HI Cousins, Here is one story regarding Thomas Kilgore from 'The History of Robertson Co. Tenn. Enjoy...Jodi Most of Tennessee was hunting-ground for these groups before the white settlers arrived. Most permanent Cherokee settlements were in eastern Tennessee near the Tennessee and Holston Rivers. Permanent Chickasaw settlements were in northern Mississippi and western Tennessee, the Choctaws had permanent settlements in northeastern Mississippi and southwestern Tennessee, and the Creeks lived primarily in Alabama. By 1776, most Native American tribes in the area had decided to reclaim their land - now occupied by white settlers. The first known white settler in Robertson County was Thomas Kilgore who, in 1778, built a fort on the banks of the Red River near present-day Cross Plains. It is believed that Ezekiel Polk, grandfather of President James Knox Polk, settled on Sulphur Fork Creek, near the Red River, about two years later. Native American hostility was so great that he remained less than a year. Albert Virgil Goodpasture relates the following detailed account of Thomas Kilgore's early settlement: "The first settlement in Robertson County {The facts in regard to Kilgore's settlement were condensed from the articles written by Dr. J.S. Mulloy, for the Springfield Record} was made by Thomas Kilgore on the waters of the Middle Fork of Red River, three-fourths of a mile west of Cross Plains. The Legislature of North Carolina passed a preemption law securing to settlers of Tennessee 640 acres of land, provided the settlement was made prior to 1780. "In the spring of 1778, Kilgore left North Carolina with some ammunition, some salt, and a few grains of corn. Traveling on foot, he passed through East Tennessee and plunged into the wilderness beyond. Guided alone by the sun and the North Star, he pushed on, seeing no white people until he reached Bledsoe's Lick, where he found a colony of six or eight families. After resting a few days, he went on some twenty-five miles west where he located. "As a safe hiding place from the Indians, he selected a cave a mile west of where Cross Plains now is. It had a bold stream of water running from it into the Middle Fork of Red River, and by wading through the stream he could enter the cave without leaving a trail. "In the spring of 1779, with a few families besides his own, he returned to the spot where he had passed the previous summer. A stockaded fort, "Kilgore's Station," was at once erected to protect them from the Indians. This fort was situated on a commanding eminence, about three-fourths of a mile from Cross Plains. Kilgore's Station, from that time for years, was a landmark in the overland emigration to Tennessee. Thomas Kilgore, after living half a century on the land which he had acquired by his heroics, died at the advanced age of one hundred and eight years." [1] A number of families settled in the area over the next few decades, including the Forts, Gunns, Gardners, Norfleets, Bells, Gooches, and others. During this time, "war parties" ravaged the early frontier - killing white settlers and burning their homes. Despite the signing of a peace treaty as early as 1777, the brunt of attacks on Robertson County's early settlers did not come until the early 1780's, when several renegade groups of Cherokees and Creeks formed what became known as the "Chickamauga Nation," whose purpose was to reclaim their land. -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Vickie Miller Sent: Sunday, July 13, 2008 7:36 AM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: [KILGORE] Long lived tough Kilgore Guy This is a version of the story of Thomas Kilgore who founded Kilgore Station in Robertson Co TN. He died in 1822. You'd find info about him in the Archives. It actually appears that it was his son, Thomas Kilgore born 1759 who fought in the Revolutionary War. Sincerely, Vickie ----- Original Message ----- From: D Rennow<mailto:[email protected]> To: Kilgore<mailto:[email protected]> Sent: Sunday, July 13, 2008 9:10 AM Subject: [KILGORE] Long lived tough Kilgore Guy Do any of you still have this story or know its location in the archives? OK I know I am pitiful but my brain just can't find squat yet. Cousin Dennie This basic story was posted many years ago. There is a story about one old Kilgore that was in his 70s during the American Revolution in the VA/NC area. Anyway after the war he traveled over the mountains to TN in order to claim some free land. He took a handful of corn with him. Once he arrived where he wanted to lay claim, he found a cave with a stream running out of it. He walked in the stream to get into the cave so no one would know he was living in there. He wintered over in the cave. Come spring he planted his corn. Finally he harvested them and walked back over the mountains to VA/NC to formalize his claim. Then he talked some of his friends and towns folks into making claims next to his. He put a trading post on his "last stop for 2,000 miles". Anyway he became rich. When he was 105 or so he was taking his gun for repairs. He died crossing the mountains. ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to [email protected]<mailto:[email protected]> 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 [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message