The Mouth of the Great Kanawha

Colonel William Preston held the keys to the first "official" surveys made in what was to become Kentucky.  Under the directions of the governor of Virginia, Lord Dunmore", he was appointed the "chief surveyor" of Fincastle County.  Only those properly deputized by him (Preston), could carry out surveys in this new territory.

In the Maryland Gazette, March 10th, 1774 was published the following information:

"Fincastle County, Virginia, January 27, 1774."

"Notice is hereby given to the gentlemen, officers, and soldiers, who claim land under his Majesty's proclamation of the 7th October, 1763, who have obtained warrants from his Excellency, the right honorable the Earl of Dunmore, directed to the surveyor of Fincastle county, and intend to locate their land on or near the Ohio, below the mouth of the Great Kanawha or New River, that several assistant surveyors will attend at the mouth of New river on Thursday, the 14th of April next, to survey, for such only as have or may obtain his lordship's warrant for that purpose..."

                                         "William Preston, Surveyor of Fincastle County"

Such begins the surveys of what was to become Danville, KY.  Issac Hite was one of the deputy surveyors.  He was also a business partner of Walker Daniel.  Both had something to do with the founding of this place, Danville.

Setting The Table

Explorers, hunters, trappers, and traders traversed and prospected this land that was to become Kentucky.  Prior to 1770, there was no permanent settlement, or surveys, either private or official made of this land.  It was under the direction of Col. George Washington that the first survey was made along the Big Sandy River.  Col. Joshua Fry was credited with 2,084 acres and 1,525 acres along the boarder of what is now Kentucky and West Virginia in 1770.  However, this was not to be since Virginia took control, forming Fincastle County in 1772.  Thus the "authentic" records of the settlement of Kentucky began. 

The College of William and Mary had control of this process.  First, to become a surveyor, you had to obtain a "commission" from the Master of William and Mary.  Next, you had to qualify as a deputy surveyor under the watchful eye of the "Chief Surveyor".  Then you would receive an "order" or "mandate" from the chief surveyor to go to work.

Of course this did not stop private, "unofficial" surveys from occurring.  All sorts of folks from other colonies want to get their hands in the pie.  Who was this Virginia anyway, who want to take control of this unsettled land...first come...first served...and the table is large...dive right in.

Before Kentucky

On February 10, 1763, the western most boundary of Virginia was finally set to the Mississippi River.  This Treaty of Paris gave to Britain  all claim to lands in "Louisiana" eastward of this clear landmark.  Virginia had already made claim to all land extending to the "Pacific", so this would certainly cut things a little short. 

Since 1643, Virginia had made settlement of this western land a priority.  Jurisdiction depended upon occupation, and Virginia had a plan.  Settle an area;  then establish a church, parish, and vestry; build a courthouse and jail; then elected representatives to the legislature; and then name a new county extending westward as far as one could go.  Henrico Co., #1(1643); Orange Co. #2(1734); Augusta Co., #3 (1738); Botetourt Co. #4(1770); and Fincastle Co. #5(1770); all before King George was fired July 4, 1776.  It was not until December 31, 1776 that the name "Kentucky" came into public records.  On this date, Virginia established its jurisdiction on this land that was to become Danville.  Kentucky County, Virginia it became.  For more than 15 years this was Virginia before it ever became Kentucky.

Name It and Claim It

It is extremely difficult to put together an understanding of all the forces that came together to make this Danville, KY.  There was first, the central British government [The Crown] that resided some 3,000 miles away.  They were busy making their own plans about this Ohio Valley that had come under their control after this thing called the French and Indian War.

Prior to this, there were a number of separate colonies [PA, MD, VA, NC, SC]  and special interest groups [Ohio Company, Loyal Land Company, Transylvania Company] that had laid claim to a vast area of this Ohio Valley.

           [This shows a copy of the history, Ohio Co., written in the Kentucky Law Journal, 1926.]

 Also, there were the local ethic groups that were actually living on this land, and making it their battle ground.  Then there was the government of Virginia that took control, to organize Fincastle County, Virginia. [1772]    Although other folks had already sent their traders, land speculators, and hunters to this Ohio Valley, this colony [VA] was  the first to claim "official" surveys to this Ohio Valley.  You can begin to see the confusion there must have been when all these folks ended up around the same time,  in the same area, making their own surveys...the perfect storm some may say.  In the middle of this storm stood was what to become Danville, VA before it was to become Danville, KY.    Name it, and claim it...not as easy as it sounds.

Keep Off The Grass

A sure fired way to get people to walk on your grass is to put a sign that says "Keep Off The Grass".  It is sort of like that "Wet Paint" sign...you have just got to touch it...just to see...is it dry yet?  Such was the British government's issue of the October Proclamation of 1763.  It prohibited migration and settlement beyond the crest of the Appalachians.  This was done as a way to help establish boundaries between the Indians and English who were fighting over this territory [with the French], and give clear title to the Indians for a hunting ground in this Vally of Ohio.

A problem to this proclamation was the fact that Virginia had already promised land to those who had fought in the French and Indian War [1754-1763].  Gov. Dinwiddie in his own proclamation of February 19, 1754, had promised land to the military who would help Virginia maintain their claims to the western lands.  Several private groups had already planned their own use of this territory once the dust of war had settled.  [George Washington was one.]  Likewise, other colonies had their own ideas how this western land should be taken advantage of, for their settlements.

What was to become Kentucky, was right in the middle of it.

"Keep Off The Grass"...well right...not!

Trying to Sort Things Out

Over the river and through the woods...oh...no...down the river and through the woods would be more like it.  They were the only ways to get to this new, western settlement area that was to become Kentucky.

Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, and North Carolina all wanted to get their fur traders and land speculators into this western territory.  These colonies' geographic relationship to "the river" (Ohio), and "the woods" (mountains) are shown in the drawing to the right. 

Pennsylvania was essentially located at the head waters of the Ohio.  Virginia and North Carolina competed for the land access (gaps) to this territory, and were soon to run into folks from Pennsylvania coming down that Shenandoah Valley.  Virginia also had some of the earliest explorers to find this "New River" that was to open the door to western expansion.  Each colony was determined to settle this area to the advantage of the merchants and money backers who on the most part were living the good life back along the coast.

Who would have known that this little place that was to become Danvillle would find all these folks in 63 acres of land in a small square trying to sort things out.

Face to Face

Geography will often define the boundaries for settlement.  Where to go and how to get there will be directed by water, hills, mountains, fertile land and the like.  Figuring things out will often take time and adjustments.

Now, who occupied the land was always a problem for those who wanted to occupy the land.  The geography of the mountains had separated a land grabbing group of folks [on the east] who wanted it all, from a number of ethic groups [on the west] who had been fighting one another for a good long while.  These ethic groups had settled their own differences following a warfare that had lasted until around 1700.  Wyandot, Delaware, Shawnee, Cherokee, and Miami had generally laid claim to their homeland on the western side of this Cumberland-Allegheny mountain ridge.  You can see on the drawing above the general areas occupied by these groups.  The Shawnee and Cherokee were to have the most say about coming into this Ohio Valley after the Wyandot got things rolling with those folks on the eastern side of the mountains.  Anyway you went, down the water (Ohio) or around the mountains (to become the Cumberland Gap) you would have to face the Shawnee or Cherokee.  Face to face was yet to come.