TIP# 271: ANOTHER LOOK AT ELLIOTT, FAYETTE AND FLEMING COUNTIES Again, these are taken from a speech from former Governor Louie Nunn at the Kentucky State Fair at an unknown date, most likely in the 1970's. ELLIOTT COUNTY, in the northeast part of Kentucky, became our 113th County in 1869. It was formed from Carter, Lawrence and Morgan Counties. John ELLIOTT, for whom Elliot County was named, was born in Scott County, Virginia, 1820. He practiced law with considerable success after being admitted to the bar in 1843. He became a legislator from Floyd, Pike, and Johnson Counties. He was expelled from his seat during the Civil War for giving aid to Confederate soldiers and afterwards worked for the cause of the South. He was elected a Circuit Court Judge. Elliott County is rich and picturesque, with much of its wealth realized from good grazing land, timber products and burley tobacco. The county is a great hunting ground for strange stones and flint hard pieces, known as kimberlite, datite and false rubies. At the mouth of Ison Creek, near Stevens, is an area in which explorers have hunted gems and minerals since 1885. Private explorations have currently been completed and there are claims of platinum in the lands. Experts suggest that diamonds may be buried deep in the geological formations, shaped like inverted cones, but none have ever been found. The county seat of Elliot, Sandy Hook, has the Little Sandy River to its north where there is exciting fishing. The Grayson Reservoir has been completed in parts of Carter and Elliott Counties. It covers 6,000 acres and will be developed for boating, fishing, and other outdoor recreation. In ESTILL COUNTY, a scenic section of Kentucky's land of natural bridges, you discover Sugartop Mountain and Happy Top Mountain overlooking beautiful valleys and sparkling waters. Estill County, the 50th of the state, was established in 1808 from parts of Madison and Clark Counties. History did not bypass Estill County in its exciting accounts of pioneer settlement. The county, named for the hero James ESTILL who fought in the Indian War of 1782, was a major center of Kentucky's bustling 19th-century iron industry. Remains of the old Fitchburg Furnace are still explored by visitors. When it was in operation, from about 1860 to 1872, it was one of the largest charcoal burning furnaces in the world. The county seat, Irvine, was named after another Indian War hero, William IRVINE, and has a beautiful location on the Kentucky River. In Irvine is the famous Estill Springs, which for many years served as the scene of reunions for the Kentucky Infantry, which a local military leader, a Colonel BARNES, had organized to fight in the Union Army. Irvine today is the center of farm lands and coal cleaning plants. Estill's eastern lands are within the vast Daniel BOONE National Forest, which offers vacationers marvelous hiking trails, picnic areas, and secluded campsites. The Red River flows between Estill and Clark Counties, and was a means of transporting Fitchburg Iron out of the county. Now, of course, the Red River is very much in the news as one of the hundreds of natural beauties our state is blessed with so abundantly. FAYETTE COUNTY is a combination of commerce, history, bluegrass, horse racing, education, wonderful people. Fayette was one of the three counties which comprised the whole district of Kentucky when we were part of Virginia. The Commonwealth of Virginia granted the name of Fayette to the district in honor of General Mortimer De Lafayette, the gallant Frenchman who was a champion of liberty to early Americans. Four other counties took some of their area from Fayette County, whose boundaries now lie in the middle of the state. Lexington, the county seat of Fayette, was known as the "Athens of the West" for it's early cultural developments. It's famous for its horse racing, which started in 1787. The first race track was built in 1798 and the Lexington Jockey Club, which held its first meeting in Henry CLAY's home, was organized in 1809. CLAY was one of the first American horse breeders to introduce the Arabian strain, using Stamboul, a noted Arabian horse, for his sire. One of the sportiest race tracks in America is Keeneland, at Lexington, which covers a land grant originally from Patrick HENRY. The Lexington Trotting Track ("The Big Red Mile"), on South Broadway, is known as the fastest trotting track and holds more world records than any other in America. The Bluegrass Region, of which Lexington is the center, comprises about 1200 square miles and has some of the most celebrated horse farms in the world. Visitors are welcome to visit them almost any day of the year. The Gratz Park area was named from the Benjamin GRATZ home, built in 1806. Here, also, is Hopemont, home of the Rebel raider, John Hunt MORGAN. In another section of town is Ashland, the estate where Henry CLAY built a home for his bride in 1811. CLAY named his English-style manor house after the estate's majestic ash trees, some of which were cut for the home'' interior woodwork. This gracious home was in the CLAY family for four generations before being opened to the public in 1950. The University of Kentucky was formed i 1865, and Transylvania College, the first institution of higher education west of the Alleghenies, was founded in Danville in 1783 and moved to Lexington in 1789. Two of its alumni were John Hunt MORGAN and Jefferson DAVIS. FLEMING COUNTY became our 26th county in 1798. It was formed from part of Mason County. The County seat, Flemingsburg, is rich in history. Both the town and the county were named for John FLEMING, a Virginian who came down the Ohio in a canoe to Maysville in 1787 with his half-brother, George STOCKTON. Both established towns. FLEMING died within seven years from a wound received in a skirmish with Indians at Battle Run. FLEMING's name lives on in the settlement he established, and his half-brother, STOCKTON, is remembered in a pioneer story of bravery and spirit. They say that, as an infant, STOCKTON had been kidnapped by Indians and had lived with them long enough to obtain a yearning for the wilderness land in Kentucky. In 1790, after he came into the area that is now Fleming County, STOCKTON and a companion left their establishment to hunt along Fox Creek and were attacked by two Indians while asleep. After killing STOCKTON, and wounding the companion, the Indians fled and BEECHUM, the companion, crawled fourteen miles to the fort. Friends of STOCKTON's establishment found his body, which had been guarded by his dog, and they buried it where it lay. Stockton Creek, in Fleming County, is named for him. Fleming County was the home of four Governors in the 19th century. Alvin SAUNDERS was the last Territorial Governor of Nebraska; Claiborne F. JACKSON was a Governor of Missouri in 1861. Willis A. GORMAN was the second Territorial Governor of Minnesota, and Richard M. BISHOP was Governor of Ohio. Fleming County is land with an enviable heritage and much beauty in its countryside - it's a proud part of our wonderful Commonwealth. (c) Copyright 9 December 1999, 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 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 GORIN FAMILY WEBSITE: http://www.myfamily.com/home/home.asp