Franklin County, Kentucky - Chapter 4, 1912

Chapter 4

In the year 1775, the Cherokee Indians sold to the Transylvania Company all of that part of Franklin County which lies south or west of the Kentucky river ; the purchase was made by the company through Daniel Boone as agent. There were no settlements made on that side of the river until about 1784, the first being by James Arnold who built a double log house opposite the mouth of Glenn's Creek. His land extended from the mouth of Little Benson, down the river to the mouth of Cedar Run. About the year 1790, John Cardwell settled on a tract of land located near where Blakemore's distillery now stands, and about the same time Basil Carlisle and Roddy Hawkins located in the same neighborhood and L. R. Major located near South Benson church and James Payne located in that section about the same time, and James Roberts in the following year. Prior to 1800, James Brewer, William Harrod, William Lewis, Thomas Brewer and several other parties located in the lower l»art of the county near Flat Creek.

In the year 1773, James, George and Robert McAfee, Samuel Adams, Hancock Taylor and Mathew Bracken came up the Kentucky river and crossed the river at Buffalo Crossing, at Leestown, and on the 16th day of July, they surveyed the present site of Frankfort, their survey including six hundred acres.

These parties described Buffalo Trace as being a hundred feet wide and the dust as being several inches deep; in some places the hoofs of the buffalos had worn the ground down several feet; this "Trace" was made by vast herds of buffaloes in traveling to and from the blue grass fields of Scott, Woodford and other parts of the blue grass country and Drennon Lick (Springs) in Henry County. This road crossed the river at Leestown, and it was so well marked and worn that it can be followed to this day ; in that early day it bore evidence of havin<^ been traveled for hundreds of years by thousands of bud'alocs in their search for salt. The trestle which the Frankfort and Cincinnati Railroad Company built across this trace is 156 feet high and 800 feet long; it is located a short distance east of Frankfort. Leestown, which was located about one mile below Franlifort, was begun with a cabin improvement a year or two prior to 1775 and it became a noted stopping place and camping ground for explorers.

In 1775 it was better established and other cabin im])rovements were added ; these were not in the form of a stockade defense, but rather for the transient use and convenience of emigrants and explorers who came in from Fort Pitt (Pittsburg) by way of the Ohio and Kentucky rivers; it wa.s also a resting place between Lexington and Louisville. The first maps of Kentucky, which are on file in the State Library, show that Leestown was of sufficient importance to be located, Avhile Frankfort was not placed on them.

Leestown is now only about one-half a mile below the present city limits of Frankfort. In 1776, several new houses were built and the town had prospects of becoming of considerable importance, but in the year 1777, on account of its exposed situation and the more, menacing attitude of the Indians, it was abandoned for nearly ten years.

In March, 1789, Rev. Jeddiah Morse, D. D. described Leestown as "west of Lexington on the eastern bank of the Kentucky river; it is regularly laid out and is flourishing. The banks of the Kentucky river are remarkably high, in some places 300 or 400 feet, composed generally of stupendous perpendicular rock. The consequence is there are few crossing places; the best is at Leestown which is a consideral)le circumstance that must contribute much to its importance." The expectations of this early day have never been realized ; at present there are two fine distilleries located there with several warehouses and cattle pens; there is also a hemp mill or twine factory which employs a large force of hands. It is run by one of the largest turbine wheels in this country; this wheel is operated by the water from the dam, made in the construction of lock number four. This factory is known as the Kentucky River Mills; the large manufacturing interests which have centered there, have necessarily built many residences and tenement houses in that locality.

From the formation of the ground, to the east and north of Frankfort, extending out the Owenton road and along this valley to Leestown there are many evidences that the Kentucky river, at some early period in its history, ran around to the east and north of Fort Hill in the place of being on the west side as it now runs. In the year 1883 the back-water from the Kentucky river extended up the Leestown branch to the back-water which ran up back of the Penitentiary, thus making an island of Fort Hill and its contiguous territory of several hundred acres. The time is not distant, when all of that section including Leestown, Thorn Hill, Fort Hill and the Noel farm will be included and become a part of Frankfort ; many residents of that section are now clamoring to become a part of the city in order that they may enjoy the benefits of the city schools, the water, the gas, sidewalks and other advantages of the city.

The act of the Virginia Legislature establishing the towni of Frankfort was entitled, ''An act for establishing a town on the lands of James Wilkinson, in Fayette county, and a ferry across Kentucky river." The act was passed in 1786 and it provided, "That one hundred acres of land in the county of Fayette, the property of James Wilkinson, which have been laid off into lots and streets, shall be vested in Caleb Wallace, Thomas Marshall, Joseph Crockett, John Fowler, Jr., John Craig, Robert Johnson and Benjamin Roberts, Gentleman, trustees, and shall 1)C established a town by the name of Frankfort. The said trustees or a majority of them shall within six months after passing of this act, sell at public auction all the Jots within the said town which have not been heretofore dispo-ed of by the said James Wilkinson, advertising the time and place of sale at the court house of the said county of Fayette, on two successive court days. The purchaser shall hold the said lots respectively subject to the condition of building on each, a dwelling house sixteen feet square Avith a brick or stone chimney, to be furnished fit for habitation within two years from the date of .><ale." The same act provides that a pul)Hc ferry shall be constantly kept across the Kentucky river from the lands of James Wilkinson in the town of Frankfort to the opposite shore, and fixed the rate or toll for men, horses, vehicles, etc.

The sale of lots, evidently did not meet the expectation of General Wilkinson, as he went back before the Legislature and had the above act amended, November 27, 1787, by providing that the further time of three years shall be allowed the said trustees to sell the lots in the said town. The records of the County Court of Fayette county, where the deeds to these lots were recorded, were destroyed by fire in the early part of the last century, and the destruction of these records destroyed all evidence as to whom the sale of these lots were made, but it is evident that nearly all of the lots were sold to the officers and soldiers of the standing army or to those whose time of enlistment had expired, a large majority of whom had served with General Wilkinson in the revolution. Nearly all, and perhaps all of the first trustees whose names were mentioned in the act establishing the town had been in the revolution and had served for several years under General Wilkinson. In the Kentucky Gazette of August 9, 1789, the following advertisement appears: ''Whereas, General Wilkinson, in the month of June, gave notice in the Kentucky Gazette that Major Dunn would receive bonds from the purchasers of lots at Frankfort, and that Captain Daniel Gano would, on Major Dunn's certificate, execute the conveyances agreeable to sale; this is therefore, to give notice to the purcha.^ers of said lots that Capt. Jolm Fowler will take the bonds and give the necessary certificates for the conveyance to Capt. Gano who will execute the deeds agreeable to the term of sale.

In the year 1791, the following act was pa.<scd : "Be it enacted by the General Assembly (of Virginia) that an inspection of tobacco shall be and the same is hereby established on the lands of James Wilkinson, at Frankfort, in the county of Woodford

2. ''There shall be allowed and paid annually to each of the inspectors at the said warehouse the sum of twenty-five pounds for their salary."

The streets of Frankfort which were laid off by the first trustees of the town and named by them, were nearly all named for Generals who had taken a prominent part in the Revolutionary war.

Wilkinson street which runs parallel with the river and adjacent thereto, was named for General Wilkinson, who had the town estaljlished and who was at that time Commander-in- Chief of the Western Division of the United States army. General James Wilkinson was born in Maryland in 1757; he was thirty years old wlien Frankfort was established; he had been a revolutionary soldier under Washington ; he w^as with Arnold and Burr, and held the position of Captain, on their expedition to Canada in the latter part of 1775 and the first part of 1776; he was afterwards on the staff of General Gates; in 1796, he became the Commander-in-Chief of the United States army. In 1805, he was made Governor of Louisiana; in 1811, he was court-martialed and charged with treason, in connection with Aaron Burr, but he was acquitted. Evidence was afterwards brought to light which would have convicted him. It has been shown that for several years prior to 1800 he received a pension from the Spanish Government; he was discharged from the United States army. In 1815 he went to ]\Iexico, where he had made large investments and died there in the year 1825. General Wilkinson, not only established Frankfort but he also did a great deal towards reclaiming the lower portions of the town from the swampy condition it was then in. The lower part of the town extending up some distance beyond the penitentiary was very low and swampy and was in such unhealthy condition that it was not habitable. He drained all of this section, with the labor of soldiers then under his command, during the years of 1795 and 1796. In view of what General Wilkinson had done for Frankfort the trustees

The next street parallel to Wilkinson, is Washington, which was named for General George A\'a.shington with whom General Wilkinson was on very intimate terms and under whom he and several members of the board of trustees had served during the revolutionary war. The next street parallel to Washington, is St. Clair, which was named for General Arthur St. Clair, who was born in Scotland in 1734; he served as Lieutenant under General Wolf, at Quebec, in 1759. On the plains of Abraham he seized the colors which had fallen from the hands of a dying soldier and bore them until victory had been won by the British; he was, again, on the plains of Abraham, but with the American forces, in 1776; he was an intimate friend of General Washington and was one of his most loved and trusted generals during the Revolution. He died in the year 1818.

The next and last street laid off parallel to St. Clair street running from the river to the hill was Ann Street, which was named for Mrs. Ann Wilkinson, the wife of General James Wilkinson, who was not only a very beautiful woman but who was also attractive, ''she was more popular with the ofliccrs and soldiers, than was her distinguished husband." There is a short street parallel to St. Clair, located on the west of the old State House, which is called Madison, in honor of James Madison, fourth president of the United States.

Wapping street runs cast and west, and (hough it too is parallel with the river, it is at right angles to A\'ilkinson street, the river makes a bend almost at right angles, nearly opposite the intersection of Wilkinson and Wapping streets.

The name Wapping was suggested by an Englishman who was visiting and prospecting at Lexington and Frankfort at that time and was so named for Wapping street, London, which was then known as the most beautiful residence street in the world.

which is now generally known as Main. Montgomery was named for General Richard Montgomery who was born in Ireland in 1736; he was commissioned an officer in the English Army but resigned his commission and came to America in 1773; he was appointed brigadier general by the Continental Congress in 1775, and was in command of the American forces, and fell in the attack on Quebec, December 31, 1775; his last words w^re ''men of New York, you will not fear to follow where your general leads."

The next street parallel to Montgomery or Main, is Broadway or Market; it is the widest street in the town and it was known in the early history of the town as Market street; the first market house was built in the middle of the street near the intersection with Ann, and was directly in front of what is now the Elk or Merriwether hotel.

The next street parallel to Broadway is Clinton, which was named for General George Clinton, who was the first Governor of New York, and was Vice President of the United States ; he was a general in the Continental army and was recognized as one of the staunchest of patriots and was one of the greatest men of that age.

The next street was called Mero, jiropcrly spelt ]\Iiro. This was the last street that was laid off at that time, and was named in honor of the Governor-general of the Spanish territory in America; at that time the gulf states and the Mississippi river were under the control and belonged to the Spanish government; Miro was in charge, and he granted to General Wilkinson some privileges of trade and the free use of the Mississippi river for the transportation of freight. Some twenty-five years later, General Wilkinson and other prominent Frankfort people were accused of entering into a conspiracy to transfer the territory of Kentucky over to Miro and the Spanish control.

The above named are the only streets which Avere laid off at the time the town was established ; since then the city limits have been extended several times and other streets have been opened and named, the chief of which are High, Hill and Holmes streets all of which were named for local reasons. Center street or alley was named by the first trustees of the town.

The History Of Ikaxklix Colntv

evidcMitly for the reason that it wa.s at that time the center of the residence and business portion of the town running from South to North; this street or alley is also called Long Lane Avenue, Petticoat Alley and Gas-house Alley, all of which names have been applied for local rcii^^ons.

Prior to 1800 there were no sidewalks in the town, and the streets were in l)ad condition. They were not macadamized for several years after that period, and there were but few carriages or other vehicles except log wagons. On November 28, 1790, there was a long article in the Palladium in reference to the improvement of the Kentucky river to its mouth; it was estimated that by an expense of $950,00 the river could Ije made navigable at all seasons, for boats drawing not more than fifteen inches. Prior to the improvement of the river, there was a large island in the river iiearlj^ opposite the mouth of Benson creek, which was known as ''Fish Trap" island. It was nine hundred yards long; the descent in this distance was sixty inches. The falls in the river between the mouth of Devil's Hollow and the point where lock number four is located was nearly seven feet. The main channel wavS on the west side of the island; a grist and saw mill was located on the east side near the lower end of the island. ^Ir. Zadoc Cramer described this mill as being, ''a saw and grist mill one mile below the town of Frankfort, in the river, which in low water, does a good deal of business, but it is not uncommon to see it completely covered by floods of the river, to withstand which it has no roof, is open on all sides, and is heavily loaded down on the corners and in the middle of the frame at top, with piles of stone."

On the lOth of November, 1739, Samuel & Lafou announced in the Gazette the opening of ''an elegant livery stable in Frankfort ; in addition to feeding horses they al.'^o take in horses to cure of almost all the ailments prevalent in the country, nick their ta,ils," etc.

The Palladium, a literary and political i)apcr M'a.s ])ul)- lished in Frankfort in 1798 In- Hunter & Beaumont. There are copies of this paper on file in the State Library commencing October 23, 1798, and continuing down to and including a copy of date Feb. 17, 1803. Humphrey Marshall also pub- lished a paper in Frankfort at that time which was known as "The Spirit of 1776." The following are some of the advertisements from the Palladium: "Isaac E. Gano, has just arrived from Philadelphia with a large and general assortment of fresh and genuine medicine which is now opened at his shop in Frankfort, and will be sold cheap for cash ; a generous allowance will be made to physicians purchasing a quantity. I continue as usual to practice physic."

"William Porter, at his tanyard, one mile from Frankfort, pays cash for green and dry hides; he also wants an apprentice. Those to whom it is more convenient can sell hides, intended for the Frankfort tanyard to II. Mcllvane, in Lexington."

In 1799, some enterprising citizens of Frankfort had under consideration the question of building a bridge across the Kentucky river as will appear from the following notice of December the 19th, 1799: "The share holders in the Frankfort Bridge Company are hereby notified, that the election for chusing seven Directors agreeable to the act of incorporation will be held at the house of Daniel Weiseger in the town of Frankfort on Thursday the 2d day of January next."

"Whereas, the repose and convenience of many of the citizens of the town of Frankfort, are extremely interrupted by the disorderly behavior of certain immoral persons, who, keeping very late hours walking up and down the town, breaking the windows and doors of moral and orderly citizens thereof; Be it therefore resolved, that if any such person or persons are known or discovered to roam about the town after the hour

"The trustees of the Frankfort Academy have the pleasure to inform their fellow citizens that it is now open for the reception of scholars under tlie direction of able and experienced masters."

"The members of the Frankfort Hiram Lodge are requested to meet at the lodge room on the 24th day of June, 1799, it being the anniversary of St. John the Baptist. By Lsaac E. Gano, Sect."

"On February 3, 1800, Haden Edwards advertised for sale one half of his mills on South Elkhorn about one mile below the junction and about four and a half miles from Frankfort, consisting of a water grist mill calculated for four pair of stones, two pair of which are now in motion ; the house 58x46, three stories high, all of stone." George Fields offered at public sale, in the town of Frankfort "that valuable, elegant and handsomely situated, new, three story brick house, and the lot of ground on which it is erected now occupied as an Inn by Dr. Gano, together with the improvements consisting of a two story brick kitchen, a small smoke house," etc.

In the year 1799, Harry Innis and John Logan were elected delegates to represent Franklin County in the Constitutional Convention, and Anthony Crockett and John Smith were elected to represent the County in the House of Representatives. "In consequence of the seat of Mr. John Smith l)eing vacated by a resolution of the House of Representatives" another election was held on Tuesday, November 21, 1799, in the town of Frankfort, and Mr. Smith was re-elected by a large majority.

of a defendant either in a civil or criminal action as will appear from the bond executed in the Franklin County Court of Quarter session July 18, 1798.

James Arnold came into the court and undertook for the defendant that in case he shall be cast in this action he shall satisfy and pay the condemnation of the Court to render his body to prison in execution for the same or in failure thereof that he, the said James Arnold will do it for him.

The following is the report of the Franklin County Grand jury made the 17th day of May, 1796. ''We present James Gayle for swearing one profane oath, to-wit, by God, on the 16th instant at the house of Simon Hancock, by information of Simon Hancock.

We, of the jury present Theoderick Boler for selling brandy by retail at the race ground at George Blackburn's on the 16th day of September, by information of Anthony Bartlett.

We also present William Hawkins, overseer of the road from South Fork of Elkhorn to the two mile tree, for not having the same in repair on the 12th of October. We present William Porter overseer of the road from the top of the hill above Frankfort to the two mile tree for not having the same in repair the 12tli of October; also for not having a sign board at the two mile tree. By the information of Samuel Mosley."

In Fordham's Personal Narrative, (pp. 160-61) we find the following about Frankfort, 1818, 'Man 31." Started for Frankfort, passed through a tine rolling country; cleared enough to present something like views, tliough none of them of any extent.

Frankfort is a smart little town on the Kentucky river. It is the seat of Government and the Legislature is now sitting. It was Sunday and a few smartly dressed young men were picking their way through the half frozen nuid in the streets. Like others it is hidden in a mud hole with fine commanding sections around it. They liavc begun to pave the main street - in a wav that would make a Ivondon Paviour laugh."

Note: Cuming visited (Frankfort) in 1807 and found a town of ninety houses, including a state-house, a jail, a Court house, a State penitentiary, a market-house, a government house, and four Inns which in size, accommodations and business he declares were not surpassed in the United States. (Early Western Travels IV. pp. 191-196.)