North, South, East and West Which Branches are the Best

Getting to this land that was to become Danville needed an access route.  The Dick's River was a major branch of the Kentucky River, with head waters near the Wilderness Road from the southeast.  Coming down the Ohio would require you to paddle up stream on the Kentucky or the Salt River. [From the north or northwest.]  Which way proved the easiest and the safest  was open to discussion and your point of origin.

The following figure shows the relationship of the four main water routes into Danville.

Clark's Run seemed the branch of the Dick's River that ran the closest to the heart of Danville.  It would most likely be the source of the springs that were so necessary to early settlements.  Spear's Creek and Mock's Branch were north of the land that was to become Danville. [Clark's Run in orange, Spear's Creek green, and Mock's Branch in pink.]

The red marker outlines the flow of the Salt River.  This was a branch of the Ohio River, just below the falls.  It was the major route of those early surveyors that came to this area in 1774.  James Harrod and his group would have something to say about the land around these water routes.

Yes sir, north, south, east, and west...which branches are the best.

Upon Dry Ground - Sort of

There are 31 rivers, 800 creeks, 45 large lakes, 33 small lakes, and 87,000 farm ponds presently in the State of Kentucky. [Plus or minus here and there.]  Certainly not all these things existed when folks started their way into this area.  At least 4 major rivers had something to do with the water routes into the central area of the State.  The following figure shows roughly an outline of these 4 rivers and their relationship to this area that was to become Danville.

From the east, a branch of the Kentucky River, called "Dix" or "Dicks", comes the closest to the town lands of Danville.  From the northwest,  branches of the Salt River, one called "Chaplin", come close to the lands that were to become Danville.  Green River and Cumberland River finish the circle that surrounded this settlement area.  It would seem that these "town lands" would pretty much be in the center of things such that, heading almost any direction would place you on a water route out of town.   "Upon Dry Ground" I am thinking, sort of.