Soldier's Retreat in Louisville #genealogy #history #kentuckypioneers

Soldier's Retreat

Colonel Richard Clough Anderson, a native of Virginia and Revolutionary War Soldier came to Louisville in 1784 where he purchased 900 acres of land on Beargrass Creek in Jefferson County and built a large, Georgian-style stone home with surroundinig stone dependencies. The mansion was partially destroyed by lightning in 1840, but razed several years later. Four of the original stone out-buildings still exist. A replica of the main house has been built on the original site using descriptions in family records. 

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Historical Ohio Falls #genealogy #kentuckypioneers

The Ohio Falls at Louisville

William Preston was the son of a Revolutionary War Soldier who acquired choice land at the Falls of the Ohio River. He participated in the Mexican War of 1846 to 1848 as a Lieutenant Colonel in the 4th Kentucky Volunteers. He was a delegate to the 1849 Kentucky Constitutional Convention, served in the Kentucky House in 1851 and elected to fill the vacant congressional seat of democrat Humphrey Marshall the following year. In 1858 he received an appointment as U. S. minister to Spain and resigned at the beginning of the War Between the States where he rose the rank of Major-General. He was engaged in the battles of Fort Donelson, Nashville, Shiloh, Vicksburg and Chickamau

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1870 Bridge in Louisville #history #genealogy #kentuckypioneers

The 1870 Bridge in Louisville



Albert Fink was born in Lauterbach, Germany, educated at the Polytechnic School of Darmstadt and immigrated to the United States in 1849. He studied architecture and engineeriing and was employed by the B&O Railroad as well as the L&N Railroad where he was chief engineer. During the War Between the States, Fink repaired damage done to the L&N line by Confederate raiders. He designed and superintended the construction of the first bridge across the Ohio River at Louisville, which opened in 1870. Ultimately he became a vice-president of the L&N.

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Images of Jefferson Co. KY Wills, Estates #genealogy #kentuckypioneers

Jefferson County Wills, Estates

Jefferson County was organized in 1780 and one of the first three counties to be formed out Virginia at the time (the other two being Fayette and Lincoln). The county is named for Thomas Jefferson, who was governor of Virginia at the time. The county seat is Louisville, Kentucky.

Jefferson County Probate Records available to members of Kentucky Pioneers

Digital Images of Jefferson County Wills (1783 to 1813)

Testators: Askew, James; Askew, James (2) ; Bacon, Nathaniel, Captain ; Bates, Susan ; Bates, Susanna ; Beard, Charles ; Beard, Sarah ; Blankenbecker, Jacob; Bostwick, Trueman ; Brashear, William Sr. ; Breckinridge, Alexander ; Brendlinger, Conrad ; Brenham, Daniel ; Brinley, Jacob ; Bryan, Joseph; Cecil, Thomas ; Christian, John ; Churchill, Jamesstead ; Clark, Andrew ; Cornelius, William ; Coverton, Priscilla ; Cowen, John ; Crawford, David ; Cummins, William ; Danley, William ; Dickenson, Richard ; Endres, Valentine ; Fleming, Margaret ; Galloway, George ; Gatewood, John ; Geiger, George ; Gobin, Joseph ; Grigg, John ; Haneyman, Charles ; Harding, Henry ; Hawkins, David ; Hite, Abraham ; Hite, Rebecca ; Hodge, William; Hollis, William ; Holt, John ; Hume, John ; Humphries, Joshua ; Hunter, Joseph; Johnston, Dorothy ; Joyes, Patrick ; Kennison, Stephen W. ; Kirby, Samuel ; Leatherman, Frederick ; Lernes, Simeon ; Linn, Ashahel ; Lock, Catherine ; Martin, Rowley ; Mason, Thomas ; McMichael, James ; Meriwether, David Wood ; Meriwether, Patrick ; Meriwether, William Sr. ; Moore, James Francis ; Morgan, David ; Morgan, Elizabeth ; Mundle, John ; Nicholas, John ; Oglesby, Richard ; Oldham, William ; Osborn, William ; Parish, John ; Paul, Peter ;Penn, Chloe ; Peter, Hans ; Plummer, Jeremiah ; Quarterman, James ; Reed, Henry; Rhodes, William ; Seaten, K. B. ; Shake, Christopher; Stewart, James; Stewart, John ; Stewart, Stephen; Stroud, ; Taylor, James ; Thompson, Benajah; Todd, Samuel ; Vaughan, Andrew ; Vaughan, John ; Watson, William ; Watts, James ; Wells, William ; Wright, Samuel; Yenowine, Leonard

Digital Images of Jefferson County Wills (1813 to 1833)

Testators: Abernathy, John; Adams, Isabella; Applegate, Joseph; Arnold, Adam; Arteburn, William; Atcheson, Branham; Augustus, Springer; Austin, Mary ;Ballard, Levin ;Banks, John; Barbour, Thomas ;Beckwith, Upton; Bell, Joseph; Berthoud, James; Blake, James; Blankenbaker, Samuel ; Blankenbaker, Samuel (2) ; Bohannon, Richard ; Bradshaw, John ; Breckinridge, Robert ; Brentlinger, Susanna ; Briscoe, Robert ; Brookhart, Catharine; Brooks, Squire ;Brown, Everington ;Brown, Preston; Brown, Thomas ;Buckner, Ambrose ;Buckner, Haley ;Bucksby, Jacob; Bullitt, Alexander Scott ; Bullitt, Cuthbert ;Bullitt, Mary ;Burks, John ;Burton, Jeremiah; Byers, Nathan ;Calloway, Charles; Cannon, Anna, inventory ;Cavitt, Andrew ;Cawley, James M. ;Cawley, Joshua ;Coleman, Betty ;Coleman, Robert ;Collins, John ;Cox, John ;Crawford, Martha; Croghan, Nicholas ;Croghan, William ;Dawson, James; Delany, Michael ;Denwood, Mary ;Dorsey, Jerusha; Dorsey, Kezin ;Dougherty, William; Duffay, Michael; Dumarsellay, Andrew; Dye, Stephen ;Eastin, Ann ;Edwards, Frederick ;Ellingworth, Thomas ;Elston, Jonathan ;Erickson, James; Farnsby, David ;Farnsby, James; Fenley, Richard; Ferguson, Samuel ;Field, Abner ;Field, Reuben ;Fine, Jacob ;Fitzhugh, D. ;Fitzhugh, Elizabeth; Fontaine, Aaron; Foxwood, William; Frederick, Andrew ;Frederick, Augustus Sr. ;Freeman, Walter ;Fry, Susan; Funk, Jacob ;Gailbreath, Elizabeth, inventory ;Gailbreath, Joseph; Gamble, William ;Garason, John Anthony ;Garay, Bennett ;Gardener, Silas ;Garret, Silas ;Gay, George ;Geiger, Fred, Colonel ;Gill, Thomas; Glass, Sarah ;Godsinger, John ;Grayson, Frederick W. ;Grigg, Thomas; Griggs, William Sr. ;Guger, Frederick; Hall, E. ;Hammond, Login ;Hampton, Ephraim ;Harden, Henry; Harding, Ann ;Harding, Josiah ;Harding, Rebecca ;Harrison, John ;Hart, Jacob ;Hawse, Peter ;Hayse, George ;Headington, Joshua; Henderson, James; Hightower, Abraham; Hikes, Andrew, inventory; Hikes, George ;Hite, Abraham ;Hite, Joseph; Hite, Patsy ;Hoke, George Sr.; Hoke, Leonard ;Hollis, Isabella; Hollis, John; Hollis, Nancy; Holmes, Moses ;;Houston, EliHouston, William;Hundley, John; Jagerlehner, Niklaus; Johnston, Gabriel ;Johnston, John; Jones, Alice ; Jones, Sally; Kalfers, Henry Frederick; Kaye, Frederick Augustus; Kearney, William; Keen, Thomas F. ; Kellar, Joseph; Kellar, Sarah; Keller, William ; Kenneday, Patrick ; Kimmeerhorn, Ann ; King, Thomas; Lampton, Mark; Laurence, Benjamin ;Levey, Samuel Jr. ;Lewellen, Richard ;Lewellen, Samuel; Lewis, George; Love, Mathew ; Love, Nathan ; Luckett, Elizabeth ;Luckett, Molly Ann ;Maple, John ;Markwell, George Sr. ;Marrs, Agnes ;Marrse, John ;Martin, John ;Massie, Henry ;Massie, Nancy ;Masterson, John ;Mathes, James; Maupin, Matilda ; McCahlan, John ; McClanahan, Thomas ;McColloch, Christopher ;McCollum, Barney ;McConnel, James; McConnell, Mary ; McKeown, Morgan; McKinne, Terence ; McMullin, John ; Mercer, Hugh ;Meriwether, E. W. ;Meriwether, James; Miller, Anthony ; Miller, John ;Morris, Patrick ;Morris, Richard ;Newman, Martha ; Norton, Matthew ; Oldham, Samuel ;Oldham, William ;Paldridge, John ;Patten, James; Patterson, John L. ;Payne, Bennet ;Pearce, James; Pendergrast, Mary ;Pets, Catherine, inventory and appraisement ;Phillips, David ;Phillips, Jenkin ;Phillips, Richard ;Pitts, Robert ;Pluckett, Samuel; Pomeroy, Francis ;Pope, Alexander; Pope, John Jr. ;Pope, William ;Porter, William ;Prentice, David ;Preston, William ; Preston, William (2) ;Procter, David M. ;Pryer, James; Puryear, Hezekiah ; Quarterman, Elizabeth ; Quick, Jacob ;Ramsey, Margaret T. ;Ray, David ;Read, James; Reaugh, John ;Reese, Francis ;Reynolds, Charles ;Reynolds, Richard; Rice, Edmund Sr. ;Rice, John; Richards, Samuel ;Richardson, Thomas ;Richardson, William ;Roberts, Thomas ;Rush, Conrad ;Russell, Levi; Sale, Edmund ;Sanyser, Jacob ;Scott, William ;Seabolt, George ;Seaton, James; Settles, Abraham; Shaw, Samuel ;Sherman, Charles ;Shipp, Edmund; Shipp, Edmund Sr.; Shippen, Edward ; Shirley, John ;Shively, Christian ;Shutt, Frederick ;Sisson, Abner ; Skidmore, Paul ; Smith, Daniel ;Smith, John ;Smith, Pleasant ;Sneel, Alexander ;Snell, Christian ; Sparks, William ;Spradling, William ;Stafford, Thomas ;Standiford, James ; Standiford, Nathan ;Steel, Samuel ;Stewart, Mathew ;Stokes, John, inventory ; Stowers, Nicholas ;Stringham, John ;Sullivan, Sarah ;Taylor, Benjamin ;Taylor, Reuben ;Taylor, Richard ;Theobalds, Thomas ;Thompson, John ;Tompkins, Robert ; Tuley, Elizabeth ;Tunstall, James M. ;Tunstall, John ;Turner, Robert ;Tyler, Absalom; Tyler, Edward ;Vance, James; Waggoner, James; Waters, R. J. ;Waters, Richard Jones ; Watson, William ;Weatheringill, John; Weems, John; Weir, Andrew ;Welch, Samuel ;Wells, Samuel ;Welsh, Joseph; Welsh, Mary ;Wheeler, John; Wheeler, John Henson; Whips, Denton ;Whips, George ; White, George ; White, Lee ;White, Mary ;Whitlock, George ;Wilcks, Samuel ;Wilhite, John; Williams, Jeremiah ; Wills, Samuel ;Wilson, Daniel ;Wise, Peter ; Withers, Charles ; Withers, John; Withers, Mary ;Woolfolk, William ;Yewett, Levi ;Zaring, Henry

Miscellaneous

• John Rowan Sr., LWT, (1840)

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Should Genealogists Continue to Visit Court Houses? #kentuckypioneers

Should Genealogists Continue to Visit Court Houses?

Should one continue to visit the old court houses, especially considering all of the genealogy added to the internet? I have been visiting court houses since 1964 and have to tell you that some pretty uncomfortable changes have occurred. The labor force is a problem. In some instances, those who work in the office of the clerk of the probate court do not know what a last will and testament is, much less how to find the old will books. Another disturbance is the sloppy manner in which the old books are treated. If most of these counties had not been microfilmed in the 1950s, the information would be lost. Faded ink, moisture damage and the like make certain records virtually impossible to photocopy. Another issue is "off-site storage". We are in the age of having to store old books because of a shortage of space. When I recently visited a court house in Georgia, I had to wait several days for the "off-storage" books to be sent to the court house! This was really inconvenient, since I had travelled there from Atlanta. Some of the old books are finding a home in local historical societies while others are in the possession of the State Archives. How would one know these things? Additionally, in the old days a clerk might take a book home to work on it and this maneuver prevented it from being included in a fire. Occasionally some court house books show up in antique stores and attics! These things exist. What I am saying here is that all records were not microfilmed. Yet all is not lost, however. Avid researchers, like myself, seek such collections. Some of these private collections are reflected in my books and in databases on Kentucky Pioneers. Happy hunting to members! 

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Images of Hardin County KY Wills, Estates #genealogy #kentuckypioneers

Hardin County Kentucky Wills, Estates

Hardin County was established in 1793 from land given by Nelson County and was named after Colonel John Hardin, an officer in the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War. Courthouse fires destroyed county records in 1864 and again in 1932 

Hardin County Probate Records available to members of Kentucky Pioneers

Digital Images of Hardin County Wills and Estates, Book B, 1810 to 1816

Testators: Arnet, Jonathan | Attaberry, Richard | Baird, James | Barlow, Michael | Blesett, Francis | Bradshaw, Benjamin | Brady, Morris | Brown, Frederick | Bruce, Mary | Burris, Joseph | Bush, Christopher | Caldhoon, Hugh | Camron, Hannah | Cannon, Angus | Carter, Dannell | Carter, Samuel | Chastain, Lewis | Coombs, Samuel | Courts, Charles | Cozart, William | Daugherty, Christopher | Deavon, Henry | Dodge, Josiah| Dodson, William | Farguson, Usher | French, James | Furguson, John | Ganterman, Margaret | Gardner, Jonathan | Georgehegan, Thomas | German, John | Gilliland, Thomas | Goodin, Samuel Sr. | Gray, Joseph | Grayham, Andrew | Greenawatt, Lewis | Hare, Joseph | Harris, Samuel | Hart, Richard | Helm, Thomas | Hill, Thomas | Humphrey, John | Hunter, Robert | Jones, Isaac | Joseph, Jonathan | Kennedy, Daniel | Kuydendall, Jacob | Larkin, William | Larue, John | Linder, Isaac | McCullum, William | McDaniel, Daniel | McIntire, Moses | McLean, Leonard | MacMahon, William | Melton, John | Miller, Alexander | Miller, Peter | Morris, John | Murphy, James | Nevitt, Joseph | Pearpoint, Francis | Pearpoint, Mary | Pickerell, Samuel | Potter, Daniel | Price, Richard | Reid, John | Roof, Nicholas Sr. | Sanders, Azariah | Shaggs, James | Simmons, Benjamin | Slaughter, Robert | Stader, Ann | Sutzer, Frederick | Thorp, David | Tull, Frederick | Waide, Horatio | Watts, George | West, Isaac | Wiley, Thomas | Williams, John F. | Wisehart, George | Withers, William | Wood, Isaac | Wooley, Hanner | Wooley, William | Young, Adam 

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Wayne Co. KY Wills, Estates, Deeds, Marriages #genealogy #kentuckypioneers

Wayne County Wills, Estates, Deeds

Wayne County was formed December 13, 1800 from Pulaski and Cumberland Counties. It was named after General "Mad Anthony" Wayne, a hero of the American Revolutionary War as well as the Northwest Indian War. It was his victory at the Battle of Fallen Timbers which ended the Indian threat against Kentucky settlers. The Americans lost 33 soldiers during this battle, while the Indians lost twice as many with a retreat to the British-built fort of Miamis on the Maumee River. Wayne County fought for the Confederates during the War Between the States and in 1861, the Confederate Government of Kentucky passed an Act to rename Wayne County to Zollicoffer County in honor of Felix Zollicoffer who died at the Battle of Mill Springs. 

Wayne County Probate Records available to members of Kentucky Pioneers 

Marriages

• Miscellaneous Marriages between 1815 and 1817 Digital Images of Wayne County Wills and Estates 1802 to 1807
  • Bartleson, Zachariah
  • Bustard, Charles
  • Denny, Samuel
  • Ingram, Samuel
  • Hunter, Edward
  • Kerly, Benjamin
  • Mullins, Isaac
  • Norton, Mercer
  • Perryhouse, John
  • Smilie, Anne
  • Smiley, George

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Kentucky Long Rifle #history #genealogy #kentuckypioneers

The Kentucky Long Rifle

Daniel Boone was known for his expertize with the Kentucky Long Rifle.

While Virginia settlers thought of themselves as living more splendidly than their families in England, Kentuckians were true explorers and adventurers. Their success weighed heavily upon their personal ability to survive in a wilderness country setting laced with hardship and Indian tribes. Yet, such primitive conditions actually carved the trail which led further Westward. First, people came down out of Pennsylvania and crossed the Shenandoah Valley treking through the Blue Ridge Mountains and settled in remote regions dominated by various Indian tribes. By the time that Daniel Boone and other explorers began surveying this country, there were already families of Scotch-Irish and German immigrants who had traveled the trail together and created little communities. The longrifle which was used by Daniel Boone is an early example of a firearm which used rifling (spiral grooves in the bore). This gave the projectile (a round lead ball) a spiraling motion to help increase the stability of the trajectory. Rifled firearms saw their first major combat use in the American colonies during the Seven Years war, and later the American Revolution in the eighteenth century. The disadvantage of a long rifle to a musket was a slower reload time due to a tighter fitting lead ball and greater susceptibility to the fouling of the bore after prolonged use. When the minie ball was developed, the rifle replaced the musket. 
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Images of Boyle Co. KY Wills, Estates, Marriages #genealogy #kentuckypioneers

Boyle County Genealogy, Wills, Estates, Deeds, Marriages

Boyle County was formed on February 15, 1842 from sections of Lincoln and Mercer Counties and was named after John Boyle, Congressman, Chief Justice of the Kentucky Court of Appeals and U. S. District Judge. The courthouse fire in 1860 resulted in the loss of some county records and the earliest surviving records began in 1842. The county seat is Danville, Kentucky.

Some early settlers were: Baker Ewing, Gabriel Lackey, Evan Rogers, Thomas Collins, James Crawford, Dennis Hedgeman, Nathan Douglas, Henry Harlan, Frederick Pipperdan, William McGrath and Henry Harlan.

Kentucky Wills and Estates Available to Members of Kentucky Pioneers

Marriages

• Marriages from Court House in Danville, Kentucky 1842 to 1844

Miscellaneous

• Miscellaneous Deeds and Other Documents

Digital Images of Boyle County Wills 1842 to 1864 
Alexander, Cloe | Anderson, John | Ball, Caroline | Ball, Daniel | Ball, Martha | Ball, Mary | Ball, Thomas | Ballerton, William | Barbour, James | Barbour, Letitia | Bellis, Peter | Bellis, Sarah | Beswick, Elizabeth | Bilbo, John | Bilbo, Mary | Bolling, Dread | Bolling, Richard | Bottom, John | Bottom, William | Braxdale, John Sr. Brown, Elizabeth | Brown, George | Bruce, Charles | Burch, Mary | Burnett, James | Caldwell, Charles | Caldwell, James | Caldwell, Samuel | Carter, Charles | Chatham, Benjamin | Chiles, Elizabeth | Clark, Francis Sr. | Clarkstone, Drury | Clemons, Osburn | Collins, Harriet | Collins, Thomas | Coulter, Thomas | Cowan, Elizabeth | Cowan, Henry | Cowan, Thomas | Craig, Rachel | Crane, Nelson | Crawford, James | Crawford, William | Cudlip, George | Donighy, George | Douglas, Nathan | Downey, James | Downton, Thomas | Dunn, Jane | Durham, Benjamin | Durham, John | Erwin, John | Ewing, Baker | Fields, Henry | Fields, James Jr. | Fields, Susan | Fisher, Elias | Fisher, Jesh | Fisher, Stephen | Fitton, Benjamin | Fountaine, Mathew | French, Edward | Funk, Fanny | Gains, Elmira | Gill, Nancy | Graham, Theresa | Games, Ezekiel | Grant, John | Graves, James | Gray, James | Gray, Jane | Gray, Robert | Hailey, Enoch |Hall, John | Hammer, Sarah | Harlan, Davis | Harlan, Elijah | Harlan, Henry | Harlan, John | Harlan, Mary | Harman, William | Harrison, Thomas | Harrod, Ann | Hawkins, Ann | Heaten, Winiford | Hedgeman, Dennis | Henderson, Charles | Henderson, Elizabeth | Heron, Samuel | Hocker, Samuel | Hopes, Michael | Humble, Mary | Hurly, Leah | Hutton, Sarrah | Irvin, James | Irvine, Abram | Irvin, John | Jackson, Aaron | Johnson, Anthony | Kerr, Patrick | Kerr, Priscilla | King, John | Knox, Isabella | Knox, Robert | Lackey, Gabriel | Laurence, Mary | Lay, Martin | Laws, Jeremiah | Lind, Margaret St. Clair | Lind, Mary St. Clair | Long, Jacob | Luvmery, William | Marrs, James | Martin, Jane | Mays, James | McCall, William | McClanahan, Thomas | McClane, Elizabeth | McDowell, Joseph | McDowell, Sarah | McGinnis, Jesse | McGinnis, Mary | McGinnis, Samuel | McGrath, William | McKay, John | Means, John | Meaux, Walter |Mock, John | Montgomery, Jane | Moore, Lawson | Moore, Margaret | Moore, Samuel | Moorhead, John | Morrow, Margaret | Neff, Francis | Nield, George | Owens, Mason | Owsley, William | Pipes, Nathaniel | Pipes, William | Potts, Samuel | Prewitt, Elizabeth | Prewitt, Martha | Prewitt, Thomas | Proctor, Benjamin | Rains, James | Ramsey, Jane | Read, Ann | Read, Francis | Reed, Isabella |Reed, Thomas |Ripperdan, Daniel |Robards, Robert | Robertson, Duncan F. | Robison, Thomas Sr. | Rochester, Sarah | Rout, Malenda | Russel, D. A. | Sevier, Isaac | Smith, Ephraim | Smith, George | Smith, Henry | Smith, Jesse | Smith, John | South, John | Sparrow, Dennis | Spears, George | Spears, John | Stewart, William | Street, Nathaniel | Sweeny, William | Tadock, Carter | Tarkington, Thomas | Taylor, William | Tompkins, John |Tucker, James | Vanarsdale, Isaac O. | Wade, Jeremiah |Wade, William |Walker, Elizabeth | Walker, Mary | Walker, Robert | Wallace, Caleb | Wilhite, Nicholas | Wilhite, Rody | Williams, Fanny | Williams, Susan | Wingate, Esther | Witherspoon, Sarah | Yager, Joseph | Yankee, Jacob | Yeager, Frederick | Young, John | Zimmerman, James | Zimmerman, James F. 

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