All Around The Town in 1774 - 1776

Finding springs, marking trees, planting corn, and building cabins were all part of the activities during the years 1774 to 1776.  The following map attempts to show the folks who found the land around the area that was to become Danville irresistible.  The surveys of these folks have been presented in previous posts.  The figure below is drawn to scale, and the approximate location of these surveys are drawn to scale.  North is to the top of the page, and the Dix River is drawn being on the eastern border of what is now Boyle County, KY.  A 1 mile marker line is given, and 1400 acres would be about a 2.2 miles by 1 mile rectangle.

The tiny square in the SW corner of John Crow's land [shown in green] would become the 76 acres of the "Town Lands" yet to be purchased.  A small matter of separation from the British Empire would slow things down after that declaration of July 4, 1776.

The land of James Brown [shown in blue] would be the southern border, and that of Thomas Harrod [shown in orange] would be western most border.  The lands of John Clark [shown in pink] would be to the south, and the lands of James Harrod [not colored] would be to the northwest.  "Boiling springs", "sinking spring", and the "town spring" would all play a role in the settlement of this area.

Clark's Run is shown in dark blue, and runs just south of the town lands.

So there you have it...all around what was to become, the "town lands" of Danville, in 1774 - 1776.

The Fisher Fellows 1776

Adam, Barnard, and Stephen Fisher were all raising a crop of corn during the year 1776.  Their lands were located in what was to become the area around Danville, and Stephen Fisher would have his problems with the claims of John Crow.  Adam's lands were near the "Mouth of Howards" run [waters of Dicks River], and Barnard's were lying "on the Waters of Salt River".  Now Stephen's land recorded:

"Stephen Fisher this day claimed a settlem't & preemption to a tract of land in the district of Kentucky on account of raising a Crop of Corn in the Country in the year 1776 lying about 3/4 of a Mile East from Jones Settlement & adjoining the same to include his improvment Satisfactory proof being made to the Court they are of Opinion that the s'd Fisher has a right to a settlement of 400 Acres of land to include the above location and the preemption of 1000 Acres adjoining & that a Cert. do not issue untill the further order of this Court-" [from court records held at Harrodsburg 28 Jan., 1780, pp. 150 - 151 Certificate Book of The Virginia Land Commission 1779-1780]

Now the "Jones Settlement" was that of John Gabriel Jones who ends up being my family! 

Thomas Harrod 1776

It took a bit for the dust to settle after the decisive battle of Point Pleasant.  The summer of 1776 found a number of new folks settling the land around the area that was to become Danville.  Thomas Harrod [believed by most to be the brother of James Harrod] raised a crop of corn on the land lying on "sinking spring".  His certificate reads:

"Thomas Harrod by James Harrod this day claimed a right to a settlement and preemption to a tract of land lying on sinking spring joining the North West side of James Browns land by improving the same & raising a Crop of Corn in the year 1776 satisfactory proof being made to the Court they are of Opinion that the said Thos. Harrod has a right to a settlement of 400 Acres of Land including the said Improvement & a preemption of 200 Acres of Land for the same, he declining to take the remainder of his preemption.-"

This "sinking spring" still runs today on what has become the campus of Centre College.  It can be seen just off Main Street and the junction of Saint Mildreds street.  Six hundred acres would be just less than a mile square area.  Thomas Harrod's land would become the land of Centre College!

Point Pleasant 1774

The summer of 1774 greeted a number of folks wandering about the wilderness of what was to become the town lands of Danville.  Those who made the surveys nearest the spot that contain the "town spring" have been presented in the previous posts titled 1774.  Little did these folks anticipate that only several months later the frontier would face the most decisive conflict that was to set the stage for this little area of the world.

The Ohio and the Great Kanawha Rivers joined on the southeastern shore at a place called "Point Pleasant".  For several Indian groups and a frontier militia, it became a defining point that was anything but pleasant.  On October 9th the battle took place that pitched the Shawnee and a Fincastle  militia that did not contain British regulars among the forces.  Those involved, and survived, were to become leading citizens of this new settlement area.

The figure above shows the location of Point Pleasant and its relationship to the waters that brought many folks to the area that was to become Danville.  It was the treaty of Camp Charlotte which contained the clause that the Shawnee acknowledged the white man's right to Kentucky.  These first settlers were now able to consider themselves the most western settlement of Virginia's Fincastle County.

A good discussion of this pivotal event can be found in: Forth to the Wilderness, The First American Frontier 1754 - 1774, by Dale Van Every.  [William Morrow and Co., NY, 1961.]

Azor Rees 1774

The transcription of the early "Certificate Book" by Lucas shows the record to be blurred leaving the name "....... Rees".  It has been felt by Collins to be "Azor Rees" who with a Joel Rees is the only other by this surname in the records.  At any rate, Azor Rees seems the most likely to have made a settlement lying dear the "Knob Lick".  It reads:

"------- Rees this day claimed a preemption of 1000 Acres of Land in the district of Kentucky on Acc't of Marking and improving the same in the year 1774 & 1775 lying near the Knob Lick Isaac Shelby having Obtained a Cert. for the------"

[ p. 260, Certificate Book of The Virginia Land Commission 1779 - 1780, published by The Kentucky Historical Society, 1981.]  Collins notes can be found in his Kentucky History, Vol. 2, p. 517.

Knob Lick was a distinctive land mark found on Filson's first map of 1784.  Isaac Shelby would certainly have something to say about this new land.  This land mark is just south of what was to become the town lands of Danville.

For this early map see post of December 13, 2012 which shows the central Kentucky area.  See if you can find this "Knob Lick".

James Brown 1774

Certificates continued to be issues by the court held at Harrodsburg October 28, 1779.   John Cowan in behalf of James Brown received the following:

"(Cert issued for 1400 fees &c pd. D.D. to John Cowan)

      John Cowan in behalf of James Brown this day claimed a right to a settlement and preemption to a tract of land lying on Clarks Run about 1 Mile or 1 and a half Miles above Clarks Station by improving the same in the year 1774 and raising a Crop of Corn on the premises in the year 1776 satisfactory proof being made to the Court they are of the Opinion that the said Brown is entitled to a settlement of 400 Acres of land including said improvement & the preemption of 1000 Acres Adjoining and that a Certificate issue for the same."

[p. 22-23 Certificate Book of The Virginia Land Commission 1779 - 1780 , by The Kentucky Historical Society, 1923]

Let's see now... John Clark in 1774 claimed land on Clarks Run that contained a road leading from the Boiling Spring to the Knob Lick... and James Brown claimed land lying roughly 1 mile above (north) Clarks Station.  John Crow had established himself southwest from Fishers Garrison [known by Rees' Lottery Cabin] which became know as Crow's Station.  Wow....like working a giant puzzle...more pieces to come.

John Clark 1774

On the same day that John Crow had his settlement right certified [Oct. 28th 1779], a fellow named John Clark claimed his settlement right.   It reads:

"(Cert Issued for 1400 fees &c pd D.D.)

  John Clark this day claimed a right to a settlement and preemption to a tract of land lying on Clarks Run on the road leading from the Boiling Spring to the Knob Lick by improving the same in the year 1774 and residing in the country 12 Months since making the said improvement.  Satisfactory proof being made to the Court they are of Opinion that the said Clark has a right to a settlement of 400 acres including the said improvement, & a preemption of 1000 Acres adjoining and that a certificate issue for the same."

Clarks Run is a branch of the Dick's River that flows through the southern part of what is now Danville.  Its name would suggest that the Clark family were the first to settle this area since they could name the creek.   By 1779 landmarks were "Boiling Spring" [James Harrod's settlement] and "Knob Lick" [what was to become Issac Shelby's settlement].  A "road" existed connecting both settlements which would be close to old 127 highway today which runs through the city of Danville.  More to come in the year 1774.