stella Hale Holland, and her brother was Fred Hale.  Dr. Holland and Stella died two weeks apart in 1941.  They had several children with one being Maurice K. “Churn” Holland who owned and operated Holland’s Sinclair.  Churn and his wife Elizabeth Nell Dunn Holland had a son named Maurice Daniel (Danny) Holland, my father.  So, here I am telling the story of Fred Hale’s Miss Dynamite for the young and old generations alike.  
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Fred was a senior executive within Royal Crown Cola.  He worked the eastern Kentucky region along with parts of West Virginia.  He was a somewhat eccentric and wealthy man who lived alone throughout his life.  He had a lifelong girlfriend named Madeline Bradley, but they never married.  She owned and operated Bradley’s Store on the Public Square.  It was a high fashion ladies shop originally started by her mother in 1933.  When asked why he never married her he stated, “I never liked telling anyone where I was going!”  Humorous, but true.  Marriage would require more sacrifices than Fred was willing to provide.  He never married or had children of his own.  Fred was known for wearing his signature white suits, red neckties and colored shirts.  Fred was also very generous.  Upon his death in 1982, “Uncle Fred” donated the land to create the Fred Hale Ballparks and also donated to many churches and civic organizations.  His most prized possession wasn’t money; it was Miss Dynamite.

Miss Dynamite performed several tricks!  32 to be exact.  She could walk with ease on her hind legs, dance for hours on those same legs, wear a distinguished hat while smoking a corn cob pipe.  Miss Dynamite would get regular manicures from Fred and typically chose red nail polish to the delight of male canine suitors.  Apparently, she had many male suitors but would reject them all to remain with Fred.  She was also a very wealthy dog.  She opened her own bank account at The Farmers National Bank in Scottsville.  She bought and sold property, negotiated loans and paid for many items by written check.  Fred would write the check for her, she would “look it over” and approve the check amount, finally she would dip her front right paw into ink and then sign the checks using her famous “paw print signature”.  These checks were as good as gold and passed through the bank with no issues.  She was friendly with the bank president, so they were very happy to have her business.  She never met a stranger.  She had thousands of friends and received mail correspondence from the likes of President Lyndon B. Johnson, many Kentucky governors including A.B. Happy Chandler, band leader Lawrence Welk and U.S. Astronaut John Glenn.  She also appeared on Nashville morning television shows showcasing her 32 tricks while delighting the audience.  

Miss Dynamite was also very generous like her owner.  She would send local children Christmas money in the form of a check written by Fred and signed by her famous paw print.  The bank would gladly cash those checks for the children and families, although most checks were kept by children and families as souvenirs.  Miss Dynamite lived her entire life at 200 North 4^th Street in Scottsville.  Many who visited Newman’s Grocery would see her exercising on the lawn or sunbathing.  During those days, the store was a popular hot spot in Scottsville.  Schoolchildren from Scottsville City Schools (elementary & high school) had the option to eat lunch at school, walk home, or go to Newman’s.  Many of these children and teens would see and interact with Miss Dynamite during these daily walks.

Many stories have been told about Miss Dynamite and her owner.  Upon research and interviews with folks, I have learned several new stories to go along with the old.  Are these stories true or simply local legends?  You can be the judge…

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• Miss Dynamite suffered from a cavity during the mid-60’s and it was causing her some serious pain.  She received a solid gold filling and paid her bill in full using her paw print signed check.
• She always kept a minimum balance of $1,000,000 dollars in her bank account.
• She received a marriage proposal from Lassie, the world-famous Hollywood Movie Star Rough Collie.  She reportedly turned him down.
• Miss Dynamite had her very own weekly subscriptions to The Citizen-Times and the Allen County News.  She would pay for these annually by check.
• She signed checks that paid for her stays in the most lavish New York City hotels such as the Hotel Chelsea and Volney Hotel.
• She was vacationing in Florida when they arrived at a motel not willing to accommodate her (no pets policy).  Miss Dynamite and Fred were both very upset and then inquired about buying the establishment.  The owner sold the motel to Miss Dynamite who signed the check and bought it on the spot!  Fred later stated that Miss Dynamite would not be denied in the Sunshine State!
• She would typically eat an evening supper that was fit for a Queen and then wash it down with an ice-cold RC Cola.  She could open her own bottle even though she had no opposable thumbs.
• Fred was stopped by police in Louisville one night for speeding and when the officer approached the car, he observed Miss Dynamite sitting in Fred’s lap with both paws properly on the steering wheel at 10 & 2.  He was impressed with her driving skills and let her off with a “stern” warning.
• Danny & Joy Holland (my parents) were married in 1971, and Miss Dynamite presented them with a signed check for $200 to purchase a new sofa and chair to begin their new life together.  Miss Dynamite was unfortunately traveling to “Parts Unknown” the day of their wedding and she could not fulfill her duties as Maid of Honor.
• Sometimes late at night, local residents can still see Fred walking Miss Dynamite on North 4^th Street in Scottsville.

Miss Dynamite died in 1973 at the ripe old age of 15 (105 in human years).  She had lived a very happy & long life.  Upon her death, her body was frozen for several days and then transferred to a nearby Bowling Green animal clinic to be preserved until her funeral visitation and service.  Her casket was displayed in the barber shop located inside Fred Hale Shopping Center.  Her funeral service was on Friday, October 12^th, 1973, and was attended by many people and was also covered by television stations from Nashville, TN.  She was forever entombed under the shopping center sign bearing her name.  

There is a timeless blues song about being born under a bad sign; Miss Dynamite is buried under a good sign.

Miss Dynamite….a Scottsville Legend.

Black House Collective has released a candle in honor of Miss Dynamite's legacy, you can purchase here: https://www.blackhousecollective.com/products/scottsville-miss-dynamite-candle

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Photos credit to Michael Cooksey, Growing Up in Scottsville group