USA > Kentucky > Hardin County > Elizabethtown > A history of Elizabethtown, Kentucky, and its surroundings > Part 11
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matter of course, left in a destitute condition. The daughter died while an infant, and James, Samuel and Joshua were taken by Col. John Nevill, a man of wealth, and raised in his house with his son, afterwards General Presley Nevill.
Samuel, the subject of this notice, was born on the IIth day of September, 1752, and at 11 years of age was domiciled at Col. Nevill's where he received a common English education. After becoming of age he left Col. Nevill's, carrying with him a letter of recommenda- tion as a sober, honorable and industrious young man. Col. Nevill, after the close of the Revolution, had an appointment under General Washington as exciseman in the Alleghany country; his business was to assess all the distilleries then in operation. The office was extremely unpopular with the distillers, as it always has been, and always will be; and there sprung up a rebellion called the whisky insurrection. The whisky men came in a body to Col. Nevill's and burned him out root and branch; and the insurrection, close upon the heels of the revolution, had to be put down by an armed force. I have heard my father say that the old Colonel was a man of some education, of great firmness and resolution, rather rough in the exterior, had a noble, kind and generous heart, was in the habit of swearing himself, but woe-be-tide the urchin, white or black, under his control, that happened to utter an oath in his presence. His usual mode of punishment for such an offense was to take off his broad brimmed beaver hat, which he had worn for fifteen years, and had become so saturated with grease as to weigh some ten pounds, and wisping it into a kind of roll, would take the fellow a wallop about the ears that laid him as flat as a pan cake, and saying: "D-n you, do you swear?" But for his sterling worth he was known and esteemed to a wide extent.
Samuel Haycraft entered as a common soldier in the Revolutionary war; served his time out and had an honorable discharge. But while in the army, with his Revolutionary uniform on, as a wedding gar- ment, he married my mother, Margaret VanMeter, in Pittsburgh, Pa., and, soon after leaving the army, in the fall of 1779, emigrated, with the whole VanMeter family, to Kentucky and in 1780 he settled on the hill above the Cave spring, in a fort which he built and in which several families resided. It was in the block house of this fort where
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my father-in-law, the late Hon. John Helm, was married to my mother-in-law, Sally Brown, on the 22nd day of March, 1787, as has been before noticed in this history.
Mr. Haycraft was identified with and shared in the trials and dangers incident to so early a settlement; in a new country, infested by wild, savage beasts, and the savage Indians, who claimed the coun- try as their own.
It was in this beautiful land of Kentucky that Haycraft, with wife, children and friends, settled down for life; but it was a settlement that had to be fought for in order to maintain it, and if any country in the world was worth fighting for it was this. He participated in all the perils consequent upon the settlement ; with the growth of the county he kept pace ; served in various offices, as sheriff, judge of the quarter sessions and assistant judge of the circuit court, and repre- sented his county in the Legislature of Kentucky. As he was nearly the first man to build a house in town, and partook largely of hospi- tality natural to early adventurers and early settlers, he had his full share of custom in court times and elections; men then came forty to fifty miles to vote, and seventy or eighty miles to court, and the most of them got accommodation at the free tavern. When a boy I have known as many as thirty persons lodged and fed of a night, all free. In those days a man would just as soon be caught with a sheep on his back as to charge a wayfaring man for lodging or food, unless he was a regular built tavern keeper.
He was a small farmer; was a good deal in public life; raised a large family and died with a spotless reputation on the 12th day of October, 1823, aged 71 years, I month and 4 days.
CHAPTER XXXII
Among the early settlers of this town was Hardin Thomas. He was the father of Jack Thomas, Isaac Thomas, Jesse Thomas, Miles H. Thomas, Alex Thomas, and of several daughters, one of whom married Col. Jacob B. Hayden, our present Senator.
Hardin Thomas was a man of peace. He married Hetty Gerrard, a daughter of really the first Baptist preacher in Kentucky. He was a farmer, and his life was not such as to attract a great deal of attention
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from the outside world; but he was the "noblest work of God"-"an honest man." And not only an honest man, but was possessed of a degree of benevolence rarely met with in this world of dollars and cents. His house was a kind of central point for the neighborhood; and as at that period, when churches were few, and religious services rather poorly attended to, a little visiting and good eating on the Sabbath day was not looked upon as at this day ; on the contrary the folks worked all the week and considered that resting on the Sabbath consisted in visiting friends, having social chats, and a good share of table indulg- ences. So whether Hardin Thomas and Cousin Hetty preferred it or not, the Sabbath was not a day of rest to them, but rather a day of labor. The neighbors and young folks poured in every Sabbath, or nearly so. I have often been one of them, and partook of the hospitalities of the united head of the family; and those hospitalities were not extended with a stinted or grudging hand, but flowed bountifully from their dili- gent hands and generous hearts.
And these Sunday doings were not all. But if a penniless man or woman sick, afflicted or distressed, passed through our country, they invariably dropped in to Hardin Thomas' and were there nursed, fed and lodged and kindly treated. And if you have been inclined to insult Hardin Thomas or his wife let one of these unfortunates ask them what was to pay for board, etc.
Everybody loved Hardin Thomas and his wife. He was very popular, but never had any political aspirations or thirst for office. I once heard a man ask Hardin Thomas why he did not offer for the Legisla- ture. His reply was that he "would as soon be found with a sheep on his back." He lived in a house rather better than usual for that day, the carpenter's work of which was executed by Thomas Lincoln, the father of the late President; and the most of that work is to be seen at this day, sound as a trout, although done upwards of sixty years ago.
Hardin Thomas was a man of portly form and a pleasant countenance -just such a one as was comfortable to look at, and was a complete index of the inner man; but many years since he and his good wife have finished their courses and gone to their reward. His mother was a Hardin, the daughter of John Hardin, who was a brother of the old original Mark Hardin, of George's Creek, Pennsylvania. His father
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was named Owen Thomas; he was the brother of Gen. John Thomas, who commanded the Kentucky troops under Gen. Jackson at the battle of New Orleans. One of his sons, Miles H. Thomas, still lives near Claysville town. He is a clever, honest farmer ; and if it was not dis- paraging to the character of his intellectual powers, I would say that he does not know how to do a mean thing.
One peculiarity more of Hardin Thomas I will name. He was so honest himself that he was unsuspicious of others. And although he lived upon a public road leading from Louisville to Nashville, he trusted all to luck; had no lock to his house, or desk, or smoke-house, or corn- crib. I heard him myself say that there was not a lock about his house. And singular as it may be, I never heard of his losing anything by theft.
But those halcyon days have fled ; they have rolled back into the womb of the past, and only held in remembrance by the few aged persons, ling- ering on the shores of time, who are yet in our midst, but silently and stealthily and steadily approaching the verge of their appointed bounds, and ere long will vacate the seats they occupy, to be filled by younger and stronger men, who in the vigor of youth and manhood shall fill their destiny and in time become old and fade away. But these are rather melancholy reflections, but should not be so, as it is the established order of nature, ever since Adam and Eve were expelled from Paradise ; and yet the world is always full of youth, manhood and old age.
The days last spoken of were days of generous hospitality; the size of a man was never taken into account when there was such an abun- dance of out of doors all around. Apropos Lewis Thomas, who resided on Hardin's creek, in Washington county, was a brother of Hardin Thomas, of whom I have last spoken. He belonged to the Methodist Episcopal Church. In those good old camp-meeting times one was held near his house. On those occasions hundreds, perhaps a thousand, attended who had no camp-building, and were dependent on the hos- pitality of all the neighborhood around; and Lewis Thomas living on the pebble road, as a living stream of humanity were passing his house, he ran out, and, with a cheerful voice, called on them to stop, adding that his house was only eighteen feet square, but that his heart was one hundred feet square.
The Baptists also had an annual association, which called together immense crowds. On such occasions, at the close of each day's serv-
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ices, there was read in a loud voice from the stand a list of house- keepers who gave invitations to dine, giving their locations and dis- tance from the grounds. It made no difference what kind or size of a house it was, there was always provided an abundance of excellent food and many of the liquors of the day; and as for sleeping, there was no difficulty about that-pallets on the floor down stairs, up stairs, in the kitchen, in the hay-loft, and all around-all were happy and cheer- ful. I well remember on one occasion of lodging in a room about twenty-five feet long and about fourteen feet wide with upwards of thirty persons. The whole floor was spread with blankets, quilts and mattresses. We laid down in rows, head to the wall and foot to foot, and all slept well. On such occasions the negroes caught the spell of their masters, and would hail passers-by to stop, saying: "stay with us, we have more people here and more to eat, and better cooks than they have over yonder. So round to and come in."
Once upon a time there was an association held with the Mill Creek Baptist Church in Nelson county, about three miles northeast of Bards- town. The venerable Benjamin Edwards and his most excellent wife were members of that church. His place was called Shilo. He was the father of the late Gov. Edwards Dr. B. F. Edwards, Cyrus Edwards and Mrs. Mary Helm, of our town, still living. On that occasion he gave a general invitation, and 100 came to his house and were fed and lodged for three days in a most comfortable manner. A little episode occurred on the Sabbath morning before starting to church. The 100 mouths exclusive of the thirty in the family ate up more fresh meat than had been provided. The old gentleman was quite a stickler for the observance of the Sabbath, but here was a difficulty, and asked the counsel of Gardener Grundy, one of his guests, and Brother Grundy soon settled the point by saying, "Rise, Peter, slay and eat." Accord- ingly, up went for the hogs, and all were provided for.
Speaking of the negroes who were their servants, they felt identified in interests with their masters, and were true to defend their character or property, and if be, to fight for them. Old General Braddock, a negro man and slave of one of my uncles, took his rifle and went a campaign against the Indians, and he says he killed nine of them, for which he was awarded his freedom.
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Although a little out of my boundary I will relate a matter that was told to me by the late Rev. Marcus Lindsay, a Methodist preacher. A settlement of several families at Harrod's Station, near Harrodsburg, cultivated jointly a field a little distant from the houses. Some one of the settlement owned a little runt of a negro, and he was reserved as common stock to help the women. The men went to the field in the morning, stationing one of the party as a sentinel. His duty was to watch for the Indians and give the alarm, but it so happened that a party of Indians had, before being noticed, gotten between the farm- ers and the house and were rapidly pushing forward. The alarm was given, but not soon enough to prevent a powerful Indian force entering a house before the door was closed. The little negro, im- mediately yoked in with the Indians with all the vim of a Billy-goat. The Indians soon floored the little negro, and while attempting to stab the negro the woman of the house seized an axe and at one blow split open the Indian's head and killed him. The little negro crawled from under the Indian, shook himself and said: "Now, Mistress, let in an- other," supposing he could go through the same feat. And it was merely accidental that the negro escaped. The Indian having that morning killed a woman who had on an apron, this he took from her person and tied it on himself, covering his knife, and in fumbling about the apron for his knife he lost his life.
This incident is related to show the feelings between master and serv- ant in those days.
CHAPTER XXXIII
Ambrose Geoghegan, Sr., was born in the city of Dublin, in Ireland, on the 30th day of March, 1753, and graduated in Dublin as an engi- neer, and was in other respects an accomplished scholar.
This family is noticed in Macaulay's History of England as being one of the party that espoused the cause of King James, the Second, who was deposed, and William, Prince of Orange, in conjunction with Mary, his wife, ascended the throne; and when king William invaded Ireland the Geoghegans were found in arms. Ambrose Geoghegan while yet a single man emigrated to America and landed in Baltimore on the 6th day of May, 1771, and was married to Peggy
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Zelman on the 6th day of May, 1777 ; and after losing his wife, married again in 1784. He was living at Hagerstown, in Maryland, until about 1804, when, with his sons Denton, Thomas and J. H. Geoghegan, came to Kentucky and stopped at the Crab Orchard, in Lincoln county, and while there purchased of Armstead Churchill the Hynes Station track, part of which is now in Elizabethtown. The deed bears date of 1805, and recognizes him as a citizen of Lincoln county. His grandson A. D. Geoghegan, Esq., says he arrived at Hynes' Station on the 21st of February, 1808. But that must be a mistake as the deed bears date of December 29, 1806, and recognizes him as a citizen of Hardin county. Immediately after coming to Hardin the family purchased several adjoining farms.
Ambrose Geoghegan, Esq., was an old man when he came to Ken- tucky, and was possessed of considerable means, was an accomplished engineer and surveyor, and, moreover was an accomplished gentle- man and of social disposition, and soon formed the acquaintance of the principal citizens of the town and neighborhood, and, in order to cultivate friendly and social relations, got up a Whig club, which fre- quently met, when the free interchange of ideas and discussions on the subjects of the day were well calculated to make friendship and brighten up society.
The first celebration of the 4th of July was a barbecue dinner with a speech and toasts that I ever remember of was gotten up by him, and was freely participated in by all the gentry of the county ; and by his example and under his influence the state and tone of society was greatly improved. His son, Thomas, died soon after he came to Hardin county, leaving an only daughter, who at an early age married John B. Wathen; and they are both dead.
The oldest son, Denton Geoghegan, Esq., was a large farmer for several years, and finally settled in Elizabethtown, where he resided until his death, on the 5th day of April, 1850.
He was for many years a justice of the peace; was a remarkably clear-headed man, strictly honorable in all his dealings, and noted for his punctuality. He raised two sons and several daughters. One only son survives Ambrose D. Geoghegan, Esq .; he is also a large farmer, stands high in this community, and has all the traits constitut- ing the clever gentleman-social, generous, hospitable and kind. One
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daughter, Rebecca, married Col. Chas. Cecil, who wisely gave his sons a thorough education, and they have proved themselves to be energetic, thorough-going men, and they have succeeded in establishing one of the most popular colleges in Kentucky, known as Cecilian College, about six or seven miles from Elizabethtown and about a quarter of a mile from the Elizabethtown and Paducah railroad, the stopping place for which, is Cecilia Station. The College is presided over by Henry A. Cecil as President, and Thomas G. and A. D. Cecil as Pro- fessors ; and a more accomplished and gentlemanly trio would be diffi- cult to find.
John H. Geoghegan, the last and youngest son of A. D. Geoghegan, Sr., inherited the old homestead, Hynes' Station, and lived there until he died, on the IIth day of January, 1854, aged 75 years. He was a correct, upright citizen of regular habits. He was rather peculiar in his habits and manner of life; wrote a beautiful hand, and took note of all passing events that he deemed worthy of remembering; was fond of a gun; kept a good one, and by the way of recreation, made havoc of small game, but was too systematic to let it interfere with his business, which was that of farming and he was a model farmer. He reared a considerable family-six sons and two daughters. The sons were Dr. Thomas D. Geoghegan, Dr. Ambrose E., Dr. Denton, Robert D., John H., and William S. Geoghegan. His house and his hand were open to his relations and friends. He raised his sons to work, and in their younger days worked side by side with his colored servants. He was a kind master and provided bountifully for their wants, and allowed them great privileges. He gave his sons as good an education as the country afforded. Three sons studied physics, and became excellent doctors of medicine. The oldest, Dr. Thomas D. Geoghegan, settled at West Point, Hardin county, and had a suc- cessful practice during his life. The Doctor's location favored an extensive practice, living at a point where Hardin, Jefferson and Bullitt counties connect, and in four miles of Meade, on the Ohio river, the lines between Kentucky and Indiana. His practice extended largely over all the above-named counties, and in two counties in Indiana. This heavy practice, of course, kept the Doctor much from home. On one occasion a man came for the Doctor, and while wait- ing employed himself in reading the sign on the shop, "Dr. Thos. D.
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Geoghegan." The name is pronounced Go-ha-gan; and the man in waiting not being an apt scholar, made it read Dr. Thomas gone again. Becoming tired, he left for some two hours. On returning and looking at the sign, he exclaimed, "There now, I'll swear he's gone again."
He died suddenly on the 9th day of December, 1863, in the fifty- second year of his age, leaving a very respectable and intelligent family.
Dr. Ambrose E. Geoghegan, after studying his profession, married in Leitchfield, and opened practice there for several years, then returned to Elizabethtown, and had a successful practice for several years, and during that time discovered a powerful medicine, composed of prickly ash, smart weed, walnut leaves, brandy and sugar, so concocted as to produce a pleasant medicine called "Hydropiper"-no doubt a very valuable discovery, and its merits not yet fully tested. In partnership with Dr. Young and Slaughter, a large quantity was manufactured- still not sufficient to meet the demands, for its fame spread far and near.
The Doctor now lives at River View, in Jefferson county-a very pleasant, social gentleman, and one of the finest talkers in creation.
Doctor Denton Geoghegan, was born at Hynes Station, April 23, 1824; remained with his father and labored on the farm until 1842. He then went to Mississippi and followed the brick-mason trade for two years, and returned home with greatly improved health and began ยท the study of medicine under his brother, Dr. Thos. D. Geoghegan, at West Point, and graduated at the Medical College in Louisville in 1846; then practiced at West Point until 1854; then removed to Eliza- bethtown and practiced there until his death, which happened Nov. 16, 1869.
He became a member of the Episcopal Church, and was a liberal practitioner, never charging widows or preachers; was a kind master, and had many excellent traits of character, but never married. His death was unexpected and much regretted.
Robert D. Geoghegan, our enterprising and accomplished merchant, has been spoken of in a former part of this history. He is a valuable citizen, and a useful member of the Methodist Episcopal Church.
Jno. H. Geoghegan, Jr., is a farmer, and lives in Nelson county. The youngest son, William S. Geoghegan, was also born at Hynes Station, and resided with his father until his death, and then with his excellent
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mother until her death, in the year 1860. Soon after this he became an assistant in the store of his brother, Robert D. Geoghegan. Billy is a good worker ; has a fine flow of spirits; and as to his age I need not say, as he is a single man, and, from all appearances, is likely to remain so.
CHAPTER XXXIV
Jacob Vanmeter, Sr., was my grandfather. He, with his family, emigrated from Monongahala (called by the old folks "Monongahale,") in 1779, landing at the falls of the Ohio that fall, and in the year 1780 came to Severn Valley and settled on the farm now owned by George W. Strickler, two miles from Elizabethtown, on Valley Creek, at the mouth of Billy's Creek, on which last-named creek he built a grist mill for corn and wheat; and although there remains at this day not a vestige of that mill, yet I ought to know where it stood, as my father carried on a one-horse distillery, and when I was about eight years old it was my daily business (Sunday excepted) to go with a bag of corn three times a day. My grandfather continued to reside there until his death, which occurred on the 16th day of November, 1798. He was in the original constitution of Severn's Valley Baptist Church on the 17th day of June, 1781. His wife (my grandmother), his son, Jacob, and his negro man, Bambo, were also members.
At his death he left a large family, all grown. It is now nearly seventy-two years since his death, and, like the old patriot Jacob, his descendants have multiplied like a fruitful vine that ran over the wall, for they are scattered East, West, North and South, and may be found in every State and territory in the Union, and from the least calculation that can be made they now amount to at least 3,000 souls. And that will not appear so surprising when you are informed that one out of his numerous grandsons had his thirtieth child born the night of his death. But that was over the average of the family, as the number of the most of his descendants to each family ran on an average from nine to eleven children, but frequently exceeded those numbers. My mother had eleven.
My grandfather was buried on his own farm, I was present at his interment, being then three years and three months old, and have a distinct recollection of the occasion. His son Jacob procured a sand
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rock and cut a tombstone, which is yet in good state of preservation, and every letter distinct at this day. On the 5th day of February, 1849, I visited the grave, having a little grandson with me, and pointed out to him (as one of the fifth generation) the spot that contained the re- mains of his great, great grandfather. And as the inscription itself on the stone is a piece of antiquity, particularly as to its orthography, I will here give something like a facsimile of it :
"HERE LIZES THE BODY OF JACOB VANMATER DIED IN THE 76 YARE OF HIS AGE NOVEMBER THE 16 1798"
The spelling is rather of the normal style, and is an honest attempt to carry out the sound. Thus the word year is spelt YARE, containing all the proper letters of the word, but misplaced; but the sound as spelt in the epitaph is precisely as he always pronounced it for nearly ninety years. Therefore, let no man pretend to criticise it or alter it. It is a jewel to me ; so all mankind let it alone. It is the honest home-spun epitaph of a good man and Christian who braved all the perils and dangers of his day honorable, kind, hospitable and generous, and truly a patriarch.
Jacob Vanmeter, the second, was born in Berkley county, Virginia, October 4, 1762; became a member of the Baptist Church at eleven years of age. At nineteen years of age, say 1779-80, he came with his father to Kentucky and settled in the valley.
And here I will remark that I am not writing for a religious paper, but it is impossible to write anything about Jacob Vanmeter the second without touching upon religion, I must be indulged, for although his life was one of industry, toil and thrift, yet it was all the time a life of religion.
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