~~~thought interesting, so sharing....gives an idea of how our ancestors might have gone to Ky~~ BOONE'S TRACE: This ran through Bell County and as far as Flat Lick, along the same general route as the Wilderness Road. It entered into what is now Laurel County from the south, about 2 miles apart from the Wilderness Road - both trails touched at only two places, i.e., for a short distance at Racoon Springs and crossed at London. At this latter branch to Milford, the Wilderness Road crossed Boone's Trace at what is now Oakley in Laurel County and possibly again in Madison County. The wagon road was referred to as the Wilderness Road, the State Road or the Crab Orchard Road while Boone's Trace was just called that or "The Trace", plus in a couple of records the "old" Wilderness Road. Boone's Trace passed through Bell County, Knox County, Laurel County, Rockcastle County and Madison County, Ky. This was the trail blazed by Daniel Boone when he and his men entered into what is now Kentucky through the Cumberland Gap in March 1775. Boone used an existing Warrior's Path for the beginning of the trip, and Skagg's Trace from the Cumberland Gap into Kentucky. At Hazel Patch (current Laurel County), Boone left the old trails and formed a new one which proceeded north from there to the Rockcastle River - over the hillsides to Roundstone Creek in Rockcastle County. This passed what is now Berea to the east and near what was later named Boone's Blue Lick. They then crossed the Hayes and Hart forks of Silver Creek in Madison County to Taylor's Fork near Richmond. Boone established a little known fort here called Twitties Fort. They then went along Otter Creek to the Kentucky River and established the large fort at Boonesboro on 1 Apr 1775. BUTTERMILK ROAD: Named because farmers used to set crocks of buttermilk out for the travelers. Route: Henderson, KY to Dixon (Webster) KY, Madisonville in Hopkins Co; Hopkinsville in Christian Co; Clarksville in Montgomery Co TN, Cheatham Co TN, Nashville, TN. Followed an old Indian trail that ran between the Great Lakes and the Gulf of Mexico. CRAB ORCHARD ROAD: This trail opened in March 1797 according to Hathaway, by the State Legislature. The road ran from the neighborhood of Milford in Madison County; intersected with the original Wilderness Road at which is now Pittsburg in Laurel Conty; and the old road north of this intersection became generally known as the Crab Orchard Road. CUMBERLAND-OHIO FALLS TRAIL: This was an important trail during the pioneering period as it was the shortest and most easily traveled route from Nashville, Davidson Co, TN to the settlements at the Falls of the Ohio. It ran from Nashville to Russellville, Logan, KY; from there to Elizabethtown in Hardin County; to Shephardsville in Bullitt County and ended up in Louisville in Jefferson County. (Hathaway). The usage of this trail began approximately 1779 (possibly earlier). It took a branch west off the Wilderness Road near Logan's Station in Lincoln County, crossed the South Fork of the Rolling Fork River; passed thru a gap in the creeks and the Trace Fork of Pitman Creek in Taylor Conty. It then crossed the Green River at Pitman's Station in Green County, went across the "barrens", crossed the Barren River near McFadin's Station in Warren County; went southwest to the Cumberland Settlements near Nashville. James Robertson and his men used this rounte in driving cattle on their way to settle at the French Salt Lick on the Cumberland River in 1779-80. John Donelson, (co-founder of Nashville) was killed on this trail/trace in the mid 1780's. LUSK'S FERRY, LIVINGSTON COUNTY: This is opposite the present town of Golconda, IL, and was one of the two great crossing places on the Ohio for emigrants to the Illinois Territory. The road north of the river linked up with the old French military road from Fort Massac (or Massacre) which was on the Ohio River, to Kaskaskia, IL. MAYO TRAIL: This trail followed US Hwy 23 very closely. The route ran from Portsmouth, Sciota, OH, to South Portsmouth in Brethitt Co, KY. From there it went to Ashland in Boyd Co KY and on to Catlettsburg in Boyd Co. Then to Paintsville in Johnson Co KY to Prestonburg in Floyd Co. Then it went to Pikesville in Pike Co, ending at Norton in Wise County, VA. (Hathaway). This is a newer trail was completed in 1920. It was named for John Caldwell Calhoun Mayo, runs 250 miles. It was the principal thoroughfare into the interior of the mountains until the parkays and I-64 were completed. OLD LOUISVILLE TRACE: This followed closely with U.S. 60. It was the shortest route from Lexington to Louisville, running from Lexington in Fayettte County to Versailles in Woodford County. From there it went to Frankfort in Franklin County, on to Shelbyville in Shelby County; then to St. Matthews in Jefferson County. It ended at Louisville. POUND GAP: This was another gateway into Kentucky through the Cumberland Mountains. It wasn't used as much as the Cumberland Gap and was an entranceway into the Big Sandy Valley. It was called first the Sounding Gap because the rocky formation gave back a hollow sound. It is situated on the Virginia line about 20.5 miles west of Norton in Wise Co. VA. There is a road that passes through this Gap to Madison Co. SKAGG'S TRACE: This route left the Wilderness Road at Hazel Patch in Laurel County; crossed at Rockcastle Co KY and ended up at Crab Orchard in Lincoln Co. KY. (Hathaway). This was a hunter's trail leading from Flat Lick to the Dick's (Dix) River in Lincoln County, KY. It was named for Henry or Richard Skaggs who hunted here as early as 1769. The trace left the Warrior's Path at Flat Lick in Knox County, crossed Stinking Creek and went northwest along the west branch of Turkey Creek. It passed north of Barbourville, west along the Poplar Branch of Richland Creek, north across several branches of the Middle Fork, crossed Robinson Creek, passed Raccoon Spring, went to Laurel River on the Happy Hollow Branch. From there is passed the current town of London on the east, proceeded to the headwaters of the Hazel Patch Creek, down that creek to Rockcastle River, then down to Skeggs Creek. It then crossed Little Negro Creek, down Dick's River to Crab Orchard and Stanford. It is noted that more pioneers used Skagg's Trace than Boone's Trace. SMITH'S WAGON ROAD: By 1816 was a part of the national post road between Zanesville OH and Florence, AL. Route: Maysville in Mason Co to Nicholas Co KY, to Lexington in Fayette Co; to Jessamine Co; to Harrodsburg in Mercer Co; To Boyle Co KY; to Washington Co KY; to Bardstown in Nelson Co KY; to Hodgenville in Larue Co; to Hart Co KY; to Cave City in Barren Co; to Edmonson Co KY; to Bowling Green in Warrren Co; to Logan Co; to Todd County; to Christian Co; to Trigg Co; to Benton in Marshall Co and to Paducah in McCracken Co. WARRIOR'S PATH: Reference has been made many times to this path. On Filson's map of 1784, this is noted as one of the Indian roads which crossed Kentucky from north to south. It was known as "Athiamiowee", which meant "path of the armed ones." It was used by war parties traveling between the Shawnee in Ohio and the Cherokee in Tennessee. Simon Kenton, early KY pioneer noted that this paths were very distinctive in leading from one Indian community to another. They all had certain markings or blazes on them. The so-called "buffalo roads" lacked this identification. This path went north through the Cumberland and Pine Mountain Gaps, across the Cumberland River at what is now Pinesville, KY, along the east of the Cumberland to Flat Lick; to the Stinking Creek's headwaters, over the ridge to Goose Creek, north along Station Camp Creek, crossed Red River at the mouth of Lulbegrud Creek in Clark and Powell counties, near the old Shawnee village of Eskippakithiki. In northern KY it crossed the Licking River at the Upper Blue Licks and reached the Ohio River near Cabin Creek is Mason Co. ADDITIONAL NOTES: The Ohio River was used only certain times of the year as a gateway into Kentucky. The low-water state ran from August to October; shallow enough normally to ford it in several places above where Louisville (Falls of the Ohio) is located. The high waters ran normally from April to June and again in midwinter. "River runners" were advised to time their departures when the high water season was in, for safety from the Indians and they could reach their destinations quicker. Very little traveling was done during the high waters in winter. There were many other places used by the settlers as embarkation points on the Monongahela and Allegheny Rivers above Pittsburg. Olean, NY in Cattaraugus Co on the Monongahela was a favored spot. McKeesport, PA in Allegheny Co was another favorite spot. Wheeling, WV and Pittsburg were commonly used. The most important port on the Ohio was Limestone (now Maysvile) in Mason Co KY. The Falls of the Ohio (Louisville) and Yellowbanks (Owensboro) were also frequently used. [KYMONTGO-L] Ky. Trails by "Sharon Karns" <skarns3@cox.net> _________________________________________________________________ The new MSN 8: advanced junk mail protection and 2 months FREE* http://join.msn.com/?page=features/junkmail