USA > Kentucky > Lewis County > History of Lewis County, Kentucky > Part 5
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The May term was held at the same place, and gives the following restrictions to tavern keepers as to charges:
"RATES"
"For Warm breakfast. 25 cents
Cold 17
Warm dinner 25
" Cold 17
..
25 " Warm supper ..
Cold 17
Oats or corn by the gallon 8
Hay, blades, and stableage for 24 hours 25
..
Pasturage for 24 hours. S
" Lodging in clean sheets. . 8
French brandy per half pint 371/2"
Madeira wine 50
Any other kind of wine per half pint 371/2"
Peach brandy 1212"
Whisky 121/2"
65 Cider, Royal, per quart. 17
" Cider 121/2"
" For Holland gin per half pint 25 ..
The last will and testament of James Savage was admitted to probate. May term, 1807. At the same term William Cordingly was "natural-
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History of Lewis County, Kentucky
ized" as a citizen of the United States and of Kentucky. His grandsons, John and Frank Cordingly, still live on "Kinny."
The report of David Ballenger, Cornelius Hall, and William Fleming, commissioners ap- pointed by the act forming Lewis County, gives the following place and boundaries for a seat of justice for Lewis County: "Beginning at a beech tree marked W. F. D. B. C. H., standing on the bank of the Ohio River, north 65 west 38 poles from the mouth of Quick's Run; north 65 west to a dogwood, marked as before; thence south 25 west 20 poles to a beech tree, also marked as before; thence south 65 east 12 poles to a beech sapling, marked with the same letters; and from thence to the beginning, con- taining the quantity of one acre and eighty poles." There is a plat of this survey and rates explaining it in the order book.
The court then appoints some road over- seers and allots hands, each of whom is named on the order, except in one instance, where there seems to be a numerous family of the same name, and then the order says "all the Looneys."
The minutes are signed by George Fearis as presiding justice, with a skill in penmanship hard to equal in these later days of educational advancement-this signing was done by the
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History of Lewis County, Kentucky
clerk. The June term appoints the officers of the next general election, as follows:
John Dyal and Aaron Stratton, judges in Salt Lick precinct, and Jonathan Kenyon, clerk; Ohio precinct, George Fearis and George Brown, judges, and Walker Reid, clerk. There seems to have been only these two precincts, but the elections were held for three days, so that everybody might have a chance to vote. The only persons voted for at that time were rep- resentatives, senators, and governor and lieu- tenant governor. Magistrates, coroners, sher- iffs, and other county officers were appointed by the governor on the recommendation of the magistrates.
In order to weave into our history the names of those people living in the county, and to show their locality therein, we give the record of the court in regard to road overseers and allotment of hands, who are usually named. On the East Fork and main Cabin Creek Road the names of James Barkley, overseer, and Samuel Cox, David Peters, Humphrey Bell, John Archard, Robt. Robb, William Robb, John Brownfield, Thos. McIlvain, William Murphy, John Murphy, Robert and Jack Roberts, Neal and John Wallingford as hands appear. As this road extended from East Fork to main Cabin Creek, we know that these people lived in that section of the county.
WHARF SCENE AT VANCEBURG.
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History of Lewis County, Kentucky
On the road from Wilson's Ferry-that is, Wilson's Bottom-to East Fork of Cabin Creek we have John Boyd, overseer, "all the Hilter- brands," the Pitts's, the Looneys, James Vande- graft, Widow Wilson's hands, Samuel Wilson, William George Wilson as hands enumerated by the court.
On Cabin Creek, below Swearingin's mill, were William Graham, David Fenwick, George Brown, Edward Chaney "and his own and John Swearingin's hands." On the road above the forks of Quick's Run at Widow Davis', Richard Elson is overseer, "and all the hands above the forks." On the road from Sycamore to Salt Lick-up the river-the following land- holders are mentioned by the viewers of the road: John Stephenson, Samuel Cummins, Re- becca Cummins, William Aills, Rebecca Aills, John Aills, Graham Bedinger, and Alexander K. Marshall, the last at mouth of Salt Lick, and the others in order of their lands from Concord up to Vanceburg.
In order to show what the Lewis County people were doing in those days before the War of 1812, and to find the succession in office, we follow the County and Circuit Courts still further by their record. In the June term of the County Court, held at Oke Hendrickson's home on Poplar Flat, Samuel Cox presented his commis-
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History of Lewis County, Kentucky
sion as surveyor, and took the oath, gave bond, etc., and became the surveyor of Lewis County.
In October the county levy was laid at $1.75 on 506 tithes (polls), and amounts to $775.50. The whole county expenses, including the sur- veying of the county line, the election, and the commissioners to fix a place for a county seat, amounted to only $175.70, leaving a balance in the hands of the sheriff of $709.80.
At the December term it developed that James McPike had objected to a road through his land, and a jury had fixed his damage at $13. The court decided that to be "enormous," and finally, to get the road, the following gen- tlemen decided to pay it themselves:
G. N. Davis. $1.50
Landen Calvert 4.50
William Harper. 2.50
John McDaniel 1.50
Plummer Thomas 1.50
Walker Reid .50
Total. $13.00
William Roper appears as an attorney in the Lewis Circuit Court, and is allowed $66.66 for prosecuting the pleas of the Commonwealth in the' Lewis Circuit Court. His order was made on the sheriff of Lewis County.
William P. Fleming's claim against the
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METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH, VANCEBURG.
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History of Lewis County, Kentucky
county as attorney, since its organization till January, 1808, was only $28.1212.
Court of January, 1808 .- Anna Mckenzie was appointed guardian of Thomas, Anna, Sally, Alexander S., and Hannah H. Mckenzie, her children, and orphans of Alexander Mc- Kenzie, deceased.
"Ordered that John Dyal be appointed com- missioner assessor of the revenue tax for the year 1808." Bond of two thousand dollars was given, with John Stephenson as security.
Elizabeth Harrison was released from tax for the future on her negro man named "Peter."
David Gooding was appointed constable.
It appears to have been the duty of the sheriff to collect taxes, as we find a record of Plummer Thomas coming into this court and "taking upon himself" the collecting of the revenue and county levy, and of his then and there giving a bond of ten thousand dollars for the revenue and fourteen hundred dollars for the levy.
We find the Stricklett family mentioned in this court-one, Peter Stricklett, being old and infirm, was released of county levy.
In the militia of the State, Lewis County was represented by the 69th Regiment, and Thos. Parker was commissioned by the governor as paymaster of that regiment.
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History of Lewis County, Kentucky
The death of John Thompson is noted in this court.
James Rowland was appointed road over- seer some place in the Tolleboro neighborhood, with Joseph and James Fitch, John Salisberry, Peter Giddyns, and Lewis Giddyns as hands allotted; and Wm. Carr connected with him as overseer from North Fork of Licking on the Fleming Road.
When a case was appealed from a magis- trate's court to the County Court, the appellant became subject for costs, and had to pay up if it was continued. We note that in one case it was ordered that Jonathan Ruggles pay Mathew Burris "two shillings and one penny " for one day's attendance as witness. In fact, that was the price fixed when no mileage was counted.
In a case of perjury of which Ally Alexander was charged on account of her having sworn that she saw somebody carrying one of her father's hogs on a "dutch mare," the evidence was about such as is rendered in a present day court, and Miss Ally was discharged. This case is found in the March term, 1808, and came from Quick's Run.
The Legislature passed another law on the subject of Lewis County's seat of justice, and appointed the magistrates to fix a place. They
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History of Lewis County, Kentucky
fixed upon a plat of land given by Oke Hendrick- son at Poplar Flat, and ordered a jail built there. Then Mr. Hendrickson deeded fifty acres of land, in trust to trustees, on which to build a town to be called "Mt. Vernon." The jail contract was given to Henry Miers and Adam Tegar at $650. They finally finished the jail, and sued the sheriff for the money; but he beat them, and they were given another order on a new sheriff by the court, and got their money. James Herbert was appointed jailer, and everything would have been all right this time, and Poplar Flat would have been the metropolis, had not John McBride thought there was some other place that suited better, and he brought a suit by his attorney, Marshall Key, and stopped the proceedings in "Mt. Vernon's" history.
In the meantime George Fearis, the pre- siding magistrate, had been made sheriff and John McDaniel, because of the death of Landen Calvert, had been commissioned justice of the peace, as also had Archibald Boyd, on account of the promotion of George Fearis, the election had passed and the county levy for the second year of Lewis County's existence had been laid at $1.25 and amounted to $727.50. Taxes to the amount of $17.44 had been collected by the clerk, making a total credit to the county
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History of Lewis County, Kentucky
of $744.94, from which the expenses, $206.1512, is deducted, leaving $538.781/2 still to the credit side of the ledger. But this brings us up to the time when the next move was made at fixing the seat of justice.
It will be observed that the mouth of Quick's Run had been selected and abandoned for Poplar Flat, and now that "Mt. Vernon" had failed, the Legislature, by act of January 28, 1809, appointed Thomas Sloan, John Harri- son, Jesse Hard, of Mason; Robt. Morrison, Jas. Reed, of Fleming; Thomas Warring and Charles Lewis, of Greenup County, commissioners to attend to the matter. They selected Clarks- burg as the county seat, where it remained till January, 1864. (See Act, Chap. 3.) But the people of the county did not quit living now the court ceased to meet because the seat of justice had left Poplar Flat.
In October, 1808, commissioners had laid off two acres of land at Concord for the purpose of building a warehouse to inspect "hemp, tobacco, and flour," and thus, it seems, Mr. Stephenson, who owned the land and ware- house, started Concord on the road toward be- coming a town.
In a settlement made with the sheriff, it was found that he still owed the county $408.02 for the year 1808.
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PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, VANCEBURG.
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History of Lewis County, Kentucky
The record of the court shows cases of felony, larceny, bastardy, murder, etc., but none of the accused are convicted of being guilty, ex- cept one case of a Miss Catt, charged with mur- dering an infant; she was bound for her appear- ance at the Circuit Court.
Court of 1809 .- Rowland T. Parker built the new jail at Clarksburg, and also gave land for the county seat and the town of Clarksburg. He kept a hotel, and gave one room for a clerk's office, "free of charge."
In the May term-May 22, 1809-Mr. Parker was granted tavern license, and at the June term Aaron Stratton, J. G. McDaniel, and Winslow Parker, as commissioners, fixed upon a place for the jail and also plans for building a court house, which was to be of "hewn logs, two good stories high," and 24 x 30 feet-which was done.
We have traced the history of the county up to the removal of the county seat to Clarks- burg. Giving the succession of offices and officers; how they obtained them, and also how justice was meted out to the citizens of the county by concrete examples. We have the court, at Clarksburg, in the June term of 1809, commissioning Aaron Stratton, J. G. McDaniel, and Winslow Parker to fix upon a place for the jail and to lay plans for a two-story log
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History of Lewis County, Kentucky
court-house, to be 14 x 30 feet in size. This was done.
We now refer you to Chapter 4 for the suc- cession in office of those hardy pioneers who have run so ably and well thus far, and who give to their successors examples of sobriety, veracity, and loyalty to their county that will call forth their best efforts to emulate.
We pass over a few years, as Chapter Four is helping us out, and dwell only on incidents of rivalry between the two thriving towns-Clarks- burg and Vanceburg-until we see the times nearly approaching when Clarksburg will lose in the struggle and Vanceburg will win.
I have no doubt in my mind but that the experiences incident to the times intervening between the settlement of the county seat, at Clarksburg, and its change to Vanceburg at a later date (1864), was fraught with large interest to many men. There is always more or less of interest, financially and otherwise, in a small town just coming into prominence; but when that town is favored so generously as to become the county seat it becomes a rival to others and possibly more pleasantly and conveniently located towns. So it was with Vanceburg. She had the advantage of location, and naturally began a campaign for herself.
There was much in favor of Vanceburg, and
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History of Lewis County, Kentucky
each point was given due prominence, I have no doubt. So the rivalry went on until the chances for a change, in the county seat, in favor of Vanceburg, became more of a cer- tainty. Then property began to advance in price; buildings began to improve, and merchants to advertise more extensively until that all-suc- cessful December in 1863, when the decision for a change became a fact. Then there was, indeed, rejoicing, not over the loss Clarksburg sustained, but the gain Vanceburg had made. One good thing, in the change of place, was that all having interest in Clarksburg were not so far away but that they could transfer their business with but little cost, comparatively speaking. Fortunate, indeed, were those who had teams of their own. They soon were able to make the transfer and also to help their less fortunate neighbor. Some did not desire to move, and as a result are, or their descendants, living on the old town and court-house site, dwelling in peace and plenty.
REMOVAL TO VANCEBURG .- In December, 1863, the Legislature passed an act for the removal to Vanceburg, and appointed John Thomas Parker, F. M. Carr, and W. R. Strick- lett as commissioners to attend to the matter. In January, 1864, the removal of the offices actually took place, and the archives of the 8
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History of Lewis County, Kentucky
county were placed in the Old City Hall, on Main Street.
Then came the rush of attorneys, court attaches, fortune hunters, and adventurers, and Vanceburg rapidly rose from an old meadow, surrounded by a swamp, to an incoprorate city, with streets, alleys, hotels, bar-rooms, business houses, all accompanied with the vim, vigor, and enterprise of that war period, and always the accompaniment of an inflation of currency. Besides, at this time the Legislature was char- tering oil companies by the hundred, and this vicinity was not without its part in that great excitement and money-spreading carnival.
The removal to new quarters was a source of trouble and worry to the officers and at- torneys, as the records had to find new places of deposit and the change was uncustomary and unhandy, besides the amount of labor it required to handle, sort, and arrange the various books and papers connected with the county and circuit clerk's offices. The want of suit- able places for the deposit of all this accumula- tion of years was keenly felt, and could only be remedied by the building of a new court-house with proper apartments for the various court records and for the accommodation of the offi- cers. But this was to be speedily done, for an- other act was passed by the Legislature-Jan-
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CHRISTIAN CHURCH, VANCEBURG.
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History of Lewis County, Kentucky
uary 30, 1864-empowering the county to issue bonds and levy taxes for the purpose of build- ing the new court-house. F. M. Carr, John Thomas Parker, and John C. Ingrim were ap- pointed by the act as commissioners to let out the contract to build the house. They were also given power to sell the material in the old public buildings at Clarksburg, or to convey suitable parts of it for use in the construction of the new building.
The contract was given to a Mr. Flora, of Bracken County, and the buildings were fin- ished in 1865 at a cost of $25,000. It can be said to the credit of the commissioners, the contractors, and the county that they antici- pated the future growing needs of the county, and built a court-house adequate in dimensions for the increasing business of the years to come. They also gave a structure which for solidity and quality of material is not surpassed by any mountain county in Kentucky. For architec- tural design and adaptability to the purpose for which it is used it is not surpassed by many of the wealthy counties of the State.
It seems that there was one undesirable in- stitution belonging to the county which had never been removed from Poplar Flat-that was the county infirmary. It remained there until about 1879, and also remained a source
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History of Lewis County, Kentucky
of distribution of revenue far beyond any good derived from it. In 1880 it was removed to the farm of Colonel G. W. Bruce, on "Kinny," which the County Court had purchased of him, and also made him keeper of the inmates. The inaccessibility of the situation, and other causes, made a reversal of contract necessary, and another appropriation of the people's money became necessary to the proper maintenance of the "unfortunates." As applications for ad- mission to the "poorhouse" had to be passed upon by the county judge, it was thought best to plant the institution near the county seat. Therefore, a deal was made with David Seaman for his farm on Salt Lick, lying within a short distance of Vanceburg. The county retained control of the farm, furnished its teams, seed, implements, and provisions, and appointed com- missioners from the magistrates to see to its management. They also appointed a "keeper" and paid him a monthly salary to superintend and work such of the inmates as were able to labor.
Under this system, it has been found, from report of R. H. Fisher, commissioner, that the products of the farm almost support the in- mates, and gives them a better living than many of the poor people of the county make for them- selves on the outside.
SEINEENG 60.
RIVERSIDE SEMINARY.
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History of Lewis County, Kentucky
There was only one part of the old regime that still stuck to the management of the poor which was still detrimental to the interests of the taxpayer, and that was the habit of the magistrates in granting aid to poor people out- side of the infirmary; but, happily, that has come to an end. We append the order of Judge Hillis in regard to this matter, of date February 17, 1896.
"MEDICAL AID TO PAUPERS
"Section 3,931 provides that the county judge shall have the power to order a poor person (or persons) to be taken to the poor house, and to cause medical aid to be employed at the public expense for such poor of the county, when admitted, as he may deem proper. The practice of the judge, ordering the doctors to wait on persons outside the infirmary has, like the allowances made heretofore, increased to such an extent as to amount to hundreds of dollars, and Judge Hillis is sus- tained by not only the county attorney, but all law- yers, in his position that these allowances are wholly unwarranted by law, and that any taxpayer could ap- peal them and permanently enjoin the payment. Our officials are certainly correct and right in discontinuing these practices, as they are amounting to thousands of dollars and fast absorbing the county's fund. The change may make a hardship for a while as to some extreme cases, but when the doctors fully understand the situation they will no doubt cheerfully aid our taxpayers in bearing the light burden of aiding and assisting the worthy poor of our county. No more
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History of Lewis County, Kentucky
orders will be made, except after admittance to the infirmary, on and after the first day of December, 1895. Now let the doctors and people take due notice and gov- ern themselves accordingly."
In order that it may be known to what ex- tent this practice had grown before the above order was promulgated, we append the published allowances made by the Lewis County Court, principally for aid outside, made at the session of April, 1894:
Medical Aid
$453.75
Merchandise 1,007.37
Coffins.
46.00
Transportation and care 52.72
Total $1,559.84
It is probable that of the merchandise item $600 worth was furnished to the infirmary proper, and $172.75 were fees of the physicians at the infirmary; but this still leaves $787.09 expended on the outside, that Judge Hillis has thought it his duty to have a decision of the courts against this leak in the county treasury.
GROWTH OF VANCEBURG .- With the com- pletion of the new public buildings in January, 1861, the city of Vanceburg began to grow with amazing rapidity. Men of wealth saw an op- portunity for speculation in town lots, and, in fact, there seemed to be a sort of general exodus
METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH, SOUTH, VANCEBURG.
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History of Lewis County, Kentucky
from the surrounding country to the city; and as money was plenty and the oil excitement raging, quite a number of citizens concluded that raising corn and hogs was a process too slow in getting rich. None of them made a million, and many of them, launching into some business they did not understand, and meeting a counteracting current after the war, closed, went down in the general wreck that follows most town booms.
A few men with means to "stay on," and a knowledge of the meaning of the phrase "terra firma," put their money into town lots, and then aided enterprises, such as turnpikes, that help build up a town, and have been rewarded by the accumulation of wealth by others as well as by themselves. Among those who have built houses and aided in upbuilding the city, may be mentioned Joshua B. Fitch, Judge G. M. Thomas, L. B. Ruggles, Socrates Ruggles, Henry C. Bruce. W. C. Halbert, Wm. and Mart Plummer, Wm. and Thos. Stricklett, G. W. Stamper, John Cox, Thomas H. Carter, and Clark & Hammond. Many others have built splendid residences such as that of Senator S. J. Pugh's built by J. R. Pugh, and the home of Chas. Hammond, H. K. Cole, G. W. Stamper, G. T. Halbert, and W. B. Fisher, besides a lot of cottages built by Miss Mary Halbert; and,
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History of Lewis County, Kentucky
in fact, single residences too numerous to men- tion which now adorn the city and show the taste . of their owners and the architectural skill of the mechanic who put them together. Besides the private residences and business houses, lately there has been a church-building mania "on" in Vanceburg. The Methodist Episcopal Church was destroyed by fire several years ago, and that congregation turned itself loose and put up an edifice superior to any that then existed in the city. The contagion spread, and the Presbyterian congregation wanted a church, and they got up a model, though less in dimen- sions than that of their Methodist brethren, yet surpassing it in unique designs and finishing touches. Then the Christian Church, being a large congregation, began to plan for a new building. They soon found out the railroad trains made too much noise, and that their church was too close to the depot, so they pro- ceeded to build a house that would not only be a fine structure, but with several departments to accommodate any phase of the Church work they might undertake. Thomas Carter, dead lately, built a three-story hotel of brick, with finishing touches in Italian marble, and the Church members argued that if business can have such a house as that in Vanceburg, religion should have a place of worship equal to if not
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History of Lewis County, Kentucky
more beautiful than any. But space does not permit an enumeration of the various and single efforts at building which now make up this compact little city. But we must not fail to note the splendid school building, erected by Professor L. Rolf, as Riverside Seminary, in the east end of the city. This is a model school building, and evinces the acumen of its projector in the needs of a school.
Vanceburg to-day has a railroad, the C. &. O., running the whole length of Third Street, and crossing over to Second, passes between it and Front through the remainder of the city. In the last few years the streets have all been graded and macadamized with limestone. The sewers and gutters have been completed, and solid stone and concrete pavements are laid on almost all the streets, beside a board and stone walk to South Vanceburg, almost a mile in length, has been in use several years.
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