THE HISTORY OF ELIZABETHTOWN, KY By SAMUEL HAYCRAFT Written in 1869 Typed as published In the ELIZABETHTOWN NEWS March 8, 1989 Edition By Laura Frost Wright Having been requested by you to furnish my recollections of Elizabethtown, I cheerfully comply with your with your request. Although born in it seventy-four years ago, in order to furnish a history of the town and its founders I shall be compelled to draw a little upon tradition, running back to the fall of 1779. In order to give a just idea of the kind of men, their mode of life, &c; who first came to the valley in which the town is now is situated, (my father and mother being among the first, ) enables me to speak with some certainty, as I received it from them. Elizabethtown is situated in Hardin County, on the southern slope of Muldraughs Hill, Severn"s Valley creek, a branch of Nolin, which empties into green River. The town is ten miles south west of the Beech and Rolling Fork of Salt river, forty-two miles from Louisville, by the Louisville and Nashville railroad, and forty-five miles by way of the Louisville and Nashville turnpike road, and those two roads cross at right angles in Elizabethtown. The valley took its name from John Severns, an early adventurer, who being attracted by the beauty of the location, entered land, and gave the name to the creek and valley. The head waters of the valley creek, and Rawling"s fork each about three or four miles long, form a junction in the town, where it takes the name of Severn"s Valley Creek. This beautiful stream, in its course downward, is fed by Shaw's creek, Billy"s creek, East and West Rhode"s creeks, and by numerous never failing springs of limpid water, cool and refreshing. About eight miles below town it disembogues into the stream of the nolin. The whole stream is about twelve miles long. The valley through which it runs varies from two to seven miles wide. The greater part, particularly that portion surrounding the town, was oringinally a dense forest of heavy timber. Poplar, walnut, sugar maple, wild cherry, hackberry, gum,&c; and various other growths, and undergrowths of spice wood, leather wood, & c; indicating the richest soil. The greater portion of this beautiful and fertile valley was taken by JOHN SEVERNS, ANDREW HYNES, JACOB FUNK, CLAUDIUS PAUL RAGUET, OSBURN SPRIGGS, JOHN HANDLEY, JACOB HARRIS, and others not now remembered . It was then in Jefferson county, and belonged to the old mother of States, Virginia--afterwards it was divided and became Nelson county. On the 1st day of June, 1792, Kentucky was made a State by the consent of Virginia; and in 1793 Hardin county was founded, bounded by the Ohio river, Salt river, Rolling fork to Salt lick, striking across the hills to Green River, and down the river to the Ohio, embracing all the counties of Hardin, Meade, Breckenridge, Davies and Ohio, and the great parts of Hart, Grayson and part of Edmonson. About the fall of 1779 and winter of 1780, the early settlers were CAPTAIN THOMAS HELM, COLONEL ANDREW HELM and SAMUEL HAYCRAFT, each of these persons built fort with block houses. The forts were stockades, constructed of split timber---then deemed sufficient for defense against the Indian rifles. The sites were well selected, each on elevated ground, commanding springs of never failing and excellent water. The forts formed a triangle, equi-distant a mile apart. Captain HELM"S fort occupied the hill on which Governor HELM"S residence now stands. Colonel HYNES' was on the elevation now occupied by J.H. BRYAN, formerly by AMBROSE GEOGBEGAN, Sen; and for many years by JOHN H. GEOGBEGAN, Esq. HAYCRAFT"S fort was on the hill above the Cave spring in which the flesh of many a deer, buffalo and bear were preserved for use, as salt in those days were not to be had. There were no other settlements at that time between the falls of the Ohio and Green river. Those forts were subject to frequent attacks by the Indians. The report of a gun at either of these forts was the signal by which the other forts were warned of the danger and summoned to the aid of the beseiged fortress, which was promptly responded to. many were the inroads made by savages upon the infant settlements at that early period. Soon after a hardy set of adventurers came in and settled around the forts, consisting of the MILLERS, VERTREESES, VANMETERS, HARTS, SHAWS, DYES , & c, who assisted in repelling the attacks of the Indians. Many deeds of daring valor were performed by the sturdy pioneers. It cost some blood. HENRY HELM, son of old Captain THOMAS HELM, was killed; also DAN VERTREES, the honored grandfather of Judge W.D. VERTREES, our fellow citizen. DAN VERTREES was a stalwart young man of daring. He with the late Colonel NICHOLAS MILLER and others, were pursuing a band of Indians, MILLER, then young, was tall, slenderly built, as active as a cat, and as fleet as hind, and as brave as Julius Caesar. This company coming upon the Indians, suddenly, a desparate fight ensued, VERTREEs was killed at first fire. A stout warrior seized a white man, wrestled his gun from him and was about to cleve his head with an axe, MILLER at that moment, with a celerity of action which few men could equal, and with a power that few possessed---in the language of John Glenn " snatched the white man from the Indian as he would a chicken from a hawk," and with an equal rapid motion, killed the Indian. This turned the tide and the remaining Indiana fled, leaving several dead on the ground.LLFW MILES HART, while defending his domicile with an open door, springing from side to side, loading and firing, and keeping at bay a band of savages for a considerable length of time, was finally killed, and his wife and two children taken prisoners. It may not be uninteresting to note a circumstance showing the capability of endurance possessed by those early settlers. Mrs. ELIZABETH HART, the widow of MILES HART, was regarded as a very delicate woman for those days. She was enciente when taken a prisoner---in an advanced state. She was burdened with camp kettles and other Indian plunder, they crossed the Ohio river into the Northwestern territory. After journeying a few days, at nightfall, she was compelled to kindle the Indians fires, and then made to go aside and kindle a fire for herself, raking up as best as she could rubbish from under the snow, and there alone, unaided by the kind assistance known to civilized life, was delivered of a son . The squaws then show a little kindness in the morning , by giving her a little water in which a turkey had been boiled . Then cutting a block from a tree, they wrapped a piece of blanket around the new born infant, fastened it to the block, and laid the block upon her back with camp kettles, &c; amd pursued their way, and in the course of a day, waded a river waist deep, and yet strange to tell, she experienced no serious inconvenience but from hard usage and inhuman treatment, the child died at six months old. She lingered in captivity and wretched slavery for several years, until a trading Frenchman at detroit purchased her from the Indinas , and restored her to her relations. She afterwards married and raised a considerable family. BAILEY T. PRICE, Mrs. THOMAS TABB, and Mrs. JOHN TABB, are her grand children, and now live among us. Another instance to show the hardships of the people of those days. On the 25th day of December, 1780, the late BENJAMIN HELM, Esq; then a lad of fourteen years of age, (son of captain THOMAS HELM, ) walked barefooted to the falls of the Ohio (now Louisville) for meal or salt. Mr. HELM , afterwards, lived to an advanced age, over ninety years. He died some years ago, a wealthy and highly esteemed old gentleman , of the old school, having spent a life of sobriety, honesty and industry, having filled the offices of Circuit and County Court Clerks many years, and various other respectable stations, and was justly considered a benefactor in the community, built the Methodist Church here almost unaided and died a member of it--a true christian. _________________________________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com. Share information about yourself, create your own public profile at http://profiles.msn.com.