History of Lexington, Kentucky : its early annals and recent progress, including biographical sketches and personal reminiscences of the pioneer settlers, notices of prominent citizens, etc., etc., Part 31

Author: Ranck, George Washington, 1841-1900
Publication date: 1872
Publisher: Cincinnati : Robert Clarke & Co.
Number of Pages: 454


USA > Kentucky > Fayette County > Lexington > History of Lexington, Kentucky : its early annals and recent progress, including biographical sketches and personal reminiscences of the pioneer settlers, notices of prominent citizens, etc., etc. > Part 31


Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).


Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31


The irregular disintegration of the limestone layers has caused the formation throughout the whole of this region of extensive caverns, and underground lakes and streams of water, as well as numerous sink-holes. Such lakes and streams doubtless exist under the valley of the town fork of Elkhorn quite extensively, and more than one steam-


418


HISTORY OF LEXINGTON.


[1872.


engine is supplied at the lower part of the city, by tapping them, one of which is the bagging factory of Z. Ward. This gentleman, in boring, also, some eighty or ninety feet for water at his residence, on the high ground, near the trotting track, in the southeastern part of the city, obtained water, which was found, on chemical examination, to be quite impure, it containing not only carbonate of soda and nitrates and other salts, but also a notable quantity of fatty organic matter, smelling somewhat like soap, and becoming quite offensive on exposure, as though he had penetrated into a cavern or stream in the sub-strata into which some of the drainage of the city found access.


Another remarkable instance of the kind, observed by me, was that of the well bored in 1852, by Mr. John S. Wilson, in the cellar of his drug store, on Cheapside, in this city. He obtained water at the depth of forty feet below the level of the street, after boring twenty-six and a half feet through solid limestone, containing hard masses of iron pyrites, and the water was such a strong chaly- beate water, sparkling with carbonic acid gas, depositing oxide of iron on exposure to the air, and containing quite a variety of saline ingredients (as detailed in the chem- ical analysis of it, published in the first volume of the re- ports of the Kentucky Geological Survey), that it soon be- came quite popular as a mineral water. Not a long time elapsed, however, before the changed odor of the water gave evidence of the admixture of impurities, and pres- ently it became so offensive from the undoubted presence of town drainage, that Mr. Wilson was obliged to discontinue its use for any purpose, and to plug up the well.


These facts are not at all wonderful, when we know that the whole of the drainage from the extensive State Lunatic Asylum, with its fiye hundred patients and attendants, situ- ated on the northwestern part of the city, is discharged, through a natural underground channel, probably into sub- terranean cavities so extensive, under the city, that they never fill up nor become obstructed, notwithstanding the immense and filthy torrent which daily flows into them


419


GEOLOGY.


1872.]


from the laundry, the water-closets, the culinary depart- ment, the bath-rooms, etc., etc.


This may throw some light on the fact that every well bored in the valley of the town fork, below the city, is a saline sulphur water, for it is well known to chemists that the spontaneous fermentation of water containing impuri- ties of the kind mentioned, produces, by their decomposi- tion, sulphureted hydrogen, and carbonic acid gases and nitrate. Hence is it important that the origin and source of sulphur waters, found in the line of the drainage of towns, should be carefully studied, more especially as it is the result of experience that the habitual admixture of even very small quantities of town drainage in the water used for drinking is a fruitful source of disease, giving rise to diarrhea, dysentery, and low fevers, and aggravating the mortality of cholera and other epidemics.


A good exposure of the rock strata under the city may be seen on the Elkhorn branch, just below its limits, espe- cially at the old stone-quarry of Van Akin, and that higher up, opposite the cemetery, near the Frankfort railroad. At the first-named quarry, more than twenty feet perpen- dicular of the rocks are exposed. The layers are from six inches to one foot thick (thicker in the upper quarry). In the lower beds some good specimens of that large trilobite, the isotelus (asaphus) gigas, have been found; and in those above are to be seen those other characteristic fossils of the lower silurian formation, the chatetes lycoperdon, leptæna, atrypha, receptaculites ; also portions of small encrinital stems, specimens of modiola, orthis, pleurotomaria, etc., etc.


In the quarries at the eastern end of the city, the layers are usually thinner and more fossiliferous, containing atrypha, orthis, leptæna, etc., etc.


We append, in a tabular form, a statement of the chem- ical composition of some few of the limestones of this re- gion, as analyzed by Dr. Peter for the late Kentucky Geo- logical Survey, and published in volume two of the reports of that survey, as follows :


No. 507. Limestone-forming the thin, shelly upper layer at Van Akin's quarry.


420


HISTORY OF LEXINGTON.


[1872.


No. 508. Limestone-forming a thicker layer below, used for curb-stones, etc., in the city, and containing fossils characteristic of the Trenton limestone of the New York geologists.


No. 511. Limestone-an upper layer five inches to one foot thick, at Grimes' quarry, on the Kentucky river; not used for building purposes, but which would probably make hydraulic cement.


No. 512. Magnesian Limestone-from Grimes' quarry. A very good and durable building stone, used in the construc- tion of the Clay monument in our cemetery. This mate- rial, of a pleasant buff-gray color, was also used in the Clay statue, placed on the top of the column. Its fine granular structure, and its freedom from cracks and fossils, adapt it very well to the chisel of the sculptor.


COMPOSITION, ETC.


Specific gravity ..


2.660


2.711


2.716


2.703


Carbonate of lime.


92.73


77.63


51.57


55.54


Carbonate of magnesia.


.63


10.00


29.33


0.80


Alumina, and oxide of iron and manganese ...


2.42


3.23


3.57


.96


Phosphoric acid.


.86


.70


.37


not est


Sulphuric acid


.34


3.12


.34


.02


Chlorine


.05


not


estima ted.


Potash


.23


.32


.71


.36


Soda


.28


.15


.82


.22


Silica and insoluble silicates.


2.28


4.98


11.58


2.79


Loss


.28


......


1.71


......


100.00


100.13


100.00


100.69


No. 507.


No. 508.


No. 511.


No. 512.


With these remarks, we close our history of Lexington, the ancient metropolis of the mystic Alleghan ; the hunting- ground of the Indian; the first capital of Kentucky; the home of Clay; the center both of the blood-stock region of America, and of the " Garden Spot of the World."


INDEX.


.


Adventure of McConnell. 65


" James Morgan 94


Agricultural Societies .. 270


Agriculturalists of Fayette. 278


Agricultural and Mechanical College. 60


Amusements, Early


105


Ancient Remains ..


1


¥ Fortifications


4


Monuments in 1845.


9


Anecdote of General Jackson 324


400


Artists 144


Ashland


.60,


214


"Athens of the West "


303


A Virginia Town


181


Badin, Father


190


Bank, First in Kentucky


222


Barry, W. T., Biography ..


226


" Monument


230


Battle of Frenchtown


253


Barlow, Thos. H. .185, 319


Barracks 252, 269


118


398


Bascom, Bishop.


54, 154


Battle of the Blue Licks.


87-91


Barry and the Mountaineer.


228


Benevolent Society, Female


280


Bekkers, Rev. J. H.


192


Beck, J. B.


62


Berkley, Rev. E. F


200


Bible Societies.


299, 242


Bibb, G. M.


223


Blood-stained Letter, incident.


189


Bledsoe, Judge Jesse.


217


Block House built.


23


Great shot from


74


Abandoned.


99


Blythe, President Jas. 66 E., Death of


258


Blue Licks, Battle of.


87


Bourbon County created


116


Bowman, J. B.


57


at Blue Licks


85


Death of son


02


Boone's Creek Settlement. 29


337


Bryant's Expedition and disaster.


68


Station settled.


28


described


77


66


Seige of.


78


66 Heroic Women of. 79


66


Site of.


85


(421)


44


Boone, Daniel, discovers Kentucky.


16


Boyle, Judge John Botanical Garden.


304


Baptist Church .. " Female College.


Apostolic Times.


422


INDEX.


Bryant, Judge.


235


Branch Bank of Kentucky. 328


Brank, Rev. R. G.


284


Brown, Dr. S.


44


66 Jaines


151


66


B. Gratz


409


Brickbat War.


301


Bradford, John.


128, 171,


189


Breeders of Fayette.


135


Breckinridge, John.


182


Rev. John.


283


0


Jás. C.


302


John C.


367


Rev. R. J.


111


Buena Vista, Lexington Dead at.


356-358


*Buchanan, Dr. Joseph 45, 185, 224


Burr, Aaron 115, 226


Burrowes, N. 185


358


148


Dr. J. M


53


Burying Grounds, Early.


38-40


Buckner, R. A.


60


Byrd's Invasion.


35


Catacomb, Ancient


2


Caldwell, Dr. Chas.


47, 293


Carty, John, (Pioneer)


101, 102


Building


24


¥ Henry


.102, 356, 358


66 John, (Merchant ).


.24, 396


Catholic Church


190


Carr, Charles, Sr.


71


Capital removed to Frankfort


174, 181


Campbell, Rev. J. Poage.


111


Caledonian Society


217


Cemeteries ..


38-40


Cemetery, Lexington 260


Chapman, Rev. G. T. 199


407


Chasseurs, Lexington, Officers and Privates


383


Challen, Elder J 310


325


Christian Church. 66 Broadway.


407


City Officers for 1872.


411


Schools.


329


Circuit Judges


177


Clerks. 177


141


Clay, Henry, Biography


205-215


"


Law offices.


215


and the Prisoner 211


and the Irishman 163


212


66


Funeral. 213, 367


66 Monument


377


James B


390


C. M. 351


Clark, General G. Rogers.


22, 36, 95


Clifford, J. D. 295


Cloud, Dr. C. W 152


2


Church of Christ, Second.


Cholera of 1833


307


Cincinnati Settled.


¥ 66 Death of.


Burial of Mexican Volunteers.


Bush Buel, J. H., ( Artist)


423


INDEX.


County Officers in 1872 411


Coburn, Judge ... 108


County Clerks and Officers. 71, 72


Judges 364


Coming of the White Man


16


Court Houses


72


-Coombs, Leslie. 290


Crops of Fayette ..


413


Croghan, Major G.


269


Craig, Rev. Lewis Elijah ..


79


Dancing School, First


40


Daviess, Colonel Joe H


143, 243


Davidson, Rev. R.


53, 283


Davis, Hon. Jefferson ..


304


Delegates to Conventions 106, 109, 116, 123, 140, 162, 170, 219, 360


Democratic Society, The.


181 241


Decline of Lexington Trade.


402


Dismarie, Father


191


Dillard, Rev. R. T


120


Discoverers of Lexington.


18


Dow, Lorenzo.


223


Downey, W. S.


398


Drake, Daniel


39, 45


B. P


55


Dudley, Dr. Ben. W 45, 47, 53, 238


66 Colonel Wm 103, 262


« Rev. T. P 298


¥ Dr. E. L 386


262


Eclipse of the Sun


400


Ellis, Captain Wm.


29,169


Elder, Rev. G. A.


191


Episcopal Church.


198


Fayette County formed and named


37


= Court.


64


described


31, 412


National Bank


404


Farmers' Home Journal 394 Club 395


412


Fire Companies


164


Fishback, Dr. James


45, 120, 309


Filson, John.


96


Financial Crises.


292,


297


First Native of Lexington


28


28


66 Trustees c


64


Brick House in


193


Revolutionary Monument at. 20


321


Schools in


39


66 Dry Goods Store in.


105


Session Kentucky Legislature in Lexington .. 170-174


Fourth of July Celebration in. 139


116


Capital of 170


Officers of ¥


173-175


56 Baptist Covention in


119


A. 237 /


Dudley's Defeat


Fertility of Fayette.


White Female Settler of.


Lot Owners of. 73, 100


Councilmen of


White native of Kentucky


118


Dewees, Farmer ...


424


INDEX.


First Methodist Station in Lexington


152


Road Macadamized in


317


Nail Factory in 222


66 Western Railroad. 315


66


Lunatic Asylum. 285


¥


66 Newspaper 124


66 Locomotive in United States 186, 319 Steamboat ever Invented Planetarium " 183


185


Fowler, Captain John


345


Fort Washington ..


141


Fort at Lexington built.


25, 31


..


33


¥ 66


Food in


32, 37


36


97


66


Last Alarm of.


99


Freemasonry in Kentucky.


Frazer, Oliver ..


Funeral of Jefferson, Adams, and Shelby


Game 30, 188


118


Gas, City lighted by


374


Gazette, Kentucky, (old)


124


¥ " (new)


394


Geology of Lexington, and vicinity.


416


Girty, Simon .77, 83


395


Goodloe, Judge W. C.


389


Grundy, Felix


232


Great Rain ..


315


Graves, Major Ben.


260


" Judge B. F.


363


Grant's Station


29, 36


Great Prosperity of Lexington 240


Grinstead & Bradley's Bank. 389


Greene, Dr. Lewis 55


100


Hard Winter, The


36


Haggin, Judge


334


Hart, Captain N. S. G.


156, 256, 260


Joel T., (Sculptor)


331


Hall, Rev. N.


111


Harrison, James J.


61,


330


Heroic Era.


34


Headley & Anderson's Bank.


404


Hemp Manufacture .. 184, 241


413


Hinkston's Escape ... 35


Higgins, James, Gallant conduct of. 158


405


Hogan, James.


68


Horses, Noted 134


Howard, Benj.


103 Holly, Dr. Horace 46, 48, 49 Hunt, John W 346 Charleton. 321, 329, 338


F. K 54


~ Humphreys, Charles 319 Huston, J. B 61


142


147


313


Gano, Rev. John ..


Good Templars


Colonel John 29


1 Greenup, Gov.


" Crop of Fayette.


Historical Society of Fayette


Life in.


" Suffering in


Outside Cabins


425


INDEX.


Immigration Society 202


Inventions. 183


Infantry, Lexington Light. 155, 204


Infidelity 193, 223


Incidents, Amusing. 102, 157


Romantic .35, 37


Indian Fighters .. .168, 169


Ravages in Kentucky 21, 22


Incursions to Lexington. 35, 68, 74, 167


Tragedies ...


34, 74


The Great Invasion


77


Steal Negroes


170


66 Exterminate the Alleghan


14


Jackson's Visit.


323


Jail and Jailers


163


Jewish Church.


390 146


Johnson, M. C.


60


Kavanaugh, Bishop


154


Kendall, Amos.


270


Kentucky Gazette (old) ..


(new).


394


Racing Association


130


University, Early History of. 57


66


Removal to Lexington


59


"


Donations .59,61,62


¥ Officers


59, 60, 62


District of.


37


County Formed.


22


"Squaw," Ainusing Incident


260


Kinkead, G. B. " W. B


278


Know Nothings ..


376


Last Man Killed by Indians ..


170


Lafayette's Visit to Lexington.


305


Letcher, Dr. S. M.


55


an Indian Camp.


21


"


City.


321


Light Infantry


155


Lyceum


303


Library.


194


Orphan Asylum 326


Appearance of .. .19, 25, 30, 105, 202, 220, 285, 322


414 410


" Lexington," The great Race Horse 136, 137


Lindsays, The.


27


Life in the Fort.


33


Live Stock in Fayette


413


Liberty Poles .. 216


Lincoln's, Mrs., Birthplace. 296


Lunatic Asylum, E 285 Lutheran Church. 285


-Masterson, James 27


Masonic Lodges. 142


Maffitt's Revivals 154


18


Incorporated as a Town.


75


in 1872 described.


Character and Importance.


405


Daily Press.


Rifles


377


Lexington Discovered ..


54


Vineyard


219


Jouett, Matt. H


124


426


INDEX.


Malta, Sons of.


382


Marshall, Colonel Thos


96


Humphrey 100


Thos.


339


Thos. F


347


Mayors of Lexington ..


322


Mayes, Judge.


351


Maxwell, John


26, 38


Spring


Company


276


Market Houses ...


203


McGary's Rashness


88 282


McConnells, The


27


Cabin


19


66


Station


18, 28


Mckinney, John


39


and the Wildcat.


97


McCalla, General J. M


249


McCullough, S. D.


387 408


Mexican War ..


352, 355


Volunteers from Lexington.


352


Megowan, S. W


279


Mentelle, W.


354


Medical Society


223


Methodist Church (First)


152


Centenary


185 153


Mennifee, R. H.


342


Mission Church ..


407 11


Mound Builders, The ¥ Opened, and Contents.


9


Morrison, Colonel James


51


66 Captain John.


28


Professorship.


48 48


Morgan, John H.


390


¥ " and the Officer


356


Moore, Rev. James


198


Netherland, Benj.


90, 100


Negroes


289, 338 43


Nicholas, George.


S. S.


402


Novel Trial, A.


106


Noel, Rev. S. M


121


Northern Bank of Kentucky.


331


" Old King Solomon "


374


Observer and Reporter.


233 326


Odd Fellows Lodges.


340


" Old and New Court "


300 123


Patterson, Colonel Robert, Settles Lexington.


23


66 66


Biography


26


66 Anecdote of ..


91


Parker, Robert


114


Richard 159


Peers, Rev. B. O


51


Peter, Dr. R


50, 53, 56


66 66 Independent


Morris Chapel


155


College


Orphan Asylum ..


Paint Lick Expedition ..


27


McChord, Rev. James


McKee, Hugh


427


INDEX.


Physicians of Lexington


320


Pioneer Women of Lexington.


93


Pinkerton, Dr. L. L .. 311


Planetarium .. 185


Plan of Lexington Adopted 73


152


Portraits


145-150


Pope, John.


162


Population of Lexington and Fayette, 220, 240, 295, 363, 414, 412, 383, 404 Post Office. 188


190


Presbyterian Church, (First)


108


(Second)


Preston, Wm


Price, S. W.


Prosperity of Lexington


240, 344


Pruden, M.


386


Public Spring.


24


Pythias, Knights of ..


408


Rafinesque, Professor C. S.


4, 47


X Raisin Massacre ...


255


Rankin, Rev. Adam.


108


Railroads.


.318, 365, 366, 409


128


Reynolds, Aaron ..


84, 91


" Relief and Anti-Relief"


297


Religious Excitement ..


220


Revival.


Representatives in Legislature.


Congress ...


Republicans, National, and Democrats.


Red Men ..


394


Rice, Rev. David


41


Ridgely, Dr. F.


44


Royal Spring 18


377


Robertson, Judge George.


334


Russell, Colonel Wm.


103 251


Russell's Expedition ...


Spring and Cave. 295


14


Sayre, D. A .. Institute 300,


374


Scott, M. T.


382


Senators, United States, from Fayette State


179


Searle, Charles, Heroic Death of. 187, 259


71


Shackelford, Elder John ..


408


Sheep Excitement, Incident.


238


Shipman, Rev. J. S .. 201


172


Sinking Spring


286


Skillman's " Western Luminary "


300


Smith, Bishop, B. B.


199 Sons of Temperance .. 409


Society for Useful Knowledge. 123


St. Clair's Defeat. 168


St. Catharine's Academy 328


St. Tammany Society


245


St. Andrews Society


216


X


11


Racing Associations


328


177


180


316


Rosa's Poems.


Sac Legend of Kentucky.


405


180


Sheriffs, List of.


Shelby's, Governor, Address.


279 149


Masters


281


Poythress, Father


428


INDEX.


Streets Opened and Named.


64, 105, 219, 114, 115, 203


Statesman, Kentucky (old).


360


(new).


394


Stallions, Fayette.


135


Survey of Lexington


166


Taverns, Early


114


Tartar Emetic Treat, The.


301


Telegraph.


360


" The Man who Smoked out the Indians


158


Theaters ..


203


Town laid off.


65


Todd, Rev. John.


41


Colonel John.


32, 40,92


66 Robert


101


Levi.


32


Tomlinson, N


85


Trade and Wealth of Lexington and Fayette. 412 Trotter, General George. 267. 280


Expedition. 252


True American, Removal of ..


Transylvania University, Origin of.


¥


Removal to Lexington


41


66


Library 47, 53


66 Holly's Term. 46-49


Turfmen of Fayette 135


United States Bank. 289


Vardeman, Rev. J.


120 116


Vaughn, Mrs. Rhoda.


Adjutant E. M. 116


149


Visit of Monroe, Jackson, and Shelby


293


Ward, Rev. John ..


199


War 1812 Commenced 246


189


66 Soldiers of.


.247, 261, 262, 270


66 Killed of. 159, 252, 254, 261


220


Warfield, Dr. E.


45


Wayne's Victory


188


Welsh, Rev. Jas ...


110


West, Wm. (Artist)


145


" Edward (Inventor)


183


Whigs and Democrats 320, 350


Wilkinson, General James 106, 107, 108, 156, 167


395


Wilgus & Co.'s Bank.


409


Wickliffe, Robert, Sen.


382


66 66 Jr


364


D. C.


237


R. N


235


Women of Lexington


93


Woods, Rev. Alva. 150


Woolley, Judge A. K. 361


Young, Rev. J. C.


283


Town Fork. 114, 162, 219, 203, 242


351 40


Donations to .


47, 53, 54


Ver Bryck, Wm. (Artist),


66 Incident of.


Washington's Funeral.


Wilson's, Misses, Poems


1656


வழக்கு




Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.