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HISTORY OF BOONE COUNTY KENTUCKY BY PROFESSOR A. M. YEALEY FLORENCE, KENTUCKY
REPRINT OF ARTICLES PUBLISHED IN NEWSPAPERS OVER A PERIOD OF FIFTY YEARS 1960
PUBLISHED BY WILLIAM FITZGERALD PRINTING INSTRUCTOR HOLMES HIGH SCHOOL COVINGTON, KY. 1960
HAND SET AND PRINTED ON PLATEN PRESSES BY THE FOLLOWING MEMBERS OF CLASSES IN PRINTING
Richard Adams, Robert Armstrong, Glenn Arnsparger, Roger Bales, Richard Brockman, James Brown, Doyle Casteel, Freddy Cottengim, Joseph Claypool, Robert Davis, James Dornbusch, Barry Dramis, Charles Emerson, Tommy Fleenor, Clyde Frederick, Roger Gerhauser, Philip Gorman, Ron Grout, Curtis Hacker, Dee Hamm, Bob Hampton, Edmond Harris, Ray Harris, Jimmy Hayes, Ronald Hicks, Paul Hopper, Charles Hurst, Gary Inabnit, Jerry Keith, Samuel Krebs, Thomas Korb, Virgil Lemons, John Leslie, Ken Loomis, Joe Martin, Philip McCormick, Bill McDannold, Danny Meier, Ernie Parton, Jim Parrott, Bob Pattison, Mickey Pauley, Ronald Porterfield, Wayne Rich, John Richards, Ray Riggs, Charles Shirley, Charles Schomaker, Al Simms, David Snider, Bob Steinfort, Fred Stewart, David Talbert, Robert Taylor, Otto Wallace, Mike Ward, Ronnie Weeks, Clarence Wigglesworth, Eugene Woolridge, Ronald Wossum, Winston Wright, Richard Wurtz, Gary Dietrich, Tommy Moore, Gary Mote
A. M. Yealey and log cut in rear of Wildwood Motel, U. S. 42, Florence, Ky. - March 16, 1953
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF THE AUTHOR
A. M. Yealey, the seventh child of Michael Yealey and Catherine Strebel, was born in Union County, Ohio, on January 29, 1873.
Michael Yealey, the father, was born in Germany on January 10, 1827, and Catherine Strebel, the mother, was born in Germany on July 5, 1833. Catherine came to Ohio in 1847 and Michael in 1854. The were united in marriage at Bryan, Ohio, on October 24, 1854.
To this union were born eight children, four boys and four girls. Two boys and two girls are still living, in 1959.
A. M. Yealey received his grade and high school education in Union County, Ohio. His college work was at the National Normal University at Lebanon, Ohio; Wilmington College, Wilmington, Ohio; and the University of Cincinnati, Ohio.
After teaching for five years in Union County, Ohio, he established a good business in selling coal, lime, salt, flour, sand, and other com- modities in Columbus, Ohio. The flood of 1898 ruined this business by wrecking the buildings.
On March 1, 1898, A. M. Yealey married Lucy Ann Rouse, the daugther of George Rouse, of Florence, Boone County, Kentucky. They lived with the bride's father and Mr. Yealey became a farmer and teacher.
After teaching in four rural schools in the county he became the principal of the school in Florence where he remained for twenty-nine years. In 1911 he established the first high school in Florence to be recognized by colleges.
In 1931, he and his son-in-law, Russell House, formed a partnership and built the Wild Wood Motel on U. S. Highway 42 on the southern limits of Florence.
After six years Mr. Yealey planned to open a hotel. His wife's health prevented this and selling his home be purchased the house at 268 Main Street. His wife passed away in 1942.
His longing for his chosen profession caused him to return to the school house. He taught in Florence from 1943 to 1945, and at New Haven for three years.
His children are Mrs. Willa House, Russell Yealey, and Georgia Y. Tanner (deceased). Grandchildren are Dr. G. R. Tanner and Mary Russala Yealey Demoisey. Robert Tanner, Sherry Tanner, and Rene Demoisey are great-grandchildren.
Realizing the need for the preservation of Boone County history,
Mr. Yealey began to write articles for the Boone County Recorder, the Walton Advertiser, and the Stringtown Christian under the title of "Early History of Boone County."
The response from people who had once lived in Boone County was beyond expectations and to further the knowledge of the history of the area the Boone County Historical Society was formed. Mr. Yealey is the Historian of the society.
He took pride in Florence and served as its Mayor on four different occasions. During his first term of office, in 1908, the city's first sidewalks were laid on Main, Shelby, and Girard streets.
His church membership is at the Unionville, Ohio, Methodist Church which he helped to build during 1893.
Now, in 1959, Mr. Yealey is eighty-six years of age. He has taught school forty-one years. He is a very spry man and still writes on Boone County history for the local newspapers.
EARLY VISITORS
. . George the II, was king of England from 1727 to 1760. In the year of 1750 he issued a patent of 500,000 acres of land to the Ohio Company, which was composed of four prominent Englishmen and several Virginians. This land was in the Ohio Valley and the Ohio Company gave Christopher Gist and Mr. Lawrence Washington (a brother of George Washington) instructions to explore along the Ohio River and find a place that would consist of the above number of acres of land. Gist and Washington crossed the Alleghany Mountains to the Ohio River and descended to where Portsmouth is now situated.
While here he met two. French traders who had been at Big Bone Lick, and his diary states that they gave him a jaw-tooth over 4 pounds in weight, several rib bones 11 feet long and a skull bone 6 feet across, and several teeth called horns over 5 feet long. They also gave Gist a very good location of the place where they found the bones, stating that it was 20 miles below the mouth of the Big Miami River and up a small stream that flowed into the Ohio from the south, and that it had been six years since they had been there, which would have made their visit to Big Bone Lick in 1744.
We have no account of Gist ever having visited this place. Our nextvisitor was Mrs. Mary Ingles who, in 1756, with her two boys, her sister-in-law, Mrs. Draper, and others, were taken prisoners by the Shawnee Indians from her home in what is now West Virginia. They
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were taken down the Ohio in flatboats and on reaching the Shawnee town (Portsmouth) she was separated from her boys and Mrs. Draper.
While the Indians were making salt at Big Bone Mrs. Inglis and the Dutch woman decided to escape, and under pretense of gathering. grapes, they left. After 40 days of untold hardships they reached home One of the boys died while captive among the Indians. The other was found by the father after 13 years of separation. Mrs. Ingles died in ' 1813, aged 84 years.
THE FIRST BATTLE
Gen. Rogers Clark in 1781 ordered Col. Lochrey of Pennsylvania to raise a company of men and assist him in an expedition against . Detroit. Col. Lochrey raised a force of 120 men and was to meet Gen. Clark at Fort Henry (Wheeling W. Va.). When Lochrey reached this fort he found that Gen. Clark had already passed down the Ohio. Lochrey dispatched Captain Shannon with four men to overtake Clark and obtain supplies. These four men were captured (also letters from Lochrey to Clark) near Belleview. They were so placed on the Indiana shore at the head of Lochrey's island that any one passing up or down the river could see them. The Indians, about 400 in number, 200 on the Boone county side of the river and the rest on the Indiana side awaited the arrival of Col. Lochrey and his troops. Before reaching the Island the troops made a landing on the Boone county side opposite Lochrey's creek to prepare a meal and graze the horses. While here they were attacked by the Indians on the Kentucky side, the troops defending themselves until their ammunition was exhausted when they took their boats, then the Indians on the Indiana side rushed out on a sand bar and deadly conflict ensued, rifle balls were coming from both sides of the river, further resistence was useless, and they were com- pelled to surrender. Col. Lochrey was massacred and 42 of his men fell in battle, the rest were taken prisoners, most of whom were ransomed by British officers, in 1783 and exchanged for British soldiers captured during the Revolutionary war.
If the reader should chance to be at Aurora, Indiana, it will be of interest to visit the cemetery about three-fourths of a mile west of the town, there you will see the monument which was erected August, 1924, in memory of Col. Lochrey and his company that were slain in the above battle.
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INDIAN WAR
During the year 1778 and '79 the Indians from Indiana and Ohio were making frequent incursions into Kentucky, and molesting the set- tlements that were in existance. Col. Bowman, County Lieutenant of Kentucky County, Virginia, was ordered to prevent this depredation and consequently he ordered four companies to meet where Coving- ton is now located. In April, 1779, Captain Logan, from Logan's Station, arrived with his company of 99 men; Captain Harlin from Harrodsburg with 60 men; Captain John Holder from Boonesborough with 56 men; Captain Wm. Harrod's company of about 60 men. Several of these companies met at Lexington and marched down the west side of the Licking River until they came to the head waters of Bank Lick Creek, where they camped for the night. Then they followed Bank Lick to the mouth of the Licking.
Maj. Geo. Michael Bedinger was appointed Adjutant. The men then crossed the Ohio River and were formed into three divisions and placed in marching order by the Adjutant before Col. Bowman. The trail of the Indian was soon found and after two days marching they halted at the Indian town of Old Chillicothe (near the city of Xenia, Ohio). The object of Col. Bowman was to surround the village and make a simultaneous attack, but before the companies were able to do this they were detected by an Indian sentinel and the alarm given. The Indian warriors collected in a few of the stronger cabins and kept up a withering fire through the cracks in the huts. The white men set fire to the unprotected cabins and burned about 35, also much spoil was taken such as blankets and kettles from the burning huts.
One hundred and thirty-five horses were collected near their village. After an engagement lasting about two hours, the whites had lost seven men and the Red Men had lost their two leaders, Black Fish and Red Hawk. When Col. Bowman found his soldiers were fighting to disadvantage, he ordered a retreat. The retreating army had reached where Spring Valley, Ohio, is today, when the Indians began to press hard upon the rear and continued with a scattering fire for the next ten miles, until Adjutant Gen. Bedinger, with about 100 men on horseback rushed on the Indian ranks and they retreated. Although the Indians were not completely subdued, their engagement taught them a lesson for a short time.
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MAJOR BUSH'S CAMPAIGN
Major John Bush was one of Boone County's pioneer citizens and lived in the North Bend bottoms and at that time it was called Camp- bell County. He was a member of the County Court Justices and took a prominent part in the warfare against Indians and volunteered in the expedition of General Harman. In 1709 he crossed the river to Cincin- nati and left with the army that had congregated there for the purpose of chastising the Indians who had been disturbing the settlements in Northern Kentucky and the southern part of Ohio and Indiana.
They followed the Big Miami and when they reached Piqua and St. Mary they encountered the Indians and a two-day battle took place. Major Bush says the first day he had charge of 20 men, the advance guard of the army, and had orders to fire on any force he encountered and if the number were ten thousand it was his duty to charge through them and form at their back. Bush further says that his detachment was drawn into ambuscade with a loss of one-third their number and his superior officer was killed and when he tried to retrieve the body his sword was shot from his hand and a ball pierced his cheek.
The army having been defeated returned home. Mr. Bush was very prominent and as an inducement to come to Cincinnati, he was offered a lot at the corner of Main and Front Street 100 feet by 200 feet for the sum of $100. This was in 1793 and when our county was organized in 1798 he was offered 200 acres of land at the intersection of the Licking River and Ohio for the sum of $200 but he refused the offer stating "I would rather live in the North Bend Bottoms in Boone County."
Orders were given to retreat and the horsemen were directed to ride as far as they could with safety to the rear and bring up the men who were given out. During this maneuver his horse got mired in the mud with another man on the horse with him. When he had him to dismount, two Indians suddenly appeared and took him captive. He then dismounted and started running. He was fired upon and the noise from the discharge of the gun scared the horse so badly that it caused it to free itself. When the horse passed by him, it was regained and mounted.
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BOWMAN'S CAMPAIGN
No better description of Bowman's campaign could be given than that by the Adjutant General, George M. Bedinger. Dr. Draper says he obtained this information from the lips of Geo. M. Bedinger.
We left Sheperdstown March 1, 1776. There were 12 of us includ- ing myself working our way to Boonesboro by way of Powell's Valley. and Cumberland Gap until we came to the Boone Trail, which we fol- lowed to Boonesboro. While here Capt. John Holder was organizing a company (In connection with the Logans Station and Harrods Stations) to make a raid on the Indian settlements at Old Chillicothe, Ohio, stat- ing that they were to meet at the mouth of the Licking and reorganize Col. John Bowman was County Lieutenant of Kentucky County, Virginia, at this time and had command of all the companies. Mr. Bedinger says their company followed the valley of the Licking River until they came to Bank Lick stream, which they followed until they reached the place where Covington is now situated.
Mr. Bedinger had never met Col. Bowman and he was introduced to him by Capt. Holder as a man of considerable experience in Indian war-fare and he was appointed Adjutant General. He says they crossed the Ohio River and followed the Little Miami River to the Indian village (near where Xenia is now located) unobserved by the Indians, Logan's forces on the left of the village. Harrod's on the right and Holder's in front of the town, in the high grass. All was quiet until midnight when an Indian who had been hunting came upon Holder's company and said "Who is there?". A man by the name of Ross shot him and he gave a loud yell. The noise of the rifle shot alarmed the dogs and they began to bark.
The Indians were aroused and fled to the large council house in the center of the village. Holder's men lay still until 8 or 10 of the Indians approached. When they cocked their rifles the Indians retreated and the men fired and wounded several of them. At this point Harrod's and Logan's men ran into the town and shots were exchanged but most of the men were busy setting fire to the cabins and collecting spoils, such as silver ornaments, blankets, and guns.
An attempt was made to storm the council house but the Indians fired through the cracks.
Black Fish and Red Hawk urged their men saying, "Remember you are warriors. Your invaders Kentucky squaws. You can easily con-
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quer them." Then they all would cry. "Ye-awe,ye-awe,ye-awe."
After about 35 cabins had been burned the soldiers began to hunt the horses out-side the town and corralled 135. Mr. Bedinger and 15 other men screened themselves behind a large oak log, about 50 yards from the council house and expected a vigorous attack would be made at day-light against this fortification, but this was doomed as Col. Bowman had given the signal to retreat.
Mr. Bedinger says, at 9 o'clock, 7 men behind the logs had been killed and he ordered the rest to put their hats on sticks and raise them above the logs and draw the Indian fire and before they could reload they made their escape but were followed and were continually harassed from the rear. When Major Bedinger called for men who had fought with Morgan at Quebec and they responded a rush was made upon the Indians. Black Fish and Red Hawk were singled out and both were killed. The Indians then retreated and the soldiers returned to the mouth of the Licking where they divided the spoils and each company returned to their settlement.
It is believed that they met at a spring on Horse Branch Creek to care for the wounded and to divide the horses and other items captur- ed from the Indians.
FORMATION OF COUNTIES
We shall now give you a brief history of the formation of some of the early counties, and by so doing the reader will readily see that many events took place in what is now Boone County while it was under the jurisdiction of another County. In fact from 1800 to 1870 nearly every time the legislature meet they organized one or more counties. When Kentucky was admitted as a state there were only nine counties. During 1776 a part of Fincastle County, Virginia, was cut off and called Kentucky county and in 1780 Kentucky county was divided into three parts, viz: Jefferson, Lincoln, and Fayette. In 1785, Bourbon was organized out of Fayette. In 1788 Mason was organized out of Bour- bon and Woodford out of Fayette. During 1792 Scott was organized out of Woodford and in 1793 Harrison County out of Scott and Woodford. During 1794 Campbell County was organized out of Harrison, Scott and Mason and in 1798 Boone County was established out of Campbell. No further changes were made in this horseshoe bend in the Ohio river until 1840 when Kenton County was organized out of Campbell. So we
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readily can see that all events that took place in Boone after 1794 to 1798 or in Kenton prior to 1840 were Campbell County events.
The first courts of Campbell County which in 1794 included Boone and Kenton were held at Wilmington on the Licking River but in 1795 it was moved to Newport. Boone and Kenton had representatives in the County Court. Mr. John Bush from the North Bend bottom represented this section of Campbell County. In 1789 Gen. Harmer sent Captains Strong and Kearsey to procure food for the soldiers that were stationed at Fort Washington to protect the settlement, they having been without food and were ready to abandon their post if not supplied at once. Mr. John S. Wallace who was a trader and lived close by the Fort selected a Mr. John Dement and John Drennon to go with him down the Ohio river. After reaching Big Bone Creek they secreted their canoe in the mouth of this stream and in a few days had killed deer, bear, and buffalo enough to last the garrison of 70 men until provisions had ar- rived from Pittsburg. So we see this happened nine years before Boone County was organized, but it took place on what is now Boone County soil.
DESCRIPTION
The previous articles that have appeared on the early history of Boone county applied to it before it became organized as a county, in fact before the state of Kentucky was separated from Virginia. Per- haps it would be well here to have the reader understand that the peo- ple of Kentucky County, Virginia, in 1784 called a convention at Danville and discussed the separation from Virginia, and after eight different conventions had been called extending over a period of five years, Virginia passed an act December 1, 1789 agreeing to a separation. A ninth convention was called by the people of Kentucky county and the act of Virginia was accepted July 26, 1790, which fixed June 1, 1792, as the date Kentucky was to be admitted as a State, "never hav- ing been a territory of the Federal Government."
In order to bring government nearer its people the state began the organization of the counties and in 1798 Boone county, the 30th, was organized out of the western part of Campbell county and in honor of Daniel Boone "the old pioneer."
Our county has an average length of about 20 miles and an aver- age width of 15 miles and is bounded on the East by Kenton county
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on the South by Grant and Gallatin counties and on the North and West by the Ohio river which flows along its border for about 40 miles.
The county as a whole would be classed as generally hilly, but in the main it is nearly all tillable, the river bottoms for a distance of forty miles are exceedingly productive and the hill land produces fine tobacco and pasture, while fruit growing is taking a great step forward as shown by the two-day fruit course and apple show at Covington, Kentucky, November 21, and 22, 1924.
Boone county has no very large streams, yet we find Gunpower, Big Bone, Mud Lick, Woopler and Middle creek often inquired for by some city folks in the hope of passing a quiet day along their banks.
When our country was organized in 1798 the population consisted of 1400 persons and its first State Senator was Squire Grant, and the first State Representative was William Arnold.
ROADS AND MAIL SERVICE
It has been 126 years since Florence was named and incorporated as a village, with a population of 63.
The Covington and Lexington Roadway at that time was a dirt road. Taverns and all means of stopping places were being built along this roadway, this called for improvement in the building of roads.
The state, in 1830, began to take active part in the road improve- ment. By 1835 the Lexington-Covington turnpike had been completed from Covington to Florence, a distance of about 10 miles and 15 miles North of Lexington, that left about 50 miles. 20 miles farther North had been graded, but no stone or gravel was placed upon it. This left about one half the distance ungraded through which the stage coach had to plow between Cincinnati and Lexington. Transporting the mail was often delayed two or three days, due to the bad condition of the road.
Remember Florence had a daily mail service beginning April 27, 1830. The coach that transported this mail proceeded to Lexington. It would arrive in Cincinnati every morning at 7 A.M. and depart at 10 A.M. The horses that were used to draw these coaches were general- ly given a rest and others substituted at Florence or Williamstown until the return trip was made.
We also had a mail route to Lawrenceburg, Indiana by way of Bur- lington 3 times a week, at 9 A.M. on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.
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It left Lawrenceburg, by way of Burlington to Cincinnati, 10 A.M. on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
I find a clipping in the Western Statesman, 1831, from James W. Hunter, Post Master at Lawrenceburg stating that a stage line had been established from Lawrenceburg to Cincinnati, leaving Lawrenceburg at 6 A.M., Monday, Wednesday and Friday and leaving Cincinnati Tues- day, Thursday and Saturday arriving at Lawrenceburg at 1 P.M., from this we assume that this mail route by horse back by way of Burlington to Lawrenceburg was discontinued about 1831.
Cincinnati has always been the terminal of our mail service and her first Post Office was established in 1793. The first Postmaster was Abner Dunn, who held the office until his death in 1795, when Daniel Mayo assumed the office a short time after September 1795. W. Max- well became the third Postmaster and was succeeded by William Ruf- fin. He was appointed by George Washington in 1796, held office until he resigned in 1814.
On January 29, 1830, the state made its first appropriation in con- junction with individual stock holders the road was completed by 1838 Toll gates were erected at convenient places, mainly at cross roads for the purpose of paying and up keep of the roads. Two of these toll gate houses were built between Florence and Walton. They are still in extis- tence, being removed to different locations and made into residences or at place of business.
ROAD BUILDING
When Kentucky was admitted as a state in, 1792, the ques- tion of internal improvement became the great issue and a better and more rapid way of transportation was undertaken by trying to find the ways and means of building roads. We should remember that the same laws that applied to Virginia during a short period applied to Kentucky.
In 1797 an act was passed for the opening of new roads and survey- ors were appointed by the courts to survey routes over which roads could be constructed and all male laboring persons over 16 years of age were required to work the roads, except those who were masters of two or more slaves over said age or be fined $1.25 per day for each day's ab- sence or neglect to work. The surveyors were ordered, also, to make these roads out of stone, timber, or earth and to receive their pay from each county levy of taxes as the law provided.
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In March, 1797, Joseph Crockett was appointed to make a turn-pike leading from Crab Orchard and intersect with the trail that led from Madison Court House to Cumberland Gap.
He completed this road and it was farmed out to the highest bidder. Robert Craig was the successful bidder on this road, and established a toll gate on the road and collected toll as follows: for every person except Post Riders, expresses, women and childern under the age of ten years, 122 cents. Every horse, two wheel carriage, cattle 4} per head. All surplus funds were to belong to the keeper of the toll road for keep- ing the same passable. This road was made of earth and graded 15 to 18 feet wide. This was the beginning of road building in our state and on February 4th, 1817, the legislature passed an act for the purpose of forming artificial roads.
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