TIP #275: ANOTHER LOOK AT FLOYD, FRANKLIN, FULTON AND GALLATIN COUNTIES. I'm returning temporarily to a more contemporary look at our counties as presented in the 1960's or 1970's by former Governor Louie Nunn. While not as "historic" he mentioned many attractions and historical facts that have not been posted in the past. I will continue interspersing these with other research tips. FLOYD County, which became the 40th of our counties in 1800, was so large at the onset that 15 counties have been formed from its lands since then. Floyd, itself, was formed from Fleming, Mason and Montgomery Counties, it lies close to the Virginia line in Eastern Kentucky and was named in honor of Colonel John FLOYD, a Virginian and early surveyor of Kentucky. The mountainous surface of Floyd County abounds in coal. On the surface, its principal crops are corn, wheat, oats and flax. Floyd County's county seat, Prestonburg, lies between the Big Sandy River and the hills. This town, which grew from an early establishment known as PRESTON's campsite, is the oldest organized government center in the mountain regions of Kentucky. At Prestonburg is Jenny WILEY State Park. The oldest house in Prestonburg is the GARFIELD Home, which was the headquarters of General James A. GARFIELD during the Civil War. In the small town of David, in Floyd County, are the original salt springs discovered by Daniel BOONE in 1767. The spring served pioneers an Civil War troops. A most interesting story is told about a section called Little Floyd County. In a no-man's land surrounded by Pike County, 13 miles north of Pikeville and 19 miles south of Prestonburg, lie a thousand acres of land known as Little Floyd. Little Floyd is the creation of the 1845 legislature which honored Pandy R. STRATTON's plea to put his Pike County annexed lands back in the original Floyd County, and the land was legalized on paper. FRANKLIN COUNTY, which became our 19th county in 1795, was named in honor of the distinguished statesman Benjamin FRANKLIN. It is now the home of our state capitol, Frankfort. Frankfort was founded in 1786 and was made capitol in 1792 by the new formed Kentucky legislature in Lexington. High forested cliffs rise above the Kentucky River banks, in our capital, which also serves as the Franklin County seat. Before Frankfort was even settled, the place was called Frank's Ford in honor of Stephen FRANK, who was killed during a skirmish with Indians while camped near a ford on the Kentucky River. The State capitol, the Floral Clock, Daniel BOONE's grave in the Frankfort Cemetery - these are just some of the things to see in Frankfort. You can also visit the noble old State House (formerly the Capitol Building), where a flag of the Confederate States was flown during an occupation by Confederate troops in 1862. Our new capitol was dedicated in 1909 and is patterned after the nation's capitol in Washington. The Bedford stone structure is topped by a dome which rises 190 feet above the rotunda floor. A carillon peals out the hours from the roof of the capitol, and its bells play beautiful music at certain times of the day. Liberty Hall, one of the oldest Frankfort residences, was built in 1796 by one of Kentucky's first two United State Senators, John BROWN. It is in a fine state of preservation and is open to the public. A famous Kentucky tragedy that happened in Frankfort has been the subject of many renowned authors. Jeroboam BEAUCHAMP stabbed Colonel Solomon P SHARP to death in a house on Madison Street in November, 1825. BEAUCHAMP and his wife, Ann COOK, who had provoked BEAUCHAMP into the act, attempted suicide the night before BEAUCHAMP was to be executed. Ann died, but BEAUCHAMP was carried to the gallows and hanged. Their story was given wide publicity, and it found its way into Edgar Allan POE's "Politician" and Robert Penn WARREN's novel, "World Enough and Time." But Franklin County is a much more peaceful place now, and, besides being a center of state government, it has important industries including some of the nation's most famous distilleries. FULTON COUNTY. Color and beauty are two qualities that naturally belong to Fulton County. The county seat, Hickman, was first settled in 1818by James MILLS. It became an important shipping center for the river trade, and so charming a place that Mark TWAIN, in his life on the Mississippi, described it as one of the most beautiful towns on the river. Built on three levels of a great bluff, Hickman boasts a breathtaking view of the Mississippi River valley and the flat cotton-growing land to the south and west. Not far from Hickman lies Fulton, which has a twin, South Fulton, Tennessee, separated from it by the Kentucky-Tennessee line. Fulton's claim as banana capital of the nation is well founded. Shipped here from New Orleans and other gulf ports, the bananas are re-iced before being shipped across America. Every fall, the two Fultons stage an international banana festival, which includes a music fiesta, Latin American displays, and the selection of a Banana Princess. A most unusual geographical oddity is Fulton County's Kentucky Bend (Or Madrid Bend, as some call it), when the Mississippi River changed course in the New Madrid earthquakes of 1811-12, a horseshoe bend in the river was formed which completely isolates a part of Fulton County from the rest of Kentucky. You can get there from the main body of Fulton County only by crossing the Mississippi River twice or by coming up from Tennessee. It is impossible to get thee without leaving Kentucky soil. The town of Cayce is immortalized in the ballad, Casey JONES, whose hero came from Fulton County. It was here that Martin Luther JONES was born, and he began working for the railroad at the age of 17. Jones got his nickname from the town (pronounced Casey ... even though it's spelled differently), many years before he died with his hand on the throttle ... and took his farewell journey to the promised land, another in a long line of Kentucky folk heroes. GALLATIN COUNTY: Formed from Franklin and Shelby Counties, Gallatin became our 30th county in 1799. It was named for Albert GALLATIN, a Swiss native who became Secretary of the Treasury under President JEFFERSON. Visitors always enjoy the magnificent views of the Ohio River in northern Gallatin County. The county seat, Warsaw, was first called Fredericksburg. Fredericksburg was founded on the Ohio River about 1800, when pioneers landed eleven flatboats to establish a settlement. The boat timers were split and built into temporary cabins, which joined the homes of settlers who had already arrived through Cumberland Gap. (Those early pioneers had trekked all the way north from the southeastern border of Kentucky). In 1831, the name of Fredericksburg was changed and Warsaw was established as the county seat. Overlooking the river at the west end of Warsaw is old PAYNE Manor, a rambling Greek revival home built in 1850 by the son of a Revolutionary War officer, General John PAYNE. Markland Dam, 3 ½ miles downstream from Warsaw, on US42, was completed in 1963. The 1,416 foot dam is an important part of the Ohio navigation system and has 12 gates - each 42 feet high. The public is invited to use the recreational facilities that are provided at the dam. An observation platform overlooks the locks, and three ferries still operate near the dam. (c) Copyright 20 January 2000, Sandra K. Gorin, All Rights Reserved, sgorin@glasgow-ky-com. Colonel Sandi Gorin 205 Clements,Glasgow, KY 42141 (270) 651-9114 or E-fax (707)222-1210 Member Glasgow-Barren County Chamber of Commerce Gorin Genealogical Publishing: http://members.delphi.com/gorin1/index.html Barren Co Website: http://www.rootsweb.com/~kybarren/ TIPS: http://cgi.rootsweb.com/~genbbs/genbbs.cgi/USA/Ky/Tips KYBIOS: http://cgi.rootsweb.com/~genbbs/genbbs.cgi/USA/Ky/Bios ARCHIVES: http://searches.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/listsearch.pl