USA > Kentucky > Daviess County > History of Daviess County, Kentucky, together with sketches of its cities, villages, and townships, educational religious, civil military, and political history, portraits of prominent persons, biographies of representative citizens, and an outline history of Kentucky > Part 5
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82
The native white population is 614,311; the per cent. unable to write, 22.8. The foreign white population, 58,964; the per cent. unable to write, 9.7. The colored population, 190,223; the per cent. unable to write, 70.4.
POPULATION.
In 1860 the population of Kentucky was 1,155,684. In 1870 it was 1,432,695; number of farms, 110,000; number of productive establishments, 5,000.
CENSUS OF 1880.
COUNTIES.
Por. COUNTIES.
Por. COUNTIES.
POP
Adair.
13,078 Graves.
24,137
Mercer.
14.141
Allen
12,089
Grayson
15,784
Metcalf.
. 9,423
Anderson.
.9,361
Green
11,871
Monroe.
10,742
Ballard
14,378
Greenup. 13,371
Montgomery 10,567
Barren
22,321
Hancock
8,563
Morgan 8,455
Bath.
11,982
Hardin. 22,564
Muhlenburg. 15,698
Bell.
6,055
Harlan.
5,278
Nelson. 16,609
Boone.
11,995
Harrison
.16,502
Nicholas
11,869
Bourbon
15,958
Hart ..
17,133
hio.
19,669
Boyd.
12,162
Henderson
24,516
Oldham
7,685
Boyle.
11,930
Henry
14,492
Owen.
17,401
Bracken.
13,509
Hickman.
10,662
Owsley
4,942
Breathitt.
7,742
Hopkins.
19,123
Pendleton 16,702
Breckenridge
17,486
Jackson.
6,678
Perry. 5,607
Bullitt
8,521
Jefferson.
145,902
Pike
15,003
Caldwell
.11,283
Johnson.
9,155
Pulaski
21,318
Calloway
13,295
Kenton.
43,983
Robertson.
5,814
Campbell
.37,440
Knox
10,587
Rockcastle
9,670
Carroll.
8,953
Larue
9,800
Rowan
4,419
Carter.
12,345
Laurel 9,131
Russell. 7,591
Scott .. .
14,965
Christian
31,681
4,254
Shelby
16,813
Clark.
12,113
Leslie
3 740
16,641
Clay.
.10,222
Letcher.
6,601
Spencer 7,040
Taylor
9,260
Crittenden.
11,688
Lincoln
15,079
Todd. .15,998
Cumberland
8,891
Livingston
9,165
Trigg
14,489
Daviess
27,724
Logan.
24,358
Trimble.
7,171
Edmonson
7,222
Lyon.
6,760
Union.
17,809
Elliott
6,507
McCracken
16,260
Warren
27,528
Estill
9,860
McLean.
9,293
Washington
.14,419
Fayette.
23,023
Magoflin 6,943
Webste
14,246
Floyd. 10,176
Marion.
14,691
Whitley
12,000
Fulton.
7,979
Martin
3.057
Gallatin. 4,882
Mason
20,469
Garrard.
11.708
Meade.
10,322
Total.
1,648,509
Grant
13,083
Menifer
.5.410
Wayne
12,512
Fleming.
15,221
Franklin 18,698
Marshall.
9,647
Woolfe.
3,800
Woodford. 4,960
Clinton
7,212
Lewis.
13,154
Powell 3,639
Butler.
12,181
Jessamine 10,864
Casey
10,983
Lawrence.
13,263
Lace.
Madison.
22,051
Simpson
Digitized by Microsoft®
HISTORY OF DAVIESS COUNTY.
CHAPTER I.
EARLY SETTLEMENT.
The first permanent settlement in what is now Daviess County, was probably made in 1797 or 1798, by the celebrated William Smither, more popularly known as "Bill Smothers;" this'settlement was made on the site of the present city of Owensboro. For an extended account of this remarkable man, see Chapter II. The centers of the principal settlements made in this part of the State, were at Hartford, on Rough Creek, and Vienna (now Calhoon), at the falls of Green River. Each place was rudely fortified against the attacks of the Indians, and crowded with men, women and children who had gathered there for safety. Their chief source of subsist- ence was wild game. This soon became scarce, and as soon as danger from Indian depredations was over the families began to set- tle outside the forts, though at first, within a short distance of the center of the settlement. The families at Hartford subsequently located on the banks of Rough Creek.
The following recollections of the early settlers of the county are from the pen of Judge George W. Triplett:
All of the now county of Daviess once belonged to, and wasa por- tion of, Ohio County, except a small tract in the northwest some four miles wide, on the Ohio River, and extending south a few iniles to Green River, which was taken off of HIenderson and added to Daviess some twenty years ago. Also the greater portion of McLean lying on the north side of Green River and taken from Daviess to form McLean, was originally part of Ohio County. All of the earlier settlements of old Daviess were made whilst the Ter- ritory was part of Ohio, a large portion of the first settlements being in the region around Vienna, now Calhoon. The first settle- ment of the present Daviess County was made by Bill Smothers, Felty IIusk and James Smothers, followed by Rodger Potts in
4
(49)
Digitized by Microsoft®
50
HISTORY OF DAVIESS COUNTY.
1802. by John and David Leman in 1804; Matthew Rodgers, William Galloway and some others in 1805. Mrs. Ann Moreland, now residing in Owensboro, an exeellant old lady, is a daughter of Rodger Potts. Mrs. Moreland has resided in the present limits of Owensboro for upward of seventy years. Wm. Galloway in a year or two settled about four miles west of Owensboro, in what was then and is still ealled the Buzzard Roost Hills. He soon had neighbors, Bill Wornall, James Romine, the Asterhorrys and a tew others. They were all squatters, settling where they chose, on and among the rich hills.
The owners of the lands resided in Virginia. The whole eoun- try, hills and river bottoms, was almost a dense cane-break, and filled with bear, deer, wolves and other wild animals, also turkeys in great abundance. The hollow trees seemed to be infested with raccoons and honey bees; but little labor was necessary. To clear a patch of ground on which to raise bread and potatoes, kill bear, deer, etc., for meat, eut down coon and bee trees, dress deer skins for elothing and moccasins, constituted the general occupation of the earlier settlers.
This mode of life was continued by many up to 1833, when the writer was first through this neighborhood, when he was shown a poplar tree, full eight feet across the stump, which had been cut down on the 25th of December, 1830, as a Christmas frolic by the neighbors. The result was the catching of nineteen raccoons and fourteen gallons of strained honey, after thirty persons had satis- fied themselves by eating all the honey they desired. The weather being cold the honey had to be warmed in iron pots before strain- ing. This tale looks big, but I was assured by men who were of the party that it was true, and the parties were reliable, truthful men.
These old people are all gone, having left the country or died, and but few of their descendants remain. They were backwoods people and hunters. Yet most of them were men of noble traits of character. Brave and fearless, hospitable in the full sense of the word, they took no advantage of each other, or of strangers. They would go ten to twenty miles to help a new comer to raise his cabin. The rifle was always taken along, and they would kill and take in game for provisions at the raising and for a supply for the new comer until he could get abont and help himself. They would stay until all was ready for the new comer to move in.
Digitized by Microsoft®
51
HISTORY OF DAVIESS COUNTY.
There were no locks to meat-houses or corn-cribs in those days One end of a deer-skin cord was fastened to a rude latch on the inside of their cabin doors, and the other end of th cord was al- ways hanging outside. There was no pilfering, backbiting or slan- dering. If a difficulty took place, there was no shooting or cutting, and if the matter could not be settled without a fight, their rifles and butcher-knives were laid aside and a fair fist and skull affair settled the fuss. No biting or gouging or fonl holds were allowed.
What has been said of these people applies in a great measure to the earlier settlers generally. The early settlers, however, in other portions of the country were more thrifty, paying more at- tention to clearing farms, raising horses, cattle and hogs. The pioneers in the castern portion of the county were Ben Duncan, on Pup Creek in 1801, a prominent man in his day, father of Major Ben Duncan, lately deceased. and father-in-law of Asa Smeathers, and James Griffin, two of our oldest and best citizens. Ben Dun- can at an early day represented Ohio and other counties in the House of Representatives and Senate of Kentucky. C. Head, in Pup Creek in 1803, was an early pioneer, as was also the Bells, Adamses and others on or near Pup Creek in 1803 or 1804.
Jim Gentry settled all along from Rough Creek, in Ohio County, to the mouth of Blackford, on the Ohio River. Gentry was the great hog-raiser of his day; he would examine the country in the spring-time for long distances and climb the trees, ascertain where the best mast crop would be, and in due time take posses- sion and move in his hogs. When Gentry's mast privileges began to be interfered with he crossed over the Ohio River into Indiana, where few settlements had been made, and where he had ample range. Gentry settled and gave name to what is now the thrifty village of Gentryville, Ind.
General John Daveiss and his brother, Jo Daveiss, were also carly settlers and prominent men.
A few years later Thomas Clay, a Virginian by birth, and a Rev- olutionary soldier, settled seven miles above Owensboro on the present Hawesville road. Thomas Clay and his brother Green Clay, first settled in Madison County, Ky., from which they were both members of the convention which established the second Con- stitution of Kentucky, and finished their labors at Frankfort, Ky., on the 7th day of August, 1799. Thomas Clay and Green Clay were botlı men of wealth. Thomas purchased several thousand acres of land of the best quality, and settled in Ohio County, now Daviess,
Digitized by Microsoft®
52
HISTORY OF DAVIESS COUNTY.
and was grandfather of U. S. Senator T. C. McCreery. Green Clay was father of Ion. Cassius M. Clay.
Richard Hawes, Robert McCreery, Elijah McCreery, Enoch Kendall, Amos Riley, the Robertses and others were early settlers in what is called the Beech Woods, and in the neighborhood of the present village of Yelvington. They were all good citizens, and men of wealth, or by industry became wealthy. Robert MeCreery was the father of Hon. T. C. McCreery. Richard IIawes raised eight sons to be grown, four of whom survive. Governor Richard Hawes resides in Paris, Ky .; Walker Hawes lives in Texas; Edwin Hawes is now a resident of Owensboro, and W. F. Hawes, of St. Louis, Mo. The Hawes family was a wealthy one, the sons all prominent men, and would have been prominent men in any part of Kentucky. Richard and Albert were each some six years in the United States Congress. The " Beech Woods " was for many years known far and wide for its unpretending, yet magnificent. hospitality.
The early settlers in the present county of Daviess, south of Panther Creek, were Ben Field, Joshua Griffith, Reuben Field and others. Colonel William Newton and Warner Crow were early settlers, but at a later date than Field and Griffith. Ben Field was born in Culpeper County, Va., was a Captain in the Revolutionary army, was with General George Rogers Clark in the expedition against the British that captured Kaskaskia, Ill., and Vincennes, Ind., then an Indian country under the control of the British. From 1781 to 1790 Ben Field was a surveyor in the wild portions of Kentucky, making frequent trips to his home in Virginia, in the winter. He finally settled, about 1803 or 1804, in Ohio County, now Daviess, on a tract of land lying ten miles south of Owensboro, and which he had surveyed about twenty-three years before. He died about 1841, aged nearly ninety. He was entitled to a pension of about $30,000, only half of which he ever realized
Field was witty, genial and hospitable, and raised a large and respectable family. All of his children are dead except Captain William Field, and all are highly respected citizens of Ohio County. His grandson, Larkin Field, is a resident of Owensboro. Many of his grandchildren and great-grandchildren reside in Daviess County.
Joshna Griffith came from Maryland and first settled at Hart- ford, and afterward about ten miles south of Owensboro. then Ohio County. Joshua Griffith was the father of Remus Griffith and
Digitized by Microsoft®
53
HISTORY OF DAVIESS COUNTY.
William R. Griffith, both of whom were prominent men. His daughters married William Hanford, Moses Cummins, Warner Crow and John McFarland. All of Joshua Griffith's children are dead, but many of his descendants still live in Daviess. Joshua Griffith was a peculiar man, very much like a Quaker in his dress and appearance. Remarkably fond of the company of those he liked, and full of fun. He was a great man for eggs, and always had plenty of them on hand. We could always tell you at meal- time, who he liked or thought most of. He would put the question to each one, "Do you like eggs?" "How do you vant them cooked?" Each guest's eggs would be cooked as ordered, and placed on the table, and each guest directed to his proper place. If lie did not fancy the guest, only the number named by him or her was placed. If he thought well of the next an additional egg or two was served, but if he fancied or was specially fond of any particular one, then double the number was placed for that person. He was fond of children and amused himself mnuch at their prant, and sometimes played pranks on the children an larger persons. He liad his coffin made twenty years before he died and kept it in a room up stairs, immediately above the room occupied by him, and generally under a bed immediately above. . He always during fa.l, winter and spring kept good apples in the coffin for convenience, and also kept some of his egg gourds under the same bed, and whenever youngsters or children came, he would ask if they wanted apples or eggs. Of course all said "yes." He would say, " You are young, and must wait on yourselves; just go up stairs and look under the bed and push the lid off that box, and get as many apples as you want, and bring me some; and you, who want eggs, look in the big gourd behind the box and get some." The result may well be im- agined, for as soon as the bedclothes were raised, the light dimly revealed the coffin, and then there was such a "getting down stairs," without many apples or eggs, and after his laugh was over,he would then call in his faithful body servant, "Red," and have as many apples and eggs brought down as the youngsters and others could devour. In 1840 he exhibited to the writer a tea-kettle in good, serviceable condition, which he had purchased in Baltimore the day before his marriage, more than sixty years previously, and had continuously used the kettle the whole time.
Colonel William Newton and Warner Crow settled in the same neighborhood, whilst yet Ohio County. Newton was from Cul- peper County, Va., and married a daughter of Ben Field. War-
Digitized by Microsoft®
54
HISTORY OF DAVIESS COUNTY.
ner Crow was born in Maryland and raised at Hartford. They were both men of note; each was Sheriff of Daviess. and cach represented the county in the Legislature of Kentucky.
Three brothers McFarland settled in what is now McLean County, a short distance from Field and Griffith, about 1805. The McFarlands were from North Carolina, near the Yadkin River. and from Daniel Boone's old conntry. They were of large stature and men of great power, in good circumstances and made good citizens. Many of their descendants have filled prominent positions in the county of Daviess, and their descendants are more nnmer- ons in Daviess than the descendants of any other half dozen men who ever settled in the county.
The early settlers of the southwest portion of the present Daviess County were Dav | Glenn, with his boys, William, Duke, and David, from North Carolina, all good and trne men. Many of their descendants still live in the section of country settled by David, Sr. John Cellaway, or "Three Plait," as he was called, on account of wearing his ham try and hanging plaited down his back, also settled near Glenn, wie was an npright, honorable man, and made little chan, e, dimm; his life in his original primitive, or backwoods, habits.
George Calhoon a little la.er settled about seven miles south west of Owensboro on the same farm owned and occupied by his son, Rev. Samuel Callioon. He was at one time Assistant Circuit Judge of the district. He raised a remarkable family of boys, all of whom became men of note, and with the most limited means for an education-only what the wilderness afforded. John Calhoon was the first Deputy in the Daviess County clerk's office. He stnd- ied law at odd times, commenced practice at Hartford, was a Mem- ber of the Legislature, and for six years was a Member of Congress, again a Member of the Legislature, and then Circuit Judge. He afterward settled at old Vienna, on Green River, and when McLean County was established, the writer had the honor of nam- ing the county seat Calhoon, in honor of Judge Calhoon. Three of the other brothers, George, IJenry and Mitchell, became lawyers. one of whom was a Judgein Mississippi; Samuel became a preacher of the Cumberland Presbyterian church. and has continued to preach for more than fifty years lle is quite infirm in body, but his mind is still strong. Ralph Calhoon was a man of fine mind, a fluent talker, and of vast information. He died some twenty years ago at what is known as Calhoou's Ferry, on Green River.
Digitized by Microsoft®
55
HISTORY OF DAVIESS COUNTY.
Willis Pickett, a house carpenter of Owensboro, went to Texas in 1837, joined a company, and participated in the context with Mexico for the independence of Texas.
Robert and Charles Tarleton were early settlers in the vicinity of Owensboro.
Of sneh names and men were the original settlers of Daviess County, and from such men are many of our people descended. In 1834 the voters of Daviess County, then including half of Me- Lean, only numbered 800. Now, in 1875, with McLean voting sep- arate, Daviess County has 4,800 white voters, and 800 colored voters.
There has been vast progress and improvement in population and wealth, social position, polish, and education. Bnt with all our progress and improvement, increase of wealth and population can we congratulate ourselves that gar manhood and integrity is an improvement on the manhood and integrity of the old settlers ?
Among the early settlers that have been mentioned, the following deserve a more extended. notice:
Hon. John H. Mc Farland, of Owensboro, is the oldest living resident of Daviess County, having spent more than seventy five years within the limits of the bounty: He was born in Person County, N. C., April 26, 1798. His grandparents on his father's side emigrated from Ireland in 1690. His maternal grandparents, Chambers by name, came from Scotland at a very early day. His parents were Walter and Lucy (Chambers) McFarland, and came to Daviess (then Ohio) Connty in 1805. Mr. McFarland remem- bers well the journey from North Carolina, and while on a visit to that State in 1875, was able to point ont the place where his father lived, and where he himself was born. The McFarlands started from North Carolina in September, and halted within a mile of where Lewis Station now stands, on the third of November. Settlements had been made in that vicinity by one or two persons, Captain Ben Field and Adam Shoemaker, and the same year Joshua Griffith put up a house, which he ocenpied with his family the next sea- son. There were no other persons living except at a distance of several miles, and the whole number of families living within the present limits of Daviess County was less than a dozen. Robert MeFarland bought 200 aeres of land sonth of Owensboro, and made the first whisky and brandy ever made in this county. He died in 1811, aged forty-six years. Jolin was fonrteen years old at the time of his father's death. The first school he attende! was
Digitized by Microsoft®
56
HISTORY OF DAVIESS COUNTY.
kept by an Irishman named Andrew Kelly, two miles southwest of Lewis Station, and was probably the first taught in Daviess County. Oct. 26, 1816, when under nineteen years of age, he mar- ried Elizabeth, daughter of Joshna Griffith, of Baltimore, Md., and immediately went to farming, which occupation he has fol- lowed the greater part of his life. He was the most extensive farmer and tobacco-raiser in the county, often realizing $5,000 a year from the crop. Each year he planted 130 acres. After a married life of seventeen years, Mrs. McFarland died, leaving eleven children. In 1834 Mr. MeFarland married Harriet Lea- man, the first child born in the city of Owensboro. By this mar- riage there have been seven children.
In 1857 he became a resident of Owensboro. He was a serious sufferer by the events of the war, and since then has given up active business to a great extent. During the war he was cultivating 130 acres of tobacco, which he lost entirely, besides losing $40,000 in slaves. On one occasion he saw a company of guerrillas ap- proaching the honse. He had at this time $6,000 or $7,000 in the house. As not a moment could be lost, lie handed the money to a negro boy, who rolled it up and hid it in a pile of rub- bish, and it thus escaped the eyes of the guerrillas; it was soon restored to its owner.
In his politics .Mr. McFarland was an old Henry Clay Whig, and an active worker in that party. In 1848 he was elected to the Legislature on the'Whig ticket. He served one term, and made an honest record, as an efficient member, and a conscientious servant of the people. During the war of the Rebellion Mr. McFarland maintained the union of the States and the supremacy of the Gov- ernment according to the Constitution and laws; since the war he has acted with the Democratic party. Mr. McFarland has spent a life in honor and usefulness. He is well worthy to stand as an ex- ample of the men who reclaimed Kentucky from the wilderness, and prepared it for the abode of subsequent generations.
Among the early settlers of north McLean County (then in Daviess) was Anthony :Thompson, a strict constructionist of law, especially of Sabbath laws. He held that no one should labor on Sunday. In his vicinity one Saturday afternoon there arrived one Christopher Dickin, who had fallen heir to a survey of 400 acres, covering the site where Vienna stood, besides another tract of 1,000 acres in the vicinity. Mr. D. was moving from Vir- ginia to take possession of the property, with his family and
Digitized by Microsoft®
57
HISTORY OF DAVIESS COUNTY.
several negroes. On Sunday morning they finished their journey, and Thompson had Dickin arrested for violating Sunday law; and this prosecution became only the first of a long series of lawsuits and of an unending enmity between the men.
On another occasion Mr. D. was building a house, and Saturday night caught him with the structure nncovered. The next day he commenced to work on the building, and Thompson com- menced lawing him again. These prosecutions, of course, led to a permanent enmity between the two men and their families.
Philip and Emanuel Taylor were early settlers in the southern part of this county.
EARLY PREACHERS.
John Daveiss, a brother of Colonel Jo Daveiss, was perhaps, the first resident minister in this county, being here in 1815-'17. He was an Old-School Baptist, a sensible but an old-fashioned, plainly dressed, unassuming man. He was a sort of lawyer, farmer, politician and preacher. The lawyer, politician and preacher elements did not seem to harmonize very well, so he quit the law, but, being of a warm Irish temperament, he could not entirely ig- nore polities, so his political aspirations somewhat interfered with his usefulness as a minister of the gospel. He was a man of ability, with most wonderful conversational powers, witty, genial and sociable in a high degree.
George Render, a resident of what is now Ohio County, was another minister of the same persuasion, who, about the same time, made his monthly visits to points within the present limits of Daviess County, devoting Saturday and Sunday to public services. Ile was rough in his appearance, but a kind-hearted man.
Thomas Downs and William Downs, brothers, were among the early Old-School Baptist preachers, both entirely self-made men, and reared in the wilderness. Their father was killed by the Indi- ans near the old stockade fort at Vienna, now Callioon, on Green River. Thomas, who resided south of Panther Creek; 1815-'35 and afterward, was a man of fair capacity, great piety, and indom- itable energy in his holy mission. He devoted his life to his Mas- ter's cause, and was always poor, and for many years traveled on foot from ten to forty miles to meet his appointments and attend the sessions of the Association. Every person loved and respected Thomas Downs. William Downs differed much from his brother. William, a resident of what is now Ohio County, was a man of
Digitized by Microsoft®
58
HISTORY OF DAVIESS COUNTY.
splendid intellect, fond of religious controversy. Being what was known as a hard-shell Baptist, he warred with the United Baptists as energetically as with Methodists, Presbyterians or Catholics.
At one time John Calhoon and others secured a challenge from Downs to a Catholic priest, and its acceptance for a religious debate. At the time and place named Downs was on hand, having traveled on foot about seventy miles. Great preparations had been made, and fully 2,000 people were around the rude stand erected in the dense birch grove. At the hour, Downs mounted the stand,' took a seat, and, after waiting nearly an hour, raised himself up to his full height, and, after minutely surveying the immense crowd for some ten minutes (and no priest being in sight), broke forth in tones which echoed far and wide through the forest, " Where, oh, where is that uncircumcised Philistine who assumes the power of the living God ?" The excitemen was intense. The air was rent by shouts of the multitude. Downs quietly took a text, preached an able sermon, never alluding to Catholics. Downs did not walk home. He returned home superbly dressed. and for some time seemed to be flush with silver dollars, halves and quarters. Uncle Billy, with all his ability, seems not to have been heavily burdened with piety, and was bitterly opposed to total abstinence organizations.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.