USA > Kentucky > Henderson County > History of Henderson County, Kentucky > Part 38
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The lands of this precinct are generally rolling, and justly re- garded as one of the very best portions of the county. The low, level lands are very superior. Heavy crops of wheat, corn and to- bacco are grown annually, and some sorghum. Of late years many farmers have turned their attention to stock raising and grazing and have found the country eminently adapted to that purpose. On Highland Creek there is a salt lick, where cattle congregate for the purpose of satisfying their briny appetites.
The oldest living inhabitants are G. B. Martin, B. F. Martin, Royal Utley, Elias Powell, Person Latta, Scarlet Latta, Laz Hancock, John Higgins, and Esquire James Lilly.
The farmers of this district, as a general thing, are all thrifty and well to do, and have their lands in a good state of cultivation. Society has very much improved, and no people are more thought of for the many excellent traits which go to make up a fine, hospitable, law abiding, moral people, than those who live and have their being in this precinct.
The first post office established in Henderson County, outside of the town of Henderson, was located at the residence of Colonel Robert Smith, and was maintained at that place until removed to the village, or the point, as it is sometimes called.
Colonel Smith built and operated the first grist mill ever known in the Smith's Mills section of the county. His was an old-fashioned sweep mill, pulled by horses or oxen, and did the grinding for the whole county for years.
SPOTTSVILLE PRECINCT
Was established in 1860 a precinct and voting place. As far back as 1833, before the locks were built, the falls were known as Knight's Falls, and there were no buildings on the bank save those owned by men engaged in quarrying rock. The first town was located down in
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HISTORY OF HENDERSON COUNTY, KY,
what was known in early times as the lower coal banks or Spott's Mill. Major Spotts, in 1829, owned most of the land lying on Green River, and had made seven coal entries, running into the bank from the river. Later, in 1833, Robert Scott, a brother-in-law, sunk a shaft for Major Spotts, and then the entries were closed. His object was to float coal to New Orleans, but misfortune overtook him and but little of his coal reached that market.
The original name of the now town of Spottsville was "Shanty," deriving its name from the shantys occupied by the rock men. It was afterwards known as " The Locks." During the year 1850 the place was called " Spottsville," Major Spotts' children, Harry, Jim, their wives, Mrs. Lydia McBride, and Miss Lydia Scott, giving it that name in honor of its founder, Major Sam Spotts, of the United States army.
The magnificent locks built in Green River at Spottsville, by the State, were commenced in the fall or winter of 1833. Joseph Bar- bour, employed by the State to build the locks and dam, arrived at Spottsville during the summer of 1834, and commenced getting out rock from the bank between Upper and Lower Spottsville, as now known, and Sugar Camp branch. He worked between two and three hundred men, and quarried enough rock to build the face work to the locks and abutments, which he had piled up on the plain between the bluff bank and river. The winter of 1834 was an exceedingly cold one, so cold it is said the mice eat up the red peppers, and the rock of that quality that would not stand such exposure. Consequently, most of it crumbled, or was so materially damaged that it was rejected by the engineer in charge of the work. Barbour, therefore, found himself broken up and compelled to abandon the contract. In the winter, in wedging out the rock, the workmen found a roll of thirteen rattlesnakes, and in the center of the roll was a toad, quietly taking his rest. Upon the failure of Barbour, the contract was then awarded Captain William Brown, who completed the locks and dams during the year 1842. Captain Brown opened a rock quarry at Rock Island, Indiana, and boated his material from that point. Mr. James Burnes, of Hebardsville, was employed during the time this work was being done, as Captain Brown's head blacksmith. During the year 1840, Captain Brown's steamboat, " Buck Snatcher," used in towing, while coming down from the upper dam, got caught in an eddy at the foot of the island, caused by a coffer dam built at the head of the chute, and capsized. There were a number of passengers on board, among the number, Mrs. Settlemier and seven or eight children and Mrs
1
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HISTORY OF HENDERSON COUNTY, KY.
Captain Brown. Only four of the passengers were saved, three boys of Mrs. Settlemier and Mrs. Brown, who floated down the river fully a mile clinging to a barrel, until rescued by a fisherman named Peter Johnson. It was said that Mrs. Brown's presence of mind was more than remarkable.
Many lives have been lost at the dam. Joe Settlemier and Wil- liam Raysner, in endeavoring to save a lot of saw logs, went over the dam and were lost two years after the mill was built. Since that time Alvan Williams and Joe Smith lost their lives in a similar way.
In 1844 there was a great barbecue given near Spottsville, dur- ing the Clay and Polk campaign, where that great wit, Thomas Towles, a disciple of Mr. Clay, made in a speech, his celebrated comparison. Said he : "Gentlemen, you might as well compare the noise made by the crack of a porter bottle to the wreck of matter and the crush of worlds, as to compare these two men."
In early times the nearest church or school house was to be found eight miles from Spottsville, on Major Posey's land.
Among the early settlers of Spottsville were Robert Scott. Rob- ert Scott, Jr., George Lyne, Samuel Hopkins, Daniel Slayton and Tesse Knight.
THE FOUNDER.
Major Samuel Spotts was a soldier, and spent but little time on his possessions. He entered the army in 1812 as Second Lieutenant, Fourteenth Artillery, and served up to 1829. Served with General Jackson throughout the Seminole and Creek Indian wars and was brevetted at New Orleans. In 1829 he was appointed by General Jackson, Major, and during the year appointed Assessor of the Port of New Orleans. While in New Orleans, and during the summer of 1833, he died of cholera. During the years 1827 and 1828 he was stationed at Fortress Monroe, and while there obtained a furlough and came West to look at his lands. He spent several summers on Green River with his brother-in-law, Robert Scott. Major Spotts married Harriet, a daughter of Dr. Chetherall, U. S. A., Charleston, South Carolina. She died June 10th, 1834, and was buried in the Hender- son cemetery.
SPOTTSVILLE
Is a flourishing town of five or six hundred inhabitants, large coal mines, operated by T. Shiver, and doing a large shipping business down the river. It has fine school and church advantages, good so- ciety, and all other claims necessary to make it a desirable locality to live in. It has local option, a flourishing lodge of Good Templars,
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HISTORY OF HENDERSON COUNTY, KY.
and is the home of R. Sidney Eastin, the Worthy Chief of the order in Kentucky.
In 1861, Captain A. C. Bryant organized a company of Home Guards in the neighborhood of Spottsville. During the fall of the same year, the town was occupied by State troops under Captains Holloway and Starling, for the purpose of protecting the locks, it hav- ing been reported that Captain Daniel White, of Hopkins County, had been directed by General Buckner, of the Confederate army, to destroy them. Captain Holloway was relieved by the Thirty-second Indiana, United States troops.
TILLOTSON'S PRECINCT.
This precinct, since the death of Mr. James Tillotson, was known for many years as Cross Plains, and of later years as Niagara. The voting place is now known as Niagara. As was the case with all other parts of the county in very early times, this particular part was largely invested by wolves, panthers, wild cats and such like, deer and turkey in abundance. 1
Educational and church advantages were no better here than has been shown to exist in other precincts. It is enough to know that few hardy pioneers suffered as great privations as those else- where in the county.
The people of this precinct first voted, as has been stated in the sketch of Robards," thereafter they voted for years at Tillotson's, then at Leigs' and then at Cross Plains. The present voting place is known as Niagara, but it is the same as Cross Plains. As a general thing this precinct, especially that portion between Anthoston and Green River, is mostly rolling land, yet of the best quality, producing the finest corn and tobacco. A great part of it is heavily timbered, dog- wood, poplar, hickory and oak constituting the main growth. The farms are generally well improved and the farmers thrifty, energetic and well-to-do. It can be safely asserted that no better farming or grazing lands can be found than are to be had in this precinct, the Green River portion producing the finest tobacco.
THE FIRST CHURCH
Known in this section of the country was a small log affair called " Shiloh." It was located near George Eakin's farm, was a Union church, and primitive schools were taught in it. Subsequent to that a Union church was built where Pleasant Valley Church now stands. In this church as well as Shiloh, schools were taught. Old Shiloh was
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HISTORY OF HENDERSON COUNTY, KY.
a noted church, and great sermons for those early times, were preached in that little log hut dedicated to religion. The present church build- ing at Pleasant Valley is a two-story one, the lower story used for church worship, while upstairs the Masons hold their regular meet- ings. "Pleasant Valley " Lodge is composed of many of the best men of the precinct, and very many of its members are active workers in the order. This church is also a Union church. There is at the present time but one village in the precinct and that is the voting place known as Niagara.
At one time Ranger's Landing was a place of considerable im- portance, but it has lost its identity. Ranger's Landing is located upon Green River and was named in honor of Morris Ranger, of New York, the great cotton and tobacco king, who during the war caused to be built at this point a large, substantial and commodious fac- tory for handling tobacco. For several years he carried on an im- mense business and really was a king in that territory. The factory is yet standing but in dreadful repair. Niagara is well located and is a thrifty little village.
J. W. Porter is the owner and operator of a large two-story tobacco stemmery, a house with a capacity of handling from three to four hundred hogsheads annually. He is a large, yet prudent and success- ful buyer.
Close to Niagara is the noted "Martha Brown's" Springs, a chalybeate water of fine quality. This old spring, in the times of Whigs, Know Nothings and Democrats was a noted gathering place for those political clans. The greatest men of the country have spoken from its hillside, and thousands of men have shouted them- selves hoarse. The eloquence of Govs. Dixon, Powell, Kinney, Vance, Crockett, Hughes, Dallam and others have made the welkin ring. Those were good old times, the days of James Tillotson and others like him ; nothing of the kind has been witnessed since the war.
A postoffice was established at Niagara in 1882, prior to that time it was through the kindness of Mr. J. W. Porter that the people received their letters and papers. Mr. Porter has been postmaster for a number of years.
There is a district school taught at Niagara attended by a very respectable number of pupils. Of late years a very handsome Union church has been erected. The business of Niagara, in addition to Porter's tobacco interest, consists of a grocery and general merchan-
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HISTORY OF HENDERSON COUNTY, KY.
dise store owned by J. W. Porter, a drug, grocery and dry goods store, owned by Dr. J. M. Willingham, a blacksmith and wood working shop, by the Biggs Brothers, and a boot and shoe shop by Frank Bush.
Local option was voted several years since and a drink of liquor can't be had.
Among the oldest inhabitants now living are : Sam'l E. King, John Dorris, E. C. Craig, C. C. Eades, John R. Knight, Robert Til- lotson, Radford Dunn, Bradley Towler and George Triplett.
EDUCATIONAL.
-
THE SCHOOLS OF HENDERSON COUNTY FROM THE BEGINNING TO THE PRESENT.
YT is a traditionary fact that among the earliest settlers of Hen- derson County there were many men of ordinary education and considerable property, while there were many others lacking in the primary branches and very poor. As in most counties the majority excelled in intelligence the average population from which they had immigrated.
When, perhaps, as many as a dozen families had located upon a sec- tion of land from ten to fifteen miles square, there was an effort made to establish a school. As a unanimous thing a rude unhewn log cabin, at one end of which a chimney built of sticks and mud was erected. These buildings were covered with boards held to their places by poles as no nails were to be had. The cabins were never known to have windows, and only a small opening called a door. The benches or seats used, were made of logs split through the middle, and holes bored in the round side in which were driven common split sticks, which did the service of legs. In these rude cabins, the pri- mitive teacher at a compensation of from fifty cents to one dollar per month for each scholar, taught reading, writing, spelling, and a little arithmetic. Many of those employed were men of superior intelli- . gence and thorough teachers. Books were few, therefore, those to be had were thoroughly taught and as thoroughly studied. The readers used in early times, especially the " Old English " and the " National " were filled with the finest selections to be found in the English language. Many men with no advantages beyond those found in the pioneer schools, became noted professional and business men. As noth- ing beyond what has been mentioned was taught in these early schools,
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HISTORY OF HENDERSON COUNTY, KY.
the teachers would go from one neighborhood to another and teach grammar for a term of five or six weeks. Writing and geography was also taught by these primitive teachers. Thus the children were offered an opportunity for acquiring a moderate education and very many of them embraced this opportunity, yet the majority of settlers enjoyed but poor facilities for obtaining this blessing. The thinly settled condition of the county and the extreme distance necessary to be traveled, in many instances offered an insurmountable obstacle. The woods were wild, no roads, and the dangers attending the daily walk, necessarily kept most persons from sending their little ones so far from home, consequently they grew up in ignorance. Nor was this all, money was very scarce and a large number of the inhabitants at that time found it impossible to raise the small sum charged by the teacher. As the county grew in population and wealth, there was a gradual improvement, but to this day, in many parts of the county, the people are nearly as far behind in educational matters as they were in primitive days. Some of the county school buildings at this day are yet the poorest cabins and not worth perhaps as much as fifty dollars. Of late years however there has been great improvement in the buildings.
Our system of common schools dates back to 1822. It was not however, until the act of Congress, approved June 23d, 1836, that any practical results were attained. During this year Congress appor- tioned about fifteen millions of dollars of surplus money in the treasury to the several older States in the form of a loan, of which Kentucky's share was $1,433,757. Though no provision of the law imposed on the State the obligation to devote this fund exclusively to purposes of education, yet it was asked on this plea and granted with this expectancy. Yet by act of February 23d, 1837, $1,000,000 only of the fund was set apart as the financial basis of our educational system, and by an act of February 16th, 1868, this amount was actually reduced to $850,000. This, then, is the origin and principal resource of our permanently invested school fund, from the interest of which, for many years, we derived our only public school revenues and from which a portion of our annual school revenues are now derived.
In 1838 the first school law was enacted for the establishment of common schools in Kentucky. An act was passed in 1847-8 providing for the submission of a proposition to a vote of the people to levy a tax of two cents on the one hundred dollars to increase the revenue for common school purposes. The people ratified this proposition by
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HISTORY OF HENDERSON COUNTY, KY.
a large majority. Beginning with the fall of 1849, the convention for forming a new constitution was held. It was then by the eleventh article, the school funds, for which the State had executed her bonds to the State Board of Education, were forever dedicated to common school purposes. In 1855 the people, by a large majority, ratified the proposition to increase the ad valorem tax from two cents to five cents on the one hundred dollars. But little organic change was made in the school system until after the close of the civil war. At the August election, 1869, a proposition to increase the tax to fifteen cents was submitted and ratified by a large majority. Under this law, the aggregate amount of schooling was more than doubled and the quality of education greatly improved. Better teachers were employed and salaries of teachers prior to that time, fixed at from twelve to thirty dollars per month for three months, were raised to thirty and forty- five dollars per month for five months.
The Legislature in 1822 passed an act establishing school districts in the several counties of the State, and agreeably to that act, the County Court of Henderson County did, in the same year, pro- ceed to lay off Henderson County into twelve districts. In 1839, on application of Col. Robert Smith, James S. Priest and Willie Sugg, Common School Commissioners for Henderson County, it was ordered by the County Court that the surveyor of the county lay off and divide the county into convenient school districts. In 1842, March 1st, the Legislature gave to the School Commissioners, or a majority of them, the power to district their county or to allow or modify the same as circumstances might require, without making application to the County Court, also authorizing the commissioners, or any one of them, to hold elections in any of the districts without any order from the County Court. Also power to appoint three examiners, who should be professional teachers, at or near the town of Henderson, whose duty it was to examine and give certificates to teachers. This act further stipulated that in case any district failed or neglected to levy a tax for the support of a common school, the citizens legally entitled to vote therein or a majority of them, might proceed to raise by subscription or otherwise, any sum of money for the support of a school, not less than enough to support a school for three months in each year, and upon this fact being certified to the School Commissioner by the Trustees of such district, they should then be entitled to their just proportion of the money allowed for the support of common schools. Under this law the schools of the county were conducted. The funds necessary to the successful carrying on
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HISTORY OF HENDERSON COUNTY, KY.
of the District Schools was small and as a necessary consequence the schools were poor indeed.
As before stated, in 1848 a proposition was submitted to the qualified voters as to the expediency of creating a tax of two cents on the one hundred dollars for common school purposes. It was supposed that there would be no objection to such an insignificant tax, yet Henderson County gave a majority vote of twenty-one against the proposition. It carried, however, in the State and proved in the end a blessing compared to what had been. Yet this sum was found in a short time afterwards to be too small for the purpose at hand, and in 1855 another proposition to increase the tax to five cents on the one hundred dollars was submitted to the qualified voters, and strange to say, was carried by a large majority, the county vote being for 1,011 against 398, a majority of 613. This tax, though small, yet had a most favorable effect for good. The county was again redis- tricted. Prior to the war there were many excellent schools in the town and county and there were but few unable to give their children an opportunity for getting a plain English education, but subsequent to the war this condition of things changed very materially. The number of poor people was greatly increased, very many of them unable to pay tuition at all. This increase of poor people was due in a great measure to immigration into the county of persons from other States.
Had there been no public schools, the condition of the children would have been deplorable indeed. In 1869 an act to increase the school tax to twenty cents on the one hundred dollars was submitted to the qualified voters, and stranger than in the second instance, the proposition was badly defeated in this county. The city and Spotts- ville, praised be their names, did nobly by voting handsome majorities for the tax; however, the tax carried by a large majority in the State, and the act of the Legislature became a law. Since that time the public or common school system in this county has become respectable and has been the source of immense good to the youth of the county.
From 1850 to 1872, Rev. John McCullough held the office of Common School Commissioner, and worked indefatigably in the in- terest of educating the young. He was extremely popular with the children, and was, perhaps, the best known man in the county. Dr. H. H. Farmer, a man of superior qualifications, succeeded Mr. Mc- Cullough, and served in that capacity from 1872 to 1880. Mr. Ezra C. Ward was appointed to succeed Dr. Farmer. £ He served four years and was succeeded by A. L. Smith. In 1866 William Hatchitt was elected and is yet Commissioner.
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HISTORY OF HENDERSON COUNTY, KY.
Commissioners prior to 1850 were Thomas Towles, A. H. Bailey, Colonel Robert Smith, Willie Sugg and James S. Priest.
THE OLR. SEMINARY.
This was the first school of any note in Henderson County. On the 10th of February, 1798, an act of the Legislature was approved, donating and setting a part of the public lands of the Commonwealth of Kentucky, 6,000 acres each, for the benefit of certain academies and seminaries of learning. A similar act was approved February 11th, 1809, eleven years afterwards, embracing like provisions and extending therein to Henderson and other counties. The following is a copy of section one of the act of 1809 :
"Be it enacted by the General Assembly, That the Justices of the County Courts of Henderson, Caldwell and Hopkins Counties are hereby authorized to procure to be located, surveyed and patented, 6,000 acres of any vacant and unappropriated land in the Commonwealth for the use of Seminaries of learning within their respective counties, except the lands to which the Indian title is extinguished by the treaty of Tellico, and the lands lying west of the dividing ridge between the waters of Cumberland and Tennessee."
Under the terms of this act no person was to be permitted to settle upon any of this reservation after the expiration of one month's time from the passage of this act.
From absolute negligence, or else some other palliating reason, the Justices of Henderson County failed to locate, have surveyed and patented, the six thousand acres of land offered them by the State. Subsequent to this act, to-wit : on the thirty-first day of De- cember, 1813, another act was passed establishing an Academy in the town of Henderson, to be known as the "Henderson Academy." Section two of this act constituted Adam Rankin, Joseph Fuquay, Daniel McBride, William R. Brown, James Hillyer, Richard Hender- son and Wyatt H. Ingram a body politic and corporate to be known by the name of the "Trustees of the Henderson Academy." They were given perpetual succession and all the powers and privileges enjoyed by the Trustees of any Academy or Seminary of learning in the State. They were authorized in their corporate capacity to pur- chase or receive by donation any lands, tenements, hereditaments, moneys, goods, rents and chattels, and to hold the same by the name aforesaid, to them and their successors forever, for the use and benefit of the said Academy, and to sell the same if deemed proper and ap- ply the proceeds to the use and benefit thereof.
On the sixth day of June, 1814, in accordance with the act, Dr. Adam Rankin, first named trustee; called a meeting of the Trustees,
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HISTORY OF HENDERSON COUNTY, KY.
and the following were present: Adam Rankin, Joseph Fuquay, Daniel McBride, James Hillyer, Wyatt Ingram and Richard Hender- son. These trustees met at the house of Joseph Fuquay and seve- rally took the oath of office as prescribed by the act. Dr. Adam Ran- kin was unanimously elected President of the Board and Richard Henderson, Clerk.
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