In the second to the last paragraph of the message I just sent out, beginning with "It might mean having to re-write etc', , what I do with my work "IF IT ISN'T RIGHT', I was not referring to mistaken or corrupt information, I should have said, when I have traced to the wrong ancestors. Please don't pass on information that you know is incorrect containing many mistakes, that was not my intent. Judy ************************************** See what's free at http://www.aol.com.

If the book by John Dorland Cremer "Records of the Dorlands in American" were a play, I would tell you that the cast of characters has changed in some cases in Barth's "The Dorland Enigma Solved". So there are going to be some big surprises for some folks, some will be disbelief, others are going to say, "I thought so". In the Foreword of this book by Harry Macy, Jr, he says " Until now, descendants of the early American Dorland Families have had to look to the work of John Dorland Cremer for their genealogy. Published in 1898, Cremer's book contains an unfortunate number of errors, particularly with regard to the earliest generations. Cremer no doubt thought he was presenting the correct genealogy, but his lack of understanding of the Dutch and their customs led him s eriously astray". [The great Dutch-American genealogist William J. Hoffman said of Cremer's book, "The first generations are all mixed up and need a thorough revision."] In this new genealogy Barbara Barth has eminently accomplished that goal, untangling the confusion in Cremer's work." "Descendants now have a genealogy which they can use with confidence". Mr. Macy was Barbara's teacher, friend and mentor for over 30 years. Patronymic's, the all important Dutch naming customs are the basis of many of the change of characters in this new Modern version. Some of these new changes extend to the spousal lines also. When I told you "I had to get over myself" when I joined forces with Barbara, what I was saying, I had to let go of any preconceived ideas I had about ancestors of my line that I was so positive about because they had been part of my thinking for so long and in some cases were based on the Cremer book. It was not easy to let go at first, in fact I put up a pretty good fight, but once I realized I was wrong and opened my mind to this new way of thinking, I realized that I want my family line to be accurate, it worked. This applies not to just the Dorland family, but for anyone doing Dutch genealogical research. Sometimes you just have to let go to find the bigger treasure. So when you read your copy and you think, this woman is nuts, or so and so said this is the way it is, just remember that Harry Macy, Jr and Barbara A. Barth are two of the most respected experts in the genealogical field in American, you can then move ahead with an open mind. It might mean having to rewrite all your family charts, or putting aside months or years of research to the wrong Lammert or what ever the name of your ancestor is, but it is a new treasure hunt. The next question I am asked, is what do I do with my work, if it isn't right, the deeds, the other documents. Well you can donate that material to your local Historical Society, don't just toss it out, someone else would be more than happy to use it as long as it is origional to you, and not just repeated information for some one else's work. If it is from someone else's work make sure you credit them. Flexibility and an open mind is the key. Barbara really wanted to be here when everyone had the chance to discover "her surprises". Since she can't be, hopefully those of you will understand that this book is also an educational experience by an expert teacher. Judy ************************************** See what's free at http://www.aol.com.

Judy: I actually can't wait to see the book, however I have one question: What is the current thought on the birth name of Mary Darling (Durling/Dorland) Enyart (m as 2nd wife c1727 John Enyart)? I know Snedeker and Williamson have both been mentioned in the past, which is correct? Thx Alan No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.467 / Virus Database: 269.7.4/811 - Release Date: 5/18/2007 3:50 PM

Pam, Barbara and others... Thank you for your info and insights! I just received this from Thomas Gull: > Hi, Liz. I'm watching the Dutch Colonies digests so I saw your > message about the Abraham Lott involved in a robbery at Van Ness's in > Kinderhook. I think the following indicates the two robbers were > executed, though it doesn't specifically mention their names. From > context, it looks like the right pair, though. That would mean this > isn't our Abraham, of course. / Tom > > > http://www.americanrevolution.org/t1778.html > > AMERICANREVOLUTION.ORG > > MILITARY JOURNAL - 1778 > > May 16th.-In various parts of this state [Tom: New York] the > inhabitants are constantly infested with a banditti of tories and > other villains, following the practice of robbing and plundering, > stealing horses and cattle, and often committing murder on those who > oppose them; and even on innocent persons. A number of these vile > wretches have been apprehended and condemned; two of them were > executed yesterday. They had been convicted of robbing the house of > Mr. Van Ness, whose son, being a captain in our militia, was taken by > them and cruelly murdered. The criminals were conducted to the > gallows, by a guard of soldiers, and were attended by a prodigious > number of spectators. They manifested, at the gallows, the most > agonizing horrors. One of them held in his band a Bible till the > halter deprived him of the power of holding it. Had this sacred volume > been his companion in early life, it might have been the means of > averting this awful and untimely death. Peggie, another LOTT researcher sent this thought: >I believe this refers to Abraham Lott the last Treasurer of the COLONY of >NY. At the end of the Revolution there were funds that had been collected >and not yet accounted for in his accounts. At the time he was a very ill >man and many of his papers had been destroyed during the occupation of Long >Island. If my memory serves me, I think Mr Miller was doing business with Mr >Lott and they were probably trying to recover debts from Van Ness (a distant >relative of Lott's)that were to be paid and weren't. > The plot thickens?!? Liz

Abraham Lott (1722-1794) is the right age. One of his three wives was Maria Van Alstyne, of a Kinderhook family. I don't know the Dutch form of Maria, but I think this one is definitely worth checking further as a possibility. My sources for this person: James Riker, Jr., Annals of Newtown in Queens County, New York: Containing its History from its first Settlement, (New York: D. Fanshaw, 1852; reprinted Salem, Massachusetts: Higginson Book Company), 270. Arthur C.M. Kelly, Ed., Flatbush Dutch Church Marriages and Baptisms 1677-1757, (Rhinebeck, New York: Kinship, 1997)), p. 99, #321. Pamela J. Sears <pjsears@stratos.net>, Re: [DUTCH-COLONIES] Another Abraham LOTT puzzle, group e-mail dated 31 March 2007. A. V. Phillips, Lott family in America including the allied families: Cassell, Davis, Graybeal, Haring, Hegeman, Hogg, Kerley, Phillips, T hompson, Walter and others (Boston: Phillips, 1942) pp 9-10. Barbara L. de Mare, Esq. Historian, genealogist and attorney 155 Polifly Road Hackensack, New Jersey 07601 (201) 567-9440 office BarbaradeMare@yahoo.com (home) http://historygenealogyesq.blogspot.com/ ----- Original Message ---- From: Dave & Liz DuBois <ddubois@sinclair.net> To: DUTCH COLONIES <Dutch-Colonies@rootsweb.com> Sent: Friday, May 18, 2007 3:00:13 AM Subject: [DUTCH-COLONIES] Which Abraham LOTT? In my continuing quest to find and confirm 'my' Abraham LOTT (who appears to be the son of Hendrick LOTT and his wife Artyi/Aertje [possibly POLHEMUS]), I found the following and am wondering just which Abraham LOTT was the offender here. From the "Minutes of the Commissioners for Detecting and Defeating Conspiracies in the State of New York", Albany County Sessions, 1778-1781, edited by Victor Hugo Patsits, State Historian, Volume I:1778-1779, p.125: "Received a Letter from Major Goes informing that he sent to us under Guard Abraham Lot and Charles Simmon who were concerned in the Robbery at Van Ness's at Kinderhook -- Ordered that the said Abraham Lot & Charles Miller1 be closely confined and the Secy. acknowledge the Delivery of those Persons -- [51] Ordered also that the Treasurer pay to Capt. Clauw Eight Dollars for his and his Partys Pay for bringing up the formentioned Persons -- 2" 1 - An error in the original for Simmon. 2 - The original voucher is in "Revolutionary Manuscripts," vol. 40, p. 162, made out in favor of "Burgar Claw." Many thanks for any enlightenment! Liz

I am looking for the parents of Hannah Lane, wife of Nicholas Ryder. She is buried at the Southside Burial Ground in Ozone Park, Queens County, Long Island. She was supposedly born on 21 DEC 1781, which I think is information from her tombstone. She and Nicholas had children named Moica, Jacob, Stephen and Susan. I think some of them are buried in the same place. Nicholas Ryder was the son of Jacobus Ryder and Mayke Willemse, apparently according to his tombstone. I am particularly wondering if she is the Hannah, daughter of Jacob and Susannah Lane, who was baptized at the Readington Reformed Church, Hunterdon, NJ on 11 JAN 1782 Mike Morrissey _________________________________________________________________ Like the way Microsoft Office Outlook works? You’ll love Windows Live Hotmail. http://imagine-windowslive.com/hotmail/?locale=en-us&ocid=TXT_TAGHM_migration_HM_mini_outlook_0507

Three people came together to create this book, Barbara Barth, Harry Macy her mentor, and me. We were all volunteers, no paychecks here. Barbara and I worked for years, 5 to 7 hours a day, she was the author, I was her researcher, we never met physically. None the less we worked well together. Her one demand, I would be willing to toss out everything bit of research I had done and start again, making sure I could document and cite everything and keeping an open mind. I took a chance and we were on our way from 1997 until 2003 when she died. We worked right up to the week before she died. >From Barbara's Preface in the book: "The better books, copiers, computers and record systems available at present have been of great assistance in the identification of relatives. The Internet has been helpful for clues, but this aid must always be used with discretion, as original documentation is essential. Harry Macy stressed the necessity for careful documentation of each and every statement and I have tried to adhere to that rule though out the book" " Over the intervening years, Mrs. Mable Spell made suggestions and corrections, as well as Wilson V. Ledley and others. Their articles were published in The New York Genealogical and Biographical Record and The Genealogical Magazine of New Jersey (and reprinted in Genealogies of Long Island Families and Genealogies of New Jersey FAmilies). Some of these articles have also needed correction." Barbara and I followed these guide lines, word for word, line for line, statement for statement for the entire book, 364 pages worth, and after Barb died, a decision had to be made, do I just do nothing or do I go ahead and get her families permission to continue her work. Barb and I had put so many years into this book, others were depending on me to try and get it completed, so I contacted her family and I received their permission. Barbara was very ill towards the end of her life, but she managed to get the book written, but not proofed. So I proofed if for her, word for word, line for line, statement for statement, space for space which is why it took so darn long. >From Harry's Foreward: "Barbara had just finished her final draft of her book when she was taken from us. Her children had promised her that the book would be published, but final editing ws needed. I was happy to volunteer some of my time, but could not undertake all the work that ws needed. Fortunately, Barbara's genealogical friend and fellow Dorland descendant Judith Cassidy stepped into the breach and has spent the better part of a year going through the entire draft, checking facts and verifying references and conforming the text to the style that Barbara intended to use". I was very fortunate that Harry Macy, Jr. was willing to give the time to take me under his wing to teach and assist me. I learned to use the same method of editing articles and books as used by the New York Genealogical and Biographical Society. Not only was Harry a terrific mentor but he jumped in and we worked together on this. I had never done this before, but I am a very good student, and both Barbara and Harry were excellent teachers if you were willing to listen and learn, and "get over youself and your own preconceived ideas". I was. What did I get out of this, if not money. An education that money can't buy and the satisfaction of knowing that I was part of a three man team of the very best in the business. It can't get better than that. My point, we need to encourage everyone on the right way to research their families, to write about it and to how to proof it, edit it and then publish it and to quite constantly repeating the work of others. Many many descendants of the spousal families who intermarried with the Dorlands/Darlands contributed all kinds of documents and information for inclusion in this book, it was not a one man band kind of book, but a compilation of many people coming together to try and accomplish and create a new genealogy. They knew Barbara was the person to do just that, because of her meticulous methods of research and writing. Now hopefully everyone will benefit and that is why this book is important, Not just for the information that was included in the book but for the fact that anyone can on this list site or any list site or where ever can join forces and come together to create a family history or any history, if they are willing to and want to accomplish that book or document. As mentioned, Barbara and I never physically met, nor have Harry and I, although we spoke over the phone and of course emailed a million emails. To me, this is pretty amazing. Judy ************************************** See what's free at http://www.aol.com.

Again, my intent was not to violate Rootsweb Rules and Policies which I was ignorantly unaware of. So for those members whom I offended my sincere appologies. If anyone wishes to speak to me about this, please email me privately. Judy ************************************** See what's free at http://www.aol.com.

In my continuing quest to find and confirm 'my' Abraham LOTT (who appears to be the son of Hendrick LOTT and his wife Artyi/Aertje [possibly POLHEMUS]), I found the following and am wondering just which Abraham LOTT was the offender here. From the "Minutes of the Commissioners for Detecting and Defeating Conspiracies in the State of New York", Albany County Sessions, 1778-1781, edited by Victor Hugo Patsits, State Historian, Volume I:1778-1779, p.125: "Received a Letter from Major Goes informing that he sent to us under Guard Abraham Lot and Charles Simmon who were concerned in the Robbery at Van Ness's at Kinderhook -- Ordered that the said Abraham Lot & Charles Miller1 be closely confined and the Secy. acknowledge the Delivery of those Persons -- [51] Ordered also that the Treasurer pay to Capt. Clauw Eight Dollars for his and his Partys Pay for bringing up the formentioned Persons -- 2" 1 - An error in the original for Simmon. 2 - The original voucher is in "Revolutionary Manuscripts," vol. 40, p. 162, made out in favor of "Burgar Claw." Many thanks for any enlightenment! Liz

The cost of The Dorland Engima Solved, is $36.00 + $4.00 shipping per copy. You can send a check or money order or Paypal payents are acccepted. ( Paypal payments from Paypal accounts only, please). Paypal account payments many be sent to _dswartz@nantucket.net_ (mailto:dswartz@nantucket.net) . Checks or money orders may be sent to: Diane Barth Swartz, 3 Norfolk road, Sandisfield, MA 01255. In addition, Diane needs your name, address, city, state, zip, country. Thanks Judy Cassidy ************************************** See what's free at http://www.aol.com.

Diane Barth Swartz just emailed me to let me know that the copies of the Dorland Enigma Solved are at her house and as soon as she hears from you she will ship out your copies. Happy Reading Judy Cassidy ************************************** See what's free at http://www.aol.com.

Carolyn Leonard wrote: >Hi I hope you will send me a notice when WEST OF THE SALT is on the >market! > Thanks for your interest, we will let you know. >Will it be ready for the autograph party at Dutch Cousns >Gathering in Shelbyville on September 28? > > That was our plan, now less certain. I am undergoing physical therapy for a broken hip and that cuts into my available time to work at the computer. We ARE hoping to attend at least PART of your interesting schedule in KY. For each of the past 4 years we have gone to Harrodsburg, copying and studying the deeds west of Salt River and tracing the families who lived and remained there. Barb Terhune >... > > >On May 15, 2007, at 9:41 AM, Barbara Terhune wrote: > > > >>Barbara, Donna, Judy and any others interested in this topic, >> >>Below is a copy of Chapter III in the book we are preparing, "West of >>the Salt", about early Dutch settlers of Mercer Co., KY . >>It should be noted that the two groups led by Hendrick Banta and Sam >>Durie had no intention of settling in Mercer Co. They >>had planned to settle in the vicinity of Boonesborough., about 10 >>miles >>south of present-day Lexington, KY (Fayette Co.) >> >>----------------- >>To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to DUTCH- >>COLONIES-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without >>the quotes in the subject and the body of the message >> >> > > >------------------------------- >To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to DUTCH-COLONIES-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message > > > > > >

Bless your heart AND your broken hip. I hope you heal quickly and look forward to meeting you in person in September. Hugs, C On May 15, 2007, at 4:30 PM, Barbara Terhune wrote: > Carolyn Leonard wrote: > >> Hi I hope you will send me a notice when WEST OF THE SALT is on the >> market! >> > Thanks for your interest, we will let you know. > >> Will it be ready for the autograph party at Dutch Cousns >> Gathering in Shelbyville on September 28? >> >> > That was our plan, now less certain. I am undergoing physical > therapy for > a broken hip and that cuts into my available time to work at the > computer. > > We ARE hoping to attend at least PART of your interesting schedule > in KY. > For each of the past 4 years we have gone to Harrodsburg, copying and > studying > the deeds west of Salt River and tracing the families who lived and > remained there. > > Barb Terhune > >> ... >> >> >> On May 15, 2007, at 9:41 AM, Barbara Terhune wrote: >> >> >> >>> Barbara, Donna, Judy and any others interested in this topic, >>> >>> Below is a copy of Chapter III in the book we are preparing, >>> "West of >>> the Salt", about early Dutch settlers of Mercer Co., KY . >>> It should be noted that the two groups led by Hendrick Banta and >>> Sam >>> Durie had no intention of settling in Mercer Co. They >>> had planned to settle in the vicinity of Boonesborough., about 10 >>> miles >>> south of present-day Lexington, KY (Fayette Co.) >>> >>> ----------------- >>> To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to DUTCH- >>> COLONIES-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without >>> the quotes in the subject and the body of the message >>> >>> >> >> >> ------------------------------- >> To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to DUTCH- >> COLONIES-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without >> the quotes in the subject and the body of the message >> >> >> >> >> >> > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to DUTCH- > COLONIES-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without > the quotes in the subject and the body of the message

You are correct, Donna, we were WRONG ! Thank you for catching this error and letting us know. The correct name of the original "Banta Town" is Pleasureville. My hubby grew up in Harrodsburg, just a few miles from "Shakertown" which is now called Pleasant Hill. Also an ancient neighborhood church is called "Mount Pleasant". I guess we had "pleasant" on the brain! Also, we found another error. The number of signatures on the letter begging the Continental Congress for a land grant for the Dutch was 46, NOT 36. Actually, this is a draft, part of a much larger study we have yet to complete, so I reckon we haven't proofed it well enough. I have corrected these below. Thanks again, Barb Donna Stark wrote: >Paragraph: By around 1796, the Dutch were finally able to move: Their tract >was located at what is now PLEASUREVILLE, not Pleasantville. (I live close >by and John Calvin Montfort is buried very close to Pleasureville. >----- Original Message ----- >From: "Barbara Terhune" <batcave@695online.com> >To: <dutch-colonies@rootsweb.com>; <kymercer@rootsweb.com> >Sent: Tuesday, May 15, 2007 10:41 AM >Subject: Re: [DUTCH-COLONIES] Kentucky Migration > > >Barbara and Paul Terhune > >Chapter III >Dutch Migration into Kentucky and >The Low Dutch Company Settlement > >... > > This document was very significant to the Dutch colony. While it >was signed by only 46 heads of families, it was generally agreed upon by >all. In addition to specifying the terms and conditions of the land >purchase, it also specified the social mores of the Dutch who would >occupy it. It called for the building of a church and the selection of >a Dutch Reformed minister. Perhaps more significantly, it called for >the teaching of the Dutch language to the children and for sharing the >costs relating to said minister and in purchasing and maintaining the >land. It represented the true intent of the Dutch to stand apart from >the surrounding Anglo community and pursue a communal life. > > ... > > By around 1796, the Dutch were finally able to move into their >settlement in Shelby and Henry Counties. The land was divided into >mostly 200 acre tracts per family. Obviously the acreage obtained would >only accommodate about 40 families. However many Dutch bought land in >the surrounding area. Their tract was located at what is now >PLEASUREVILLE, KY. See Figure ____. ... > ...

Hi I hope you will send me a notice when WEST OF THE SALT is on the market! Will it be ready for the autograph party at Dutch Cousns Gathering in Shelbyville on September 28? Hugs, Carolyn Remember you have a friend in Oklahoma -- endlessly sorting out dead relatives! Researching COZINE in Kentucky, Kansas, Indiana, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Nieuw Amsterdam (New York) and the Netherlands. Mark your calendars to attend the Dutch Cousins gathering in Shelbyville, KY on September 28-30, 2007 On May 15, 2007, at 9:41 AM, Barbara Terhune wrote: > Barbara, Donna, Judy and any others interested in this topic, > > Below is a copy of Chapter III in the book we are preparing, "West of > the Salt", about early Dutch settlers of Mercer Co., KY . > It should be noted that the two groups led by Hendrick Banta and Sam > Durie had no intention of settling in Mercer Co. They > had planned to settle in the vicinity of Boonesborough., about 10 > miles > south of present-day Lexington, KY (Fayette Co.) > > ----------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to DUTCH- > COLONIES-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without > the quotes in the subject and the body of the message

I woul like to buy your book when it is finished. I descend out of Henry Banta 3rd's two wives. My maiden name is Van Osdol. I also descend out of Alvert Voris who married Anna Banta. My roots are deep in the Low Dutch company. My line moved to Switzerland Co. IN. I love to read about the move west. The hardships that they endured must have been extreamly hard. Thank you for posting this. Glee Van Osdol Krapf ----- Original Message ----- From: "Barbara Terhune" <batcave@695online.com> To: <dutch-colonies@rootsweb.com>; <kymercer@rootsweb.com> Sent: Tuesday, May 15, 2007 10:41 AM Subject: Re: [DUTCH-COLONIES] Kentucky Migration Barbara, Donna, Judy and any others interested in this topic, Below is a copy of Chapter III in the book we are preparing, "West of the Salt", about early Dutch settlers of Mercer Co., KY . It should be noted that the two groups led by Hendrick Banta and Sam Durie had no intention of settling in Mercer Co. They had planned to settle in the vicinity of Boonesborough., about 10 miles south of present-day Lexington, KY (Fayette Co.) However, they were driven to Fort Harrod (in Mercer Co.) by desperation and necessity after devastating Indian attacks. Fort Harrod was the "Gibralter" of the frontier, heavily fortified and surrounded by a number of "stations" that served as early warning systems against Indian raiding parties. Fort Harrod was never breached. For further enlightenment on these families and their ordeal we recommend Vincent Akers' study of the Low Dutch Company, published in "De Halve Maen" Vol. LV, No. 2, Summer 1980; the Banta family history, "Banta Pioneers"; and Rev. Demarest's, "History of the Low Dutch Colony of Conewago", published in local newspapers circa 1889. Barbara and Paul Terhune Chapter III Dutch Migration into Kentucky and The Low Dutch Company Settlement As the Revolutionary War progressed during the 1770s, the Dutch settlers at Conewago and Virginia began hearing stories of the Kentucky frontier. The Transylvania Co. had spread stories of the wonders of Kentucky to induce sales of land; and Harrod's Station and Boonesborough settlements started becoming well known. The Dutch were intrigued at the idea of the availability of cheap, fertile land supposedly being in Kentucky. They started to plan for a communal settlement on a huge land purchase that would accommodate their visceral need to preserve their Dutch culture and lifestyle. To that end, they decided to send an experienced Dutchman to determine the suitability of the land for settlement. In the spring of 1779, Samuel Duree left the Virginia area in the company of a party of other men, none Dutch, and traveled down the Wilderness Trail through the Cumberland Gap to Boonesborough. Despite the constant threat of Indian attack, the men traveled in the vicinity and made land claims. The claims (i.e. "improvements" in the vernacular of the day) were several miles south of Boonesborough and a few miles east of present-day Richmond. Duree's claims were on a creek at a location he deemed suitable for a water-driven mill. The men stayed the summer at Boonesborough and returned in the fall to their home settlements in the east. Samuel Duree's report to the Conewago Dutch must have satisfied them, for they prepared for a mass migration to Kentucky the following spring. In the late winter of 1780, Duree led a group of Dutch settlers up through the Cumberland Gap to White Oak Spring station which was near Boonesborough. The number of Dutch settlers was in the order of 30 and included Dutch families of Duree, Banta and Voris. Meanwhile, Hendrick Banta led a much larger group of Dutch settlers in the winter of 1779 to Fort Pitt (now Pittsburgh). The number of Dutch is estimated to be at least 75, but many were young children. In the spring of 1780, the group departed Fort Pitt and made their way down the Ohio River on flat-boats to the falls of the Ohio, now the location of Louisville. This was the largest group of Dutch migrants to Kentucky although smaller groups would follow in later years. Again, the usual Dutch families were prominent in this group - Van Arsdall, Demaree, Voris and Banta, to name a few. The Dutch settlers at Louisville proceeded to build a "station" on rented land near an existing station. "Station" was a term of the times, describing a group of fortified cabins, perhaps enclosed in a stockade. The renting of land was common and cheap since the renter had to clear the trees and brush, hence improving the land for the landlord. This land was south of the Falls on what was then (and still is) called Beargrass Creek. These Louisville settlers elected to remain there in 1780 and raise crops with the intention being to proceed to Boonesborough the following year. A few of the settlers became impatient and left for Boonesborough with their families. That was a tragic error. Indian raiding parties were in the area near the Ohio River, particularly along travel routes. They ambushed these families, killing several and capturing others. Only a few survivors made their way back to the station at Beargrass Creek. In June 1780, Ruddle's and Martin's Forts in Kentucky were attacked and captured by British-led Indians. In retaliation, George Rogers Clark led an expedition into Ohio and destroyed a number of Indian villages and their supplies. Several of the young Dutchmen volunteered to serve in this campaign as well as in the militia defending against Indians. A few were captured by Indians and sold to the British. They eventually escaped and made their way back to Kentucky. In the spring of 1781 a group of Dutchmen from the Beargrass station traveled to White Oak Spring near Boonesborough. This group was primarily Bantas, Durees and Voris. They spent several weeks building cabins at the Samuel Duree claim, then returned to Boonesborough. A few returned to the cabins and were killed by Indians. Later that year other Dutch settlers were killed near Boonesborough and near present day Richmond. Discouraged, the settlers returned to the Beargrass station and made no further attempts to settle around Boonesborough. Later that year, many (but not all) of the Dutch families moved from the Beargrass station to Mercer Co., KY where they built the second Low Dutch Station. This station was built a few miles southeast of Harrodsburg on land rented from James Harrod and near his station. They were soon joined by the remaining Dutch from the Boonesborough area. It was clear that establishing a colony in that area was impossible. However, the Dutch were not to be dissuaded from their concept of a huge communal common tract of land. They regarded their sojourn in Mercer Co as temporary and not a single Dutchman bought land locally in those days. As time passed and more Dutch migrants arrived, some went to other stations such as the McAfee station a few miles north of Harrodsburg. Squire Boone, the brother of Daniel Boone, had established a station in what is now Shelby County in 1780. By 1781 a number of Dutch families from the Beargrass station , about 30 miles away, had joined him. Boone was wounded by Indians in the spring of 1781; and continuing Indian activity led to a decision to abandon the station and return to the Beargrass station. Although escorted by a militia from Beargrass, they were attacked and several were killed. The dead included several Demarees and a Riker. This became known as the "Long Run Massacre." Settlement in the Shelby County area had also become untenable. By 1783 the Dutch around Harrodsburg were in a quandary; the lands in Shelby and around Boonesborough were too dangerous and the local land had already been claimed. There was no large tract of farmland that they could afford to buy. In desperation, they sent a letter to the Continental Congress signed by 46 Dutch heads of families in Kentucky and 105 "intended friends" who were still in Conewago or New Jersey, but intended to settle in KY later. The letter reads in part: "To the Honourable President and Delegates of the Free United States of America in Congress Assembled:... "That in the Spring of the Year 1780 they moved to Kentuckey (sic) with their families and effects with a view and expectation to procure a Tract of Land to enable them to settle together in a body... "...most of all the Tillable Land has been Located and monopolised by persons that had the advantage of ...being acquainted with the country... "Your Petitioners therefore humbly pray, (in behalf of themselves and other intended settlers of that persuasion) the Honourable Congress would indulge them with a grant of a Tract or Territory of Land in Kentuckey settlement..." The Congressional reply was that it would be improper to make any western land grants. The Dutch settlers were on their own. Some Dutch at Beargrass station continued to make forays into Shelby County near Boone station and a few claimed some land. However, they were always forced back to Beargrass by Indian attacks. In 1782, Boone obtained a Virginia warrant for 12,000 acres in Shelby and Henry Counties, part of which overlapped other claims. By 1786 the other claims had been settled and a final survey was made. The land purchased from Boone together with other purchases totaled about 8500 acres with a total price of about £1835. The Dutch selected Abraham Banta as their agent to buy the property. The deal was consummated on March 13, 1786 and the Dutch immediately met at Harrodsburg to sign what they referred to as an "Article of Agreement." This document formed what was referred to as the "Low Dutch Company." This document was very significant to the Dutch colony. While it was signed by only 36 heads of families, it was generally agreed upon by all. In addition to specifying the terms and conditions of the land purchase, it also specified the social mores of the Dutch who would occupy it. It called for the building of a church and the selection of a Dutch Reformed minister. Perhaps more significantly, it called for the teaching of the Dutch language to the children and for sharing the costs relating to said minister and in purchasing and maintaining the land. It represented the true intent of the Dutch to stand apart from the surrounding Anglo community and pursue a communal life. The Dutch immediately started to move to their new tract of land. A nearby station, Ketchoms, was employed as a base from which to operate. Work had hardly begun when severe Indian attacks started in the area. Several Dutch families were killed and the situation became hopeless. They were forced to retreat yet again to the relative safe area of Harrodsburg. A few Dutch made sporadic attempts to settle in the area over the next few years, but further killings continued. It would be ten years before the Low Dutch tract could be safely settled. One might wonder why the Dutch would have tried such a perilous venture. They were unhappy living in cramped quarters in the Mercer County stations. They had no church or minister; and no land of their own. Perhaps they did not recognize the full extent of the Indian threat or put their trust in God to protect them. In any event, they were simple farmers, not experienced Indian fighters, who sought merely to live in peace and to be left alone. By around 1796, the Dutch were finally able to move into their settlement in Shelby and Henry Counties. The land was divided into mostly 200 acre tracts per family. Obviously the acreage obtained would only accommodate about 40 families. However many Dutch bought land in the surrounding area. Their tract was located at what is now Pleasantville, KY. See Figure ____. It was originally known as "Bantatown". At last they could have their Dutch Reformed Church and they did! It was called the "6 Mile" church. In 1795 the Dutch Reformed Church of New York sent a missionary to Harrodsburg to organize a church. He was Peter Labaugh and he spent several months in this endeavor. However, Kentucky was too far to send a Dutch Reformed preacher and the settlers at "6 Mile", as well as Harrodsburg had to settle for Presbyterian preachers. The Presbyterian Church was also Calvinist and hence they shared many common beliefs. Of course, the Dutch language was not used, nor were other Dutch customs. Eventually the Dutch aligned themselves with this church and the congregation at "6 Mile" was served by the Rev. Archibald Cameron for many years. The first elders of the church were Albert Voorhees, Peter Banta and George List. Shortly after 1800, there was a great religious schism sometimes referred to as the "Great Awakening." Campground meetings of 10,000 or more people occurred. A New England sect, the Shakers, sent missionaries to Kentucky. A number of Dutch, especially Bantas were converted and gave their land to join the Shakers. Elisha Thomas gave his property to the Shakers which was the start of their colony a few miles west of Harrodsburg. To join, all property had to be converted to the church and the convert's life was totally communal. Further, there was no marriage allowed and all were celibate. Perhaps some of the Dutch were attracted to this church because of their extreme communal life. Counting children and grandchildren, 36 Bantas alone were eventually buried at Shakertown (now Pleasant Hill). The "mainstream" Dutch at 6-Mile Church were not happy with these defections from their church. The numbers of Dutch converting to Shakers was probably the beginning of the end of the Low Dutch Company. By 1817, a number of Dutch families began moving to Johnson and Switzerland Counties, Indiana. The Indian threat was now gone and the land was cheap, $1.25 per acre. This movement continued for the next twenty years. The Shelby and Henry County lands had to be converted from communal ownership to private owners. The final trustees during the land conversion were George Bergen and Tunis Van Nuys and the deeds recorded in the respective Shelby and Henry Co. courthouses. Before 1840 all the Low Dutch Company land had been sold to private owners. Sadly, Henry Banta's 1780 dream of a Dutch community in Kentucky had suffered the same fate as Conewago years earlier. === ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to DUTCH-COLONIES-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message

Sorry, I did not read the complete last paragraph. Donna ----- Original Message ----- From: "Barbara Terhune" <batcave@695online.com> To: <dutch-colonies@rootsweb.com>; <kymercer@rootsweb.com> Sent: Tuesday, May 15, 2007 10:41 AM Subject: Re: [DUTCH-COLONIES] Kentucky Migration Barbara, Donna, Judy and any others interested in this topic, Below is a copy of Chapter III in the book we are preparing, "West of the Salt", about early Dutch settlers of Mercer Co., KY . It should be noted that the two groups led by Hendrick Banta and Sam Durie had no intention of settling in Mercer Co. They had planned to settle in the vicinity of Boonesborough., about 10 miles south of present-day Lexington, KY (Fayette Co.) However, they were driven to Fort Harrod (in Mercer Co.) by desperation and necessity after devastating Indian attacks. Fort Harrod was the "Gibralter" of the frontier, heavily fortified and surrounded by a number of "stations" that served as early warning systems against Indian raiding parties. Fort Harrod was never breached. For further enlightenment on these families and their ordeal we recommend Vincent Akers' study of the Low Dutch Company, published in "De Halve Maen" Vol. LV, No. 2, Summer 1980; the Banta family history, "Banta Pioneers"; and Rev. Demarest's, "History of the Low Dutch Colony of Conewago", published in local newspapers circa 1889. Barbara and Paul Terhune Chapter III Dutch Migration into Kentucky and The Low Dutch Company Settlement As the Revolutionary War progressed during the 1770s, the Dutch settlers at Conewago and Virginia began hearing stories of the Kentucky frontier. The Transylvania Co. had spread stories of the wonders of Kentucky to induce sales of land; and Harrod's Station and Boonesborough settlements started becoming well known. The Dutch were intrigued at the idea of the availability of cheap, fertile land supposedly being in Kentucky. They started to plan for a communal settlement on a huge land purchase that would accommodate their visceral need to preserve their Dutch culture and lifestyle. To that end, they decided to send an experienced Dutchman to determine the suitability of the land for settlement. In the spring of 1779, Samuel Duree left the Virginia area in the company of a party of other men, none Dutch, and traveled down the Wilderness Trail through the Cumberland Gap to Boonesborough. Despite the constant threat of Indian attack, the men traveled in the vicinity and made land claims. The claims (i.e. "improvements" in the vernacular of the day) were several miles south of Boonesborough and a few miles east of present-day Richmond. Duree's claims were on a creek at a location he deemed suitable for a water-driven mill. The men stayed the summer at Boonesborough and returned in the fall to their home settlements in the east. Samuel Duree's report to the Conewago Dutch must have satisfied them, for they prepared for a mass migration to Kentucky the following spring. In the late winter of 1780, Duree led a group of Dutch settlers up through the Cumberland Gap to White Oak Spring station which was near Boonesborough. The number of Dutch settlers was in the order of 30 and included Dutch families of Duree, Banta and Voris. Meanwhile, Hendrick Banta led a much larger group of Dutch settlers in the winter of 1779 to Fort Pitt (now Pittsburgh). The number of Dutch is estimated to be at least 75, but many were young children. In the spring of 1780, the group departed Fort Pitt and made their way down the Ohio River on flat-boats to the falls of the Ohio, now the location of Louisville. This was the largest group of Dutch migrants to Kentucky although smaller groups would follow in later years. Again, the usual Dutch families were prominent in this group - Van Arsdall, Demaree, Voris and Banta, to name a few. The Dutch settlers at Louisville proceeded to build a "station" on rented land near an existing station. "Station" was a term of the times, describing a group of fortified cabins, perhaps enclosed in a stockade. The renting of land was common and cheap since the renter had to clear the trees and brush, hence improving the land for the landlord. This land was south of the Falls on what was then (and still is) called Beargrass Creek. These Louisville settlers elected to remain there in 1780 and raise crops with the intention being to proceed to Boonesborough the following year. A few of the settlers became impatient and left for Boonesborough with their families. That was a tragic error. Indian raiding parties were in the area near the Ohio River, particularly along travel routes. They ambushed these families, killing several and capturing others. Only a few survivors made their way back to the station at Beargrass Creek. In June 1780, Ruddle's and Martin's Forts in Kentucky were attacked and captured by British-led Indians. In retaliation, George Rogers Clark led an expedition into Ohio and destroyed a number of Indian villages and their supplies. Several of the young Dutchmen volunteered to serve in this campaign as well as in the militia defending against Indians. A few were captured by Indians and sold to the British. They eventually escaped and made their way back to Kentucky. In the spring of 1781 a group of Dutchmen from the Beargrass station traveled to White Oak Spring near Boonesborough. This group was primarily Bantas, Durees and Voris. They spent several weeks building cabins at the Samuel Duree claim, then returned to Boonesborough. A few returned to the cabins and were killed by Indians. Later that year other Dutch settlers were killed near Boonesborough and near present day Richmond. Discouraged, the settlers returned to the Beargrass station and made no further attempts to settle around Boonesborough. Later that year, many (but not all) of the Dutch families moved from the Beargrass station to Mercer Co., KY where they built the second Low Dutch Station. This station was built a few miles southeast of Harrodsburg on land rented from James Harrod and near his station. They were soon joined by the remaining Dutch from the Boonesborough area. It was clear that establishing a colony in that area was impossible. However, the Dutch were not to be dissuaded from their concept of a huge communal common tract of land. They regarded their sojourn in Mercer Co as temporary and not a single Dutchman bought land locally in those days. As time passed and more Dutch migrants arrived, some went to other stations such as the McAfee station a few miles north of Harrodsburg. Squire Boone, the brother of Daniel Boone, had established a station in what is now Shelby County in 1780. By 1781 a number of Dutch families from the Beargrass station , about 30 miles away, had joined him. Boone was wounded by Indians in the spring of 1781; and continuing Indian activity led to a decision to abandon the station and return to the Beargrass station. Although escorted by a militia from Beargrass, they were attacked and several were killed. The dead included several Demarees and a Riker. This became known as the "Long Run Massacre." Settlement in the Shelby County area had also become untenable. By 1783 the Dutch around Harrodsburg were in a quandary; the lands in Shelby and around Boonesborough were too dangerous and the local land had already been claimed. There was no large tract of farmland that they could afford to buy. In desperation, they sent a letter to the Continental Congress signed by 46 Dutch heads of families in Kentucky and 105 "intended friends" who were still in Conewago or New Jersey, but intended to settle in KY later. The letter reads in part: "To the Honourable President and Delegates of the Free United States of America in Congress Assembled:... "That in the Spring of the Year 1780 they moved to Kentuckey (sic) with their families and effects with a view and expectation to procure a Tract of Land to enable them to settle together in a body... "...most of all the Tillable Land has been Located and monopolised by persons that had the advantage of ...being acquainted with the country... "Your Petitioners therefore humbly pray, (in behalf of themselves and other intended settlers of that persuasion) the Honourable Congress would indulge them with a grant of a Tract or Territory of Land in Kentuckey settlement..." The Congressional reply was that it would be improper to make any western land grants. The Dutch settlers were on their own. Some Dutch at Beargrass station continued to make forays into Shelby County near Boone station and a few claimed some land. However, they were always forced back to Beargrass by Indian attacks. In 1782, Boone obtained a Virginia warrant for 12,000 acres in Shelby and Henry Counties, part of which overlapped other claims. By 1786 the other claims had been settled and a final survey was made. The land purchased from Boone together with other purchases totaled about 8500 acres with a total price of about £1835. The Dutch selected Abraham Banta as their agent to buy the property. The deal was consummated on March 13, 1786 and the Dutch immediately met at Harrodsburg to sign what they referred to as an "Article of Agreement." This document formed what was referred to as the "Low Dutch Company." This document was very significant to the Dutch colony. While it was signed by only 36 heads of families, it was generally agreed upon by all. In addition to specifying the terms and conditions of the land purchase, it also specified the social mores of the Dutch who would occupy it. It called for the building of a church and the selection of a Dutch Reformed minister. Perhaps more significantly, it called for the teaching of the Dutch language to the children and for sharing the costs relating to said minister and in purchasing and maintaining the land. It represented the true intent of the Dutch to stand apart from the surrounding Anglo community and pursue a communal life. The Dutch immediately started to move to their new tract of land. A nearby station, Ketchoms, was employed as a base from which to operate. Work had hardly begun when severe Indian attacks started in the area. Several Dutch families were killed and the situation became hopeless. They were forced to retreat yet again to the relative safe area of Harrodsburg. A few Dutch made sporadic attempts to settle in the area over the next few years, but further killings continued. It would be ten years before the Low Dutch tract could be safely settled. One might wonder why the Dutch would have tried such a perilous venture. They were unhappy living in cramped quarters in the Mercer County stations. They had no church or minister; and no land of their own. Perhaps they did not recognize the full extent of the Indian threat or put their trust in God to protect them. In any event, they were simple farmers, not experienced Indian fighters, who sought merely to live in peace and to be left alone. By around 1796, the Dutch were finally able to move into their settlement in Shelby and Henry Counties. The land was divided into mostly 200 acre tracts per family. Obviously the acreage obtained would only accommodate about 40 families. However many Dutch bought land in the surrounding area. Their tract was located at what is now Pleasantville, KY. See Figure ____. It was originally known as "Bantatown". At last they could have their Dutch Reformed Church and they did! It was called the "6 Mile" church. In 1795 the Dutch Reformed Church of New York sent a missionary to Harrodsburg to organize a church. He was Peter Labaugh and he spent several months in this endeavor. However, Kentucky was too far to send a Dutch Reformed preacher and the settlers at "6 Mile", as well as Harrodsburg had to settle for Presbyterian preachers. The Presbyterian Church was also Calvinist and hence they shared many common beliefs. Of course, the Dutch language was not used, nor were other Dutch customs. Eventually the Dutch aligned themselves with this church and the congregation at "6 Mile" was served by the Rev. Archibald Cameron for many years. The first elders of the church were Albert Voorhees, Peter Banta and George List. Shortly after 1800, there was a great religious schism sometimes referred to as the "Great Awakening." Campground meetings of 10,000 or more people occurred. A New England sect, the Shakers, sent missionaries to Kentucky. A number of Dutch, especially Bantas were converted and gave their land to join the Shakers. Elisha Thomas gave his property to the Shakers which was the start of their colony a few miles west of Harrodsburg. To join, all property had to be converted to the church and the convert's life was totally communal. Further, there was no marriage allowed and all were celibate. Perhaps some of the Dutch were attracted to this church because of their extreme communal life. Counting children and grandchildren, 36 Bantas alone were eventually buried at Shakertown (now Pleasant Hill). The "mainstream" Dutch at 6-Mile Church were not happy with these defections from their church. The numbers of Dutch converting to Shakers was probably the beginning of the end of the Low Dutch Company. By 1817, a number of Dutch families began moving to Johnson and Switzerland Counties, Indiana. The Indian threat was now gone and the land was cheap, $1.25 per acre. This movement continued for the next twenty years. The Shelby and Henry County lands had to be converted from communal ownership to private owners. The final trustees during the land conversion were George Bergen and Tunis Van Nuys and the deeds recorded in the respective Shelby and Henry Co. courthouses. Before 1840 all the Low Dutch Company land had been sold to private owners. Sadly, Henry Banta's 1780 dream of a Dutch community in Kentucky had suffered the same fate as Conewago years earlier. === ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to DUTCH-COLONIES-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message

Did you know that a lot of the Low Dutch went to Indiana, to Switzerland county. Francis Montfort (1825) left land in Switzerland Co. to his children. Donna ----- Original Message ----- From: "Barbara Terhune" <batcave@695online.com> To: <dutch-colonies@rootsweb.com>; <kymercer@rootsweb.com> Sent: Tuesday, May 15, 2007 10:41 AM Subject: Re: [DUTCH-COLONIES] Kentucky Migration Barbara, Donna, Judy and any others interested in this topic, Below is a copy of Chapter III in the book we are preparing, "West of the Salt", about early Dutch settlers of Mercer Co., KY . It should be noted that the two groups led by Hendrick Banta and Sam Durie had no intention of settling in Mercer Co. They had planned to settle in the vicinity of Boonesborough., about 10 miles south of present-day Lexington, KY (Fayette Co.) However, they were driven to Fort Harrod (in Mercer Co.) by desperation and necessity after devastating Indian attacks. Fort Harrod was the "Gibralter" of the frontier, heavily fortified and surrounded by a number of "stations" that served as early warning systems against Indian raiding parties. Fort Harrod was never breached. For further enlightenment on these families and their ordeal we recommend Vincent Akers' study of the Low Dutch Company, published in "De Halve Maen" Vol. LV, No. 2, Summer 1980; the Banta family history, "Banta Pioneers"; and Rev. Demarest's, "History of the Low Dutch Colony of Conewago", published in local newspapers circa 1889. Barbara and Paul Terhune Chapter III Dutch Migration into Kentucky and The Low Dutch Company Settlement As the Revolutionary War progressed during the 1770s, the Dutch settlers at Conewago and Virginia began hearing stories of the Kentucky frontier. The Transylvania Co. had spread stories of the wonders of Kentucky to induce sales of land; and Harrod's Station and Boonesborough settlements started becoming well known. The Dutch were intrigued at the idea of the availability of cheap, fertile land supposedly being in Kentucky. They started to plan for a communal settlement on a huge land purchase that would accommodate their visceral need to preserve their Dutch culture and lifestyle. To that end, they decided to send an experienced Dutchman to determine the suitability of the land for settlement. In the spring of 1779, Samuel Duree left the Virginia area in the company of a party of other men, none Dutch, and traveled down the Wilderness Trail through the Cumberland Gap to Boonesborough. Despite the constant threat of Indian attack, the men traveled in the vicinity and made land claims. The claims (i.e. "improvements" in the vernacular of the day) were several miles south of Boonesborough and a few miles east of present-day Richmond. Duree's claims were on a creek at a location he deemed suitable for a water-driven mill. The men stayed the summer at Boonesborough and returned in the fall to their home settlements in the east. Samuel Duree's report to the Conewago Dutch must have satisfied them, for they prepared for a mass migration to Kentucky the following spring. In the late winter of 1780, Duree led a group of Dutch settlers up through the Cumberland Gap to White Oak Spring station which was near Boonesborough. The number of Dutch settlers was in the order of 30 and included Dutch families of Duree, Banta and Voris. Meanwhile, Hendrick Banta led a much larger group of Dutch settlers in the winter of 1779 to Fort Pitt (now Pittsburgh). The number of Dutch is estimated to be at least 75, but many were young children. In the spring of 1780, the group departed Fort Pitt and made their way down the Ohio River on flat-boats to the falls of the Ohio, now the location of Louisville. This was the largest group of Dutch migrants to Kentucky although smaller groups would follow in later years. Again, the usual Dutch families were prominent in this group - Van Arsdall, Demaree, Voris and Banta, to name a few. The Dutch settlers at Louisville proceeded to build a "station" on rented land near an existing station. "Station" was a term of the times, describing a group of fortified cabins, perhaps enclosed in a stockade. The renting of land was common and cheap since the renter had to clear the trees and brush, hence improving the land for the landlord. This land was south of the Falls on what was then (and still is) called Beargrass Creek. These Louisville settlers elected to remain there in 1780 and raise crops with the intention being to proceed to Boonesborough the following year. A few of the settlers became impatient and left for Boonesborough with their families. That was a tragic error. Indian raiding parties were in the area near the Ohio River, particularly along travel routes. They ambushed these families, killing several and capturing others. Only a few survivors made their way back to the station at Beargrass Creek. In June 1780, Ruddle's and Martin's Forts in Kentucky were attacked and captured by British-led Indians. In retaliation, George Rogers Clark led an expedition into Ohio and destroyed a number of Indian villages and their supplies. Several of the young Dutchmen volunteered to serve in this campaign as well as in the militia defending against Indians. A few were captured by Indians and sold to the British. They eventually escaped and made their way back to Kentucky. In the spring of 1781 a group of Dutchmen from the Beargrass station traveled to White Oak Spring near Boonesborough. This group was primarily Bantas, Durees and Voris. They spent several weeks building cabins at the Samuel Duree claim, then returned to Boonesborough. A few returned to the cabins and were killed by Indians. Later that year other Dutch settlers were killed near Boonesborough and near present day Richmond. Discouraged, the settlers returned to the Beargrass station and made no further attempts to settle around Boonesborough. Later that year, many (but not all) of the Dutch families moved from the Beargrass station to Mercer Co., KY where they built the second Low Dutch Station. This station was built a few miles southeast of Harrodsburg on land rented from James Harrod and near his station. They were soon joined by the remaining Dutch from the Boonesborough area. It was clear that establishing a colony in that area was impossible. However, the Dutch were not to be dissuaded from their concept of a huge communal common tract of land. They regarded their sojourn in Mercer Co as temporary and not a single Dutchman bought land locally in those days. As time passed and more Dutch migrants arrived, some went to other stations such as the McAfee station a few miles north of Harrodsburg. Squire Boone, the brother of Daniel Boone, had established a station in what is now Shelby County in 1780. By 1781 a number of Dutch families from the Beargrass station , about 30 miles away, had joined him. Boone was wounded by Indians in the spring of 1781; and continuing Indian activity led to a decision to abandon the station and return to the Beargrass station. Although escorted by a militia from Beargrass, they were attacked and several were killed. The dead included several Demarees and a Riker. This became known as the "Long Run Massacre." Settlement in the Shelby County area had also become untenable. By 1783 the Dutch around Harrodsburg were in a quandary; the lands in Shelby and around Boonesborough were too dangerous and the local land had already been claimed. There was no large tract of farmland that they could afford to buy. In desperation, they sent a letter to the Continental Congress signed by 46 Dutch heads of families in Kentucky and 105 "intended friends" who were still in Conewago or New Jersey, but intended to settle in KY later. The letter reads in part: "To the Honourable President and Delegates of the Free United States of America in Congress Assembled:... "That in the Spring of the Year 1780 they moved to Kentuckey (sic) with their families and effects with a view and expectation to procure a Tract of Land to enable them to settle together in a body... "...most of all the Tillable Land has been Located and monopolised by persons that had the advantage of ...being acquainted with the country... "Your Petitioners therefore humbly pray, (in behalf of themselves and other intended settlers of that persuasion) the Honourable Congress would indulge them with a grant of a Tract or Territory of Land in Kentuckey settlement..." The Congressional reply was that it would be improper to make any western land grants. The Dutch settlers were on their own. Some Dutch at Beargrass station continued to make forays into Shelby County near Boone station and a few claimed some land. However, they were always forced back to Beargrass by Indian attacks. In 1782, Boone obtained a Virginia warrant for 12,000 acres in Shelby and Henry Counties, part of which overlapped other claims. By 1786 the other claims had been settled and a final survey was made. The land purchased from Boone together with other purchases totaled about 8500 acres with a total price of about £1835. The Dutch selected Abraham Banta as their agent to buy the property. The deal was consummated on March 13, 1786 and the Dutch immediately met at Harrodsburg to sign what they referred to as an "Article of Agreement." This document formed what was referred to as the "Low Dutch Company." This document was very significant to the Dutch colony. While it was signed by only 36 heads of families, it was generally agreed upon by all. In addition to specifying the terms and conditions of the land purchase, it also specified the social mores of the Dutch who would occupy it. It called for the building of a church and the selection of a Dutch Reformed minister. Perhaps more significantly, it called for the teaching of the Dutch language to the children and for sharing the costs relating to said minister and in purchasing and maintaining the land. It represented the true intent of the Dutch to stand apart from the surrounding Anglo community and pursue a communal life. The Dutch immediately started to move to their new tract of land. A nearby station, Ketchoms, was employed as a base from which to operate. Work had hardly begun when severe Indian attacks started in the area. Several Dutch families were killed and the situation became hopeless. They were forced to retreat yet again to the relative safe area of Harrodsburg. A few Dutch made sporadic attempts to settle in the area over the next few years, but further killings continued. It would be ten years before the Low Dutch tract could be safely settled. One might wonder why the Dutch would have tried such a perilous venture. They were unhappy living in cramped quarters in the Mercer County stations. They had no church or minister; and no land of their own. Perhaps they did not recognize the full extent of the Indian threat or put their trust in God to protect them. In any event, they were simple farmers, not experienced Indian fighters, who sought merely to live in peace and to be left alone. By around 1796, the Dutch were finally able to move into their settlement in Shelby and Henry Counties. The land was divided into mostly 200 acre tracts per family. Obviously the acreage obtained would only accommodate about 40 families. However many Dutch bought land in the surrounding area. Their tract was located at what is now Pleasantville, KY. See Figure ____. It was originally known as "Bantatown". At last they could have their Dutch Reformed Church and they did! It was called the "6 Mile" church. In 1795 the Dutch Reformed Church of New York sent a missionary to Harrodsburg to organize a church. He was Peter Labaugh and he spent several months in this endeavor. However, Kentucky was too far to send a Dutch Reformed preacher and the settlers at "6 Mile", as well as Harrodsburg had to settle for Presbyterian preachers. The Presbyterian Church was also Calvinist and hence they shared many common beliefs. Of course, the Dutch language was not used, nor were other Dutch customs. Eventually the Dutch aligned themselves with this church and the congregation at "6 Mile" was served by the Rev. Archibald Cameron for many years. The first elders of the church were Albert Voorhees, Peter Banta and George List. Shortly after 1800, there was a great religious schism sometimes referred to as the "Great Awakening." Campground meetings of 10,000 or more people occurred. A New England sect, the Shakers, sent missionaries to Kentucky. A number of Dutch, especially Bantas were converted and gave their land to join the Shakers. Elisha Thomas gave his property to the Shakers which was the start of their colony a few miles west of Harrodsburg. To join, all property had to be converted to the church and the convert's life was totally communal. Further, there was no marriage allowed and all were celibate. Perhaps some of the Dutch were attracted to this church because of their extreme communal life. Counting children and grandchildren, 36 Bantas alone were eventually buried at Shakertown (now Pleasant Hill). The "mainstream" Dutch at 6-Mile Church were not happy with these defections from their church. The numbers of Dutch converting to Shakers was probably the beginning of the end of the Low Dutch Company. By 1817, a number of Dutch families began moving to Johnson and Switzerland Counties, Indiana. The Indian threat was now gone and the land was cheap, $1.25 per acre. This movement continued for the next twenty years. The Shelby and Henry County lands had to be converted from communal ownership to private owners. The final trustees during the land conversion were George Bergen and Tunis Van Nuys and the deeds recorded in the respective Shelby and Henry Co. courthouses. Before 1840 all the Low Dutch Company land had been sold to private owners. Sadly, Henry Banta's 1780 dream of a Dutch community in Kentucky had suffered the same fate as Conewago years earlier. === ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to DUTCH-COLONIES-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message

Love Montfort was born at Shakertown, her mother was expecting her before they went there. Donna ----- Original Message ----- From: "Barbara Terhune" <batcave@695online.com> To: <dutch-colonies@rootsweb.com>; <kymercer@rootsweb.com> Sent: Tuesday, May 15, 2007 10:41 AM Subject: Re: [DUTCH-COLONIES] Kentucky Migration Barbara, Donna, Judy and any others interested in this topic, Below is a copy of Chapter III in the book we are preparing, "West of the Salt", about early Dutch settlers of Mercer Co., KY . It should be noted that the two groups led by Hendrick Banta and Sam Durie had no intention of settling in Mercer Co. They had planned to settle in the vicinity of Boonesborough., about 10 miles south of present-day Lexington, KY (Fayette Co.) However, they were driven to Fort Harrod (in Mercer Co.) by desperation and necessity after devastating Indian attacks. Fort Harrod was the "Gibralter" of the frontier, heavily fortified and surrounded by a number of "stations" that served as early warning systems against Indian raiding parties. Fort Harrod was never breached. For further enlightenment on these families and their ordeal we recommend Vincent Akers' study of the Low Dutch Company, published in "De Halve Maen" Vol. LV, No. 2, Summer 1980; the Banta family history, "Banta Pioneers"; and Rev. Demarest's, "History of the Low Dutch Colony of Conewago", published in local newspapers circa 1889. Barbara and Paul Terhune Chapter III Dutch Migration into Kentucky and The Low Dutch Company Settlement As the Revolutionary War progressed during the 1770s, the Dutch settlers at Conewago and Virginia began hearing stories of the Kentucky frontier. The Transylvania Co. had spread stories of the wonders of Kentucky to induce sales of land; and Harrod's Station and Boonesborough settlements started becoming well known. The Dutch were intrigued at the idea of the availability of cheap, fertile land supposedly being in Kentucky. They started to plan for a communal settlement on a huge land purchase that would accommodate their visceral need to preserve their Dutch culture and lifestyle. To that end, they decided to send an experienced Dutchman to determine the suitability of the land for settlement. In the spring of 1779, Samuel Duree left the Virginia area in the company of a party of other men, none Dutch, and traveled down the Wilderness Trail through the Cumberland Gap to Boonesborough. Despite the constant threat of Indian attack, the men traveled in the vicinity and made land claims. The claims (i.e. "improvements" in the vernacular of the day) were several miles south of Boonesborough and a few miles east of present-day Richmond. Duree's claims were on a creek at a location he deemed suitable for a water-driven mill. The men stayed the summer at Boonesborough and returned in the fall to their home settlements in the east. Samuel Duree's report to the Conewago Dutch must have satisfied them, for they prepared for a mass migration to Kentucky the following spring. In the late winter of 1780, Duree led a group of Dutch settlers up through the Cumberland Gap to White Oak Spring station which was near Boonesborough. The number of Dutch settlers was in the order of 30 and included Dutch families of Duree, Banta and Voris. Meanwhile, Hendrick Banta led a much larger group of Dutch settlers in the winter of 1779 to Fort Pitt (now Pittsburgh). The number of Dutch is estimated to be at least 75, but many were young children. In the spring of 1780, the group departed Fort Pitt and made their way down the Ohio River on flat-boats to the falls of the Ohio, now the location of Louisville. This was the largest group of Dutch migrants to Kentucky although smaller groups would follow in later years. Again, the usual Dutch families were prominent in this group - Van Arsdall, Demaree, Voris and Banta, to name a few. The Dutch settlers at Louisville proceeded to build a "station" on rented land near an existing station. "Station" was a term of the times, describing a group of fortified cabins, perhaps enclosed in a stockade. The renting of land was common and cheap since the renter had to clear the trees and brush, hence improving the land for the landlord. This land was south of the Falls on what was then (and still is) called Beargrass Creek. These Louisville settlers elected to remain there in 1780 and raise crops with the intention being to proceed to Boonesborough the following year. A few of the settlers became impatient and left for Boonesborough with their families. That was a tragic error. Indian raiding parties were in the area near the Ohio River, particularly along travel routes. They ambushed these families, killing several and capturing others. Only a few survivors made their way back to the station at Beargrass Creek. In June 1780, Ruddle's and Martin's Forts in Kentucky were attacked and captured by British-led Indians. In retaliation, George Rogers Clark led an expedition into Ohio and destroyed a number of Indian villages and their supplies. Several of the young Dutchmen volunteered to serve in this campaign as well as in the militia defending against Indians. A few were captured by Indians and sold to the British. They eventually escaped and made their way back to Kentucky. In the spring of 1781 a group of Dutchmen from the Beargrass station traveled to White Oak Spring near Boonesborough. This group was primarily Bantas, Durees and Voris. They spent several weeks building cabins at the Samuel Duree claim, then returned to Boonesborough. A few returned to the cabins and were killed by Indians. Later that year other Dutch settlers were killed near Boonesborough and near present day Richmond. Discouraged, the settlers returned to the Beargrass station and made no further attempts to settle around Boonesborough. Later that year, many (but not all) of the Dutch families moved from the Beargrass station to Mercer Co., KY where they built the second Low Dutch Station. This station was built a few miles southeast of Harrodsburg on land rented from James Harrod and near his station. They were soon joined by the remaining Dutch from the Boonesborough area. It was clear that establishing a colony in that area was impossible. However, the Dutch were not to be dissuaded from their concept of a huge communal common tract of land. They regarded their sojourn in Mercer Co as temporary and not a single Dutchman bought land locally in those days. As time passed and more Dutch migrants arrived, some went to other stations such as the McAfee station a few miles north of Harrodsburg. Squire Boone, the brother of Daniel Boone, had established a station in what is now Shelby County in 1780. By 1781 a number of Dutch families from the Beargrass station , about 30 miles away, had joined him. Boone was wounded by Indians in the spring of 1781; and continuing Indian activity led to a decision to abandon the station and return to the Beargrass station. Although escorted by a militia from Beargrass, they were attacked and several were killed. The dead included several Demarees and a Riker. This became known as the "Long Run Massacre." Settlement in the Shelby County area had also become untenable. By 1783 the Dutch around Harrodsburg were in a quandary; the lands in Shelby and around Boonesborough were too dangerous and the local land had already been claimed. There was no large tract of farmland that they could afford to buy. In desperation, they sent a letter to the Continental Congress signed by 46 Dutch heads of families in Kentucky and 105 "intended friends" who were still in Conewago or New Jersey, but intended to settle in KY later. The letter reads in part: "To the Honourable President and Delegates of the Free United States of America in Congress Assembled:... "That in the Spring of the Year 1780 they moved to Kentuckey (sic) with their families and effects with a view and expectation to procure a Tract of Land to enable them to settle together in a body... "...most of all the Tillable Land has been Located and monopolised by persons that had the advantage of ...being acquainted with the country... "Your Petitioners therefore humbly pray, (in behalf of themselves and other intended settlers of that persuasion) the Honourable Congress would indulge them with a grant of a Tract or Territory of Land in Kentuckey settlement..." The Congressional reply was that it would be improper to make any western land grants. The Dutch settlers were on their own. Some Dutch at Beargrass station continued to make forays into Shelby County near Boone station and a few claimed some land. However, they were always forced back to Beargrass by Indian attacks. In 1782, Boone obtained a Virginia warrant for 12,000 acres in Shelby and Henry Counties, part of which overlapped other claims. By 1786 the other claims had been settled and a final survey was made. The land purchased from Boone together with other purchases totaled about 8500 acres with a total price of about £1835. The Dutch selected Abraham Banta as their agent to buy the property. The deal was consummated on March 13, 1786 and the Dutch immediately met at Harrodsburg to sign what they referred to as an "Article of Agreement." This document formed what was referred to as the "Low Dutch Company." This document was very significant to the Dutch colony. While it was signed by only 36 heads of families, it was generally agreed upon by all. In addition to specifying the terms and conditions of the land purchase, it also specified the social mores of the Dutch who would occupy it. It called for the building of a church and the selection of a Dutch Reformed minister. Perhaps more significantly, it called for the teaching of the Dutch language to the children and for sharing the costs relating to said minister and in purchasing and maintaining the land. It represented the true intent of the Dutch to stand apart from the surrounding Anglo community and pursue a communal life. The Dutch immediately started to move to their new tract of land. A nearby station, Ketchoms, was employed as a base from which to operate. Work had hardly begun when severe Indian attacks started in the area. Several Dutch families were killed and the situation became hopeless. They were forced to retreat yet again to the relative safe area of Harrodsburg. A few Dutch made sporadic attempts to settle in the area over the next few years, but further killings continued. It would be ten years before the Low Dutch tract could be safely settled. One might wonder why the Dutch would have tried such a perilous venture. They were unhappy living in cramped quarters in the Mercer County stations. They had no church or minister; and no land of their own. Perhaps they did not recognize the full extent of the Indian threat or put their trust in God to protect them. In any event, they were simple farmers, not experienced Indian fighters, who sought merely to live in peace and to be left alone. By around 1796, the Dutch were finally able to move into their settlement in Shelby and Henry Counties. The land was divided into mostly 200 acre tracts per family. Obviously the acreage obtained would only accommodate about 40 families. However many Dutch bought land in the surrounding area. Their tract was located at what is now Pleasantville, KY. See Figure ____. It was originally known as "Bantatown". At last they could have their Dutch Reformed Church and they did! It was called the "6 Mile" church. In 1795 the Dutch Reformed Church of New York sent a missionary to Harrodsburg to organize a church. He was Peter Labaugh and he spent several months in this endeavor. However, Kentucky was too far to send a Dutch Reformed preacher and the settlers at "6 Mile", as well as Harrodsburg had to settle for Presbyterian preachers. The Presbyterian Church was also Calvinist and hence they shared many common beliefs. Of course, the Dutch language was not used, nor were other Dutch customs. Eventually the Dutch aligned themselves with this church and the congregation at "6 Mile" was served by the Rev. Archibald Cameron for many years. The first elders of the church were Albert Voorhees, Peter Banta and George List. Shortly after 1800, there was a great religious schism sometimes referred to as the "Great Awakening." Campground meetings of 10,000 or more people occurred. A New England sect, the Shakers, sent missionaries to Kentucky. A number of Dutch, especially Bantas were converted and gave their land to join the Shakers. Elisha Thomas gave his property to the Shakers which was the start of their colony a few miles west of Harrodsburg. To join, all property had to be converted to the church and the convert's life was totally communal. Further, there was no marriage allowed and all were celibate. Perhaps some of the Dutch were attracted to this church because of their extreme communal life. Counting children and grandchildren, 36 Bantas alone were eventually buried at Shakertown (now Pleasant Hill). The "mainstream" Dutch at 6-Mile Church were not happy with these defections from their church. The numbers of Dutch converting to Shakers was probably the beginning of the end of the Low Dutch Company. By 1817, a number of Dutch families began moving to Johnson and Switzerland Counties, Indiana. The Indian threat was now gone and the land was cheap, $1.25 per acre. This movement continued for the next twenty years. The Shelby and Henry County lands had to be converted from communal ownership to private owners. The final trustees during the land conversion were George Bergen and Tunis Van Nuys and the deeds recorded in the respective Shelby and Henry Co. courthouses. Before 1840 all the Low Dutch Company land had been sold to private owners. Sadly, Henry Banta's 1780 dream of a Dutch community in Kentucky had suffered the same fate as Conewago years earlier. === ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to DUTCH-COLONIES-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message

Paragraph: By around 1796, the Dutch were finally able to move: Their tract was located at what is now PLEASUREVILLE, not Pleasantville. (I live close by and John Calvin Montfort is buried very close to Pleasureville. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Barbara Terhune" <batcave@695online.com> To: <dutch-colonies@rootsweb.com>; <kymercer@rootsweb.com> Sent: Tuesday, May 15, 2007 10:41 AM Subject: Re: [DUTCH-COLONIES] Kentucky Migration Barbara, Donna, Judy and any others interested in this topic, Below is a copy of Chapter III in the book we are preparing, "West of the Salt", about early Dutch settlers of Mercer Co., KY . It should be noted that the two groups led by Hendrick Banta and Sam Durie had no intention of settling in Mercer Co. They had planned to settle in the vicinity of Boonesborough., about 10 miles south of present-day Lexington, KY (Fayette Co.) However, they were driven to Fort Harrod (in Mercer Co.) by desperation and necessity after devastating Indian attacks. Fort Harrod was the "Gibralter" of the frontier, heavily fortified and surrounded by a number of "stations" that served as early warning systems against Indian raiding parties. Fort Harrod was never breached. For further enlightenment on these families and their ordeal we recommend Vincent Akers' study of the Low Dutch Company, published in "De Halve Maen" Vol. LV, No. 2, Summer 1980; the Banta family history, "Banta Pioneers"; and Rev. Demarest's, "History of the Low Dutch Colony of Conewago", published in local newspapers circa 1889. Barbara and Paul Terhune Chapter III Dutch Migration into Kentucky and The Low Dutch Company Settlement As the Revolutionary War progressed during the 1770s, the Dutch settlers at Conewago and Virginia began hearing stories of the Kentucky frontier. The Transylvania Co. had spread stories of the wonders of Kentucky to induce sales of land; and Harrod's Station and Boonesborough settlements started becoming well known. The Dutch were intrigued at the idea of the availability of cheap, fertile land supposedly being in Kentucky. They started to plan for a communal settlement on a huge land purchase that would accommodate their visceral need to preserve their Dutch culture and lifestyle. To that end, they decided to send an experienced Dutchman to determine the suitability of the land for settlement. In the spring of 1779, Samuel Duree left the Virginia area in the company of a party of other men, none Dutch, and traveled down the Wilderness Trail through the Cumberland Gap to Boonesborough. Despite the constant threat of Indian attack, the men traveled in the vicinity and made land claims. The claims (i.e. "improvements" in the vernacular of the day) were several miles south of Boonesborough and a few miles east of present-day Richmond. Duree's claims were on a creek at a location he deemed suitable for a water-driven mill. The men stayed the summer at Boonesborough and returned in the fall to their home settlements in the east. Samuel Duree's report to the Conewago Dutch must have satisfied them, for they prepared for a mass migration to Kentucky the following spring. In the late winter of 1780, Duree led a group of Dutch settlers up through the Cumberland Gap to White Oak Spring station which was near Boonesborough. The number of Dutch settlers was in the order of 30 and included Dutch families of Duree, Banta and Voris. Meanwhile, Hendrick Banta led a much larger group of Dutch settlers in the winter of 1779 to Fort Pitt (now Pittsburgh). The number of Dutch is estimated to be at least 75, but many were young children. In the spring of 1780, the group departed Fort Pitt and made their way down the Ohio River on flat-boats to the falls of the Ohio, now the location of Louisville. This was the largest group of Dutch migrants to Kentucky although smaller groups would follow in later years. Again, the usual Dutch families were prominent in this group - Van Arsdall, Demaree, Voris and Banta, to name a few. The Dutch settlers at Louisville proceeded to build a "station" on rented land near an existing station. "Station" was a term of the times, describing a group of fortified cabins, perhaps enclosed in a stockade. The renting of land was common and cheap since the renter had to clear the trees and brush, hence improving the land for the landlord. This land was south of the Falls on what was then (and still is) called Beargrass Creek. These Louisville settlers elected to remain there in 1780 and raise crops with the intention being to proceed to Boonesborough the following year. A few of the settlers became impatient and left for Boonesborough with their families. That was a tragic error. Indian raiding parties were in the area near the Ohio River, particularly along travel routes. They ambushed these families, killing several and capturing others. Only a few survivors made their way back to the station at Beargrass Creek. In June 1780, Ruddle's and Martin's Forts in Kentucky were attacked and captured by British-led Indians. In retaliation, George Rogers Clark led an expedition into Ohio and destroyed a number of Indian villages and their supplies. Several of the young Dutchmen volunteered to serve in this campaign as well as in the militia defending against Indians. A few were captured by Indians and sold to the British. They eventually escaped and made their way back to Kentucky. In the spring of 1781 a group of Dutchmen from the Beargrass station traveled to White Oak Spring near Boonesborough. This group was primarily Bantas, Durees and Voris. They spent several weeks building cabins at the Samuel Duree claim, then returned to Boonesborough. A few returned to the cabins and were killed by Indians. Later that year other Dutch settlers were killed near Boonesborough and near present day Richmond. Discouraged, the settlers returned to the Beargrass station and made no further attempts to settle around Boonesborough. Later that year, many (but not all) of the Dutch families moved from the Beargrass station to Mercer Co., KY where they built the second Low Dutch Station. This station was built a few miles southeast of Harrodsburg on land rented from James Harrod and near his station. They were soon joined by the remaining Dutch from the Boonesborough area. It was clear that establishing a colony in that area was impossible. However, the Dutch were not to be dissuaded from their concept of a huge communal common tract of land. They regarded their sojourn in Mercer Co as temporary and not a single Dutchman bought land locally in those days. As time passed and more Dutch migrants arrived, some went to other stations such as the McAfee station a few miles north of Harrodsburg. Squire Boone, the brother of Daniel Boone, had established a station in what is now Shelby County in 1780. By 1781 a number of Dutch families from the Beargrass station , about 30 miles away, had joined him. Boone was wounded by Indians in the spring of 1781; and continuing Indian activity led to a decision to abandon the station and return to the Beargrass station. Although escorted by a militia from Beargrass, they were attacked and several were killed. The dead included several Demarees and a Riker. This became known as the "Long Run Massacre." Settlement in the Shelby County area had also become untenable. By 1783 the Dutch around Harrodsburg were in a quandary; the lands in Shelby and around Boonesborough were too dangerous and the local land had already been claimed. There was no large tract of farmland that they could afford to buy. In desperation, they sent a letter to the Continental Congress signed by 46 Dutch heads of families in Kentucky and 105 "intended friends" who were still in Conewago or New Jersey, but intended to settle in KY later. The letter reads in part: "To the Honourable President and Delegates of the Free United States of America in Congress Assembled:... "That in the Spring of the Year 1780 they moved to Kentuckey (sic) with their families and effects with a view and expectation to procure a Tract of Land to enable them to settle together in a body... "...most of all the Tillable Land has been Located and monopolised by persons that had the advantage of ...being acquainted with the country... "Your Petitioners therefore humbly pray, (in behalf of themselves and other intended settlers of that persuasion) the Honourable Congress would indulge them with a grant of a Tract or Territory of Land in Kentuckey settlement..." The Congressional reply was that it would be improper to make any western land grants. The Dutch settlers were on their own. Some Dutch at Beargrass station continued to make forays into Shelby County near Boone station and a few claimed some land. However, they were always forced back to Beargrass by Indian attacks. In 1782, Boone obtained a Virginia warrant for 12,000 acres in Shelby and Henry Counties, part of which overlapped other claims. By 1786 the other claims had been settled and a final survey was made. The land purchased from Boone together with other purchases totaled about 8500 acres with a total price of about £1835. The Dutch selected Abraham Banta as their agent to buy the property. The deal was consummated on March 13, 1786 and the Dutch immediately met at Harrodsburg to sign what they referred to as an "Article of Agreement." This document formed what was referred to as the "Low Dutch Company." This document was very significant to the Dutch colony. While it was signed by only 36 heads of families, it was generally agreed upon by all. In addition to specifying the terms and conditions of the land purchase, it also specified the social mores of the Dutch who would occupy it. It called for the building of a church and the selection of a Dutch Reformed minister. Perhaps more significantly, it called for the teaching of the Dutch language to the children and for sharing the costs relating to said minister and in purchasing and maintaining the land. It represented the true intent of the Dutch to stand apart from the surrounding Anglo community and pursue a communal life. The Dutch immediately started to move to their new tract of land. A nearby station, Ketchoms, was employed as a base from which to operate. Work had hardly begun when severe Indian attacks started in the area. Several Dutch families were killed and the situation became hopeless. They were forced to retreat yet again to the relative safe area of Harrodsburg. A few Dutch made sporadic attempts to settle in the area over the next few years, but further killings continued. It would be ten years before the Low Dutch tract could be safely settled. One might wonder why the Dutch would have tried such a perilous venture. They were unhappy living in cramped quarters in the Mercer County stations. They had no church or minister; and no land of their own. Perhaps they did not recognize the full extent of the Indian threat or put their trust in God to protect them. In any event, they were simple farmers, not experienced Indian fighters, who sought merely to live in peace and to be left alone. By around 1796, the Dutch were finally able to move into their settlement in Shelby and Henry Counties. The land was divided into mostly 200 acre tracts per family. Obviously the acreage obtained would only accommodate about 40 families. However many Dutch bought land in the surrounding area. Their tract was located at what is now Pleasantville, KY. See Figure ____. It was originally known as "Bantatown". At last they could have their Dutch Reformed Church and they did! It was called the "6 Mile" church. In 1795 the Dutch Reformed Church of New York sent a missionary to Harrodsburg to organize a church. He was Peter Labaugh and he spent several months in this endeavor. However, Kentucky was too far to send a Dutch Reformed preacher and the settlers at "6 Mile", as well as Harrodsburg had to settle for Presbyterian preachers. The Presbyterian Church was also Calvinist and hence they shared many common beliefs. Of course, the Dutch language was not used, nor were other Dutch customs. Eventually the Dutch aligned themselves with this church and the congregation at "6 Mile" was served by the Rev. Archibald Cameron for many years. The first elders of the church were Albert Voorhees, Peter Banta and George List. Shortly after 1800, there was a great religious schism sometimes referred to as the "Great Awakening." Campground meetings of 10,000 or more people occurred. A New England sect, the Shakers, sent missionaries to Kentucky. A number of Dutch, especially Bantas were converted and gave their land to join the Shakers. Elisha Thomas gave his property to the Shakers which was the start of their colony a few miles west of Harrodsburg. To join, all property had to be converted to the church and the convert's life was totally communal. Further, there was no marriage allowed and all were celibate. Perhaps some of the Dutch were attracted to this church because of their extreme communal life. Counting children and grandchildren, 36 Bantas alone were eventually buried at Shakertown (now Pleasant Hill). The "mainstream" Dutch at 6-Mile Church were not happy with these defections from their church. The numbers of Dutch converting to Shakers was probably the beginning of the end of the Low Dutch Company. By 1817, a number of Dutch families began moving to Johnson and Switzerland Counties, Indiana. The Indian threat was now gone and the land was cheap, $1.25 per acre. This movement continued for the next twenty years. The Shelby and Henry County lands had to be converted from communal ownership to private owners. The final trustees during the land conversion were George Bergen and Tunis Van Nuys and the deeds recorded in the respective Shelby and Henry Co. courthouses. Before 1840 all the Low Dutch Company land had been sold to private owners. Sadly, Henry Banta's 1780 dream of a Dutch community in Kentucky had suffered the same fate as Conewago years earlier. === ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to DUTCH-COLONIES-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message