Pennsylvania and the east, and many from Virginia and Maryland, took navigation for Kentucky. ROGERS' STATION, in Nelson County, near the Beech Fork; 1780. ROGERS' STATIONS (another), towards Strode's Station, in Clark County. RUDDLE'S STATION, on east bank of South Fork of Licking River, 3 miles below the junction of Hinkston and Stoner's branches about 7 miles from Paris, in Bourbon County; settled in 1777 by Isaac Ruddle; captured by the Indians and destroyed in 1780; rebuilt by John Hinkston and others, and called Hinkston's Station. RUSSELLVILLE, in Logan County; settled in 1780. ST. ASAPH, or Logan's Fort, in Lincoln County, I mile west of Stanford; in 1775. SALT RIVER GARRISON; before 1780. SANDUSKY'S STATION, on Pleasant Run, in Washington County; settled by James Sandusky or Sodowsky in 1776; in 1786 or '87 he removed to Cane Ridge, in Bourbon County and settled another station, which was probably known by the name of CANE Ridge. SCOTT's (John) STATION, 51⁄2 miles northeast of Cynthiana, Harrison County. SCRIVNER'S STATION, in Madison County. SHALLOW-FORD STATION, in Madison County. SKAGGS' STATION, on Brush Creek, in Green County; about 1781. SLATE BLOCKHOUSE, at the old Slate Furnace; in Bath County; about 1788. SMITH'S STATION, on road from Danville to mouth of Dick's River. SPRING STATION, in Jefferson County; between Floyd's Station and Louisville; in 1784. STATION CAMP CREEK, in Jackson and Estill counties. SQUIRE BOONE'S STATION, in Shelby County, near where Shelbyville now stands, on Clear Creek, a branch of Brashears' Creek; settled in 1780, or before. STATIONS On Beargrass Creek; Six in 1780; with a population of 600 men. STEUBEN, FORT, at the Falls of the Ohio in 1790; originally called Fort Finney, now Jeffersonville, Indiana. STEVENSON'S STATION, on Paint Lick Creek, probably in Garrard County. STOCKTON'S (Geo.) STATION, in sight of Flemingsburg, Fleming County; in 1787. STRODE'S STATION, 2 miles from Winchester, in Clark County; in 1779. STROUD'S STATION, in Mason County; on the North Fork of Licking, at the mouth of Stroud's Run, in 1785. More correctly written. STRODE. STURGUS' STATION, in Jefferson County; in or before 1784. Now spoken of as A'Sturgus Station. SULLIVAN'S STATION, in Jefferson County, on Beargrass; 1780. SULLIVAN'S OLD STATION, before 1780, in Jefferson County; 5 miles southeast of Louisville, on the Bardstown Road. Elisha Applegate, still living in November, 1872, was born there in 1781. SULLIVAN'S NEW STATION, in Jefferson County; before 1784. SUMMIT STATION, in Nicholas County, 12 miles from Lower Blue Licks. TAYLOR'S CREEK STATION, was probably in Campbell County, on Taylor's Creek. The Cincinnati Sentinel of the North-West, March 12, 1796, says John Campbell lived there. THOMPSON'S STATION, settled by Robert Thompson in 1790; on the Middle Fork of Elkhorn, 3 miles below Lexington, in Fayette County. TODD'S STATION, in Jessamine County, not far from Keene, and about Vol. I-18 10 miles southwest from Lexington; settled by Levi Todd in 1779, who afterwards removed to Lexington as a place of greater safety. TRIGG'S STATION, 4 miles northeast of Harrodsburg, in Mercer County, on Cane Run, 4 miles from its mouth at Dick's River; settled in 1780 by Col. Stephen Trigg, and called Viney Grove, because of the number of large grapevines. John Haggin lived there, and it was sometimes called Haggin's Station. TWETTY'S FORT, the first fort in Kentucky, 5 miles south of Richmond; 1775. TYLER'S STATION, named after Capt. Robert Tyler; on Tick Creek, 4 miles east of Shelbyville. UPPER BLUE LICKS, on Licking River, in Nicholas County, 12 miles from Flemingsburg and 18 miles from Carlisle. VANCE'S STATION, on Green River, 15 miles from its mouth; before April, 1780. VANCOUVER'S (Charles) FORT, in forks of Big Sandy River; settled in 1789, but abandoned in 1790. VANMETER'S (Jacob) FORT, in Hardin County; before 1790. VIENNA STATION, in McLean County, at the falls of Green River; now Calhoun, VINEY GROVE. (See Trigg's Station.) WADDINGTON'S, a mistake for Worthington's Station, which see. WARING'S STATION, in Mason County, nearly 2 miles from Maysville, a short distance west of Lexington turnpike; settled, February, 1785, by Col. Thos. Waring. WARNER'S STATION, on Otter Creek, in Madison County. WARREN'S (Thos.) STATION, in Madison County. WASHINGTON, in Mason County, 31⁄2 miles southwest of Maysville; settled by Simon Kenton in 1784; laid out as a town in 1786, by Rev. Wm. Wood and Arthur Fox, sen. WELLS' STATION, in west part of Mason County. WELLS' (Samuel) STATION, 31⁄2 miles northwest of Shelbyville. WHIPPOOR WILL CREEK, Logan County; settlement in 1784, by the WHITAKER'S STATION, in Bullitt County; settled by Capt. Aquilla Whitaker, the hero of the fight at the foot of the Falls of the Ohio, on March 1, 1781. WHITE OAK SPRING (or Hart's) STATION. (See Hart's Station.) WHITLEY'S STATION, in Lincoln County, 2 miles southwest of Crab Orchard. "In 1779, they found Col. Wm. Whitley's Station at Dick's River, on the Kentucky trace from Cumberland Gap." On the spot still stands a two-story brick house-claimed to be the first brick house built in Kentucky; the windows are set over six feet above the floor, to prevent the Indians seeing or shooting into the room. The following letter was written to Col. H. C. Whitley, Emporia, Kansas, from whom Mr. Connelley obtained it. It is of interest and historical value.] "I will write you the verses that are on the Powder Horn. They were his sentiments. He was always making rhymes. Wm. Whitley I am your Horn, Fill me with best of powder I'll make your Rifle crack the louder. See how the dread terrific Ball Make Indians bleed and Tories fall You with Powder I'll supply For to defend your Liberty. Col. William Whitley's Horn it holds two pounds of Powder. Crab Orchard Nov. Mr. H. C. Whitley Mr. H. Bright give me your address. I have been for sometime hunting up the Whitleys and Shanks families. My Father's name was William Whitley. My Mother's Polly Shanks. I want to find out if you are related to Col. Wm. Whitley, my grandpa. His Father, Solomon Whitley, came from Ireland. He married Elizabeth Barnet in Ireland. Went to Virginia. My Grandpa was born in Va., in Augusta County, Aug. 14th 1749. He married Esther Fuller. They were ones of the first settlers in Ky. They come here in 1773; had two children then. Grandma lived in Fort Nine years. Grandpa [was] an Indian fighter. As soon as the Indians got friendly he took up land & built [a house] near Crab Orchard. He built the first brick house in Kentucky. It is in good preservation; had an earthquake that cracked one end. A great many persons go to see it, 13 States there has the Eagles head with the Olive branch in its mouth to represent the States, on each step in the Hall stairway. Grandpa was in nineteen Battles and killed, the day Tecumseh was killed. He killed Tecumseh. He always loaded his gun with two Bullets he was Shot with a gun that was loaded with two bullets, 5th day [of] October, 1814. I expect he was a kin to your Father, a brother or cousin. I would like to know what kin he is to you, or if he has other relatives, and where they are. I have neglected to ask all of my Whitley kin if he had brothers & where they lived & brothers sons and daughters. I want you to write me all about them. There is a Mr. Whitley in Va., a Preacher. A Mrs. Langstaff of Memphis has been writing to me. She says her Mother was Polly Whitley. Her Mother's Father's name was Raiford Whitley. I don't know anything about him. He may [be] a nephew of my Grandpa's. I want to know all about them. My Grandpa had eleven Children; three sons, William, Solomon, and Andrew. They are all dead. I have my Grandpa's Gun & Powder Horn & Indian Belt. It is beaded; the one that killed Tecumseh -the gun. Please write me all about the Whitley's. They were honest upright people. I loved them all devotedly. I am the only one of my Pa's family living. I expect you and I are related. Hope to hear from you soon. Trusting God will bless you and your family in all of your business and that you may do all you can to further the blessed word of God and that you are of the blessed ones on earth, Accept my kindest regards for yourself & family My address is Sallie Ann Higgins SALLIE ANN HIGGIN:. Lincoln County Crab Orchard Kentucky." WILDERNESS, the great traveled road from Virginia to Kentucky, through Cumberland Gap. Hazel Patch, Crab Orchard, and Stanford, to Danville and Central Kentucky. WILLIAMS' (David) STATION, 6 miles northeast from Harrodsburg. WILSON'S STATION, in Mercer County, on a branch of Salt River, 2 miles northwest of Harrodsburg. WILSON'S STATION (another), in Lincoln County, at the fork of Clark's Run; 1785. WOODS' (John) STATION, in Madison County. WORTHINGTON'S STATION Or Fort, in Lincoln County, 4 miles southeast of Danville; settled in 1779, by Capt. Edward Worthington. (Compiled from various sources, but principally from the History of Kentucky by Richard H. Collins.) CHAPTER XV INSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT: LAND SYSTEM, COUNTIES, TOWNS The early pioneers who came to Kentucky to settle were characterized by a conspicuous regard or concern for land laws. It was enough to know that good land could be reached; and it was regarded as sufficient to be able to hold what had been taken. The first surveys, which were made during the summer of 1773, bore no relation to the great majority of the settlers who were soon to follow, as these early surveyors were carrying out the promise made in the proclamation formerly issued by the governor of Virginia to stimulate recruiting for the French and Indian War. The first pioneers who came in to take possession of the rich lands, which Boone and other pioneer hunters had visited and described to the people east of the mountains, were not coming primarily to satisfy promises made by early governors. Fertile and unoccupied lands existed, which they would have. Harrod and his company entered Kentucky in 1774, soon followed by a smaller group under Hite. The next year Henderson began the evolution of his ambitious scheme of a new colony. Surveys were made regardless of the existence of Virginia laws or the absence of them. Henderson's plan contemplated a ruling power which would assume among its duties the sale of lands to individuals. But this authority was not heeded by all who were hungering for land in Kentucky. Many began to settle down on good tracts of land on no authority but their own. Within a year after these first settlements had begun, there were in existence three classes of land claims. The surveyors, who had been laying out lands due the veterans of the French and Indian War, had set up regular valid claims according to Virginia law. The Transylvania Company had been carrying on surveys for its adherents and prospective settlers. And there was a third class of claims, nondescript and irregular, but nevertheless the holdings of pioneers who had braved many dangers to settle upon them. In June, 1776, Virginia announced by resolution a policy of leniency and preference for those who were actually in possession of lands. This policy was enacted into a law in the following year, providing that all who were in possession of land before June 24, 1776 (the date of the resolution), should be entitled to 400 acres.2 This gave a valid basis for all claimants to stand on whether they had received surveys of the disputed Transylvania Company lands, or whether they had squatted on the land without authority from any source. In 1779 a general land law was passed which sought to bring together all rulings and understandings regarding land claims and the methods of securing lands. It marked an epoch in more than one way in Kentucky history. Virginia throughout her control of the large areas west of the Alleghanies, never adopted a systematic means of parcelling them out to the settlers. Not an acre was surveyed and records made of its location before its sale. Instead of following the example of the United States 1 See Breckinridge MSS. (1752-1783) and Yearbook, The Kentucky Society of Colonial Wars, 1917. 2 R. S. Cotterill, History of Pioneer Kentucky (Cincinnati, 1917), 231, 232. Government in using sections, townships and ranges and requiring that all land must be surveyed before sold, Virginia drifted along in the current of least resistance—the settler located his land and then had it surveyed. The only excuses for this negligence that might be argued for Virginia were the cost of such an undertaking, the constant dangers incident thereto from Indian hostilities, and her own pre-occupation in fighting the Revolution. Had the settlement of Kentucky begun ten years later, in a time of peace, with the example of the United States before her, Virginia might have left a more workable land system to her offspring. The act of 1779, while not a scientific law providing for systematic land surveys, still had features, progressive and just, designed for the benefit of those who had borne the brunt of occupation up to that time. By the terms of this law, every person who had entered a claim and raised a crop prior to January 1, 1778, was entitled to 400 acres at the rate of $2.25 per hundred acres; and was also given the right to pre-empt 1,000 acres in addition to be paid for at the higher rate of $40.00 per hundred acres. This was an honest effort to take care of the actual settler as against the absentee claimant and speculator, the pioneer who refusing to run from dangers, had fought to preserve Virginia's western lands. The operations of this law did not extend to the Virginia Military Lands, lying between the Green and Cumberland rivers, nor to the Henderson grant, lying on the Ohio below the Falls. The possession of a freehold estate was made a qualification for a seat in the general assembly; and the further provision was made that this estate could not be sold for debt. Hereafter all land purchases must be made through land warrants, which were issued in any numbers to any amounts. The person desiring land could go out and choose it wherever he wanted it, marking off its bounds with blazes on the trees. These bounds were entered and later surveyed. There was no inhibition against entering the same lands that had been previously laid claim to, only it must be understood that the valid claim alone should stand good. To guard against the same land being entered more than once, the law required the marks to be so plain and precise as to show others who might want to enter it that the claim had already been made. But the methods of marking were crude and within a few years great confusion from overlapping claims prevailed. Although not mandatory, the law requested that surveys be made as uniform as possible, suggesting that the tract be one-third as wide as long where practicable. But with every person master of his own location, with the uneven fertility of the soil, and with entries made at different times, it was impossible to have an orderly progression of claims. Just as some especially desirable lands were covered with as high as half dozen claims, so there were other tracts on account of being less desirable or through inaccuracies or accidents that were covered by no valid entry.* The loose provisions of this law started a train of evils that touched large numbers of individuals and involved the state government in controversies of great bitterness. Butler, who saw much of what he described, wrote: "Here commences the scramble for land, which has distressed and desolated society in Kentucky almost as calamitously, as pestilence or famine. The breaking up of favorite homes, improved at the hazard of the owner's life, and fondly looked to as a support for declining age; and a reward for affectionate children, swept * * 3 Wm. Ayers, "Land Titles in Kentucky," in Proceedings of the Kentucky State Bar Association, 1909, 170-175; Winterbothan, An Historical View, III, 156, 157; Smith, History of Kentucky, 147-148. 4 George Rogers Clark Papers, CXV; Robertson, "New Light on Early Kentucky" in Proceedings of the Mississippi Valley Historical Association, 1915, 1916, |