TIP #475: THE EARLY INHABITANTS OF KENTUCKY The honorable John M McClung, a prominent lawyer at Maysville KY, and a noted Presbyterian minister, wrote an outline of the history of Kentucky in 1846. It was included in Collins' History of Kentucky, Volume 1. The following is the essence of Rev. McClung's writings. According to McClung, Kentucky was explored by the Anglo-Saxons about the middle of the 18th century. It was a hunting ground for the various Indian tribes with no permanent settlements by the tribes. There were Cherokees, Creeks and Catawbas to the south; the Shawnee, Delaware, Wyandots to the north. All were considered savage and didn't think very highly of the encroachment of the white man. However, it is thought that there were earlier residents in Kentucky due to the ruins found here. No one, at McClung's time had any idea of who these ancient peoples were but it appears that they were much more advanced that the Indian. Their tools, household utensils were far superior to the various tribes. They simply were here - they were gone. White man came in the person of Dr Walker in 1578, Finley in 1767 and Daniel Boone in 1769, Knox in 1770. Boone stayed two years in Kentucky and at the same time a party led by Colonel James Knox and his men called the Long Hunters. From all indications, they never met. Boone came from North Carolina; Knox's party was from the Holston on the Clinch River. Lands were offered to Virginians in the wilderness of Kentucky and surveyors were sent to survey the land. Catain Thomas Bullitt, in 1773, led a party of surveyors down the Ohio River to the Fall. Brothers James, George and Robert M'Afee from Virginia accompanied him as far as the mouth of the Kentucky River. In 1774, James Harrod built a log cabin where Harrodsburg now stands. Colonel Richard Henderson purchased from the Cherokees the whole country south of the Kentucky River. In 1775, noted pioneer Simon Kenton built a log cabin in what is now Mason County. In September of the same year, Daniel Boone's wife and daughters arrived along with Mrs. Denton, Mrs McGary and Mrs. Hogan, all settling in Harrodsburg. A mere 13 days later, Col Richard Callaway and two other unnamed men with their wives and children walked into Fort Boonesborough. In the spring of 1776, Colonel Benjamin Logan arrived with his wife and family at Logan's Fort, about a mile west of the present town of Sanford. That winter, Kentucky became Kentucky County, Virginia. In 1777, the first court of quarter sessions was held at Harrodsburg and was attended by Levi Todd who was it's sheriff and clerk. The court was composed of John Todd, John Floyd, Benjamin Logan, John Bowman and Richard Calloway. This was marked by an almost immediate Indian invasion which waged on for weeks. North Carolina sent in reinforcements; Virginia sent in a hundred or somen from Virginia. 1778 was marked by two military battles - first, the invasion of the country by an army of Indians and Canadians under the command of Captain DuQuesne, a Canadian officer; the other an expedition by Colonel George Rogers Clark against the English posts at Vincennes and Kaskakia.. The Revolutionary War was raging and most forgot the Kentucky County settlements. Manpower and supplies were more needed for the war effort than for some few struggling settlers in Kentucky County. 1779 brought several interesting events. In April, a blockhouse with little defense, was built by Robert Patterson - where Lexington KY now stands. Colonel Bowman carried out an unfortunate expedition against the Indian town of Chillicothe; and the land law of Kentucky was passed by the Virginia Legislature. Thus began many of Kentucky's problems. There was a radical defect in the law according to McClung since Virginia filed to provide for a general survey of the county at government expense. Instead, each possessor of a warn was allowed to locate where he pleased and was required to pay for their own survey. His entry was required to be so special and precise that each subsequent locator might recognize the land as already "taken up.". The precision required was too difficult for even Boone and Kenton; vague entries were just denied and declared null and void. This resulted in "unnumbered sorrows, lawsuits, and heart-rendering vexations." Then the inexperience of the Kentucky pioneers and hunters of the time, trying to cope with entries, survey, patents ... lands were piled on top of each other, overlapping and crossing other claims. At first the problem was not evident, but with the influx of new settlers, it became a nightmare. Due to the law being passed however, the settlers flowed into Kentucky in droves. Elk and buffalo hunters were replaced by the fierce "land hunters." They fought the Indians and of privations with gusto. By 1780, huge numbers of emigrants crowded into Kentucky to locate land warrants which spurred the Indians to fight back more aggressively. Indians and English, under the leadership of Colonel Bird, threatened Kentucky with total destruction. Cannons were used for the first time and brought into the forts. Ruddle's and Martin's stations were totally destroyed. By fall, Colonel Clark with his State troops settled in at Louisville, reinforced by very man he could round up. They invaded the Indian country in Ohio, defeated the Indians, wasted their villages, destroyed their corn fields. In the fall, Virginia divided Kentucky into three counties - Fayette, Lincoln and Jefferson. County courts were established with monthly sessions, quarterly sessions and many magistrates and constables. . In 1781, another large emigration occurred into Kentucky. Land speculators joined the crowed. The three counties operated in a state of constant alarm with Indian ambushes bursting out at many times. Many lives were lost but advancements were made. In 1782, the Indian raids were quite prolific. In May, twenty-five Wyandots invaded Kentucky and slaughtered at Estill's station. Captain Estill pursued them, overtook them and fought one of the bravest battles. Lieutenant Miller was at his side. Estill was killed by the Indians after a long battle. Later, a party of Wyandots, twenty warriors, met Captain Holder leading seventeen Kentuckians near the Upper Blue Licks and defeated him. Five hundred warriors attacked Bryan's Station in August but the fort held. Over 160 men finally assembled at the fort including Colonels Todd, Trigg and Daniel Boone; Majors Harlan, M'Bride and Levi Todd; Captains Bulder and Gordon and forty-five other commissioned officers including M'Gary. Many references can be found tot his battle. ** NOTE: Followup on Agriculture Census. This is what is shown: The KY Dept for Libraries does have these microfilmed: The State Library has census schedule microfilm from 1790 and 1810-1930 available for interlibrary loan. A maximum of 10 rolls may be checked out for a two-week period. Libraries that participate in OCLC GAC can request items using OCLC, ALA forms via U.S. Mail, fax/Ariel (on ALA forms), or by telephone (OCLC or mail follow-up). Questions about census microfilm and interlibrary loan should be directed to the State Library's Reference staff at (502) 564-8300, ext. 342, or use the Ask a Librarian email service. If you have questions about KDLA's census microfilm collection, call (502) 564-8300, ext. 346, or contact the Archives Research staff by email. To be continued. (c) Copyright 22 January 2004, Sandra K. Gorin. Colonel Sandi Gorin SCKY Links: http://www.public.asu.edu/~moore/Gorin.html SCKY surname registry sites: http://www.rootsweb.com/~kyclinto/reg.html http://www.rootsweb.com/~kyclinto/forms/SCKYreg.html Gorin Publishing: http://ggpublishing.tripod.com/