The First Map 1784

"Daniel Boon", "Levi Todd", and "James Harrod" were called together to witness an introduction to the new best seller titled: "The Discovery, Settlement, and Present State of Kentucky", by John Filson.  This witness was dated May 12, 1784.  They state:

 (we) "...have carefully revifed it, and recommend it to the public as an exceeding good performance, containing as accurate a defeription of our country as we think can poffibly be given:...".

This text contained the first map published by Henry D. Pursell, and printed by T. Rook (Philadelphia) in the year 1784.  The following is taken from this map giving the title image:

It states that the map is drawn from actual observations.  The next figure shows a copy of the area around "Danville", 1784. 

This was certainly a central location in 1784.  The busiest place seems to be the "Lower Dutch" station, where at least six trails connect here.  Clark's Run, a branch of the Dick's River, comes just south Danville.  A careful inspection of the map indicates that Danville is represented as a "station" with a number of other "stations" surrounding it. [Clark's, Irvin's, Caldwall's...etc.]  Reed's is identified as a dwelling house and mill.  A number of dwelling houses are shown around the station labeled Danville.  It would be another three years before it became the town of Danville.

The Way In

In 1782 maps were hard to come by.  It was not until 1784 that John Filson had his map engraved by Henry Pursell and published by T. Rook in Philadelphia.  It outlines "The Road from the Old Settle' thro' the great Wildnenefs".   Now before 1782-1784,  lots of folks had made their way through this great wilderness.  Two accounts giving mileage charts are recorded by The Filson Club, 1886. [The Wilderness Road, A Description of The Routes of Travel By Which The Pioneers and Early Settlers First Came To Kentucky.  Prepared For The Filson Club by Thomas Speed, 1886.]  The chart below outlines these accounts from the start of the Cumberland Gap.   The figure shows the area around what was to become Danville, KY. 

 In 1782 "Doehurty's Station" [Dougherty's = John Dougherty would raised a crop of corn 1776] was the stopping point.   By 1784,  "Crow's Station" [ John Crow = in present city limits of Danville] was given as the end point of this passage.  Both lists give about the same land marks, which can be followed as outlined above.

The present day counties in which these locations existed in 1782-1784 are given in the figure below. One starts at the Cumberland Gap into Bell County, KY.  This then moves to Knox, then Laural, then Rockcastle, then Lincoln, and finally what is now Boyle County, KY.

In 1782 - 1784, getting to what was to become Danville, KY was by a wilderness path...the way in.

An Early Map

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.