Papers of the Low Dutch to the Continental Congress

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Submitted by: Judy Cassidy "Jamescassidy22@cs.com"
March 22, 2000
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US General Services Administration, National Archives and Records Service, Washington, DC.

Index to the Papers of the Continental Congress
Filed under: Squire Boone
1.  Kentucky, American Citizens of, to Congress.
     Undated 1 page, M247, r 62, i48, pg 245 and
2.  Kentucky American Subjects of  to Congress
     May 1780 ( Read August 1780) 3 pages. M247,r62,i48, pg. 247

I will give you the basic premise of the text as it is quite long. Some background first, the 
Low Dutch had come from Berkley Co VA  and Conowago, PA and settled for a time at Beargrass 
Station and other Stations in Jefferson Co.  That summer of 1780, petition to the Continental 
Congress circulated among the Kentucky Settlements.

"The Petition decryed the monopolization of land by Virginia speculators and said the 
petitioners had but three choices: 1.  Stay and become slaves to the laws of Virginia, 2.  
Remove down the Ohio and become subjects of Spain,  3. settle across the Ohio in enemy 
territory".  "The Petitioners sought the approval of Congress in establishing a settlement 
across the Ohio"  Among the more than 400 signers were: Abraham, Albert, Cornelious, Jacob and 
John Banta, Cornelius Bogard, Peter Demaree, John Dorland, Cornelius Vorheis and Jacob 
Westerfield."  This Petition was published in A.C. Quisenberry, "Five Hundred Kentucky 
Pioneers".  The Register of the Kentucky Historical Society, Vol 10, no. 28, (1912), pp 41-46. 
 I have a photo copy of the original Petitions. John Dorland was my ancestor.  He evidently 
died or was killed shortly after this time as his family were listed among the Poor and 
Destitute on the Frontier of Ky for in the Jefferson Co. Minute Book and were awarded 400 
acres land.  His wife Catharine is listed as a widow, here and in the 1783 Petition to 
Continental Congress.
 
Evidently Bear Grass Station, one of the places where they lived, is near present day St. 
Matthews north of the creek on the west side of Breckinridge Lane.  They also established the 
Low Dutch Station which was on the South Fork.  The Low Dutch Station or New Holland was 
located about 7 miles from the FAlls near where present day Browns Lane Crosses Beargrass. 
Vince Akers of Bargersville, Indiana wrote an exceptionly well documented manuscript on this 
topic called" The Low Dutch Company, A History of the Holland-Dutch Settlements on the 
Kentucky Frontier.  They later moved into Mercer Co and Madison Co, Ky.