Early Kentucky History

Wayne County, Kentucky - Early History

"Kaintuck - Dark and Bloody Ground"

. . . . . .The name of Kentucky was an Indian word signifying "Dark and Bloody Ground." The early history of Kentucky has a romantic interest from the personal adventures of the pioneer Daniel Boone, a famous Virginia hunter, who set out in 1769 to explore the region with five companions. So promising was its appearance that he returned to his home and led a party in 1773, which he undertook to settle on the Cumberland River, but difficulties with the Indians drove them back. He was resolute, however, and continued his efforts at settlement, acting also for a North Carolina Company in the purchase of lands from the Indians. The first permanent settlements were made at the beginning of the Revolutionary War and their existence was constantly imperiled by Indian attacks.

Other famous names in the annals of Kentucky are James Harrod and Major George Rogers Clark; the latter was a surveyor as well as a soldier, and by his efforts the region was in 1776 erected into Kentucky County of Virginia, a part of Fincastle County, Virginia. In 1780, it was divided into three counties: Fayette, Jefferson and Lincoln County. In 1790, the counties were divided into nine counties: Mason, Bourbon, Woodford, Fayette, Madison, Jefferson, Mercer, Nelson and Lincoln. By 1900, these counties were divided into the present counties.

The western emigration, which was so active after the close of the war for independence, carried into the country a large number of families from Virginia and North Carolina, who were especially attracted by the richness of its pasture lands. In 1784, the disorder which existed before the final establishment of the United States, 30,000 people began to demand an independent government. They were still seeking this when the Constitution of the United States was framed and adopted. Under this, Kentucky was made in 1790 a territory, and on 1st of June 1792, was admitted into the Union as a state. From its position Kentucky tried to maintain a neutral ground during the Civil War, but finally gave in its adhesion to the Union; but it suffered from constant occupation of its territory by both armies. Its soil is rich, and its fine pasture lands have had much to do with the business of stock-breeding.

Wayne County, Kentucky was created by the State Legislature of Kentucky on December 13th, 1800 from parts of Pulaski and Cumberland Counties. It is now bordered by Clinton, Russell, McCreary and Pulaski Counties. The Cumberland River divides the two counties of Wayne and Pulaski. Wayne County is located in portions of both the Mississippi Plateau and the Eastern Kentucky Coal Field Region. It was divided into three distinct physical regions: the Cumberland Plateau, the Level Plain in the southeast part of county: the Knobs, rolling plains that run through the center of the county and the Pennyroyal or Mississippi Plateau in the northwest part of the county.

The area known as "Kaintuck' was included in the royal grants to Virginia. In 1769, Daniel Boone and "The Long Hunters" came into the region and stayed two years. Harrodsburg was established in 1774. Benjamin Price and Nathaniel Buckhannon came down the Cumberland River in 1775 and left their canoes at the mouth of Meadow Creek. They walked a short distance to the knoll where they built the county's first cabin and later they built a fort called Price's Station. By 1778, they were growing corn nearby. This fort served travelers for two decades.

The county is bordered on the north by the Cumberland River dividing it from Pulaski County. This stream called "Shawanoe" by the Indians, was re-named by Virginia explorer Dr. Thomas Walker in 1750 in honor of the Duke of Cumberland. Virginia's colonial government realized its strategic importance and dispatched Thomas Hutchins, a British Army Engineer to survey and map it. He finished this task in 1769. This stream along with its two major tributaries, the Big and Little South Forks, provided avenues for the penetration of the remote wilderness by explorers and settlers. After they had become established here, these streams carried their produce to downstream markets and expedited the importation of manufactured goods and commodities. They made it convenient for Wayne Countians to market the area's tremendous forest resources on canoes, barges, rafts', flatboats and steamboats that plied their waters from the very earliest times. Many records show the inhabitants transported their hogs to market in Nashville on the Cumberland River.

When Wayne County was created, there were problems that would extend for many decades. Years and years would go by before the boundaries of land would be declared free from error. Virginia issued numerous grants for the military service and many of these were sold to speculators. Headrights were granted giving settlers 100 to 200 acres to settle on. Many times, families came over the mountains thinking they had a land grant, only to find it belonged to someone else. Joshua Jones, a surveyor came to Kentucky with Isaac Shelby to aid in solving the problems of bounty lands and later other surveyors came.

On March 16th 1801, the first county court assembled. The eight justices appointed by Governor James Garrard on 20th of December 1800 were Charles Diberal [Dibrell], Martin Syms [Sims], Edmund N. Cullom, James Montgomery, James Jones, Rawleigh Clack, Samuel Hinds and James Evans. The justices appointed Micah Taul, not quite 16 years of age, to be the County Clerk, protem. Solomon Brents, the first attorney in the county and Archibald Mills were security on the Clerk's Bond for Micah. When the call came for troops to fight the British in the War of 1812, a company was raised and Micah Taul was elected Captain and they marched to Ohio where they spent the winter. Again in 1813, Taul raised a company which fought at the Battle of the Thames. Later, Micah Taul became a Colonel.

At their June meeting, Joshua Jones was ordered to lay off the land for the Public Square and determine the ground on which the public buildings would be erected. The first courthouse was built of logs in 1801 and was 20 x 30 feet with two floors, two doors and constructed in a workmanlike manner.

The second house was built of good stone, 25 x 35 feet, one chimney on the north side, two stories high, two jury rooms, a law-bay, a thirteen foot ceiling and two coats of plaster.

The Third courthouse was built of brick in 1825 and demolished in 1878. This 45 x 50 foot building had one large room on the first floor and a balcony on the second floor had two jury rooms and a room for the clerk. A fireplace was downstairs and one in each of the balcony rooms. The judge sat on an elevated wooden floor as did the jury, but the half of the large room reserved for spectators was to have a brick floor. The windows had shutters, Venetian blinds and eighteen panes of glass per window. All woodwork was painted green and the interior was plastered and whitewashed. The single room was red. In 1840, the court ordered an annex to the south of this building. It was to be 18 x 24 feet and to include a porch and a room for the clerk. This structure withstood the abuse of the Civil War. It was undamaged by the armies of both the Union and the Confederacy. (Source: Court Order Books).

The fourth Courthouse was erected on a lot purchased from Sophronia Coffey Bobbitt and would be the first one on North Main Street. It was completed in 1878. In 1898, a near-by fire ignited a bird's nest in its bell tower and the courthouse burned to the ground. The record books were saved, however some of the records were scorched [Especially the 1832-3 Marriage Bonds]. With the demolition of Wayne's stately fifth courthouse in 1949, the sixth and present county courthouse was erected the following year and is still standing.

1.)* James Simpson

2.) Samuel Newell

3.)* Isaac West

4.) Charles Dibrell

5.) Cornelius Phillips

6.)* William Lockett

7.)* Joshua Jones

8.)* Anthony Gholson

9.) Hugh McDermott

10.) William Beard

11.) Joseph Beard

12.) Abel Shrewsbury

13.)* Roger Oats

14.) Henry Garner

15.) Zachariah Sanders

16.) Jacob Back

17.) Charles Hamilton

18.) Elisha Franklin

19.)* William Acrey

20.)* Frederick Cooper

21.) Nicholas Lloyd

22.) Benjamin Hancock

23.)* Jesse Powers

24.)* James Brown

25.) William Morgan

26.)* William Butram

27.)* Benjamin Carpenter

28.)* William Carpenter

29.) Thomas Hurt

30.)* Benjamin Adkins

31.) William Ryan

32.)* Washington Young

33.)* Andrew Smith

34.) Robert Parmley

35.)* John Adair

36.) Isaac Chrisman

37.) John Dick

38.)* George Rogers

39.)* James Ingram

40.) Edward Cullom

41.)* Lewis Russell Coffey

42.) Joshua Jones Bloomery

43.) Isaac Crabtree

44.) Thomas Dodson

45.) George Duncan

46.) John Denney

47.) Jeremiah Burnett Sr.

. . . .. . .. . . . . . Wayne County, Kentucky Pensioners . . ... . . . . . . (Date When Pension Began and Age)

Acre, William Pvt. NC line; 5 Sept 1833; age 82; died 3 Mar 1833.

Adair, John Pvt. NC line; 5 Sept 1833; age 79.

Bleakey, Robert Pvt. NC line; 5 Sept 1833; age 76.

Brown, James Pvt. NC line; 14 Apr 1834; age 79.

Bruton, George Pvt. SC militia; 21 Dec 1833; age 72.

Butram, William Pvt. NC militia; 4 Mar 1834; age 84.

Carpenter, William Pvt. VA militia; 31 Oct 1833; age 73.

Catron, Peter, Pvt. VA militia; 12 Feb 1834; age 80.

Coffey, Reuben Pvt. NC State troops; 31 Oct 1833; age 74.

Cooper, Caleb, age 80 in 1840 Wayne Co.

Cooper, Frederick Pvt NC line; 20 Oct 1818.

Cooper, Frederick Pvt. PA militia; 5 Sept 1833; age 75.

Covington, Robert Pvt. VA militia; 10 Apr 1833; age 72.

Coyle, Patrick Pvt. VA line; 7 Feb 1834; age 71.

Crabtree, Isaac, age 82 in 1840 Wayne Co.

Dabney, George Pvt. VA militia; 18 Oct 1833; age 74.

Daffron, Rody, Pvt of Inf & Cav. NC militia; 7 Nov 1833; age 77.

Davis, John Pvt. VA line; 2 Sept 1833; age 76.

Decker, George Pvt. VA line; 2 Sept 1833; age 92.

Doss, William, age 76 in 1840 Wayne Co.

Durham, Mastin Pvt. NC line 2 Sept 1833; age 79.

Henegan, Conrad Pvt. NC line; 29 May 1834; age 80.

Hunt, Abraham Pvt. VA line; 14 Apr 1834; age 72.

Johnson, William 2nd Sgt VA line; 2 Sept 1833; age 77.

Jones, James Pvt. VA line; 18 Oct 1833; age 74.

Keath, William Pvt. VA line; 31 Oct 1833; age 73.

Majors, John Pvt. NC line; 3 Jan 1834; age 77.

Merritt, Thomas Pvt. NC line; 2 Sept 1833; age 73.

Miller, Frederick Pvt. VA militia 31 Oct 1833; age 82.

Moreland, Dudley Pvt. VA militia; 31 Oct 1833; age 73.

McGee, James C Pvt. PA line; 25 Feb 1834; age 72.

McHenry, James Pvt of Inf & Cav. NC State troops; 21 Jan 1834; age 73.

Pierce, James Pvt. VA militia; 31 Oct 1833.; living 1840 in Wayne; James Piercy, age 80

Powers, Jesse Pvt. VA line; 9 Nov 1833; age 75.

Pratt, Stephen Pvt. VA militia; 18 Oct 1833; age 70.

Rogers, George Pvt. VA militia; 2 Sept 1833; age 70.

Sanders, Zachariah Pvt. VA militia; 5 Sept 1833; age 75.

Stephens, Isaac Pvt. VA line; 5 Dec 1832; age 75.

Thomas, Elisha Pvt. VA line; 28 Jan 1818; age 60.

Thomas, Elisha Pvt. VA line; 2 Sept 1833; age 75.

Turner, James Pvt. VA line; 21 Oct 1833; age 72.

Walters, John Pvt. NC line; 31 Oct 1833; age 72.

Woody, James Pvt. NC militia; 10 July 1834; age 70.

Worsham Charles Pvt. VA line; 7 Nov 1833; age 78; living 1840 in County, age 80

(The story below corresponds with the astricks * above.)

.....John Simpson and his wife Christian came to Wayne County with several of their sons *[No.1] in 1799 and took up land in the Frazer community near Tuttle Chapel. His great grandson, Thomas Franklin Simpson (1837-1924) later farmed the same land. William and Susan Buster Simpson were the parents of Thomas. Their home was called "Aunt Susie Simpson's" house. Umber Hill is where Benjamin Price built his fort and is the hill behind Tuttle Chapel Church and Cemetery.

William Simpson was born on Lower Beaver Creek on 15th of July 1806, son of Reuben Simpson Jr. and Martha Merritt and died 27 March 1869 and was buried in the old Buster Cemetery. He was a remarkable man. Not only was William a preaching elder at Pleasant Bend in the area now called Cooper, but he was also clerk and keeper of the Wayne County Court records.

Isaac West *[No.3] built the first brick house in Wayne County in 1800. General Felix Kirk Zollicoffer used it as his headquarters before the Battle of Mill Springs on January 19th 1863. After the battle, it was used as a hospital for many of the wounded. . Allen R. West buried over a dozen soldiers in the family cemetery on the West farm. The house is now known as the "West-Metcalfe House." A few days before the battle, Gen. Zollicoffer moved his headquarters to what is now the Brown-Lanier House. The general died in the battle.

Lockett's Chapel United Methodist Church was organized in the home of William Lockett *[No.6] about 1802. Two log houses were built near the Lockett farm on Conley Bottom Road and in 1872, the church bought the present site and erected a frame building. The present building was erected in 1940.

Joshua Jones *[No.7], surveyor, built his house in 1801, three miles north of Monticello, now located on Dobbs Hill in Steubenville.

Anthony Gholson *[No.8] gave the land for the Steubenville Baptist Church organized in 1815 and is buried there.

Roger Oatts *[No.13], the first tavern keeper and jailer of Wayne County lived in Elk Spring Valley and after he was killed in 1837, his sons farmed the large land holding together. His son, T.J. Oatts built what was to be the largest house in Wayne County and is still standing.

William Acre *[No.19], Private in North Carolina Line; Pension started in Wayne County on 3 March 1833, age 82.

On the Cumberland River, near the mouth of Beaver Creek, lived George Frederick Cooper *[No.20], a veteran of the American Revolution. His son Henry died in 1827 leaving a son William Armstrong Cooper (1813-1909), known as "Uncle Billy." He established many churches and baptized Governors Bramlett and Leslie of Kentucky and Bob and Alf Taylor of Tennessee. Powersburg was named for Jesse Powers *[No.23] who came to Wayne County after the Revolution. His grandson Daniel Powers established the Powersburg Store about 1850.

James Brown *[No.24] served in the North Carolina Militia in Revolutionary War. His Pension began 14 April 1834, age 79. The record states he arrived at the Battle of Point Pleasant known as Lord Dunmore's War, the day after the battle [11th October 1774] and helped to bury the dead. This battle was one of the bloodiest wars ever fought between the Shawnee Indians under Chief Cornstalk and the Colonials commanded by Lord Dunmore and Col. Andrew Lewis at the confluence of the Ohio and the Great Kanawha Rivers, now in Mason County, West Virginia. William Butram *[No.26], served in the North Carolina Militia. His pension began 4 March 1834, age 84.

Benjamin Carpenter *[No.27], a Revolutionary War Veteran settled in 1785 on Otter Creek. Carpenter's Fork of Otter Creek and Carpenter's Rock House were named for him.

William Carpenter *[No.28] served as private in Virginia Militia; pension began 31 October 1833, age 73. Some of the land given up by the Cherokee Indians in the Tellico Treaty of 1805 was in Wayne County. Most surveys list the watercourse as the Little South Fork of the Cumberland River. Benjamin Adkins *[No.30] took up 100 acres of land on the Little South Fork. In 1837, he built a mill which was sold in 1881 to Joseph Hurt. Mr. Adkins was partially scalped by an Indian while working near the mill.

Washington Young *[No.32] lived near the Tennessee border on Langham Fork of the Little South Fork River. His home was built in1792 by Andrew Smith *[No.33] and occupied by Young from 1802 until his death in1849 is standing and is still inhabited. The basic one-room cabin has a front porch and a kitchen lean-to. It has been well preserved and is one of the oldest houses in Wayne County.

Parmleysville was one of the county's early settlements. Parmley's Fort *[No.34] offered protection from the Indians. Bethel Baptist Church was organized in the community in 1810. Elder "Raccoon" John Smith was the first pastor of this congregation and his brother Phillip was the clerk. The community had a school, a store and a mill. Isaac Burnett (1782-1854) built the first mill on the Little South Fork. The dam was made of cedar logs. Oil was discovered there in the early 1900s.

John Adair *[No.35], Private in North Carolina Line; Pension began 5 September 1833, age 79.

George Rogers *[No.38] came to Wayne County after the Revolution to claim a land grant. His home is one of the counties oldest located near Pueblo. Rogers assisted in the organization of the Big Sinking Baptist Church in 1804 and he and his wife lived near Pueblo and are both buried beneath table tombs of native limestone just a few yards from the house.

In 1798, James Ingram *[No.39] came to Wayne County from Virginia and settled in Elk Spring Valley. In 1837 his son Samuel built a large brick house where the Jackson Roberts family lived in the late 1890s. Another son, Nimrod Ingram, built a large brick house in 1835, later owned by James Franklin Coffey.

Lewis Russell Coffey *[No.41] and his brother came to Wayne County about 1800 and settled in Elk Spring Valley and on Coffey Mountain. Lewis' son, Henderson built a large house in 1845 and is still standing on Coffey Mountain.

Slickford is located on upper Otter Creek. Its proximity to Tennessee brought many people that way on their route south, not far from a branch of the famous Jacksboro Road.