TIP #300 - EARLY RIVER NAVIGATION IN KENTUCKY Again, this information is taken from Volume 2 of Collin's History of Kentucky. The first public ferries were established by the legislature of Virginia and included: 1. At the town of Boonesborough, Kentucky County, Virginia, across the Kentucky River. This opened in October 1779 and was under the jurisdiction of Col. Richard Callaway and his heirs as long as he so desired. 2. Across the Kentucky River at the mouth of Hickman's Creek, 1785, operated by James Hogan. 3. Across the Kentucky River at the mouth of Jack's Creek, 1785, operated by David Crews. 4. Across the Kentucky River at Stone Lick, from the land of Wm. Steele in Fayette County to the land of John Craig, Lincoln County, 1785. 5. Two ferries across the Ohio River from the lands of Col. John Campbell in Jefferson County, one to the mouth of Silver Creek and the other to the mouth of Mill run, 1785. 6. Across the Kentucky River from the lands of Gen. James Wilkinson, in the town of Frankfort, 1785. 7. Across the Kentucky River on the lands of John Curd at the mouth of Dick's River, where a town was established called New-Market, 1786. 8. Across the Cumberland River from the land of Joseph Martin to that of Wm. Hord, 1791. 9. Across the Kentucky River at the rope-walks, one mile above Frankfort, from the lands of Elijah Craig --this then called East Frankfort, 1798. Waterway laws in Kentucky was introduced to the Kentucky Legislature in 1792 with the establishment of a penalty of $2.00 for each 24 hours that any obstruction remained in a waterway that detered the passage of fish or boats - except if a dam was being built. In 1773, commissioners were appointed to rain money by subscriptions of money, labor or property which was to fund the clearing and opening of the South Fork of Licking from its mouth at Falmouth to the junction of Hinkston and Stoner, Stoner's Fork and up t the mouth of Strode's Creek. Many mills and mill dams were erected along this route. By 1794, mills and fish-dams (and other obstructions) in the Main Licking River and Slate creek were removed or the owners were penalized. The First Company chartered in Kentucky to improve navigation came December 19, 1801 and was known as the "Kentucky River Company." Stock was sold to raise the funds and the following bought shares: Franklin County - Christopher Greenup, Bennett Pemberton and Thos. Todd. Woodford County: Robert Alexander, Thos. Bullock, Wm. Steele Fayette County - Jas. Trotter, John Jordan, Thos. Wallace. Clark County -David Bullock, Robert Clark, Jr, Dillard Collins. Madison County - John Patrick, Jas. Barnett, John Wilkinson. Garrard County - John Harrison, Thos. Kennedy, Abner Baker. Mercer County - Gabriel Slaughter, Jas. Birney, Jas. Moore JessamineCounty - Wm. Price, Geo Walker, Benj. Bradshaw. Scott County - Wm. Henry, David Flournoy, Bartlett Collins. Lincoln County - Isaac Sheby, Wm. Logan, Wm. Whitney. Various other acts of Legislature covered the Red River, Green River, branches of the Green River (Mud River up to Wolf Lick fork, Pond River, Rough Creek, Drakes Creek in Warren County, mentions John Harris' mill in the latter). Surveys were taken on Rockcastle River, Cumberland River, Great South Fork of Cumberland River, South Fork of the Kentucky River, Goose Creek, Big Barren, Little River, Salt River, Falls of Salt River, Rolling Fork, Beech Fork, Little Sandy River, Big Sandy River, Licking River. An interstate canal was begun between Kentucky and Georgia under the leadership of Maj. R. P. Baker, first chief engineer of the State of Kentucky, 1835. The most complete chart I can find of the various ferries which were named for the owners/operators is the following: Ohio River: Anderson (Approximtely 7 miles from Cincinnati and 5 miles from Taylorsville, KY, Ford (about 2 miles from Weston and 3 miles from Cave-in-Rock Town) Licking River: Shaker (unknown); Clay (unknown but on the Middle Fork. Green River: Calhoun (26 miles from the mouth of the river), Clark (151 miles from the mouth, about 11 miles from Loganport). Cumberland River: Harmon (Crittenden Co), Peterson (3 miles down from last), Peterson (2 miles further), Ross (Livingston Co KY), Hosford (same), Marshall (Lyon Co), White (same), Hinson (same), Bradshaw (same), Dyker (same), Catlett (same), Boyd (same), Petty (same), Searey (Clarksville in Montgomery Co), Moseby (same), Baxter (same), Asie (same), Carey (Monroe Co), Neeley (Cumberland Co), Scott (same). This is NOT a complete list of course but those listed by Collins. (c) Copyright 13 July 2000, Sandra K. Gorin, All rights reserved, sgorin@glasgow-ky.com Col. Sandi Gorin, 205 Clements, Glasgow, KY 42141 (270) 651-9114 Member: Glasgow-Barren Co Chamber of Commerce Publishing: http://members.delphi.com/gorin1/index.html 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