KY:Historical Society - Historical Marker Database

KYHistorical Society

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Birthplace of Carry A. Nation
(Marker Number: 1733)

County: Garrard
Location: KY 34 at its Jct. with Fisher Ford Rd., Lancaster

Description: With hatchet in hand, this famous Kentuckian harassed saloon owners across U.S. Four miles from here on Carry Nation Rd. is house where she was born, 1846; lived there five years and in other Ky. towns before moving west. After Kansas banned liquor, Carry began crusade there in 1899, smashing furniture, mirrors, bottles. Home on National Register of Historic Places. Over.

(Reverse) Lady with the Hatchet - Carry Nation gave direction to the antiliquor movement, which led to Prohibition, 1920-33. Driven by bitterness from first marriage to an alcoholic, she had "visions" which commanded militant pursuit of temperance. Carry's methods put her in jail some 30 times. She died in 1911 and was buried in Belton, Mo. The words, "She hath done what she could," engraved on her monument.

(Subjects: National Register of Historic Places)

Bradley Kincaid (1895-1989)
(Marker Number: 2026)

County: Garrard
Location: new section of KY 52-E, mile marker 11.2, Point Leavell

Description: "The Kentucky Mountain Boy," born at Point Leavell, Garrard County, was radio's pioneer singer of folk songs and ballads in the 1920s-40s. Kincaid began in 1926 at Chicago's WLS; later performed on WSM Grand Ole Opry (1944-50). He recorded over 200 songs and published 13 songbooks. Elected to Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, 1971. Presented by the Kincaid Family.

(Subjects: Music | Musicians)

Buford-Salter House
(Marker Number: 2273)

County: Garrard
Location: 208 Danville St., Lancaster

Description: Built ca. 1820 on lot #46 of the original town plat. Thomas Buford son of town founder, Wm. Buford., appointed sheriff of Garrard Co. in 1803. He was a member of Ky. Legislature, 1806-09, and served in Senate, 1809. Veteran of War of 1812. In 1841, Michael & Ocee Reed Salter purchased house. He served in the Revolutionary War.

(Subjects: Revolutionary War | War of 1812)

Camp Dick Robinson
(Marker Number: 1750)

County: Garrard
Location: US 27, just SE of Jct. with KY 34

Description: Major General William Nelson was authorized by President Lincoln to establish, Aug. 1861, first camp south of Ohio River for recruitment of federal troops in Civil War. Named for Richard M. Robinson, a Union supporter, who offered house and farm as campsite. Noted stagecoach stop, the house was also Nelson's headquarters. Camp later moved to Camp Nelson in Jessamine County.

(Subjects: Camps | Lincoln, Abraham | Nelson, William | Stagecoach Stops | Union Army)

CSA Starts Retreat
(Marker Number: 704)

County: Garrard
Location: Bryantsville, US 27

Description: In Sept. 1862, Confederates moved supply depot here from Lexington. After battle of Perryville, Oct. 8, CSA gathered here for council of war, Oct. 11. USA destroyed food sources. Oct. 13, under command of Gen. Braxton Bragg, retreat began in two columns under Generals Polk and Smith. With immaterial loss, they moved thru Cumberland Gap, Oct. 19-24. See map over.

(Subjects: Bragg, Braxton | Civil War | Kirby Smith, E. | Perryville, Battle of | Polk, Leonidas K.)

First Presbyterian Church
(Marker Number: 1942)

County: Garrard
Location: Lancaster, 105 Danville St.

Description: When founded in 1816 by Presbytery of Transylvania, it had 22 members. The first minister was James C. Barnes, who also served Paint Lick Church. Congregation worshiped in the Republican (Union) Church until 1846; second building on Buford and Stanford Streets. They built on the present site in 1879. Gov. Wm. O. Bradley was a member. Presented by Members of First Presbyterian Church.

(Subjects: Presbyterian Church)

Forks of Dix River Baptist Church
(Marker Number: 1617)

County: Garrard
Location: 6 mi. N. of Lancaster, US 27

Description: Constituted at Forks of Dix River, 1782, by Lewis Craig of "Traveling Church." Log church built here on Sugar Creek. John Routt gave one-acre tract for church and stone edifice erected, 1823. It was later torn down and used for foundation of present brick church, dedicated 1850. Randolph Hall, the first pastor, served in Rev. War.

(Subjects: Baptist Church | Creeks | Revolutionary War)

Fort Paint Lick
(Marker Number: 1525)

County: Garrard
Location: Paint Lick, KY 52

Description: 500 ft. north is site of log fort and stockade built by Lt. Col. Wm. Miller. Born in Virginia, he came to Kentucky with Daniel Boone's party and helped mark a trace to Boonesboro; served with Capt. James Estill in Battle of Little Mountain. Miller surveyed land for the fort in 1776. Other early settlers were George Adams, Wm. Champ, and Alexander Denny. Over.

(Reverse) Fort Paint Lick - First settlers found Indian signs painted on trees along creek banks and around the nearby salt lick. They gave settlement the name of Paint Lick. The fort was built over a spring that was entered by steps leading down to it. Jinney Adams was killed by Indian Chief Thunder in 1791. She is buried in the first marked grave in fort cemetery. See over.

(Subjects: Boone, Daniel | Forts and Stations | Indians)

Garrard County, 1797
(Marker Number: 1240)

County: Garrard
Location: Lancaster, Courthouse lawn, US 27, KY 52

Description: Taken from parts of Lincoln, Madison, and Mercer, it was the 25th county formed. Lancaster, county seat, established in 1798. Named for James Garrard, then governor of Kentucky, 1796-1804. A native of Virginia, served as militia officer in Revolution. He came to Kentucky in 1783. Member statehood and Constitution conventions at Danville, 1784-92.

(Subjects: Constitutional Convention (1792))

Home of Gov. Bradley
(Marker Number: 699)

County: Garrard
Location: Lexington St., Lancaster, US 27

Description: Built about 1850, by A. A. Burton, Lincoln's Minister to Bogota; home of William O. Bradley, first Republican Governor of Kentucky, 1895-99. By special legislative action, 1865, permitted to take bar examination at 18 and passed. In 1904, seconded nomination of Theodore Roosevelt. 1908, elected U.S. Senator by Democratic legislature. Died 1914. Buried at Frankfort.

(Subjects: Governors)

Home of Statesmen
(Marker Number: 714)

County: Garrard
Location: Paulding & Maple Sts., Lancaster

Description: Two hundred feet west John Boyle built log cabin, 1798, that is still part of home. He and three others, who later set up housekeeping in that cabin, were state legislators and represented the district in Congress 28 years. John Boyle, 1774-1834, also Chief Justice, Court of Appeals; U.S. District Judge. Boyle County named for him. See other side.

(Reverse) Home of Statesmen Continued from other side. - Samuel McKee, 1774-1826, also on Gen. Harrison's staff, War of 1812. George Robertson, 1790-1874, also Kentucky Secretary of State; Chief Justice Kentucky Court of Appeals. Robertson County named for him. Robert P. Letcher, 1788-1861, also Governor of Kentucky, 1840-44; Minister to Mexico, 1849-52. Letcher County named for him.

(Subjects: Harrison, William Henry | War of 1812)

James Thompson, 1750-1825
(Marker Number: 1371)

County: Garrard
Location: Dick's River Baptist Church, N. of Lancaster, US 27

Description: Burial site of first Lincoln Co. surveyor, commissioned Jan., 1781. Surveyed this area, then part of Lincoln Co. Daniel Boone was made Deputy Surveyor under him, 1783. Thompson, nephew of Isaac Shelby, was State Rep., Garrard Co., 1803; State Senator, 1804-06. First Lt. with 12th Va. Militia in Rev. War. Trustee of Kentucky Academy, 1794, and the Lancaster Academy, 1798.

(Subjects: Boone, Daniel | Revolutionary War | Shelby, Isaac)

Lancaster Public Spring
(Marker Number: 2202)

County: Garrard
Location: US 39 N, Lancaster

Description: In early 1776 John Wilson and Andrew Cowan erected two small cabins near this location. In October of 1782 James Speed settled near this spring. In 1797 William Buford chose this spring to furnish water for the new Garrard Court. It continued as Lancaster's public water source for nearly 50 years.

(Subjects: Springs)

Local Authoress
(Marker Number: 1344)

County: Garrard
Location: School grounds on Lexington St., Lancaster, US 27

Description: Eugenia Dunlap Potts, daughter of George Dunlap, US Congressman and lawyer, was born in Garrard County in 1840 and pursued her literary career here, where she died, 1912. The first of her nine works was "Song of Lancaster," a metrical history in style of Longfellow's "Hiawatha." In 1892, she became editor of "Illustrated Kentuckian."

(Subjects: Authors)

Paint Lick Presbyterian Church
(Marker Number: 1562)

County: Garrard
Location: 3 mi. W. of Paint Lick, KY 52

Description: Founded 1784 by Rev. David Rice. Early elders of the church: Thomas Maxwell, Alexander Henderson, James Woods, Samuel Woods, Robert Brank, George Denny, Robert Henry. First located in Paint Lick Cemetery. Second building erected circa 1830 on present site. During Civil War several skirmishes here; membership split. Present building was erected, 1875; church reunited.

(Reverse) Paint Lick Cemetery - In this cemetery are soldiers from Revolutionary and Civil wars. There are eight Revolutionary soldiers, including Thos. Kennedy, John Slavin, John Courtney, Robert Brank, Walter Burnside, William Miller, Humphrey Bates, and John Provine. The last was a charter member of Paint Lick Presbyterian Church, and his is oldest marked grave in cemetery, 1792.

(Subjects: Cemeteries | Civil War | Presbyterian Church | Revolutionary War)

Pleasant Retreat
(Marker Number: 713)

County: Garrard
Location: S. of Lancaster, US 27

Description: Home of William Owsley and his son-in-law Simeon Anderson. Built about 1815. Owsley, 1782-1862, State House of Representatives and Senate; Court of Appeals; Kentucky Secretary of State and Governor of Kentucky 1844-48. Owsley County named for him. Anderson, born 1802; State House of Representatives; in 1839, U.S. Congress. Died 1840, in office.

The Traveling Church, 1781
(Marker Number: 25)

County: Garrard
Location: SE of Lancaster, KY 39

Description: In search of religious freedom, the Reverend Lewis Craig led his entire congregation of 200 Baptists and 400 other settlers from Spotsylvania County, Virginia, and established them here on Gilbert's Creek. This expedition, guided through the wilderness by Captain William Ellis, was the largest group of pioneers ever to enter the District of Kentucky in a single body. Erected by the National Society of the Colonial Dames of America.

Uncle Tom's Cabin
(Marker Number: 1070)

County: Garrard
Location: 4 mi. W. of Paint Lick, KY 52

Description: Harriet Beecher Stowe, author of Uncle Tom's Cabin, visited the Kennedy home-see other side-while gathering some of the material for her book. Legendary cabin of Uncle Tom was behind the mansion, which was torn down about 1926. The book inflamed anti-slavery sentiment throughout the North and deep resentment in the South, with its publication in 1851.

(Reverse) Gen. Thomas Kennedy - One mile south to home site of No. Car. Rev. War veteran who came to Ky., 1780. Member first Ky. Const. Conv.; first Senate; Comm. which named Frankfort as capital. Appointed Brig. Gen. of Militia. Leader in forming Garrard County and its Representative for eight terms. At the time of his death, 1836, he owned a plantation of 7,000 acres and 200 slaves. Over.

(Subjects: Capitals | Constitutional Convention (1792) | Revolutionary War | Slavery)

Walker Foxhounds
(Marker Number: 1794)

County: Garrard
Location: Site of Walker homeplace, KY 1647, approx. 6 mi. E. of Lancaster

Description: Site of John W. Walker's home where he and George Washington Maupin, avid hunters, bred and developed famous Walker foxhounds. With red fox migration into central Ky., ca. 1852, Virginia hounds were crossed with "Tennessee Lead," a dog noted for speed and stamina needed to hunt red fox. English hounds "Rifler" and "Marth" brought color and conformation to breed.