The world powers of the day were trying to get their land claims clearly established in this new land. Drawing a map was one way to show that you had been there and made a record of this exploration.
Who would have thought of putting this huge land mass in the middle of the expected water route to China anyway?
At any rate, the French were the first to show the geographic outline of this place that was to become Danville, Kentucky.
There was this river running east to west, that came out of the mountains which separated the occupied area [eastern side of the mountains], from to the road to China [the western side of the mountains]. North to south there was this other, much longer river that would connect the French controlled north to the warm water ports to the south. Good idea to get there first!
The map shown above is the one first published in 1697 by the French. The Ohio River [Hohio] is drawn pretty much like it flows from the Appalachian Mountains [Mons Apalachie]. The land that was to become Kentucky was just south of this "Hohio" River. You can use your imagination to trace the outline of the state as it is drawn on this map. Smack in the center of this area would become Danville, Kentucky. A century or more yet to come of course. Wow, here we were before anyone would ever guess it!
This map was published in 1697 by Louis Hennepin and titled: Le Cours du Fleuve Missippi 1697.
Hennepin, (Louis, SJ) Amsterdam, J.F. Bernard.
