Collins historical sketches of Kentucky. History of Kentucky: Vol. II, Part 68

Author: Collins, Lewis, 1797-1870. cn; Collins, Richard H., 1824-1889. cn
Publication date: 1874
Publisher: Covington, Ky., Collins & Co.
Number of Pages: 1654

USA > Kentucky > Collins historical sketches of Kentucky. History of Kentucky: Vol. II > Part 68

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STATISTICS OF KENTON COUNTY.

When formed. See page 26 Corn, wheat, hay, tobacco .. pages 266, 268 Population, from 1850 to 1870 p. 258 Horses, mules, cattle, hogs .p. 268

whites and colored ... ... p. 260 Taxable property, 1846 and 1870 .... p. 270

towns .. .p. 262 Land-No. of acres, and value. ... p. 270

white males over 21. .. p. 266 --

Latitude and longitude .. .p. 257

children bet. 6 and 20. .. p. 266 Distinguished citizens see Index.

MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATURE FROM KENTON COUNTY.

Senate .- John Bennett, 1841-45 : John W. Leathers, 1849-51 ; John A. Goodson, 1851-53 ; John F. Fisk, 1857-65 ; M. M. Benton, 1865-69, seat declared vacant 1866; succeeded by John G. Carlisle, 1866-69, '69-73, but resigned 1871 to run for Lieut. Gov .; succeeded by Jas. B. Casey, 1871-73; Robert Simmons, 1873-77.

House of Representatives .- John A. Goodson, 1840 ; Robert M. Carlisle, 1841, '47, '51-53, '71-73 ; John S. Finley, 1842; Herman J. Groesbeck, 1843, '44; John W. Stevenson, 1845, '46, '48; Daniel Mooar, 1849; Hiram Klette, 1850; Samuel M. Moore, 1851-53 ; Robert Simmons, Samuel C. Sayers, 1853-55; John W. Menzies, 1855-57 ; Robert Richardson, 1855-59; John Ellis, 1857-61 ; John G. Carlisle, 1859-61 ; Jobn W. Finnell, 1861-63 ; G. Clay Smith, 1861-63, resigned Aug. 29th, '62, succeeded by J. Crockett Sayers, Jan. 1863-65 ; M. M. Benton, 1863-65, resigned and succeeded by Andrew H. Herrod, 1865 : Geo. W. Carlisle and Harvey Myers, 1865-67, the latter resigned and was succeeded by John D. Shutt, Dec. 23, 1865-67 ; John W. Leathers, 1867-69; John Wolf, 1869-71, '73-75.

City of Covington (separate representation) .- Robert Simmons, 1867-71; Geo. G. Perkins, 1867-69 ; John N. Farber, 1869-71; Dr. Chas. D. Foote, 1871-73; C. Colum- bus Scales, 1871-75; Jos. Hiermes, 1873-75.

422

KENTON COUNTY.

The Ohio River, at Covington, is 1,800 feet, or about one-third of a mile wide, and its mean annual range from low to high water is about 50 feet. The extreme range was, in 1832, 12 feet more. In the months of August, September, and October, the lowest stages of water are reached-Oet., 1838, being the lowest ever known; the greatest rises are usually in December, March, May, and June-that on Feb. 19, 1832, being the highest of which we have definite knowledge.

The Mouth of the Licking River (or Creek, as it was called by some of the earliest visitors) was one of the prominent points in the navigation of the Ohio, and in the Indian incursions into Kentucky ; and was the point of rendezvous of Kentucky troops on several expeditions against the Indians on the Miami river in Ohio.

Earliest White Visitors .- Christopher Gist (see his signature on page 000), in his tour as agent of the Ohio company, with his small company crossed the Lieking river at or near its mouth, in March, 1751-the first white men ever upon its waters of whom we have any knowledge. James MeBride and others, in a periogue, passed down the Ohio in 1754; but if they landed where Covington now is, they did not leave any record of it, either upon the trees, as they did at the mouth of the Kentucky, or elsewhere. The first white women ever upon the soil of Kenton county were Mrs. Mary Inglis and her Duteh companion, in 1756, when fleeing from Indian captivity (see detailed account of it under Boone county). May 29, 1765, Col. Geo. Croghan passed the mouth of Licking; and July 19, 1766, Capt. Harry Gordon, chief engineer in the Western Department in North America, probably landed at the point; at any rate, he was making some sort of measurement of distances on the Ohio, and in his report sets down the mouth of Lieking creek as 500} miles below Pittsburgh, 179} below Big Sandy creek (or river), 134} below Seioto river, 60 miles above Big Bone ereek, 1043 above Kentucky river, and 1812 above the Falls. His measurements were not very accurate; the corresponding distances as shown by the official U. S. survey in 1867 and 1868 being 466} miles from Pittsburgh, 1512 from Big Sandy, 1122 from Seioto river, 46} from Big Bone, 742 from the Kentucky river, and 1322 from the Falls at Louis- ville. (See page 16, Vol. I.)

In 1769, Col. Richard Taylor, Haneoek Taylor, and others from Virginia, descended the Ohio and Mississippi rivers to New Orleans, but did not land at the mouth of Licking. In the fall of 1771, Simon Kenton, John Strader, and George Yeager (who had been raised by the Indians, could talk several of their languages, and when young had hunted with them in the cane lands of Kentucky) passed down the Ohio to the mouth of the Kentucky in search of cane, but found none (because it did not grow within two or three miles of the river). On their return they examined Licking river for a short dis- tance. In 1773, four parties from Virginia, led respectively by Capt. Thos. Bullitt, the Mc Afee brothers, James Douglass, and Capt. James Harrod, passed the mouth of Licking on their way to the Falls and points in the interior of Kentucky. The next year, May, 1774, Capt. James Harrod, Abram Hite, Jacob Sandusky, James Sandusky, and 38 others, in deseending the Ohio on their way to Harrodsburg, encamped nearly opposite the mouth of Licking, at the mouth of Deer creek, where Cincinnati now is, and upon that ground cut the first tree ever eut by white men. But the first white men known to have navigated the Lieking river for any distance were the John Hinkson and the John Miller companies of 14 men each, who passed in canoes up to the Lower Blue Licks on Main Licking, and thence went out into Bourbon and Harrison counties to build cabins and make improvements. (See under Har- rison county.) Other companies followed in 1776.

Hydraulic Lime, in thin layers, alternating with slate and granular lime- stone, was discovered in 1838, by the engineers of the slackwater improvement, at the mouth of the Licking river, and in the exeavations for the lock-pits of Nos. 1 and 2, and in the banks of Three Mile and Bank Lick creeks. From the first locality, it was tested frequently in Cincinnati, and found to be ag good as any ever before in the market.

In 1837-38, $5,383 were expended by the state in excavating a channel across the ledge of rocks at the mouth of the Licking into the Ohio, to the depth of 20 inches at the lowest stage of water ever known in the Ohio river.

423

KENTON COUNTY.

Licking River Navigation .- In 1837, under the comprehensive system of slackwater navigation and macadamized roads upon which the state of Ken- tucky had entered, the survey of the Licking river was continued to West Liberty, 231 miles from its mouth, and giving a total ascent to be overcome of 310 feet. The lockage was arranged for 21 locks, the lifts varying from 9 to 18 feet. The following table exhibits the localities, cost, etc., of the locks and dams :

No. of Lock Miles

Lift of Height of Length Estimated

and Dam. from Mouth.

Lock.

Dam. of Pools.

Cost.

No. 1 3 Three mile ripple

.1712 ft

.. 22 ft

3 miles $94,347

6 Six mile ripple ...

1634

94,670

3 2234

Dutchman's ripple

.16

111/2 74,166

3414

Willow ripple ..

915 81,225

5 44

Hendrick's ripple.

714. 80,962

5114

Falmouth

16. 82,251

6714

. Buoy's fish dam

101%

78,320

7734

. Claysville

1316

77,310

9114

. Panther creek ripple .. 16.

1514. 80,730 -

10612

Is'd below Flem'g c'k. 1612

2034

84,655

12714

Andrews' mill.

131/4

79,815

140 15

Ringo's mill

1512

11.

76,035

151 15 ...

Achison's ripple

12.

1134 69,360

16314

Iles' mill.

614 64,235

16912

Adams' ripple.

612. 64,350

176

Caug's shoal

56,675

182.

Gill's mill.

914 61,465

19114.

Wilson's ripple

15 1%

1214

65,813

Ellington's ripple

212

Black water

17. 24

21 ..

Flat Woods ripple

.18

Locality.

The total estimated cost of the improvement to West Liberty was $1,826,481 ; and it could be completed in four years .. In Oct., 1837, the first five locks and dams, reaching to Falmouth, Pendleton county, were put under contract. In 1842, owing to the extraordinary stringency in the money market, the public works of the state were almost entirely stopped. On Licking river the work was never resumed, and the outlay of $372,520 thus proved a total loss. If concentrated upon four of the locks, it would have completed them, and given a permanent navigation of 44 miles.

The Oldest Native of what is now Kenton county-still living (Feb., 1873,) within its borders, and who never lived out of it-is Isaac Martin, born May 4, 1798, on top of one of the hills immediately back of Covington, about a mile west of the railroad tunnel. Zaccheus Kyle, born in what is now Cov- ington, June 13, 1798, is still living, in Clermont co., Ohio.

Among the First Settlers of Kenton county was Edmond Rittenhouse (a relative of the great American mathematician and astronomer, David Ritten- house, of Pennsylvania) and family, who, in March, 1793, came down the Ohio in. a flat-boat to the mouth of Licking, and up that stream to Bank Lick creek, on which he was about to settle, 14 miles from Licking; but the hostil- ity of the Indians compelled him to remove immediately to Ruddle's station, between Cynthiana and Paris. He came back in 1795, and located on the west bank of Licking, a quarter of a mile below Three-Mile ripple. A quarter of a mile distant, John Martin settled, with his family, about the same time. He was. born on the Atlantic ocean, in 1723, three days after his parents (who were Quakers or Friends from Ireland) started on their voyage to America. He emigrated from Beesontown (afterwards called Uniontown), Pa., by water to Limestone (Maysville), in Feb, 1791, and thence proceeded with other families, guarded by a few soldiers, to Ruddle's station, and re- mained until 1795; then settled on the road from Cincinnati to Lexington, a short distance from the first toll-gate on the present Bank Lick turnpike. These two were the grandfathers of the Isaac Martin mentioned above. His parents, Wm. Martin and Margaret Rittenhouse, were married in 1797- probably the first couple married within the bounds of Kenton county. In the older-settled part, which is still Campbell county, several marriages and births

---

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KENTON COUNTY.

took place earlier. (Maj. David) Leitch's station was on the opposite or eastern bank of Licking, about 5 miles above its mouth, and near where the above settlers located.

Residents in 1810, within the present corporate limits of Covington : Thos. Kennedy and his three sons-Samuel, Joseph, and Robert; of those, Joseph had three sons, Thos. D., Alfred, and Davis. Robert Kyle and five sons- Samuel, John, Thomas, Robert, and Zaccheus (the latter still living in Feb., 1873). Jas. Riddle and his son John. Jas. Harris and two sons-Nathan and David (the latter still living in 1868). Duncan Mc Vickar and son James. Jacob Fowler and two sons-Benj. and Edward. Jacob Hardin and son John. Samuel Swing and six sons-David, James, Jeremiah, Samuel, Wm., and another. Wm. Martin and nine sons-Isaac, John, Peter, Adam, Wm., Hiram, Enoch, Norton, and another. Joel Craig, Robert Fleming, Neal Johnson, Wm. Cummings, Peter Hardin, Judge Jos. Robertson. John Gamble and four sons-John, James, Andrew, and Joseph. Patrick Leonard and his wife Molly-always known as Capt. Molly, because of her taking the place-and fighting bravely as an artilleryman in one of the battles of the Revolution- of her first husband, who was killed in the battle.

And in the suburbs or country within a few miles of Covington were: Thos. Sandford and three sons-Alexander, Alfred, and Cassius B. (late mayor, and who died in 1872). Stephen Rich and five sons-Samuel, Stephen, Allen, Joseph, and John. Francis Kreilich and son Jacob. -. Krout and two sons- Jacob and Henry. Wm. Mackoy and three sons-John, Wm., and Robert. John Martin and his sons-Wm. and John. Joseph Martin and seven sons- Blakeston, John, Thomas, Wm., Jefferson, General, and Joseph. Enoch Rit- tenhouse, Eli Freeman Rittenhouse, Humphrey Frier, and son Alex. (drowned in Licking in 1809, and his father and mother drowned in Bank Lick in 1811). John Lucas and son Joel. Abraham Rockenfeld and two sons-John and Pizarro. Wm. Wilson and four sons-Wesley, Thomas, William, and another. Jas. Holman and son Wm. Andrew Wason and son Wm. Capt. Geo. Scott and four sons-Chasteen, Elmore, Wm., and Obadiah. -. Decourcey and son Joel. John Donovan. John Vanhook. Elliston E. Williams and five sons-Nathan, Isaac, Elliston, John, and Peter.

The Western Baptist Theological Institute was formed Nov. 10, 1834, at Cin- cinnati, under the patronage of the Western Baptist Education Society. In May, 1835-after fruitless efforts to procure a site at moderate expense-a property was offered immediately south of the city of Covington, Ky. In the course of two or three weeks, several purchases were made, comprising about 356 acres of land, lying nearly the whole of it in one body, at an expense of $33,250. Sale was soon after made of a portion for $22,500; and further sales so as to pay for the whole purchase, and leave over 200 acres clear of incumbrance for the purposes of the institution. After a prosperous career of over twenty years, the institute was removed to Georgetown, the seat of the Baptist college which has proved the greatest feeder of the theological school. The large and substantial building (see engraving), was used as a Federal hospital during the civil war, and afterwards purchased by the Roman Catholics, in whose hands it is an admirably conducted institution, St. Eliza- beth's Hospital.

Capt. John Cleves Symmes, a citizen of Newport, in 1824, and for six years previously, was quite persistently endeavoring to make converts to a New Theory of the Earth, called "The Theory of Concentric Spheres." This theory was stated as follows-by a scientific gentleman who lectured in op- position to it : He maintained that the globe which we inhabit is composed of a number of hollow spheres, having spaces between them occupied by at- mospheres ; that these shells are widely open at both poles-the northern opening of the outer shell being about 4,000 miles diameter, and the southern about 6,000 miles ; that the planes of these openings are inclined to that of the ecliptic at an angle of 12º or 15°; that the axis of the earth being per- pendicular to the equator, causes the two poles to approach the upper side of the verges of these openings; that the meridians or lines of longitude wind along the edges of either verge, and meet at the highest point of the ridge which he denominates the 90th degree or pole; and finally that the concave

REV. WM. ORR'S FEMALE ACADEMY, COVINGTON, KY., 1846. (In 1874, the Residence of Wm. G. Morris.)

BAPTIST THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY, COVINGTON, KY., 1846. (In 1874, the St. Elizabeth Hospital.)

425

KENTON COUNTY.

surface of the outer shell, and probably of them all, is inhabited by various kinds of inferior animals, and by intelligent beings resembling ourselves.

Capt. Symmes' very amiable private character, his reputation as a brave and active army officer, and the almost exclusive devotion of all his time, talents, and property to the propagation of his new doctrines, excited great attention and sympathy, and on the part of many induced a belief in the truth of his theory. He contemplated publishing a newspaper, in which to detail the principles of his theory, in support of which he is said to have adduced many ingenious and plausible proofs. He traveled and lectured upon the subject. A public meeting at Hamilton, Ohio, resolved that the theory was deserving of serious examination, and worthy the attention of the Ameri- can people. At Frankfort, Ky., at a public meeting, in Dec., 1824, presided over by the lieutenant governor of the state, Col. Robert B. McAfee, a resolu- tion recommended congress to consider the propriety of fitting out an expedi- tion to explore the northwest coast, the North Pacific ocean to the continent of Asia, and the unknown regions beyond the Arctic Circle-the principal command to be given to Capt. Symmes. The Thespian Society of Newport crossed over to Cincinnati, and at the Cincinnati theatre performed the tragedy of The Revenge-to raise funds to enable Capt. S. to proceed eastward and endeavor to obtain an outfit for his proposed polar expedition.

Col. Bowman's Expedition .- In the latter part of April, 1779, Col. John Bowman, county lieutenant of Kentucky county, Va. (which then embraced the entire present state of Ky.), as a means of repressing the Indian incur- sions, determined upon an expedition against the Shawnees and the Chillicothe town, on the Little Miami river (not far from Xenia, Ohio). He accordingly notified the people " to plant their corn, and be in readiness to rendezvous in May at the mouth of Licking"-where Covington now is. "The men from the Falls (Louisville) were directed to meet us at the mouth of Licking, with boats to enable us to cross." " A certain Wm. Harrod who, this deponent conceives, commanded them at the Falls of the Ohio, harangued the people then there-showing the necessity of the expedition, and that the settlements from the other parts of Kentucky were desirous of having the expedition car- ried into effect." * Four companies of militia-Capt. Benj. Logan's, from Logan's, Whitley's, and Clark's stations, Capt. Josiah Harlan's, partly from Harrodsburg, Wilson's, and McAfee's stations, Capt. Levi Todd's, from Har- rodsburg, Lexington, and Bryan's stations, and Capt. John Holder's, from Boonesborough-were joined at the mouth of Licking by about 40 men from Ruddle's and Martin's stations, under Lieut. John Haggin (also under Capt. Harlan), and by Capt. Wm. Harrod's company, about 60 strong, from the Falls, with two batteaux. They " chiefly turned out as volunteers," but would have been drafted if necessary to obtain force enough. " We were only en- titled to a peck of parched corn apiece," and received some "public beef" at Lexington. "We were all volunteers, and found ourselves." From Lexing- ton they kept down the west side of Licking, and " striking on the headwaters of Bank Lick creek, encamped one night on the same, and went down it to the mouth of Licking." Maj. Geo. Michael Bedinger was there appointed adjutant. "On the northwest side of the Ohio, the men were formed into three divisions, and placed in marching order, by an adjutant in the presence of Col. Bowman." The only deposition which speaks of the affair at Chilli- cothe says, " success in the attack was well known." [The depositions were taken in some land suits, to prove the locality of " Bowman's encampment, the second night from Lexington."] They returned down the Little Miami, and at its mouth crossed to a bottom opposite in Kentucky, and " after dis- posing of the Indian plunder among themselves by way of vendue, the men were discharged and dispersed in different directions, as their courses home- ward made it expedient."

The following brief account of the engagement has been sent us +-copied

* Depositions of Benj. Berry, James Guthrie, Col. Wm. Whitley, Col. Robert Pat- terson, James Sodowsky, Col. Levi Todd, and 26 other soldiers in the expedition, taken in 1804.

t By Wm. Doniphan Frazee, of Indianopolis, Ind., grandson of Samuel Frazee.

426

KENTON COUNTY.

from the papers of the late Samuel Frazee, who settled upon a farm in Mason county, Ky., 13 miles N. E. of Germantown, and lived there for more than sixty years before his death, Nov. 12, 1849. It differs materially from the account in McClung's Sketches of Western Adventure (see sketch of Gen. Benj. Logan, under Logan county), and from every other published account. It gives the number of volunteers at 135, whereas the sworn statements of other soldiers make it from 240 to 300 men, and the official roll of Capt. John Holder's company (see volume i,) gives 56; and that was but one of five com- panies. In same volume, are lists of Capt. Benj. Logan's (99 men) and Capt. Wm. Harrod's (96 men) companies, copied by us from the official rolls among Col. John Bowman's papers ; but it does not appear, as in Capt. Holder's case, that these were the rolls of the companies actually in the expedition. The name of Samuel Frazee appears as a private in Capt. Wm. Harrod's company. He went from the mouth of Licking to Harrodsburg to give the alarm of Indian depredations and expeditions, returning with the volunteers to that point. He says :

Near what is now Cincinnati "we struck the trail of the red men, and fol- lowed it to Old Chillicothe [a Shawnee town, on the Little Miami river, 3 miles N. of Xenia, Greene co., Ohio, and 67 miles N. of Cincinnati], where we found about 500 Indians encamped. Our forces were divided into three companies. Col. Bowman, Capt. Logan, and myself took command of 45 men each. About midnight, we attempted to move on three sides of the Indian camp, and were to remain stationary within good gunshot of the Indians until daylight-when we were to make a simultaneous attack upon the camp. Just as we had gotten up within short range, an Indian dog gave the alarm. A tall Indian raised up from the center of their camp, and I shot him down, and immediately gave word to my men to fire. The Indians shot from the cracks of their huts, and after we had fired three rounds I gave word to re- treat. I saw that we were fighting to a great disadvantage. We got into and behind a few of their poorest huts, while they retained possession of their best houses-from which I saw it was not possible to drive them without a great and reckless loss of life. Bowman has lately been condemned for ordering his men to fire too early and to retreat too soon. Now, if any one was to be censured, it was I, and not Bowman. We lost 8 men, while the Indians lost probably 20 or 30. When we retreated, we took shelter in a pond [ or swamp]; the Indians passed on each side of us."

Lieut. James Patton, of the company from Louisville, said that "in spite of the fairest promises, they only burned the town and captured 163 horses and some other spoil-with a loss of six or seven men."* Gen. James Ray, of one company from Harrodsburg, thought differently from the current ac- count (as to the inefficiency of Col. Bowman), and believed the attack failed from the vigorous defence by the Indians, which prevented Bowman getting near enough to give Logan the signal agreed upon; he gave full credit to Bowman, on this retreat, as well as on other occasions."t

Another narrative of the expedition, which gives the number of men at 160, and was written when many of them were living, is from John Bradford's "Notes on Kentucky," as follows :

" The party, at the end of the second night from the mouth of Licking, got in sight of the town undiscovered. It was determined to wait until daylight, before they would make the attack; but by the imprudence of some of the men, whose curiosity exceeded their judgment, the party was discovered by the Indians before the officers and men had arrived at the several positions assigned them. As soon as the alarm was given, a fire commenced on both sides, and was kept up; while the women and children were seen running from cabin to cabin, in the greatest confusion, and collecting in the most central and strongest.

" At clear daylight, it was discovered that Bowman's men were from 70 to 100 yards from the cabins in which the Indians had collected, and which they appeared determined to defend. Having no other arms than tomahawks and rifles, it was thought imprudent to attempt to storm strong cabins, well

* Butler's Ky., page 109. t Same, page 110.

427

KENTON COUNTY.

defended by expert warriors. The warriors having collected in a few cabins contiguous to each other, the remainder of the town was left unprotected ; therefore while shooting was kept up at the port-holes, so as to engage the attention of those within, fire was set to 30 or 40 cabins, which consumed them. A considerable quantity of property, in kettles and blankets, was taken from the burning cabins ; and in searching the woods near the town, 133 horses were collected.

About 10 o'clock, Bowman and his party commenced their march homeward, after having 9 men killed. The loss of the Indians was never known, except that their principal chief, Blackfish, was wounded through the knee, and died of the wound. He proposed to surrender, hoping to find surgeons among the whites who could cure his wound and save his life.

The retreating party had not marched more than 8 or 10 miles, when the Indians began to press hard upon their rear. Col. Bowman selected his ground, and formed his men in a square; but the Indians declined a close engagement, and kept up a scattering fire-designing to retard the march until they could procure reinforcements from the neighboring villages. As- soon as a strong position was taken by Col. Bowman, the Indians retired; but returned to the attack, whenever he resumed the line of march. He again formned for battle. and again they retired. This scene was acted over several times. At length, John Bulger, James Harrod,* and George Michael Bedinger, with about 100 more on horseback, rushed on the Indian ranks and dispersed them; after which the Indians abandoned the pursuit.

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Collins historical sketches of Kentucky. History of Kentucky: Vol. II, Part 68

Author: Collins, Lewis, 1797-1870. cn; Collins, Richard H., 1824-1889. cn Publication date: 1874 Publisher: Covington, Ky., Collins & Co. Number of Pages: 1654

Author: Collins, Lewis, 1797-1870. cn; Collins, Richard H., 1824-1889. cn
Publication date: 1874
Publisher: Covington, Ky., Collins & Co.
Number of Pages: 1654