USA > Kentucky > Henderson County > History of Henderson County, Kentucky > Part 37
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YOUNGER & JARRETT.
It is asserted by those who profess to know, that in February, 1873, the noted outlaws, Jim Younger and John Garrett, visited Ro- bards and remained in the neighborhood three months. That they traveled from New Orleans in a spring wagon drawn by two horses. That they went from Robards to Louisville to see the renowned de- tective, Yankee Bligh, who was in search of them, and failing to find the old man returned to Robards. That they made frequent visits to Henderson, although the officials were searching for them. That they were orderly and well-behaved when not under the influence of liq- uor. When they determined to leave Kentucky they quietly drove to the Mt. Vernon ferry and crossed the Ohio into Indiana. All this they did when there were perhaps a hundred men on the look-out for them.
SPRINGS AND CURIOSITIES.
The County of Henderson contains many mineral springs, but the one near A. J. Denton's farm in this precinct is by far the best chalybeate to be found in the county, and no doubt the equal of any in the State. It is located about three miles from the Station in what is known as the Rock House branch. Not far away from this spring, surrounded by the wildest and most romantic scenery, is found the Rock House and Buzzard Hole. These two are remarkable natural curiosities, and even to this day have never been explored.
It is said, that some years ago, Mr. Geo. W. King, the then owner of the land, employed a miner to explore the hidden recesses of this house. but after laboring some time the work was suddenly abandoned and the miner went away. He pursued his journey to near Green River where he had lived, and where he was soon after taken sick and died. Before death, however, he told his wife he had something he wanted to tell Mr. King, and then divulged the secret to her, of the Rock House and what he had done, and further said he would not strike another lick until he had earned enough to be-
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come the purchaser of the natural wonder. Mr. King arrived too late to see him alive and his wife refused to tell what she had been told. His discoveries, if any, have never to this day been known.
This Rock House is made of a semi-circular shelf, projecting fifty feet over the surface with earth rock and scrubby trees, one hun- dred to one hundred and fifty feet above the shelf. Underneath this is a passage way which leads to a cave, the mouth of which is fifty feet distant. This cave has been explored to a distance of forty or fifty feet to a hole in the wall, through which no man has ever gone, and what is beyond is a hidden mystery. Off from the cave is the " Buz- zard Hole," an irregular shaped hole leading into a mountain of rock. Many years ago, Esquire Moss, while driving with his hounds, jumped a deer in the neighborhood of this shelf rock and in the chase the deer and one or more of the dogs ran over this high projecting mountain and fell dead on the surface below. It is located in the wildest part of the county and is very difficult of approach, in fact a person must be well posted indeed, who can engineer his way to the shelf. During the war it was used as a safe place of rendezvous for frightened and uneasy soldiers and citizens. The surrounding country is very hilly and mountainous, some rock hills standing 200 feet above the valleys. The shelf rock is almost perpendicular. The property now belongs to W. G. Vaughn.
Some time since the Calhoun, Ky., Progress contained a lengthy notice of this remarkable freak of nature, and among other things, it is said, that while one George Fryor, was searching around in this cave he happened to turn over a stone, and under that found a letter dated " Plotter's Cave," April 20th, 1868, which told of a hidden treasure, also, that on a large rock was engraved the names of J. H. Letcher and J. L. B. Bowder. This letter was mysteriously signed M. N. P., which being interpreted, evidently meant for the finder to make no proselytes to the lie he had written. Certain it is, the " hidden treas- ure " has never been discovered.
Since the war this precinct has doubled itself in population, espec- ially in the sub-division of lands. For instance Mr. J. D. Robards owned eight hundred and fifty acres of land in a body at the close or just after the war which is now divided and worked in tracts of one hundred and ten acres. The average price of lands at this time is between twenty and twenty-five dollars. While tobacco, corn and wheat is the chief products of the precinct, a number of farmers are largely engaged in cattle raising, and find the country eminently adapted to that branch of business.
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HISTORY OF HENDERSON COUNTY, KY.
REGULATORS.
A great many years ago this country was visited by men of bad repute from Christian, Hopkins and other counties, and after submit- ting until forbearance ceased to be a virtue, a band of regulators, as they were called, organized and cleared the country of the outlaws.
RACE TRACKS.
As far back as 1810 and up to 1840, and even later, perhaps, where the station is now located, was a straight quarter or half mile race track where men used to congregate to bet, test the speed of their animals, drink liquor and otherwise indulge their vicious and uncultured appetites.
LODGES.
The Odd Fellows have a lodge at the station.
CHURCHES AND SCHOOLS.
There is one commodious frame building used for the District Common School and for religious services. The Christian denomina- tion have the only established church, S. W. Cowan, minister. This congregation meets once a month and have occasional Sunday school meetings.
FIRST BUILDING.
J. D. Robards, for whom the precinct and station is called, built the first house in 1867. This was a frame store-house and occupied by him as a dry goods, grocery and general merchandise store. In this store he has carried on a business aggregating from twenty-five to forty thousand dollars per annum.
In addition to this he owns and operates a tobacco stemmery, three stories 70x120 feet, in which he handles from two hundred to two hundred and fifty hogsheads of strips annually. He works from forty to fifty employes and ships direct from the station to Europe.
Mr. James Cheaney does a snug business in the manufacture of brooms made of straw raised in the precinct.
EARLY SETTLERS.
Among that number are Reuben Moss, George Robards, George Eakins, Bennett Sandefur, Jordan Moss, Enoch Spencer, Thomas Reidout, Ben Wall, Nathan Smith, T. W. Royster, Jas. McMullin, Sam'l McMullin, Sr. Among the oldest inhabitants now living are : Thomas Royster, J. F. Toy, Enoch Spencer, W. N. Royster and Marshall Robards. Mrs. Prissey Long, widow of Jno. Long, is the oldest inhabitant now living.
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HISTORY OF HENDERSON COUNTY, KY.
N. B .- Since writing the foregoing, Robards has voted prohibition and it is said the wealth of the place has more than doubled. They now have nine stores, all doing well; one steam mill; one school building that is a credit to the county ; one large church with seating capacity of 350 to 400 ; one large livery stable and one good hotel. _ The population of the town has increased fully two hundred per cent. in the last three years.
SCUFFLETOWN PRECINCT.
This district was originally a part of Ohio County, but by an act of the Legislature, approved January 16th, 1809, was taken from Ohio and added to Henderson County, and bounded as follows : Beginning on the Ohio at the mouth of Green River, and running up the Ohio to where the line of Henderson & Co.'s grant strikes the same, thence with said line to Green River, thence down the same to the beginning.
For a number of years the qualified voters of this district voted at Henderson and then at Galloway's, near Hebardsville.
After the adoption of the new Constitution, and on the sixth day of January, 1851, the district was again established as follows : Begin- ning at the mouth of Green River, thence up the Ohio River, includ- ing the Islands, to the dividing line between Henderson and Daviess Counties, thence with the said County lines to where it strikes Green River, thence down Green River to the beginning ; place of voting at the house of Isaac Clark. The voting place was continued at Clark's for a number of years after the war, when it was changed to Shelby's store at Scuffletown. All that part of the district lying across Green River, and opposite and above Spottsville, vote at Spottsville.
Among the earliest settlers of this district were Henry Jeems, Jacob Fickers, Richard Van Kirk, Jonathan Stott, John Fuquay and Martin Vanada. During the year 1809 Eneas McCallister settled a few miles below the present town. Ten or twelve years after this, John Harrison, Edmund Galloway, Alfred Hill, John Folden, George McCormick, William Shelby, Charles Winfrey and others settled in the district.
From 1800 to 1804, and perhaps years afterward, Jonathan Stott kept a tavern and bar at the point where Shelby's store is now located. He was said to be a wild sort of character and invited that class of men around him. The banks of the Ohio River at that time offered but few landing places, and in low water Stott's tavern was quite a place of resort and rendezvous for flatboatmen. Here they would hold high carnival and indulge their appetites for drink, as Stott kept
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HISTORY OF HENDERSON COUNTY, KY.
a plenty of it. As was most generally the case at such gatherings, difficulties occurred and a general fight would ensue. From this the country around Stott's received the name of Scuffletown, a name which has clung to it from that day to this.
From a few miles below Stott's to the mouth of Green River, the country has always been known as the point.
There were no doctors in this part of the county in early times. Drs. James Hamilton and Gaither, of the town of Henderson, were frequently called there, and after their time most of the practice was done by Drs. Levi Jones and Owen Glass, of Henderson, and Dr. Trafton, of Evansville. Chills and fevers for many years were the annoyance of the whole river country, and from these malarial pests Scuffletown suffered as much as any other part of the river lands.
In early times, and even up to 1830, the settlers in this part of the county suffered greatly from the ravages of wild animals. Wolves and bear were there in abundance, and in the early summer the bear would come in, break down the young corn and destroy the ears. During the years 1827, '28 and '29, a large number of bear were killed. Nathaniel G. Stanley has been known to kill as high as fifteen during one winter, and from his wonderful success received the appellation of " Daniel Boone " of the precinct.
There were no schools in the earliest days of the settlement, but in 1817 Jonathan Bunn was employed by Eneas McCallister, father of John E. McCallister, to teach a neighborhood school. One morning before opening his school, he was called by the barking of Mr. McCallister's dogs to a neighboring thicket and there discovered, in a tree, a large black bear. Mr. McCallister was notified and with his trusty rifle soon fell bruin to the ground, and had him conveyed to his house. The skins of these animals were sold in those days for the moderate sum of one dollar and fifty cents.
The whole face of the country was covered with cane, affording a most excellent food for cattle.
CURIOSITIES.
On Green River, below the mouth of Griffith Creek, is a large mound, one hundred feet in circumference at its base, and fully fifteen feet in height, and near by are large holes from which the earth was taken to build the mound. From what is known of this mound, it is safe to say it was built by the Mound Builders, a race of people who inhabited the country anterior to the red man.
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HISTORY OF HENDERSON COUNTY, KY.
The first church ever built in this part of the county, of which anything is known, was erected by the Christian denomination on the Vanada farm in 1830. A story characteristic of Charles Winfrey, an old bachelor who lived near Scuffletown, is told. He seldom ever attended church, but when this one was established, and after several sermons had been preached, he partook of the curiosity which had seized the whole country around, and one day had his old grey mare saddled to attend and see for himself. Going along the road in the direction of the church, he was halted by one of his neighbors and interrogated as to where he was journeying. " I am going up here to church. I learn that these people have discovered a new route to Heaven fully forty miles nearer, and I am going to see for myself."
Charles Winfrey was the first magistrate in the precinct, having been appointed in the year 1821. He was succeeded by Charles W. Allen ; he by George McCormick, and he by John E. McCallister. all under the old Constitution.
This precinct has always been noted for its large number of pecan trees. The number on the lands of Esq. John E. McCallister have for many years aggregated fully five hundred, and one year he realized one thousand dollars from this crop alone.
William Shelby, Jr., in 1865 packed his tobacco and shipped to Europe. In 1860 he went to Scuffletown and with his uncle, John S. McCormick, built a tobacco stemmery and embarked regularly in tobacco stemming for the European markets. Their average business was from four hundred to four hundred and fifty hhds. per year. In the year 1877 the firm put up six hundred hhds. Up to 1860 the planters had never engaged largely in tobacco growing, but through the efforts of Mr. Shelby, a larger crop was grown. In 1877 1,100,000 pounds were produced, the largest crop ever known, and with perhaps a few thousand pounds, this entire crop was bought and handled by Shelby & McCormick.
In 1868 Shelby & McCormick built a large storehouse near their factory and stocked it with a general assortment of merchandise.
A steam grist mill and blacksmith shop soon followed. This firm did a very large business selling from their store, many years as high as forty thousand dollars worth of goods, and averaging one year with another, fully thirty thousand dollar sales. The average product of this precinct is from 500 to 600,000 pounds of tobacco, and 150,000 bushels of corn.
The precinct comprises about twelve thousand acres of land, mostly cleared ; six thousand acres are within the bounds of the fence
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company's lines, and are mostly in a high state of cultivation. There is no better land to be found on the Continent than that bordering on the river.
The precinct now has three district schools and one Union Church. The church was built several years ago by private subscrip- tion, and upon its completion was dedicated by the Rev. J. W. Pondexter, now of Texas. A magnificent dinner was spread on the occasion and hundreds of people attended.
Through the influence of Mr. Shelby and others a post office was established at Scuffletown, and the first mail received in 1867. John W. Folden was appointed Post Master and served up to June, 1881.
MURDERS.
On the night of the 4th of December, 1836, William Wurnell, a desperate character, stabbed and killed Abner Jones in what was known as Lake Town, on the Ohio River, six miles above Scuffletown, at the house of Ike Dover. John E. McCallister was the District Magistrate at the time, and upon information, issued his warrant for Wurnell's arrest. The murderer had fled, but was afterwards captured opposite Smithland and brought back, tried and held to the Grand Jury. An indictment was found, a conviction had and Wurnell hung in the town of Henderson.
STEALING NEGROES
During the latter part of the war, when the draft act was being so rigidly enforced by the Federal authorities, substitutes were in great demand, commanding in many instances as high a price as one thousand dollars. At that time there were a great many likely negro men in the Scuffletown precinct, and strange to say they had been let alone by the army of negro thieves on the border. These negroes were well treated and contented to remain where they were, but the desire for gain and the easy manner in which large sums of money could be accumulated by thieving scoundrels in Indiana, soon unsettled their happy lives and completely disarranged all of their plans. Interlopers from Indiana were continually slipping into Kentucky and whispering in the night time to them stories of a joyous freedom. These scoundrels professed to be their friends and mani- fested a desire to spirit them away to the land of freedom where they could find employment and be masters of their own labor. The negroes were not much disposed to listen to their glowing stories, and yet hesitated.
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HISTORY OF HENDERSON COUNTY, KY,
All this time the draft was going on and the unlucky were seeking substitutes. Many Indianians of wealth were drafted and were willing to pay any price for a sound man as a substitute. Finally a regularly organized clan for the purpose of driving the negroes, whether they wanted to go or not, appeared upon Kentucky soil, and succeeded in securing a goodly number to accompany them upon the promise of a rich reward. These poor deluded darkies would go, and when once over the river were sold into the army, and their white friends would pocket the money. The planters in Scuffletown organized a patrol to guard the river front and shoot down any interloper coming across the river without satisfactory credentials ; and yet, with all their vigilance, they continued to lose their negroes.
MR. CHARLES WINFREY,
An old bachelor, and the largest land and slave owner in the precinct, was continually annoyed by these night prowlers. He was kind to his slaves and none of them wanted to leave him. He lived in a house by himself and had his slaves quartered in different settlements on his lands. One day in November, 1864, Wm. Shelby, Esq., receiving information that a party from Indiana intended that night to visit Winfrey's for the purpose of running off his negro men, conveyed to him immediately what he had heard. Mr. Winfrey prepared himself to meet them, and for that purpose, with one or more of his men, guarded the river bank until a late hour in the night. Be- coming sleepy and thinking the thieves would not cross over, he returned to his house and was soon soundly asleep. He had taken the precaution during the day to send around and notify his men, and as a greater precaution had them all come to his house that night for protection.
A short while after retiring the thieves came and were headed by a man who had prior to that time overseed for John B. Davis, of this county. This man knew Mr. Winfrey and knew his fearless character. The thieves were all armed, but approached the house cautiously. They soon found that the negroes could not be driven off without disturbing their master, so the leader concluded to go near his room and call him. He approached his room, called him from his sleep and told him that they had come for his negroes. The old man sprang from his bed and ordered them off of his premises. They declined going and directed him not to come out of his room. He put on his pants and with his double-barrelled gun came out on to a side porch, when the villain who led the party took aim and fired, shooting him through and through. At the firing of this gun, the
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whole party ran from the house and were soon in their boats, crossing the river without ever having encountered any of the bank patrols. Mr. Winfrey lived but a short time after he was shot. He was a very wealthy man and many ugly stories were circulated concerning some of his relatives and their association with his killing. Charles Winfrey was one of the noblest of men. His word was regarded by all his neighbors as of equal value with any man's bond. He was a kind neighbor and master, and a man of unimpeachable integrity. His death cast a gloom over the whole surrounding country and no man's death was ever more keenly regretted. Wm. Shelby and N. B. Hill rode to Owensboro next day after the shooting to lay the case before the' military, but that branch of the government service refused to take hold of or have anything to do with the matter in any way.
At the earnest solicitation of some local as well as non-resident relatives, Esquire John E. McCallister settled the estate and suc- ceeded in bringing to light some rascalities which, but for his indomitable will and energy, would have remained secrets forever.
MORE OF THE WAR.
It was a few miles below Scuffletown, in 1862, where Col. Adam Johnson, with Lieut. Col. Bob Martin, planted his black log upon the hind wheels of a two-horse wagon and frightened the great town of Newburgh with one hundred or more Federal soldiers, and an equal number of home guards, into an unconditional surrender. It was here where he, with two men and Martin with seventeen to twenty, crossed the Ohio to Newburg, took possession of the town, paroled all of the Federal troops and brought back to the Kentucky side hundreds of guns and an unknown quantity of munitions of war. At the mouth of Green River, in this precinct, was where four or five of his men fired upon a Federal transport and forced her to retreat.
SMITH'S MILLS
Is the name of a village located at the junction of the Henderson and Morganfield and Henderson and Mt. Vernon roads. It is situ- ated upon high, rolling land and is one of the prettiest natural loca- tions to be found anywhere. The section of country comprising this voting precinct was originally as wild as the early pioneer could wish, and even very many years anterior to its settlement it was inhabited by bear, wild cats, wolves, panthers and endless numbers of deer and turkeys. Bear were known in this part of the county às late as 1835. In early times this precinct was known as Rowlanson's settlement, taking its name from that of William Rowlanson, and several brothers,
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HISTORY OF HENDERSON COUNTY, KY.
who were perhaps the first settlers. Among the early settlers were Colonel Robert Smith, Captain Lazarus Powell, Stephen Martin and Aaron Knight.
CHURCHES AND SCHOOLS.
In very early times there were no schools or churches in this dis- trict, and it was only an occasional time when preaching was heard or the opportunity was offered children for gaining an insight into the primary branches Itinerent preachers and teachers would occa- sionally pass through and perhaps locate for a month or more and teach a small school. The first church built in the precinct was erected upon a lot of ground located on a most beautiful hill, a half mile beyond the point or village, by Stephen Martin. This was as early as 1825, and the house of worship erected thereon was built of brick burned by the surrounding neighbors. The money to complete the work was subscribed by the neighbors, and, as an evidence of their liberality, a brick church soon stood upon the high hill. A man by the name of Drury did the brick work and it was universally ac- knowledged to be the roughest ever seen, even up to the time it was torn down. This was not the fault of the builder of the house but of those who builded the brick. The educational and religious interest increased rapidly during the last three or four decades, and now on the spot where the rough old brick stood stands a beautiful frame church, the property of the Baptist denomination, and within a half mile is another, the property of the Methodist denomination. The first of these buildings is forty by sixty feet, the second, fifty-five by thirty-five. The congregations average from seventy-five to one hun- dred and ten members each.
VOTING PLACES.
As stated in sketches of other precincts, the people of this pre- cinct in early times first voted at Henderson. In 1833 the county was divided into three precincts, Walnut Bottom being one of the three, and at the house of William B. Cannons the election polls were held. Here the people of Smith's Mills voted until 1849, when a voting place was established at Colonel Robert Smith's residence, about half a mile beyond the present post office. From that time to this, although there never was a separate magisterial district, there has always been either at Colonel Smith's house, or at the village, a voting place for the accommodation of the people of that section.
HURRICANE.
In the year 1812, just after the great earthquakes, a most terrific hurricane passed across this district, sweeping everything before it.
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HISTORY OF HENDERSON COUNTY, KY.
It cut a clear swath through the forest varying in width from a half to a mile wide. The destruction of timber was terrific, and its tangled and matted condition remained for many years.
In early times; and even up to 1845, Smith's Mills was perhaps most noted for its horse racing. It was usually the custom for men to gather on Saturday evenings for the purpose of racing and betting, and having placed the judge on the hill, near Colonel Elias Powell's present residence, would start the horses at the point and run to the judges.
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