Jessamine County KyArchives History - Books .....Black's Station 1898
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Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com August 4, 2007, 11:39 pm

Book Title: A History Of Jessamine County, Kentucky

Black's Station.

   It is strange that, from the time of the settlement at Harrodsburg in 1774
down to 1779, there were no stations established in Jessamine county. In Mercer,
Boyle, Fayette, Woodford, Madison, Scott and Franklin, numerous stations were
erected, but with all the richness of the land in Jessamine county, none came to
found a fort within its midst. There were surveys made in the county during this
time, one of which, the Abram Hite survey of 2,000 acres on Marble creek, was
both permanent and important, and discussed in the fort at Harrodsburg in 1774
and 1775. A Mr. Black established a station on what is known as the G. B. Bryan
farm, half way between Nicholasville and Brookline on the Harrodsburg turnpike.
It was on the old trace which led through the county along the waters of
Jessamine creek to the waters of South Elkhorn. There were several large boiling
springs in the locality, and as these were always in demand for settlements.
Black located his station there. It was composed of several cabins, and the land
was originally part of what is known as the "Craig Survey," and was subsequently
owned by Archibald Logan, who was a rich tanner and had an establishment in
Lexington.

   Logan conveyed this land to his daughter, Mrs. Hord, when he left Jessamine
county in 1829, and the house known as the Patterson House is where Logan lived.
Mrs. Hord conveyed the place to her daughter, Mrs. Worley, and she conveyed it
to others, and it is now owned by the Bryan's heirs.

   Beginning with 1783, this station became quite an important one, and was one
of the stopping places for those who followed the trace from Mercer and Boyle to
Franklin and Woodford counties. The difficulty in obtaining water in this
general section was very great, and Joel Watkins, in his diary, says: June 24—
"Forded river at mouth of Hickman; after travelling seven or eight miles on the
road that leads from the river to Lexington I turned to the left of said road
and crossed a water course called East Jessamine; after leaving the said creek,
the land is very level and of a very pretty mulatto soil and the growth is black
and white oak, hickory, and some walnut and sugar trees, and the undergrowth
hazel nut and red bud, till I arrived at West Jessamine. I proceeded up said
river to head, the land altering as I proceeded up said creek until I came near
the head springs, the land there appearing very rich till I struck the waters of
South Elkhorn. This day I passed several good farms, and especially John
Craig's, badly watered between the two Jessamines, so much so that people
settled only along the said creeks." This scarcity of water was doubtless one of
the reasons for establishing the station at Black's.

   Watkins says August 18, 1889: "Passed Dick's river at McGuir's, from thence
we proceeded to Curd's Ferry on Kentucky, which is at the mouth of Dick's
river—the latter we forded— (hero the cliffs are of amazing height); we
proceeded towards Lexington about eight miles; we turned to the left of said
road past Black Station on the waters of Clear creek, proceeded onward, the land
lying very well, but the growth indicating the rock being nigh the surface of
the earth; we crossed several forks of Clear creek; we came to Captain
Woodfolk's mentioned on page 22; from this place the land continued very
slightly, both soil and Growth, to Mr. Watkins', at which place we arrived about
dark— received very kindly."

   He also says, August 24: "Monday, after breakfast with Mr. W., set out for
the south side of Kentucky river, agreeing with the aforesaid gentleman at
parting to keep up a literary correspondence, past Black Station again and
crossed the two forks of Jessamine and arrived at Kentucky river at the mouth of
Hickman, which I forded, and arrived at Mr. Walker's at two hours besun."

   It will be seen that the trace along by Black's Station was the road usually
traveled by those who passed from Garrard and Mercer and Boyle to Woodford and
Franklin.

   Another station in Jessamine county was built by Levi Todd a little northwest
of Keene—its exact location can not now be determined—it, is, however, laid down
upon Filson's map, but was abandoned. This was a fort. The road from Harrodsburg
to Lexington doubtless passed by Black's Station, and from this on to Todd's
Station. There was also another route by which they crossed the river to the
mouth of Hickman, followed Hickman for some distance, and then turned northeast
towards Lexington, then their route followed Hickman for several miles, then
struck East Jessamine and followed it to its Head at Mrs. Horine's on the
Southern Railroad, about a mile east of Nicholasville, and from this over to the
headwaters of Jessamine, and from this along the general route of the Lexington
and Harrodsburgh turnpike to Lexington. This is shown by deposition of David
Williams, which was filed in the case of Mansoirs Executors vs. Craig Williams,
in which Williams deposes as follows:

   "He was well acquainted with Hickman's creek from a small distance above the
survey, 'Abram Hite,' to the head of the creek, and that the east fork of
Jessamine was as well known to the people of Harrodsburg as Hickman's creek was.
The east fork of Jessamine lay more out of the course generally taken by hunters
in traveling from Harrodsburg to the waters of the Licking; they commonly fell
on main Jessamine above the mouth of East Fork; thence up the main Jessamine
spring; thence crossing the waters of Hickman to Boone's creek, and over to the
head of Stroud's creek, where there were roads leading down most of its branches
to the Salt Licks. It was also common to pass by main Jessamine above the East
Fork and by Todd's station on the waters of Hickman to go to the headwaters of
South and North Elkhorn. This deponent, with others, frequently took this road
to avoid large canebrakes."


Additional Comments:

Extracted from:

A HISTORY OF JESSAMINE COUNTY, KENTUCKY,
FROM ITS EARLIEST SETTLEMENT TO 1898.
By BENNETT H. YOUNG,
PRESIDENT POLYTECHNIC SOCIETY; MEMBER FILSON CLUB; MEMBER CONSTITUTIONAL
CONVENTION, 1890; AUTHOR HISTORY OF THE CONSTITUTIONS OF KENTUCKY, OF "BATTLE OF
BLUE LICKS, ETC, ETC.

S. M. DUNCAN, ASSOCIATE AUTHOR.

Every brave and good life out of the past is a treasure which cannot  be
measured in money, and should be preserved with faithfullest care.

LOUISVILLE, KY.: COURIER-JOURNAL JOB PRINTING CO., 1898.


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