Times Of Long Ago

Front matter

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Chapter I

The country embraced in the county of Barren originally formed a part of Logan,.which was the first county created south of Green River. Prior to the creation of Barren County, Logan was divided and the county of Warren formed, and subsequently, in the year 1798, Barren County was formed of a portion of Warren. The north and south boundary line between Barren and Warren extended from Green River to the state line crossing the Denton Road to Bowling Green about nine and a half miles from Glasgow, and leaving the Mammoth Cave three miles in Warren County. The line then turned and ran with the state line in an easterly direction, then taking a northerly course it ran to the mouth of Little Barren River, thence down Green River to the north and south line. It is said that the name of Barren was first suggested by Edmund Rogers, then a resident of Danville (who had surveyed a considerable portion of the military lands of the Green River country), on account of its lying principally between the waters of Big and Little Barren Rivers.

In March 1798, there were only four families residing within the limits of said county—Judge John Hall, living on Beaver Creek, near the Elk hole, two and a half miles from Glasgow; Mrs. Wright, a widow, and an ancestress of a numerous family, many of whom still reside in Warren and Barren counties (one being at present a State Senator from Warren, Allen and Edmonson counties); a Mr. Scott, who lived near the head of Beaver Creek, and one other man whose name is forgotten. Towards the close of March of the same year, two accessions were made to the number—Mr. John Gorin and his father-in-law, Mr. Franklin. The former settled within the present limits of the town of Glasgow, living in a log cabin on Water Street, southeast of Race, near the bridge between the big spring and Urania College. Here on the 3d of May, 1798, Franklin Gorin, the first white child born in Barren County first saw the light of day. Mr. Franklin settled on the south fork of Beaver Creek, about a mile from Glasgow.

*This book is reprinted from a series of papers appearing in the Glasgow Times (Barren County, Kentucky) In 1876.

At that time the whole country was a wilderness, the cane and pea vines which covered it, in many places being as high as a man’s head when on horseback. The soil was so rich and loose that a horse, in walking, would sink up to his fetlocks. The country north, northwest and northeast of Glasgow was mostly barrens, poorly watered and lightly timbered, but the rest of the county abounded in beautiful creeks, running branches and crystal springs, the principal of which were the tributaries of Little Barren, Beaver, Fallen Timber, Skeggs, No Bob, Peters and Glovers creeks, with their branches. It was heavily timbered with oak, black and white walnut, ash, sugar maple, hackberry, cherry, poplar, chestnut, beech, buckeye, &c. Quantities of black walnut timber and plank have been, and are still shipped from this county to Liverpool, England. <A large portion of the timbered land was surveyed and appropriated by Virginia for her officers and soldiers of the revolutionary war. “The Barrens” which were covered with the strawberry and a heather grass, five or six feet high, afforded fine grazing for stock, elk, deer and buffalo, but were then thought unfit for cultivation, for which reason surveyors planted stakes on their borders. They, however, subsequently proved to be the richest lands.

After organization the country was rapidly settled up, principally by immigrants from Virginia. A small portion of “The Barrens” was taken up while the county was identified with Warren, and the remainder after the creation of Barren County, by the citizens, many not being appropriated till 1812 and after. “The Barrens” were not entirely destitute of timber; the traveler would occasionally meet with clumps of black jack, post oak, or white oak, numbering not more than twelve trees in a place; also a few groves of forest trees embracing several hundred acres, largest of which, perhaps, were Hall’s and the Blue Spring Creek grove. The creek from which the latter grove was named runs near the residence of Mr. Wm. J. Wood, sinks in the grove and breaks out on the south side of Green River, in Hart County, as a large blue spring. Here Mr. James Gorin had a fine grist mill. In 1837-8 or 9 on account of a protracted drought of from one to two years, it was exceedingly difficult to get grinding done at most of the other water mills, and Mr. Gorin was compelled to grind day and night for the surrounding country. One beautiful moonlight night, his millers being exhausted by such constant labor, he undertook to run the mill himself. When about 2 o’clock, his mill began to run faster and faster, and having examined all the machinery to ascertain the cause without avail, he became somewhat superstitious and rushed out of the mill, when to his astonishment, he observed muddy water running over the dam, the first in many months past. He afterwards ascertained that it was caused by a very heavy rain which had fallen two days previous at Mr. Wm. J. Wood’s, and the Blue Spring Creek in an hour had become impassable. The distance on land to the mill being, perhaps, twenty miles it had taken two days to reach it. This creek is also thought to have been the source of a lake which once existed near the Roundtop barn on the north side of the Lexington Road, and which covered an area of more than a hundred acres. This lake, which dried up long since, was in those early days a favorite resort for geese, ducks and other wild fowl, and abounded in turtle, but no fish sported in its waters. Blue Spring Creek again shows itself at Horse Cave, or Caverna, by the falling in of the rocks and earth above. Since the first creation of Barren County it has lost a large portion of its territory, as well as many valuable citizens, by the formation of Hart, Monroe and Metcalf counties. A part of Warren County has been added to it, and the line between it and ‘Warren now crosses the Denton Road about twelve miles from Glasgow. The lines between Green and Barren were perhaps not straight, neither the one up Green River, which ran with the meanderings thereof.

Chapter II

The county was organized in 1799. The first county court was held at Henry Renick’s, nine miles east of Glasgow. Haiden Trigg, John McFerran, William Renick, Isaac Flippin, Dooly and others, (nine in all) were Justices of the Peace.

Judge Wakefield presided over the Circuit and Quarter Session Courts. John Hall and John Garnett were associate judges of the same courts. Richard Garnett was elected clerk of the above courts. William Logan was elected clerk of the County Court by the Justices of the Peace; Daniel Curd, surveyor; Henry Renick was the sheriff. Coroner, jailer, constables, &c., were also elected. George White was the first constable for the Glasgow district.

Judges Wakefield, Hall and Garnett were the electors of the clerks of the Circuit and Quarter session courts. Wakefield voted for Logan, Hall and Garnett for Richard Garnett. A wag, who was present when it was announced that Richard Garnett was elected, loudly cried out, “I never knew before that two naughts were more than one.” ;

Trigg, McFerran, Curd and many others came to the county in the summer and fall of 1798, and in the spring of 1799.

The Barrens in the spring, summer and fall were covered with millions of the most beautiful and variegated flowers. All, or nearly all of that part of the county is cavernous. Many caves are in the timbered parts; in a few of which saltpetre was made in the years of 1818, 714 and 715. The most productive one belonged to Gen. Alexander E. Spotswood, a grandson of one of the colonial governors of Virginia, and is situated nine miles south of Glasgow.

The saltpetre made in this county at Mammoth, Long and Short caves, and other places, was hauled in wagons through Lexington to Philadelphia. Also the mummies found in the Long and Short caves, (one in each) were brought to Glasgow by Archibald Miller, and conveyed in a saltpetre wagon to Mr. Charles Wilkins, Lexington, Ky. Speaking of mummies reminds me that of late years Indian skulls and other human bones were found in Never Sink. Never Sink is on the north side of the Barren County railroad, about twenty yards from it, and about 114 miles from Bell’s Tavern. It is 110 feet from top to bottom, nearly perpendicular, and of well shape, terminating in a cave, with a stream of water running from east to west. The bones and skulls, some male and some female, were found up the stream about one hundred yards from the bottom of Never Sink. Many conjectures have been made how the skulls came there. One is, they were thrown in Never Sink, which is only about ten feet in diameter, by their brethren—the Indians—as a punishment for crime. The most plausible one is that in walking or running over the spot, which was concealed by tall grass, they pitched into the well-like cave, and were washed up the stream by the backing of the water, caused by the freshets. The stream is believed to be one of many that forms the river in the Mammoth Cave. It also makes its appearance in the valley below the Mammoth Cave, in the large “Blue Spring,” not far from Green River, on the south side.

The cave, Never Sink, has never been fully explored. If ever explored it may be found an entrance to the great “Wonder of America.” Oak balls, wasp nests, and other things were found at the bottom of Never Sink, petrified; also a live raccoon, evidently but a week or two old.

There are still to be seen in this county the remains of two or more Indian forts. The largest is situated in the junction, formed by Barren River and Peter’s Creek, and the other in a bend of Skegg’s Creek, five or six miles south of Glasgow. Within the forts were mounds. One was used for the council-house, and the surrounding ones for wigwams and other purposes; also one as a burial ground. About a half mile from the first fort mentioned, on the north side of Peter’s Creek, near the late residence of John (Jack) Lewis, was a solitary Indian grave, with large slab stones placed on edges at the head, feet and sides, and one laid on top. On part of it grew a large oak tree about three feet in diameter. The reason of this body being buried here, outside of the fort, and on the north side of the creek, and whose it was, whether a chief’s or a disgraced person’s, may suggest many thoughts to the curious or enquiring mind. A cave in a cliff of Barren, and on the north side, was also used as a burying ground, in which were lately found some teeth and human bones.

In various places indications of salt were found, such as Deer Lick, &c. About seven miles from Glasgow, near the road from Glasgow to Bell’s Tavern, (in one of those places called the slashes) a well was partly dug for salt water. It was at this point the Indian war-post stood, which was there before any settlements were made in Barren County, and was discovered by the first military surveyors. They called their survey of one hundred acres (which was made in the name of William Croghan), the War Post Lick Survey.

Much valuable stone is in this county for building and other purposes, namely, brown, blue, white and gray, all or nearly all limestone. The brown and white stone, also poplar marble, are susceptible of the highest polish. Fine quarries of lithographic stone have been found near Glasgow Junction, one of which has been lately opened and worked.

In the Barrens are many beautiful knobs, many round or nearly so, such as Prewitt’s, Buck, &c. It has been pretty well ascertained that the knobs on the south side of Green River, (mostly now in Hart) are the spurs of the long range that extends below Baton Rouge. They appear on the Mississippi at the points called First, Second, Third and Fourth Chickasaw bluffs at Walnut Hills, Vicksburg, again at Natchez, and some other points between the last named place and their termination.

Among the other noted objects are the three hundred springs on Green River, which may be noticed hereafter, together with the Bald Knob, &c.

We will mention, by way of closing this number, how “No Bob” Creek obtained its name. The Military surveyors who surveyed the lands of this country before any settlements were made, and while many Indians still roamed over it, could obtain no food save wild meat; consequently each corps camped out and possessed a cook, hunter, &c. The hunter was in the habit of hunting all day and returning to the camp at night loaded with his game. It was while surveying on the above named creek that the hunter, Bob (Robert) one night failed to appear, each succeeding night, the surveyors upon their return, Bob not being present, would exclaim, “No Bob yet!” So the creek received the name which it still retains. Bob was never heard of any more, having, no doubt, been killed by Indians. “No Lynn” in Hardin County, obtained its name in the same manner. Lynn being the name of the hunter of that party.

Chapter III GLASGOW

The second and third Barren County Courts were held at the house of John McFerran, Esq., about two miles from Glasgow, on the Lexington Road. During one of the sittings of the court, Daniel Curd and William Logan being surveyors, were appointed to locate the county seat of Barren. After due examination and consideration, they decided upon Glasgow, in 1799. They were induced to make this choice because of its central position and on account of the large spring near the public square, which then afforded more water than now. The water was remarkably pure and cold and never became muddy after the hardest rain; and, perhaps, for the more cogent reason, John Gorin, the proprietor of large tracts of land, Military and Head Right, donated fifty acres of the same for the site, which were laid off in lots; two acres for public buildings, and one-half acre for the spring.

The town received its name from Glasgow, Virginia and not Glasgow, Scotland.

The earliest settlers, after the town was organized, were Henry Miller and John Matthews with their families in the latter part of the year 1799. From the year 1799 to 1805 there were many accessions to Glasgow’s inhabitants, to-wit: James and William Miller, merchants, with their brother, Archibald, from Ireland; John Mayfield, Jr.; John Anderson, blacksmith; William Welsh; John and Joel Shaw, hatters; Thomas and B. T. Dickerson, and others.

The first court house, which stood near the angle of Race and Washington streets, and opposite the lower part of the Shirley House, was a rough log house, neither chinked nor daubed, with a clap-board roof. The second, a log-house about twenty feet square, built of hewn buckeye and covered with shingles, was situated in the north corner of the square. Courts were held several years in the buildings just named. ‘The third one, in the centre of the square, was built of brick. The fourth is the present one.

The first jail was built of large hewn timber, and occupied a position on Race Street, nearly opposite the late residence of James Depp. The second one, which stood about midway between the present court house and Green Street, although built of brick, was thought to be insecure, and a high brick wall was raised around it, with a jailer’s house attached, forming a part of it. It was called Hardin Davis’ penitentiary, he having suggested the idea of the wall. Notwithstanding this precaution, it was still deemed unsafe, and a third one, a log house, was erected on the spring lot. The present jail is the fourth.

The first clerk’s offices were brick; they stood on the northwest side of the court house and near thereto, on or near the ground where the present Circuit Court clerk’s office stands.

Glasgow’s first brick house built by John Anderson and James Hall is still standing on Main Street, below the square, now occupied by Leach and others. The second one, now the residence of Gen. Joseph H. Lewis, was built by Gen. Alexander E. Spotswood.

The first house erected on the public square was by John Gorin in 1799, 1800 or ’1, and stood above Drs. Woods & Winn’s drug store. It was log and frame, but the front, which was solid and smooth like a wall, was painted to imitate brick, and it was thought by many to be a brick house.

The oldest buildings standing in and near town are Mr. Depp’s frame house on the corner of the square; the one on the upper corner of the same street; the log house next to Mr. James Miller’s cabinet shop; the one, now weather boarded, opposite Tom Dickinson’s residence; the present dwelling of James Thompson; the house on the Lexington Road, near Glasgow, in which Judge McFerran and Dr. Forbes formerly lived; Crutcher’s frame house on the corner, and the dwelling back of the Christian church, lately occupied by Mrs. Evans. Several brick and frame buildings on the square have given way to brick ones.

The first and last market-house stood where the buckeye courthouse had stood. It was pulled down after 1830.

Although our fathers, few in number, had settled here in a wilderness, they were not unmindful of the importance of education, and secured teachers for the rudiments of learning; and, occasionally men of superior abilities, such as the Rev. John Howe, William Murrell, Dr. Thurston, Rev. Hervey Woods, Mr. Harison, Mr. Smith and several others. The first school taught in town was by a man named Homan, where the late William Grinstead lived, the second by a man called Loftus. Clark taught the third school a mile east of Glasgow. After him a Mr. Bradford was the town teacher.

At an early date the Legislature of Kentucky granted 6,000 acres of unappropriated land for the purpose of endowing the Barren County Seminary. The trustees had surveyed and patented 6,000 acres of very fine land in Christian County, which were sold and conveyed to individuals who proved insolvent and all was lost.

In 1831-32 the Legislature of Kentucky passed a law changing the trustees, and those newly appointed realized by a sale of their claims, a sufficient sum to purchase a lot and erect thereon the buildings of the present Urania College, formerly Barren County Seminary. It is now a flourishing mixed school, conducted by Mr. Mell and Mr. Null, Principals, assisted by a full corps of teachers, male and female.

Subsequent to 1830 there have been several female schools in Glasgow. The Baptist Church and its friends have lately erected a fine, beautiful college, a great ornament to the town, called Liberty Female College. It was opened, for the first time September, 1875, with the most favorable prospects. Mr. Fuqua, the President, is aided by four lady teachers. All the branches are taught, including music, painting, &c. Glasgow, containing the two institutions of learning just mentioned, offers every advantage to the youth of the country to induce them to acquire learning, and merit future greatness.

Chapter IV GLASGOW AND OTHER MATTERS

By, I hope not an unpardonable oversight, it was not stated Mr. Homan, the first school teacher in Glasgow, was a thoroughly educated, an excellent teacher, and a man of honesty and probity. He was induced to come to Glasgow by Rev. John Howe, and soon after his first or second year of teaching died at the house of Mr. Howe, much respected and regretted. Mr. Thomas McCoy also taught a short time in Glasgow in those early days, and was esteemed a good teacher. We should not omit to mention that John Grinstead also taught in Glasgow several years, but at a later date.

Miss Amanda McAchran and Miss Amelia Lewis, between 1830-40 conducted a female school in town. Miss McAchran was educated at Shelbyville, Ky., by Mrs. Tevis, and afterwards married the Hon. John W. Ritter, and was the mother of several of our much esteemed citizens. Miss Amelia Lewis afterwards married Wm. S. Jones, Esq., late Commonwealth’s attorney for this district. The school gave great satisfaction to the citizens and pupils.

Dr. Ring and wife of Nashville, taught the next school, which was large and flourishing. After them Col. P. B. Hawkins and wife, with assistants, also carried on a large and most excellent school. At these institutions of learning many of our middle aged ladies, also many from a distance secured their education, or a part thereof.

Immediately after Glasgow was decided on for the site, Curd and Logan commenced laying it off. It was almost all covered with large timber, cane and pea-vines, a few acres only having been cleared on the north and east of John Gorin’s cabin. The beginning corner of the town was at the northeast corner of Trabue’s meadow at the end of Front Street. The line then ran south 20 degrees, west 1020 poles, to the outer corner of an alley near D. M. Ashby’s warehouse, thence south 70 degrees east, to a point a short distance above the square, where it diverged, ran southerly through the corner of the frame house opposite the Shirley House; also through the ell of the latter building, straight down to the South Fork, or near hereto. The town, which contained more than a hundred acres, was mostly laid off in squares of two acres, and these were subdivided into half-acre lots. There were one hundred and nine of these, including many fractional lots, ~ which varied in size and shape. Besides these, there were seventeen

THE TIMES OF LONG AGO il lots, also a part of the town, containing from three to five acres.

The next thing to be done was to clear the timber off the square; this was a heavy job, for it was thickly covered with poplar trees, (many of which were from three to five feet in diameter,) black walnut, hickory, hackberry, beech, dogwood, &c. Such timber as was fit to make plank, joist and scantling was left on the ground for the whip saw. There were, at this time, no water saw mills, consequently saw pits, as they were called, were erected on the square and other places near by, as well as all over the county, as a substitute. As many persons have never seen a saw pit, we will give a description of one: A scaffold was erected about eight or ten feet high, composed of two poles, supported by forks; across this the hewn timber, to be sawed, was placed, having been marked with black lines above and below to show the width of the desired plank. One of the sawyers (two being required) mounted the log and stood on it, while the other remained on the ground; each held a handle of the saw, and together they worked it up and down, moving at the same time backwards keeping their eyes fixed on the lines. Thus they would cut one hundred or more feet a day. All the plank was cut in this manner until water saw mills were built or attached to the grist mills.

Families and young men began now to immigrate here. Besides those already mentioned, William Welsh, Thomas and John Mayfield, Jr., Thomas Dickinson, John Gorin brought five children, Henry Miller three, John Matthews seven.

Isaac Robertson was the first lawyer; he remained only a few years. Alexander A. Adair, David Walker and Harilah P. Crump, who settled in the country, and Thomas J. Overton came soon after. The last built the first law-office on the corner of the lot on which Dr. Winn and his brother reside, and opposite the tobacco warehouse of D. M. Ashby.

The first physician was Dr. Isaac Baldwin, who came about 1800. There being no sickness, and he getting no practice, he removed to Bowling Green, and turned his attention to entering vacant lands. Afterwards he became a lawyer and moved to Louisiana, married and had one son, made a large fortune, and died there. He was a brother-in-law of Gen. E. M. Covington, who lived near Bowling Green.

Dr. Baldwin was succeeded by Dr. James Overton who, for the same reason—the healthiness of the place—remained but a short time.

The few citizens of Glasgow used every honorable means to induce mechanics to immigrate and settle among them. John Gorin gave Daniel Culp, a tanner, a lot to come and establish a tan-yard ; which he did on Cross Main Street, on the branch. After his marriage with Miss Richardson on Green River, he built a dwelling house on a lot on Main Street, opposite T. C. Dickinson’s residence, which house, formerly log, is now standing and occupied by Stephen Glass.

Peter and John Frank established a nail factory. They made all kinds of nails, wrought and cut. However, they soon discovered they were ahead of the times, and after a few years gave up their nail factory, and turned their attention to blacksmithing. Previous to their coming shingles were fastened on houses with wooden pegs; and clapboards held to their places by poles. Also before the advent of bricklayers, the houses, as before stated, were built of rough and hewn logs, and the chimneys of stone or wood and mortar. George Jameson built about the year 1800 the first brick chimney in the county for Frederick Moss, at his home, two miles and a half from town. Not long since it was still standing.

Samuel Denny came and opened a tinshop. The first merchants were John Gorin, Kingan, Tom Mayfield, Henry Crutcher, Sterrett and Marsh, Cripps, and Wm. Mosby. The first blacksmiths, John Matthews and John Anderson. The first hatters, John and Joel Shaw. The first tailor, Ben Gassaway; one or more tailors, also, in the country. The first shoemaker, Thomas Goodall; in the country, Wm. Hall, an Englishman. There are few persons left to remember that generous and good man, “Pap-py” Hall, who for years threw ginger cakes at the heads of the children for blessings.

Before Goodall came and had a shop in town, Ritchey would come in the Fall with his kit, go from house to house, and make the shoes for the different families. After making the round of the settlement he would depart, and be seen no more for a year. “Pap-py” Hall was not in the habit of packing his kit from house to house. He made his home his shop, there was to be seen on one end of his seat his awl, shoe-tacks, ball of thread, wax, wax thread, bristles and pegging awl; at his side his lap-stone, hammer, and strap, when not on his shoe and foot. When his shoes were finished, he carried them home in a wallet. It was a happy day, a day of gladness and joy when the kind hearted man appeared with his well filled wallet, and as the shoes poured out upon the floor, what joy the youngsters experienced scrambling for their shoes, for which they had longingly wished in frosts and snows. Amidst the noise and confusion might be heard the voice of “Santa Claus,” “Get you gone, you young spalpeen, or I will throw a ginger cake at your head.” Alas! “Pap-py” Hall is gone, and “‘we will never look upon his like again.” May his soul rest in peace! He had a wife but no children, though he reared an orphan boy, James Lord, who survived him many years.

Chapter V

The first settlers had all the hardships of establishing themselves in a wilderness. The country had to be cleared, cabins built, and every man was obliged to become a carpenter; while all labored under the great inconvenience of possessing few tools. None could be procured except at a long distance.

Even food had, in a great measure, to be obtained in the forest. The elk, buffalo and bear formerly roamed the woods, but only a few elk remained, while the hunters had killed or driven off all, or nearly all, of the buffalo. There were left deer, raccoons, opossums, panthers, foxes, bears, wild cats and wolves. The last, together with bears, were not good neighbors; on the contrary, proved a considerable annoyance, and had to be driven off or exterminated. A good rifle, powder and bullets were therefore very desirable articles.

Occasionally small gangs of Indians roamed over the country and camped in it. Their known character for treachery and cruelty made them another source of fear and anxiety to the settlers, especially to the women and children.

One morning James Forbish, (afterwards Gen. Forbish) who lived about one mile from Glasgow, went out to hunt his horses, which had strayed off. While tracking them through the pea-vines, he noticed smoke curling upward at a point where he knew there was no settlement. He approached the place cautiously, discovered a camp fire, and two stout Indians sitting around it cooking their breakfast, each holding a butcher knife in his hand. He was near the fire when they perceived him; he called out to them, ‘“bobeshela!” They immediately threw down their knives and moved toward Gen. Forbish with outstretched hands, and meeting, grasped his hand in friendship, and invited him to partake of their breakfast of bear meat and dried venison, (the latter used instead of bread.) After a hearty meal, which Gen. Forbish said was the best he had ever eaten, they assisted him in finding his horses. This is one of the many proofs we have that the Indians were at first inclined to be friendly, and their subsequent cruelty to the white man and hatred of him were caused by the wrongs inflicted