USA > Kentucky > Franklin County > The history of Franklin County, Ky. > Part 2
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"The Palladium" a literary weekly paper, published in Frankfort in the year 1798 and for several years thereafter, published the fact that a white man was killed by the Indians on the waters of Benson Creek, near the falls, at Conway's
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THE HISTORY OF FRANKLIN COUNTY.
mill, about four miles from Frankfort, in August, 1794, but the name of the man is not given.
In the year 1793 a party of hunters was pursued within five miles of Frankfort, but none of the party was killed. In 1794 a party of seven Indians came across from what is now Owen County. Crossing into the county at Indian Gap (from which fact the place took its name), two of these In- dians made an attack on a man by the name of Stafford at the mouth of Pond's branch. After a desperate fight, Stafford killed one of the Indians and the other one made his escape and joined his other companions, who undertook to return the way they came, but they were followed by a body of white men who succeeded in killing all of them before they could re- eross the Ohio river.
Marshall's History of Kentucky states that Leestown was named for Willis Lec who was killed by the Indians while camping there, but other authorities say that it was named for Handeock Lec, (a cousin of Handcock Taylor) who owned a large tract of land on a part of which the town was located. The records of the county show that Handcock Lee owned the land on which the town was established.
The Palladium gives the following items, to-wit: Frank- fort, June 20, 1799: "Last Saturday week a little girl, daugh- ter of Mr. William Bourn on Benson, was lost from the Planta- tion and was found on Monday following on Beech Creek, having traveled about fifteen miles,-when found, was still stout and able to travel."
Frankfort, Kentucky, Aug. 7, 1800 .- "Yesterday a man by the name of Brown residing in the neighborhood of this place, to decide a wager of one hundred dollars, walked from the Capital to Lexington and returned in eleven hours; he was al- lowed sun rise to sun set, but performed the journey with ap- parent case, two hours under the time."
About the year 1798 a man by the name of Mack Sutton, challenged James Arnold to fight a duel, Arnold accepted and named the conditions, which were: that the weapons should be rifles, the time, on a day named between sun rise and sun set ; the place, a heavy woodland of some ten or twelve aeres,
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THE HISTORY OF FRANKLIN COUNTY.
located nearly opposite the mouth of Glenn's Creek; both of the parties were familiar with these woods; there was a large hollow tree, which stood near the center of the woods, and as Arnold expected, Sutton went out very early in the morning and concealed himself in this hollow tree; Arnold came upon the reverse side and held him there until after sun set and then gave him permission to come out. Ever after that the two men were good friends.
On Oct. 31, 1798, the mercury at Frankfort stood at 22 de- grees below zero at sunrise.
The anniversary of American Independence was cele- brated on Thursday, July 4, 1799, by the citizens of Frankfort; after dinner a number of suitable patriotic toasts were drunk and the utmost good humor prevailed on that occasion.
The following notice shows how the news of that day was received : "Frankfort, Ky., Aug. 8, 1799. Just as this day's paper was going to press we were favored with Brown's Phila- delphia Gazette of the 19th of July, containing some interest- ing intelligence from Europe."
The Palladium gives a detailed account of the resolutions of 1798, which were passed by the Kentucky Legislature, the dis- cussions by Mr. Breckenridge, Mr. Johnson, Mr. Murray and others, but as this belongs to state history it has no part in the history of Franklin County. -X
The Pioneer of Franklin County was unique in many re- spects; he was of necessity a man of courage and endurance. No man would select a home such as this county furnished from 1780 to 1800, who was not brave enough to meet any danger or who did not have force of character and determina- tion sufficient to overcome any difficulty ; many of their deeds denoting a noble manhood, have been left unrecorded and suc- ceeding generations only know of them by tradition. In a general way the main evidence, the present generation has of the bravery, the endurance, the self-sacrifice, the determination to maintain the liberties of himself and his people, is shown more in the results upon the succeeding generations than in any other way. A history of the world. is to a great extent a detailed account of the individual actions of men, but in most
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THIE HISTORY OF FRANKLIN COUNTY.
cases, more credit has been given to him who is termed the leader, than is his just proportion; a good soldier is as essen- tial to a successful campaign as a good general, yet the gen- eral has the laurel wreath, while the ready hands and brave hearts which made his success possible find obscure graves. "Peace hath her victories no less renowned than those of war," but the renown is generally given to the official who by circum- stances has been elected to some executive, legislative or judi- cial office, and the hero, whose life has been sacrificed for loved ones, or for the liberty of his countrymen rests in an unmarked grave. The pioneers of this county did a noble work, but their grand children and their great grand children have not shown a proper appreciation for the labor performed, the dangers in- curred, the hardships endured and the lives which were sacri- ficed by these brave men and women, guaranteeing to succeed- ing generations the peace, prosperity and happiness of this:
"The land of the noble free Sweet land of liberty."
The following are the names of a few men who were prominent in Franklin County, prior to 1800.
John Smith, Nathaniel Richardson, James, John and Stephen Arnold. Thomas and Pascal Hickman, Turner Rich- ardson, Wm. Trigg, Thos. Montague, Daniel Weisinger, Chas. M. Bird, Harry Bartlett, William, John and John R. Cardwell, William Payne, Thos. Todd, Willis Lee, James Hayden, Robt. Johnson, William Johnson, William Brown, James Blair, John Price, William Quarles, John Bacon, James Roberts, Anthony Crockett, Thos. Hardy, Lewis Overton, Scott Brown, John Lindsey, John Brown, John Patty, Wm. Samuels, Wm. Hall, James Gayle, Walter Ayers, Edward Vaughn, Mathew Clark, Hugh Innis, Ambrose Quarles, Roddy Hawkins, James Miles, Wm. Murray, Lewis R. Major, Daniel James, Samuel McKee and Christopher Greenup.
Some of the attorneys who were prominent practitioners at the Frankfort bar were Isham Talbot. William Murray, William Blackburn, Samuel Irvin, Felix Grundy, Thos. Todd,
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THE HISTORY OF FRANKLIN COUNTY.
James Blair, James Crawford, Mathew Lodge, William Mc- Ilhenney, James Hughes, William Hunter, James Brown, John Allen and Wmn. McDowell. There were some prominent attorneys from other sections of the state who practiced in all the courts at Frankfort, among whom were Henry Clay, Richard M. Johnson, Robert Breekinridge and Humphrey Marshall.
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THE HISTORY OF FRANKLIN COUNTY.
CHAPTER III.
Geological Formation, Minerals, Soil, Cereals, etc., Horticul- ture, Fruits, Timber, Lead, Mineral Waters, Gas, Clay, Drainage, etc., Fertile Valleys, Blue Grass.
Franklin County is of the lower Silurian Age or forma- tion; it is the age of invertebrates; it is called Silurian from Silures in Wales where the same kind of rocks are found. This age has two sub-divisions called the upper and lower Silurian. The lower Silurian age is divided into three periods; the primordial or Cambrian; the Canadian and Trenton. Franklin County is of the Trenton period, this period takes its name from Trenton falls in New York: The life of this period was, as far as evidence shows wholly marine, no trace of a terrestial or fresh water species of plant or animal has ever been found. The only plants were sea weeds; the only animal life was of the lowest order, known as invertebrates, it con- sisted of invertebrates, mollusks and articulates. The principal fossils found are Petraia Corniculum, Orthis Testudinaria and other Occidentals.
The "Birdseye" limestone, which is generally known in Kentucky, as the Kentucky river marble is found in large quantities, it is a most excellent building stone, the Capitol Hotel, the Farmer's Bank, the walls of the State Penitentiary at Frankfort and the old State Capitol, erected in 1829, are built of this marble. It is susceptible of a fine polish but the fact that it is so extremely hard and flint like, it will never be- come popular as a building material, where a polished surface is required. It is called "Birdseye" because of the small specks which look like glass or bird eyes and which are found all through this stone, these bird eyes can be more readily seen when the stone is freshly broken.
This marble is destined to become very popular for build- ing residence property; it makes a beautiful structure without being polished and it will last, practically, for all time. In the year 1906 United States Senator, Thos. H. Paynter built
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THE HISTORY OF FRANKLIN COUNTY.
a residence of this marble on the corner of Shelby and Third Streets in South Frankfort, which is one of the most beautiful homes in the city, and in the following year Mr. Chas. Straus- ner built a residence of the same material on the corner of Shelby and Todd Streets, which is also an ornament to the city. This character of marble abounds in endless quantity along the banks of the Kentucky river, several quarries have been opened in different parts of the County and within the next few years it will likely become the County's chief com- modity of export; but a thousand years will not exhaust the almost limitless supply.
The soil of the county is very fertile, the small particles of stone broken from the limestone rock, in cultivating the land forms a fertilizer which renews the productive power of the soil almost as rapidly as the continual cultivation of it in crops, exhaust it.
For more than a hundred years the farmers of the county have been growing tobacco and other erops from this soil, the recuperative powers of which are so great, that after it has seemingly become exhausted, if permitted to remain idle for a few years and briars and locust bushes are permitted to grow on it, the soil becomes as fertile and productive as virgin soil.
Cereals of almost all kinds are raised in abundance and of fine quality. Corn, wheat, rye, oats, hemp, barley, and to- bacco are the chief products of the farm. The soil is especially well adapted for raising white burley tobacco.
During the years of 1904 to 1907 inelusive, alfalfa has been raised with marked success. Clover and timothy hay reach a high state of perfection and sorghum for molasses and as a winter food for cattle is a crop of growing importance to the farmer. Horticulture has received but slight attention, but the rapidly increasing population of the county is directing the at- tention of the farmers to that branch of industry. Dairy farm- ing is also fast becoming a paying industry.
Fruits of various kinds were raised as early as 1790. Sev- eral vineyards were planted prior to 1800. Before the enact- ment of the present stringent revenue laws which are now in force, wine, apple brandy, peach brandy, and other drinks
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THE HISTORY OF FRANKLIN COUNTY.
of that character were made in small quantities by the farmers of the county.
The soil of the county is well adapted to raising small fruits and some sections of it seem to be especially well adapted to the growth of peaches; this is so with the hilly sections bordering both sides of the Kentucky river where the broken surface of the land is not susceptible of any other kind of cultivation.
In the carly history of the county vast areas of it were covered with cane which were called "cane breaks," other por- tions of it were covered with dense forests of different kinds of wood. The chief of which were beech, locust, cedar, sycamore, hackberry, poplar, chn. walnut, oaks of several kinds, linn, sugar tree, and many other smaller varieties of wood.
The pine is not a native of the county but it grows as well as it does in its native soil. During the latter part of the last century the demand for beech and walnut timber became so great that nearly all of those two varieties were disposed of prior to 1900. Some species of oak have, to some extent, taken the place of walnut in the manufacture of fine furniture. At the commencement of the present century the best qualities of oak were selling from $40.00 to $80.00 per thousand feet.
To a large extent the original forests trees of the county have been cleared away and the extensive cane brakes have en- tirely disappeared.
Walnut and ash logs were commonly used by the pioneers in the construction of the log houses built in that day, some of which stood for more than a century. The last log structure torn down in the city of Frankfort was the old Page house on Ewing street. The logs were found to be walnut and ash, but they were so worm-caten that they were worthless. Mr. T. L. Edelen's home now stands where this log building formerly stood. The James Arnold residence opposite the mouth of Glenn's Creek was built of walnut logs with puncheon ash floors. The chimney was built of the birds-eye limestone. It stood more than a hundred years and it was in good condition when it was torn away about the year 1890. Saltpeter has been found
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THE HISTORY OF FRANKLIN COUNTY.
in some sections of the county and lead is found in paying quantities in several sections.
About the year 1886 a large smelting establishment was built at Kissinger near the Scott county line and it has been in constant use since that time. Several mines have been worked in the Switzer and Peak's Mill sections of the county and the lead industry has caused the log cabins of those pre- cinets to give way to neat cottages, and all of that part of the county has the appearance of thrift and prosperity which was unknown prior to 1890.
Lead has been found near Jetts Station and in other parts of the county ; a considerable quantity of ore was obtained prior to 1857. Mineral waters are found in nearly all parts of the county. Several small streams of chalybeate water show them- selves.
Faught's old sulphur spring on Benson Creek, not far from the Louisville and Nashville railroad, was in the early history of the county much resorted to.
A good sized stream of black sulphur water is found on Flat creek.
Magnesia water was found at Steadman's mill on main Elkhorn Creek. The Scanlan springs which were also called Franklin springs, located about six miles from Frankfort on the Lawrenceburg road, at what was formerly known as the Kentucky Military Institute, and which is now known as The Stewart Home, was for many years prior to 1845 a place of summer resort for invalids. Valuable medical salts have been made from the water. The water from these springs resembles in its medical qualities that of the celebrated Cheltenham Springs in England and the experience of more than a century proves its value in the cure of various forms of chronic diseases. Prior to 1845 these springs belonged to T. N. Lindsey & Co. and hundreds of people spent their summers there. In the year 1845 Col. R. T. P. Allen purchased this property and established there the famous Kentucky Military Institute. At the close of the last century Dr. J. Q. A. Stewart purchased the property and established the Stewart home for the treatment of various kinds of nervous and mental troubles and for the train-
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THE HISTORY OF FRANKLIN COUNTY.
ing of children of backward mental development. There is also a fine sulphur well within two hundred feet of this spring. The largest sulphur well in the county is only a few hundred feet below the city limits, located on the land of James Murray near the river and north of Frankfort. Mr. Murray was boring for gas about the year 1884 when he struck a very large stream of black sulphur water, following which he built a large bath house on the corner of Washington and Broadway streets and had the water piped to this bath house which for several years was very popular with the Frankfort people. Many residents of the city have continued to use the water for drinking pur- poses almost exclusively.
Near Steadmantown, located about four miles east of Frankfort and about one mile from the Georgetown road, a well was bored one hundred and ten feet deep, the bore being four and one-half inches. Nearly the whole depth was through solid limestone, the last three feet being probably sandstone. Considerable gas escaped from the well at first. The water stands 25 feet from the top. It has the odor of petroleum, some little of which is found. The other ingredients are sodium chloride (common salt), carbonate of iron, lime, magnesia and sulphur. Natural gas has been found in several sections of the county but in small quantities, the largest flows being at Stead- man's mill on main Elkhorn creek about one mile below the Forks and at Frankfort.
About the year 1880 there was a well bored near the in- tersection of High and Montgomery streets in the city of Frank- fort. A strong flow of natural gas was found and when it was ignited the blaze ran as high as twelve or fifteen feet and it continued to burn for several days. It was finally extinguished by the abutting property owners in order to prevent the cancella- tion of their fire insurance policies. Though the flow was in sufficient quantity for practical use, the well was plugged, and for some unaccountable reason it has never been reopened.
A superior quality of potters clay is found on Holmes street near the city limit. This clay was used for pottery purposes for many years. A pottery was built near where the Mangan residence now stands which was in use as late as 1849. Several
ยท
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THE HISTORY OF FRANKLIN COUNTY.
vases made of this clay are in the geological department of the State College at Lexington showing its excellent quality for that purpose.
A good fire clay is also found in that section of the city, but no attempt to make practical use of it has been made.
The Kentucky river is a beautiful stream. Its average width within the county and above lock number four is about four hundred feet, while below the lock it is not so wide. Its bed is some two or three hundred feet below the general surface of the country. It is walled in by immense cliffs of limestone rock, which in some places are as much as four hundred feet high. The topographical situation of Frankfort is higher than any other town of importance located on a river in the state. It is twenty feet higher than Catlettsburg and one hundred and twenty-eight feet higher than Louisville. Elkhorn creek is one of the most beautiful streams in the world and it runs through a valley as fertile as the Nile. It is well supplied with game fish, no finer bass stream can be found. In addition to the drainage by the Kentucky river and Elkhorn creek, the county is further drained by Glenns creek and on the west side of the river by Flat creek, Benson and Little Benson. Along the course of each of these streams is found some very fine farm- ing land. This is especially so along the bottom land of the Kentucky river, a large part of this land is overflowed every winter or spring and these annual deposits make it impossible for the land to ever become impoverished by continued use. The same kind of a erop may be raised on this land year after year for all time.
The surface of the county is generally broken, but it is not so rough or hilly as to prevent much of it from being cultivated. The southern and eastern portions of the county are nearer level than other parts of it.
The soil is limestone, underlaid with a stratum of red elay which is well calculated to hold the moisture.
Franklin county is in what is called the "blue grass region of Kentucky," the soil being about the same as Woodford, Scott and Bourbon, the main difference being that the surface of Franklin is more broken.
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THIE HISTORY OF FRANKLIN COUNTY.
Blue grass, which grows only in limestone countries, is a native of Franklin county and it claims every foot of the county as its home. If the sod is taken up and carried away it will re- take its former home in a short time. A field which has been cultivated for years, if left undisturbed for a few years, will again be covered with it. Blue grass has formed the muscle and bone of many fine horses, cattle and sheep. It is one of God's most beneficient gifts to man. There is no vegetation more beautiful and at the same time more useful to him than blue grass. It is true the "Roses of Sharon" were more regal in appearance, the lillies of the valley may be more beautifully clad, the crassula lactea of Africa, which is the only typical flower, is more regular, more symmetrical and more complete, but nothing in the vegetable world is or could be more unassum- ing in appearance or better adapted to fill the Divine mission of sustaining life and giving verdue and beauty to nature.
He who spake worlds into existence and "hung them upon nothing" has also changed blue grass into horn, hoof and hair, into body, muscle and bone of the ox, and then changed the meat of the ox into bone, musele and brain of man, and thereby enabled him to reach a high state of physical and mental perfec- tion and thus demonstrating that it is a divine agent sent upon a divine mission.
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THE HISTORY OF FRANKLIN COUNTY.
CHAPTER IV.
Early Settlements on the South Side of the Kentucky River, Leestown, Frankfort and Other Points of Interest Prior to 1800.
In the year 1775, the Cherokee Indians sold to the Transyl- vania Company all of that part of Franklin County which lies south or west of the Kentucky river; the purchase was made by the company through Daniel Boone as agent. There were no settlements made on that side of the river until about 1784, the first being by James Arnold who built a double log house op- posite the mouth of Glenn's Creek. His land extended from the mouth of Little Benson, down the river to the mouth of Cedar Run. About the year 1790, John Cardwell settled on a tract of land located near where Blakemore's distillery now stands, and about the same time Basil Carlisle and Roddy Hawkins located in the same neighborhood and L. R. Major located near South Benson church and James Payne located in that section about the same time, and James Roberts in the following year. Prior to 1800, James Brewer, William Harrod, William Lewis, Thomas Brewer and several other parties located in the lower part of the county near Flat Creek.
In the year 1773, James, George and Robert McAfee, Samuel Adams, Hancock Taylor and Mathew Bracken came up the Kentucky river and crossed the river at Buffalo Crossing, at Leestown, and on the 16th day of July, they surveyed the present site of Frankfort, their survey including six hundred acres.
These parties described Buffalo Trace as being a hundred feet wide and the dust as being several inches deep; in some places the hoofs of the buffalos had worn the ground down sev- eral feet; this "Trace" was made by vast herds of buffaloes in traveling to and from the blue grass fields of Scott, Woodford and other parts of the blue grass country and Drennon Lick (Springs) in Henry County. This road crossed the river at Leestown, and it was so well marked and worn that it can be
THE HISTORY OF FRANKLIN COUNTY. 29
followed to this day ; in that early day it bore evidence of having been traveled for hundreds of years by thousands of buffaloes in their search for salt. The trestle which the Frankfort and Cincinnati Railroad Company built across this trace is 156 feet high and 800 feet long; it is located a short distance east of Frankfort. Leestown, which was located about one mile below Frankfort, was begun with a cabin improvement a year or two prior to 1775 and it became a noted stopping place and camping ground for explorers.
In 1775 it was better established and other eabin improve- ments were added; these were not in the form of a stockade de- fense, but rather for the transient use and convenience of emigrants and explorers who came in from Fort Pitt (Pitts- burg) by way of the Ohio and Kentucky rivers; it was also a resting place between Lexington and Louisville. The first maps of Kentucky, which are on file in the State Library, show that Leestown was of sufficient importance to be located, while Frankfort was not placed on them.
Leestown is now only about one-half a mile below the present city limits of Frankfort. In 1776, several new houses were built and the town had prospects of becoming of consider- able importance, but in the year 1777, on account of its exposed situation and the more. menacing attitude of the Indians, it was abandoned for nearly ten years.
In March, 1789, Rev. Jeddiah Morse, D. D. described Leestown as "west of Lexington on the eastern bank of the Kentucky river; it is regularly laid out and is flourishing. The banks of the Kentucky river are remarkably high, in some places 300 or 400 feet, composed generally of stupendous per- pendicular rock. The consequence is there are few crossing places; the best is at Leestown which is a considerable circum- stance that must contribute much to its importance." The expectations of this early day have never been realized ; at pres- ent there are two fine distilleries located there with several warehouses and cattle pens; there is also a hemp mill or twine factory which employs a large force of hands. It is run by one of the largest turbine wheels in this country; this wheel is operated by the water from the dam, made in the construction
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