A Better Look at the Map

I had downloaded a digital version of the 1784 Filson map of Kentucky before, but it wasn’t a large enough file to be able to zoom in and read any of the words.  Today, I found a great digital file at http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/etas/3/

If I were to print the map at 100%, but would be about 7 x 8 FEET!!!  I zoomed in on the Harrodsburg area and cropped it to see “my area of the world”. This would have been about 3-4 years after the Smiths received their land warrants.

Read Full Post »

Pioneer Stations Map

List of Stations by Sandra K Gorin, taken from Collins Historical Sketches of KY, History of Kentucky, Vol II, published by Collins Co in Covington, KY 1874, copy provided by Charles Barker. Compiled by Dr Christopher C Graham of Louisville ca 1874.

http://www.geocities.ws/Heartland/Ranch/5417/GenReports/StationMap/12.jpg

Smith Station is Number 7

Read Full Post »

Smith Station – Message Boards

Posted 1 May 2000 at -http://boards.ancestry.com/localities.northam.usa.states.kentucky.counties.lincoln/1614.1633.1635.1726/mb.ashx

On Filson’s 1784 map of Kentucky there are two Smith’s stations which were at that time in Lincoln County. The most southwestern one is between Danville and Harrodsburg on a run that is not named on the map. However, I believe it may be Harrods run. My ancestor George Smith lived on Harrods run between Danville and Harrodsburg at that time.
Anyone know about these two stations which are quite close together. What is the definition of a Station?
Irma

Response on 31 July 2000 at  http://boards.ancestry.com/localities.northam.usa.states.kentucky.counties.lincoln/1614.1633.1635.1726.1993/mb.ashx

Irma:
James Smith Station is one of the stations shown in Lincoln County on Filson’s 1784 Map.
James Smith with the help of his older sons and brother Henry, established a station near the sinking spring on an early trace than ran from the settlements on the west side of Dick’s River to the deep ford at the mouth of Hickman Creek on the Kentucky River. At the Harrodsburg Land Court held 11/5/1779, James Smith claimed the right to a preemption of 400 acres lying on the east side of Dick’s river on a branch near a sinking spring by the said Smith making an actual settlement on the premises March 1, 1779. The Preemption Warrant no. 409 was issued 3/21/1780 for 160 pounds paid by James Smith to the Virginia Treasury. The land entry was dated 6/19/1780, 400 acres on waters of Dick’s River, adjoining Samuel Scott on the south, Andrew Gimblin on the east, and Archer on the south. Surveyed 10/17/1780 and the 400 acres was granted 6/1/1782 to James Smith by Benjamin Harrison, Governor of Virginia. Although Smith had many surveys of land in today’s Garrard County this is the Station Tract. James Smith, Henry Smith, William Smith, Townsend Fugate and Michael Woods spent the hard winter of 1779-80 at the early station. This station became a favorite stop over for travelers.
In 1794, Smith purchased an adjoining tract from Andrew Gimblin and built a log cabin that served as a tavern or inn. This later became Smithtown and in 1836 became the community known today as Bryantsville, Garrard County, Ky.
After James death in 1798, his son Edmond who married Jane Ann Findley, daughter of early settler, David Findley, established the “Burnt Tavern” at the site of the old cabin. In the 1950′s this famous Kentucky land mark was torn down and today part of this tract has become a subdivision and the part that contained the family cemetery is commercial property and the ground around it has been bull dozed down 8 feet and all the top-soil sold. All that remains is a small 1/8 acre that contains at least 20 of the Smith descendants. Edwin and Jane Ann Smith have a beautiful stone marker that has been torn down by a large fallen tree. Plans are to have this stone erected again as soon as funds are available.
In the last couple of years an effort started by a descendant that lives in Garrard County and with the financial help of the Smith/Findley families that migrated west to Missouri and California, a new chain link fence has enclosed the 1/8 acre of ground. A marker has been placed in memory of James Smith, who fought in the R. W. and plans are to erect a stone for his wife, Magdeline Woods, daughter of William Woods. I have a list of the known family members that are buried in this cemetery and will be glad to furnish them to interested parties.
Margaret

To Do:

• Find the Filson’s 1784 map of Kentucky
• Begin a group sheet for James Smith

Read Full Post »

A Wonderful Find – Now What?

I’m so excited about some discoveries I’ve made doing research with Google since Saturday!

I had read a story that one of my ancestors, along with his brothers, had a trading post in the Danville, Kentucky area around the time of Kentucky statehood and I wanted to try to confirm that.  The last ancestor that I have confirmed information on is John M. Smith from Russell County.  I know that John purchased land in 1827 (Russell County was formed in 1826) and also had two land grants around the same time.  I don’t know if John was in the area before his area became Russell County or where he might have come from before that.  I don’t know his wife’s name or his parents.

I’ve latched onto the Danville area trading post as the clue that’s going to move me back a generation.  But I have not been able to find anything helpful because there are too many Smiths in the county.  While doing a Google search for trading posts, I discovered that I should be Googling the term “Stations” instead of trading posts.  Then I came across a link that listed “Smith’s Station” located on the road from Danville to the mouth of Dick’s River.  Now I had a better idea of which part of Mercer County to be looking for the Smith’s in Mercer County.  Last night, I was THRILLED to find a map showing all of the pre-1800 Stations in Kentucky and there was Smith’s Station!  Another web site told me the 3 people who are attributed with beginning the station. Could these 3 names be John’s father and his brothers?

So I’m excited to get back to the library on Friday to see what I can find in the Mercer County history books and tax lists.  My hope has been to find that some of the people in John’s part of Russell County (witnesses, neighbors, etc) were also in the same area of Mercer County in the early 1800′s to help me confirm which John Smith in Mercer County could be my John Smith.

Read Full Post »