October 5, 1893
THE OLD SETTLERS
The Names of Those Who Broke the Primeral [Primeval] Forest of Crittenden.
When They Come [Came], Where They Settled.
EDITOR PRESS:--I promised that I would complete my contribution to your paper this week, concerning the men who formed the county from a wilderness. My list is of course not complete. These [there] are those I am unable to call to mind, or to learn of, but those I have mentioned should be remembered. No history of the county would be complete without them. While they are not all heroes in the modern sense, they had the hardihood to come to an unbroken wilderness, and the result of their coming is the proud old county of Crittenden.
The Wheelers, John, Henry and James came from South Carolina in 1796; John settled the place now owned by Frank Paris, and Henry settled the place known as the John M. Wilson Farm in 1805; and in 1805, James Wheeler settled the place where his decendent [descendent], Isaac Wheeler now lives. All of the Wheelers were strict Presbyterians; they brought slaves with them.
Willis Rals from S. C., in 1806 settled near Aaron Towery's.
John Simpson, from South Carolina in 1802, settled on a part of the Aaron Towery farm, and sold it to William Babb, who came from North Carolina in 1806. Babb was a strong Baptist.
Wm[.] Baldwin came from Virginia in 1804, settled near Piney Bluff.
Thos[.] Bradburn, from North Carolina in 1806, settled on Tradewater.
John and Isaac Furgerson, from North Carolina in 1804, was [were] what were then known as squatters.
Frederic Imboden came from Va., in 1802, and settled near where Aaron Towery lives.
James Walden from North Carolina in 1806.
John Lacey, from South Carolina in 1804, settled on Tradewater, near Henry Land's.
Edward Kemp, from South Carolina, settled on Piney near the iron bridge.
In 1795 Henry Land, came from North Carolina and settled where Justial Hood now lives.
Arther [Arthur], Francis and John Travis came from South Carolina in 1800, settled what is now known as the Cullen Travis place. Arther [Arthur] was in the revolutionary war; John was a preacher and a doctor, and was the first man to preach Methodistism [Methodism] in the county.
Grissom Coffield, from North Carolina in 1798, settled the place known as the Isaac Coffield farm.
Daniel, John, William and Thomas Travis came from South Carolina in 1794, Daniel settled the place where Coperas [Copperas] Springs School House now stand [stands]; John settled the Geo[.] Green place. Wm[.] settled what is known as the Ham place.
Samuel Foster from South Carolina in 1805 settled the farm where Francis Jacobs lives.
John Blakely from South Carolina in 1800. He was a noted gun smith and afterwards did good service in the war of 1812.
Stephen Fowler came from South Carolina in 1802 or 3 and settled the place on Crooked Creek where James Fowler lived and died.
William, Soloman and Alx[.] Clark came in 1802 or 3. William was a revolutionary soldier. Alx[.] settled at the Salt Petre cave on Piney, and made powder.
Samuel, Ira and John Nunn came from South Carolina in 1801 or 2. John settled the place near where William Tudor lives. Samuel settled on Tradewater on the place now owned by Thomas Crider; Ira settled near what is now the poor house. They brought slaves with them.
Wm[.] Stewart came from South Carolina between 1800 and 1806 and settled the place now owned by Gus Stewart; he was a revolutionary soldier.
Wm[.] Cain came from South Carolina about the same time and settled where Jos[.] Newcomb now lives.
Job Truitt came from South Carolina in 1803, and settled near the poor house farm; he was a revolutionary soldier.
Samuel Porter, from South Carolina in 1804, settled near Sugar Grove church.
Elijah Porter from South Carolina in 1804, settled, near where Repton now is; he brought slaves.
Wm[.] Phillips from South Carolina in 1806, and settled the place where Eph[.] Hill now lives. He built a horse mill, covered his house with shingles, fastened down with wooden pegs.
Robt[.] and John Phillips came from South Carolina in 1806, and settled near what is now Nunn's Switch.
Elish Thurmond, from Virginia in 1804. He was one of the first tobacco raisers of the county.
James Ricy and David Hill, from North Carolina between 1791 and 1795. As they came the last house they saw, was the court house at Hopkinsville. Ricy built a cabin on the Wm[.] Clement place and Hill selected the place near Marion, now owned by E[.] W[.] Hill.
Wm[.] Pickens from South Carolina between 1794 and 1798 settled near where Mike Gilbert now lives.
Robt[.] Hillhouse came from South Carolina between 1794 and 1798.
Jas[.] Love, Arthur Love came from South Carolina in 1804 and settled on Hurricane.
Tillman Hickman came from Deleware in 1804 and settled on Hurricane.
Jas[.] Champion came in 1804.
Richard Minner, came from Maryland in 1804, and settled near the old iron furnace.
John Young came from South Carolina between 1803-6 and settled on Hurricane.
John Brents came about the same time.
Jas[.] Price from North Carolina in 1802; he brought slaves.
Robt[.] Livingston, from South Carolina in 1802.
Ingram Lucas from South Carolina 1803 or 4.
John Phillips came from South Carolina in 1804.
John Coram, Joseph Mosby, Ozark Kirk, John and James Mitchell, Isaac Ricks were among the settlers of the Hurricane section. The date of their coming I do not know.
In 1797 ----- Wilson from South Carolina built the first mill in the county. It was near the mouth of Tradewater.
Geo[.] Flynn came in 1791 and settled where Weston now stands, erected a ferry and had a road cut out to Hopkinsville in 1803.
Jas[.] Brantley came from Georgia in 1812.
Wm[.] Dickey from South Carolina in 1800. The first church built in the county was known as Dickey Springs. It was a Presbyterian church. The next church was built at Crooked Creek by the Presbyterians and they afterwards sold out to the Baptist[s].
Wm[.] Hale from South Carolina in 1808.
James Dawson from S. C., in 1808. He was the first distiller in the county. He erected his still on Piney. Wm[.] Hill owned the second at the place known as Cedar Lane.
John Elder from N. C., in 1790 and settled two miles south of Marion.
Source: Crittenden Press. (Marion, Ky.) 1879-1907, October 5, 1893, Image 1 - Chronicling America - The Library of Congress.
[My comments are in brackets.]
