A history of Elizabethtown, Kentucky, and its surroundings

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A HISTORY of ELIZABETHTOWN, KENTUCKY

Chapter I

Having been requested by you to furnish my recollections of Elizabethtown, I clieerfully comply with your request. Although born in it seventy-four years ago, in order to furnish a history of the town and its founders, I shall be compelled to draw a little upon tradition, running back to the fall of 1779, in order to give a just idea of the kind of men, their mode of life, etc., who first came to the valley in which the town is situated. My father and mother being among the very first, enables me to speak with some certainty, as I received it from them.

Elizabethtown is situated in Hardin county, on the southern slope of Muldraughs Hill, and Severn's \^alley creek, a branch of Nolin, which empties into Green river. The town is ten miles southwest of the Beech and Rolling Fork of Salt river, forty-two miles from Louisville, by the Louisville and Nashville railroad, and forty-five miles by the way of the Louisville and Nashville turnpike road, and those two roads cross at right angles in Elizabethtown.

The valley took its name from John Severns, an early adventurer, who, being attracted by the beauty of the location, entered land, and gave the name to the creek and valley. The head waters of Valley creek, and Rawlings' fork, each about three or four miles long, form a junction in the town, where it takes the name of Severn's Valley creek. This beautiful stream, in its course downward, is fed by Shaw's creek, Billy's creek, East and West Rhude's creeks, and by numerous never-failing springs of limpid water, cool and refreshing. About eight miles below town it disembogues into the stream of Nolin. The whole stream is about twelve miles long. The valley through which it runs varies from two to seven miles wide. The greater part, particularly that portion surrounding the town, was originally a dense forest of heavy timber. Poplar, walnut, sugar maple, wild cherry, hackberry, plum, etc.. and various other growths, and undergrowths of spice wood, leather wood, etc., indicating the richest soil. The greater portion of this beautiful and fertile valley was taken by John Severns, Andrew Hynes,

Thomas Helm, Joseph Stover, Jacob Funk, Claudius Paul Raguet, Osburn Spriggs, John Handley, Jacob Harris, and others not now remembered. It was then in Jefferson county, and belonged to the old mother of States, Virginia — afterwards it was divided and became Nelson county.

On the 1st day of June, 1792, Kentucky was made a State by the consent of Virginia; and in 1793 Hardin county was founded, bounded by the Ohio river. Salt river. Rolling fork to Salt Lick, striking across the hills to Green river, and down the- river to the Ohio, embracing all the counties of Hardin, Meade, Breckinridge, Davies and Ohio, and the great parts of Hart, Grayson and part of Edmonson.

About the fall of 1779 and winter of 1780, the early settlers were Captain Thomas Helm, Colonel Andrew Hynes and Samuel Haycraf t ; each of these persons built forts with block houses. The forts were stockades, constructed of split timber — then deemed sufficient for defense against the Indian rifles. The sites were well selected, each on elevated ground, commanding springs of never failing and excellent water.

The forts formed a triangle, equidistant a mile apart. Captain Helm's fort occupied the hill on which Governor Helm's residence now stands. Colonel Hynes' was on the elevation now occupied by J. H.. Bryan, formerly by Ambrose Geoghegan. Sen., and for many years by John H. Geoghegan, Esq. Haycraft's fort was on the hill above the Cave spring, in which the flesh of many a deer, buffalo and bear were preserved for use, as salt in these days were not to be had. There were no other settlements at that time between the falls of the Ohio and Green river. Those forts were subject to frequent attacks by the Indians. The report of a gun at either of these forts was the signaf by which the other forts were warned of the danger and summoned to the aid of the beseiged fortress, which was promptly responded to. Alany were the inroads made by savages upon the infant settlements at that early period. Soon after a hardy set of adventurers came in and settled around the forts, consisting of the Millers, Vertreeses, Vanmeters, Harts, Shaws, Dyers, &c., who assisted in repelling the attacks of the Indians. Many deeds of daring valor were performed by those sturdy pioneers. It cost some blood. Henry Helm, son of old Captain Thomas Helm, was killed ; also Dan Vertrees, the honored grandfather of Judge \\ . D. Vertees, our fellow-citizen. Dan Vertrees was a stalwart young man of daring. He, with the late Colonel Nicholas Miller and others, were pursuing a band of Indians ; Miller, then young, was tall, slenderly built, as active as a cat, and as fleet as hind, and as brave as Julius Caesar. This company coming upon the Indians, suddenly, a desperate fight ensued. \'ertrees was killed at the first fire. A stout warrior seized a white man, wrestled his gun from him and was about to cleve his head with an axe. Miller at that moment, with a celerity of action which few men could equal, and with a power tliat few possessed — in the language of John Glenn, "snatched the while man from the Indian as he would a chicken from a hawk," and, with an equal rapid motion, killed the Indian : This turned the tide, and the remainmg Indians fled, leaving several dead on the ground.

Miles Hart, while defending his domicile with an open door, springing from side to side, loading and firing, and keeping at bay a band of savages for a considerable length of time, was finally killed, and his wife and two children taken prisoners. It may not be uninteresting to note a circumstance showing the capability of endurance possessed by those early settlers. Mrs. Elizabeth Hart, the widow of Miles Hart, was regarded as a very delicate woman for those days. She was enceinte when taken a prisoner — in an advanced state. She was burdened with camp kettles and other Indian plunder ; they crossed the Ohio river into the Northwestern territory. After journeying a few days, at nightfall, she was compelled to kindle the Indian fires, and then made to go aside and kindle a fire for herself, raking up as best she could rubbish from under the snow, and there alone, unaided by the kind assistance known to civilized life, was delivered of a son. The squaws then showed a little kindness in the morning, by giving her a little water in which a turkey had been boiled. Then cutting a block from a tree, they wrapped a piece of blanket around the new-born infant, fastened it to the block, and laid the block upon her back with camp kettles, &c.. and pursued their way, and, in the course of a day, waded a river waist deep, and yet, strange to tell, she experienced no serious inconvenience but from hard usages and inhuman treatment, the child died at six montlis old.

She lingered in captivity and wretched slavery for several years, until a trading Frenchman at Detroit purchased her from the Indians, and restored her to her relations. She afterwards married and raised a considerable family. Bailey T. Price, Mrs. Thomas Tabb, and Mrs. John Tabb, are her grand children, and now live among us.

Another instance to show the hardships of the people of those days : On the 25th day of December, 1780, the late Benjamin Helm, Esq., then a lad of fourteen years of age (son of Captain Thomas Helm), walked barefooted to the falls of the Ohio (now Louisville) for meal' or salt. Mr. Helm afterwards lived to an advanced age, over ninety years ! He died some years ago, a wealthy and highly esteemed old gentleman, of the old school, having spent a life of sobriety, honesty and industry' having filled the offices of Circuit and County Court Clerks many years,' and various other respectable stations, and was justly considered a' benefactor in the community; built the Methodist Church here almost unaided, and died a member of it— a true Christian.

On the 17th day of June, 1781, under the shadow of a green sugar tree, near Haynes' station, a Baptist church was constituted with eighteen members, by Elder William Taylor and Joseph Barnett, preachers, with Elder John Gerrard, who was ordained first pastor.' The church was called the Regular Baptist Church of Severn's Valley. The same church still exists in Elizabethtown and is known by the name of the United Baptist Church of Jesus Christ, called Severn's Valley, and is now the oldest Baptist church that maintains an existence in Kentucky. All the members and preacher emigrated from Virginia, and Elder Gerrard might have been emphatically styled, "the voice of one crying in the wilderness."

This man of God was only permitted to exercise the functions of his office for nine months. For in common with his friends he was compelled to seek the game of the forest for a living, and being with a hunting party they were surprised by a band of Indians, all except Elder Gerrard made their escape, he being lame, was taken, and whether he was slain outright, burnt at the stake, or lingered in captivity was never known, and like Moses the place of his sepulchre is not known to this day. He left a family and his decendants, the Millers and Thomases, are among us to this day. The elder and younger Jacob Vanmeter and the wife of the elder were in the original constitution of the church. The decendants of the first Jacob Vanmeter now number upwards of 3,000 and are scattered over nearly all the States of the Union. He was my grandfather; he died on the i6th day of November, 1798, and was

«4 buried on his own farm, now owned by George Strickler. A plain stone of sand rock now marks the spot, the letters on it all legible, though of seventy years' standing.

Chapter II

Church going folks of the present day who make it a point to appear in their best attire at the public religious services might feel some curiosity to know how our ancestors appeared on such occasions and I hope they will not blush at the description.

I received my information from Jacob Vanmeter, who was the younger Jacob Vanmeter in the original constitution of the church. He died a few years since at the advanced age of about ninety-five, having been a Baptist eighty-four years.

They then had no house of worship. In the summertime they worshipped in the open air, in the winter time they met in the round log cabins with dirt floors, as there was no mills and plank to make a floor. A few who had aspired to be a little aristocratic split timber and made puncheon floors.

The men dressed as Indians ; leather leggins and moccasins adorned their feet and legs. Hats made of splinters rolled in Buffalo wool and sewed together with deer sinews or buckskin whang; shirts of buckskin and hunting shirts of the same ; some went the whole Indian costume and wore breech-clouts. The females wore a coarse cloth made of Buffalo wool, underwear of dressed doe skin, sun bonnets, something after the fashion of men's hats and the never-failing moccasin for the feet in winter, in summer time all went barefooted.

When they met for preaching or prayer, the men sat with their trusty rifles at their sides, and as they had to watch as well as pray, a faithful sentinel keeping a look out for the lurking Indian. But it so happened that their services were never seriously interrupted, except on one occasion. One of the watchers came to the door hole during a sermon and endeavored by signs and winks to apprise the people that something was wrong — not being exactly understood, a person within winked at the messenger, as much as to say, "Don't interrupt us." But the case being urgent, the outside man exclaimed "None of your winking and blinking — I tell you the Indians are about."

That was understood, the meeting was closed, and mihtary defense organized. Now, gentle and fair reader, I beseech you, not to blush or be ashamed of your forerunners ; they were the chosen of God and nature's nobility. There was no distinction or turning up of noses in that day, each was his other's equal, they were brothers and so esteemed and loved each other.

No burdened field of corn ; no waving fields of wheat came to the harvest; no potato crop burrowed the earth. The wild game that roamed the forest was the only dependence the first year; the rifle was indispensable. It was made common cause, food was obtained at the risk of life. The unsuccessful hunter lacked nothing. The man who brought down the buffalo, the deer or bear, divided out and all had plenty. When news reached a fort that Indians were around, all were upon the alert, the men seeing that their weapons were in order, and the women, God bless them, went each to their neighbor, and inquired, "Have you plenty of meat? If you have not I have it." And immediately there was an equal division. The dried venison, called "jirk," was the bread ; the fat, juicy bear the esculent, the bulky buffalo, the substantial ; and tiie turkey the dessert ; nobody had the dyspepsia and all had good teeth. But soon the brawny arm leveled the forest fields were opened and a plenty of the substantial of life soon blessed their labors.

Often has the writer heard old people talk with great fondness of old forting times as a green spot in their history — they loved to dwell upon the scenes of early trails and dangers, when men and women were all true hearted and no selfishness.

At an early period Christopher Bush settled in the valley, in what is now the boundary of Elizabethtown. He was of German descent, a stirring, industrious man, and had a large family of sons and daugliters. The sons were stalwart men, of great muscular power; there was no backout in them ; never shunned a fight when they considered it necessary to engage in it, and nobody ever heard one cry "enough." The most of the family left Kentucky. One of the daughters married Thomas Lincoln, the father of the late President, Abraham Lincoln, w^ho was the son of a former wife, and she had the principal care of rearing and educating the future President. She was an excellent woman.

Christopher Bush, Jr., the youngest son, but one of the original Christopher Bush, remained and died in Kentucky. He was a good citizen and successful farmer. He reared a family and paid more attention to the education of his children than any other member of the family, and it turns out that his labor was not in vain. His eldest son, Martin M. Bush, Esq., is one of the best surveyors in the State. The Hon. W. P. D. Bush is a lawyer of considerable distinction ; he has been frequently in the Legislature of Kentucky and was in some degree a leader of the Democratic party, and is now reporter of the decisions of the Court of Appeals. Two other sons, Robert Y. Bush and Squire H. Bush, are lawyers of promise.

One of his daughters was married to Col. Martin H. Cofer. Col. Cofer, son of Thomas Cofer, was born in the vicinity of this town, and under adverse circumstances commenced the study of law, and soon after entered upon a lucrative and successful practice at the Elizabethtown bar. At the commencement of the late civil war he took sides with the Confederates and commanded a regiment throughout the war, and was regarded as an able and gallant commander and now bears upon his person some receipts that will accompany him through life. . As soon as the war was ended, having passed through many of the most terrible battles of that disastrous war he returned to Elizabethtown, having lost all but his honor, and immediately applied himself assiduously to his profession, gracefully submitting himself to the laws and the powers that be, in such a manner as gave him the esteem of all parties, acknowledging that the wager of battle had decided against secession. He has since published a valuable work on the decisions of the Court of Appeals of Kentucky, and is now regarded as one of the best lawyers in Kentucky.

CHAPTER HI

FIRST COURT

The first term of the county court was held at the house of Isaac Hynes on the 22nd day of July, 1793. Present, Patrick Brown, John Vertrees, Robt. Hodgen and Bladen Ashby, gentlemen Justices.

FIRST CLIiRK

John Paul was appointed clerk protempore, not having a certificate of qualification. Isaac Hynes produced a commission and was qualified as first sheriff. Constables, districts were laid off by captains companies. John Paul, under a commission, qualified as first coroner.

AUGUST TERM, 1 793

Samuel Haycraft was appointed to take in the lists of taxable property for Hardin county.

FIRST SURVEYOR

Benjamin Helm, under a commission from Governor Shelby, qualified as surveyor.

Several constables were appointed, and as hogs and cattle began to multiply in the land, many men had their "ear-marks," meaning stock mark, recorded.

The mark recording continued for many years in great abundance, as men were honest and did not wish to take their neighbors hogs and had a slight indisposition to losing their own.

Anticipating that some men might be poor, overseers of the poor were elected. Court house and jail talked about it. At that time an order was spread on paper, no record book being yet procured, in these words : .

"Pursuant to an act of Assembly a majority of the magistrates in the commission of the peace, were of the opinion that the most convenient place for erecting the poor house and jail for county of Hardin, was in Severn's Valley on the land belonging to Andrew Hynes, laid off for that purpose, and on that part of said land that adjoins Samuel Haycraft, and it is ordered that said building be erected at the aforesaid place. By consent of Isaac Hynes it is ordered by the court that he build a pound for the purpose of keeping strays on court days as directed by an act of Assembly."

JAIL

On the same day the sheriff was directed to let out the building of the "jail to the lowest bidder," The court adjourned to meet at the house of Isaac Hynes.

The stray pen or pound was then necessary, as few pastures were enclosed, and cattle and horses found plentiful food in browsing on the cane brakes. Cane grew in abundance on all rich lands and particularly on the margins of water courses.

PUBLIC RECORDS

I might as well say here that clerks had no office buildings, no desks or presses, or any lock up affairs. The clerk of the county court tumbled his papers into a basket. The clerk of the Quarterly session court, laid his documents in a buckeye bread tray.

No bound books ; what purported to be the records were written on coarse sheets of paper sewed together. But since by authority of the Legislature acts have been transcribed into bound books.

Previous to and at this term, the court manifested a laudable zeal in opening communication with the outside world "and the rest of mankind." Viewers were appointed to lay off roads from the court house (as the town had no name) to Parepoint's mill, to the crossing of Meeting creek on the way to Hartford. And Robert Baird, Phillip Taylor and Robert Mosley were appointed to continue as viewers for a road from the crossing of Meeting creek to Hartford; these two links proposed a road seventy-five miles long, through a trackless country, except buffalo traces, and those traces had no general direction, except from cane brake and from water course to water course and celebrated licks.

DEER LICKS

Deer resorted much to salt or sulphur licks ; these licks were closely watched by hunters, and as those animals are keen scented, the hunter took his position in the trees surrounding the lick, and it was a rare thing to miss bringing down a buck every night. Experienced hunters never looked for the game on the course of the wind, as a deer could smell a man on the wind two hundred yards.

ROADS

To return to roads. Ways were laid out from Hodgen's mill to the valley, to the Burnt lick on Rolling fork to Salt lick, and the road from Elizabethtown to Hodgen's mill established 75 years ago still exists with some small alterations.

JAIL

At the same time, 1793, the building of the first jail was let to Isaac La Rue at twelve pounds and sixteen shillings.

Chapter IV

I omitted to state in the proper place, to-wit: At July term, 1793.

"The court proceeded to rate the several ordinaries in the counties as follows :

To whisky by the half pint, 7^ pence ; for lodging one night, 3 pence; for supper or breakfast, i shilling; for dinner, i shilling and 6 pence ; for stabling and hay per night, i shilling ; for corn and oats by the gallon, 6 pence ; for one quart do., 2 pence ; for pasturage for horses 24 hours, 6 pence.

The tavern keepers at Hartford, Vienna and Hardin's settlement (Hardinsburg) are allowed to sell whisky at 6 pence per half pint.

There is something remarkable in the above bill. One-half pint of whisky seems to have been worth two and a half nights' rest in a feather bed ; perhaps whisky was considered to be a necessity, and a good night's rest a mere matter of fancy ; but it is more difficult to arrive at the reason why whisky was not worth as much at Vienna (falls of Green river), Hartford or Hardin's settlement as at the Valley. It might have been because whisky was not so good at those places or money matters a little tighter, although Beaver was more plentiful at those places.

(Note — Taverns were at this date styled "ordinaries," universally pronounced "ornaries," and Spiller Waide says, "It is highly likely the pronunciation hit the nail on the head more appropriately than the spelling." In Virginia they are yet called Inns.)

BIG BILL

Speaking of Hardin's station or settlement, I digress a little. William Hardin, who founded the settlement, was a man of giant size, and ponderous weight, and was a terror to the Indians, and was known to them as "Big Bill," and their great desire was to get his scalp.

Hardin, like every other man at that day, was a hunter. Early one morning he came out of his house and fired off his gun, in order to wipe it out, preparatory to a hunt. A stout warrior stepped from behind the chimney with a rifle poised and, making sure of his man, could not resi,st the temptation to tantalize, and exclaimed : "Hooh, Big Bill !" That was a fatal pause for the Indian, when Hardin, quick with his gun, clubbed, knocked down the Indian's gun, and in a minute the Indian lay dead at his feet.

COUNTY LEVY

At December term, 1793, the court proceeded to lay the county levy.

The allowance amounted to 47 pounds 14 shillings, including building of the jail, clerk's book, sheriff's extra services, per cent, and in the whole county there were 318 tithables assessed at 3 shillings each.

Samuel Haycraft, gentleman, as commissioner of taxes, allowed 31 days for taking lists at 6 shillings per day.

(The county was nearly 140 miles Iqng and on an average nearly 50 miles wide.)

Commissioner appointed to settle with the county of Nelson for levies paid before and after Hardin county was erected.

JULY TERM, 1794

Rosannah Swank administered upon the estate of her deceased husband, John Swank. John Sw^ank lived in a fort of his own two miles northeast of Elizabethtown. He and his wife on a travel to Bardstown were waylaid and attacked by the Indians. Both of their horses were shot under them and Mrs. Swank was wounded in the arm. In attempting to make their escape after running a short distance her horse fell dead under her ; she had a new saddle which she stripped from the dead animal and hung it in a tree. Swank's horse, being yet able to go, he dismounted and put his wife on his saddle, and he fled on foot to a cave on the old Cofer farm two miles from his fort. His dog betrayed him by barking at the pursuing Indians, and he was pierced by nineteen bullets and killed instantly.

Mrs. Swank fled on her husband's wounded horse until he failed. She left the .dying horse and escaped on foot, and being a fleshy woman and clad in a new heavy linsey dress, she pulled it off as she ran, and so strong was her carefulness that she saved every pin and stuck them in an even row in the bosom of her dress.

She lived many years after, a skillful and popular midwife. Swank's fort occupied the ground where her son-in-law, William Edlin, afterwards lived and died. She left considerable family of Swank's, the most of whom became rich or comfortable and subsequently removed to

Missouri. The Edlin family now residing among us are the grandchildren.

CLERKS

At the July term, 1794, John Paul, who had been acting as clerk pro tem., produced a certificate of his qualification from the Judges of the Court of Appeals and was permanently made clerk of the County Court of Hardin.

August term, 1794, the court appointed commissioners to inspect tile jail built by Isaac Larue and reported it well done, and allowed 12 pounds 16 shillings, equal to $42.66^. This was a cheap jail, although it was built of poplar round logs. It was standing within my recollection, but terribly bored by bumble bees — and never was worth a flint as a jail.

The next day the sheriff protested the public jail as insufficient.

October term, 1794, John Paul, clerk, was allowed 12 pounds 14 shillings for record book and traveling expenses on horseback to Lexington and back, ex-officio, services, paper, etc. Sheriff allowed 6 pounds 5 shillings for ex-officio services in 1793, and 8 shillings for a ticket box for the use of the election for that year, voting by ballot, I suppose.

; COURT HOUSE TO BE LET

January term, 1795, Court held at the house of John Vertrees.

^'Ordered that the Court House be let to the lowest bidder at the next March Court, agreeable to a plan that will be read on that day, and that the sheriff advertise the same."

Ichabod Radley was sworn as Deputy for Isaac Hynes, Sheriff. -Ichabod Radley was a Down Easter, and had a better English education than common for that day, and was employed by William Hardin, of Hardin's settlement, as a teacher. The late Hon. Ben Hardin, Robert Wickliffe and many other men of note were his pupils. He was the first who shook the birch over my head. In passing through the Valley to Bardstown he became acquainted with Hannah Bush, daughter of the elder Christopher Bush ; that acquaintance ripened into love and in due course of time they were married. They raised quite a family and all left the country but our fellow citizen, Isaac Radley, Esq., a gentleman of property in this town. He has filled the place of Deputy and high Sheriff several years and counted as an excellent officer, and now stands at the head of a genteel and worthy family.

THE COURT HOUSE ON WHEELS

The Court had fixed the place for erecting the Court House in the Valley ; but the settlers around Hodgen's mill wanted it there, and in order to give every place a fair shake, the Court at March term, 1795, passed the following order verbatim, to-wit :

"Ordered that it be advertised that the Court have no objection to the public buildings of Hardin county being erected in any convenient place where the largest superscription may be made for ; provided, a sufficient superscription may be made by the next May Court."

MAY TERM, 1 795

Samuel Haycraft, gentleman, produced a commission from Governor Isaac Shelby, appointing him sheriff of Hardin county, and was qualified and gave bond with John Vertrees, Stephen Rawlings and John Paul, his securities.

Edward Rawlings was admitted and qualified as Deputy Sheriff.

SPUNKY DEPUTY SHERIFF

Edward Rawlings, son of Stephen, was then a young man, afterwards Captain Rawlings. He was a slender, tall man, with but little surplus flesh, nearly all muscle, very active, and prided himself on his manhood and high sense of chivalric honor. A warrant was placed in his hands to arrest "Bill Smothers," who was a rollicking kind of outlaw, and frequently guilty of personal outrages. He infested the lower end of the county — now Daviess county (which I omitted in my first number to set down as part of Hardin), about 130 miles from the present Court House. Rawlings, by strategem and some help, arrested Smothers, tied him on a horse and started with him on a long journey for the jail. When on the road between Hartford and Hardin's settlement. Smothers addressed Rawlings something after this manner :

"Ned, I have heard of you, and that you boast yourself to be much of a man. Is it fair if you are a better man than me ? I promised to go with you untied, and if I prove to be the better man then let me go."