By now you may have figured it out, that I am a bit partial to Jessamine County. The family and I have moved to other parts of the state, several times. But my thoughts have never left Jessamine County. I usually end up following my thoughts and come back to the only home that I have ever known. Unlike you I have very few family ties to Jessamine. My father's people were from down in Tennessee, mothers folks were from up in the mountains of eastern Kentucky. On some old rainy day when you have nothing to do, punch this into your computer "Good Bakers Bad Bakers" and tell me what you think. I wrote this for a Virginia paper several years ago. Back to Jessamine County, and why I keep returning here. Jessamine County, was and still is the most important county, in Kentucky. Now, I must admit, even coming from me, that's a pretty broad statement. But, I can prove it to you. This is one of the smallest of the 120 counties in Kentucky. But, I bet you, we have more Revolutionary Soldiers buried here, per square inch than any other county in the state. This just didn't happen, there is a reason for this. The first white men, that we know of, entered what is now Jessamine County in July of 1774. These men would become later become, known as the Fincastle Surveyors. They were seeking out the best lands in Kentucky. When their attention turned to the central part of Kentucky, Jessamine was one of their prime targets. But, this is still not the main reason Jessamine became the most important county in Kentucky. It all had to do with the economy. When the early settler first came into Kentucky, he found some of the richest soil that he had ever lain eyes upon. The centuries of untamed growth, especially the cane, had produced a rich, black soil, that would grow almost anything the climate would permit. Only one problem. How are you going to sell your neighbor corn, went he is growing corn? How are you going to sell your neighbor tobacco when he is growing tobacco? How are you going to sell him pigs, when he is raising pig , and so on? There was no market, and no cash flow. Put yourself in that settlers shoes for just a moment. Here you sit, on your own 1500, 2000 acres, and maybe more. You have all the potentials of becoming a rich men. But, all you can do is grow enough to feed your family and live stock. Kentucky found it's self land locked. There were only two ways into Kentucky, down the Ohio River, or over the Wilderness Road. To carry your products back east to market was almost out of the question. A few tried, but the profit was so little it was hardly worth the effort. This all changed a few years after Lexington was formed. This little city just seemed to spring up in the middle of the wilderness for really no reason, maybe it was because it was centrally located. It was not near large streams of water. A wagon road was cut through from Maysville, or Limestone as it was called then. This road became known as the Limestone Road, or sometime Smith's Road. The main cross street in Lexington is still called Limestone today.. A few small dry good stores began to spring up in Lexington. The settlers now could buy products from back east. But, here was that old problem again. Little or no money. No cash flow. But, everything was about to change. A man by the name of General James Wilkerson came to town and opened up a dry goods store. Now, I am not going to start talking about Gen. Wilkerson, for he is a history book in it's self. Gen. Wilkerson and Arron Burr, were great buddies, and both had severed in the War, under Gen. Benedict Arnold. If that tells you anything about the man's character. Some historians shade him in good light, other hate him. But, one thing can be said about this man, he changed the direction of Kentucky, more any one man in it's history, up to the present time. Gen. Wilkerson got this bright idea, to build flatboats, load them with salted pork, tobacco, whisky, and other Kentucky products. He was going to take in down the Kentucky River, to New Orleans to market. Some folks must have though him out of his mind. In April of 1787, Gen. Wilkerson and his little band of boatman, gathered on the banks of the Kentucky River, where Frankfort it located today, and started on their long journey. I am sure there were well wishers gathered on the river bank that day. And if the truth was know, I bet some were thinking "What Fools". There are a lot of things that can be said about Gen. Wilkerson, but, being a fool was not one of them. He pulled if off, and carried back to Kentucky with him a hold pocket full of Spanish silver and gold. This could easily be compared and referred to as America's first Gold Rush. Within two, or three years, warehouses, boatyards, houses and even small town sprang up along the river. Everyone wanted to get their products to the river edge. This also called for more road, more ferries. That old Kentucky River seemed to come alive almost over night. What had been an obstacle before, was now a life line to success. Gen. Wilkerson and others soon realized that they needed a more centrally located place to head their operation. The found it here at the mouth of Hickman Creek in what was to become Jessamine County. Money started to flow into the state, as if there was no tomorrow, and here was little old Jessamine, right here in the middle of it all . Some of the folks here, who had just been barely scratching out a living, were becoming very rich men. I will give you a good example. There was a fellow living here who called himself John 2/9 Scott. He was very proud of the fact that he had came to Kentucky with only two shilling, and nine pennies in this pocket, and that he had turned that into a large fortune. If you look in the Jessamine County Courthouse today, you will find all kinds of papers signed by Mr. Scott. He always signed them John 2/9 Scott. John 2/9, lived in a little stone house south of Nicholasville on US 27, the road was then called "The mouth of Hickman Trace". I was in his house several times before it was torn down. I got a picture of it. Will, that's my story. Did I prove my point? One other thing before I go. While I was writing this I happened to think of something. Many years ago when we first moved to Jessamine County, we lived near the mouth of Jessamine Creek. One day I was walking down on the river bank, near where some sort of a building once stood. I saw something glittering in the sun light and reached down and picked it up. It was part of a Spanish silver dollar. It was what is called a bit. To those who have never heard the term. In early Kentucky very few small coins were to be had. So if they needed change, you simply chopped the large coins into bits. Most of the time in six pieces. So, comes the term, Six-Bits. I often wonder if that little coin bit, had made it's way back to Kentucky from New Orleans. Some one asked me the other day about Martin's Boatyard. It was located at the mouth of Jessamine Creek, on that same river bank where I found that coin. Clyde ________________________________________________________________ GET INTERNET ACCESS FROM JUNO! Juno offers FREE or PREMIUM Internet access for less! Join Juno today! For your FREE software, visit: http://dl.www.juno.com/get/web/.