USA > Kentucky > The Commercial history of the Southern States covering the post-bellum period Kentucky > Part 6
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BULLITT COUNTY
POPULATION (CENSUS 1900), 9,602.
Situated in the Fourth Congressional, Third Appellate. Tentli Judicial, Twelfth Senatorial, and Forty-first Legislative Districts.
COUNTY SEAT, SHEPHERDSVILLE.
Bullitt County, named in honor of Captain Thomas Bullitt, who, in company with a brave band of hardy Virginians. did considerable surveying in the vicinity
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of Shepherdsville and Bullitt's Lick, in 1773, was carved out of. Jefferson and Nelson counties in 1796, and was the twenty-second county to be forined after Kentucky became an organized State.
Bullitt County is traversed from east to west by Salt River, which is navigable for a distance of twelve miles. Salt River has two tributaries of importance, the Rolling Fork, which flows into the river from the southeast, and Floyd's Fork, which flows from the Beargrass country on the north. Rolling Fork is navigable for a distance of ten miles, for small boats. and the farmers along its banks depend upon the river to market their crops and stock.
Wheat, corn, oats, rye, barley, all kinds of grasses, fruits, and vegetables are grown in this county, especially wheat and corn. The Salt River valley. Cox's Creek bot- toms, Rolling Fork bottoms, and Floyd's Fork bottoms are equal to any land in the State in the production of corn, and where the uplands have been taken care of and manured and clovered, twenty- seven bushels of wheat have been averaged on large fields per acre.
Hickory, ash, oak, pine, locust. linn, poplar, cedar, cherry, and in fact all kinds of timber indigenous to Kentucky, grow in Bullitt.
Bullitt County contains many mineral wells, whose waters abound in medicinal
virtues. Chief among these is the well at Paroquet Springs, famous in antebellum days as the foremost suinmer resort in the South.
Shepherdsville, the county seat, lies on the north bank of Salt River where the main steni of the Louisville & Nashville Railroad crosses that stream, and lies about eighteen miles south of Louisville. It is the oldest incorporated town in Kentucky with the single exception of Harrodsburg, and has a population of about three hun- dred. It enjoys the distinction of having the largest and best stores to be found in the State outside of the large cities. a handsome new court house which cost $17,400, good graded schools for white and colored pupils, and in the past few years many handsome residences have been erected.
Gas, oil, ore, and the finest quality of building stone is found in the county.
There is but one college in Bullitt County, and that is for colored citizens. It was built by Eckstein Norton. for whom it was named, and has a large attendance.
Bullitt has twenty-six and one half miles of completed railroad, belonging to the Louisville & Nashville Railroad Company. and ten miles of free turnpikes.
The character of labor employed by farmers and others is as a rule high, and wages very good.
BUTLER COUNTY
POPULATION (CENSUS 1900), 15,896. COUNTY SEAT, MORGANTOWN.
Situated in the Second Appellate Court District, in the Third Congressional Dis- trict, in the Seventh Senatorial District, in the Eighth Judicial District, and to- gether with Edmonson County constitutes a Legislative District.
In 1810 the county of Butler was carved out of the counties of Logan and Ohio. Two years later Morgantown was incor- porated and established as the county seat.
The surface of Butler County is some- what broken, hills, flats, and valleys everywhere abounding. The soils of the uplands of the limestone section, which are restricted to the southeastern portion of the county, are very rich and productive. and are well adapted to all Kentucky prod- ucts particularly to wheat and tobacco; the sandstone uplands of the rest of the county are hardly so fertile, but are well
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adapted to lighter grains, fruits, and melons. The valley lands and bottoms are as rich as any in the State, and their yields of corn can not be exceeded.
Poplar, oak, gum, ash, hickory, chest- nut, beech, and sycamore are the principal timbers of value indigenous to the soil: and these, though they have been cut and sold in the market for many years, yet abound. Annually thousands of dollars' worth of logs are run down the creeks to Green River, and thence to the local saw mills and the Evansville market. The cross-tie business and stave business are now consuming more timber than perhaps any other branch of the lumber industry. The white oak of this, the Green River section, is claimed to be the finest in the world, awards to that effect having been giving in sundry competitive exhibits both at home and abroad.
Butler County is in the Western Ken- tucky coal field, and has some of the finest bituminous coals in the State. The annual output of commercial coal is more than 30,000 tons, and finds a market in Bowling Green, Evansville, and inter- mediate points along Green and Barren rivers. The principal mines are those located at Aberdeen, on Green River, and within one mile of Morgantown. The Aberdeen Coal & Mining Company and
the West Aberdeen Coal Company oper- ate these niines.
Nearly all freights to and from market are shipped by river, and a fine line of steamers ply from Bowling Green to Evansville, affording ready and reason- able rates of transportation. A system of locks and dams on Green and Barren rivers permit navigation throughout the year, and the boats not only run from Bowl- ing Green to Evansville, but go to points far up Green River into Edmonson County as well. The government is constructing a lock between Woodbury and Brownsville, which when completed will permit all- year navigation to the latter point.
Morgantown, the county seat, has a popu- lation of more than a thousand people and is most picturesquely situated, standing on a highi plateau overlooking the river. A fine mill, an excellent school, a flourishing bank, together with many first-class busi- ness concerns, contribute to make the town a commercial and educational center.
The school system of tlie county will average with that of any county in the State of like conditions. Some of the most prominent men in the State. and many who have gone into other sections of the nation and won place and honor, have received their early education in Butler County schools.
CALDWELL COUNTY
POPULATION (CENSUS 1900), 14,510.
Situated in the First Congressional, First Appellate, Fourth Judicial, Fourth Sena- torial, and Ninth Legislative Districts.
Caldwell County was the fifty-first or- ganized in the State, and was formed in 1809 from a part of Livingston County.
Tlie southern portion of the county is level, tlie soil very fertile, which makes it very productive, while the northern part is hilly and heavily timbered with the best quality of oak, poplar, walnut, and hickory.
COUNTY SEAT, PRINCETON.
There is much valuable stone which is used to advantage in different ways, such as keeping the roads in repair, building purposes, and in being made into lime by the two large lime-works which are in operation. Coal has been found in many localities, but it is only being worked in two or three places at present. Spar also abounds in the county, and the mine now in operation will likely prove a great source of wealth to the county. The oil
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fields are abundant, and a stock company organized in this county will begin oper- ating wells at once.
The roads are in very good condition, and are kept so by a county fund raised for that purpose. It has two railroads, which intersect each other at the county seat, one running north and south and the other east and west. They are both of the Illinois Central system.
Caldwell County is one of the best coun- ties in the western portion of the State for stock raising, and large numbers of cattle. sheep, and hogs are shipped to market every year. Fruit grows well in all parts of the county, consisting of apples, pears, peaches, grapes, plums, strawberries, etc.
The Tradewater River with its tribu- taries water the northern portion of the county, while the southern part is watered by springs and creeks. There are quite a number of mineral springs in various parts of the county which are capable of being made beautiful health and pleasure resorts. Some streams capable of oper- ating machinery are found, the water of which is being utilized for such purposes. There are many natural curiosities in the county, such as caves, hills, and project-
ing rocks towering far above us and often presenting the most beautiful scenery. There is in the county a Spanish fort and an Indian fortification that have many strange historical facts connected with them. There is an ice cave in which may be found ice at any time of the year.
The agricultural products of the county are corn, wheat, oats, rye, tobacco, fruits, and vegetables. The grasses are clover, timothy, orchard grass, and bluegrass. The farmers use t the best improved machinery.
Princeton, the county seat, a city of about 3,500 inhabitants, is located near the center of the county, and is the center of a rich agricultural region. It has many factories, foundries, and mills. It has two of the largest tobacco factories in the world, one of which is claimed to be the largest.
The county has splendid educational advantages. The public schools of the county are in thriving condition, while the city of Princeton can boast of one of the best colleges in Western Kentucky. Princeton Collegiate Institute enjoys a large and increasing patronage from a number of the surrounding States.
CALLOWAY COUNTY
POPULATION (CENSUS 1900), 17,633. COUNTY SEAT, MURRAY.
Situated in the First Congressional, First Appellate, Third Judicial, Third Senatorial, and Fifth Legislative Districts.
Calloway County is situated in the southwestern portion of the State. and lies along the Tennessee State line. This county is abundantly watered and well drained by the Tennessee and Blood rivers, and the east and west forks of Clark's River and their several tributaries, the Tennessee and Blood rivers draining the eastern section of the county and the east and west forks of Clark's River drain- ing the more central and western portions
of the county. In the western portion of this county the land is level, while in the eastern section it is broken and hilly. Nevertheless all the land of the county. as a general rule, is fertile and productive. It is especially good along the river and creek bottoms, where most magnificent farms are located. The labor on the farins is performed by native white and colored hands, whose services can be procured for from ten to fifteen dollars per month and board. The staple products of the Cal- loway County farms are corn, wheat, oats. hay. and tobacco.
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Much good timber of oak, walnut, pop- lar, beech, and ash can be found in the county at reasonable prices per acre. There are no turnpikes in the county, the public roads being the ordinary county or dirt roads. and are under the supervision of road overseers appointed by the county court, and are kept in fair condition.
The Paducah. Tennessee & Alabama Railroad runs through the central part of the county from north to south.
School facilities are furnished by the
cominon school system of the State, and in most of the districts are good and com- fortable school houses : the schools are well attended and are in a flourishing condition.
Murray, the county seat of Calloway County. is situated near the center of the county on the Paducah, Tennessee & Ala- bama Railroad : is a nice little town, with a population, according to the last United States census, of 1. 822. It has churches and schools.
CAMPBELL COUNTY
POPULATION (CENSUS 1900), 54, 223. COUNTY SEATS, NEWPORT AND ALEXANDRIA.
Situated in the Sixth Congressional, Sixth Appellate, Seventh Judicial. Twenty- fifth Senatorial. and Eighty-third Legis- lative Districts.
Campbell County was organized in 1798, and was the nineteenth county formed in the State. When formed it included Ken- ton County, and is bounded on the north and east by the Ohio River. ou the west by Licking River, and on the south by Pendleton County. It has two railroads running through it. the C. & O. R. R. and L. & N. R. R., together, about thirty miles. Fort Thomas is located in the north end. about three miles south of Newport, with an electric car line from Fountain Square in Cincinnati to Fort Thomas, and a second line running to Evergreen Cemetery, a distance of three miles, with a fair prospect of being built to Alexandria. the county seat. It also has located in the county the Government rifle range on the bank of Licking River, where every regiment in the United States army comes to practice target shooting. The county is about twenty-five miles from north to south. and about seven miles wide from east to west. and. because of its being located between the Ohio and Licking rivers, it is said to be the best fruit county in the State, equal to the
famous fruit belt of Michigan: all kinds of fruit that are suited to this climate are raised in this country to perfection and in abundance, some farmers having fifty to one hundred acres in small fruit. It was conceded at the Ohio State Horticultural Society that the apples and peaches that came from Campbell County had the finest flavor and the highest and brightest color of any that were on exhibition.
Campbell County has two county seats, Newport and Alexandria, sixty miles of turnpike. and four hundred and forty miles of county roads.
The common schools are as good as any in the Union. As a rule the people take a great interest in the schools and school buildings, and fully ninety per cent of the children at school age can read and write.
There are some foreigners in the connty, inostly Germans, and as a rule they are good, law-abiding people and good agri- culturists and horticulturists. Our farmers nse the best of farm implements and seeds. All kinds of grasses grow here ; Kentucky bluegrass is indigenous to this county. In the southern part of the county there is regnlar farming and stock raising, horses, cattle. sheep. and hogs, and all kinds of grain and tobacco, but in the northern part it is all tilled as a garden and fruit farm. .
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Campbell County is the third in the State in point of wealth and population. Newport has several iron plants, one large rolling mill and bolt works, one shoe fac- tory, one pipe factory, one watch-case factory, and has a population of about 40,000 ; has two iron bridges spanning the Ohio River and two iron bridges span-
ning the Licking River, and two suburban towns of about 7, 000 each, and the county is as healthy as any place in the land. The face of the county is undulating, so no stagnant water is left. The Ohio River is navigable the year round. The Licking River is navigable as far as Falmouth about six months of the year.
CARLISLE COUNTY
POPULATION (CENSUS 1900), 10, 195. COUNTY SEAT, BARDWELL.
Situated in the First Congressional, First Appellate, First Judicial, Second Sen- atorial, and Second Legislative Districts.
Carlisle County was formed May 4, 1886. The surface is slightly rolling and the soil very productive. Mayfield Creek, along the northern boundary, is the largest stream in the State called a .. creek." Obion Creek, almost as large, runs along the south line. These streams, with their numerous tributaries, furnish an abundant supply of water for power and domestic use. Excellent water for family use can be had from twenty to sixty feet under ground. There are some very fine tracts of oak and cottonwood timber in the county. The oak is being used extensively for railroad ties.
By a system of taxation of twenty-five cents on the one hundred dollars the roads of the county are worked and are in
splendid condition. No tolls, no toll-gate raiders.
The Illinois Central Railroad and Mobile & Ohio Railroad both cross the county. Many farmers are giving a great amount of attention to truck farining. The soil in the county produces some of the finest vegetables and berries in the State.
The farm labor is native white, and is paid $12 to $15 per month, with board.
Bardwell. the county seat, is an enter- prising town of 1,600: located on the Illinois Central Railroad, has three white and two colored churches, public graded school building costing $7,000, where five teachers are employed ten months in the year. There are also two banks, capital stock $36,000. Hotel, opera-house, two flouring mills, saw and planing mills, box factory, electric lights, steam laundry; in fact a first-class, enterprising town.
CARROLL COUNTY
POPULATION (CENSUS 1900), 9,825. COUNTY SEAT, CARROLLTON.
Situated in the Sixth Congressional, Fifth Appellate, Fifteenth Judicial, Twenty- first Senatorial, and Fifty-third Legislative Districts.
Carroll County is located on the extreme northern border of the State, midway be- tween Louisville and Cincinnati. It was organized in 1838, and was formed out of
portions of Gallatin and Trimble counties, and named in honor of Charles Carroll. of Carrollton, Maryland.
The Ohio River extends along its entire northern boundary.
The principal streams which drain the county are the Kentucky River, the Little Kentucky River, White's Run, Eagle Creek.
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and Locust Creek. The bottom land of the Ohio River is very wide and remark- ably fertile. The same is true of the broad valley of the Kentucky River and the bottom lands of the various streams traversing the county. Corn and tobacco, especially, are well adapted to these low lands and are grown in great abundance. The uplands, which is excellent limestone land, produces all the cereals, also hay and tobacco, and affords fine pasturage as well. The principal products of the county are the finest quality of Burley tobacco, wheat, corn, and hay, all of which are produced in abundance without the aid of commercial fertilizers.
Facilities for travel and transportation by land are furnished by the Louisville & Nashville Railroad, which runs through the entire length of the southeastern part of the county, and the Ohio and Kentucky rivers furnish abundant cheap and con- venient transportation by water.
The county has one farmers' club, the Carroll County Agricultural and Improve- ment Society, which is doing much toward the promotion of agriculture.
Farm labor is supplied by both white and black laborers, who are employed at
prices ranging from $12 to $15 per month and board, or from $16 to $20 per montli without board.
The county has excellent roads, of which about one hundred and twenty-five miles are macadam and are free from toll. The free turnpike system so far has given entire satisfaction.
The public schools of the county are up to the standard of any in the State.
Carrollton, the county seat, is situated at the junction of the Ohio and Kentucky rivers and is a growing business town with about 2, 800 population. The princi- pal industries are the Barker Tobacco Company, the Carrollton Furniture Com- pany, the Carrollton Pressed Brick Com- pany, the Old Darling Distillery Company, the Jett Bros. Distilling Company, the Cameron Flouring Mill Company. the Adkinson Bros. Saw & Planing Mill Company, and Hill's Tobacco Factory.
The town has excellent schools and churches, water-works, electric lights, a telephone exchange, custom-house, opera-house, a fine iron bridge across the Kentucky River, and a number of good stores and business houses of various kinds.
CARTER COUNTY
POPULATION (CENSUS 1900), 20, 228. COUNTY SEAT, GRAY'.ON.
Situated in the Ninth Congressional, Sixth Appellate, Twelfth Judicial, Thirty- fifth Senatorial. and One Hundredth Leg- islative Districts.
Carter County was formed in the year 1838 from parts of Greenup and Law. rence counties, and was named for Colonel W'm. G. Carter. It was the eighty-third county formed in the State. It is located in the extreme northeastern part of the State.
The surface of the county is divided into hills and valleys.
The county is well watered and drouths are almost unknown. The principal water-
courses are the Little Big San ly River and Tygorts Creek. The soil is generally very fertile and well adapted to the growth of corn, oats, wheat, rye, barley, millet, sugar- cane, tobacco, and all kinds of vegetables usually grown in the temperate zone.
The timber consists of poplar, oak, and pine.
Beneath the soil is found in many locali- ties iron ore, limestone, fire clay, cannel coal, and bituminous coal. No iron ore is now being taken out, but a number of excellent fire-clay mines are in operation and are being worked profitably.
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There are several large coal mines in operation, and the Kentucky Cannel Coal Company, whose mines are located on Stinson Creek, are mining a very superior grade of coal. all of which is exported, Spain being the principal customer. The greatest natural curiosity is the Carter caves in the west end of the county, which are grand structures and have been ex- plored for a distance of ten miles or more.
The farming lands are being more ex- tensively developed, better care is being taken of them and the grade of stock is being improved. Tobacco is the staple crop. At Olive Hill an extensive fire-brick plant is in operation, and a stone-crushing plant, employing a large quantity of lime- stone daily. The Chesapeake & Ohio Railway passes through the county from east to west, and the Eastern Kentucky from north to south. Transportation facilities are amply sufficient for all the demands of the people. The public roads
are not macadamized, but are kept in fair condition and are easily traveled except in prolonged seasons of rain in winter. They are maintained under the provisions of the general law. The principal labor is farını work, and average wages for that class of work is about fifteen dollars per month and board. The skilled labor about the mines and manufacturing plants is much higher. The common school system is flourishing and improving all the time as to methods and teachers. There are excellent graded free schools at Denton, Grayson, Olive Hill, and Willard. The sentiment among the people is for better educational facilities. Timothy, clover, bluegrass, and orchard grass flourish. Grayson. the county seat, contains about eight hundred inhabitants, four churches. a fine graded school employing three teachers and in session nine months in the year, good public buildings, and a number of good stores.
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CASEY COUNTY
POPULATION (CENSUS 1900), 15, 144. COUNTY SEAT, LIBERTY.
Situated in the Eleventh Congressional, Third Appellate, Twenty-ninth Judicial, Eighteenth Senatorial, and Forty-third Legislative Districts.
Casey County was organized in 1806 out of a part of Lincoln County, and has +44 square miles of territory. The surface of the county is hilly. The soil is thin and broken, except portions of the bottom lands, which are very productive. This is especially true of the valley of the Roll- ing Fork of Salt River, that portion within the borders of Casey County con- taining as fine lands as there is in the State. Corn, wheat, and potatoes are the chief agricultural products, of which a surplus
is raised. The county is well supplied with turnpikes, kept in excellent condition. and on all of which toll is collected. The dirt roads are good and are kept in repair by the general road law of the State.
The timber of Casey County is unsur- passed by any in the State, though great inroads have been made on it of late years. The schools are in good condi- tion, with commodious houses and an excellent corps of teachers. There is a school in Middleburg. in the eastern end of the county. in which all the higher branches are taught. Liberty is the county seat, is on Green River, and has about 1,000 inhabitants.
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CHRISTIAN COUNTY
POPULATION (CENSUS 1900), 37,962. COUNTY SEAT, HOPKINSVILLE.
Situated in the Second Congressional, First Appellate, Third Judicial, Sixth Senatorial, and Tenth Legislative Districts.
Christian County was named in honor of Colonel William Christian, a noted soldier and Indian figliter, and was formed in 1796 out of a part of Logan County. It is situated in the southwestern part of the State, and is a border county to the State of Tennessee. Is one of the largest and most productive counties in the State, producing more wheat and tobacco than any other county in the State. Has pro- duced the enormous amount of 17,000, - 000 pounds of tobacco in one year.
The northern half of the county is broken, and in some parts quite hilly. The soil, while not so rich as the south- ern half, responds kindly to modern methods of good cultivation, and excel- lent corn, tobacco, and other farm crops are grown. It is far better adapted to the use of commercial fertilizers than the southern part of the county, and with their use makes the finest quality of tobacco. It is also much better adapted to the growth of fruits. The southern half of the county is level or slightly un- dulating, has a rich clay soil, well adapted to the growth of wheat, corn, tobacco and all other products which will grow in this latitude. The northern half of the county was heavily timbered, of which there still remains an ample supply for all purposes, and of the best quality, the hard woods mostly abounding. There is also an ample supply of building stone, bitu- minous coal, and iron ore.
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