USA > Kentucky > Lewis County > History of Lewis County, Kentucky > Part 12
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The culprit was a negro slave named George. He was the property of James Hill, of Bath County, and was charged with attempt at rape on the person of Mary Davis, a girl eleven years old, daughter of Walter Davis. The witnesses against him were John Harrison and Thos. Mitchell. A jury consisting of Henry Halbert, Geo. Thomas, Larret G. Smith, Archibald Frizzell, William Cottingham, John Fry, Thomas Gayle, Plummer Thomas, Robert Voiers, Samuel Cummins, Elias Stalcup, and James Martin, were empanneled, and the prisoner was allowed counsel (who failed to appear). The jury found him guilty as charged in the warrant, and then his owner appeared with his attorney and en- deavored to get an appeal on account of error in the proceedings; but the court overruled his motion, and, on the 27th day of September, 1815, he was sentenced to be hanged. The negro was valued at five hundred dollars and recommended to the mercy of the governor, but was at the same time sentenced to hang on the 27th day of the following October. The sheriff was immediately ordered to build a gal- lows for the execution, which was to be between
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the hours of 10 A. M. and 3 P. M. of the day appointed. John G. McDowell was the sheriff at the time, and the execution took place on the hillside opposite Clarksburg.
. About this time Mr. Henry C. Bruce died, as we find on the order book where Polly Bruce relinquished her right to become administratrix, and John Bruce and Joseph Morgan were ap- pointed.
The county claims for 1815 amounted to:
Fines, etc., to .. $82.9212
640 tithes, at 50 cents 320.00
Total $402.9212
Debtor 248.4112
Balance due county $154.51
December Term .- David Looney made appli- cation to the court to build a mill on Crooked Creek, near what was then known as Massie's Fork. We think it was the same mill site which was lately owned by the Ruark family.
January Term of Court of 1816 .- William G. Bullock was made deputy surveyor. This is not the W. G. Bullock who was deputy sheriff under Thos. Wilson a few years ago; but it is one of his relations.
February Term. - The family names of Brewer, Osborn, Hillis, and Myers, who still
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History of Lewis County, Kentucky
have representatives in the county, are found in the order book of the Lewis County Court, in February, 1816. Edward Brewer made ap- plication for permission to build a mill on Cabin Creek, and Samuel Hillis (or Hillhouse) was one of the jury appointed to condemn the land for the site of the mill. Jacob Myers was an overseer of the road from Sycamore to Crooked Creek. John Means had his property improperly listed, and was released thereof, and Richard Conway was an overseer on Cabin Creek Road.
August Term .- Thurston Wollen is made constable, and Arch. Frizzell took the oath as coroner of Lewis County.
William Worthington appears as an at- torney in a case between James Winters and G. N. Davis. John Stockholm also had a suit with Reuben Plummer, who, it seems, from an alias warrant, lived in Fleming County. John Halbert was appointed commissioner on a road from Salt Lick to Quick's Run. Thos. Bragg was a witness in a cause between Wm. Watkins and Daniel Swearingin.
September Term. The last will of Wm. Graham was presented with James and William Barkley as witnesses, and Robt. Robb and Geo. Fearis as executors named. George Maple and James Rowland were appointed appraisers of the property. These parties all lived on Cabin
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History of Lewis County, Kentucky
Creek, and all except Maple have representa- tives still living in Lewis.
Evan Harry was allowed four dollars for an armchair for the court-house, and Andrew Moore allowed witness fees. The Harry family lived on the mountain, between Mudlick and Burtonville, and the Moores lived on the head waters of Mudlick. The irrepressible J. T. Harry is still a resident of Kinny, and Amos Harry lives near Burtonville. Both these gen- tlemen are now old men who can look back over sixty years and still not see the ancestor mentioned in this section. The author can remember seeing Uncle Jimmie Moore, an old man on crutches, who used to visit his father in 1853. He was the grandfather of Lewis Moore, now residing near Esculapia, and of Elder E. L. Moore, of Honey Landing.
John Montgomery, on Quick's Run; David Arthurs, on the State Road; John and George Fry, East Fork of Cabin Creek, are all mentioned in the November term of the court. Their chil- dren's children are still here.
COUNTY LEVY FOR 1816:
655 polls at 50 cents. $327.50
Fines, taxes, etc 46.34
Total . .$373.84
Allowances
208.121/2
Balance due county
$165.7112
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History of Lewis County, Kentucky
November Term .- The names of the follow- ing citizens are found: G. W. Bruce, Solomon Fuller, Daniel Olds, Martha Zornes, Catharine Olds, Richard Clary, Joseph Clary, the first part of whom lived on Kinny; but the Clarys lived on the road from Cabin Creek to Phil- lips Creek, and were appointed commissioners to view a roadway there.
January Term of Court of 1817 .- This court was held at Benjamin Wood's house, in the town of Clarksburg. There seems to have been something the matter with that "stone chimney" to the court-house, as several times when the time indicates that the weather might have been cold the court was held at other places than the court-house.
Andrew Wilson was made a justice of the peace, and John Stephenson became sheriff at this session. Squire McClain had Elizabeth Brown, a pauper, under his care, and he had ordered fifty pounds of meat and 3 bushels of corn to be given her from some of the citizens for her sustenance. William Hull was allowed one dollar in this court for the corn.
March Term .- Thomas Marshall announced his commission and took the oath as a justice. The Kinny precinct had been formed by Act of the Legislature, and made four voting places in the county.
17
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History of Lewis County, Kentucky
November Term .- This year William Pitts got permission to build a mill on Quick's Run, and Tavenor Moore's stock mark was recorded. John Taylor also died this year.
The court made the following levy:
By 671 polls, at 75 cents. $503.25
By fines, etc. 35.6434
Total. $538.8934
To claims allowed. 292.05
Balance "depositum" $246.8434
Jacob Myers was made overseer from Syca- more to David Looney's, on Crooked Creek, and Moses Irvin from James Dixon's, on Sycamore, to the "two-mile tree," near Moses Bevins' farm. The court also contracted to build a clerk's office on the public square.
By reference to the Acts of the Legislature we find that the jail was burned after the county levy had been laid. The Act authorizes the court to lay an additional levy to rebuild the same. There was a peculiar custom of the court in those days which might have had something to do with the burning of the jail. When a man became involved in debt more than he could pay on demand he was placed "in bounds," that is, he might not go outside of a certain boundary till he had paid his debts.
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History of Lewis County, Kentucky
If he did so he was to be jailed. It is probable that the man "in bounds" thought if there is no jail there is no jailing. In February, 1818, Winslow Parker, Aaron Stratton, and Ben. Woods were appointed commissioners to build the jail or to have it done. The jail was to have two apartments, one for debtors and one for criminals, with a hall between them. The part for debtors was built out of hewn logs twelve inches square, and the room for criminals was to have double walls of logs, filled between with stone. The jail was built by Joel Stratton, building contractor, for $730. W. B. Parker was jailer at that time, and had charge of the prisoners if there were any.
About this time the names of Joseph Sparks, Geo. Sparks, Elias Gilbert, and James Nash are shown to be citizens of the county by a road order appointing them to work on a road from the "Sand Fields," near Wilson's Ferry, up Crooked Creek.
The old "cloth mill" seems to be established at or near George Fearis', as he had a boy, David Mackelroy Gosset, bound or apprenticed to him to learn the "trade and mysteries" of fulling and finishing domestic cloth.
The Tolle family are represented in the person of John Tolle, who resided near or on Phillip's Creek.
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History of Lewis County, Kentucky
On the motion of John Thompson, whom, it seems, lived on Kinny, a road was opened from the fork of Kinny to Spurgin's mill, on Salt Lick.
February Term of Court of 1818 .- Alexander Bruce was given a certificate of "honesty, probity, and good demeanor" as a lawyer.
March Term .- The court had the road from Wilson's Ferry to Sycamore viewed and laid out. This was the first public highway along the river from Wilson's Bottom to Concord.
The family name of Ruark is first mentioned in the person of Jordon Ruark, who was paid as a witness for Joseph Ward in a case between him and John Brewer.
May Term .- Jacob Colvin, in the records, presents the name of that family in Lewis County, and in August the name of John Tully appears on record.
November Term .- The Court of Claims met and made the following levy:
702 tithes, per 70 cents.
$526.50
Fines, licenses, etc. 219.94
Total.
$746.44
Claims allowed
230.5712
Balance due county
. $515.8612
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History of Lewis County, Kentucky
That stone chimney to the court-house had two fire-places-one downstairs, 412 feet wide at the back, and one upstairs, "3 feet in the clear." It was built by Henry Halbert at a cost of $129.50.
It appears in evidence that John McDaniel was a hatter, as one, John Clem, was ap- prenticed to him to learn that trade.
In the same court (November) Charles Queen was made road overseer from Kendrick's, on Salt Lick, to Vanceburg.
December Term .- This session turns to view some of the wealth owned in those days. The assessor had not been able to get the list of John and Horatio Bruce, and they were called into court to give in their list, which shows some wealth for those days. It is as follows:
2 white males, over 21 years; 10 black, over 16, and 2 other blacks, total, 12 blacks; 7 horses, 400 acres of second rate land, valued at $10 per acre; 350 acres of second rate land, valued at $10 per acre; 350 acres of second rate land, valued at $25 per acre; 6,500 acres in Mason County, valued at $7 per acre; 175 acres in Bourbon County, valued at $40 per acre; 100 acres in Garrard County, valued at $20 per acre, with a total valuation of $77,600.
January Term of Court of 1819 .- Hugh Han- nah produced his commission as "High Sheriff" of Lewis County, and W. J. Simspon was ap- pointed deputy sheriff.
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History of Lewis County, Kentucky
March Term .- This year Aaron Stratton is engaged in the salt business at Vanceburg, and had a way viewed by commissions to convey salt- water from Greenup's wells to a lot in the town.
Samuel Redman was appointed road over- seer from Clarksburg to Cottingham's branch. W. B. Parker qualified as assessor under the new Act, and Benjamin Aills was admitted to the bar as an attorney. Rowland T. Parker removed to Vanceburg, and got tavern license there. Thos. Bragg was also allowed tavern license at Vanceburg.
June Term .- W. B. Parker resigned as jailer, and Thos. Mitchell was appointed in his stead.
John and Horatio Bruce, in this month, were also trying to increase that wealth by making salt at Vanceburg.
August Term .- John Stephenson presented to the court his commission as justice, and took his seat. Robt. Meridith's will was probated, with his wife, Rebecca, as administratrix.
"Old Ebenezer" in August, 1819. The congregation elected George Means, George Maple, Archibald Boyd, Samuel Boyd, and Wil- liam Robb as trustees and certified them to the court as proper persons to whom deed for the church property might be made, and the court recognized them as such.
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History of Lewis County, Kentucky
Elijah Moore built a mill on the East Fork of North Fork of Licking, adjoining the property of Jonathan Wilson-at least he got permission from the court, in August, 1819, to do so. This mill ought to be found somewhere near Burton- ville.
September Term .- Wm. B. Parker returned his lists as assessor, also his account for services rendered. It took him seventy days to take all the lists, at the cost of one dollar per day. He also was allowed ten dollars for making out the list, amounting in all as salary the sum of eighty dollars.
The county was laid off into districts in September, as follows: Beginning at the mouth of Kinny, and including all settlements on it to the mouth of Laurel, thence up Laurel, including all settlements on it; thence a straight course to the Greenup County line, to be one district to be called District No. 1, or Kinny precinct.
No. 2. Beginning at the mouth of Kinny, thence down the Ohio River to the first branch above Samuel Cummins; thence a straight line to the dividing ridge between Sycamore and Quick's Run, and with same ridge, dividing the waters of Salt Lick and Cabin Creek, and the waters of North Fork and Kinny, following the highest points of said ridge to the Greenup
.
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History of Lewis County, Kentucky
County line; thence with said line to the bound- ary of District No. 1, and with said boundary to the beginning, to be one district, to be known as District No. 2, or Clarksburg precinct.
No. 3. Beginning at the top of the dividing ridge between Thos. Parker and Joseph Watkins, on the State Road, and with the said road to the forks of the same at the Williamsburg Road, and with the Williamsburg Road to the Mason and Lewis County line, at Dr. Alexander Duke's. Thence with Mason and Lewis County line to the mouth of Crooked Creek, and thence up the Ohio River to the first branch above Samuel Cummins'; thence with line of District No. 2 to the beginning, to be one district, known as District No. 3, or Cabin Creek precinct.
No. 4. Beginning at Dr. Alex. Duke's, thence with the Lewis and Mason County line to North Fork of Licking, at the corner of Mason and Lewis Counties; thence with the North Fork and Fleming and Lewis County line to where the Greenup County line strikes the same; thence with the Greenup and Lewis County line to where it intersects the line of District No. 2, on the ridge, and with said ridge to the beginning of District No. 3, to be one district, known as No. 4, or North Fork precinct.
November Term .- Edward Kelly got permis- sion to build a mill on Little East Fork of Cabin
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History of Lewis County, Kentucky
Creek. Thompson Ward was admitted to the bar as an attorney in Lewis County. John Thompson was appointed constable in District No. 1, Murdoc Cooper in District No. 2, William Boyd in District No. 3, James W. Singleton in District No. 4.
In November the court made its levy on
789 tithes, per $1. $789.00
Fines, licenses, etc. 18.6512
Total $807.651/2
Claims. 466.5512
Balance due county $341.10
December Term. - The Polly family, of Quicks Run, are first mentioned in this session, in the name of David Polly, who is authorized to keep an insane brother at the county's ex- pense.
James McCormick, of McCormick Springs on the head of Salt Lick, is mentioned as a road overseer from John McDaniel's to the top of the mountain above Gunpowder Lick.
January Term of Court of 1820 .- The court laid off an additional magisterial district, to be called Sycamore District, and numbered it No. 5. John and Andrew May and Joseph Spence are named as being on the boundary line in said district.
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History of Lewis County, Kentucky
May Term .- Bushrod Fry was appointed constable in the Sycamore precinct, and John M. Logan, at Clarksburg, at the same court above mentioned.
Samuel Criswell, living on Kinny, at the mouth of Grassy Fork, made application for a road over to Clarksburg.
The name of William Chapman appears at this time as a Lewis County citizen.
Joseph Ruark was released as overseer on the Three Island Road. Mr. Waugh and Joseph Lane are mentioned in connection with a road from Boyd's horsemill to Mason County line.
June Term .- The school trustees at Clarks- burg were permitted to have a school taught in the court-house.
Fred R. Singleton was commissioned sur- veyor for the county.
September Term .- The last will of William Cottingham was admitted to probate and his wife, Polly Cottingham, named as executrix, with George Thomas, Stephen Halbert, and John Halbert as securities.
Christopher Fort, as a citizen of Lewis, is mentioned as a juryman to assess damages on a roadway. An old lady, Peggy Fort, lived with Alex. Vance, near Concord, in 1837. She was one hundred and five years old when she died, and had been blind for a number of years.
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History of Lewis County, Kentucky
She was Mr. Vance's mother-in-law and the grandmother of Mr. George Vance.
December Term .- Mr. Robb presents the fol- lowing bill for blank books:
Mr. Joseph Robb bought of Edward Cox, Maysville, Ky .:
1 Record book, 6 quires $12.50
1 4 7.00
1 Small blank book. 2.25
1
1.00
Total
$22.75
Received payment, EDWARD COX.
Thomas Marshall's estate was valued in a court assessment at $34,600.
A road was established from the mouth of Holly Fork of Kinny to McDaniel's, on Salt Lick. Solomon Thomas had a cabin at the mouth of Holly, and John Fowler is reported to the court as the owner of the land up Holly, through which the road passed.
January Term of Court of 1821 .- John Dyal received his commission as sheriff, dated No- vember 26, 1820, and became sheriff in January, 1821. He had Nathan Halbert appointed dep- uty.
When a justice died, or was promoted to sheriff, he brought all his books and papers to
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History of Lewis County, Kentucky
court and they were turned over by the clerk to the nearest magistrate to the one deposed, and retained by him till a successor was ap- pointed.
February Term .- Daniel Wood, a tanner, had Richard Wilson Lee apprenticed to him to learn the trade.
The March term failed to meet, and, in May, Jesse Truesdale was appointed overseer on road from Boyd's horsemill to Robt. Rea's.
A road from Scott's branch of Laurel to Grassy Fork of Kinny, and thence on a road already established, to Clarksburg, was laid out at this time. Also a road from the Greenup saltwells to the mouth of Trace, on Kinny.
June Term .- Henry Halbert was commis- sioned as justice of the peace, and John Carter made overseer of road from Quick's Run to Heath's mill, on Salt Lick.
The following citizens appear on the roads designated: On the Quick's Run Road, William McCann, Thomas McKinny, Thos. Oliver, Val- entine V. Crawford; on Cabin Creek Road, Jonathan Laish, James West, John West, James Richards, John Riggs, John Brownfield, Peter Hoover, Jas. Graham, Sam'l Lane, Wm. Mc- Nutt, John Hoover, John Downey, Richard and William Fry; on Andrew Henderson's road, James Dickson, James Calhoun, Andrew Sher-
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History of Lewis County, Kentucky
dine, Chas. Wood, Francis Henderson, James Henderson, William Boyd, Simon Kinnard, Ferdinand Fry; on a road from Mckenzie's to Concord, or some place in that neighborhood, are John Piper, John McKenzie, John Thomp- son, Thomas Taylor, John McClain, John Carson, Amos Means, Thomas Yapp, Robt. Means, and King D. McClain.
On a Crooked Creek and Little Fork Road are Jesse Truesdale, John Gilbert, Elias Gil- bert, Abraham Bilyen, Joseph Taylor, and Daniel Sexton.
Jacob, Michael, and Chas. Fetters, John, David, and Samuel Riggs, Henry Myers, Peter Looney, and "all the Pittsis'" worked on the road on Crooked Creek.
On the road from Sycamore to Crooked Creek, Jacob Myers, as overseer, had John and William McCandless, John Dyal, Alex. Dyal, Simon Dyal, John Kellum, Stephen Dwiar, Robt. Myers, James Wiley, Thomas Wright, and John Stevenson.
On the road from Concord, John Stephenson, as overseer, had John Bilyen, Thos. Bedford, Ben. Bedford, John Reid, John Trent, James Bivins, Ed. Stevenson, Joseph Means, John and William Reed, Thos. Berryman, Paul Bilyen, Paul Vanhorn, Pres. L. Stevenson, Alex. Davis, and David Dyal.
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History of Lewis County, Kentucky
W. P. Ball had as hands John Feagans, David Gault, Wm. Yancy on some road back of Con- cord or Poplar Flat.
On the road past Thos. Marshall's are Peter Duzan, Gabriel Peed, Ezra Toncraye, David Toncraye, Wm. Walker. On Cabin Creek and Brown's Run are Alex. Osburn, Thos. Gillespie, David Maple, John and Thomas Hines.
August Term .- It is made a matter of record on the order book that Thos. Marshall had married the widow of John Boyd, and he wanted the administrator of her estate to show cause why he did not settle with the court. At the next session the said administrator settled and paid over nine dollars he had received for rent.
Thompson Ward was appointed county at- torney.
November Term .- The court levied 75 cents on 896 polls, and allowed claims amounting to $486.14. The levy amounted to $672.
The August term authorized a road to be viewed from the mouth of Grassy, on Kinny, near Benjamin Cole's farm, and thence up Kinny to the head and over the ridge to Mudlick; thence down same to North Fork.
The commissioners appointed to view that road the following citizens living on the route: Benj. Cole, Samuel Criswell, William Murphy,
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History of Lewis County, Kentucky
Solomon Thomas, Samuel Spurgin, Andrew Means, John Thompson. Well's Camp, Thomas Thompson, Abraham Plummer, James Silvey, John Maddox, on Kinny; and thence the road went up Sugar Camp hollow to the dividing ridge between Kinny and Mudlick, and fol- lowed the path to Mudlick, leaving H. C. Martin's house to the right; thence through John Bell's lands to John Green's farm; and thence down Mudlick past Caleb Taylor, John Hammon and Joshua Powers to William Quin- tance, on the North Fork of Licking. This is perhaps, the first road up Kinny from the J. B. Harrison farm to Petersville, and thence to Mudlick.
December Term .- John Chambers was a witness to the will of Augustine Cowne, and Green H. Smith and Jacob Neal had a lawsuit which resulted in a judgment of fourteen dollars for Neal.
January Term of Court of 1822 .- Francis T. Hood was admitted to the Lewis County bar.
James McCallister, Mathew Thompson, W. H. Calvert, David W. Davis, Robb Robb, Sr., John Piper, Jas. Rowland, David Hendrickson, John Owens, and John Bell are said to live near Mudlick, and were appointed commissioners to value property under execution on that stream.
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History of Lewis County, Kentucky
March Term .- The first school districts in Lewis County were laid off according to an Act of the Legislature. The first district began at the mouth of Slate Creek, above Vanceburg, and thence with a path known as Barrett's trace to the Sandy saltworks to a point where said trace crosses the Lewis and Greenup County line; thence with said line to the Ohio River, and with the river to the place of beginning.
The second district began at the mouth of Slate, and thence, with the Slate Road, to the top of the ridge dividing the waters of Salt Lick and Kinny from Cabin Creek and the North Fork of Licking, and with said ridge to the Lewis and Greenup line to Barrett's trace, and with said trace to the beginning.
Number three began at the whirlpool in the Ohio River, at Vanceburg; thence with the State Road to the top of the mountain above Thos. Parker's; thence with the chain of ridges which divide Quicks Run from Cabin Creek and Sycamore to the Ohio River, so as to strike the river between the mouth of Sycamore and Samuel Cummin's mill; thence up the river to the beginning.
Number four began at the mouth of Syca- more; thence down the Ohio River to the mouth of Crooked Creek; thence with the Lewis and Mason line to the Salt Lick Road at
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History of Lewis County, Kentucky
Alexander Duke's; thence with said road to the top of the hill above Thos. Parker's; thence with the chain of ridges dividing the waters of Quicks Run, Cabin Creek, and Sycamore to the Ohio River, between Cumming's mill and the mouth of Sycamore; thence down the river to the begin- ning.
Number five-and the rest of Lewis County shall be district number five.
William J. Simpson, on account of contem- plated removal from the county, was released as commissioner to settle with the sheriff, and resigned his commission as justice of the peace.
On motion of Joseph Staggs and John Knox it was ordered that commissioners be appointed to view a road up Laurel and Grassy to the Greenup County line.
May Term .- Richard Aills released as road overseer from forks of Quick's Run to Ohio River, and Jonathan Ruggles was appointed.
Isaac Pitts was made overseer from widow McKensie's to Sand Hill.
Richard Pell and Thos. Mitchell were granted tavern license in Clarksburg.
On motion of James McCormick commis- sioners were appointed to change the Gunpow- der Lick Road.
James Carr licensed to keep tavern in Vance- burg.
18
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History of Lewis County, Kentucky
Hugh McIlvaine, a tanner, had Stuart Marshal apprenticed to him to learn the trade.
Beverly Stubblefield and William Hannah were allotted to Wm. P. Ball's road.
Thos. Mitchell presents his account as jailer of Lewis County.
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