Fort BoonesboroFilson Club Publicatin No. 16, Boonesborough, by George W. Ranck,
Louisville, Ky: John P. Morton & Co., 1901.
Appendix, p. 151
COPY OF -DEED FROM THE CHEROKEES TO HENDERSON & COMPANY',', MARCH 17,
1775. (Furnished by James Alves for Butler's HISTORY OF
KENTUCKY, second edition).
Between Oconestoto, chief and first representative of the
Cherokee nation or tribe of Indians, and Attacullocullah and
Savanooko, otherwise Coronoh, for themselves in behalf of the
whole nation
to: Richard Henderson, Thomas Hart, Nathaniel Hart, John
Williams, John Luttrell, William Johnston, James Hogg, David
Hart, and Leonard Hendley Bullock
"on waters of Ohio River from the mouth of the Tennessee River up
the said Ohio to the mouth or emptying of the Great Canaway or
New River and so across by a Southward line to the Virginia line
by a direction that shall strike or hit the Holston River six
English miles above or Eastward of the Long Island therein and
other lands and territories thereto adjoining.
Signed by: Oconistoto his mark
Attacullacullah his mark
Savanooko (otherwise Coronoh)
Witnesses by: William Bailey Smith
Thomas Houghton
J. P. Bacon
Valentine Turey
George Lumkin
Castleton Brooks
Tilman Dixon
Thomas Price, linguist
Davie County Public Library
Mocksville, NC
Transylvania Colony
BY J. T. DORRIS,
Eastern Kentucky State Teachers College
AT HILLSBOROUGH, North Caro -
Lina, on August 27, 1774, Richard
Henderson and five others, including
Thomas Hart, who later became the father-
in-law of Henry Clay, formed the Louisa
Company. Their purpose was "to rent
or purchase land" from the Indians west
of the Allegheny Mountains. It appears
that for more than a decade earlier the
forerunner of this organization, Richard
Henderson and Company, had existed, and
Daniel Boone had been active in its service
in what is now Tennessee and Kentucky.
The Louisa Company soon admitted
James Hogg and several other North
Carolinians to its membership and changed
its name to the Transylvania Company.
On March 17, 1775, at Sycamore Shoals
on the Watauga River, Richard Henderson
and his associates purchased nearly 20,000,-
000
0,000;000 acres of land from the Cherokee Indians
for merchandise worth about $50,000.
Approximately two-thirds of the purchase
was enclosed by the Kentucky, Ohio, and
Cumberland rivers. The remainder lay
south of the Cumberland. - The area thus
acquired was named Transylvania, and
plans were hastened to settle it and obtain
its recognition as a new English Colony.
Daniel Boone was engaged as early as
March 10, 1775, to cut a trail to, and
establish a settlement on, the Kentucky
River.
THE FORT AT BOONESBOROUGH
As soon as Boone arrived at the Ken-
tucky River (April 1, 1775), he began to
erect a fort at a salt lick about sixty yards
from the south side of the river and nearly
a mile below the mouth of Otter Creek.
It was not until June 14th, however, that
this fort was completed. Boone's fort,
apparently, was never of much conse-
quence. Its smallness and location did not
satisfy Richard Henderson, who, the day
after his arrival (April 20th), chose a site
further up the river and about three
hundred yards from Boone's fort, where
another fort was soon begun. This fort
stood just above Sycamore Hollow with one
corner about sixty feet from the river. It
appears that it was not entirely completed
until very late in 1776, or very early in 1777,
and that in 1778 it was further improved.
It is this second fortification to which
properly belongs the term Fort Boones-
borough. The accompanying illustration
of it was reproduced from Lewis Collins'
"Historical Sketches of Kentucky," pub-
lished in 1847. This conception of the
fort was arrived at by studying a drawing
of the ground plan of the fort by Richard
Henderson, the chief founder of the
Transylvania Colony. The date 1775,
and the flag in the Collins' illustration
suggest errors.
The fort at Boonesborough has been
estimated as having been about 260 feet
long and 180 feet wide. Its greatest* use-
fulness was during the Indian attacks of
1777 and 1778. For ten days in 177&
(September 7th to 16th), its strength made
it possible for thirty men and twenty boys,
assisted by the women, to resist four
hundred and fifty Indians under Captain
De Quindre, who had been sent by General
Hamilton of Canada to destroy Boones-
borough. Within the fort the cattle and
other property of the settlers were also
protected during the siege. This victory
surely saved other settlements in Kentucky
from destruction and made more certain
George Rogers Clark's possession of the
Illinois country in 1778-79 and the
recapture of Vincennes in February, 1779.
Soon after the Revolution the fort at
Boonesborough disappeared. Its site is
marked today by a stone on which are
inscribed the names of many of the first
settlers of Boonesborough. The marker
is enclosed by a stone wall about fifty feet
square. The fort is likely to be restored
as a part of the present program to estab-
lish a national monument at Boones-
borough.
THE COLONY'S GOVERM ENT
Richard Henderson arrived at the settle-
ment on April 20, 1775, and soon issued a
call for a convention to organize -a govern -
4
a
m
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delegates to the legislature were to be
elected annually.
The convention, acting as the legislature
under the constitution, enacted nine laws
to' it:
(1) "for establishing courts of jurisdiction and
regulating the practice thereof"; (2) "for regulating
a militia"; (3) "for the punishment of criminals"-
(4)
riminals';(4) "to prevent profane swearing and Sabbath
breaking: ; (5) "for writs of attachment"; !6) "for
ascertaining clerks' and sheriffs' fees (7) ' to pre-
serve the range"; (8) "for improving the breed of
horses"; (9) "for preserving game."
It is interesting to note that Daniel
Boone sponsored the last three laws, the
second of which is indeed significant, in as
much as Kentucky is famous the world
over for her superior horses. The legisla-
tive body adjourned on May 27th to meet
again at Boonesborough the first Thursday
in September next.
On September 25, 1775, the proprietors
of the Transylvania Company elected
James Hogg to carry a petition to the
Continental Congress, at Philadelphia, for
the recognition of Transylvania as a
member of the United Colonies. But this
colonization scheme was doomed to failure.
The authorities of Virginia frowned upon
it, the Cherokees were declared to have
no power to transfer the land, and the
proprietors were "charged with republican
innovations and Utopian schemes." Fur-
thermore, news 'came from Transylvania
settlers declaring their dissatisfaction with
the company's land policy. The Congress,
therefore, did not recognize Transylvania.
Harrodstown (later called Harrodsburg)
under the leadership of George Rogers
Clark, became the center of opposition to
the pretensions of the company, and in
December, 1776, Virginia created the
County of Kentucky, thereby extending
her authority over that part of the Cherokee
grant now in Kentucky. The first court
of Kentucky County was held at Harrods -
town on September 2, 1777.
BOONESBOROUGH
The arrival of Daniel Boone and his
party at the Kentucky River on April 1,
1775, was the beginning of the town of
Boonesborough. Harrodsburg had been
settled in June, 1774, by James Harrod,
and a party of Virginians, who abandoned
the place late in July, 1774, because of
Indian hostilities. They returned, how-
ever, March 15, 1775, and made Harrods-
burg a permanent settlement, thus ante-
dating the settlement at Boonesborough
by seventeen days.
Boonesborough played an important part '
in the early history of Kentucky, as is
told elsewhere in this article. By the
time of its incorporation in October, 1779,
a town plat of twenty acres has been laid
off into streets and 119 lots. It was
estimated that fifty acres more would
soon be needed for the same purpose.
The remainder (570 acres) of the section
of land allotted the town was to be used as
"commons" by the townspeople. The
act of incorporation named Daniel Boone,
Richard Callaway, James Estill, and seven
others as trustees. They declined to
serve, however, and in 1787 a supple-
mentary law vested the government in
-ten other men, including Green Clay,
William Irvine, and Robert Rodes.
Boonesborough may be said to have had
an auspicious beginning. It was estab-
lished by the Transylvania Company,
whose purpose was to found a colony west
of the Allegheny Mountains. It had the
first considerable fortification, and it was
the first seat of government in what later
became Kentucky. One of its citizens,
Richard Callaway, obtained the first ferry
rights (October, 1779), in Kentucky at
Boonesborough, and it was the first town
in Kentucky to be incorporated (October,&j
1779). The town was also first in other
particulars, but it was doomed to oblivionm
as an urban community. =1
It appears that in 1789 Boonesboroughv
had "upwards of a hundred and twentym
houses," and in 1792 it was conspicuous
for its shipments of tobacco in barges o -
down the Kentucky River. In 1792,6
Green Clay, William Clark, William Irvine, U
and thirty other Kentuckians offered the w
State 18,550 acres of land and 2,630 pounds >
sterling to locate its capital at Boones-
borough. The town's prosperity, however,
continued to wane. The census of 1810
gives its population as sixty-eight, and other
government records show that it was
intermittently a United States postoffice
until December 4, 1866, when, it appears,
postal service was discontinued and not
C+
U
KENTUCKY SCHOOL JOURATAL
the valley and the settlers suffered greatly.
Panic among them was general. Most of
the settlers fled to Fort Dodd or to hastily
erected neighborhood forts for safety.
Many others fled to the settlements near
the coast. Among the latter were Daniel
and Rebecca Boone and their two young
sons, James and Israel, and several other
families of Boones and Bryans. Daniel
took his family to Culpeper County in
eastern Virginia where he found employ-
ment in hauling tobacco to Fredericksburg.
Although peace had not returned to the
frontier, sometime in 1760 Boone returned
with his f amily to the Yadkin. In the
following year he served in the militia
under Colonel Byrd and -later under Colonel
Stephen against the Cherokees. Upon
his return home after peace had been made
with the Indians, Boone organized and led
a party of hunters across the mountains
and roamed the valleys of southwestern
Virginia and eastern Tennessee, finding
game particularly abundant in the valley
of the Holston.
It must not be concluded from their
passionate devotion to hunting that the
backwoodsmen of this period led a shiftless
existence. Farming upon the Virginia and
Carolina uplands was crude as to methods
and insignificant as to crops. The principal
wealth of the well-to-do was in herds of
horses and cattle which grazed in the
wild meadows, and in droves of swine
that fed upon roots and acorns in the
forest. For the average family on the
outer fringe of settlement much of the food
came from the woods. For months at a
time bread was seldom seen in the cabins.
To the forests then went the pioneer for his
food, the long hunts providing food, furs,
and skins- -which, having a ready sale in
the market towns of the east, provided
them with such necessities as salt, tools, and
iron. It was to the forest, therefore,, that
the. backwoods farmer then looked largely
for his sustenance. Boone was now a
typical backwoods farmer.
Pontiac's uprising of 1763 only slightly
disturbed life on the Yadkin. But after
more than five years of war; life on the
Carolina borders was demoralized. To
restore order and overawe the disorderly
elements the best citizens formed associa-
tions whose members were called "regula-
tors." Into this movement Boone was
23
drawn. Upon one occasion he led a
company of men against a band of outlaws,
generally given to horse thievery, who had
kidnapped a girl and carried her off to their
stronghold in the hills.
During the fall and early winter of 1765,
Boone with seven companions made a
journey on horseback to Florida, the new
colony that England had obtained from
Spain in 1763. Apparently they went
with a view of moving there if the country
seemed attractive. They explored Florida
all the way from St. Augustine to Pensacola,
having on the whole a wretched time.
But Boone seems to have been much
attracted to Pensacola, for there he bought
a house and a lot to which he apparently
planned to bring his family. But upon
his return he abandoned the plan, and also
his investment. On the Yadkin he was to
remain a few years longer, though he seems
not to have given up his old idea of a
hunting trip into the now much -talked -of
land of Kentucky.
Notwithstanding his longings Boone
might never have gone to Kentucky had
affairs remained satisfactory on the Yadkin.
But with increasing settlement, game was
becoming scarcer and harder to find, and
Lord Granville, the principal landholder
of the region, was pretending to find flaws
in the land titles. This gave rise to a
general discontent. Boone's protest con-
sisted in leaving the Sugar Tree Settlement
and moving northwes r si' - ve In es
to r e ea a ere
a a ove Wilkes-
boro he bui t a rough cabin. ter a time,
issatisfie wit d
fi urt er up Beaver Creek. Again
he changed is mind and___moved A i_n
this time buil ing Tcabin on th pnnpr
Ya kin us a e ou of Beaver
Creek. H ' ,were game, fish, and the
range were plentiful, Boone resided con-
tentedly for several years, making his first
hunting trips into Kentucky, and prospering
until crowded out by advancing settlement,
when he eventually moved to Kentucky.
The cause of human progress is our
cause, the enfranchisement of human
thought our supreme wish, the freedom of
human conscience our mission, and the
guarantee of equal rights to all peoples
everywhere the end of our contention.
(1tiV1:: w l J
PA�-1'WOVIIIe, IV. G. .�
THE RICHMOND DA
Where Did Battle -Scarred Fort Boonesborough Actually
Advanced As To The Location Selected By ;First Settlers I
According To John Crooke's Records
It Was Built At Rim Of Sycamore Holl
By W'ILLIA.vf G. EATON
(Copyright 1997)
Location of the battle Scarred
fort at Booaeeborough bad
hcen o source of conilderablt
comment for many years and
several theories have been ad
vaned as to the actual elle.
Theeo contrasting opinlom
have grown out of Interwoven
historical fuels and fascinating
legends which have been handed
down Imn, family to family for
many generations.
[lie a,oel frequently voiced
opinion, which le In direct com
trael with the gcromilyaccepts d
f-rtsile at Sycamore Hollow, az-
sorin that the historic Biomass.
borough fort was erected "at
Zmouth of Otter Creek" — ,
taro or one )title and d quar.
ter farther up the river.
Served An Londnmrk
No doubt the locallon referred
tau nerved a. nn impatient land.
mark during the early days and
that the phrase was perpetuated
by the aspiring young noleoh
w,esters historian, John 9Ylson,
hoa bli.hcd a promotional oar
retic,. about the wonders of Ken-
tucky In 1791 right years of
lar Col. Richard Henderson'.
proprietary Transylvania ver.
lure had failed.
The emir, Buaneeborough oma
presents unusual and peculiar
problem. In topography and
orientation. Any effort to prove
I hal the fort Blood In ill. bottoms
at Otter Creek would be can.
fronted with problems with
which It would be Impossible to
deal.
For example, the location of
numemw Important landmarks
umst Al be accounted for In ec-
card:.ma with known (arta, both
In disbmcr untl In the lay of the
I.o.d. ;,a well na bring In a pro-
Ia-r pcespeetive and relation with
cvrll olhrr.
It would be n more logical ap.
preach to disprove the Otter
Creek theory xnd to prove that
Ilw wtual sill. was located on
lir rim of the historic [.How—
e lading the nwmerlallmd plot
uud the Inunedl.le are. to the
north and northwest. This uni.
que site was, by reason of long.
slanding facts, traditions and
legends. recognized he Wing
correct In HW.
WNL. the fort [BOB faded a'
way any decade. ago, the
phrase hoe lingered through
the fertile mcadowlandsto he
historian, special writers e
other Interested persons v
have sought to verily the act
site of the vanished fort
many yearn.
Crooke Survey$ Important
Major John Crooke, v
served an Madison County I
veyor for 82 years (17501&
located msay of the hint,
pointe In the county (with
aid of other well-informed I
neer,, and left on record re
Information concerning the ea
history of the county than
other Individual.
The most revealing of U
pioneer records (for the Imre
at hand) Is the survey wt
Major Crooke began on Der,
bar 1. 1512, at the direclior
the Madison County LTr,
Court. A largo amount of 1
was Involved and the result
plat was used in the hotly,
tented case of Gen. Green C
veraue John Reed and other,
The pioneer surveyor eat
Wen of numerous nttleme
and pre-emptions In retailer
the old fort at Boonesboroug
a fact which reveals the gem
location of the palisaded
structure for an ingwilive
somewhatpuzzled generation
the present time.
Recorded Distance
Beginning at tills historic
cation, Major Crooke recon
We distance In poles (each p
manenl marking was a mile
part), as the surveying pa,
progressed along Bourse's ,
Trace leading from the forts
toward Richmond and heyon
A major portion of the cont
versy centered around the of
ership of the choice lends loi
led near the headwalors of Of
Creek and Pumpkin Run; mac
ly, the 1,005 acre pre-empt
and fortelte of Capt. James I
till. The general vicinity was
bout six it.. southeast of I
The detailed survey not ,
provided the requlmd [.far,
tion for the lengthy court ca
but when completed, It also
came a part of the official si
vey of the rugged William
Hoard—from the forfeits
Cumberland Gap.
A portion of Motor Crook,
explanatory notes yields the I
lowing valuable Informatle.
concerning the location of his.
teric Fort Ieoona.Wrough;
.larked By Letter Is
"The little square. act the [at-
ter
atler F on the bank, of Kentucky
River represent. the fort at
Baoneaborough near the old Sul.
phur Lick which place wall
showed me by Oswald Townsend
Joseph Proctur, .levee Hedges,
David Lynch, William Cradle
bough and Lawrence Thompson
of Otter Creek." (Note: IN poles
Is exactly one colla and a quar•
ter In distance.)
There are several additional
Hope which were made by Ma -
Joe Crooke, each an the survey
of the Trace to Tale's Bottoms
In 1802 and the Log Lick Trace
survey In 1811; there ere num.
hereon revealing depositions
which were made by We early
settlers for court purposes;
and sketches of the fortelte
which were mode by the strug.
filing first Kentuckians who once
lived In the torted community.
1. addition, - copy of the or[.
ghat Bconeeborough lownehe
plat of 1787 has been handed
down and appears In cover-]
IcngaccepMd historical pubs-
milmes. Collectively, or sepa-
rately, these pioneer records pro-
tide Infann.tion which definitely
establishes the fact that the
:rude pioneer structure was lo.
cated at historic Sycamore Ho -
ow, rather than "al the mouth
of Otter Creek."
Had the controversial phrase
been a part of an Important sur.
vey. Its literal Interpretation
would have here ecmdr d sad
only ad a practical and k
tenting means of marking
final point on the rugged R
ernesa Trail, with the main
Jetties (the pre-.0.etod R.
the proposed 11th Colony) be
strategically located •Within
section of land Juni attend,
to disquiet contrasting ch
and opinions — even after
claps- of mom than 150 y
In lila colorful history of
Bhe,graxn state.
Plan Certificate
The actual location of the
neer fort In revealed In an e.
Madison County survey known a
as "A Plan Certificate of
Boonesborough," which evident 1.
fly was d complete plat of the
frontier settlement as It ap. p
peared prior to 1101. of
The valuable pioneer record a.
probably was prepared by Cour w
ly Surveyor James French and s,
Ills depullea, Wllllnm Clerk and ..
WIIlla... O'Reaq ,, n
and 1787.
The hereabouts of
wthe original w
document la not known, although
the Important survey we"re. b..
turned and ordered to be re- JI
eorded by the Mndlsan County lb
Court Clerk on October f, 1707." S,
Even the recorded account did. p.
gppeared sometime after the 1;
1870s, according to W. H. Miller to
-- a well-known Madison County gi
gene.ilogls-htstorhm. N
However, Judge French TIP.
lot, (a prominent Madison Come, ill
ly lawyer, newspaperman and c,
historian) had limited access to or,
the plan sometime before his un- b,
timely death In IN]. Ws an ri
published notes on thirteen de.
cades of Madison C-unly hletory re
contain handwritten Id hllghts B,
of the valuable certificate. 11,
Compared With Shine's o'
It has been cold, by way of in
comparison, that the "Tiplon
papers are to Madison County Pr
what the Shone papers are to E'
Kentucky." gl
The preserved portion reveals
the following much-needed facts 11
which uncover the truth ..nceIs. to
Ing several Important locations B
at the historic site: ti.
"Pike W yds. W. running dw n,
N. & S. thence— n
The Lick Branch at Banner. al
borough tromes Into Lick bear. D
Ing N. 21) E. to
18 yds. from sulphur well to kl
center of branch. t1,
Well at right "side on left Ic
of long line.
Well S. 78 E. from big tree. w,
Fort S. 30 E. tram sulphur ap
well. 1„
Springs. BeW. tram well.
80 Isle. from well to fence to-
wards fort. c,
20 yde. from fence to fort. to
Lick N. of ravine 7e yds."
Unfortunately, the sire and tlO
orientation of the code log fort ac
was lot recorded and the Its t
of the Divine Elan was not In v
1v
eluded. However, the course of
Spring Lick Branch wall charted c,
a. It meandered through the re
vine at that time, and the Ioca-
Lion of two big sycamore treed
was oleo established.
1. addlUon, the fallowing brief
notation concerning the arca "el
the mouth of Otter Creek" wen
Included:
"River at mouth Utter courses
N. M W. Rune N. 20 E. to bend
above eulo rt r branch (see White
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BLUE GRASS HARDWARE COMPANY
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PLUMBING
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IPMAY, DR47EMUM I, IgM
Where Did
(Continued From Age Two)
preted as being located at
law -lying site within the pre
sent ravine — near the rolls
euulh rim of the unique de
premium.
he relation to the tradition.
forlalte an indicated by the ex-
latmg DAR marker, Me area
Ilea 76 yards north and 61 de-
grees went.
It this Information Is inter-
preted strictly on Me basis of
Me present appearance of the
historic elle, the newly-deslg-
noted larallo^ "does not make
practical sense," the present-
day group remarried.
However, when known facts
are carefully reconsidered and
are incorporated with Ne sur-
vey note. contained In the
Plan Certificate, the fosel-
noting puzzle begins to take
on new meaning. As a result,
a somewhat altered and though.
provoking viewpoint appears
to emerge for objective con-
aidemtlon.
Interviewed Shane
For example, George Bryan
related In an interview which
was taken by the Rev. Jahn
D. Shane In 1 3, Met —
"The end of Me tort at
Ex. hisbarotgh came down
almost to the mouth of that
branch o, drene. The Bandy top
Of the bank has washed away
an an be begin where the tort
was, now nearly to Me edge
of the banit. Sandy bank; stock
inn on It and heavy rains
washed 11 away. The edge of
the fort wall, Irom the pitch
of the hill' W the water'. edge
— Bay 40 steps. The gmund le
of 1778), na Mat you can as
where they dug."
Addishner Iniowatlon per-
Wning W Me actual fmislte
and the crude log structure It -
tion of the fort as it Is the
angle of placement. Most in-
formation Indicate. that It was
constructed more or lona parallel
with the river, end that t h e
doweriver end war situated
a considerably closer to the bank,
thereby, creating an unknown
bangle.
_ Heonver, the much -used
Bconesborough Iownsite plat
reveals otherwise. This map,
which had been previously
mentioned, illustrates the fort
us bemg oriented more nearly
at a right angle with the
river,
An Opinion Presented
The writer ventures to pre-
sent the following calculated
opinion, which Is based upon
the original plana of Col. Rich.
.rd fienderaon and atatemente
of other early Kentucky plo-
neere, concerning the placement
of the fort:
Col. Henderson', drawing of
the proposed indicates is K In 7s lh t itwas tobe
ndic
oriented N. 13 degrees W. The
Plan Certificate reveals that
the river inn N. 30 degrees W.
near the fartsite — a difference
of 17 degrees from being
parallel with the river.
To clarify this, let's assume
that the fort was constructed
perfectly parallel MM the
river —wining N. 30 tlegrees
W. Now, let's mentally anchor
the bastion closest to Me river
bank an Ne dowertver end
Inorth).
Then, let's swing the opposite
end (anuth) away from the
river, using the anchored bas-
tion as a pivot, until it is
oriented according to Col.
Henderson's original drawing;
Nue, achieving what Is believed
to have been most nearly the
fort's true placement.
We must also take Into can:
sideration Nat Col. Henderson
lett Boonesborough before the
fort was actually completed
and that It was enlarged to.
word the neat prior to the long I
THD RICHMOND DAD,
THE NEW FORTSITE — When Interproted, the pioneer plum hldicatr
historic fort stood at (or near) the IoW -lying site Be Illustrated. Cho
located a few yards closer to the river. Only detailed excavations ca,
outline of the settlement.
be called -upon to Beek the made possible through One d
retail a'
to some of the long- special historical material pm
.1anling mysteries at Boonen- vlded by Me clerk's office N
borough. Ne Madison County Circuit
'Me hardy spirit of the Court; the Dorris Museum and
struggling first Kentuckians In University Library at Eastern '
still silently reflected through- Kentucky University; the UN -
out the picturesque valley, vanity of Kentucky Library;
which originally was the site and the Public Library In Lex.
of Me battle -carred wildernw lagton and Winchester.
fort; 'later, the location of . Appreciation Is hereby ex.
prospective river tobacco town. pressed to personnel cannected
Both were doomed to fade with Mese public sources of m.
Into the misty recesses of formation, for providing help-'.
oblivion many decades ago, and ful assistance an well as use -
the unique "Ands" which were ful material to complete lhu
accomplished by the resourceful account.
tante of Booneland, have
Ante Incomes a pert a
ate', colorful pioneer
Indian stege of 1778. The reawakened area no
This may have altered Its appears to be just as alluring
sJ! N eocmded be the pioneer appearance somewhat as well
late Iowa and Benstein d Mrs. as Ira relative Fashion to N
IGlraheM laergue dLnmes. river. However. It le more lik
4'<vge )Yyan. Jstejce fetors ly fbl+xps4f..aherar3®s
Exp lea 3umea aDt>�s_: aAdcuarr ov . peed
Ike muse bum a Bda,ead Ar � yea ce �I muse ad-
d tie materuf as Pevrea� tested tx
articles I only to a miser way hum tM
Record Verthlb I.mNtion orialasl also.
The writer hastens to point
out that the Plan Certificate
dyes not ronlredict. the low.
tion ae establlehel by the
Booneeborough Chapter of the
DAR In 1607.
Quite to the contrary — It
seem. to verify the established
location an being some part of
the pallesded fart. FLrtleen the
yysneer record indicates that
Lhe low-lying area wee .leo the
location of name portion of the
speclous log structure.
In fact, ell aeid.,e Indicates
Nal a major pert of t h e
destined ferlrrn. tae generally
north of the DAR monument,
rimer than extending soum-
word from Me marker over
the more level terrain — as
traditional Information has as-
sorted.
The rem "history no ger,"
Ibmn Is not M much the I. -
tj.a. . .
Future Looks Prombing
Actually, the pioneer i
Certificate le rather llmltm
coverage and It does not ane
all of the questions. Even
It reveals much mom an
ieformtlon than has been I
sented heretofore on
subject.
These definite feet.
figures may lead to
est.bltshment of the exact o'
all foAelte, as welt as of
ever, experienced archaeologists
hove stated that It would be .
difficult seek. Indeed, to recover
anY rcmneate whateoever of
Mev i had 1
1 for thousands of pleasure- seek
e Ing travelers, u the original
e- meadowland paradise was
and hr border d buaprr bunadoea
d and )tea 1 dwm ler
e+�s � of ewer
early a:pewma suet hssb
fhat settler.
And the future of the hmWrse
site — even mare promleingl
(Author's Comments)
This paper Is the result of al-
most three years of faeclnating
research and study. The com-
pletion of such an article was
Ne primary aim of the writer
when the self -assigned project
was begun. Numerous source
of hdormation have been co.-
suited
on
suited during the revealing
study. In addition W this, th
main article, at least 16 other
V
have also been prepare
on relo tM .ub,_,. ' a pro
ject le not yet complete.
This particul.r compnutio
of Important feet. rind little
known Information has been
Recognition la also exlended
f
w
-
(reatrd
la(
to MO. Saroh Calk Herrman "
�O
of Montgomery County, who
hen granted the writer special "
permission to use materiel
Interesting and aseful material;
from private family papers;.
further. Mat It will serve as a
worthwhile contribution [owned S
and to Mr. Louie F. Baldwin
t
Of Winchester, who provided
of widely -known Fust^Baoneeborough
technical advice and nsaistanct
Is
recemry as complete the
—9. v+rl-
� ipP++"�au re a
W Mr, 1. A. WEh
Boonnberrtugtlr, rvho bei
r�
provided invaluable asslasencr
.�
as well as much helpfdt m-
9�
formation throughout the pre -
feet.
Numerous consultations with
Mrs. Walter West, els. of the
le been helpful.
trtbuted to the project In
s
-
e
d
-
^
•Kon
various ways. Crateful ap-
�O
precmtlon Is hereby expressed. 1y
The writer hopes that Nu V
paper will provide readers with y
Interesting and aseful material;
further. Mat It will serve as a
worthwhile contribution [owned S
the overall promotion of the
popular site — now the Ivan-vs.
B
of widely -known Fust^Baoneeborough
state Park
Is
nn o ng fortreb at this -
late data.
No doubt the valuable record
will provide a definite orle mad Squire Boone, Brother Of
reliable background for pro-
fwlaW persmuwl soba may
When He Was Needed—Tarmec
T
DAVIE CO, PUBLIC LIBMANY He Served S' 1ugg
MQCKWIWtF*,f\ ti urs+
(Copyright lues)
In Various V�/'. YS;
The auppnrtind role which
J
uaula l,U•hbad OU141
,TJ -F v or portion of
^ *"_- 3 TIE TRADITIONAL tQOATION — Reliable Information roveela that a con) po
neer plan Indicates that a porUon a the the crude log Structure was located 75 yards north end north-west of the traditional DAR
Illustrated Chances are that It was marker, with "the slid of the fort at Ro°naborvugh coming down almost to the mouth of
I excavatlms can determine the exact that bench or time,, rtocolda,g to Olotge Bryan. /�
. [lie a lob
pro-/tZW,/OTIL[ [t/a!! %/�
°[flee of //�fJ1� l/
;y circuit V ��/ �t .�/�/
scum and / Ger u/f "�CU-(/I a6u �O Nw GI rfO
t Eastern `tfefi it INC x 0AIZA aw �eG alfwlU {p .
the Om- 0
Library: ���ttt r ✓%� /(/ //
'V In Lmi-• / LA - !�/P r� f/ lL u�(� /�� J(l�.lo LJ '//W �fj�rHN 4'��eau/i
raMCaedQ�
ries o[ m-�y�� ,f')a✓urte�j
dfng help-(h*.)fit!'t/ttofi(h*.) "'^"'�f0 1 OW•✓IfitJ
:ll ee use. ��//"�' Mu'� ►TT.
oplero this
r emended [/, f!•t.) N LCLli t.C(/IA/� C��a .� a �2�J
Herrmann
ntnty, who
der special
,,material ii/0 �f �Ytt) �(�OLtl �W (ITNw✓
is Baldwin �) Q! d.l�ifl K. ,e'
is provided y °•8 ,t
1 htaatance. ! ` ty
aplete the:. (�. PYIlG rr r.J 'Qe
dive h ex-.
SW who has , w� '9
I andetmce —w�'01w -..°.. o, t e'd C:
dhdpha rin.. 8SR ',.. •C °'•'• .{V� "• \ys} •x
)wl the with � V\� O a V ? -,\y Y :� O
e/seowith V �, •�f°.., I V
rwnmmluh
ly� tl b ` ka
>a
Wild].
ala con.
ywled '"
Ilut h` V
.der Mth \(
antero; t� .� r: p to .�• t^ .'l� � N • V
nw a a \ �... ,� .S �3 s. n ..
towards �•
: tl be Ie1PORTANT SURVEY — This pioneer survey reveals the general location of historic the
14 yam'. Fart Rooneaborough. The valuable survey was exemted by Major john Crooke in Dacem• (plot... provided by
NY. beet Eloo It 1Uuetratea the site as being located at letter "F' on the banks of Kmtuclq author)
,vuD poles below the controversial mouth of Atter Croak.: I.
I 'near the mouth of Otter Creek.
The skilled woodsmen spentthe
f paniel, Had Way Of Appearing On Scene 'ImAi of 1170territory
an numerous
such locations throughout the ma-
cinalh:g ttlement and retursometime
ed
in
to aha settlements somellme in
Termed A'Great But Unsung Pioneer Hero'tha ......
This time, however, they were
choir feta In gelling Wear
cumin tura out of the Indian
toric ldadlson County; IL. hunting grounds. Just u they
obllsk - •�' stone, wr were randy W lead Wetrheavily.
some v is and meu - laden pack horses through the
Struggling First Kentuckians Hfea us preset :yap Into comparative safety, an
the G disco, by, � walting band of Indians robbed
ays' First Preacher In Area �ilarO 9.1892 ham of the Bnllro catch and they
1 Flnllard ta1..: . owned the were fortunate to escape with
upon which .a Dloneer s[ut.a thaIr lives.
QA1UE CO. PUSUC W d at mat Uma. see° that ExpeNUm Rurseeaml'_r.
Nle. 11 has been m dISPleY m
Wcxs ME, roc
PAf3E rf1ey V%- V• if
THE RICHMO" DAILY 1
Where Did Battle -Scarred Fort Boonesborough Actually Si
Advanced As To The Location Selected By First Settlers In
According To John Crooke's Records
It Was Built At Rim Of Sycamore Holl(
By WILI.IA.'1f G. EATON
(Copyright 1987)
Location of the batUe-scarred
fort at Boonesborough. has
been a source of considerable
comment for many years and
several theories have been ad-
vanced as to the actual site.
These contrasting opinions
have grown out of Interwoven
historical facts and fascinating
legends which have been handed
down from family to family for
many generations.
The most frequently voiced
opinion, which Is In direct con.
treat with the generally -accepted
fortsile at Sycamore Hollow, as-
serts that the historic, Boones.
borough fort was erected "at
the mouth of Otter Creek" — a
distance of one mile and a quar-
ter farther up the river.
Served An Landmark
No doubt the location referred
too served as an important land-
mark during the early days and
that the phrase was perpetuated
by the aspiring young school-
master -historian, John Filson,
who published a promotional nar-
rative about the wonders of Ken-
tucky In 17114 - eight years af-
ter Col. Richard Henderson's
proprietary Transylvanla ven-
ture had failed.
The entire Boonesborough area
presents unusual and peculiar
problems In topography and
orientation. Any effort to prove
that the fort stood in the bottoms
at Otter Creek would be con-
fronted with problems with
which it would be Impossible to
deal.
For example, the location of
numerous important landmarks
" must all be accounted for In ac-
' 3 cordance with known facts, both
In distance and in the layof the
land, as well as being In a pro.
-' u -per perspective and relation with
each other.
o It would be a more logical ap-
6 proach to disprove the Otter
-^ Creek theory and to prove that
the actual site was located on
' 9 the rim of the historic hollow—
p including the memorialized plot
A and the Immediate area to the
north and northwest. This uni-
-1- que site was, by reason of long-
standing facts, traditions and
Qi} legends, recognized as being
Z correctfn 1007.
e ll While the fort Itself faded I-
CJ way many decades ago, the
phrase has lingered throughout
the fertile meadowlands to haunt
historians, special writers and
other Interested persons who
have sought to verify the actual
site of the vanished fort for
many years.
Crooke Surveys Important
Major John Crooke, who
served as Madison County Sur-
veyor for 52 years (1795.1g47),
located many of the historic.
points In the county (with the
aid of other well-informed plo.
neersl and lett on record more
Information concerning the early
history of the county than any
other individual.
The most revealing of these
pioneer records (for the purpose
at hand) Is the survey which
Major Crooke began on Decem-
ber 1, 1812, at the direction of
the Madison County Circuit
Court. A large amount of land
was Involved and the resulting
plat was used in the hotly -con,
tested case of Gen. Green Clay
versus John Reed and others.
The pioneer surveyor estab-
linea of numerous settlements
and pre-emptions In relation tc
the old fort at Boonesborough—
, fact which reveals the general
location of the palisaded log
structure for an Inqualtive and
somewhat -puzzled generation at
the present Ume.
Recorded Distance
Beginning at this historic lo-
cation, Major Crooke recorded
the distance in poles (gash per-
manent marking was a mile a-
part), as the surveying party
progressed along Boone's Old
Trace leading from the fortalte
toward Richmond and beyond.
A major portion of the contro-
versy centered around the own-
ership of the choice lands loca-
ted near the headwaters of Otter
Creek and Pumpkin Run; name-
ly, the 1,000 acre pre-emption
and fortalte of Capt. James Es-
till. The general vicinity was a.
bout six miles southeast of the
county -seat town.
The detailed survey not oly
provided the required Informs.
tion for the lengthy court case,
but when completed, It alsobe.
came a part of the official sur-
vey of the rugged Wilderness
Roard—from the fortalte to
Cumberland Gap.
A ,portion of Major Crooke's
explanatory notes yields the fol.
lowing valuable Information
concerning the location of his-
toric Fort Boonesborough:
Marked By Letter F
"The little squares at the let-
ter F on the banks of Kentucky
River represents the fort at
Boonesborough near the old Sul-
phur Lick which place was
showed me by Oswald Townsend
Joseph Proctor, Jesse Hodges,
David Lynch, William Cradle-
buugh and Lawrence Thompson
of Otter Creek." (Note: 400 poles
Is ekactly one mile and a quar-
ter in distance.)
There are several additional
maps which were made by Ma-
jor Crooke, such as the survey
of the Trace to Tate's Bottoms
In 1802 and the Log Lick Tracej
survey In 1811; there are num-
berous revealing depositions
which were made by the early
settlers for court purposes;
there are several rough drawings
and sketches of the fortslte
which were made by the strug.
gling first Kentuckians who once
lived in the forted community.
In addition, a copy of the ori-
ginal Boonesborough townsite
plat of 1787 has been handed
down and appears In several
long -accepted historical publi-
cations. Collectively, . or sepa-
rately, these pioneer records pro-
vide information which definitely
establishes the fact that the
crude pioneer structure was lo-
cated at historic Sycamore Hol-
low, rather than "at the mouth
of Otter Creek."
Had the controversial phrase
been a part of an Important sur.
vey, its literal Interpretation
would have been required and
justified. Whereas, It served
only as a practical and long.
lastingmeans of marking the
final point on the rugged Wild.
erness Trail, with the main ob.
jective (the pre -selected site for
the proposed 14th Colony) being
strategically located within the
section of land just ahead.
Once againcourt-proven facts
and well -calculated figures serve
to disquiet contrasting claims
and opinions — even after an
elapse of more than 150 years
In the colorful history of the
Bluegrass state.
Plan CerdBcate
The actual location, of the pio.
neer fort is revealed in an early
Madison County survey known Oak Fo
ns "A Plan Certificate oft
tly was a complete plat of th(
frontier settlement as it ap
geared prior to 1781.
The valuable pioneer recone
probably was prepared by Conn
ty Surveyor James French and
his deputies, William Clark ant
William O'Rear, around 1797
The whereabouts of the origina
document is not known, althougl
the important survey was "re
turned and ordered to be re-
corded by the Madison Cmmtl
Court Clerk on October 4, 1797."
Even the recorded account die
appeared sometime atter the
18709, according to W. H. Mille
-a well-known Madison County
genealogist -historian.
However, Judge French Tip,
ton (a prominent Madison Coun
ly lawyer, newspaperman and
historian) had limited access t(
the plan sometirrie before his un
timely death in 1001. His un
published notes on thirteen de-
cades of Madison County hlstorl
contain handwritten highlights
of the valuable certificate.
Compared With Shane's
It has been said, by way of
comparison, that the "Tipton
papers are to Madison Count]
what the Shane papers are to
Kentucky."
The preserved portion reveals
the following much-needed facts
which uncover the truth concern.
Ing several Important locations
at the historic site:
"Pike 80 yda. W. running dos
N. h S. thence -
The Lick Branch at Baona
borough comes into Lick bear-
ing
earing N.20 E.
15 yda. from sulphur well is
center of branch.
Well at right angles on left
of long line.
Well S. 78 E. from big tree.
Fort S. 30 E. from sulpha
well.
Spring S. 84 W. from well.
So yde. from well to fence to
wards fort.
20 yds. from fence to fort.
Irick N. of ravine 70 yde!"
Unfortunately, the size and
orientation of the crude log font
was not recorded and the site
of the Divine Elm wee not u -
eluded. However, the course d
Spring Lick Branch was charted
as it meandered through the I*
vine at that time, and the loca-
tion of two big sycamore tree
was also established.
In addition, the following bdd
notation concerning the Area "it
the mouth of Otter Creek" wa
Included:
"River at mouth Otter course
N. 20 W.. Rune. N. 20 E. to bend
My R'ER
Stand? Numerous
Area
Madison County
""Afro bEUP?Ii ER i,1S47
A Fort survey) ." much larger that one Would
"the well to be cleaned as loiI.Virinchester;
usefulness for present-day
orated On Knoll
normally judge. it must have
been at least three-quarters of
as it was before; the work to
completed by the first of Se
needs.
The group consisted of LautO
engineer of
It must be explained at this
that the White Oak Fort,
an acre in size and perhaps
larger — covering a large area
tember next. The undertakerF.
give bond with approved, seeu
Baldwin, civil
William G. Eaton,
Dint
the White Oak Spring Station
it commonly called,
on both • sides of the branch
within Sycamore Hollow, or the
ty for the work to be finish
In the time prescribed, for which
amateur historian and photo-
grapher, also of Winchester;:
s was more
as located on the knoll just
''sulphur well bottoms" as the
been
the money shall be paid as soon
be recelved by
and John A. Walters Jr., lock-
master at Boonesborough•
Ruth of the old Lisle graveyard
-1700 feet west of the river and
ravine has sometimes
called.
as the work shall
the Commissioners."
Record Aocntsf
iree•quarters of a mile south-
est of Fort Booneaborough,
Bslt SUM -1 (7onidde�
Boone originally chose the uni•
The old well was much -Used
durin gthe "dark and bloody
Although the self -assigned
project is somewhat limited in
This station was built in 1771'
y Capt, Nathaniel Hart —one
que locality because of the pos-
sibilities which the lick offered
days" at the Kentucky outpost
and it served the early townsite
It
coverage, preliminary verificaj
tion efforts indicate that t h s
f the aristocratic proprietors of
Transylvania Company.
to provide the much-needed
settlers in a like manner.
,continued to serve curious visl-
pioneer record is "remarkably
-- considering t h e
to
everAl Low Dutch families from
commodity of salt for the early
pioneers living in the farted
tors who came to the privately
resort until around
accurate"
fact that numerous changes in
'ennsylvania lived there from
779 to around 1'182, in addition
community. And of course the
free-flowing fresh water spring
owned river
1920.
topography have occurred at
the historic site over the years.
Capt. Hart's large family
who originally came from
was also an important factor in
Its flow of curative water gra-
dually decreased and the old
Mr. �dy� points out that
the survey notes are somewhat
,roup
forth Carolina.
The location of this
Boone's decision.
The choice proved to be a
however,
pump slowly rushed away. The
exact site was evident until the
,
unusual. they are. • stated in
rather than in poles —
general
1 -fated smaller fort may have
bitter disappointment,
the saline content of the
inceh-fed
early 1980s. The location soon
yards
the more commonly used
untributed soniewhat to the er-
oineous belief that Fort Boones-
lick was too low
brancyield the precious crude product
i
became vague and it was even-
tually obliterted completely, as
"tides"
method of surveying in those
days. This fact indicates that
Borough itself once stood on a
Ise near the mouth of the creek.
quantity.
in This unfortunate circumstance
a result of numerous
which since have covered the
the original survey may have
been executed by an AwnY
It would be more nearly cor-
ect to theorize that this site in
forced Boone and his compan-
ions to make the tragle journey
sheltered level within the ever-
changing, naturally -produced de•
man.
Range fiudera and other In .'
he river bottoms was the lora-
.on of Boone's Tobacco Ware-
to the lower Blue Licks durin
the bitter winter of 1778 for the
pro�On•
Source Is Recaed
struments which are used by
Army personnel even today are
louse, which was established in
purpose of making salt — the
older residents of the area
ca'l'ibrated to use the yardage
Re town of Boonesborough in
7g7 —the - beginning of the
outcome - of which is a matter
of controversial record in the
now recall the general location
the once - water source
system-
In addition, there may be ad,
'row nous River Warehouse
'Gra.
colorful annals of the rugged
o! popular
and relate that it was 16 feet
much as four degrees variation
in Magnetic declination. be -
3piing Also It�tBtruTr c
frontier country.
The Boonesborough Commis•
deep, six feet in diameter and
walled with native stone: '
tween surveyg which were made
date and those
Judging from the contents o
the Plan Certificate, the old sul-
sionerg decided to make bettorOnce
use of the prolific sulphur spring
again the site of the old
sulphur well within the ravine
at that early
of the present time. As a re-
of this normal occurrence,
suitphur
well north of Spring Lick
Branch was an important lova•
sometime around 1792. Meagerbecomes
information indicates that the
an important location,
me historic Fort Boonea•
along with the topographic
changes, it was calculated that
tion at the time the survey was
made — just as it had been for
course of the branch was altered
at its entrance into the ravine
borough stood exactly 100 yards
southeast of this pioneer land-
the accuracy of the pioneer sur -
vey could be stated as follows:
many years earlier: The proms-
discovered by
at the apps r end; the lick b
was drained; and • the spring
mark,
The only'visibld u6 UUMI I.•
The minimum variation neer•
is two the maximum
;ing site was
Daniel Boone Haid his compan-
the valleys of the Ysd-
was cleaned out and walled
with common field atones , thus
mark remaining at the popular
site today, however, to fresh
all yards;
--eight yards. Assuming t h a t
the maximum variation exists
ions from
kin during their daring explora•
forming the old sulphur well.
water spring and it produces a
and making even a maximum
tion of the coveted territory be-
DreW, Up •IDetsiled plaw
flow of water only its a wet pea•
allowance for additional possible
tween the years 1769-1771.
The strong now of brackish
These changes, along with` ad -OM
ditional improvements and In.
This known location provides
errors and Wand changes, the
designated fortsite would be
waY-
water from the original ancient
spring was largely responsible
ducements, were made in an ef-
fort to obtain the "permanent
an important checking point n
the fading Inmeans
altered only in a minor
IReferenees linterprow
for the formation of the large
salt lick at Boonesborough, or
seat of government" at Boones•
borough, which was the largest
a link with past
the fascinating qui to
of the
That the sits
could be located a few yat�
"Big Lick" as it 'was usually
town in the newly -created state
establish the actual site
vanished fortificatlon —first
closer to the. river and on a
life --
called b ythe early explorers,
hunters and Indian fighters whoOn
at that time.
June 24, 1787, William
known as "'s Poart"
ms
straight east -west
with the flow of
sought refuge at the pioneer
settlement. , 1.long-time
Calk and John Wilkerson, both
promoters of the
On October !i, 1968, another
surveying party appeared on
the branch alongside the old
sulphur well site in the hollow.
In comparison with the first
two—acre. Iots as illustrated by
ging pioneer settlement,
drew up detailed plans for "Re-
the historic grounds at Boone-
borough •-- this time to "prove
The references to the "fence".
and the •TorV► have been inter -
the , much -used 1787 map• the
to be
pairing the Lick in Booties-
or disprove" the pioneer Plan
Certificate and to-8etermine its
Li0onttnued Od ,�)
egg-shaped lick appears
borough" and advertised for
t' .. .•. - �. � .iii•. �' 17 ./.. '•� .1 e;. ,,� , 'i.♦ �. 1 , , .• • . . . . -
0"13 bA1LI "MU19rlitt
Uayle UO. I'k . Llbl-ty
ui,...hr\lNlu N C. UNuut k 0, 010m ►IU181'y
plan indicates that a portion of the
[rated. Chances are that it was
:avations can determine the exact
TBE TRADITIONAL LOOATION — Reliable Information reveals that a major portion of
the crude log structure was located 75 yards north and north-west of the traditional DAR
marker, with "the end of the fort at Boonsaborough coming down almost to the mouth of
that branch or dmue, • according to George 'Bryan.
a
pro-
p of U��.-J ' C/tZ[.a./iGrezlQi9`. iz/ali ui iY'77•tUJ l0 (/!u �!c!J (,�7tt{ aG if �� �/U �d
rcn
and / �J
stern CNea'J Q. Ici COIL Q�
UN• � Li•'/rL1 ti�.C{Y!f/LU-�O GrU/�ill('G
vary:
l.ex• �j 999
ex- Iz-
ectad
)e in-
help -
use.
this
manvlrrriL n�vrt't\� ti crGt) P.FaJu� Pct+.r7
ta-
who
serial Gyf7cviN�V% L(�wvCvI IJTN1✓nJq o •sj� lJ 'r
O
de�%
Iwia
,vided
/
tance Q
the �,w )p r' f p\
Is ex-
ra Jr.
o has � `4 ... •p•.,� I
awith �V� ..V O...a...: o••:A \J V `, ,i,
of thoCp.'
noofty, .� b �, ,� ,� `F•1 i
oelpful. ` fi ,`V
je con- ,`c�j
p rk
'pub v0 ��
d this n with
`��t41
y I AD ID>POSTANT 6USVEY — Tnthe
Is pioneer survey reveals the general location of Historic
e Foti Birt BoonesborougH. The valuable survey was executed by Major John Crooke In Deoem- Pi tures - provl4oQ by tho
bar, 1812. It Illustrates the site as being locgted at latter r,,,oa,f�.pa}dtp Oi $eutucky iuthor)'
ve las below a controversial mouth of tter Cr,*..; .
. .. - �. - ....._ .. Q- l -
Where Did
IosNland iYmn fto ilea)
Protest as bow lac"W at
*V431106 rate tnthia the p
OW Metes — mar the roll
sett► rise of W unique
promwa
Am ralabod to the lradltl
tertale as uWicaled by the
Wu� DAR marker, the
1tr 1t yards north and 41
g� WOOL
U lisle Information Is in
pretad strictly on the basis of
the present appearance of the
historic site, the newly-deslg
ailed location "does not mak
practical sense," the present
day group reasoned
However, when known facts
are carefully reconsidered and
are Incorporated with the sur.
vey notes contained In t h e
Plan Certificate, the feed-
nsting puzzle begins to take
on new meaning. As a result,
a somewhat altered and though -
provoking viewpoint appears
to emerge for objective can.
alderetlon.
Interviewed Sham
For example, George Bryan
related in an interview which
was taken by the Rev. John
D. Shane in 1843, that —
' The end of the fort at
Boonesberough came down
almost to the mouth of that
branch or drene. The sandy top
of the bank has washed away
so as to begin where the fort
was, now nearly to the edge
of the bank. Sandy bank; stock
ran on It and heavy rains
washed it away. The edge of
the fort wall, from the pitch
of the hill' to the water's edge
— say 40 steps. The ground Is
perceptibly lower at the place
where they attempted to mine
into the fort (the Indian siege
of 1778), so that you can see
where they dug."
Additional Information per-
taining to the actual fortalts
and the crude log structure it-
self is included in the pioneer
Interviews and writings of Mrs.
Elizabeth Poague Thongs,
George Bryan, Judge Moses
Boone, Peter Huston and others.
The writer has Introduced a@
of this material in Previous
articles.
Record Vertltlde Location
The writer hastens to point
out that the Plan Certificate
does not contradict the loca-
tion as established by the
Boonesborough Chapter of the
DAR in 1807.
Quite to the contrary — it
seems to verify the established
location as being aeon part of
the pallsaded fort. Further, the
Pioneer record indicates that
the low-lying area was also the
location of some portion of the
soaclous log structure.
In fact, all evidence indicates
that a major part of t he
destined fortress Jay generally
north of the DAR monument,
rather than extending south.
ward from the marker over
the more level terrain — as
traditional Information has as.
....sew
tion of the forte
ort a it Is the
aagte of placement Most In-
formauon Indicates that it was
constructed more or less parallel
with the river, and that -t h e
downriver end was situated
a considerably closer to the bank,
re- thereby, creating an unknown
thg angle.
However, the much -used
G- Boonesborough townsite plat
onsl reveals otherwise. This map,
�- which has been previously
area mentioned, illustrates the fort
�, as being oriented more nearly
at a right angle with the
Later. river.
An Optalon Pt,°Benled
The writer ventures to pre.
. sent the following calculated
e opinion, which is based upon
the original plans of Col. Rich.
ard Henderson and atatements
of other early Kentucky pio.
neers, concerning the placement
of the fort:
Col. Henderson's drawing of
'heProposeindicates that it fo was tort in beoriented N. 13 degrees W. The
Plan Certificate reveals that
the river ran N. 3o degrees W. "
near the fortslte — a difference
of 17 degrees from being
parallel with the river.
To clarify this, let's assume
that the fort was constructed
perfectly parallel with the
river — Cunning N. 30 degrees
W. Now, let's mentally anchor
the bastion closest to the river
bank on the downrlver end
(north).
Then, let's swing the opposite
end (south) away from t h e
river, using the anchored bea.
tion as a pivot, until It is
oriented according to Col.
Henderson's original drawing;
thus, achbA g what is belleved
to have been most nearly t tie
fort's true placement.
We must also take Into con- t
sideration that Col. Henderson
left Boonesborough before the I
fort was actually completed 1
and that it was enlarged to-
ward the east prior to the long h
Indian siege of 1778.
This may have altered its a
appearance somewhat as well f
as its relative position to the t
river. However, it Is more like-
ly that repairs, alterations and f
additions over a period of a
several years would have af. c
fected the fort's orlentatton e
only In a minor way from the fit,
original plan
Future Looks Promising
Actually, the pioneer 1
Certificate Is rather llmltei
coverage audit does not ane
all of the questions. Even
It reveals much more usu
information than has been
sented heretofore on
subject.
These definite facts
figures may lead to
establishment of the exact o'
all fortsite, as well as of
impirtant locations within
toric Sycamore Hollow. H
ever, experienced archaeolog
have stated that It would b
difficult task. Indeed, to race
any remnants whatsoever
the vanished log fortress at I
late date.
No doubt the valuable ret
THE RICHMOND DAIL
rna rn:w a'VAm"WE — When interpreted, the pioneer plan tndieate:
historic fort stood at (or near) the IoW -lying site as illustrated. Char
located a few yards closer to the river. Only detailed excavations can
outline of the settlement.
be called upon to seek the
solution to some of the long.
standing mysteries at Boones-
borough.
The hardy spirit of the
struggling first Kentuckians 1s
still silently reflected through-
out the picturesque valley,
which originally was the site
of the battle -carred wilderness
fort; later, the location of a
prosperous river tobacco town.
Both were doomed to fade
Into the misty recesses of
oblivion many decades ago, and
he unique "firsts" which were
accomplished by the resourceful
nhabitants of Booneland, have
ong since became a part of
the state's colorful pioneer
eritage.
The reawakened area now
ppears to be just as alluring
or thousands of pleasure- seek.
ng travelers, as the original
meadowland paradise w a s
or hordes of hungry buffaloes
nd primitive Indiana; for
ountless numbers of curlous 1
arly exp@orers and thrifty
rat settlers.
And the future of the historic
to — even more promising!
(Author's Comments)
This paper is the result of al-
anost three years of fascinating
research and study. The com-
pletlon of such an article was
the primary aim of the writer
when the self -assigned project
was begun. Numerous sources
of information have been con-
sulted during the revealing
study. In addition to this, the
main article, at least 15 other
articles have also been prepared
on related subjects. The pro-
ject Is not yet complete.
This particular compilbtion
of Important facts and little.
(mown information has been
Is possible through use or
tial historical material pro.
ed by the clerk's office of
Madison County Circuit
irt; the Dorris Museum and
varsity Library at Eastern
Bucky University; the Uni.
lty of Kentucky Library;
the Public Library in Lex.
)on and Winchester.
.ppreciat(on is hereby ex-
ised to personnel connected
1 these public sources of in.
nation, for providing help•
assistance as well as use.
material to complete thu
Recognition is also extended
to Mrs. Sarah Calk Herrmann
Of Montgomery County, who
has granted the writer special
PermimlOn to use material ,
from private family papers;
and to Mr. Louis F. Baldwin
Of Winchester, who provided 1.
technical advice and assistance ,
necessary to complete the
unique survey.
Special appreciation Is ex.
tended to Mr. J. A. Walters Jr.
Of Boeneaborough, who has
Provided invaluable assistance
as well as much helpftll In. '
formation throughout the prr
ject.
Numerous consultations with
Mrs, Waller West, also of the
Boonesborough community,
have likewise been helpful
Many others have also con-
tributed to the project in
various ways. Grateful ap.
preciation Is hereby expressed.
The writer hopes that this
paper will provide readers with
Interesting and useful material;
further, that it wfli serve as a r
worthwhile contribution toward _Z
the overall promotion of the
copular site — now the Inca -
don of widely -known Fort 2r, aconesborough State Park. .. .. a
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THE PLAN OESTMOMM — The actual location of the tate of Booneaborough;' It reveals important details concern -
fort is given In an early -day survey which has remained Us- Ing the fortsite and surrounding area at Sycamore Hollow.
published until the present time. Known as "A Plan CWW-
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THE PLAN OESTMOMM — The actual location of the tate of Booneaborough;' It reveals important details concern -
fort is given In an early -day survey which has remained Us- Ing the fortsite and surrounding area at Sycamore Hollow.
published until the present time. Known as "A Plan CWW-