Hixson’s Hoardings-Tidbits, gleanings and gossip out of your Kentucky Gateway Museum Heart

The Historic Analysis and Genealogical Library on the second flooring of KYGMC is a wealth of information. Many come to the Kentucky Gateway Museum Heart to hint their heritage, however the library has sure volumes and information that give frontier historical past in first individual. We have now Christopher Gist’s Journal, Draper Papers that have been collected, Colins and Clift’s histories in addition to present historic information from Orloff and Liz Miller and Dr. Wendell McChord.

Perusing Dr. McChord’s historical past on Blue Licks, I discovered data that provides an concept of what the Christmas season was like in 1776. To present background, Richard Henderson had employed Daniel Boone to barter a purchase order of land from the Cherokees (1775) who nonetheless exercised their declare to the area.

Henderson’s firm purchased 17-20 million acres bounded by the Cumberland, Ohio and Kentucky rivers and the Cumberland Mountains in change for items value 10,000 kilos sterling. This was in violation of legal guidelines that prohibited personal buy of American Indian lands and breached the Proclamation of 1763 which prohibited colonial enlargement. Because the American Revolution bought underway, the Shawnee and Cherokee had declared battle on the Virginia Colonists.

Virginia created Kentucke County and declared Henderson’s Transylvania declare void. George Rogers Clark had gone to the chief council in Williamsburg asking for powder and help for the Kentucky settlements however discovered them reluctant. There was a query of who really “owned” the territory and managed land rights.

The small stations that had sprung up in Kentucky couldn’t stand alone. “After assault of about 30 Shawnee on Hinkston’s Station, Simon Kenton guided a celebration to McClelland’s Station and located that settlers from Leestown, equally attacked, had arrived the day earlier than. Kenton went to Boonesborough to search out that Boone had arrived from recapturing his daughter Jemima and Betsy and Francis Calloway from the Shawnee inside 4 miles of the Higher Blue Licks.

“Throughout the summer time of 1776, all of the stations broke up besides Logan’s, Boonesborough, Harrodsburg, and McClelland’s. An estimated 300 settlers left Kentucky and went again to japanese settlements.”

The Virginia Basic Meeting reconsidered and gave “de facto recognition to Kentucky by ordering 500 kilos of gunpowder delivered to Clark for the protection of the western settlers.”

“Clark pushed a flatboat into the Ohio River present ‘on a grey December day’ at Fort Pitt in 1776. His vacation spot was the mouth of Limestone Creek 408 miles downriver. He had with him a crew of seven males and within the boat have been twenty kegs of powder for the important protection of the Kentucky settlements. He knew that it will be a terrific booty for Indians to seize. Fort Harrod was some 96 miles from the mouth of Limestone by the buffalo trails.

The truth that it was winter was Clark’s ally, for daylight was brief after which nights have been lengthy. The river rolled somber underneath a heavy winter sky as the boys pulled and poled, consuming chilly rations, sleeping by turns and rising to toil on the lengthy oars that hurried the darkish little craft on its method. So it was that they handed ready Indians within the darkness whereas others lurked alongside the shore.

Runners may take the forest cutoffs however the flatboat needed to journey alongside the longer river course round many loops and bends.

Simply twenty miles from his river vacation spot on the mouth of Limestone Creek, Clark was compelled to make a swift choice. Behind him got here a canoe get together of warriors. Within the winter nightfall, he swung his craft towards a darkish island (now referred to as Brush Creek Island, Lewis County) close to the Kentucky aspect. They grounded the boat, lugged ashore the powder kegs, and hid them within the woods.

Shortly they have been underneath method once more, however with out their worthwhile cargo. They pulled somewhat farther earlier than touchdown on the shelving river financial institution at Limestone Creek. This time Clark set the boat adrift for the Indians to seize.

Within the winter darkness, Clark led his males towards Harrodsburg, some 96 miles away. At day break they discovered the buffalo path that led to the effervescent salt springs at Decrease Blue Licks. They handed the salt spring, steaming within the wintry air. They splashed by means of a skim of ice on the “west fork” (really South Fork of Licking) of the Licking River. In an empty cabin utilized by Kentucky hunters they made a fireplace, putting the flint onto a bit of punkwood, wrapping it in dry twigs, blowing it into flame. Quickly they’d a blaze that dried their freezing buckskins. With a sentry on watch, they lay right down to relaxation.

Clark jumped up when the sentry whistled, however as he grasped his rifle, he heard pleasant voices. He stepped out to search out his good friend Simon Kenton with three scouts from McClelland’s Station (present-day Georgetown) in Elkhorn Nation. These males had killed recent sport, so across the fireplace all of them feasted collectively, for it was now the day earlier than Christmas.”

These days, the largest fear now we have at Christmas is that if everybody might be happy with their presents and if the snacks will get us by means of our vacation TV binge.

I’m not saying that you simply shouldn’t benefit from the festivities, household and pals. Additionally it is a season of generosity, gladness and gratitude. Gratitude that those who got here earlier than us gave us a protected place to stay, pals we may share life and love with and the power to be taught from the previous and sit up for the longer term.

Readers might e mail inquiries to [email protected] @ Kentucky Gateway Museum Heart, Maysville, Ky.