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T  H  E 


HISTORY  OF  LOUISVILLE, 


FROM  ITS 


EARLIEST  SETTLEMENT 


TILL  THE  YEAR   I8S2. 


>  >       >      ' 

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BY    BEN    GASSED- AT.:?; 


LOUISVILLE.    KY. 
HULL  AND  BROTHER. 


1  8  52.,,. 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1852, 

By  ben.  CASSEDAY, 

In  the  Clerk's  office  of  the  District  Court  of  tlie  United  States  for  the  Dis- 

trict  of  Kentucky. 


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AFFECTIONATELY  INSCRIBED, 


PREFACE. 


Very  little  need  be  said  by  way  of  Preface  to  tbe  present 
volume.  Cities,  like  individuals,  have  ever  found  the  utility 
of  giving  publicity  to  the  advantages  they  possess.  The  re= 
spective  claims  to  pubhc  consideration  of  almost  all  the  larger 
American  cities  have  already  been  set  forth,  and  no  incon- 
siderable sagacity  has  been  displayed  in  the  preparation  and 
issue  of  these  advertisements.  It  cannot  be  denied  that 
Louisville  has  equal  claim  upon  the  community  for  a  fair 
hearing  with  many  of  these  cities,  and  this  may  serve  as  the 
apology  which  custom  seems  to  render  necessary  for  the 
publication  of  this  volume. 

Louisville  has  attained  her  present  rank  and  position  with- 
out having  resorted  to  any  of  the  factitious  means  so  generally 
emploj^ed  to  promote  the  progress  of  cities.  A  singular  ap- 
athy in  this  regard  has  always  pervaded  this  community,  and 
the  present  prosperity  of  the  city  is  the  result  only  of  fortu- 
itous circumstances,  of  individual  and  unorganized  effort,  or 
of  local  causes.  The  following  extract  from  one  of  a  series 
of  very  able  articles,  published  several  years  ago  in  the  Lou- 
isville Journal,  conveys  a  very  caustic  and  severe,  but,  at  the 
same  time,  a  very  just  and  merited  rebuke  of  this  apathetic 
indifference  to  political  progress  which  has  been  characteristic 
of  this  citv.     The  author  says  :    "In  the  recent  book  of  Judge 


6  PREFACE. 


Hall  entitled  ''The  West  —  its  commerce  and  navigation,^*  \i  is 
stated  that  "Louisville  keeps  no  account  of  its  business." 
Such  is  really  the  fact ;  we  have  no  business  organization  — 
no  chamber  of  commerce,  no  mercantile  clubs  —  no  Exchange, 
HO  place  ''where  merchants  most  do  congregate."  Our  city 
Fathers  keep  no  record  of  our  increase  or  doings,  and  it  is 
doubted  whether  the  Mayor  or  Council,  with  the  Assessors 
and  Collectors  to  advise  with,  can  either  guess  or  reckon  our 
present  population  within  4,000,  or  the  number  of.respectable 
tenements  erected  last  year  within  200  of  the  truth.  There 
is  not  a  series  of  our  newspapers  or  price  currents  to  which 
a  stranger  has  the  right  of  access;  if,  indeed,  there  be  an 
entire  series  of  either  to  be  found  in  our  city.  Occasionally 
a  Directory  is  got  up  and  contains  a  few  statistics  gathered 
without  system  or  concert,  and  necessarily  imperfect,  and 
these  even  are  rarely  set  before  the  public  eye.  Other  cities 
have  had  for  years  the  most  skillful  trumpeters  and  gazet- 
teers; their  men  of  influence  and  wealth  have  contributed 
largely  of  money  and  time  (more  important  than  money)  not 
only  to  make  their  city  attractive  but  to  show  off  those  at- 
tractions. Does  anything  agitate  the  public  mind,  whether 
religious,  political,  or  financial  —  whether  it  relates  to  th« 
commerce  of  the  lakes,  famine  in  Ireland,  or  an  armory  or 
hospital  on  the  western  rivers,  they  seek  to  be  the  first  to 
write  and  the  first  to  speak ;  they  raise  one  committee  to 
gather  and  another  to  publish  every  fact  and  argument  which 
will  make  the  excitement  enure  to  their  benefit.  All  this  is 
unobjectionable.  Other  cities  have  great  attractions,  and 
there  is  no  reason  why  these  should  not  be  known ;  the  gos- 
pel itself  requires  publication ;  but  in  this  democratic  country 
are  we  to  allow  any  other  city  to  take  a  higher  position  than 
that  to  which  she  is  entitled  by  her  skill,  strength  and  capa- 
city?   Is  it  not  high  time  to  advertise  the  cheapness  and  good- 


PREFACE.  4 

ness  of  our  wares?  If  Cincinnati  send  a  special  agent  to 
Germany  with  the  cards  of  her  lot-holders  and  a  map  of  this 
country,  represented  as  a  narrow  strip  with  New  York  at  one 
terminus  and  Cincinnati  at  the  other,  can  we  not  extend  the 
survey  to  Louisville,  and  add  the  name  of  this  city  to  the 
catalogue  published  in  Europe." 

These  remarks  are  hardly  less  merited  now  than  at  the 
time  when  they  were  published.  The  last  two  years,  it  is 
true,  have  awakened  new  energies  and  brought  about  a  great- 
er disposition  to  prompt  and  efficient  action  in  promoting  a 
useful  business  organization  and  in  setting  forth  the  claims 
of  Louisville  in  a  properly  attractive  light.  Much  time,  how- 
ever, has  been  wasted  and  much  valuable  material  has  been 
lost  by  the  long  delay  in  this  matter.  To  endeavor  to  restore 
this  lost  time  and  to  replace  a  part  at  least  of  this  valuable 
material,  is  one  of  the  prominent  objects  had  in  view  in  the 
preparation  of  this  history. 

The  want  of  interest  which  is  generally  felt  in  mere  sta- 
tistical details,  even  if  ever  so  carefully  compiled,  coupled 
with  the  fact  that  there  is  really  much  in  the  history  of  Lou- 
isville which  is  capable  of  interesting  the  general  reader,  have 
induced  me  to  prefer  ofifering  to  the  public  a  historical  detail 
of  the  rise,  progress  and  present  position  of  the  city,  instead 
of  following  the  course  which  has  been  pursued  by  most 
writers  of  local  history.  It  is  no  part  of  the  design  of  this 
volume  to  eulogize  Louisville  beyond  its  deserts.  The  great- 
est care  has  been  taken  to  prevent  any  tendency  to  exagger- 
ation in  all  the  statistical  parts  of  the  work,  and  the  object 
constantly  had  in  view  has  been  to  present  both  to  citizens 
and  strangfers  an  authentic  and  reliable  statement  of  all  that 
is  useful  or  interesting  in  the  past  and  present  history  of  the 
city.  It  is  due  to  myself  to  state,  that,  as  may  readily  be 
supposed  from  what  has  been  said  above,  I  have  found  great 


S  PREFACE. 


difficulty  in  procuring  the  necessary  data  for  even  this  un- 
pretending vohame.  And  if  the  town  reader  sliould  lind  any 
errors  or  omissions  in  these  pages  I  cannot  help  but  hope  for 
some  leniency  at  his  hands  in  view  of  the  fact  that  this  is  the 
history  of  a  city  which  has  never  possessed  an  official  record 
of  any  kind,  and  that  even  the  material  which  has  been  pro- 
cured at  divers  times  and  in  distant  places  has  cost  no  incon- 
siderable amount  both  of  time  and  trouble  in  the  search. 

The  present  statistics  of  the  city  were  carefully  collected 
by  personal  application  and  investigation;  and  I  desire  to  ex- 
press my  profoundest  acknowledgments  for  the  kindness  and 
interest  with  which  my  wishes  were  met  and  forwarded. 
With  but  one  single  exception,  every  information  which  I 
could  have  desired  was  freely  furnished,  and  many  valuable 
suQ;-gestions  were  ofiered  which  I  have  since  found  extremely 
useful.  I  also  desire  to  express  my  acknowledgments  to  Mr. 
R.  Harlan,  of  Frankfort,  for  his  kind  assistance  in  the  tedious 
and  laborious  work  of  examining  the  census  reports. 

In  closing  a  task  which  has  occupied  such  moments  of 
leisure  as  I  could  reclaim  from  the  more  serious  pursuits  of 
life  for  about  eighteen  months,  I  cannot  but  hope  that  the 
result  of  this  tedious  labor  may  really  compass  the  end  for 
which  it  was  intended.  I  can  claim  nothing;  for  the  book 
on  the  score  of  literary  merit ;  the  style  is  one  entirely  differ- 
ent from  anything  which  I  have  heretofore  attempted,  and 
the  volume  does  not  seek  to  claim  rank  as  a  literary  produc- 
tion. If,  however,  it  will  serve  to  contribute  a  moiety  to  the 
prosperity  of  my  native  city  ;  if  it  will  serve  to  add  one  in- 
dustrious and  enterprising  man  to  the  number  of  her  citizens, 
I  shall  be  satisfied  that  this  labor  has  not  been  in  vain,  nor 

this  exertion  spent  for  naught. 

BEN.  GASSED  AY. 


CONTENTS. 


Position  of  Louisville — Falls  of  tlie  Ohio 15 

Advent  of  Captain  Bullitt * .16 

Bullitt's  Interview  with  the  Indians 17 

Campbell's  and  Conally's  Patents 21 

Advent  of  General  Geo.  R.  Clark. 22 

Clark's  Expedition  to  Virginia. 23 

"      Secret  orders  from  Patrick  Henry 25 

''      Arrival  at  the  Palls 28 

Account  of  a  social  party  m  1779 31 

Account  of  life  on  the  Frontier 32 

The  Hard  Winter 43 

Act  for  establishing  the  town 44 

Early  surveys  of  the  town 47 

Reminiscences  of  the  Ponds 50 

Advent  of  Colonel  Geo.  Slaughter. 53 

Incidents  of  the  Indian  "Wars 54 

Division  of  the  State  into  Counties 58 

Building  of  Fort  Nelson 60 

Battle  of  Blue  Licks 61 

Barge  jNTavigation 62 

The  Boatwreckers — Colonel  Plug 67 

The  Bargemen— Mike  Fink. 71 

Peace  declared 81 

First  Store  in  Louisville 83 

Tom  Paine's  book 84 

First  Kentucky  Convention 85 

Clark's  Treatv  at  Fort  Mcintosh 86 

"      Expedition  to  Vincennes 89 

Mississippi  Troubles 90 

First  newspaper  in  Kentucky 97 


10  CO^TENT6. 

Act  iu  relation  to  tlie  Trustees — Major  Quirej .98 

Kentucky  erected  into  a  State l02 

First  Paper  Mill— Tax  list 103 

Office  of  Falls  Pilot  created — Fire  companies  established 104 

Acts  of  Assembly— 1800 107 

Anecdote 109 

Jeffersonville — Shippingport 110 

First  Canal  Company  chartered 112 

First  newspaper  in  Louisville 115 

Second  tax  list 116 

Theater 117 

Establishment  of  a  Police 118 

Courthouse  built — Early  Steam  Navigation 119 

Earthquakes,  description  of,  and  table 121 

"Western  Courier  (newspaper)  established 126 

List  of  Steamboats  up  to  1819 128 

First  Catholic  Church 134 

First  Bank — Foundry 135 

Paving  the  Streets 136 

First  Methodist  Church — Portland  laid  out — New  Albany 137 

Manifest  of  Barges — Un healthiness  of  Louisville 139 

List  of  Stores  6lc 140 

Trip  of  the  Enterprize — First  boat  built 141 

Shinplaster  currency 142 

Hope  Distillery 143 

Fearon's  account  of  Louisville 144 

Branch  Bank  of  the  United  States 146 

First  Presbyterian  Church  built — burned 147 

Hospital  Company  incorporated 148 

Dinner  to  Captain  Shreve 150 

Death  of  General  Geo.  R.  Clark 151 

Price  Current — 1818 — Commercial  Bank — Public  Advertiser 152 

Dr.  McMurtrie's  Sketches  of  Louisville 153 

J.  J,  Audubon — Visit  of  President 155 

Purchase  of  Fire  Engines 169 

Tax  list  and  Census  for  1821 160 

Commonwealth  Bank  established 162 

Issue  of  Town  Notes — Epidemic  of  1822 163 

First  Episcopal  Church — Lafayette's  A'isit 1 65 


COKTEKTS.  11 

BuilrUug  a  Wharf — Louisville  and  Portland  Caual 166 

The  Focus — Resolutions  for  a  Charter ,173 

Louisville  becomes  a  City 174 

First  City  Officers 177 

Bank  Robbery — New  Methodist  Church — City  School 179 

Second  Presbyterian  Chiu'ch — Daily  Journal 182 

Bank  of  Kentucky  built— Louisville  Lyceum 184 

Flood  of  '32 — Unitarian  Church — Directory  &c 185 

Bank  of  Louisville  chartered — Museum 187 

Government  Deposites  removed , 188 

Water  Works 189 

Comical  Guards 1 90 

Death  of  Lafayette 191 

Tax  List— Table  of  Exports  &c,  1830 192 

Bridge  over  the  Ohio — Panic  of  '37 , 194 

Notice  of  Amelia's  Poems 195 

Medical  College 197 

Portland  Railroad 198 

Newsletter — Historical  Societv — ^Provident  Societv 199 

Visit  of  America  Vespucci 200 

Introduction  of  Gas 202 

Great  Fire 203 

Statistics  of  '45 205 

Opening  of  Louisville  and  Frankfort  Railroad 206 

New  Charter 208 

Louisville  and  its  environs 209 

Society  of  Louisville 210 

Churches,  Streets,  &c 21 6 

Public  Education 219 

Health 225 

Markets — Periodicals 227 

Table  of  Occupations 228 

Commercial  Statistics 230 

Louisville  as  a  Market  for  Tobacco 234 

■'     Cotton 237 

*=         "     Porlx 240 

Manufacturing  Statistics 241 

Conclusion 217 

Appendix 


HISTORY 


OF 


LOUISVILLE. 


CHAPTER    I. 


The  utility  and  profit  of  the  local  history  of  cities  is  no 
longer  a  matter  of  doubt.  Whether  considered  solely 
as  objects  of  interest  or  amusement,  or  as  having  the 
still  wider  utility  of  making  known  abroad  the  indiyid- 
uality  of  the  places  they  describe,  these  records  are  wor- 
thy of  high  consideration.  And  although  in  a  country 
like  ours  this  department  of  history  can  claim  to  chroni- 
cle no  great  events,  nor  to  relate  any  of  those  local  tra- 
ditions that  make  many  of  the  cities  of  the  Old  World  so 
famous  in  story  and  song,  yet  they  can  fulfil  the  equal 
use  of  directing  the  attention  of  those  abroad  to  the 
rise,  progress  and  present  standing  of  places  which  may 
fairly  claim,  in  the  future,  what  has  made  others  great  in 
the  past.  And  in  an  age  when  every  energy  of  the 
whole  brotherhood  of  man  is  directed  to  the  future,  and 
when  mere  utilitarianism  has  taken  the  place  of 
romance,  or  of  deeds  of  high  renown,  it  is  a  matter  of 


14  HISTORY    OF    LOUISVILLE. 


more  than  ordinary  interest  and  value  to  all,  to  note 
the  practical  advancement,  and  so  to  calculate  upon  the 
basis  of  the  past,  the  probable  results  of  the  future  of 
those  cities  in  the  ITew  World,  which  seem  to  present 
advantages,  either  social  or  pecuniary,  to  that  large 
class  of  foreigners  and  others,  who  are  constantly 
seeking  for  homes  or  means  of  occupation  among  us. 
Nor  is  it  to  these  alone,  that  such  local  history  is  of 
value.  The  country  is  beginning  already  to  possess 
much  unemployed  capital  seeking  for  investment; 
while  many,  having  already  procured  the  means  of  liv- 
ing well,  are  seeking  for  homes  more  congenial  to  their 
tastes  than  the  places  where  they  have  lived  but  for 
pecuniary  profit.  To  both  of  these,  the  history  of  indi- 
vidual cities  is  an  invaluable  aid  in  helping  the  one  to 
discover  a  means  of  advantageously  employing  his  sur- 
plus money,  and  in  aiding  the  other  to  find  a  home  pos- 
sessing those  social  advantages  which  will  render  him 
comfortable  and  happy. 

But  it  is  to  the  emigrant  foreigner  that  local  history 
is  of  the  greatest  benefit.  Leaving  a  country  with  whose 
resources,  social,  moral,  and  political,  he  is  intimately 
acquainted  for  one  of  which  he  knows  almost  nothing, 
such  works,  carefully  and  authentically  written,  are  to 
him  what  the  guide-books  of  the  Old  World  are  to  the 
wonder-seeking  traveler ;  they  present  him  at  once  with 
a  dagueiTeotype  view  of  the  land  of  his  adoption  and 
point  out  to  him  every  advantage  and  disadvantage, 
every  chance  of  profit  or  of  pleasure,  every  means  of 
gain,  every  hope  of  gratification  that  is  anywhere  to  be 
aflbrded. 


HISTORY   OF    LOUISVILLE.  15 


Impressed  with  these  opinions,  it  is  proposed  to  pre- 
sent the  reader  with  an  authentic  and  impartial  history 
of  Louisville;  one  which  may  be  ifeiplicitly  relied  on  in 
its  calculations  and  statistical  details  and  which  shall 
present  as  accurate  and  faithful  a  historical  survey  as 
can  be  obtained  jfrom  any  data  known  to  the  writer  or 
attainable  by  him. 

Louisville  lies  on  the  Southern  bank  of  the  Ohio  river 
at  the  falls  or  ^pids  of  that  stream,  in  longitude  85o 
30'  west  of  Greenwich,  and  latitude  38o  3^  north.  Its 
position  is  one  of  peculiar  excellence,  situated  at  a  point 
where  the  navigation  of  the  stream'  is  naturally  obstruct- 
ed by  the  rapids,  and  where,  for  sLx  miles  above  the  site 
of  the  city,  the  river  stretches  out  into  a  broad,  smooth 
sheet  of  water  a  mile  in  width,  almost  without  a  current, 
and  presents  a  safe  and  beautiful  harbor  for  a  great  dis- 
tance along  the  Kentucky  shore;  embracing  too  within 
its  limits  the  debouchure  of  Beargrass  Creek,  which  also 
affords  a  convenient  and  accessible  resting  place  for 
barges,  keel,  and  flatboats,  sheltering  them  from  all 
the  dangers  to  which  an  open  harbor  would  render  them 
liable,  it  presents  advantages  which  at  once  mark  it  to 
the  sagacious  eye  as  a  proper  location  for  a  to\vn  of  the 
greatest  importance.  Aside  from  all  these  advantages, 
the  immense  surface  of  level  country  which  spreads  out 
on  either  side  of  the  rapids  for  so  great  a  distance,  is  of 
itself  worthy  of  consideration.  The  term  "falls"  which 
has  been  and  is  so  commonly  applied  to  the  obstruction 
in  the  river  at  this  point,  is  apt  to  produce  an  incorrect 
idea  in  the  mind  of  one  who  does  not  know  exactly  how 
to  apply  the  term.     The  falls  are  not  a  precipitous  de- 


10  HISTOET   OF   LOUISVILLE. 

scent  of  water,  bnt  simply  "an  obstruction  in  the  course 
of  the  river  caused  by  a  ledge  of  limestone  rock  running 
obliquely  across  its  Ti^d,  with  channels  or  chutes  through 
the  mound,  produced  or  modified  by  the  force  of  the 
water."  This  however  is  so  serious  an  obstacle  to  the 
navigation  of  the  stream  as  to  create  the  necessity,  which 
always  exists,  except  at  the  highest  stage  of  the  water, 
for  the  debarkation  and  re-shipment  of  goods  above  and 
below  this  point,  thus  affording  great  commercial  ad- 
vantages to  the  city  situated  beside  these  rapids. 

The  peculiar  attractions  of  such  a  location  as  this 
could  not  long  go  urfteeded,  and  accordingly  as  early  as 
1770  parties  came  from  Fort  Pitt,  now  Pittsburgh,  pro- 
bably sent  by  Lord.punmore,  then  Governor  of  Yirgin- 
ia,  and  surveyed  the  lands  adjacent  to  the  falls,  with  a 
view  of  distributing  them  as  bounty  lands.     The  earliest 
account,  however,  which  we  have  of  anything  like  a 
settlement  here  is  that  of  Capt.  Thomas  Bullitt,  who  in 
1773,  deputed  by  a  special  commission  from  William 
and  Mary  College  in  Yirginia,  came  to  survey  lands  and 
effect  settlements  in  the  then  territory  of  Kentucky. 
His  practiced  eye  perceived  the  advantages  of  this  port 
and  he  moored  his  traveling  barge  in  the  safe  and  beau  - 
tiful  harbor  of  Beargrass,  and  here  established  a  camp 
to  protect  his  men  from  the  weather  and  to  shelter  his 
stores.     From  this  point  he  made  surveys  of  much  of 
the  adjacent  country  as  far  down  as  Salt  river,  to  which 
he  gave  its  present  title  from  his  having  there  found 
the  salt  lick  still  known  by  his  name.     He  estimated 
the  advantages  of  his  new  settlement  at  their  full  worth, 
and  purposed  to  return  at  once  to  his  friends  and  procure 


HISTORY    OF    LOUISVILLE.  17 


the  means  of  re- visiting  and  establishing  it.  But  Death 
sought  him  in  the  midst  of  his  well  laid  plans,  and  it  was 
left  for  another  to  complete  what  his  sagacity  and  enter- 
prise had  commenced. 

To  show  that  Bullitt's  plans  had  been  well  matured, 
and  also  to  give  some  idea  of  the  prudence  and  intelli- 
gence of  the  man,  it  is  only  necessary  to  cite,  from 
Marshall's  History  of  Kentucky,  the  following  not  un- 
interesting facts : 

"On  his  way  to  Kentucky,"  says  this  historian, 
"Bullitt  made  a  visit  to  Chillicothe,  a  Shawnee  town, 
to  hold  a  friendly  talk  with  those  Indians  on  the  subject 
of  his  intended  settlement ;  and  for  the  particular  pur- 
pose of  obtaining  their  assent  to  the,measure.  He  knew 
they  claimed  the  right  of  hunting  in  the  country  —  a 
right  to  them  of  the  utmost  importance,  and  which  they 
had  not  relinquished.  He  also  knew  they  were  brave, 
and  indefatigable;  and  that  if  they  were  so  disposed, 
could  greatly  annoy  the  inhabitants  of  the  intended  set- 
tlement. It  was,  therefore,  a  primary  object  in  his  esti- 
mation to  obtain  their  consent  to  his  projected  residence, 
and  cultivation  of  the  lands.  To  accomplish  this,  he 
left  his  party  on  the  Ohio  and  traveled  out  to  the  town 
unattended,  and  without  announcing  his  approach  by  a 
runner.  He  was  not  discovered  until  he  got  into  the 
midst  of  Chillicothe,  when  he  waved  his  white  flag  as 
a  token  of  peace.  The  Indians  saw  with  astonishment 
a  stranger  among  them  in  the  character  of  ambassador, 
for  such  he  assumed  by  the  flag,  and  without  any  inti- 
mation of  his  intended  visit.  Some  of  them  collected 
about  him,  and  asked  him.  What  news?    Was  he  from 


18  HISTORY    OF    LOUISVILLE. 


the  Long  Knife?  and  why,  if  he  was  an  ambassador,  he 
had  not  sent  a  runner?" 

Bullitt,  not  in  the  least  intimidated,  replied  that  he 
had  no  bad  news  —  he  was  from  the  Long  Knife  —  and 
as  the  red  men  and  white  men  were  at  peace,  he  had 
come  among  his  brothers  to  have  a  friendly  talk  with 
them  about  living  on  the  other  side  of  the  Ohio  ;  that 
he  had  no  runner  swifter  than  himself,  and  that  he  was 
in  haste  and  could  not  wait  the  return  of  a  runner. 
'Would  you,'  said  he,  'if  you  were  very  hungry  and  had 
killed  a  deer,  send  your  squaw  to  town  to  tell  the  news, 
and  wait  her  return  before  you  eat?'  This  put  the  by- 
standers in  high  good  humor,  and  gave  them  a  favorable 
opinion  of  their  interlocutor.  And  upon  his  desiring 
that  the  warriors  should  be  called  together,  they  were 
forth w^ith  convened,  and  he  promptly  addressed  them  in 
the  following  speech,  extracted  from  his  journal : 
"  Brothers  : 

1  am  sent  by  my  people,  whom  I  left  on  the  Ohio,  to 
settle  the  country  on  the  other  side  of  that  river,  as  low 
down  as  the  falls.  We  come  from  Yirginia.  The  king 
of  my  people  has  bought  from  the  nations  of  red  men 
both  north  and  south  all  the  land  ;  and  I  am  instructed 
to  inform  you  and  all  the  warriors  of  this  great  country, 
that  the  Virginians  and  the  English  are  in  friendship 
with  you.  This  friendship  is  dear  to  them,  and  they 
intend  to  keep  it  sacred.  The  same  friendship  they  ex- 
pect from  you,  and  from  all  the  nations  to  the  lakes. 
We  know  that  the  Shawnees  and  the  Delawares  are  to 
be  our  nearest  neighbors,  and  we  wish  them  to  be  our 
best  friends  as  we  will  be  theirs. 


HISTORY    OF    l.UolSVILLK.  19 

"Brothers,  you  did  not  get  any  of  the  money  or  blank- 
ets given  for  the  land  which  I  and  my  people  are  going 
to  settle.  This  was  hard  for  yon.  But  it  is  agreed  by 
the  great  men  who  own  the  land,  that  they  will  make  a 
present  both  to  the  Delawares  and  the  Shawnees  the 
next  year  and  the  year  following  that  shall  be  as  good. 

''Brothers,  I  am  appointed  to  settle  the  country,  to 
live  in  it,  to  raise  corn,  and  to  make  proper  rules  and 
regulations  among  my  people.  There  will  be  some 
principal  men  fvoi^  my  country  very  soon,  and  then 
much  more  will  be  said  to  you.  The  Governor  desires 
to  see  you,  and  will  come  out  this  year  or  the  next. 
"When  I  come  again  I  will  have  a  belt  of  wampum.  This 
time  I  came  in  haste  and  had  not  one  ready. 

"My  people  only  want  the  country  to  settle  and  cul- 
tivate. They  will  have  no  objection  to  your  hunting 
and  trapping  there.  I  hope  you  will  live  by  us  as 
brothers  and  friends. 

"You  now  know  my  heart,  and  as  it  is  single  towards 
you,  I  expect  you  will  give  me  a  kind  talk ;  for  I  shall 
write  to  my  Governor  what  you  say  to  me  and  he  will 
believe  all  I  write." 

This  speech  was  received  with  attention,  and  Bullitt 
was  told  that  the  next  day  he  should  be  answered. 

The  Indians  are  in  the  habit  of  proceeding  with  great 
deliberation  in  matters  of  importance,  and  all  are  such 
to  them  which  concern  their  hunting. 

On  the  morrow,  agreeably  to  promise,  they  were  as- 
sembled at  the  same  place,  and  Bullitt  being  present 
they  returned  an  answer  to  his  speech  as  follows : 


20  HISTORY    OF    LOUISVILLE. 


"Oldest  Brother — The  Lovg  Knife  : 

"We  heard  you  would  be  glad  to  see  your  brothers, 
the  Shawnees  and  Delawares,  and  talk  with  them. 
But  we  are  surprised  that  you  sent  no  runner  before 
you,  and  that  you  came  quite  near  us  through  the  trees 
and  gi-ass  a  hard  journey  without  letting  us  know  until 
you  appeared  among  us. 

"Brother,  we  have  considered  your  talk  carefully,  and 
we  are  glad  to  find  nothing  bad  in  it,  nor  any  ill  mean- 
ing. On  the  contrary  you  speak  what  seems  kind  and 
friendly,  and  it  pleased  us  w^ell.  You  mentioned  to  us 
your  intention  of  settling  the  country  on  the  other  side 
of  the  Ohio  with  your  people.  And  we  are  particular- 
ly pleased  that  they  are  not  to  disturb  us  in  our  hunting. 
For  we  must  hunt  to  kill  meat  for  our  women  and  chil- 
dren, and  to  have  something  to  buy  our  powder  and 
lead  with,  and  to  get  us  blankets  and. clothing. 

"All  our  young  brothers  are  pleased  with  what  you 
said.  We  desire  that  you  will  be  strong  in  fulfilling 
your  promises  towards  us,  as  we  are  determined  to  be 
very  straight  in  advising  our  young  men  to  be  kind  and 
peaceable  to  you. 

"This  spring  we  saw  something  wrong  on  the  part  of 
our  young  men.  They  took  some  horses  from  the  white 
people.  But  we  have  advised  them  not  to  do  so  again, 
and  have  cleared  their  hearts  of  all  bad  intentions.  We 
expect  they  will  observe  our  advice  as  they  like  what 
you  said." 

"This  speech,  delivered  by  Girty,  was  interpreted  by 
Kichard  Batler,  who,  during  the  stay  of  Captain  Bul- 
litt, had  made  him  his  guest  and  otherwise  treated  him 


HISTORY    OF   LOUISVILLE.  21 


in  the  most  friendly  manner.  But  having  executed  his 
mission  very  much  to  his  own  satisfaction,  Bullitt  took 
his  leave  and  rejoined  his  party,  who  were  much  re- 
joiced to  see  him  return. 

"He  made  report  of  his  progress  and  success,  and  his 
comrades  with  light  hearts  and  high  expectations  launch- 
ed their  keels  on  the  stream  which  conveyed  them  to 
the  shore  of  Kentucky  and  the  landing  before  spoken  of." 

Capt.  Bullitt  had  high  testimonials  of  his  eminent 
jB.tness  for  the  position  he  had  assumed.  General  Wash- 
ington himself,  than  whom  no  one  was  at  once  a  better 
judge  and  a  more  valuable  authority  in  such  matters, 
spoke  in  the  highest  terms  of  his  capacity  in  the  exer- 
cise of  the  naultifarious  duties  of  surveyor,  navigator 
and  trader.  Had  not  a  premature  death  taken  him  away 
in  the  midst  of  his  labors,  it  is  certainly  to  him  that  we 
should  have  owed  the  earliest  prosperity  of  the  city. 

Even  previous  to  the  arrival  of  Capt.  Bullitt,  how- 
ever, these  lands  at  the  falls  had  been  patented  and  were 
owned,  most  probably  as  bounty  lands,  by  John  Camp- 
bell and  Dr.  John  Conally.  Of  Campbell  we  know  lit- 
tle, if  anything ;  but  Conally  played  a  somewhat  im- 
portant part  in  the  early  history  of  the  West.  He  was 
the  nephew  of  Colonel  Croghan  and  the  friend  of  Lord 
Dunmore,  and  was  by  him  dispatched  in  1774  to  assert 
the  claims  of  Virginia  upon  Fort  Pitt,  where  he  was 
arrested,  before  he  had  taken  more  than  the  initiatory 
step  in  his  proceeding,  by  Arthur  St.  Clair,  the  repre- 
sentative of  the  proprietors  of  Pennsylvania  in  the  West, 
and  only  released  on  his  own  recognizance.  He  did  not, 
however,  choose  to  return  into  the  custody  of  the  law, 


22  HISTOKY    OF    LOUISVILLE. 


but,  collecting  a  band  of  followers,  he  came  again  in 
March  of  the  same  year  and  took  possession,  in  Lord 
Dunmore's  name,  of  Fort  Pitt ;  rebuilt  it  and  called  it 
Fort  Dunmore.  It  was  he  who  occasioned  the  bloody 
fights  known  in  the  history  of  border  warfare  as  Logan's 
or  Cresap's  war.  He  afterwards,  in  1775,  formed  a  plot 
against  the  government,  which  was  discovered,  and  this 
notoriously  tyrannical  and  wicked  man  was  thrown  into 
prison  and  remained  an  unpitied  captive  till  1781.  Af- 
ter the  revolution  he  became  a  Tory  and  thus  his  lands, 
at  the  falls  and  elsewhere,  became  forfeit  to  the  State  of 
Yirginia.  It  was,  however,  for  him  and  Campbell  that 
Bullitt  surveyed  the  lands  adjacent  to  the  falls.  The 
extent  of  their  tract  was  about  4000  acres. 

After  Bullitt's  expedition  had  received  this  final  check, 
the  falls  were  visited  only  by  a  few  hunters  and  traders; 
and  it  was  not  until  1778  that  any  new  attempt  was 
made  toward  a  permanent  settlement  on  this  site.  The 
enterprising  and  gallant  Col.  George  Rogers  Clark, 
whose  name  is  so  well  known  to  all  readers  of  the  early 
history  of  Kentucky  or  of  the  West,  comes  now  to  be 
associated  with  this  history.  This  city  is  so  deeply  in- 
debted to  him,  not  only  for  its  earlier  prosperity,  but  for 
its  very  existence,  that  it  becomes  alike  agreeable  and 
useful  to  inquire  something  as  to  the  circumstances  of 
his  settlement  here.  He  was  born  in  Albemarle  coun- 
ty, Yirginia,  and,  like  our  great  Washington,  was  in 
early  life  a  land  surveyor,  and,  like  him  too,  a  man  of 
unusual  talent,  discrimination  and  forethought.  He 
came  first  to  Kentucky  in  1772.  But  his  history  be- 
comes first  associated  with  that  of  the  State  in  1774 


HISTORY    OF    LOUISVILLE.  23 


when  he  served  in  Dunmore's  war.  In  the  latter  part 
of  1775,  having  gained  the  rank  of  Major,  he  returned 
to  his  native  State  in  order  to  prepare  for  his  permanent 
removal  to  Kentucky,  which  took  place  in  the  Spring 
following.  Up  to  this  time  Kentucky  had  been  held  to 
be  a  part  of  Fincastle  county,  in  Yirginia;  but  its  in- 
habitants had  no  rights  or  protection  as  citizens  of  that 
State.  Upon  Clark's  removal  to  Kentucky  he  readily 
saw  the  advantages  of  the  new  settlement,  but  his  sa- 
gacity  at  the  same  time  taught  him  that  a  State  whose 
very  title  was  in  dispute,  and  which  was  so  far  beyond 
the  old  lines  of  civilization,  and  so  removed  from  the 
protection  of  the  elder  commonwealths  would  not  attract 
settlers  with  that  rapidity  to  which  its  immensely  supe- 
rior natural  advantages  entitled  it.  He  perceived  that 
the  future  prosperity  of  his  adopted  home  depended 
upon  its  being  under  the  aid  and  protection  of  Yirginia, 
or  upon  its  being  made  a  separate  State.  The  result  of 
this  deliberation  and  of  his  promulgation  of  these  views 
was  that  he  was  chosen  a  member  of  the  Yirginia  as- 
sembly and  carried  to  them  a  petition  for  admission  into 
their  commonwealth.  He  had  the  misfortune,  however, 
after  having  walked  the  whole  distance,  to  find  this  body 
adjourned.  This  did  not,  however,  deter  him  from 
prosecuting  his  plan  for  the  good  of  Kentucky.  He 
visited  the  Governor,  Patrick  Henry,  and  laid  his  case 
before  that  wise  and  patriotic  man.  The  Governor  ac- 
knowledged the  justness  of  his  claim,  and  gave  him  a 
letter  to  the  Executive  Council.  This  body,  fearful  of 
exceeding  its  powers,  could  or  would  do  little  for  him. 
He  demanded  powder  which  they  promptly  offered  to 


24  HISTORY    OF    LOUISVILLE, 

lend  him  oii  his  individual  security ;  an  ofler  which 
Clark  peremptorily  refused,  and  so  intimidated  them  by 
his  dauntless  manner  and  his  threats  of  consecjuences 
that  finally  the  order  was  issued  for  the  powder  to  be 
supplied  to  Clark  at  Fort  Pitt.  And,  on  the  re-assem- 
bling of  the  delegates,  after  much  warm  discussion, 
Kentuclr^  was  erected  into  a  county  of  Virginia.  Both 
these  objects  accomplished,  Clark  returned  to  Pittsburg, 
procured  the  powder  and  with  great  difficulty  and  dan- 
ger succeeded  in  bringing  it  down  to  the  present  site  of 
Maysville,  where  he  carefully  concealed  it  and  then 
went  to  the  fort  at  Harrodsburg  and  sent  a  convoy  for 
the  buried  treasure,  where  it  finally  arrived  in  safety. 
This  slight  outline  sketch  shows  the  first  of  a  series  of 
events  which  led  Col.  Clark  to  the  falls  of  Ohio.  The 
seond  event  which  bears  upon  this  point  is  alike  credita- 
ble to  him.  And  here  we  must  be  indebted  to  Mr. 
Perkins'  Annals  of  the  West  for  a  condensed  narration 
of  this  afiair. 

"Clark  understood,"  says  this  excellent  compilation, 
"the  whole  game  of  the  British.  He  saw  that  it  was 
through  their  possession  of  Detroit,  Yincennes,  Kaslois- 
kia  and  the  other  w^estern  posts  —  which  gave  them  easy 
and  constant  access  to  the  Indian  tribes  of  the  north- 
east— that  the  British  hoped  to  efiect  such  a  union  of 
the  wild  men  as  would  annihilate  the  frontier  fortresses. 
He  knew  that  the  Delawares  were  divided  in  feeling, 
and  the  Shawnees  but  imperfectly  united  in  favor  of 
England,  ever  since  the  murder  of  Comstalk.  He  was 
convinced  that  could  the  British  in  the  north-west  be 
defeated  and  expelled,  the  natives  might  be  easily  awed 


HISTORY    OF    LOUISVILLE. 

or  bribed  into  neutrality ;  and  by  spies  sent  for  the  pur- 
pose, and  who  were  absent  from  April  20th  to  June  22d, 
he  had  satisfied  himself  that  an  enterprise  against  the 
Illinois  settlements  might  easily  succeed.  Having  made 
up  his  mind,  on  the  1st  of  October  he  left  Harrodsburg 
for  the  East,  and  reached  the  capital  of  Yirginia  Novem- 
ber the  5th.  Opening  his  mind  to  no  one  he  watched 
with  care  the  state  of  feeling  among  those  in  power, 
waiting  the  proper  moment  to  present  his  scheme.  For- 
tunately, while  he  was  upon  his  road,  on  the  17th  of 
October,  Burgoyne  had  surrendered,  and  hope  was  again 
predominant  in  the  American  councils.  When,  there- 
fore, the  western  soldier,  upon  the  10th  of  December, 
broke  the  subject  of  his  proposed  expedition  against  the 
forts  on  the  far  distant  Mississippi  to  Patrick  Henry, 
who  was  still  governor,  he  met  with  a  favorable  hearing, 
and  though  doubts  and  fears  arose  by  degrees,  yet  so 
well  digested  were  his  plans,  that  he  was  able  to  meet 
each  objection  and  remove  every  seeming  impossibility. 

Having  thus  satisfied  the  Virginia  leaders  of  the  fea- 
sibility of  his  plan,  he  received  on  the  22d  of  January 
two  sets  of  instructions — the  one  open,  authorizing  him 
to  enlist  seven  companies  to  go  to  Kentucky,  subject  to 
his  orders,  and  to  serve  for  three  months  from  their  ar- 
rival in  the  West ;  the  other  set  secret,  and  drawn  as 
follows : 

Virginia:  Set.  In  Council,  Williamshurf^ ,  Jem.  22d,  1778. 
Lieutenant  Colonel  Geoege  Rogers  Clark  : 

You  are  to  proceed,  with  all  convenient  speed, 
to  raise  seven  companies  of  soldiers,  to  consist  of  fifty 
men  each,  officered  in  the  usual  manner,  and  armed 


26  HISTOPwY    OF    LOUISVILLE. 


most  properly  for  the  enterprise;  and  with  this  force  at- 
tack the  British  post  at  Kaskaskia. 

"It  is  conjectured  that  there  are  many  pieces  of  cannon 
and  military  stores  to  a  considerable  amount  at  that 
place,  the  taking  and  j)reservation  of  which  would  be 
a  valuable  acquisition  to  the  State.  If  you  are  so  for- 
tunate therefore,  as  to  succeed  in  your  expedition,  you 
will  take  every  possible  measure  to  secure  the  artillery 
and  stores  and  whatever  may  advantage  the  State. 

"For  the  transportation  of  the  troops,  provisions,  &c., 
down  the  Ohio,  you  are  to  apply  to  the  commanding  of- 
ficer at  Fort  Pitt  for  boats;  and  during  the  whole  tran- 
saction you  are  to  take  especial  care  to  keep  the  true 
destination  of  your  force  secret;  its  success  depends  upon 
this.  (Orders  are  therefore  given  to  Capt.  Smith  to  se- 
cure the  two  men  from  Kaskaskia.)  Similar  conduct 
will  be  proper  in  similar  cases. 

"It  is  earnestly  desired  that  you  show  humanity  to  such 
British  subjects  and  other  persons  as  fall  in  your  hands. 
If  the  white  inhabitants  at  that  post  and  the  neighbor- 
hood, will  give  undoubted  evidence  of  their  attachment 
to  this  State,  (for  it  is  certain  they  live  within  its  lim- 
its,) by  taking  the  test  prescribed  by  law,  and  by  every 
other  way  and  means  in  their  power,  let  them  be  treated 
as  fellow  citizens,  and  their  persons  and  property  duly 
secured.  Assistance  and  protection  against  all  enemies 
whatever,  shall  be  afibrded  them;  and  the  Common- 
wealth of  Virginia  is  pledged  to  accomplish  it.  But  if 
these  people  will  not  accede  to  these  reasonable  de- 
mands, they  must  feel  the  miseries  of  war,  under  the  di- 
rection of  that  humanity  that  has  hitherto  distinguished 


HISTORY   OF   LOUISVILLE.  27 

Americans,  and  which  it  is  expected  you  will  ever  con- 
sider as  the  rule  of  your  conduct,  and  from  which  you 
are  in  no  instance  to  depart. 

"The  corps  you  are  to  command  are  to  receive  the  pay 
and  allowance  of  militia,  and  to  act  under  the  laws  and 
regulations  of  this  State,  now  in  force,  as  militia.  The 
inhabitants  of  this  post  will  be  informed  by  you,  that  in 
case  they  accede  to  the  offers  of  becoming  citizens  of  this 
Commonwealth,  a  proper  garrison  will  be  maintained 
among  them,  and  every  attention  bestowed  to  render 
their  commerce  beneficial ;  the  fairest  prospects  being 
opened 'to  the  dominions  of  both  France  and  Spain. 

"It  is  in  contemplation  to  establish  a  post  near  the 
mouth  of  the  Ohio.  Cannon  will  be  wanted  to  fortifv 
it.  Part  of  those  at  Kaskaskia  will  be  easily  brought 
thither,  or  otherwise  secured,  as  circumstances  will 
make  necessary. 

"You  are  to  apply  to  General  Hand,  at  Pittsburgh,  for 

powder  and  lead  necessary  for  this  expedition.     If  he 

cannot  supply  it,  the  person  who  has  that  which  Capt. 

Lynn  brought  from  Kew  Orleans  can.     Lead  was  sent 

to  Hampshire  by  my  orders,  and  that  may  be  delivered 

you.     Wishing  you  success,  I  am.  Sir,  your   humble 

servant. 

P.  HENRY. 

"With  these  instructions  and  twelve  hundred  pounds 
in  the  depreciated  currency  of  the  time,  Colonel  Clark, 
(for  such  was  now  his  title,)  on  the  4:th  of  February 
started  for  Pittsburgh.  It  had  been  thought  best  to 
raise  the  troops  needed  beyond  the  mountains,  as  the 
colonies  were  in  want  of  all  the  soldiers  they  could  mus- 


28  HISTORY    OF   LOUISVILLE. 


ter  east  of  tlie  AUeghanies,  to  defend  themselves  against 
the  British  forces.  Clark  therefore  proposed  to  enlist 
men  about  Pittsburg,  while  Maj.  "W.  B.  Smith,  for  the 
same  purpose  went  to  the  Holston,  and  other  officers  to 
other  points.  ]!^one,  however,  succeeded  as  they 
hoped  to  ;  at  Pittsburg  Clark  found  great  opposition  to 
the  intention  of  carrying  men  away  to  defend  the  out- 
posts in  Kentucky,  while  their  own  citadel  and  the 
whole  region  about  it  was  threatened  by  the  savage 
allies  of  England;  and  Smith,  though  he  nominally  suc- 
ceeded in  raising  four  companies,  was  unable  essentially 
to  aid  his  superior  officer  after  all.  With  three  companies 
and  several  private  adventurers,  Clark  at  length  com- 
menced his  descent  of  the  Ohio,  which  he  navigated  as 
far  as  the  Falls,  where  he  took  possession  of  and  fort- 
ified Corn  Island,  opposite  the  spot  now  occupied  by 
Louisville." 

It  is  only  necessary  to  state  here  that  Clark's  success 
in  this  expedition  was  complete  and  perfect,  and  that  a 
more  brilliant  campaign  has  probably  never  been  per- 
formed by  any  general.  More  than  this  does  no^  imme- 
diately concern  this  history. 

It  is  estimated  that  Col.  Clark  left  in  his  new  fort  on 
this  island  about  thirteen  families,  wlien  he  proceeded 
on  his  journey  to  Kaskaskia.  And  so  brave,  hardy  and 
resolute  were  these  pioneers,  that,  notwithstanding  they 
were  separated  from  the  nearest  of  their  countrymen  by 
four  hundred  miles  of  hostile  country,  filled  with  sav- 
ages whose  dearest  hunting  grounds  they  were  about  to 
occupy;  notwithstanding  they  knew  that  these  relentless 
savages  were  not  only  inimical  on  account  of  the  inva- 


HISIORT    OF   LOUISVILLE.  29 


sion  of  their  choicest  territory,  but  were  aided  by  all  the 
arts,  the  presents  and  the  favors  of  the  British  in  seek- 
ing to  destroy  their  settlements ;  notwithstanding  all 
these  terrifying  circumstances,  those  dauntless  pioneers 
went  quietly  to  work,  and  with  the  rifle  in  one  hand 
and  the  implements  of  agriculture  in  the  other,  deliber- 
ately set  about  planting,  and  actually  succeeded  in  rais- 
ing a  crop  of  corn  on  their  little  island.  It  is  thus  that 
Corn  Island  derived  its  name.  And  truly  so  bold  and 
heroic  an  act  as  this  of  that  feeble  band  deserves  a  per- 
petuity beyond  what  the  mere  name  of  the  island  will 
give  it.  Columns  have  been  reared  and  statues  erect- 
ed, festivals  have  been  instituted  and  commemorations 
held  of  deeds  far  less  worthy  of  renown  than  was  this 
little  settlement's  crop  of  corn.  But  like  many  other 
deeds  of  true  heroism,  it  is  forgotten,  for  there  was 
wanted  the  pen  and  the  lyre  to  make  it  live  forever. 
The  founders  of  the  parent  colony  themselves  did  never 
greater  deeds  of  heroism  than  did  these  pioneers  of 
Louisville.  And  yet  the  very  historians  of  the  fact 
speak  of  it  without  a  word  of  wonder  or  of  admiration. 
Even  in  Louisville  herself,  now  in  her  palmiest  days, 
the  Pilgrim's  Landing  is  commemorated  each  returning 
year,  while  the  equal  daring,  danger  and  victory  of  the 
"Western  Pioneer  has  sunk  into  oblivion.  But  it  is 
ever  so.  Men  may  live  for  a  hundred  years  within 
the  very  roar  of  Magara,  and  yet  live  uninspired  until 
the  same  sound  falls  upon  the  ear  or  the  same  sight 
greets  the  eye  on  the  far-off  shores  of  the  Evelino  or  the 
Arno.  Erin's  Bard  has  ever  told  the  praises  of  the 
Oriental  Clime;  the  Lord  of  English  verse  has  tuned  his 


80  HISTORY    OF    LOUISVILLE, 


lyre  under  a  foreign  sky ;  the  Mantuan  Bard  has  sung 
^''arma  viriimque  Trojoe'''  and  the  Poet  of  Italy  has  soared 
even  beyond  the  bounds  of  space  in  search  of  novelty ; 
so  must  we  wait  for  a  stranger  hand  to  weave  the  magic 
charm  around  the  pioneers  of  our  forest  land.  Let  this 
frail  record,  at  least,  lend  its  little  quota  toward  the 
honorable  preservation  of  the  names  of  Captain  Ja^ies 
Patton,  who  piloted  the  first  boat  over  the  falls,  Rich- 
ard Chenoweth,  John  Tuel,  Wm.  Faith,  and  John 
McManus,  the  only  names  that  history  or  tradition  has 
given  us  of  those  earliest  settlers  of  our  native  city. 

The  chief  subsistance  of  this  little  band  had  of  course 
to  be  derived  from  the  products  of  the  chase,  for  the  In- 
dians would  never  have  allowed  them  to  attain  a  suffi- 
ciency of  food  by  the  slow  and  laborious  processes  of 
agi'iculture.  Indeed  one  of  the  historians  of  this  period 
roundly  states  that  Kentucky  could  never  have  been 
settled  had  the  products  of  the  soil  been  the  only  re- 
source of  its  pioneer  inhabitants.  Fortunately  the  woods 
of  Kentucky  so  abounded  in  game,  that  it  was  easy  for 
its  early  settlers  to  supply  themselves  with  abundance  of 
food  from  these  sources.  But  the  difficulty  of  carrying 
their  game  at  all  seasons  of  the  year  and  all  stages  of 
the  water  to  their  insulated  home,  and  the  various 
annoyances  of  their  constrained  position  on  the  island, 
united  with  the  encouragement  they  derived  from  the 
wonderful  success  of  their  old  commander  in  Illinois, 
soon  determined  the  little  colony  to  remove  to  the  main 
bank  of  the  river.  And  accordingly  in  the  fall  of  1778, 
or  more  probably  in  the  spring  of  1779,  having  built  a 
fort  on  the  easte^-n  side  of  the  large  ravine  which  former- 


HISTORY    OF   LOUISVILLE,  31 


ly  entered  the  river  at  the  present  termination  of  Twelfth 
Street,  they  emigrated  thither  and  thus  laid  the  first 
permanent  foundation  of  the  present  city  of  Louisville. 

It  was  about  this  time  that  we  have  the  first  rec- 
ord of  a  social  party  in  our  city  now  so  celebrated  for 
its  elegant  entertainments  and  luxurious  repasts.  The 
bill  of  fare  on  that  memorable  occasion  had  at  least  the 
great  and  unusual  merit  of  novelty  to  recommend  it. 
"We  give  the  account  of  the  event  in  the  words  of  its  own 
historian:  "It  is  related,"  says  he,  "that  when  the  first 
patch  of  wheat  was  raised  about  this  place,  after  being 
ground  in  a  rude  and  laborious  hand-mill,  it  was  sifted 
through  a  gauze  nedcei'chief,  belonging  to  the  mother  of 
the  gallant  man  who  gave  us  the  information,  as  the 
best  bolting  cloth  to  be  had.  It  was  then  shortened,  as 
the  housewife  phrases  it,  with  Raccoon  fat ,  and  the  whole 
station  invited  to  partake  of  a  sumptuous  feast  upon  a 
Jloiir  caTce!^''  How  little  of  a  prophet  would  he  have  been 
accounted  who  had  then  predicted  that,  in  less  than  six- 
ty years,  the  inhabitants  of  the  very  spot  where  they 
then  stood  should  have  at  their  command  all  the  fruits 
and  viands  of  every  quarter  of  the  globe ! 

It  may  not  be  inappropriate  at  this  period  of  our 
history,  and  while  upon  this  subject  of  parties  and 
feasts,  to  extract,  partly  from  Mr.  Marshall,  and  partly 
from  Doddridge  and  others,  some  account  of  the  habits  of 
life  among  our  progenitors  here.  To  many,  especially 
to  those  who  have  long  "been  intimate  with  Western 
Frontier  Life,  a  few  of  the  succeeding  pages  may  present 
nothing  that  is  either  novel  or  interesting;  but  to  those  to 
whom  the  country  and  its  social  institutions  are  alike 


32  HISTORY    OF    LOUISVILLE, 


new,  we  are  sure  that  nothing  more  could  be  offered 
likely  to  excite  their  interest  or  to  promote  their  amuse- 
ment than  this  vivid  and  life-like  description  of  the 
manners  and  customs  of  the  inhabitants  of  Louisville 
seventy  years  ago.     We  copy  the  account  in  full: — 

"Then  the  women  did  the  offices  of  the  household ; 
milked  the  cows,  cooked  the  mess,  prepared  the  flax, 
spun,  wove,  and  made  the  garment  of  linen  or  linsey ; 
the  men  hunted,  and  brought  in  the  meat  ;  they  plant- 
ed, ploughed,  and  gathered  the  corn;  grinding  it  into 
meal  at  a  handmill,  or  pounding  it  into  hominy  in  the 
mortar,  was  occasionally  the  work  of  either,  or  the  joint 
labor  of  both.  The  men  exposed  themselves  alone  to 
danger ;  they  fought  the  Indians,  they  cleared  the  land, 
they  reared  the  hut  or  built  the  fort,  in  which  the  women 
were  placed  for  safety.  There  might  incidentally  be 
a  few  articles  brought  to  the  country  for  sale,  in  a  pri- 
vate way ;  but  there  was  no  store  for  supply,  TTooden 
vessels,  either  turned  or  coopered  were  in  common  use  as 
table  furniture.  A  tin  cup  was  an  article  of  delicate 
luxury  almost  as  rare  as  an  iron  fork.  Every  hunter 
carried  his  knife ;  it  was  no  less  the  implement  of  a 
warrior;  not  unfrequently  the  rest  of  the  family  was  left 
with  but  one  or  two  for  the  use  of  all.  A  like  work- 
manship composed  the  table  or  the  stool ;  a  slab  hewed 
with  the  axe,  and  sticks  of  a  similar  manufacture,  set  in 
for  legs,  supported  both.  When  the  bed  was,  by  chance 
or  refinement,  elevated  above  the  floor,  and  given  a  fix- 
ed place,  it  was  often  laid  on  slabs  placed  across  poles, 
supported  on  forks  set  in  the  earthen  floor;  or  where  the 
floor  was  puncheons,  the  bedstead  was  hewed  pieces, 


HISTORY    OF   LOUISVILLE.  33 


pinned  on  upright  posts,  or  let  into  them  by  auger 
holes.  Other  utensils  and  furniture  were  of  a  corres- 
ponding description,  applicable  to  the  time. 

"The  food  was  of  the  most  wholesome  and  nutritive 
kind.  The  richest  milk,  the  finest  butter,  and  best  meat 
that  ever  delighted  man's  palate,  were  here  eaten  with 
a  relish  which  health  and  labor  only  know.  These  were 
shared  by  friend  and  stranger  in  every  cabin  with  profuse 
hospitality. 

"Hats  were  made  of  the  native  fur;  and  the  buffalo 
wool  employed  in  the  composition  of  cloth,  as  was  also 
the  bark  of  the  wild  nettle. 

"There  was  some  paper  money  in  the  country,  which 
had  not  depreciated  one  half  nor  even  a  fourth  as  much 
as  it  had  at  the  seat  of  government.  If  there  was  any 
gold  or  silver  its  circulation  was  suppressed.  The  price 
of  a  beaver  was  five  hundred  dollars. 

"The  hunting  shirt  was  universally  worn.  This  was  a 
kind  of  loose  frock,  reaching  half  wa}^  down  the  thighs, 
with  large  sleeves,  open  before,  and  so  wide  as  to  lap 
over  a  foot  or  more  when  belted.  The  cape  was  large 
and  sometimes  handsomely  fringed  with  a  ravelled  piece 
of  cloth  of  a  different  color  from  that  of  the  hunting 
shirt  itself.  The  bosom  of  his  dress  served  as  a  wallet 
to  hold  a  chunk  of  bread,  cakes,  jerk,  tow  for  wiping 
the  barrel  of  his  rifle,  or  any  other  necessary  for  the 
hunter  or  warrior.  The  belt  which  was  always  tied  be- 
hind, answered  several  purposes  besides  that  of  holding 
the  dress  together.  In  cold  weather  the  mittens,  and 
sometimes  the  bullet-bag  occupied  the  front  part  of  it. 


34  HISTOKY    OF    LOUISVILLE. 


To  the  right  side  was  suspended  the  tomahawk,  and  to 
the  left  was  the  scalping  knife  in  its  leathern  sheath. 
The  hunting  shirt  was  generally  made  of  linsey,  some- 
times of  coarse  linen,  and  a  few  of  dressed  deer  skins. 
These  last  were  very  cold  and  uncomfortable  in  wet 
weather.  The  shirt  and  jacket  were  of  the  common 
fashion.  A  pair  of  drawers  or  breeches  and  leggins, 
were  the  dress  of  the  thighs  and  legs;  a  pair  of  mocca- 
sins answered  for  the  feet  much  better  than  shoes. — 
These  were  made  of  dressed  deer  skin.  They  were 
mostly  made  of  a  single  piece,  with  a  gathering  seam 
along  the  top  of  the  foot,  and  another  from  the  bottom 
of  the  heel,  without  gathers,  as  high  as  the  ankle  joint 
or  a  little  higher.  Flaps  were  left  on  each  side  to  reach 
some  distance  up  the  legs.  Ttiese  were  nicely  adapted 
to  the  ankles  and  lower  piart  of  the  leg  by  thongs  of 
deerskin,  so  that  no  dust,  gravel,  or  snow,  could  get 
within  the  moccasin. 

"The  moccasins  in  ordinary  use  cost  but  a  few  Iiours 
labor  to  make  them.  This  was  done  by  an  instrument 
denominated  a  moccasin  awl,  which  was  made  of  the 
back  spring  of  an  old  clasp  knife.  This  awl  witli  its 
buck-horn  handle,  was  an  appendage  of  every  shot 
pouch  strap,  together  witli  a  roll  of  buckskin  for  mend- 
ing the  moccasins.  This  was  the  labor  of  almost  every 
evening.  They  were  sewed  together  and  patched  with 
deerskin  thongs,  or  whangs  as  they  were  commonly  called. 

"In  cold  weather  the  moccasins  were  well  stuffed 
with  deer's  hair,  or  dry  leaves  so  as  to  keep  the  feet 
comfortaljlv  warm;  but  in  wet  weather  it  was  usuallv 
said  that  wearing  them  was  '  a  decent  way  of  going 


HISTORY   OF   LOUISVILLE.  35 


barefooted;'  and  such  was  the  fact,  owing  to  the  spongy 
texture  of  the  leather  of  which  they  were  made. 

"Owing  to  this  defective  covering  of  the  feet,  more 
than  to  any  other  circumstance,  the  gi-eater  number  of  our 
warriors  and  hunters  were  afflicted  with  the  rheumatism 
in  their  limbs.  Of  this  disease  they  were  all  apprehen- 
sive in  cold  or  wet  weather,  and  therefore  always  slept 
with  their  feet  to  the  fire  to  prevent  or  cure  it  as  well  as 
they  could.  This  practice  unquestionably  had  a  very 
salutary  efiect,  and  prevented  many  of  them  from  be- 
coming confirmed  cripples  in  early  life. 

"The  fort  consisted  of  cabins,  blockhouses,  and  stock- 
ades. A  range  of  cabins  commonly  formed  one  side  at 
least  of  a  fort.  Divisions,  or  partitions  of  logs,  separat- 
ed the  cabins  from  each  other.  The  walls  on  the  out- 
side were  ten  or  twelve  feet  high,  the  slope  of  the  roof 
being  turned  wholly  inward.  A  very  few  of  these 
cabins  had  puncheon  floors,  the  gi'eater  part  were  earthen. 
■  The  blockhouses  were  built  at  the  angles  of  the  fort. 
They  projected  about  two  feet  beyond  the  outer  walls  of 
the  cabins  and  stockades.  The  upper  stories  were  about 
eighteen  inches  every  way  larger  in  dimension  than  the 
under  one,  leaving  an  opening  at  the  commencement  of 
the  second  story  to  prevent  the  enemy  from  making  a 
lodgment  under  their  walls.  In  some  forts  instead  of 
blockhouses,  the  angles  of  the  fort  were  furnished  with 
bastions.  A  large  folding  gate,  made  of  thick  slabs 
nearest  the  spring  closed  the  fort.  The  stockades,  bas- 
tions, cabins  and  blockhouse  walls  were  furnished  with 
port  holes  at  proper  heights  and  distances.  The  whole 
of  tlie  outside  was  made  completely  bullet  proof. 


36  HlbTOKY    OF    LOUISVILLE. 


It  may  be  truly  said  that  necessity  is  the  mother  of 
invention;  for  the  whole  of  this  work  was  made  without 
the  aid  of  a  single  nail  or  spike  of  iron;  and  for  this 
reason,  such  things  were  not  to  be  had. 

"In  some  places,  less  exposed,  a  single  blockhouse, 
with  a  cabin  or  two,  constituted  the  whole  fort. 

"For  a  long  time  after  the  first  settlement  of  this 
country,  the  inhabitants  in  general  married  young. 
There  was  no  distinction  of  rank,  and  very  little  of  for- 
tune. On  these  accounts  the  first  impression  of  love 
resulted  in  marriage;  and  a  family  establishment  cost  but 
a  little  labor  and  nothing  else. 

"In  the  first  years  of  the  settlement  of  this  country, 
a  wedding  engaged  the  attention  of  a  whole  neighbor- 
hood, and  the  frolic  was  anticipated  by  old  and  yoimg 
with  eager  expectation.  This  is  not  to  be  wondered  at 
when  it  is  told  that  a  wedding  was  almost  the  only 
gathering  which  was  not  accompanied  with  the  labor  of 
reaping,  log  rolling,  building  a  cabin  or  planning  some 
scout  or  cam]3aign. 

"In  the  morning  of  the  wedding  day,  the  groom  and 
his  attendants  assembled  at  the  house  of  his  father  for 
the  purpose  of  reaching  the  mansion  of  his  bride  by 
noon,  which  was  the  usual  time  for  celebrating  the  nup- 
tials; which  for  certain  must  take  place  before  dinner. 

"Let  the  reader  imagine  an  assemblage  of  people, 
without  a  store,  tailor,  or  mantuamaker  within  a  hun- 
dred miles;  and  an  assemblage  of  horses,  without  a 
l^lacksmith  or  saddler  within  an  equal  distance.  The 
gentlemen  dressed  in  shoe-packs,  moccasins,  leather 
breeches,  leggins,  linsey  hunting  shirts,  and  all  home- 


HISTORY   OF    LOUISVILLE.  3^ 


made.  The  ladies  dressed  in  linsey  petticoats,  and  linsey 
or  linen  bed  gowns,  coarse  shoes,  stockings,  handker- 
chiefs and  buckskin  gloves,  if  any.  K  there  were  any 
buckles,  rings,  buttons  or  ruffles,  they  were  the  relics 
of  old  times,  family  pieces  from  parents  or  gi-andparents. 
The  horses  are  caparisoned  with  old  saddles,  old  bridles 
or  halters,  and  pack-saddles,  with  a  bag  or  blanket 
thrown  over  them ;  a  rope  or  string  as  often  constituted 
the  girth  as  a  piece  of  leather. 

"The  march  in  double  file,  was  often  interrupted  by 
the  narrowness  and  obstructions  of  our  horsepaths  as 
they  were  called,  for  we  had  no  roads :  and  these  diffi- 
culties were  often  increased,  sometimes  by  the  good  and 
sometimes  by  the  ill  will  of  neighbors,  by  falling  trees 
and  tying  grape  vines  across  the  way.  Sometimes  an 
ambuscade  was  formed  by  the  wayside,  and  an  unex- 
pected discharge  of  several  guns  took  place,  so  as  to 
cover  the  wedding  party  with  smoke.  Let  the  reader 
imagine  the  scene  which  followed  this  discharge :  the 
sudden  spring  of  the  horses,  the  shrieks  of  the  girls,  and 
the  chivalric  bustle  of  their  partners  to  save  them  from 
falling.  Sometimes,  in  spite  of  all  that  could  be  done 
to  prevent  it,  some  were  thrown  to  the  ground.  If  a 
v/rist,  elbow,  or  ankle  happened  to  be  sprained,  it  was 
tied  with  a  handkerchief,  and  little  more  was  thought 
or  said  about  it. 

Another  ceremony  commonly  took  place  before  the 

party  reached  the  house  of  the  bride,  after  the  practice 

of  making  whisky  began,  w^hich  was  at  an  early  period; 

when  the  party  were  about  a  mile  from  the  place  of 

their  destination,  two  young  men  would  single  out  to 
3 


38  HISTORY    OF   LOUISVILLE. 


run  for  the  bottle ;  the  worse  the  path,  the  more  logs, 
brush,  and  deep  hollows  the  better,  as  these  obstacles 
afforded  an  opportunity  for  the  greater  display  of  intre- 
pidity and  horsemanship.     The  English  fox  chase,  in 
point  of  danger  to  the  riders  and  their  horses,  is  nothing 
to  this  race  for  the  bottle.     The  start  was  announced  by 
an  Indian  yell;  logs,  brush,  muddy  hollows,  hill  and 
glen,  were  speedily  passed  by  the  rival  ponies.     The 
bottle  was  always  filled  for  the  occasion,  so  that  there 
was  no  use  forjudges;  for  the  first  who  reached  the  door 
was  presented  with  the  prize,  with  which  he  returned  in 
triumph  to  the  company.     On  approaching  them  he  an- 
nounced his  victory  over  his  rival  by  a  shrill  whoop. 
At  the  head  of  the  troop,  he  gave  the  bottle  first  to  the 
groom  and  his  attendants,  and  then  to  each  pair  in  suc- 
cession to  the  rear  of  the  line,  giving  each  a  dram;  and 
then  putting  the  bottle  in  the  bosom  of  his  hunting  shirt, 
took  his  station  in  the  company. 

The  ceremony  of  the  marriage  preceded  the  dinner, 
which  was  a  substantial  backwoods  feast  of  beef,  pork, 
fowls,  and  sometimes  venison  and  bear  meat,  roasted 
and  boiled,  with  plenty  of  potatoes,  cabbage,  and  other 
vegetables.  During  the  dinner  the  greatest  hilarity  al- 
ways prevailed,  although  the  table  might  be  a  large  slab 
of  timber,  hewed  out  with  a  broad-axe,  supported  by 
four  sticks  set  in  auger  holes,  and  the  furniture  some 
old  pewter  dishes  and  plates,  the  rest  wooden  bowls  and 
trenchers ;  a  few  pewter  spoons,  much  battered  about 
the  edges,  were  to  be  seen  at  some  tables.  The  rest 
were  made  of  horn.  If  knives  were  scarce,  the  defi- 
ciency was  made  up  by  the  scalping  knives  which  were 


HISTORY    OF    LOUISVILLE.  39 


carried  in  sheaths  suspended  to  the  belt  of  the  hunting 
shirt. 

After  dinner  the  dancing  commenced,  and  generally 
lasted  till  the  next  morning.  The  figures  of  the  dances 
were  three  and  four  handed  reels,  or  square  sets,  and 
jigs.  The  commencement  was  always  a  square  four, 
which  was  followed  by  what  was  called  jigging  it  off; 
that  is,  two  of  the  four  would  single  out  for  a  jig,  and 
were  followed  by  the  remaining  couple.  The  jigs  were 
often  accompanied  with  what  was  called  cutting  out ; 
that  is,  when  either  of  the  parties  became  tired  of  the 
dance,  on  intimation  the  place  was  supplied  by  some  one 
of  the  company  without  any  interruption  of  the  dance. 
In  this  way  a  dance  was  often  continued  till  the  musi- 
cian was  heartily  tired  of  his  situation.  Toward  the 
latter  part  of  the  night,  if  any  of  the  company,  through 
weariness,  attempted  to  conceal  themselves  for  the  pur- 
pose of  sleeping,  they  were  hunted  up,  paraded  on  the 
fioor,  and  the  fiddler  ordered  to  ]3lay  ^'Hang  on  till  to- 


moiTOw  morning." 


About  nine  or  ten  o'clock  a  deputation  of  the  young 
ladies  stole  ofi*  the  bride  and  put  her  to  bed.  In  doing 
this  it  frequently  happened  that  they  had  to  ascend  a 
ladder  instead  of  a  pair  of  stairs,  leading  from  the  dining 
and  ball  room  to  the  loft,  the  floor  of  which  was  made 
of  clapboards  lying  loose  and  without  nails.  This  ascent, 
one  might  think,  would  put  the  bride  and  her  attendants 
to  the  blush ;  but  as  the  foot  of  the  ladder  was  com- 
monly behind  the  door,  which  was  purposely  opened  for 
the  occasion,  and  its  rounds  at  the  inner  ends  were  well 
hung  with  hunting  shirts,  petticoats,  and  other  articles 


4:0  HISTOKY    OF    LOUISVILLE. 


of  clothing,  the  candles  being  on  the  opposite  side  of  the 
house,  the  exit  of  the  bride  was  noticed  but  by  few. 
This  done,  a  deputation  of  young  men  in  like  manner 
stole  off  the  gTOom,  and  placed  him  snugly  by  the  side 
of  his  bride.  The  dance  still  continued ;  and  if  seats 
happened  to  be  scarce,  which  was  often  the  case,  every 
young  man,  when  not  engaged  in  the  dance,  was  obliged 
to  offer  his  lap  as  a  seat  for  oue  of  the  girls  ;  and  the 
offer  was  sure  to  be  accepted.  In  the  midst  of  this  hi- 
larity the  bride  and  gi'oom  were  not  forgotten.  Pretty 
late  in  the  night  some  one  would  remind  the  company 
that  the  new  couple  must  stand  in  need  of  some  refresh- 
ment; black  Betty,  which  was  the  name  of  the  bottle, 
was  called  for.  and  sent  up  the  ladder;  but  sometimes 
black  Betty  did  not  go  alone.  I  have  many  times  seen 
as  much  bread,  beef,  pork  and  cabbage  sent  along  with 
her,  as  would  afford  a  good  meal  for  half  a  dozen  hungTy 
men.  The  young  couple  were  compelled  to  eat  and 
drink  more  or  less  of  whatever  was  offered  them. 

It  often  happened  that  some  neighbors  or  relatives, 
not  being  asked  to  the  wedding,  took  offense ;  and  the 
mode  of  revenge  adopted  by  them  on  such  occasions 
was  that  of  cutting  off  the  manes,  foretops  and  tails  of 
the  horses  of  the  wedding  company. 

I  will  proceed  to  state  the  usual  manner  of  settling  a 
young  couple  in  the  world. 

A  spot  was  selected  on  a  piece  of  land  of  one  of  the 
parents,  for  their  habitation.  A  day  was  appointed, 
shortly  after  their  man-iage,  for  commencing  the  work 
of  building  their  cabin.  The  fatigue  party  consisted  of 
choppers,  whose  business  it  was  to  fell  the  trees  and  cut 


HISTORY    OF    LOUISVILLE.  41 


them  off  at  proper  lengths ;  a  man  with  a  team  for 
hauling  them  to  the  place  and  arranging  them,  properly 
assorted,  at  the  sides  and  ends  of  the  building ;  a  car- 
penter, if  such  he  might  be  called,  whose  business  it 
was  to  search  the  woods  for  a  proper  tree  for  making 
clapboards  for  the  roof.  The  tree  for  this  purpose  must 
be  straight  grained  and  from  three  to  four  feet  in  diam- 
eter. The  boards  were  split  four  feet  long,  with  a  large 
frow,  and  as  wide  as  the  timber  would  allow.  They  were 
used  without  planeing  or  shaving.  Another  division 
was  employed  in  getting  puncheons  for  the  floor  of  the 
cabin  ;  this  was  done  by  splitting  trees,  about  eighteen 
inches  in  diameter,  and  hewing^  the  faces  of  them  with 
a  broad-axe.  They  were  half  the  length  of  the  floor 
they  were  intended  to  make. 

The  materials  for  the  cabin  were  mostly  prepared  on 
the  first  day,  and  sometimes  the  foundation  laid  in  the 
evening.     The  second  day  was  allotted  for  the  raising. 

In  the  morning  of  the  next  day  the  neighbors  collected 
for  the  raisino^.  The  first  thino;  to  be  done  was  the  elec- 
tion  of  four  corner  men,  whose  business  it  was  to  notch 
and  place  the  logs.  The  rest  of  the  company  furnished 
them  with  the  timbers.  In  the  mean  time  the  boards 
and  puncheons  were  collecting  for  the  fioor  and  roof,  so 
that  by  the  time  the  cabin  was  a  few  rounds  high  the 
sleepers  and  floor  began  to  be  laid.  The  door  was 
made  by  sawing  or  cutting  the  logs  in  one  side  so  as  to 
make  an  opening  about  three  feet  wide.  This  opening 
was  secured  by  upright  pieces  of  timber  about  three 
inches  thick,  throuo^h  which  holes  were  bored  into  the 
ends  of  the  logs  for  the  purpose  of  pinning  them  fast. 


42  HISTORY    OF    LOUISVILLE. 


A  similar  opening  but  wider  was  made  at  the  end  for 
the  chimney.  This  was  built  of  logs,  and  made  large 
to  admit  of  a  back  and  jams  of  stone.  At  the  square, 
two  end  logs  projected  a  foot  or  eighteen  inches  beyond 
the  wall  to  receive  the  butting  poles,  as  they  were  called, 
against  which  the  ends  of  the  first  row  of  clapboards 
was  supported.  The  roof  was  formed  by  making  the 
end  log  shorter  until  a  single  log  formed  the  comb  of 
the  roof;  on  these  logs  the  clapboards  were  placed,  the 
ranges  of  them  lapping  some  distance  over  those  next 
below  them,  and  kept  in  their  places  by  logs,  placed  at 
proper  distances  upon  them. 

"The  roof,  and  sometimes  the  floor,  were  finished  on 
the  same  day  of  the  raising.  A  third  day  was  common- 
ly spent  by  a  few  carpenters  in  leveling  off  the  floor, 
making  a  clapboard  door  and  table.  This  last  was 
made  of  a  spilt  slab,  and  supported  by  four  round  legs 
set  in  auger  holes.  Some  three  legged  stools  were 
made  in  the  same  manner.  Some  pins  stuck  in  the  logs 
at  the  back  of  the  house  supported  some  clapboards 
which  served  for  shelves  for  the  table  furniture.  A 
single  fork,  placed  with  its  lower  end  in  a  hole  in  the 
floor,  and  the  upper  end  fastened  to  a  joist,  served 
for  a  bedstead,  by  placing  a  pole  in  the  fork  with  one 
end  through  a  crack  between  the  logs  of  the  wall.  This 
front  pole  was  crossed  by  a  shorter  one  within  the  fork, 
with  its  outer  end  through  another  crack.  From  the 
front  pole,  through  a  crack  between  the  logs  of  the  end 
of  the  house,  the  boards  were  put  on,  which  formed  the 
bottom  of  the  bed.  Sometimes  other  poles,  were  pin- 
ned to  the  fork  a  little  distance  above  these,  for  the  pur- 


HISTORY    OF    LOUISVILLE.  43 


pose  of  supporting  the  front  and  foot  of  the  bed,  while 
the  walls  were  the  supports  of  its  back  and  head.  A 
few  pegs  around  the  walls  for  a  display  of  the  coats  of 
the  women,  and  hunting  shirts  of  the  men,  and  two 
small  forks  or  bucks'  horns  to  a  joist  for  the  rifle  and 
shot  pouch,  completed  the  carpenter's  work. 

"The  cabin  being  finished,  the  ceremony  of  house- 
warming  took  place,  before  the  young  couple  were  per- 
mitted to  move  into  it.  The  house-warming  was  a 
dance  of  a  whole  night's  continuance,  made  up  of  the 
relations  of  the  bride  and  groom,  and  their  neighbors. 
On  the  day  following  the  young  couple  took  possession 
of  their  new^  mansion." 

This  mansion,  slight,  inefficient  and  hastily  erected  as 
it  was,  must  have  afforded  but  poor  shelter  against  the 
severity  of  a  season  which  is  everywhere  referred  to  as 
one  of  the  coldest  ever  known.  It  is  asserted  that  du- 
ring the  winter  of  17Y9-S0,  still  remembered  by  some 
as  "  The  Hard  Winter^ "  the  wild  animals  w^ere 
"starved  and  frozen  in  the  forests,  while  the  domestic 
ones  fared  no  better  in  the  settlements."  The  rigors  of 
the  season,  however,  did  not  prevent  the  influx  of  im- 
migration ;  although  several  families  were  compelled  to 
endure  its  severity  on  their  route  through  the  wilderness 
from  Cumberland  Gap,  and  were  even  delayed  in  their 
march  till  the  opening  of  the  Spring.  As  soon  how- 
ever as  the  rivers  were  freed  from  ice  and  the  intense 
cold  had  yielded  to  the  softer  airs  of  the  new  season, 
we  hear  of  the  arrival  of  no  less  than  three  hundred 
family  boats  at  the  Falls.  The  causes  which  influenced 
so  large  an  immigration  hither  were  various,  not  the 


44  HISTORY    OF    LOUISVILLE. 


least  amoiiG:  them  beino^  the  security  insured  at  this  fort 
by  the  presence  of  Col.  Clark.  So  entire  and  perfect 
had  been  the  success  of  this  gallant  officer  in  eveiy  ex- 
pedition, even  against  the  most  feariul  odds,  that  to  be 
under  his  command  had  come  to  be  reckoned  as  holding 
a  place  among  the  Invincibles.  Let  the  circumstances 
be  what  they  might,  it  is  certain  that  Louisville  with 
her  then  population  of  six  hundred  souls,  was  gi'owing 
to  be  a  place  worthy  of  high  consideration,  and  accord- 
ingly we  find  that  in  May  of  this  year  (1780)  the  legisla- 
ture of  Yirginia  passed  the  following 

^^Act  for  establishing  tlie  town  of  Louisville  at 
tJie  Falls  of  Ohio:' 

"  Whereas,  sundry  inhabitants  of  the  county  of 
Kentucky  have,  at  great  expense  and  hazard,  settled 
themselves  upon  certain  lands  at  the  falls  of  Ohio,  said 
to  be  the  property  of  John  Conally,  and  have  laid  off  a 
considerable  part  thereof  into  half  acre  lots  for  a  town, 
and  having  settled  thereon,  have  prefer ed  petitions  to 
this  general  assembly  to  establish  the  said  town,  Be  it 
therefore  enacted^  That  one  thousand  acres  of  land, 
being  the  forfeited  property  of  said  John  Conally,  ad- 
joining to  the  lands  of  John  Campbell  and Tay- 
lor, be,  and  the  same  is  hereby  vested  in  John  Todd  Jr. 
Stephen  Trigg,  George  Slaughter,  John  Lloyd,  William 
Pope,  George  Memweather,  Andrew  Hines,  James 
Sullivan  and  Marshall  Brashiers,  gentlemen,  trustees, 
to  be  by  them  or  any  four  of  them  laid  ofi"  into  lots  of 
an  half  acre  each,  with  convenient  streets  and  public 
lots,  which  shall  be,  and  the  same  is  hereby  established 
a  town  by  the  name  of  Louisville.     And  he  it  further 


HISTORY    OF   LOUISVILLE.  45 


enacted^  That  after  tlie  said  lands  shall  be  laid  off  into 
lots  and  streets,  the  said  trustees  or  any  four  of  them, 
shall  proceed  to  sell  the  said  lots,  or  so  many  of  them 
as  they  shall  judge  expedient,  at  public  auction,  for  the 
best  price  that  can  be  had,  the  time  and  place  of  sale 
being  advertised  two  months,  at  the  court  houses  of  ad- 
jacent counties;  the  purchasers  respectively  to  hold  their 
said  lots  subject  to  the  condition  of  building  on  each 
a  dwelling  house,  sixteen  feet  by  twenty  at  least,  with  a 
brick  or  stone  chimney,  to  be  finished  within  two  years 
from  the  day  of  sale.  And  the  said  trustees  or  any  four 
of  them  shall  and  they  are  hereby  empowered  to  convey 
the  said  lots  to  the  purchasers  thereof  in  fee  simple, 
subject  to  the  condition  aforesaid,  on  payment  of  the 
money  arising  from  such  sale  to  the  said  trustees  for  the 
uses  hereafter  mentioned,  that  is  to  say:  K  the  money 
arising  from  such  sale  shall  amount  to  Thirty  Dollars 
per  acre,  the  whole  shall  be  paid  by  the  said  trustees  in- 
to the  treasury  of  this  commonwealth,  and  the  overplus, 
if  any,  shall  be  lodged  with  the  court  of  the  county  of 
Jefferson  to  enable  them  to  defray  the  expenses  of  erect- 
ing the  publick  buildings  of  the  said  county.  Provi- 
ded. That  the  owners  of  lots  already  drawn  shall  be  en- 
titled  to  the  preference  therein,  upon  paying  to  the  trus- 
tees the  sum  of  thirty  dollars  for  such  half  acre  lot,  and 
shall  be  thereafter  subject  to  the  same  obligations  of  set- 
tling as  other  lot  holders  within  the  said  town.  And 
he  it  further  enacted^  That  the  said  trustees  or  the 
major  part  of  them  shall  have  power,  from  time  to  time, 
to  settle  and  determine  all  disputes  concerning  the 
bounds  of  the  said  lots,  to  settle  such  rules  and  orders 


46  HISTORY   OF    LOUISVILLE. 


for  the  reGTular  buildins;  thereon  as  to  them  shall  seem 
best  and  most  convenient.  And  in  case  of  death  or  re- 
moval from  the  county  of  any  of  the  said  trustees,  the 
remaining  trustees  shall  supply  such  vacancies  by  elect-  . 
ing  of  others  from  time  to  time,  who  shall  be  vested 
with  the  same  powers  as  those  already  mentioned. — 
And  he  it  further  enacted^  That  the  purchasers  of  the 
lots  in  the  said  town,  so  soon  as  they  shall  have  saved 
the  same  according  to  their  res])ective  deeds  of  convey- 
ance, shall  have  and  enjoy  all  the  rights,  privileges 
and  immunities,  which  the  freeholders  and  inhabitants 
of  other  towns  in  this  state,  not  incorporated  by  char- 
ter, have,  hold  and  enjoy. 

And  he  it  further  enacted^  That  if  the  purchaser 
of  any  lot  shall  fail  to  build  thereon  within  the  time 
before  limited,  the  said  trustees  or  a  major  part  of 
them,  may  thereupon  enter  into  such  lot,  and  may 
either  sell  the  same  again  and  apply  the  money  towards 
repairing  the  streets,  or  in  any  other  way  for  the 
benefit  of  the  said  town,  or  appropriate  such  lot  to  pub- 
lick  uses  for  the  benefit  of  said  town.  Provided^  That 
nothing  herein  contained  shall  extend  to  affect  or  injure 
the  title  of  lands  claimed  by  John  Campbell,  gentle- 
man, or  those  persons  whose  lots  have  been  laid  ofi*  on 
his  lands,  but  their  titles  be  and  remain  suspended  until 
the  said  John  Campbell  shall  be  released  from  his 
captivity."  * 

The  survev  of  the  town  under  this  act,  as  also  the 
second  survey  made  by  Peyton  and  Sullivan,  have  been 

*  Campbell  ^  had  been  taken  prisoner  by  the  British  and  Indians  and  was 
theo  in  captivity  in  Canada, 


flISTORY    OF   LOUISVILLE.  47 


in  some  unaccountable  manner  destroyed.  It  is  be- 
lieved, however,  that  the  spirit  of  these  surveys  is  pre- 
served in  Jared  Brooke's  plat,  which  was  adopted  in 
1812.  Previous  to  this  the  absence  of  any  official  doc- 
ument of  this  kind  produced  much  annoyance,  dispute 
and  litigation,  in  regard  to  titles  and  boundaries.  The 
out  courses  of  this  survey,  as  represented  by  Dr.  Mc- 
Murtrie,  are  "from  35  poles  above  the  mouth  of  Bear- 
grass  Creek,  on  the  bank  of  the  Ohio  river,  S.  83,  TV". 
35  poles  to  the  mouth  of  the  creek,  thence  ]N".  87,  W. 
120  poles,  N.  50,  W.  110  poles  to  a  heap  of  stones  and 
a  square  hole  cut  in  the  flat  rock,  thence  (the  division 
line)  S.  88,  E.  769  to  a  white  oak,  poplar  and  beech,  N. 
37,  W.  390  to  the  beginning ;  no  variation."  This  was 
divided  into  six  streets,  running  East  and  West,  and 
twelve  streets  crossing  these  others  at  right  angles.  The 
squares  so  made  were,  up  to  Green  Street,  divided  into 
lots  of  a  little  more  than  half  an  acre,  and  South  of  that 
into  five,  ten  and  twenty  acre  lots.  In  all  the  earlier 
proceedings  of  the  legislature  in  regard  to  the  new  town 
we  find  constant  mention  made  of  public  squares  and 
grounds ;  and  in  the  original  plat,  a  slip  of  180  feet 
South  of  Green  Street,  and  running  from  First  to  Twelfth 
Streets,  was  reserved  for  a  public  promenade  and  pleas- 
ure ground.  It  is  a  matter  of  great  regret  that  this 
reservation  was  not  really  made.  An  immense  common 
like  this,  with  the  forest  trees  which  were  then  upon  it  left 
standino;,  would  now  be  an  invaluable  addition  to  the 
town,  and  would  enable  us  to  boast  of  having  the  most 
beautiful  city  in  America.  We  cannot  help  but  wonder 
that  the  early  inhabitants  of  the  city  should  have  per- 


48  HISTORY    OF    LOUISVILLE. 

mitted  those  in  authority  to  commit  this  gi'oss  outrage 
upon  taste  and  propriet}^  Had  this  slip  continued  in 
reserve,  how  beautiful  might  it  now  have  become !  As 
taste,  aided  by  wealth,  began  to  have  its  hold  among 
the  citizens,  it  would  have  been  upon  the  fronts  of  this 
great  artery  that  those  beautiful  churches,  public  build- 
ings and  dwellings,  now  scattered  over  so  large  a  space, 
w^ould  have  been  erected.  Here  for  a  distance  of  more 
than  a  mile  would  have  been  placed  a  continuous  range 
of  palace-like  structures  ;  and  here,  under  the  shade  of 
trees  "the  gi-owth  of  quite  a  century"  would  the  gay, 
the  brave  and  the  fair  have  sat,  walked  or  rode.  What 
a  picture  would  have  been  presented  here  on  a  midsum- 
mer night,  or  at  the  close  of  an  autumn  day !  Groups 
of  merry  children  disporting  around,  gaily  dressed  ladies 
and  dashing  beaux,  a  throng  of  proud  equipages  and 
horsemen,  the  sound  of  the  infant's  prattle,  girlhood's 
ringing  laugh,  the  mingling  of  joyous  voices,  and 
above  all  and  beyond  all  the  tall  and  sombre  forms  of 
majestic  trees  raised  in  relief  against  the  sky,  the  gi'een 
carpeted  earth  and  smiling  little  flowers,  and  all  this  in 
the  very  heart  of  a  great  city  —  all  forms  a  picture  upon 
which  the  fancy  loves  to  dwell,  and  a  picture  which 
misiht  readilv  have  been  realized  had  not  that  inordinate 
and  purely  American  worship  of  Gain  blotted  it  from 
the  canvass  almost  before  the  designer  had  expressed  it 
with  his  pencil. 

IS'or  was  a  flaoi;rant  want  of  taste  the  worst  feature  in 
this.  The  whole  of  the  present  site  of  the  city  at  that 
early  day  was  intersected  with  ponds  of  stagnant  water. 
The  second  bank  had  something  of  a  descent  towards 


HISTORY    OF   LOUISVILLE.  49 


the  interior,  and  the  soil,  though  allnvious,  was  of  suffi 
cient  tenacity  to  retain  the  water  which  fell  in  rain. 
The  result  was  that  the  whole  of  this  valley  from  Bear- 
grass  to  Salt  river  was  filled  with  these  ponds ;  and,  as 
a  necessary  consequence,  miasmata  were  bred,  which 
produced  a  great  deal  of  sickness,  more  especially  with 
strangers.  So  great  indeed  was  the  influence  thus  in- 
duced that  acclimation  was  then  considered  as  necessary 
here  as  it  now  is  in  ]^ew  Orleans  or  on  the  coast  of  Africa. 
Many  of  the  present  citizens  of  Louisville  will  be  sur- 
prised to  know  that  this  very  city,  now  so  celebrated  for 
its  healthiness  as  to  make  its  salubrity  an  inducement 
to  immigration  from  all  parts  of  the  country,  was  once 
known  as  "the  Graveyard  of  the  Ohio."  The  city 
worthies  who  took  upon  themselves  to  sell  "the  Slip" 
in  lots,  had  at  that  time  no  data  to  induce  them  to  be- 
lieve in  the  future  healthfulness  of  their  place  and  yet 
they  must  have  perceived  the  increasing  prosperity  of 
the  town ;  hence  it  became  almost  criminal  in  them  to 
put  away  what  then  seemed  the  only  barrier  to  disease, 
and  almost  to  invite  its  approaches  by  allowing  the  city 
to  be  compactly  built  without  room  for  the  pure  and 
wholesome  circulation  of  air,  but  shutting  up,  as  it  were, 
disease  and  death  within  their  very  walls.  As  the  val- 
ue of  property  began  to  increase,  however,  these  gentle- 
men, actuated  only  by  a  desire  for  present  gain,  put 
aside  all  these  considerations  and,  having  divided  the 
slip  into  four  parts  exposed  it  for  sale.  It  comprised 
all  that  part  of  the  city  now  embraced  between  the  north 
side  of  Green  and  the  south  side  of  Grayson  Streets,  but 
extended,  as  before  said,  up  to  First  Street.     It  is  true 


50  HISTORY   OF  LOUISVILLE. 


'  that  great  blame  was  attaclied  to  the  trustees  for  their 
action  in  this  matter  at  the  time,  and  some  movement 
was  made  toward  trying  to  destroy  the  sale  by  legal 
means,  this  however  was  never  actually  resorted  to,  and 
possession  has  long  since  confirmed  the  titles  to  all 
lots  lying  within  its  limits.  Thus  was  lost  to  the  city 
one  of  the  most  valuable,  if  not  the  very  most  valuable 
of  all  its  possessions.  The  earliest  purchasers  of  this 
property  were  Messrs.  Johnson,  Croghan,  Anderson  and 
Campbell. 

As  we  have  already  referred  to  the  numerous  ponds 
scattered  throughout  the  city,  it  may  not  be  improper  at 
this  point  to  recall  the  site  of  some  of  them,  if  only  to 
show  how  completely  the  natural  disadvantages  of  the 
place  have  been  overcome  by  the  energy  of  its  inhabit- 
ants. The  first  and  most  important  of  these  was  called 
the  "Long  Pond."  It  commenced  at  the  present  corner 
of  Sixth  and  Market  Streets,  and  inclining  a  little  to- 
ward the  South- West,  extended  as  far  as  the  old  Hope 
Distillery,  on  or  near  Sixteenth  Streets.  The  indenta- 
tion in  the  ground,  still  observable,  in  the  alley  which 
commences  at  Seventh  Street  and  lies  between  Market 
and  Jeflerson  Streets,  was  the  former  bed  of  this  pond. 
In  the  winter,  when  it  was  frozen  over,  this  little  lake 
was  the  scene  of  many  a  merry  party.  On  the  moon- 
light evenings,  numbers  of  ladies  and  gentlemen  were 
to  be  seen  skimming  over  its  surface,  the  gentlemen  on 
skates  and  the  ladies  in  chairs,  the  backs  of  which  were 
laid  upon  the  ice  and  the  chairs  fastened  by  ropes  to  the 
waists  of  the  skaters.  And  thus  they  dashed  along  at 
furious  speed  over  the  glassy  surface;  beaux  and  beUes, 


HISTORY    OF    LOUISVILLE.  51 


with  loud  voices  and  ringing  langh — and  the  merriment 
of  the  occasion  was  only  increased  when  some  dashing 
fellow,  in  his  endeavors  to  surpass  in  agility  and  daring 
all  his  compeers,  fell  prostrate  to  the  ice,  or  broke 
through  it  into  the  water  beneath. 

The  next  in  importance  to  the  one  above  referred  to, 
was  known  as  Gwathmey's  or  Grayson's  Pond.  It  be- 
gan on  Centre  Street  just  in  the  rear  of  the  First  Pres- 
byterian church,  and  extended  Westwardly  half  way  to 
Seventh  Street.  Its  form  was  that  of  a  long  elipse; 
and  it  was  carefully  kept  by  its  owners  for  fish. — 
Its  margin  was  surrounded  by  lofty  trees  and  the  turf 
grew  to  the  very  edge  of  the  water,  which,  fed  by  some 
internal  spring,  was  always  clear  and  pure.  This  pond 
was  really  a  beautiful  spot  and  formed  a  delightful 
lounging-place  for  the  idle  or  the  meditative,  and  one 
which  neither  of  these  classes  neglected.  It  was  the 
scene  of  all  the  baptisms  performed  here  in  an  early  day, 
and  no  place  could  be  better  adapted  for  this  purpose. 
Its  grassy  edges  afforded  an  agreeable  resting-place  for 
the  spectators,  while  its  shape  allowed  every  one  to  see, 
hear  and  partake  in  the  exercises. 

Beside  these  two  principal  lakes,  there  were  innumer- 
able others,  some  containing  water  only  after  heavy 
rains  and  others  standing  full  at  all  times.  Market 
Street  from  the  corner  of  Third  down  was  the  site  of  one 
of  these ;  Third  Street  between  Jefferson  and  Green  of 
another;  Jefferson  Street  near  the  corner  of  Fourth  of 
another,  and  so  on  almost  ad  infinitinn.  A  map  of 
the  city  as  it  was  sixty  or  even  thirty  years  ago,  would 
present  somewhat  the  appearance  of  an  archipelago,  a 


02  '  HISTORY    OF    LOUISVILLE. 


sea  full  of  little  islands.  Whereas  now,  from  the  Wood- 
land Garden  to  the  foot  of  Fifteenth  Street,  a  distance 
of  nearly  three  miles,  not  one  of  these  lakes  is  to  be 
seen.  It  is  not  to  be  wondered  at  that,  as  the  trees  were 
removed  from  the  surface  and  the  face  of  these  ponds  ex- 
posed to  the  burning  sun,  they  should  spread  the  seeds  of 
death  all  around  them.  As  long  as  life  was  precarious 
from  a  hundred  other  causes,  this  one  remained  unno- 
ticed, but  as  soon  as  the  settlements  began  to  be  relieved 
from  other  fears  for  life  and  property,  this  was  taken  up, 
and  in  1805  the  Legislature  authorised  the  Trustees  to  re- 
move "those  nuisances  in  such  a  manner  as  the  majori- 
ty of  them  should  prescribe."  But  the  means  in  the 
treasury  being  incompetent  to  this  purpose,  any  efficient 
action  in  relation  to  it  was  delayed  until  after  the  fear- 
ful epidemics  of  1822  and  1823,  of  which  we  shall  have 
occasion  to  speak  hereafter,  when  the  Board  of  Health 
appointed  to  examine  into  the  causes  of  the  diseases 
and  the  means  of  removing  the  same,  urged  the  prompt 
and  immediate  removal  of  these  ponds.  The  Legisla- 
ture during  the  latter  year  also  authorised  the  raising  of 
$40,000  by  lottery  to  be  applied  to  draining  not  only 
the  ponds  in  Louisville,  but  also  all  those  between  the 
town  and  the  mouth  of  Salt  River.  Under  this  act  these 
ponds  were  drained,  but  those  below  the  city  were  then 
left  untouched.  Many  of  them  however  have  been  since 
removed  under  a  recent  renewal  of  the  act. 

But  we  have  been  led  beyond  the  era  of  which  we 
were  speaking,  and  must  now  return,  in  another  chapter, 
to  the  history  of  the  town  from  its  establishment  by  law 
in  1780. 


CHAPTEE    II. 

1780 — During  the  same  year  in  wliicli  the  town  was 
established  Kentucky  received  many  valuable  additions 
to  its  inhabitants;  among  these  several  persons  of  wealth 
or  of  talent  came  from  the  Atlantic  States  to  settle 
among  the  "wild  countries  of  the  West,"  and  they  were 
accompanied  by  many  others  without  either  of  these  re- 
quisites, ready  at  once  to  seek  any  and  every  means  of 
existence.  Col.  George  Slaughter  accompanied  by  150 
State  troops  descended  to  the  falls  and  took  up  his  quar- 
ters there  during  this  year.  This  accession  placed  the 
inhabitants  in  comparative  security,  but  it  was  only 
comparative,  for,  emboldened  by  the  knowledge  that 
their  fortress  w^as  impregnable  to  the  attacks  of  their 
foes,  men  became  more  careless  and  unguarded,  and  the 
Indians  were  the  very  foe  to  take  advantage  of  this  fan- 
cied security;  so  that,  as  the  historian  of  the  period 
says,  the  very  strength  of  the  settlement  and  the  securi- 
ty of  its  inhabitants  "had  the  effect  of  apparently  draw- 
ing the  Indians  into  that  quarter.  The  fact,  too,  that 
the  Ohio  formed  the  natural  boundary  separating  frdend 
and  foe  was  advantageous  to  the  Indians.  "They  could 
approach  its  banks  upon  their  own  ground  ;  they  might 
cross  it  when  convenient,  reach  the  settlement,  strike  a 
blow  and  recross  the  river  before  a  party  could  be  col- 
lected or  brought  to  pursue  them.     The  river  always 


54  HISTOEY    OF    LOUISVILLE?* 


presented  an  object  of  clifficnlty  and  verv  often  an  in- 
superable obstacle  to  fiirtlier  pursuit.  In  tliis  state  of 
things  it  is  no  matter  of  surprise  that  soldiers  were  shot 
near  the  fort,  or  that  in  the  settlements  of  BeargTass 
lives  were  lost,  prisoners  taken  and  horses  stolen,  with 
fi'equent  impunity,  or  but  sometimes  retaliated.'**  Con- 
nected with  these  predatory  incursions  of  the  Indians,  a 
great  many  wonderful  stories  are  told  of  "hair-breadth 
'scapes  by  field  and  flood."  Histories  of  incidents  in 
the  Indian  wars  are,  however,  so  similar  in  their  char- 
acter and  so  often  told  and  T\T.dely  known  that  we  shaU 
limit  ourselves  to  the  relation  of  only  those  that  seem 
in  their  natm-e  to  demand  admission  here.  The  first  of 
these  presents  one  of  those  rare  instances  of  magnanimi- 
ty and  true  heroism  that  ever  demands  the  attention  of 
the  chronicler.  The  station  where  Shelbyville  now 
stands  was  a  weak  and  inefficient  one,  and  becoming 
alarmed  by  the  presence  of  Indians  in  their  vicinity,  its 
inhabitants  determined  to  remove  to  Beargrass.  In  this 
attempted  emigi'ation,  however,  they  were  attacked  by 
their  foes  near  Flovd's  Fork,  defeated  and  scattered. 
Col.  John  Floyd,  hearing  of  this,  immediately  started  to 
their  relief.  In  his  party  was  Capt.  Samuel  Wells  who 
had  been  on  very  unfiiendly  and  even  inimical  terms 
with  his  superior  officer.  Arrived  near  the  point.  Col. 
Floyd  separated  his  men  and  cautiously  approached  the 
enemy.  But  despite  his  skill  and  caution,  he  feU  into 
an  ambuscade  and  was  in  his  turn  defeated  with  great 
loss.  He  himself  must  have  fallen  into  the  hands  of 
the  victors  but  for  the  magnanimity  of  Wells.     Floyd 

*  Marshall,  Vol.  F,  p.  104. 


HISTORY    OF    LOUISVILLE.  55 


had  dismounted  and  was  nearly  exhausted,  being  closely 
pursued,  when  Wells,  who  had  not  quitted  his  horse, 
rode  up  and  dismounting,  helped  his  old  enemy  into  the 
saddle  and  running  by  his  side,  supported  and  protected 
him  till  out  of  the  reach  of  dano^er.     This  noble  and 

CD 

generous  action  resulted  in  the  fast  and  lasting  friend- 
ship of  the  two  men. 

Another  incident  will  show  the  education,  even  in 
boyhood,  which  the  nature  of  the  times  demanded.    Four 
young  lads,  two  of  them  named  Linn,  accompanied  by 
Wells  and  Brashears,  went  on  a  hunting  party  to  a  pond 
about  six  miles  South-West  of  Louisville.     They  suc- 
ceeded well  in  their  sport,  having  killed  among  other 
game,  a  small  cub  bear.     While  they  were  assisting 
the  elder  Linn  to  strap  the  bear  on  his  shoulders,  and 
had  laid  do^m  their  guns,  they  were  surprised  by  a  par- 
ty of  Indians,  and  hurried  over  to  the  White  river  towns, 
where  they  remained  in  captivity  several  months.     One 
of  the  party  had  in  the  mean  time  been  carried  to  an- 
other town;  and  late  in  the  fall  the  remainiiiQ^  three  de- 
termined  to  ejSect  their  escape.     When  night  had  come, 
they  rose  quietly,  and  having  stunned  the  old  scjuaw,  in 
whose  hut  they  were  living,  by  repeated  blows  with  a 
small  axe,  they  stole  out  of  the  lodge  and  started  for 
Louisville.     After  daybreak,  they  concealed  themselves 
in  a  hollow  log,  where  they  were  frequently  passed  by 
the  Indians  who  were  near  them  everywhere;  and  at 
night  they  resumed  their  march,  guided  only  by  the 
stars  and  their  knowledsie  of  woodcraft.     After  several 
days,  during  which  they  subsisted  on  the  game  they 
could  procure,  they  reached  the  river  at  Jefferson ville. 


56  HISTORY    OF    LOUISVILLE. 


Arrived  here  they  halooed  for  their  friends,  but  did  not 
succeed  in  making  themselves  heard.  They  had  how- 
ever no  time  to  lose;  the  Indians  were  behind  them 
and  if  they  were  retaken,  they  knew  their  doom.  Ac- 
cordingly, as  two  of  them  could  not  swim,  they  con- 
structed a  raft  of  the  drift-logs  about  the  shore  and  tied 
it  together  with  grape  vines,  and  the  two  launched  upon 
it,  while  Brashears  plunged  into  the  water,  pushing  the 
raft  with  one  hand  and  swimming  with  the  other.  Be- 
fore they  had  arrived  at  the  other  shore,  and  when  their 
raft  was  in  a  sinking  condition  from  having  taken  up 
so  much  water,  they  were  descried  from  this  side,  and 
boats  went  out  and  returned  them  safely  to  their  friends.* 
Only  a  few  months  ago,  some  gentlemen  traveling 
near  the  south-eastern  boundary  of  the  city,  discovered 
in  an  old  tree  the  name  of  D.  Boone  and  the  date 
1779,  appended.  Considering  this  a  great  curiosity,  one 
of  them  removed  it  from  the  tree  and  attempted  to  confirm 
the  authenticity  of  the  date  by  counting  the  circles  in 
the  wood  of  the  tree.  Binding  these  to  agree  with  the 
date  marked,  he  carefully  preserved  the  block  containing 
this  record,  which  is  now  to  be  seen  in  the  library  of 
the  Kentucky  Historical  Society.  This  circumstance  is 
mentioned  here  only  still  further  to  confirm  the  authen- 
ticity of  this  block  by  stating  a  similar  case  which  oc- 
cuiTed  in  ISll.  In  the  spring  of  1779,  Squire  Boone, 
the  brother  of  Daniel,  in  company  with  two  others,  went 
from  the  falls  to  Bullitt's  Lick  to  shoot  bufialo.  After 
finishing  their  sport,  they  were  returning  home,  when 
night  overtook  them  at  Stewart's  Spring.     The  young 

*  Directory  for  183-2. 


HISIOKY    OF    LOUISVILLE.  5^ 


men  proposed  to  remain  here  for  the  night,  but  Boone 
objected,  fearing  an  attack  from  the  Indians.  They 
accordingly  turned  o&  some  300  yards  to  the  West, 
where  they  encamped  for  the  night.  There,  while 
Boone  and  another  of  the  party  were  arranging  for 
the  encampment,  the  third,  being  idle,  amused  himself 
by  cutting  a  name  and  a  few  words  on  the  bark  of  the 
tree.  Afterwards,  in  1811,  during  some  legal  investi- 
gation about  lands,  Boone  testified  to  the  existence  of 
these  marks  near  Stewart's  Spring,  and  upon  examina- 
tion they  were  found  just  as  he  had  stated,  although  32 
years  had  elapsed  since  the  cut  was  made.  This  fact 
is  placed  upon  record  in  the  Court  of  Appeals  and  does 
not  admit  of  a  doubt.  The  instance  before  referred  to  is 
of  a  precisely  similar  character,  and  the  marks  are  prob- 
ably equally  authentic  as  those  of  the  last. 

It  would  be  easy  to  relate  numerous  instances,  similar 
to  those  already  given,  both  as  to  the  wonderful  skill  of 
the  pioneers  in  woodcraft,  and  their  daring,  danger  and 
miraculous  escapes  in  the  Indian  fights,  but,  as  has  al- 
ready been  said,  these  anecdotes,  often  incorrect,  and 
always  diflScult  to  narrate  without  embellishment,  are 
so  familiar  to  the  majority  of  readers,  and  possess  such 
similarity  of  outline  that  they  would  be  interesting  here 
only  to  those  who  have  some  personal  knowledge  of  the 
actors  in  those  scenes.  There  will  be  occasion  here- 
after, in  speaking  of  some  of  the  distinguished  men  of 
another  period  of  this  history,  to  refer  agam  to  subjects 
kindred  to  those  above  narrated. 

In  May  of  this  3^ear,  still  1780,  the  Legislature  of  Yir- 
ginia,  on  account  of  the  difficulties  attending  the  proper 


58  HISTOKY    OF    LOUISVILLE. 


administration  of  justice,  and  for  other  similar  causes  oc- 
casioned by  the  sparseness  of  the  settlements  in  so  large 
an  extent  of  territory,  passed  an  act  dividing  the  county 
of  Kentucky  into  three  counties.  Of  these,  the  first 
was  thus  defined:  "All  that  part  of  the  South  side  of 
the  Kentucky  river  which  lies  West  and  Korth  of  a  line 
beginning  at  the  mouth  of  Benson's  Big  Creek  and  run- 
ning up  the  same  and  its  main  fork  to  the  head,  thence 
South  to  the  nearest  waters  of  Hammond's  Creek,  and 
down  the  same  to  its  junction  with  the  town  fork  of  Salt 
river,  thence  South  to  Green  river  and  down  the  same 
to  its  junction  with  the  Ohio  ;"  and  was  ordered  to  be 
known  by  the  name  of  Jefierson.  The  other  two  coun- 
ties were  called  Fayette  and  Lincoln. 

Beside  this  there  were  few  occurrences  worthy  of  note 
during  the  year,  which  bear  directly  upon  the  subject  of 
of  this  history.  Col.  Clark  had  not  only  made  his  suc- 
cessful expedition  against  Pick  way,  but  had  built  Fort 
Jefierson,  five  miles  below  the  junction  of  the  Ohio  and 
Mississippi  rivers  and  in  the  territory  of  the  Chickasaws, 
thus  adding  that  tribe  to  the  already  numerous  foes  of 
his  adopted  State.  It  was  however  soon  evacuated  and 
this  evacuation  accepted  Lnd  acted  upon  by  both  parties 
as  a  tacit  treaty  of  peace. 

Early  in  the  next  year — 1781 — Col.  Clark  received  his 
commission  as  Brigadier  General.  He  now  began  to 
feel  the  necessity  for  some  new  display  of  activity  in  de- 
fendino'  the  frontier  and  accordino-ly  he  built  a  sort  of 
row-galley  upon  which  he  placed  some  four-pound  can- 
non. This  galley  was  kept  plying  between  the  Falls 
and  the  mouth  of  Licking,  and  is  by  some  believed  to 


HISTORY   OF   LOUISVILLE.  69 


have  been  of  very  great  service  in  keeping  off  the  at- 
tacks of  the  Indians;  while  others  are  of  opinion  that  it 
was  entirely  valueless.  Be  that  as  it  may;  the  galley 
was  abandoned  by  the  General  before  the  close  of  the 
year.  The  Indians  are  said  never  to  have  attacked  it 
and  but  seldom  to  have  crossed  that  part  of  the  river  in 
which  it  moved.  Yarious  as  are  the  opinions  in  regard 
to  the  utility  of  Clark's  barge,  the  fact  of  its  having  been 
so  soon  abandoned  by  the  very  projectors  of  the  enter- 
prise certainly  does  not  speak  much  in  its  favor. 

Another  of  the  most  important  features  of  this  year, 
perhaps  indeed  the  very  most  important,  was  one  which 
will  now  produce  a  smile.  At  that  time,  however,  it  was 
a  subject  of  serious  congratulation  to  the  inhabitants  of 
the  new  country.  This  was  no  less  than  the  large  im- 
migration of  young  unmarried  women  into  this  region, 
abounding  in  young  unmarried  men.  One  of  the  his- 
torians of  the  time,  in  chronicling  this  event,  remarks, 
with  all  the  soberness  and  propriety  due  to  the  most 
solemn  subject,  that  "the  necessary  consequence  of  this 
large  influx  of  girls  was  the  rapid  and  wonderful  in- 
crease of  population."  Whether  this  increase  was  pro- 
duced by  purely  natural  means  or  by  foreign  immigra- 
tion is  left  by  him  in  the  profoundest  doubt.  Perhaps 
that  worthy  individual  known  as  "  The  Oldest  Inhab- 
itant" could  elucidate  this  point. 

The  only  other  circumstance  worthy  of  notice  during 
the  year,  was  the  building  at  the  falls  of  a  new  fort. 
History  gives  us  no  information  either  as  to  the  name 
or  location  of  this  position  of  defense.  Its  very  name 
and  history  is  swallowed  up  in  that  of  Fort  ISTelson 


60  HISTORY    OF    LOUISVILLE. 


which  must  have  been  built  very  soon  after,  if  it  was 
not  commenced  at  the  same  time  as  this  nameless  fort. 
Fort  Kelson  was  built  in  1TS2  by  the  regular  troops, 
assisted  by  all  the  militia  of  the  State.  It  was  situated 
between  Sixth  and  Eighth  Streets  on  the  Xorth  side  of 
Main,  immediately  upon  the  "second  bank"  of  the  river, 
Its  name  was  derived,  as  some  say  from  Capt.  Kelson, 
an  influential  citizen  of  Louisville  in  that  dav.  but  more 
probably  was  named  in  honor  of  the  third  republican 
governor  of  Yirginia.  It  contained  about  an  acre  of 
o;round  and  was  surrounded  bv  a  ditch  eio^ht  feet  wide 

CD  *J  O 

and  ten  feet  deep,  intersected  in  the  middle  by  a  sharp 
row  of  pickets.  This  ditch  was  surmounted  by  a  breast 
work  of  log  pens  filled  with  the  earth  obtained  from  the 
ditch,  with  pickets  ten  feet  high  planted  on  the  top  of 
the  breast  work.  Xext  to  the  river,  pickets  were  deem- 
ed sufiicient,  aided  by  the  long  slope  of  the  bank.  There 
was  artillerv  likewise  in  the  fort.  Col.  Slaughter  had 
brought  with  him  several  very  small  cannon,  and  Gen. 
Clark  had  placed  here  a  double  fortified  six-pounder, 
which  he  had  captured  at  Yincennes.  This  last  piece 
played  no  inconsiderable  part  both  in  the  previous  and 
subsequent  expeditions  of  this  General."  The  present 
site  of  Seventh  Street  passed  directly  through  the  gate 
of  the  fort  opposite  the  head  quarters  of  Gen.  Clark. 
The  pickets  and  various  other  parts  of  this  fort  have 
been  fi-om  time  to  time,  since  1830,  dug  up  in  excavat- 
ing cellars  at  the  place  fformerly  occupied  by  the  post. 
Many  of  the  pickets  thus  excavated  have  been  made  in- 
to walking  canes  and  are  valued  as  memorials  of  the  past. 
This  year  was  perhaps  one  of  the  most   disastrous 


HISTORY    OF    LOUISVILLE.  61 


and  dreadful  in  the  annals  of  Kentucky.  Although 
the  settlements  at  the  Falls  were  comparatively  free  from 
danger  of  attack,  yet  the  older  stations  were  suffering 
all  the  horrors  of  a  bloody  war.  Several  white  men,  im- 
pelled either  by  a  love  of  the  licentiousness  and  fi'eedom_ 
from  restraint  of  the  savage  life  or  by  fear  of  punishment 
for  their  crimes,  had  united  themselves  with  the  Indians 
and  constantly  urged  them  against  the  Whites.  The 
most  celebrated  of  these  were  Girty  and  McKee,  who 
had  risen  to  a  commandinor  rank  among;  the  red  men 
and  their  knowledge  of  the  settlements  enabled  them  to 
direct  their  new  friends  in  all  their  expeditions.  Pre- 
vious to  the  great  battle  in  which  these  renegadoes 
figured  so  largely,  was  the  defeat  and  death  of  Captain 
Estill  on  Hinckston's  Fork  of  Licking  and  also  a 
bloody  fight  at  or  near  Hoy's  station.  The  gi*eat  battle 
of  the  year  however  was  at  Blue  Licks,  and  it  was  here 
that  these  renegadoes,  whose  names  deserve  and  will  re- 
ceive perpetual  execration,  were  successful.  The  result 
of  this  battle  is  well  known  to  all  readers  of  western 
history.  Its  effect  upon  the  inhabitants  of  the  new 
State  was  disheartening  in  the  extreme.  Gen.  Clark, 
who  was  still  at  the  Falls,  seeing  the  necessity  for  rous- 
ing the  people  from  their  despondence  and  desirous  of 
punishing  the  foe,  proposed  to  a  council  of  officers  an  ex- 
pedition against  the  Indian  towns  on  Miami  and  Scioto. 
And  accordingly  nearly  one  thousand  men  made  rendez- 
vous at  the  mouth  of  Lickino-  and  started  for  the  towns. 
The  Indians  discovered  their  approach  too  soon  for 
anything  like  a  decisive  battle,  and  they  found  only  de- 
serted towns  and  straggling  Indians  on  their  march.    The 


62  HISTORY    OF    LOUISVILLE. 


result  of  this  invasion  however  convinced  both  sides  of 
the  superiority  of  the  Whites,  and  restored  the  drooping 
spirits  in  the  settlements.  After  this  expedition  the 
country  remained  quiet  during  the  year,  nor  did  any 
considerable  party  of  Indians  ever  again  invade  the  State. 

In  the  winter  of  this  year  commenced  the  first  of  any- 
thing like  intercourse  between  this  part  of  the  Ohio  and 
New  Orleans.  Messrs.  Tardiveau  and  Honore,  the  lat- 
ter of  whom  resided  in  this  city  until  within  a  few 
years,  made  the  earliest  trip  from  Brownsville  to  that 
port,  and  subsequently  continued  to  make  regular  trips 
from  Loaisville  to  the  French  and  Spanish  ports  on  the 
Mississippi.  Even  previous  to  this,  Col.  Kichard  Tay- 
lor and  his  brother  Hancock  Taylor,  had  descended  from 
Pittsburg  to  the  mouth  of  the  Yazoo;  and  Messrs.  Gib- 
son and  Linn,  in  1776,  had  made  a  trip  from  Pittsburg  to 
New  Orleans  with  a  view  to  procuring  military  stores 
for  the  troops  stationed  at  the  former  place.  These 
gentlemen  succeeded  in  their  expedition,  having  obtain- 
ed 156  kegs  of  powder,  which  arrived  at  the  Falls  in 
1777,  was  carried  around  them  by  hand,  and  finally  de- 
livered at  Pittsburg. 

These  early  attempts  at  navigation  were  soon  succeed- 
ed by  the  constant  and  regular  trips  of  the  Barges.  Per- 
haps the  most  stirring  and  exciting  scenes  of  western 
adventure  were  connected  with  the  voyages  of  these  pe- 
culiar craft.  The  bargemen  were  a  distinct  class  of 
people  whose  fearlessness  of  character,  recklessness  of 
habits  and  laxity  of  morals  rendered  them  a  marked 
people.  Their  history  w^ill  hereafter  form  the  ground- 
work of  many  a  heroic  romance  or  epic  poem.     In  the 


HISTORY   OF  ibtisVlLLE.  63 


earlier  stages  of  this  sort  of  navigation,  their  trips  were 
dangerous,  not  only  on  account  of  the  Indians  whose 
hunting-grounds  bounded  their  track  on  either  side,  but 
also  because  the  shores  of  both  rivers  were  infested  with 
organized  banditti,  who  sought  every  occasion  to  rob 
and  murder  the  owners  of  these  boats.  Beside  all  this 
the  Spanish  Government  had  forbidden  the  navigation 
of  the  lower  Mississippi  by  the  Americans,  and  thus, 
hedged  in  every  way  by  danger,  it  became  these  boat- 
men to  cultivate  ail  the  hardihood  and  wiliness  of  the 
Pioneer,  while  it  led  them  also  into  the  possession  of 
that  recklessness  and  independent  freedom  of  manner, 
which  even  after  the  causes  that  produced  it  had  ceased, 
still  clung  to  and  formed  an  integral  part  of  the  charac- 
ter of  the  Western  Bargeman.  It  is  a  matter  of  no  little 
surprise  that  something  like  an  authentic  history  of 
these  wonderful  men  has  never  been  written.  Certain- 
ly it  is  desirable  to  preserve  such  a  history,  and  no  book 
could  have  been  undertaken  which  would  be  likely  to 
produce  more  both  of  pleasure  and  profit  to  the  writer 
and  none  which  would  meet  with  a  larger  circle  of  de- 
lighted readers.  The  traditions  on  the  subject  are,  even 
at  this  recent  period,  so  vague  and  contradictory  that  it 
would  be  difficult  to  procure  anything  like  reliable  or 
authentic  data  in  regard  to  them.  No  story  in  which 
the  bargemen  figure  is  too  improbable  to  be  narrated, 
nor  can  one  determine  what  particular  person  is  the 
hero  of  an  incident  which  is  in  turn  laid  at  the  door  of 
each  distinguished  member  of  the  whole  fraternity. 
Some  of  these  incidents  however  will  serve  so  well  to  give 
an  idea  of  the  peculiar  characteristics  of  the  bargemen ^ 


64  HISTORY    OF   LOUISVILLE. 


and  possess  so  much  merit  in  themselves,  that  they  can- 
not be  omitted  here.  Previous  to  referring  to  any  of 
these  anecdotes,  however,  it  may  be  interesting  to  intro- 
duce the  following  excellent  description  of  the  manner  of 
navigating  the  Ohio  and  Mississippi  prior  to  the  intro- 
duction of  steamboats.  It  is  fi-om  the  pen  of  Audubon, 
the  celebrated  ornithologist,  whose  death  has  been  re- 
cently announced  and  has  caused  a  feeling  of  deep  regret 
in  all  who  know  how  to  admire  that  union  of  simple 
goodness  of  character  with  greatness  of  mind  and  un- 
tiring energy  of  study,  which  he,  perhaps  more  than  any 
other  American,  possessed. 

"The  keelboats  and  barges  were  employed,'-  says  this 
extract,  "in  conveying  produce  of  diflerent  kinds,  such 
as  lead,  flour,  pork  and  other  articles.  These  returned 
laden  with  sugar,  coflee  and  dry  goods,  suited  for  the 
markets  of  Genevieve  and  St.  Louis  on  the  upper  Mis- 
sissippi or  branched  ofl"  and  ascended  the  Ohio  to  the 
foot  of  the  falls  at  Louisville.  A  keelboat  was  general- 
ly manned  by  ten  hands,  principally  Canadian  French, 
and  a  patroon  or  master.  These  boats  seldom  carried 
more  than  from  twenty  to  thirtv  tons.  The  baro-es  had 
frequently  forty  or  fifty  men,  with  a  patroon,  and  carried 
fifty  or  sixty  tons.  Both  these  kind  of  vessels  were  pro- 
vided with  a  mast,  a  square  sail,  and  coils  of  cordage 
known  bv  the  name  of  cordelles.     Each  boat  or  barare 

I.  o 

earned  its  o^vn  provisions.  AVe  shall  suppose  one  of 
these  boats  under  way,  and,  having  passed  Xatchez,  en- 
tering upon  what  were  called  the  difficulties  of  their  as- 
cent. "Wherever  a  point  projected  so  as  to  render  the 
course  or  bend  below  it  of  some  m.aOTitude,  there  was 


HI3T0SY    OF    LOUISVILLE.  65 


an  ediy,  the  returning  current  of  which  was  sometimes 
as  strong  as  that  of  the  middle  of  the  great  stream. 
The  bargemen,  therefore,  rowed  up  pretty  close  under 
the  bank,  and  had  merely  to  keep  watch  in  the  bow  lest 
the  boat  should  run  against  a  planter  or  sawyer.  But 
the  boat  has  reached  the  point,  and  there  the  current 
is  to  all  appearance  of  double  strength  and  right  against 
it.  The  men,  who  have  rested  a  few  minutes,  are  or- 
dered to  take  their  stations  and  lay  hold  of  their  oars,  for 
the  river  must  be  crossed,  it  being  seldom  possible  to 
double  such  a  point  and  proceed  along  the  same  shore. 
The  boat  is  crossing,  its  head  slanting  to  the  current, 
which  is,  however,  too  strong  for  the  rowers,  and  when 
the  other  side  of  the  river  has  been  reached,  it  has  drift- 
ed perhaps  a  quarter  of  a  mile.  The  men  are  by  this 
time  exhausted,  and,  as  we  shall  suppose  it  to  be  12 
o'clock,  fasten  the  boat  to  a  tree  on  the  shore.  A  small 
glass  of  whiskey  is  given  to  each,  when  they  cook  and 
eat  their  dinner,  and  after  resting  from  their  fatigue  for 
an  hour,  re-commence  their  labors.  The  boat  is  again 
seen  slowly  advancing  against  the  stream.  It  has  reach* 
ed  the  lower  end  of  a  sandbar,  along  the  edge  of  which 
it  is  propelled  by  means  of  long  poles,  if  the  bottom  be 
hard.  Two  men,  called  bowsmen,  remain  at  the  prow 
to  assist,  in  concert  with  the  steersman,  in  managing  the 
boat  and  keeping  its  head  right  against  the  current. 
The  rest  place  themselves  on  the  land  side  of  the  foot- 
way of  the  vessel,  put  one  end  of  their  poles  on  the 
ground  and  the  other  against  their  shoulders  and  push 
with  all  their  might.  As  each  of  the  men  reaches  the 
stern,  he  crosses  to  the  other  side,  runs  along  it  and 


HISTOEY    OF    LOUISVILLE 


comes  again  to  the  landward  side  of  the  bo^v•,  when  he 
re-commences  operations.  The  barge  in  the  mean  time 
is  ascending  at  a  rate  not  exceeding  one  mile  in  the  hour. 
"The  bar  is  at  length  passed,  and  as  the  shore  in 
sight  is  straight  on  both  sides  and  the  current  uniformly 
strong,  the  poles  are  laid  aside,  and  the  men  being  equal- 
ly divided,  those  on  the  river  side  take  to  their  oars, 
while  those  on  the  land-side  lay  hold  of  the  branches  of 
willows  or  other  trees,  and  thus  slowly  propel  the  boat. 
Here  and  there,  however,  the  trunk  of  a  fallen  tree,  part- 
ly lying  on  the  bank  and  partly  projecting  beyond  it,  im- 
pedes their  progress  and  requires  to  be  doubled.  This 
is  performed  by  striking  into  it  the  iron  points  of  the 
poles  and  gafl'-hooks,  and  so  pulling  around  it.  The 
sun  is  now  quite  low,  and  the  barge  is  again  secured  in 
the  best  harbor  within  reach  for  the  night,  after  having 
accomplished  a  distance  of  perhaps  fifteen  miles.  The 
next  day  the  wind  proves  favorable,  the  sail  is  set,  the 
boat  takes  all  advantages,  and,  meeting  with  no  accident, 
has  ascended  thirty  miles — perhaps  double  that  distance. 
The  next  day  comes  with  a  very  diflferent  aspect.  The 
wind  is  right  ahead,  the  shores  are  without  trees  of  any 
kind,  and  the  canes  on  the  bank  are  so  thick  and  stout 
that  not  even  the  cordelles  can  be  used.  This  occasions 
'  a  halt.  The  time  is  not  altogether  lost,  as  most  of  the 
men,  being  provided  with  rifles,  betake  themselves  to 
the  woods  and  search  for  the  deer,  the  bears  or  the  tur- 
keys that  are  generally  abundant  there.  Three  days 
may  pass  before  the  wind  changes,  and  the  advantages 
gained  on  the  previous  five  days  are  forgotten.  Again 
the  boat  proceeds,  but  in  passing  over  a  shallow  place, 


HISTvORY    CF    LOUISVILLE.  6? 


runs  on  a  log,  swings  with  the  cnrrent,  but  hangs  fast 
with  her  lea-side  almost  under  water.  IsTow  for  the 
poles!  all  hands  are  on  deck,  bustling  and  pushing. 
At  length,  towards  sunset,  the  boat  is  once  more  afloat, 
and  is  again  taken  to  the  shore  where  the  wearied  crew 
pass  another  night. 

"I  could  tell  jou  of  the  crew  abandoning  the  boat  and 
cargo  and  of  numberless  accidents  and  perils,  but  be  it 
enough  to  say,  that  advancing  in  this  tardy  manner,  the 
boat  that  left  Kew  Orleans  on  the  1st  of  March,  often 
did  not  reach  the  Falls  of  Ohio  until  the  month  of  July, 
sometimes  not  until  October;  and  after  all  this  immense 
trouble,  it  brought  only  a  few  bags  of  coffee  and  at  most 
one  hundred  hogsheads  of  sugar.  Such  was  the  state  of 
things  as  late  as  1808.  The  number  of  barges  at  that 
period  did  not  amount  to  more  than  25  or  30,  and  the 
largest  probably  did  not  exceed  one  hundred  tons  bur- 
den. To  make  the  best  of  this  fatiguing  navigation,  I 
may  conclude  by  saying  that  a  barge  which  came  up  in 
three  months,  had  done  wonders,  for  I  believe  few  vov- 
ages  were  performed  in  that  time." 

In  this  little  history,  Mr.  Audubon  has  said  nothing 
of  what  was  by  far  the  most  "dangerous  danger"  to 
which  the  crews  of  these  craft  were  exposed.  This  was 
the  attack,  open  and  fearless  as  well  as  sneaking  and 
treacherous,  of  the  Boatwreckers.  The  country  on  both 
sides  of  the  river  from  Louisville  to  the  mouth  of  the 
Ohio  was  an  almost  unpeopled  wilderness.  On  the 
north  side  of  the  river  from  Fort  Massac  to  the  Missis- 
sippi, there  lived  a  gang  of  these  desperadoes,  whose  ex- 
ploits need  only  the  genius  of  a  Schiller  to  render  them 


68  HISTORY    OF    LOUISVILLE. 


the  wonder  of  the  world  and  the  admiration  of  those  who 
love  to  gloat  over  tales  of  blood.  There  was  an  impu- 
dence and  recklessness  of  life  and  of  danger  connected 
with  these  fellows,  coupled  with  a  dash  of  spirit  and 
humor,  that  would  render  them  excellent  materiel  in 
the  hands  of  a  skillful  novelist;  but  thej  lacked  that 
high  sense  of  honor  and  that  gentlemanly  bearing  which 
made  heroes  of  the  robbers  of  the  Ehine,  of  Venice  or 
of  Mexico. 

Their  plan  of  action  was  to  induce  the  crew  of  the 
passing  "broad-horn"  to  land,  to  play  a  game  of  cards, 
(the  favorite  passion  of  the  boatmen)  and  to  cheat  them 
unmercifully.  If  this  scheme  failed,  they  would  pilot 
the  boats  into  a  difficult  place,  or,  in  pretended  friend- 
ship, give  them  from  the  shores  such  directions  as  would 
not  fail  to  run  them  on  a  snag  or  dash  them  to  pieces 
aorainst  some  hidden  obstruction.  If  thev  were  out- 
witted  in  all  this,  they  would  creep  into  the  boats  as 
they  were  tied  up  at  night,  and  bore  holes  in  the  bottom 
or  dig  out  the  caulking.  When  the  boat  was  sinking, 
they  would  get  out  their  skiffs  and  craft  of  all  kinds, 
and  in  the  most  philanthropic  manner  come  to  save  the 
goods  from  the  wreck.  And  save  them  they  did,  for 
they  would  row  them  up  the  little  creeks  that  led  from 
swamps  in  the  interior  and  no  trace  of  them  could  after- 
wards be  seen.  Or  if  some  hardy  fellow  dared  to  go  in 
pursuit  of  his  saved  cargo,  he  was  sure  to  find  an  un- 
known grave  in  the  morasses. 

One  of  the  most  famous  of  these  boatwreckers  was 
Col.  Fluger  of  j^ew  Hampshire,  who  is  better  known  in 
the  West  as  Col.  Plug.     This  worthy  gentleman  long 


HISTORY    OF   LOUISVILLE.  69 


held  undisputed  sway  over  the  qniet  boatwreckers  about 
the  mouth  of  Cash  Creek.  He  was  supposed  to  possess 
keys  to  every  warehouse  between  that  place  and  Louis- 
ville, and  to  have  used  them  for  his  own  private  pur- 
poses on  many  occasions.  He  was  a  manied  man  and 
became  the  father  of  a  family.  His  wife's  soubriquet 
was  Pluggy  and  like  many  others  of  her  sex,  her  charms 
were  a  sore  affliction  to  the  Colonel's  peace  of  mind. 
Plug's  lieutenant  was  by  him  suspected  of  undue  famil- 
iarity with  Mrs.  Col.  Plug.  The  Colonel's  nice  sense 
of  honor  was  outraged,  his  family  pride  aroused — he 
called  Lieutenant  Mne-Eyes  to  the  field. 

"Dern  your  soul,"  said  he,  "do  you  think  this  sort  of 
candlestick  ammer  (clandestine  amour  he  meant,)  will 
pass?  If  you  do,  by  gosh,  I  will  put  it  to  you  or  you 
shall  put  it  to  me." 

They  used  rifles,  the  ground  was  measured,  the  afiair 
settled  in  the  most  proper  and  approved  style.  And 
they  did  put  it  to  each  other.  Each  received  a  ball  in 
some  fleshy  part,  and  each  admitted  that  "he  was 
satisfied." 

"You  are  all  grit!"  said  Col.  Plug. 

"And  you  waded  in  like  a  raal  Kaintuck,"  rejoined 
Nine-Eyes. 

Col.  Plug's  son  and  heir,  who  very  possibly  was  the 
real  subject-matter  of  dispute,  and  who  was  upon  the 
ground,  was  ordered  to  place  a  bottle  of  whisky  midway 
between  the  disputants.  Up  to  this  they  limped  and 
over  it  they  embraced,  swearing  that  "they  were  too  well 
used  to  these  things  to  be  phazed  by  a  little  cold  lead;" 
and  Pluffgy's  virtue  having  been  thus  proved  immacu- 


70  HISTORY    OF    LOUISVILLE. 


late,  the  duel  as  well  as  the  animosity  of  the  parties 
ceased.     Col.  Plug,  man  of  honor  as  he  was,  sometimes 
met  with  very  rough  treatment  from  the  boatmen,  whose 
lialf  savage  natures  could  ill  appreciate  a  gentleman  of 
his  birth  and  breeding.     An  instance  of  this  is  recorded 
by  the  same  historian  upon  whom  we  have  drawn  for 
the  greater  part  of  the  above  account  of  the  duel.*     A 
broad-horn  from  Louisville  had  received  rough  usage 
from  Plug's  men  the  year  before,  and  accordingly,  on 
their  next  descent,  they  laid  their  scheme  of  revenge. 
Several  of  their  crew  left  the  boat  before  arriving  at 
Plug's  domain,  and  quietly  stole  down  the  river  bank  to 
its  place  of  landing.     The  boat  with  its  small  crew  was 
quietly  harbored,  the  men  hospitably  received  and  in- 
vited to  sit  down  to  a  game  of  cards.     They  were  scarce- 
ly seated  and  had  placed  their  money  before  them,  when 
Plug's  signal  whistle  for  an  onset  sounded  in  their  ears. 
The  reserve  corps  of  boatmen  also  heard  it,  knew  its  im- 
port and  rushed  to  the  rescue.     The  battle  was  quickly 
over.     Tln-ee  of  Plug's  men  were  thrown  into  the  river 
and  the  rest  fled,  leaving  their  brave  commander  on  the 
field.     Resistance  did  not  avail  him.     Those  ruthless 
boatmen  stripped  him  to  the  skin,  and  forcing  him  to 
embrace  a  sapling  about  the  size  of  his  dear  Pluggj's 
waist,  they  bound  him  immovably  in  this  loving  squeeze. 
Then  seizing  the  cowhide  each  applied  it  till  he  was 
tired,  and  so  they  left  him  alone  with  his  troublesome 
thoughts  and  with  a  yet  more  troublesome  and  sanguin- 
ary host  of  musquitoes,  which,  lured  by  the  ease  with 
which  they  could  now  get  a  full  meal  of  that  blood  which 

*  Western  Review  for  January,  1830, 


itiSTORY    OF    LOUISVILLE.  7^ 

had  before  been  effectually  preserved  from  their  attacks 
by  a  thick  epidermis,  sallied  forth  to  the  feast  by  myr- 
iads. Plnggy,  finding  her  bower  lonely  without  its 
lord,  came  forth  to  seek  him.  Closely  embracing  the 
tree  and  covered  from  any  immodest  exposure  of  his  per- 
son by  a  gauzy  cloud  of  musquito  wings,  she  found  him. 
Clasping  her  hands,  with  a  Siddons-like  start  and  air, 
she  cried,  in  her  peculiarly  elegant  but  somewhat  un- 
English  dialect:  "Yasu  Cree!  O  carissimo  sposo,  what 
for,  like  von  dem  fool,  you  hug  zat  tree  and  let  ze  ma- 
rengoes  eat  up  all  your  sweet  brud  ? " 

The  historian  is  pained  to  record  that  all  the  answ^er 
she  obtained  to  this  tender  solicitude  was  a  curse.  Plug- 
cursed  her,  but  Plug's  evil  spirit  was  aroused.  Let  the 
reader  suppose  himself  in  Plug's  position  and  he  will 
not  blame  that  gentleman  for  the  ungenerous  reply  that 
forced  itself  to  his  lips. 

E^ot  very  long  after  this.  Col.  Plug  came  to  his  untime- 
ly end.  Just  as  a  squall  was  coming  up.  Col.  Plug  was 
in  a  boat  whose  crew  had  left  it  for  an  hour  or  so,  en- 
gaged in  the  exercise  of  his  profession;  that  is,  he  was 
digging  the  caulking  out  of  the  bottom,  when  the  squall 
came  on  rather  prematurely  and  broke  the  fastenings  of 
the  boat.  It  began  to  sink,  and  Col.  Plug  after  vain  en- 
deavors to  reach  the  shore,  sank  with  it  and  was  seen 
no  more.  Whether  Pluggy  still  bewails  her  lost  lord 
or  has  followed  him  in  sorrow  to  the  other  shore,  history 
does  not  tell  us. 

This  sketch  of  the  character  of  the  boatwreckers  w^ill 
prepare  the  reader  for  forming  some  idea  of  the  boatmen 
who  were  their  prey.     Among  the  most  celebrated  of 


^^  HISTORY    OP    LOUISVILLE. 


these,  every  reader  of  western  history  will  at  once  re- 
member Mike  Fink,  the  hero  of  his  class.  So  many  and 
so  marvellous  are  the  stories  told  of  this  man  that  num- 
bers of  persons  are  inclined  altogether  to  disbelieve  his 
existence.  That  he  did  live  however  does  not  admit  of 
a  doubt.  Many  are  yet  living  who  knew  him  personal- 
ly. As  it  is  to  him  that  all  the  more  remarkable  stories 
of  western  river  adventure  are  attributed,  his  history 
will  form  the  only  example  here  given  to  illustrate  the 
character  of  the  western  bara^emen.  It  is  however  ne- 
cessary  to  observe,  that  while  Mike  possessed  all  the 
characteristics  of  his  class,  a  history  of  the  various  ad- 
ventures attributed  to  him  would  present  these  charac- 
teristics  in  an  exaggerated  degree.  Even  the  slight 
sketch  here  drawn  cannot  pretend  to  authenticity;  for, 
aside  from  the  fact,  that,  like  other  heroes,  Mike  has  suf- 
fered from  the  exuberant  fancy  of  his  historians,  he  has 
also  had  in  his  own  person  to  atone  to  posterity  for  many 
acts  which  never  came  from  under  his  hand  and  seal. 
As  the  representative,  however,  of  an  extinct  class  of 
men,  his  ashes  will  not  rise  in  indignation  even  if  he  is 
ao-ain  made  the  "hero  of  fields  his  valor  never  won." 

CD 

Mike  Fink  was  born  in  or  near  Pittsburo-  where  certain 
of  his  relatives  still  reside.  In  his  earlier  life  he  acted  in 
the  capacity  of  an  Indian  spy,  and  won  great  renown  for 
himself  by  tlie  wonderful  facility  with  which,  while  yet 
a  boy,  he  gained  a  knowledge  of  every  act  and  move- 
ment of  the  foe.  But  while  in  the  exercise  of  this  cal- 
ling, the  free,  wild  and  adventurous  life  of  the  boatmen 
attracted  his  youthful  ikncy,  and  the  enchanting  music 
of  the  boat-horn  soon  lured  him  away  from  Pittsburg  to 


HISTORY   OF    LOUISVILLE.  T3 


try  his  fortunes  on  the  broad  Ohio.     He  had  learned  to 
mimic  all  the  tones  of  the  boatman's  horn,  and  he  loner- 
ed  to  go  to  Is'ew  Orleans  where  he  heard  that  the  people 
spoke  French  and  wore  their  Sunday  clothes  every  day. 
He  went,  and  from  an  humble  pupil  in  his  profession 
soon  became  a  glorious  master.     When  the  river  was 
too  low  to  be  navigable,  Mike  spent  his  time  in  the  prac- 
tice of  rifle-shooting,  then  so  eminently  useful  and  desi- 
rable an  accomplishment;  and  in  this,  as  in  all  his  serious 
undertakings,  he  soon  surpassed  his  compeers.    His  skill 
with  the  rifle  was  so  universally  acknowledged,  that 
whenever  Mike  was  present  at  a  Shooting-Match  for 
Beef,  such  as  were  then  of  common  occurrence  all  over 
the  country,  he  was  always  allowed  the  fifth   quarter, 
i.  e.  the  hide  and  the  tallow,  without  a  shot.     This  was 
a  perquisite  of  Mike's  skill,  and  one  which  he  always 
claimed,  always  obtained  and  always  sold  for  whisky  with 
which  to  "treat  the  crowd."     His  capacity  as  a  drinker 
was  enormous;  he  could  drink  a  gallon  in  twenty-four 
hours  without  its  effect  being  perceptible  in  his  language 
or  demeanor.     Mike  was  a  bit  of  a  wag,  too,  and  had  a 
singular  way  of  enforcing  his  jests.     He  used  to  say  that 
he  told  his  jokes  on  purpose  to  be  laughed  at,  and  no 
man  should  '•  make  light  "  of  them.     The  consequence 
was,  that  whoever  had  the  temerity  to  refuse  a  laugh 
where   Mike  intended  to  raise  one,  received  a  sound 
drubbing  and  an  admonition  for  the  future,  which  was 
seldom  neglected.     His  practical  jokes,  for  so  he  and  his 
associates  called  their  predations  on  the  inhabitants  of 
the  shores  along  which  they  passed,  were  always  char- 
acterized by  a  boldness  of  design  and  a  sagacity  of  exe- 


74:  HISTORY    OF    LOUISVILLE. 


cution  that  showed  no  mean  talent  on  Mike's  part.  One 
of  the  most  ingenious  of  these  tricks,  and  one  which  af- 
fords a  fair  idea  of  the  spirit  of  them  all,  is  told  as  fol- 
lows: Passing  slowly  down  the  river,  Mike  observed  a 
very  large  and  beautiful  flock  of  sheep  grazing  on  the 
shore,  and  being  in  want  of  fresh  provisions,  but  scorn- 
ing to  buy  them,  Mike  hit  upon  the  following  expedient. 
He  noticed  that  there  was  an  eddy  near  to  the  shore, 
and,  as  it  was  about  dusk,  he  landed  his  boat  in  the  ed- 
dy and  tied  her  fast.  In  his  cargo  there  were  some 
bladders  of  scotch-snuff.  Mike  opened  one  of  these  and 
taking  out  a  handful  of  the  contents,  he  went  ashore  and 
catching  five  or  six  of  the  sheep,  rubbed  their  faces  very 
thoroughly  with  the  snufi*.  He  then  returned  to  his 
boat  and  sent  one  of  his  men  in  a  gi'eat  hurry  to  the 
sheep-owner's  house  to  tell  him  that  he  "had  better 
come  down  and  see  what  was  the  matter  with  his 
sheep."  Upon  coming  down  hastily  in  answer  to  Mike's 
summons,  the  gentleman  saw  a  portion  of  his  flock  very 
singularly  aflected ;  leaping,  bleating,  rubbing  their 
noses  against  the  ground  and  against  each  other,  and 
performing  all  manner  of  undignified  and  unsheeplike 
antics.  The  gentleman  was  sorely  puzzled  and  demand- 
ed of  Mike  "if  he  knew  what  was  the  matter  with  the 
sheep." 
-^^'You  dont  know?"  answered  Mike  very  gravely. 

"I  do  not,"  replied  the  gentleman. 

"Did  you  ever  hear  of  the  black  murrain  ?"  asked 
Mike  in  a  confidential  whisper. 

"Yes,"  said  the  sheep  owner  in  a  terrified  reply. 

"Well,  that  's  it!  "  said  Mike.     "All  the  sheep  up 


HISTORY    OF    LOUISVILLE.  75 


river  's  got  it  dreadful.     Dyin'  like  rotten  dogs  —  hun- 
dreds a  day." 

"You  don't  say  so,"  answered  the  victim,  "and  is 
there  no  cure  for  it?" 

"Only  one  as  I  knows  on,"  was  the  reply.  "You  see 
the  murrain  's  dreadful  catchin',  and  ef  you  don't  git 
them  away  as  is  got  it,  they'll  kill  the  whole  flock. 
Better  shoot  'em  right-off;  they  've  got  to  die  any  way." 

"But  no  man  could  single  out  the  infected  sheep  and 
shoot  them  from  among  the  flock,"  said  the  gentleman. 

"My  name's  Mike  Fink!"  was  the  curt  reply./ 

And  it  was  answer  enough.  The  gentleman  begged 
Mike  to  shoot  the  infected  sheep  and  throw  them  into 
the  river.  This  was  exactly  what  Mike  wanted,  but  he 
pretended  to  resist.  "It  mought  be  a  mistake,"  he  said; 
"they'll  may  be  git  well.  He  didn't  like  to  shoot  man- 
ny's  sheep  on  his  own  say  so.  He'd  better  go  an'  ask 
some  of  the  neighbors  ef  it  was  the  murrain  sure  'nuf." 
The  gentleman  insisted,  and  Mike  modestly  resisted, 
until  finally  he  was  promised  a  couple  of  gallons  of  old 
Peach  Brandy  if  he  would  comply.  His  scruples  thus 
finally  overcome,  Mike  shot  the  sheep,  threw  them  into 
the  eddy  and  got  the  brandy.  After  dark,  the  men 
jumped  into  the  water,  hauled  the  sheep  aboard,  and  by 
daylight  had  them  neatly  packed  away  and  were  gliding 
merrily  down  the  stream.* 

Another  story,  of  a  rather  different  character,  is  told  to 
illustrate  the  recklessness  of  the  man.  It  occun-ed  on 
the  Mississippi  river.     A  negro  had  come  down  to  the 

*  This  incident  is  by  some  accredited  to  William  Creasy,  a  bargeman  of 
the  James  River . 


76  HISTORY    OF    LOnSVILLE, 


bank  to  gaze  at  the  passing  boat,  wlio  had  the  singularly 
projecting  heel  peculiar  to  some  races  of  Africans.  This 
peculiarity  caught  Mike's  eye,  and  so  far  outraged  his 
ideas  of  symmetry  that  he  determined  to  correct  it.  Ac- 
cordingly he  raised  his  rifle  to  his  shoulder  and  fired, 
carrying  away  the  oflfensive  projection.  The  negTO  fell 
crying  murder,  believing  himself  mortally  wounded. 
Mike  was  apprehended  for  this  trick,  at  St.  Louis,  and 
found  guilty,  but  we  do  not  hear  of  the  infliction  of  any 
punishment.  A  writer  in  the  Western  Monthly  Re- 
view for  July,  1S29,  in  a  letter  to  the  editor  of  that 
magazine,  asserts  that  he  has  himself  seen  the  records  of 
this  case  in  the  books  of  the  court,  and  that  Mike's  only 
defense  was  that  ''the  fellow  couldn't  wear  a  genteel  boot 
and  he  wanted  to  fix  it  so  that  he  could." 

One  of  his  feats  with  the  rifle  which  Mike  most  loved 
to  boast  of  occurred  somewhere  in  Indiana.  Mike's  boat 
was  lying  to,  from  some  cause,  and  he  had  gone  ashore 
in  pursuit  of  game.  "As  he  was  creeping  along  with 
the  stealthy  tread  of  a  cat,  his  eye  fell  upon  a  beautiful 
buck,  browsing  on  the  edge  of  a  barren  spot  a  little  dis- 
tance ofi'.  Repriming  his  gun  and  picking  his  flint, 
Mike  made  his  approach  in  his  usual  noiseless  manner. 
At  the  moment  he  reached  the  spot  from  which  he  meant 
to  take  aim,  he  observed  a  large  Indian  intent  upon  the 
same  object,  advancing  from  a  direction  little  difierent 
irom  his  own.  Mike  shrank  behind  a  tree  with  the 
quickness  of  thought,  and  keeping  his  eye  fixed  upon  the 
hunter,  waited  the  result  with  patience.  In  a  few  mo- 
ments the  Indian  halted  within  fifty  paces  and  leveled 
his  piece  at  the  deer.     Instantly  Mike  presented   his 


HISTORY   OF   LOUISVILLE.  77 


rifle  at  the  body  of  the  savage,  and  at  the  moment  smoke 
issued  from  the  gun  of  the  latter,  the  bullet  of  Fink 
passed  through  the  red  man's  breast.  He  uttered  a  yell 
and  fell  dead  at  the  same  instant  with  the  deer.  Mike 
re-loaded  his  rifle  and  remained  in  covert  some  minutes 
to  ascertain  whether  any  more  enemies  were  at  hand. 
He  then  stepped  up  to  the  prostrate  savage,  and  having 
satisfied  himself  that  life  was  extinct,  turned  his  atten- 
tion to  the  buck,  took  from  the  carcass  the  pieces  suited 
to  jerking  and  retraced  his  steps  in  high  glee  to  the 
boat."  *  He  used  to  say  that  was  what  he  called  "kill- 
ing two  birds  with  one  stone." 

In  all  his  little  tricks,  as  Mike  called  them,  he  never 
displayed  any  very  accurate  respect  to  the  laws  either  of 
propriety  or  property,  but  he  was  so  ingenious  in  his 
predations  that  it  is  impossible  not  to  laugh  at  his 
crimes.  The  stern  rigor  of  Justice,  however,  did  not 
feel  disposed  to  laugh  at  Mike,  but  on  the  contrary  of- 
fered a  reward  for  his  capture.  For  a  long  time  Mike 
fought  shy  and  could  not  be  taken,  until  an  old  friend  of 
his,  who  happened  to  be  a  constable,  came  to  his  boat 
when  she  was  moored  at  Louisville  and  represented  to 
Mike  the  poverty  of  his  family;  and,  presuming  on 
Mike's  known  kindness  of  disposition,  urged  him  to 
allow  himself  to  be  taken,  and  so  procure  for  his  friend 
the  promised  reward.  He  showed  Mike  the  many 
chances  of  escape  from  conviction,  and  withal  plead  so 
strongly  that  Mike's  kind  heart  at  last  overcame  him  and 
he  consented  —  hut  upon  one  condition  !  He  felt  at 
home  nowhere  but  in  his  boat  and  among  his  men :  let 

*  Morgau  Neville,  in  Western  Souvenir  for  1 829. 


78  HISTOSY    OF    LOUISVILLE, 


them  take  him  and  his  men  in  the  yawi  and  they  would 
go.  It  was  the  only  hope  of  procuring  his  appearance 
at  court  and  the  constable  consented.  Accordingly  a 
long-coupled  wagon  was  procured,  and  with  oxen  at- 
tached it  went  down  the  hill,  at  Third  Street  for  Mike's 
yawl.  The  road,  for  it  was  not  then  a  street,  was  very 
steep  and  very  muddy  at  this  point.  Regardless  of  this, 
however,  the  boat  was  set  upon  the  wagon,  and  Mike 
and  his  men,  with  their  long  poles  ready,  as  if  for  an 
aquatic  excursion,  were  put  aboard,  Mike  in  the  stern. 
By  dint  of  laborious  dragging  the  wagon  had  attained 
half  the  height  of  the  hill,  when  out  shouted  the  sten- 
torian voice  of  Mike  calling  to  his  men — Set  Poles  I — 
and  the  end  of  every  long  pole  was  set  firmly  in  the 
thick  mud — 'Back  Hek  !  —  roared  Mike,  and  down  the 
hill  again  went  wagon,  yawl,  men  and  oxen.  Mike  had 
been  revolving  the  matter  in  his  mind  and  had  concluded 
that  it  was  best  not  to  go  ;  and  well  knowing  that  each 
of  his  men  was  equal  to  a  moderately  strong  ox,  he  had 
at  once  conceived  and  executed  this  retrogTade  move- 
ment. Once  at  the  bottom,  another  parley  was  held  and 
Mike  was  again  overpowered.  This  time  they  had  al- 
most reached  the  top  of  the  hill,  when  Set  poles  !  — 
Bach  her  !  was  again  ordered  and  again  executed.  A 
third  attempt,  however,  was  successful,  and  Mike  reach- 
ed the  court  house  in  safety ;  and,  as  his  friend,  the 
constable,  had  endeavored  to  induce  him  to  believe,  he 
was  acquitted  for  lack  of  sufficient  evidence.  Other 
indictments,  however,  were  found  against  him,  but  Mike 
preferred  not  to  wait  to  hear  them  tried ;  so,  at  a  given 
signal  he  and  his  men  boarded  their  craft  again  and 


HISTOEY   or    LOUISVILLE,  79 


Stood  ready  to  weigh  anchor.  The  dread  of  the  long- 
poles  in  the  hands  of  Mike's  men  prevented  the  posse 
from  urging  any  serious  remonstrance  against  his  de- 
parture. And  off  they  started  with  poles  "tossed."  As 
they  left  the  court  house  yard  Mike  waved  his  red  ban- 
danna, w^hich  he  had  fixed  on  one  of  the  poles,  and 
promising  to  ^^call  agairi^^  was  borne  back  to  his  ele- 
ment and  launched  '^nce  more  upon  the  waters. 

After  the  introduction  of  steamboats  on  the  Western 
rivers,  Mike's   occupation  was  gone.      He   could   not 
consent,  however,  altogether  to  quit  his  free,  wild  life 
of  adventure;    and  accordingly  in  1822,   he,  together 
with  Carpenter  and  Talbot,  who  were  his  firmest  friends, 
joined  Henry  and  Ashley's  company  of  Missouri  trap- 
pers, and  with  this  company  they  proceeded  in  the  same 
year  up  to  the  mouth  of  the  Yellow  Stone  river.     Here 
a  fort  was  built  and  from  this  point  parties  of  hunters 
were  sent  out  in  all  directions.     Mike  with  his  two 
friends  and  nine  others  formed  one  of  these  parties,  and 
preferring  to  live  to  themselves,  they  dug  a  hole  in  the 
river  bluff  and  here  spent  the  winter.    While  here,  Mike 
Fink  and  Carpenter  had  a  fierce  quarrel,  caused  proba- 
bly by  rivalry  in  the  favors  of  a  certain  squaw.     Previ- 
ous to  this  time  the  friendship  of  these  two  men  had 
been  unbounded.     Carpenter  was  equally  as  good  a  shot 
as  Mike  and  it  had  been  their  custom  to  place  a  tin  cup 
of  whisky  on  each  other's  head  by  turns  and  shoot  it  ojff 
at  the  distance  of  seventy  yards  with  their  rifles.     This 
feat  they  had  often  performed  and  always  successfully. 

After  the  quarrel,  and  when  spring  had  returned,  they 
re- visited  the  fort  and  over  a  cup  of  whisky  they  talked 


80  HISTORY   OF   LOUISVILLE. 


over  their  difficulty  and  rendered  tlieir  vows  of  amity, 
which  were  to  be  ratified  by  the  usual  trial  of  shooting 
at  the  cup.  They  ''skyed  a  copper"  for  the  first  shot 
and  Mike  won  it.  Carpenter,  who  knew  Mike  thor- 
oughly, declared  he  was  going  to  be  killed,  but  scorned 
to  refuse  the  test.  He  prepared  himself  for  the  worst. 
He  bequeathed  his  gun,  pistols,  wages,  &c.,  to  Talbot, 
in  case  he  should  be  killed.  Thev  went  to  the  field,  and 
while  Mike  loaded  his  gun  and  prepared  for  the  shot. 
Carpenter  filled  a  tin  cup  to  the  brim,  and,  without 
moving  a  feature,  placed  it  on  his  devoted  head.  At 
this  target  Mike  levelled  his  piece.  After  fixing  his 
aim,  however,  he  took  down  his  gun,  and  laughingly 
cried,  "Hold  your  noddle  steady,  Carpenter,  and  don't 
spill  the  whisky,  for  I  shall  want  some  presently."  Then 
raising  his  rifle  again,  he  pulled  the  trigger,  and  in  an 
instant  Carpenter  fell  and  expired  without  a  groan. 
The  ball  had  penetrated  the  center  of  his  forehead  about 
an  inch  and  a  half  above  the  eyes.  Mike  coolly  set 
down  his  rifle  and  blew  the  smoke  out  of  it,  keeping  his 
eye  fixed  on  the  prostrate  body  of  his  quondam  friend. 
"Carpenter,"  said  he,  "have  you  spilt  the  whisky?" 
He  was  told  that  he  had  killed  Carpenter.  "It  is  all  an 
accident,"  said  he,  "I  took  as  fair  a  bead  on  the  black 
spot  on  the  cup  as  ever  I  took  on  a  squirrel's  eye.  How 
could  it  happen?"  And  he  fell  to  cursing  powder,  gun, 
bullet  and  himself. 

In  the  wild  countrv  where  thev  then  were,  the  hand 
of  justice  could  not  reach  Mike  and  he  went  unmolested. 
But  Talbot  had  determined  to  avenge  Carpenter,  and 
one  day,  after  several  months  had  elapsed,  when  Mike, 


HISTORY    OF    LOCISVILLE.  81 


in  a  drunken  fit  of  boasting,  swore  in  Talbot's  presence 
that  he  had  killed  Carpenter  intentionally  and  that  he 
was  glad  of  it,  Talbot  drew  out  one  of  the  pistols  which 
had  been  left  him  by  the  murdered  man  and  shot  Mike 
through  the  heart.  In  less  than  four  months  after  this 
Talbot  was  himself  drowned  in  attempting  to  swim  the 
Titan  river,  and  with  him  perished  "the  last  of  the 
boatmen." 

Mike  Fink's  person  is  thus  described  by  the  writer  in 
the  Western  Monthly  before  referred  to.  "His  weight 
was  about  180  pounds  ;  height  about  five  feet,  nine 
inches ;  broad,  round  face,  pleasant  features,  brown  skin, 
tanned  by  sun  and  rain  ;  blue,  but  very  expressive  eyes, 
inclining  to  grey;  broad,  white  teeth,  and  square  brawny 
form,  well  proportioned  ;  and  every  muscle  of  the  arms, 
thighs  and  legs,  was  fully  developed,  indicating  the 
gTeatest  strength  and  activity.  His  person,  taken  alto- 
gether, was  a  model  for  a  Hercules,  except  as  to  size." 
Of  his  character,  Mike  has  himself  given  the  best  epi- 
tome. He  used  to  say,  "I  can  out-run,  out-hop,  out- 
jump,  throw  down,  drag  out  and  lick  any  man  in  the 
country.  I'm  a  Salt-river  roarer  ;  I  love  the  wimming 
and  I'm  chock  full  of  fight." 

The  early  history  of  steamboat  navigation  will  appear 
in  its  proper  pUce, 


CHAPTER  III. 

Having  passed  over  these  pleasant  and  exciting  his- 
tories of  personal  adventure,  the  reader  now  returns  to 
the  soberer  chronicles  of  general  history.  In  the  spring 
of  1783  it  became  known  in  Kentucky  that  peace  had 
been  declared,  and  this  joyous  news  could  not  have  ar- 
rived at  a  more  opportune  time.  The  people  had  been 
harrassed  bv  war  until  thev  were  sick' and  disheartened, 
and  although  the  news  of  peace  did  not  drive  off  all  fear 
of  attack  from  the  Indians,  yet  the  consciousness  that 
the  posts  formerly  held  by  the  British,  which  had  been 
the  chief  depot  of  supplies  for  the  Indians,  would  now 
fall  into  the  possession  of  their  countrymen,  and  conse- 
quently, that,  although  not  yet  arrived,  the  time  would 
come  when  even  the  Indian  hostility  would  cease;  all 
this  put  a  new  life  into  the  settlements  of  Kentucky. 

Peace  with  Great  Britain  havina:  been  declared,  the 
necessity  for  an  army  on  the  borders  of  Yirginia  no 
longer  existed;  and  as  that  State  was  pressed  for  means, 
this  army  was  disbanded,  and  the  commission  of  Gen. 
Clark  withdrawn,  with  many  thanks  to  this  gentleman 
'*for  his  very  gTeat  and  singular  services."  This  was 
soon  followed  bv  a  much  more  substantial  testimonv  of 

1/  t,' 

the  favor  in  which  he  was  held  by  his  native  State,  for 
during  the  same  year  he  and  his  soldiers  received  a  grant 
of  one  hundred  and  fiftv  thousand  acres  of  land  Iving 


HISTORY    OF   LOUISVILLE.  83 


north  of  the  Ohio,  to  be  located  where  they  chose.  They 
selected  the  region  oj^posite  to  the  falls,  and  thus  was 
founded  the  town  of  Clarksville,  which  still  remains  in 
a  state  scarcely  more  improved  than  it  then  was. 

Something  like  security  and  confidence  was  now  es- 
tablished, and  consequently  the  immigration  here  was 
constant  and  large.  Factories  for  supplying  the  neces- 
sities of  the  household  were  established,  schools  were 
opened,  the  products  of  the  soil  were  carefully  attended 
to,  and  abundant  crops  were  collected;  several  fields  of 
.wheat  were  gathered  near  Louisville,  and  the  whole 
country  changed  its  character  from  that  of  a  series  of 
military  outposts  to  the  more  peaceful  and  more  attrac- 
tive one  of  a  newly  settled,  but  rich  and  fruitful  territory, 
where  industry  met  its  reward,  and  where  every  one 
could  live  who  was  not  too  proud  or  too  indolent  to  work. 
It  was  during  this  year  that  a  new  era  was  opened  to  the 
citizens  of  Louisville.  A  lot  of  merchandise,  all  the 
way  from  Philadelphia,  arrived  at  the  falls,  and  Daniel 
Brodhead  opened  there  a  retail  store.  The  young  ladies 
could  now  throw  aside  all  the  homely  products  of  their 
own  looms,  take  the  wooden  skewers  from  their  ill -bound 
tresses,  and,  on  festive  occasions,  shine  in  all  the  glories 
of  flowered  calico  and  real  horn  combs.  It  is  not 
known  whether  it  was  this  worthy  Mr.  Brodhead  who 
was  the  first  to  introduce  the  luxury  of  glass  window- 
lights,  but  it  is  certain  that  previous  to  this  time  such 
an  extravagance  was  unknown  ;  and  there  is  an  incident 
connected  with  the  first  window  pane  which  deserves  a 
place  here,  and  which  is  recorded  in  the  words  of  an 
author  who  is  not  more  celebrated  for  his  many  pub- 


84  HISTORY    OF    LOtJiSVILLE. 


lie  virtues,  than  for  his  unceasing  and  incurable  exercise 
of  the  private  vice  of  punning.  After  referring  to  the 
introduction  of  this  innovation,  this  gentleman  says : 
"A  young  urchin  who  had  seen  glass  spectacles  on  the 
noses  of  his  elders,  saw  this  spectacle  with  astonishment, 
and  running  home  to  his  mother  exclaimed,  'O,  Ma ! 
there's  a  house  down  here  with  specs  on  !"  "This,"  he 
adds,  "may  be  considered  a  very  precocious  manifesta- 
tion of  the  power  of  generalization  in  the  young  Ken- 
tuckian." 

Another  curious  incident  of  the  times  will  close  the 
record  of  this  vear.  The  notorious  Tom  Paine  had 
wiitten  a  book  ridiculing  the  right  of  Virginia  to  this 
State,  and  urging  Congress  to  take  possession  of  the 
whole  territory.  Among  the  disciples  of  this  absurd 
production  were  two  Pennsylvanians,  named  Galloway 
and  Pomeroy.  The  latter  of  these  came  to  the  falls  and 
produced  considerable  annoyance  to  some  of  the  land- 
holders there  by  the  dissemination  of  his  doctrines,  which 
induced  others  to  pay  no  respect  to  the  titles  of  their 
neighbors.  This  was  an  exigency  which  the  laws  had 
never  contemplated,  and  although  it  was  everywhere 
admitted  that  the  man  deserved  punishment,  it  was  dif- 
ficult to  find  a  law  bearing  upon  his  case.  Legal  inves- 
tigation, however,  soon  drew  to  light  an  old  law  of 
Virginia  which  enforced  a  penalty  in  tobacco  upon  "the 
propagation  of  false  news,  to  the  disturbance  of  the  good 
people  of  the  colony."  Under  this  law,  in  May  of  the 
next  year,  Pomeroy  was  tried  and  sentenced  to  pay  2,000 
pounds  of  tobacco,  and  had  also  to  give  security  for  his 
good  behavior  in  the  sum  of  £3,000,  pay  costs,  &c.     A 


HISTORY   OF    LOUISVILLE.  85 

similar  fate  awaited  Galloway,  who  had  gone  to  Lex- 
ington and  had  there  advocated  these  same  doctrines. 
It  was  impossible  for  either  of  these  men  to  procure  the 
amount  of  tobacco  required;  and  accordingly,  when  it 
was  hinted  to  them  that  they  would  not  be  pursued  if 
they  left  the  country,  they  gladly  embraced  the  ojBer 
and  departed.  And  thus  perished  the  effects  of  Mr. 
Paine's  wonderful  book. 

The  next  year,  1784,  does  not  present  in  its  annals 
anything  of  much  importance  in  relation  to  Louisville. 
It  was  at  this  time  that  the  first  convention  was  held  at 
Danville,  where  the  subject  of  the  separation  of  Ken- 
tucky and  its  erection  into  an  independent  State  was 
first  broached.  It  was  not,  however,  thought  advisable 
by  this  convention  to  make  any  serious  movement  in 
this  matter  until  the  following  year,  inasmuch  as  the 
people  generally  had  not  heard  of  the  proposed  separa- 
tion, or  had  had  no  time  to  debate  upon  its  feasibility. 
As  yet  no  press  had  been  established  in  the  territoiy, 
and  oral  news  was  not  readily  or  speedily  disseminated 
through  the  State.  On  these  accounts  no  action  was 
had  by  the  convention  at  this  time,  but  a  new  conven- 
tion was  appointed  for  the  following  May,  at  which  this 
subject  was  to  be  seriously  considered. 

We  find  by  the  report  of  a  traveler  in  this  year,  that 
Louisville  contained  "63  houses  finished,  37  partly  finish- 
ed, 22  raised  but  not  covered,  and  more  than  100  cabins. 

In  the  year  1785  the  convention  again  met,  first  on 

the  23d  of  May,  and  afterwards  on  the  8th  of  August, 

to  take  action  in  relation  to  the  formation  of  the  new 

State.     An  address  to  Virginia  and  another  to  Ken- 
5 


86  HISTORY    OF    LOUISVILLE. 


tucky,  together  with  resolutions  in  favor  of  the  proposed 
separation,  were  unanimously  passed  in  the  earlier  of 
these  meetings.  These  addresses,  however,  were  not 
deemed  strong  enough  by  the  third  or  August  conven- 
tion, and  that  meeting  accordingly  changed  them  to  a 
new  and  still  stronger  form  of  petition  or  remonstrance, 
and  sent  them  forward  for  the  action  of  the  parent  State. 
Accordingly  in  January  of  1Y86,  Virginia  passed  a  law 
allowing  independence  to  Kentucky,  on  this,  among 
other  conditions,  that  the  separation  should  not  take 
place  until  Congi'ess  should  assent  thereto,  which  assent 
of  Congi-ess  was  not  gained  until  1791. 

In  January  of  this  year  the  county  of  Xelson  was 
erected  out  of  all  that  part  of  Jefferson  county  south  of 
Salt  river. 

In  the  early  part  of  1785  Gen.  Clark,  together  with 
Messrs.  Lee  and  Butler,  had  held  a  treaty  with  the 
Western  Indians  at  Fort  Mcintosh  ;  but  later  in  the  year 
an  Indian  council  of  a  hostile  character  had  also  been 
held  on  the  Wabash,  and  the  Indians  had  annoyed  the 
settlers  greatly  during  the  latter  part  of  the  year.  It 
was  therefore  thought  advisable  to  enter  into  another 
treaty  with  the  Indians  on  the  Wabash,  and  accordingly 
Gen.  Clark  and  Messrs.  Butler  and  Parsons  met  those 
tribes  at  the  mouth  of  the  Great  Miami  in  January  of 
1786.  It  was  with  gTeat  difficulty  that  the  various  tribes 
could  be  brought  to  treat  at  all,  and,  but  for  Gen.  Clark's 
knowledge  of  their  character,  and  for  the  high  estima- 
tion in  which  he  was  held  by  them,  these  commissioners 
would  have  been  murdered  outright.  Judge  Hall,  of 
Cincinnati,  has  given  a  glowing  and  vivid  description 


HISTORY   OF   LOUISVILLE.  87 


of  this  meeting,  which  is  here  inserted.  After  noticing 
their  abrupt  and  scornful  manner  of  entering  the  coun- 
cil, he  says:  "The  commissioners,  without  noticing  the 
disorderly  conduct  of  the  other  party,  or  appearing  to 
have  discovered  their  meditated  treachery,  opened  the 
council  in  due  form.  They  lighted  the  peace-pipe,  and 
after  drawing  a  few  whiffs,  passed  it  to  the  chiefs,  who 
received  it.  Col.  Clark  then  rose  to  explain  the  purpose 
for  which  the  treaty  was  ordered.  With  an  unembar- 
rassed air,  with  the  tone  of  one  accustomed  to  command, 
and  an  easy  assurance  of  perfect  security  and  self-pos- 
session, he  stated  that  the  Commissioners  had  been  sent 
to  offer  peace  to  the  Shawnees ;  that  the  President  had 
no  wish  to  continue  the  war ;  he  had  no  resentment  to 
gratify ;  and,  if  the  red  men  desired  peace,  they  could 
have  it  on  reasonable  terms.  'If  such  be  the  will  of  the 
Shawnees,'  he  concluded,  'let  some  of  their  wise  men 
speak.' 

"A  chief  arose,  drew  up  his  tall  person  to  its  fiill 
height,  and  assuming  a  haughty  attitude,  threw  his  eye 
contemptuously  over  the  commissioners  and  their  small 
retinue,  as  if  to  measure  their  insignificance  in  compar- 
ison with  his  own  numerous  train,  and  then  stalking  to 
the  table,  threw  upon  it  two  belts  of  wampum,  of  differ- 
ent colors — the  war  and  the  peace  belt. 

"  'We  come  here,'  he  exclaimed.  Ho  offer  you  two 
pieces  of  wampum ;  they  are  of  different  colors ;  yon 
know  what  they  mean  ;  you  can  take  which  you  like !' 
and  turning  upon  his  heel,  he  resumed  his  seat. 

"The  chiefs  drew  themselves  up,  in  consciousness  of 
having  hurled  defiance  in  the  teeth  of  the  white  men. 


88  HISTORY   OF   LOUISVILLE. 


They  had  oflered  an  insult  to  the  renowned  leader  of  the 
Long  Knives,  to  which  they  knew  it  would  be  hard  for 
him  to  submit,  while  they  did  not  suppose  he  dared  re- 
sent it.  The  council-pipe  was  laid  aside.  Those  fierce 
wild  men  gazed  intently  at  Clark.  The  Americans  saw 
that  the  crisis  had  arrived ;  they  could  no  longer  doubt 
that  the  Indians  understood  the  advantage  they  possess- 
ed, and  were  disposed  to  use  it;  and  a  common  sense  of 
dan2:er  caused  each  eve  to  be  turned  on  the  leading  com- 
missioner.  He  sat  undisturbed  and  apparently  careless 
until  the  chief  who  had  thro^vn  the  belts  upon  the  table 
had  taken  his  seat;  then  with  a  small  cane  which  he 
held  in  his  hand,  he  reached,  as  if  playfully,  toward  the 
war  belt,  entangled  the  end  of  the  stick  in  it,  drew  it 
towards  him,  and  then  with  a  switch  of  the  cane  threw" 
the  belt  into  the  midst  of  the  chiefs.  The  efiect  was 
electric.  Every  man  in  the  council  of  each  party  sprang 
to  his  feet,  the  savage  with  a  loud  exclamation  of  aston- 
ishment, ''Hugh!"  the  Americans  in  expectation  of  a 
hopeless  conflict  against  overwhelming  numbers.  Every 
hand  grasped  a  weapon. 

Clark  alone  was  unawed.  The  expression  of  his 
countenance  chansred  to  a  ferocious  sternness  and  his  eve 
flashed,  but  otherwise  he  was  unmoved.  A  bitter  smile 
was  perceptible  upon  his  compressed  lips  as  he  gazed 
upon  that  savage  band,  whose  hundi-ed  eyes  were  bent 
fiercely  and  in  horrid  exultation  upon  him  as  they  stood 
like  a  pack  of  wolves  at  bay  thirsting  for  blood,  and 
ready  to  rush  upon  him  whenever  one  bolder  than  the 
rest  should  commence  the  attack.  It  was  one  of  those 
moments  of  indecision  when  the  slightest  weight  thrown 


HISTORY    OF    LOUISVILLE.  89 

into  either  scale  will  make  it  preponderate;  a  moment 
in  which  a  bold  man  conversant  with  the  secret  springs 
of  human  action,  may  seize  upon  the  minds  of  all  around 
him  and  sway  them  at  his  will.  • 

''  Such  a  man  was  the  intrepid  Yirginian.  He  spoke, 
and  there  was  no  man  bold  enough  to  gainsay  him; 
none  that  could  return  the  fierce  glance  of  his  eye.  Rais- 
ing his  arm  and  waving  his  hand  toward  the  door,  he  ex- 
claimed, '-^Dogs^  Begone!^^  The  Indians  hesitated  for 
a  moment,  and  then  rushed  tumultuously  out  of  the 
council-room."  To  this  a  writer  of  the  Encyclopaedia 
Americana  adds  that  the  Indians  were  heard  all  that 
night  debating  in  the  bushes  near  the  fort;  a  part  of 
them  for  war  and  a  part  of  them  for  peace.  The  latter 
prevailed,  and  the  next  morning  they  came  back  and 
sued  for  peace.  All  this,  however,  did  not  remove  the 
annoyances  experienced  from  the  attacks  of  the  more 
distant  Indians.  These  annoyances  were  of  such  a  char- 
acter as  to  induce  the  general  government  to  send  two 
companies  of  military  to  the  Falls,  to  authorize  the  rais- 
ing of  militia  in  Kentucky  and  the  invasion  of  the  hos- 
tile territory.  In  pursuance  of  the  spirit  of  this  authori- 
ty, if  not  in  direct  consonance  with  it,  a  body  of  a 
thousand  men  had  frendezvous  at  Louisville,  and  march- 
ed thence  in  September  toward  Yincennes.  At  this 
point  the  little  army  waited,  contrary  to  the  advice  of 
Gen.  Clark,  their  commanding  officer,  for  nine  days,  ex- 
pecting provisions  and  ammunition.  This  delay  was 
fatal.  The  soldiers  became  weary,  and  seeing  the  fre- 
quent inebriety  of  their  general,  lost  their  confidence  in 
him,  and  refused  their  obedience.     A  body  of  about 


90  HISTORY    OF   LOUISVILLE. 


three  hundred,  dissatisfied  that  their  wishes  in  regard  to 
their  officers  were  not  attended  to,  actually  returned 
homeward,  regardless  of  the  earnest  pleadings  and  al- 
most the  tears  of  their  general ;  and  the  rest  soon  fol- 
lowed them.  This  expedition  was  a  sad  blow  to  Clark, 
for  it  put  into  the  hands  of  his  enemies  a  poweful  weapon 
against  him ;  and  one  which  they  remorselessly  used. 
Had  his  advice  been  heeded  before  the  delay  was  deter- 
mined upon,  he  would  never  have  become  inebriated  or 
exposed  himself  in  an  undignified  light  to  his  soldiery, 
and  the  expedition  might  have  been  successful.  Pal- 
liated as  may  be  his  lault,  it  cannot  be  denied  that,  in 
this  sortie,  he  was  not  what  he  had  been.  The  sun  of 
his  military  glory  had  not  sunk  below  the  horizon,  but 
it  was  obscured  by  clouds  whose  thick  shadows  promis- 
ed long  to  hide  its  beams. 

The  troubles  in  relation  to  the  navigation  of  the  Mis- 
sissippi river  were  now  the  topics  of  all  absorbing  inter- 
est in  every  part  of  the  West.  We  have  not  before  al- 
luded to  these  troubles,  preferring  to  connect  them  en- 
tirely with  the  period  of  which  we  are  now  writing.  A 
brief  retrospect  of  the  question  will  enable  the  reader 
readily  to  understand  the  subject  in  dispute  and  its 
bearing  on  the  residents  on  the  western  waters.  In 
1781,  Spain,  having  previously  declared  herself  mistress 
of  the  Great  Mississippi,  took  possession  of  the  ITorth- 
West  in  the  name  of  her  king.  Mr.  Jay,  then  in  Mad- 
rid, had  received  instructions  not  to  insist  upon  the 
American  claim  to  this  river,  if  he  could  not  efiect  a 
treaty  without  yielding  it.  The  Spanish  Gevernment, 
during  the  whole  of  17S2,  was  laboring  to  induce  the 


HISTORY    OF   LOUISVILLE.  91 


United  States  not  only  to  yield  the  Mississippi,  but  also 
to  give  up  a  part  of  her  actual  possessions  in  the  West; 
and  her  pretensions  to  these  asserted  rights  were  upheld 
by  France.  In  this  condition  matters  rested  till  1785, 
when  a  representative  of  the  Spanish  Government  ap- 
peared before  Congress.  Mr.  Jay  was  at  once  author- 
ized to  negociate  with  him,  and  these  negociations  came 
again  before  Congress  in  May  1786 ;  Mr.  Jay  having 
asked  the  guidance  of  that  body  in  the  matter.  He 
showed  them  the  importance  of  a  treaty  in  commerce 
with  a  people  so  intimately  connected  with  them  as  was 
Spain,  and  explained  the  difficulty  in  forming  this  treaty, 
owing  to  the  unwillingness  of  Spain  either  to  yield  the 
river  or  to  decrease  her  boundary  claims.  He  could  see 
no  safer  plan  than,  as  a  sort  of  compromise,  to  yield  for 
a  term  of  twenty-five  or  thirty  years,  the  navigation  of 
the  river  below  the  boundaries  of  the  United  States. 
This  plan  was  vehemently  opposed  Jby  Southern  Con- 
gressmen and  an  attempt  was  made  to  take  the  negocia- 
tions out  of  the  hands  of  Mr.  Jay  altogether.  In  this  at- 
tempt they  were  defeated,  and  Mr.  Jay  was  not  only  re- 
tained in  office,  but  was  authorized  to  continue  his  ne- 
gociations without  being  bound  to  insist  on  the  imme- 
diate use  of  the  river.  The  rumor  of  these  movements 
at  the  capitol  soon  reached  the  West,  but  in  the  distort- 
ed form  which  rumor  ever  employs.  Mr.  Jay's  position 
was  represented  as  positive  and  as  having  been  assumed 
without  reference  to  Congress.  This  news  created  great 
indignation  in  the  West  and  led  to  the  first  dream  of  se- 
cession. The  people  felt  that  if  the  navigation  of  the 
Mississippi  was  denied  them  on  the  one  hand,  and  in 


92  HISTOKY    OF    LOUISVILLE. 


case  of  a  quaiTel  with  Spain,  the  protection  of  the  Gen- 
er"il  Government  on  the  other,  secession  was  inevitable. 
Either  they  must  conquer  Spain  or  unite  with  her. 
And  as  if  to  show  that  they  were  in  earnest  in  the  mat- 
ter, "a  board  of  field-officers  at  Yincennes  determined 
to  garrison  that  point,  to  raise  supplies  by  impressment, 
and  to  enlist  new  troops.  Under  this  determination 
Spanish  property  was  seized,  soldiers  were  enrolled, 
and  steps  were  taken  to  hold  a  peace-council  with  the 
natives;  all  under  the  direction  of  Gen.  Clark.  Soon 
after  this,  Thomas  Green  wrote  from  Louisville  to  the 
Governor  and  Legislature  of  Georgia,  which  State  was 
involved  in  the  boundary  quarrel  with  Spain,  that  Span- 
ish property  had  been  seized  in  the  Xorth-^est  as  a 
hostile  measure,  and  not  merely  to  procure  necessaries 
for  the  troops,  which  Clark  afterward  declared  was  the 
case,  and  added  that  the  General  was  ready  to  go  down 
the  river  with  -troops  sufficient'  to  take  possession  of 
the  lands  in  dispute,  if  Georgia  would  countenance 
him."  The  following  extract  from  another  letter  wiit- 
ten  from  Louisville,  professedly  to  some  one  in  Xew 
England,  and  probably  also  wiitten  by  Green,  will  serve 
as  additional  evidence  to  prove  that  the  people  were  se- 
riously deliberating  upon  their  position.     It  reads  thus : 

'Om-  situation  is  as  bad  as  it  possibly  can  be,  there- 
fore eveiy  exertion  to  retiieve  om-  circumstances  must  be 
manly,  eligible  and  just. 

'We  can  raise  20,000  troops  this  side  of  the  Alle- 
ghany and  Apalachian  Mountains,  and  the  annual  in- 
crease of  them  by  emigTation  from  other  parts  is  from 
two  to  four  thousand. 


HISTORY   OF   LOUISVILLE.  93 


" '  We  have  taken  all  the  goods  belonging  to  the  Span- 
ish merchants  at  post  Yincennes  and  the  Illinois  ;  and 
are  determined  they  shall  not  trade  up  the  river,  provided 
they  will  not  let  ns  trade  down  it.  Preparations  are  now 
making  here  (if  necessary)  to  drive  the  Spaniards  from 
their  settlements,  at  the  month  of  the  Mississippi.  In 
case  we  are  not  countenanced  or  succored  by  the  United 
States,  (if  we  need  it,)  our  allegiance  will  be  thro^vn  off 
and  some  other  power  applied  to.  Great  Britain  stands 
ready  with  open  arms  to  receive  and  support  us.  They 
have  already  offered  to  open  their  resources  for  our  sup- 
plies. When  once  re-united  to  them,  'farewell,  a  long 
farewell  to  all  your  boasted  greatness.'  The  province  of 
Canada  and  the  inhabitants  of  these  waters,  of  them- 
selves, in  time,  vrill  be  able  to  conquer  you.  You  are  as 
ignorant  of  this  country  as  Great  Britain  was  of  Amer- 
ica. These  are  hints  which  if  rightly  im|)roved  may  be 
of  some  service;  if  not,  blame  yom^selves  for  the  neglect.' 

"This  letter  was  shown  by  the  bearer  of  it  to  several 
persons  at  Danville,  who  caused  copies  to  be  taken  of 
it,  and  enclosed  these  to  the  Executive  of  Yirginia. 
Early  in  1787,  the  Council  of  this  State  had  action  on 
this  subject,  condemned  Gen.  Clark's  conduct,  disavow-^ 
ed  the  powers  assumed  by  him,  ordered  the  prosecution 
of  the  persons  concerned  in  the  seizure  of  property,  and 
laid  the  matter  before  Congress.  It  was  presented  in 
detail  to  that  body  upon  the  13th  of  April,  and  upon 
the  21th  of  that  month,  it  was  resolved  that  the  troops 
of  the  United  States  be  employed  to  dispossess  the  un- 
authorized intruders  who  had  taken  possession  of  St, 
Yincents."  * 

*  Perkins'  Annals,  pp  280  to  28^. 


94  HISTORY    OF   LOUISVILLE. 


The  full  details  of  the  Mississippi  troubles  belong 
rather  to  a  history  of  the  State  or  of  the  United  States 
than  to  that  of  a  single  city.  What  has  already  been 
stated  in  regard  to  them  has  been  written  to  show  the  feel- 
ing that  existed  on  the  subject  among  the  earlier  resi- 
dents of  the  city  and  of  the  State,  as  well  as  to  display 
the  part  which  was  had  in  these  difficulties  by  the  prom- 
inent men  of  Louisville  years  ago.  It  would  be  foreign 
to  the  purposes  of  the  present  volume  to  go  further  into 
all  these  details,  wherein  the  celebrated  names  of  "Wil- 
kinson, Sebastian,  Brown,  Innis  and  Burr,  are  so  in- 
volved, wherein  so  many  splendid  intellects  were  led 
astray  from  the  paths  pointed  out  by  honor  and  patriot- 
ism, and  sacrificed  at  the  sordid  shrine,  of  love  of  self  and 
love  of  gain.  Kot  to  leave  the  unhistorical  reader  with- 
out any  knowledge  as  to  the  issue  of  these  troubles,  it 
will  however  be  necessary  to  point  out  as  briefly  as  may 
be,  the  ultimate  results  of  all  the  scheming,  plotting  and 
unlawful  machinations  against  established  government 
which  for  so  long  disturbed  and  disgraced  Kentucky. 

Passing  over,  then,  all  the  intermediate  space,  we 
come  to  the  fact  that  in  1795,  a  treaty  was  concluded  with 
Spain  by  which  not  only  the  right  to  navigate  the  Mis- 
sissippi was  conceded  to  the  United  States,  but  a  right 
to  deposit  at  '^ew  Orleans  was  also  yielded  them.  This, 
in  eflect,  was  all  that  Kentucky  needed.  This  grant  of 
a  right  to  deposit,  however,  was  only  guaranteed  by  the 
treaty  for  three  years;  but  with  the  proviso  that,  should 
the  gTant  be  withdrawn  at  the  end  of  the  three  years, 
some  other  j)lace  than  Xew  Orleans  should  be  afibrded 
for  the  sam    purpose,  near  the  mouth  of  the  riyer.     In 


HISTORY    OF    LOUISVILLE.  95' 


1802  this  right  was  withdrawn  by  the  Spanish  Intend- 
ant  and  no  other  place  of  deposit  allowed.  Spain  had 
evidently  violated  her  treaty,  and  the  whole  West  was 
again  thrown  into  a  state  of  fearful  excitement  and  com- 
motion. Kor  was  this  at  all  lessened  when  it  became 
known  that  Louisiana  had  been  ceded  to  France,  and 
that  it  was  now  in  possession  of  the  dreaded  Napoleon. 
Mr.  Monroe  was  immediately  dispatched  to  France  to 
have  an  interview  with  the  First  Consul  on  this  subject. 
ISTapoleon,  then  upon  the  eve  of  a  rupture  with  Eng- 
land, plainly  foresaw  that  it  would  be  impossible  for 
him  to  retain  possession  of  so  distant  and  isolated  a 
colony  as  Louisiana  while  Great  Britain  was  mistress 
of  the  seas.  His  sagacity  had  therefore  determined  him 
to  get  rid  of  so  unprofitable  a  place  as  this.  And  much 
to  the  surprise  of  Mr.  Monroe,  "when  he  expected  simp- 
ly to  negotiate  for  a  place  of  deposite  at  the  mouth  of 
the  river,  he  was  informed  that  for  the  trifling  sum  of 
fifteen  millions,  he  could  purchase  a  magnificent  empire. 
No  time  was  lost  in  closing  this  extraordinary  sale,  as 
Bonaparte  evidently  apprehended  that  Louisiana  would 
be  taken  by  the  British  fleet  within  six  months  after 
hostilities  commenced.  And  thus  the  first  great  annex- 
ation of  territory  to  the  United  States  was  accomplish- 
ed."* And  thus  ended  a  long  series  of  difficulties  which 
had,  in  their  course,  blotted  the  escutcheon  of  Kentucky 
and  tempted  so  many  of  her  noblest  intellects  to  forget 
their  gi-eatness  in  vain  attempts  at  personal  aggrand- 
izement. 

The  following  extracts  from  the  records  of  the  court 

*  John  A.  McClung  in  Collins'  Kentucky,  p.  57. 


96  HISTORY    OF   LOUISVILLE. 


during  this  year  will  not  give  a  very  favorable  idea  of 
the  high  degree  of  enlightenment  among  our  ancestors 
in  1786.  On  the  21st  day  of  October  in  this  year,  it  is 
recorded  that  "negi'o  Tom,  a  slave,  the  property  of  Eob- 
ert  Daniel,"  was  condemned  to  death  for  stealing  "two 
and  three-fourth  yards  of  cambric,  and  some  ribbon  and 
thread,  the  property  of  Jas.  Patten."  This  theft,  small 
as  it  now  appears,  if  estimated  in  the  currency  of  the 
times  would  produce  an  astonishing  sum,  as  will  appear 
by  the  following  inventory  rendered  to  the  court  of  the 
property  of  a  deceased  person : 

To  a  coat  and  waistcoat  £250;  an  old  blue  do.  and  do  £50. .  .£300 

To  pocket  book  £G;  part  of  an  old  sbirt  £3 9 

To  old  blanket  6s;  2  bushels  salt  £480 480  6s . 

£789  69. 

These  were  the  times  when  the  price  of  whisky  was 
fixed  by  law  at  $S0  the  pint,  and  hotel-keepers  were  al- 
lowed and  expected  to  charge  $12  for  a  breakfast  and  $6 
for  a  bed.  Payment  however  was  always  expected  in 
the  depreciated  continental  money,  then  almost  the  only 
currency. 

In  the  latter  part  of  this  year,  the  legislature  of  Vir- 
ginia again  passed  an  act  giving  three  years  more  time 
to  the  purchasers  of  lots  in  Louisville  to  complete  their 
titles  by  building  houses  in  consonance  with  the  terms 
of  the  original  purchase.  The  act  ofiers  as  a  reason  for 
this  extension,  "the  frequent  incursions  of  the  Indians 
and  the  difficulty  of  procuring  materials  for  building." 

In  the  next  year — 1787 — a  new  feature  was  exhibited 
to  the  people  of  Kentucky.  Mr.  John  Bradford  estab- 
lished at  Lexington  a  weekly  newspaper,  printed  at  first 


HISTORY    OF   LOUISVILLE.  97 


on  a  demy  sheet  and  called  the  Kentucky  Gazette.  The 
politicians  of  the  State  had  now  an  opportunity  to  ad- 
dress themselves  to  the  people  in  a  new  and  easy  way, 
and  they  fully  availed  themselves  of  it.  But  the  estab- 
lishment of  a  newspaper  was  not  the  only  proof  of  ad- 
vancement among  the  Kentuckians,  though  it  seemed 
the  herald  of  progress;  for,  in  one  year  after  the  first  is- 
sue of  the  Gazette,  a  grammar  school  was  opened,  an  al- 
manac published,  and  a  dancing  school  established,  all 
in  Lexington;  while  still  a  year  later  (1789)  the  first 
brick  house  was  built  in  Louisville.  This  structure  was 
erected  by  Mr.  Kaye,  an  ancestor  of  our  well  known 
citizen  and  former  Mayor,  on  Market  street,  between 
Fifth  and  Sixth  streets;  the  second  brick  building  in 
Louisville  was  erected  by  Mr.  Eastin,  on  the  I^orth  side 
of  Main,  below  the  corner  of  Fifth  street;  and  the  third 
by  Mr.  Keed  at  the  North  Western  corner  of  Main  and 
Sixth  streets.  It  was  about  this  time  that  the  present 
city  of  Cincinnati  was  laid  out.  It  was  first  called  Los- 
antiville,  a  name  which  is  thus  fancifully  derived.  Ville 
— the  town — anti — opposite — os — the  mouth — L — of 
Licking.  This  name  was  invented  by  a  Mr.  Filson, 
whose  philological  acuteness  deserves  immortality. 

The  three  years  given  to  the  owners  of  lots  in  Louis- 
ville by  the  Act  of  '86,  being  now  expired,  the  legisla- 
ture again  passed  an  act  granting  yet  other  three  years 
for  the  same  purpose;  and  at  the  same  time  appointed 
eleven  new  trustees  for  the  town.  The  number  of  trus- 
tees was  now  so  large  that  it  was  neither  agreeable  to 
the  citizens,  nor  did  it  facilitate  the  business  of  the  town. 
Accordingly  the  very  next  meeting  of  the  Assembly  (in 


98  HISTORY    OF    LOUISVILLE. 


1790)  passed  a  new  act  with  the  following  preamble:— 
"Whereas,  It  is  represented  to  this  present  General  As- 
sembly that  inconveniences  have  arisen  on  account  of 
the  powers  given  to  the  Trustees  and  Commissioners  of 
the  Town  of  Louisville,  in  the  County  of  Jefferson,  not 
being  sujfficiently  defined,  for  remedy  whereof,  &c." — 
This  Act  deposed  from  office  all  the  former  Trustees  of 
the  town,  and  in  lieu  of  them,  appointed  the  following 
persons:  "J.  F.  Moore,  Abraham  Hite,  Abner  M.  Donne, 
Basil  Prather  and  David  Standiford,  gentlemen;"  as  sole 
Trustees,  with  power  to  sell  and  convey  lots,  levy  taxes, 
improve  the  town  by  means  of  taxes  so  levied,  and  fill 
vacancies  in  their  own  body  by  election.  Under  their 
regime  the  records  of  the  council  show  quite  an  im- 
provement in  the  prosperity  of  the  embi^o  city. 

Early  in  April  of  the  year  now  spoken  of,  Louisville 
received  an  accession  to  the  number  of  her  citizens  in 
the  person  of  the  renowned  Major  Quirey.  This  man's 
immense  muscular  power;  his  daring  and  activity  have 
made  him  a  scarcely  less  remarkable  personage  than  was 
the  celebrated  Peter  Francisco,  of  Virginia.  Arriving 
here  at  a  period  when  physical  power  was  far  more  ap- 
preciated, and  held  in  far  higher  reverence  than  mental 
capacity,  Quirey  soon  gained  a  strong  hold  on  the  affec- 
tions of  the  people  around  him.  He  was  a  native  of 
Pennsylvania,  but  married  at  nineteen  years  of  age,  and 
soon  thereafter  removed  to  Kentucky.  He  was  six  feet 
and  two  inches  in  height,  and  weighed  250  pounds;  he 
had  no  inclination  to  embonpoint  but  was  muscular  and 
robust.  The  palm  of  his  enormous  hand  would  easily 
have  served  a  modern  fine  lady  for  a  writing-desk. — 


HISTORY    OF   LOUISVILLE.  99 


Physiologists  may  feel  inclined  to  doubt  the  truth  of  the 
assertion,  but  it  is  nevertheless  confidently  believed  that 
his  breast  was  a  solid  plate  of  bone,  no  appearance  of 
the  usual  separation  of  the  ribs  being  discernable.  even 
after  his  death.  Like  all  the  men  of  his  day,  Quirey 
was  a  good  hater  alike  of  Indians  and  of  cowards.  A 
proof  of  this  latter  aversion  occurred  as  he  was  descend- 
ing the  Ohio  to  Louisville.  The  Indians  had  recently 
been  very  successful  in  their  battles  with  the  emigrant 
boats,  and  were  emboldened  to  attack  all  within  their 
reach.  Accordingly,  Quirey's  boat,  containing  beside 
himself  and  his  family,  only  a  single  individual,  whose 
name  is  not  remembered,  came  in  for  its  share  of  the 
hostility.  A  large  party  of  Indians  made  an  attack  upon 
them  somewhere  above  the  present  site  of  Maysville. 
Quirey  fought  bravely,  but  the  other  man  became  dread- 
fully alarmed,  and  running  into  the  boat,  concealed  him- 
self among  the  cargo.  Quirey,  still  standing  upon  his 
boat,  received  the  guns  as  they  were  loaded  by  his  wife, 
and  handed  to  him,  and  fired  on  either  not  missing  his 
comrade  or  supposing  him  dead.  After  the  engagement, 
in  which,  despite  the  fearful  odds,  Quirey  was  victori- 
ous, they  found  their  trembling  and  cowardly  companion 
who  was  slowly  sneaking  from  his  place  of  concealment. 
With  an  impulse  quick  as  thought,  Quirey  seized  him 
with  one  hand  around  the  waist,  and  bearing  him  above 
his  head,  would  in  another  moment  have  dashed  him 
into  the  waves,  but  the  tears  and  entrep-ties  of  Mrs.  Qui- 
rey saved  him  for  the  time.  With  so  cowardly  a  dispo- 
sition, however,  it  might  have  spared  the  poor  wretch 
much  agony  had  he  perished  thenj  for  Quirey  set  him 


100  HISTOKY    UF    LOUISVILLE. 


ashore  in  the  forest  near  Limestone,  pointing  him  the 
way  to  the  fort  and  there  left  him,  surrounded  on  every 
side  by  objects  to  him  of  terror,  there  to  "do  or  die." 
History  is  silent  as  to  his  fate. 

After  reaching  Louisville,  Quirey  soon  established  his 
reputation  for  strength  in  a  way  that  none  dared  gainsay 
it.  One  Peter  Smith,  who  had  long  held  undisputed 
sway  as  the  most  expert  fighter  and  the  strongest  man 
in  Louisville,  and  who  was  withal  what  is  more  perti- 
nently than  politely  called  a  Ijvlly^  the  terror  of  his  whole 
neighborhood,  having  heard  that  a  very  large  and  strong 
man  had  arrived  from  Pennsylvania,  determined,  as  he 
said,  "either  to  whip  Quirey,  or  if  Quirey  proved  too 
much  for  him  to  leave  the  country."  He  accordingly 
found  his  man,  and  proposed  a  trial  at  a  fisty-cufiJ".  This 
Quirey  declined,  urging  that  it  would  be  better  for  them 
to  turn  their  strength  against  the  common  enemy,  and 
professing  that  he  was  willing  to  admit  Smith  to  be  his 
superior.  Finding  that  this  only  made  his  antagonist 
the  more  determined,  Quirey  proposed  a  trial  of  skill  in 
lifting  or  in  some  athletic  game.  Smith,  however,  was 
not  to  be  thus  appeased,  but  stripping  the  upper  part  of 
his  body  to  the  skin  and  tightening  his  belt,  he  advanced 
urging  Quirey  to  get  ready  for  the  fight.  Qiiire}"  replied 
that  if  he  would  have  a  fight,  he  was  already  prepared 
for  it — and  as  Smith  continued  to  advance  upon  him, 
Quirey,  without  moving  from  his  steps,  dealt  him  a  sin- 
gle blow  with  open  hand  upon  the  ear.  Smith  fell  sevr 
eral  paces  ofifwith  the  blood  gushing  from  eyes,  nose  and 
ears.  But  the  trial  did  not  end  here,  for  on  Smith's  re- 
covering from  the  blow,  he  protested  that  it  was  an  un- 


HISTORY   OF    LOUISVILLE.  101 


lucky  and  accidental  hit,  and  demanded  a  new  trial. 
Quirey  again  tried  to  avoid  the  quarrel,  but  seeing  that 
a  fight  was  inevitable,  he  told  Smith  that  if  he  made  a 
new  attack  upon  him,  he  would  be  severely  punished. 
Smith  continued  to  advance  toward  him,  and  as  he  came 
within  reach  Quirey  dealt  him  at  the  same  instant  two 
terrible  blows,  one  with  the  hand  and  the  other  with  the 
foot.  Smith  fell  as  if  dead,  was  taken  up  and  carried  to 
Patton's  Tavern  where  he  lay  six  weeks.  At  the  end 
of  that  time,  being  sufficiently  recovered,  he  kept  his 
promise,  leaving  the  State  never  to  return. 

Major  Quirey  was  a  valuable  officer  and  a  prompt  and 
efficient  soldier.  During  the  war,  he  enlisted  about 
6000  men.  Soon  after  his  appointment  as  Captain  in 
the  17th  Kegiment,  U.  S.  A.,  an  incident  occurred  which 
came  near  consigning  him  to  an  inglorious  death.  He 
had  as  pets  a  pair  of  large  bears,  and  having  occasion 
one  day  to  pass  near  them  he  was  suddenly  seized  from 
behind  by  the  male  bear  and  drawn  under  him,  the  an- 
imal sinking  his  nails  into  the  cavity  of  the  body.  In 
the  scuffle,  however,  he  managed  to  get  hold  of  the 
tongue  of  the  bear,  and  drawing  it  across  its  teeth,  forced 
the  animal  to  bite  off  its  own  tongue.  This  feat  he  per- 
formed with  one  hand,  while  with  the  other  he  relieved 
the  bear  of  one  of  his  eyes.  The  pain  he  thus  occasioned 
enabled  him  to  extricate  himself  from  his  formidable  foe, 
not,  however,  without  detriment  to  himself.  The  Sur- 
geon who  dressed  his  wounds  estimated  his  loss  of  flesh 
from  off  the  left  hip  at  nearly  12  pounds  !  *  On  re- 
covering from  his  wounds,  Quirey  returned  to  service 

*  This  statement  is  giyeu  on  the  authority  of  Major  Quirey's  own  son. 


102  HISTORY    OF   LOUISVILLE. 


and  continued  in  office  till  the  disbanding  of  his  Regi- 
ment in  1815.  In  two  years  afterward  he  died.  His 
widow  whose  life  is  full  of  romantic  incident,  survived 
him  many  years,  having  died  only  two  or  three  years  ago. 
She  is  still  remembered  with  regret  by  many  who  have 
so  lately  listened  to  her  well-told  recollections  of  early 
days  in  Louisville. 

In  July  of  this  year,  still  1790,  the  ninth  and  last 
Kentucky  Convention  met.  It  will  be  recollected  that 
the  first  Convention  had  been  held  in  1784,  and  since 
that  time,  each  returning  year  had  seemed  only  to  add 
to  the  difficulties  experienced  by  Kentucky  in  attaining 
an  honorable  and  independent  position  in  the  confede- 
racy. This  last  Convention,  however,  saw  an  end  to  all 
the  troubles  experienced  by  its  predecessors.  The  terms 
offered  by  Virginia  were  agreed  to,  and  the  1st  June 
1792,  was  determined  as  the  date  of  Independence. 
During  the  month  of  December  succeeding  the  action  of 
this  Convention,  Gen.  Washington  brought  before  Con- 
gress the  subject  of  the  admission  of  Kentucky  as  a 
State,  and  on  the  14:th  of  February  in  the  next  year, 
1791,  the  long  sought  and  anxiously  hoped-for  boon  was 
granted.  The  ensuing  December  was  chosen  as  the  date 
of  election  for  the  framers  of  a  Constitution  for  the  Kew 
State,  and  in  April  1792,  that  instrument  was  prepared, 
and  Kentucky  took  her  position  among  her  sister  States, 
l^or  was  this  the  only  good  which  time  had  wrought  for 
the  new  State.  For  the  next  year,  1793,  brought  with  it 
the  last  incursions  of  the  Indians  into  their  once  loved 
hunting-ground.  Their  twenty  years'  struggle  was  over. 
Their  best  and  bravest  blood  had  been  poured  in  vain; 


HISTORY    OF   LOUISVILLE.  103 

the  force  of  an  irresistible  destiriy  was  against  them; 
stern  experience  had  taught  them  that  right  was  not 
might,  and,  the  contest  ended,  they  quietly  yielded  to  the 
all-conquering  hand  of  the  white  man  the  soil  that  his  axe, 
his  plow,  and  his  gun  had  redeemed  from  them  forever. 

The  suceeding  years,  till  1800,  however  rich  they  may 
be  in  material  for  the  historian  of  Kentucky,  afford  lit- 
tle that  bears  directly  upon  the  subject  before  us.  The 
Indians  having  ceased  to  be  an  aggressive  foe,  it  was 
thought  necessary  that  the  Whites  should,  in  their  turn, 
provoke  hostility,  and  accordingly,  several  expeditions 
were  made  against  them.  The  Indian  fights  of  Scott, 
St.  Clair,  Wayne,  and  others,  belong  to  this  period. 

In  1796  the  first  paper-mill  was  built  in  Kentucky. 
It  was  situated  near  Georgetown,  and  is  said  to  have 
been  a  very  productive  investment.  It  is  here  alluded 
to  as  a  promising  mark  of  social  progress. 

With  the  next  year,  1797,  we  get  the  first  clearly  es- 
tablished estimate  of  the  town  of  Louisville.  In  the 
records  of  the  Trustees,  the  first  list  of  taxes  occurs. 
These  were  assessed  on  the  3d  day  of  July,  "on  all  who 
reside  within  the  limits  of  the  half-acre  lots,"  and  one  Dr. 
Hall,  was  appointed  to  fill  the  double  office  of  assessor 
and  collector.     The  following  is  his  list  of  assessments : 

'•'50  Horses  at  6d  per  head,  is £1     5s  Gd. 

65  Negroes  at  Is  per  head  is 3     5  0 

2  Billiard  Tahles  at  203  each 2     0  0 

5  Tavern  licenses  at  6s  each 110  0 

5  retail  Stores  at  10s  each 2  10  0 

Carriages:  6  wheels  at  2s  per  wheel 12  0 

Town  Lots  at  6d  per  £100  is 8  13  6 

80  Tithables  at  3s  each 12    0  0 

Making  the  startling  total  of £31  15s  6d." 


104  HISTORY    OF    LOUISVILLE. 


And  even  this  sum  Hall  fonncl  it  very  difficult  to  col- 
lect for,  nearly  two  years  afterward  lie  reports  a  list  of 
delinquents  amounting  to  £12.  That  the  progress  of 
the  town  was  rapid  and  healthy  from  the  first  year  of 
Kentucky  Independence,  is  everywhere  demonstrated. 
And  no  greater  proof  of  this  is  needed  than  the  fact 
that  while  the  assessment  of  1797  amounted  to  scarcely 
more  than  $150,  that  of  1809,  12  years  later,  reached 
the  sum  of  $991.  The  town  was  now  clearly  and  firm- 
ly established,  it  had  within  itself  the  elements  of  pros- 
perity and  it  was  seen  that  it  must  one  day  become  great. 
Its  history  is  less  identified  with  that  of  the  State,  and 
it  comes  now  to  claim  consideration  on  its  own  merit. 

It  was  during  this  year  that  the  office  of  Falls  Pilot 
was  created  by  law,  in  consonance  with  the  following- 
preamble  to  the  act:  "Whereas  great  inconveniences 
have  been  experienced  and  many  boats  lost  in  attempt- 
ing to  pass  the  rapids  of  the  Ohio  for  want  of  a  Pilot, 
and  from  persons  ofiering  their  services  to  strangers  to 
act  as  Pilots,  by  no  means  qualified  for  this  business," 
(fee.  The  office  was  appointed  by  the  Jefierson  County 
Court,  and  the  rate  of  pilotage  fixed  by  the  act  was  two 
dollars  for  each  boat,  while  all  other  persons  were  for- 
bidden to  attempt  to  perform  this  service  under  a  penal- 
ty often  dollars. 

During  the  next  year — 1798 — the  Assembly  passed 
an  act  allowing  the  formation  of  fire  companies  by  any 
number  of  persons  exceeding  forty,  who  should  record 
their  names  and  subscriptions  in  the  County  Court. 
These  companies  were  allowed  to  form  their  own  regu- 
lations, impose  fines  to  the  amount  of  £5,  and  collect 


HISTORY    OF    LOUISVILLE.  105 


the  same  by  suit  before  a  single  magistrate,  which  fines 
were  to  be  applied  to  the  pm-poses  of  their  institution. 

Previous  to  this  time  there  had  existed  no  impediment 
to  the  clandestine  importation  of  goods  by  the  way  of 
Louisville;  iS^ew  Orleans  being  in  possession  of  a  foreign 
nation.  In  1799,  therefore.  Congress  passed  an  act  by 
which  Louisville  was  declared  to  be  a  port  of  entry,  and 
a  collector  was  established  at  this  point. 

The  history  of  Louisville  lias  thus  been  brought  up 
to  a  period  when  it  occupied  a  deservedly  prominent  po- 
sition amono^  western  towns,  Xature  had  fitted  it  to 
take  the  first  rank,  and  its  rapid  improvement  demon- 
strated its  power  and  capacity  to  assume  that  position. 
Thirty  years  before  the  time  of  which  we  are  now  Avrit- 
ing,  the  compass  of  the  white  man  for  the  first  time 
broke  the  soil  of  Kentucky;  the  spot  whereon  this  great 
city  now  rests  was  a  trackless  wilderness.  The  smooth 
waters  of  the  broad  Ohio  mirrored  in  their  bosom  only 
the  dark  branches  of  the  waving  ibrest.  The  axe  of 
the  woodman  had  not  yet  awakened  the  echoes  of  the 
grove.  The  deer,  the  bear  and  the  bufialo  by  day,  and 
the  wolf  and  the  panther  by  night  were  the  only  inhab- 
itants of  the  spot.  Less  than  thirty  years  elapsed  and 
the  wand  of  the  magician  had  changed  the  scene.  The 
forest  had  been  felled,  the  trowel  of  the  builder  had 
been  wielded,  the  streets  and  alleys  of  a  civilized  town 
occupied  the  spot  where  the  deer  had  sported  in  frolic 
play,  and  hundreds  of  merry  voices  shouted  where  only 
the  howl  of  the  wolf  had  been  heard.  That  a  civilized 
town  with  a  population  of  eight  hundred  souls,  govern- 
ed by  wise  laws,  possessing  the  usages  of  society,  enjoy- 


106  HISTORY    OF    LOUISVILLE. 


ing  the  luxuries  of  life  and  moving  onward  in  its  daily 
walk  with  the  calm  stability  of  its  fellows,  the  growth  of 
a  century;  that  such  a  to^n  should  exist  where  less  than 
thirty  years  before  the  beast  and  the  savage  had  held 
undisputed  sway,  is  surely  an  evidence  of  progress  to 
which  no  other  country  in  the  world  can  find  a  parallel. 
It  is  a  fact  before  which  the  wild  romance  of  the  Slave 
of  Lamp  almost  ceases  to  be  fiction. 

Louisville  having  now  arrived  at  an  importance  of  its 
own,  separate  and  apart  from  the  State,  the  remainder 
of  this  history  will  be  more  strictly  confined  to  matters 
of  a  purely  local  character.  And  beginning  a  new  chap- 
ter with  a  new  century,  the  rest  of  these  annals  will 
be  as  rapidly  and  strictly  detailed  as  justice  to  the  claims 
of  each  event  will  allow. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

The  opening  of  a  new  century  found  Louisville  with 
a  population  of  800  souls,  with  power  to  elect  her  own 
Trustees,  with  a  revenue  arising  from  her  own  taxes,  and 
in  the  enjoyment  of  all  the  social  and  political  privile- 
ges which  were  possessed  by  any  of  the  towns  within 
the  "Western  country.  Early  in  the  next  year  the  Legis- 
lature of  the  State,  after  granting  power  to  the  Trustees 
of  Louisville  to  make  deeds  and  conveyances  of  the  town 
lots  and  providing  abundantly  for  the  levying  and  collec- 
ting of  taxes,  proceeded  to  exempt  the  citizens  from  work- 
ing on  roads  out  of  the  town,"  except  the  road  leading 
from  Louisville  to  the  lower  landing,  and  ordered  the  ap- 
pointment of  a  street  Surveyor  whose  duty  it  should  be 
from  time  to  time  to  call  upon  the  inhabitants  of  the 
town  "to  meet  together  on  a  certain  day  at  a  certain 
place  for  the  purpose  of  working  upon  the  streets."  And 
every  person  failing  to  obey  such  call  was  liable  to  a 
fine  of  six  shillings  for  every  such  failure.  The  same 
Act  also  set  aside  the  sum  of  twenty-five  pounds  (being 
part  of  the  annual  tax)  to  be  appropriated  toward  the 
building  of  a  market  house  on  the  public  ground  in  said 
town,  under  the  superintendence  of  the  board  of  Trus- 
tees; and  as  if  still  further  to  show  its  confidence  in  the 
capacity  of  the  town  to  manage  its  own  growing  interests, 
it  also  placed  the  harbor  at  the  mouth  of  Beargrass  en- 
tirely under  the  direction  of  the  Trustees. 


108  HISTORY    OF    LOUISVILLE. 


Keference  to  the  old  books  of  the  town  show  the  pri- 
ces of  half  acre  lots  on  the  principal  streets  at  this  time 
to  have  ranged  from  seven  to  fourteen  hundred  dollars. 

The  original  plan  and  survey  of  the  town  having  been 
lost  or  destroyed,  and  property  being  rapidly  increasing 
in  value,  the  Legislature  found  it  necessary  during  the 
second  year  of  the  new  centuiy  to  order  a  new  survey 
and  plat  to  be  made  out.  It  also  changed  the  term  of 
office  of  the  Trustees  from  one  to  two  years,  and  gave 
them  the  power  to  fill  vacancies  in  their  body  by  an  elec- 
tion among  themselves.  It  also  repealed  an  act  which, 
although  it  had  been  the  subject  of  repeated  legislation, 
had  proved  a  dead  letter.  This  was  the  act  in  reference 
to  the  forfeiture  of  lots  for  want  of  improvements,  which 
has  been  before  quoted.  The  Legislature  of  this  year, 
seeing  the  futility  of  further  action  in  regard  to  this  mat- 
ter very  properly  ordered  the  act  to  be  altogether  repealed 
in  all  the  towns  under  their  jurisdiction,  and  ordered  the 
Trustees  of  the  several  towns  to  make  deeds  to  all  pur- 
chasers of  lots  who  could  produce  them  receipts  for  the 
purchase  money  of  their  several  properties. 

The  next  year  brought  with  it  a  new  act  of  assembly 
ordering  a  repeal  of  the  act  of  1800  in  relation  to  the 
building  of  a  Market  house  on  the  public  gi'ounds  in  Lou- 
isville. The  reason  of  this  repeal  consisted  in  the  fact 
that  public  grounds  were  nowhere  to  be  found,  these 
valuable  adjuncts  to  the  town  having  been  already  dis- 
posed of  by  the  sagacious  governors  of  the  place.  Their 
unwise  and  illegal  action  in  this  matter  has  heretofore 
occupied  the  attention  of  the  reader.  Their  "worship- 
ful wisdoms"  thinking  only  of  to-day  and  careless  of  a 


HISTORY    OF    LOUISVILLE.  109 


future,  were  guilty  of  frequent  excessions  of  their  duty, 
which  are  still  felt  and  still  regretted.  A  striking  in- 
stance of  this  is  exemplified  in  the  single  fact  that  a  half 
acre  lot  on  Main  street,  near  Fourth,  was  disposed  of  by 
their  order  at  public  auction  for  a  horse  valued  at  twenty 
dollars.  This,  however,  may  cease  to  be  thought  so  fla- 
gi'ant  a  breach  of  trust  when  it  is  compared  with  another 
sale  which  occurred  at  or  about  the  same  time,  whereto 
neither  of  the  parties  occupied  an  official  capacity  and 
wherein  the  article  sold,  though  not  generally  classed  as 
real  estate,  is  supposed  to  possess  great  value  to  the 
owner.  A  worthy  citizen  of  Louisville  about  this  period 
was  in  the  habit  of  entertaining  a  great  deal  of  company; 
and  among  others  there  came  to  his  hospitable  roof  one 
who  professed  to  be  a  Methodist  preacher,  but  who 
proved  to  be  a  wolf  in  sheep's  clothing;  for,  after  enjoy- 
ing all  the  comforts  his  host's  kindness  could  afibrd  him 
for  several  weeks,  he  started  ofi*  one  fine  summer's  morn- 
ing, taking  with  him,  probably  through  mistake  or  in- 
advertance,  his  friend'' s  wife !  The  host  missing  this 
article  of  domestic  furniture  upon  his  return  home,  and 
suspecting  whither  it  might  have  gone,  put  boot  in  stir- 
rup and  dashed  ofi"  in  pursuit.  He  soon  overtook  the 
soi-disant  Reverend  Gentleman  and  demanded  his  prop- 
erty. His  right  to  take  his  own  was  not  denied,  but  his 
Reverend  friend  proposed  that  as  he  fancied  the  subject 
matter  of  dispute,  if  his  worthy  host  would  withdraw  his 
claim  and  leave  him  in  peaceable  possession,  he  would 
give  him  right,  title  and  interest  to  and  in  the  mare  on 
which  he  rode.     To  this,  after  some  slight  hesitation,  the 

husband  consented,  on  condition  that  the  bridle  and  sad- 
6 


110  HISTORY    OF   LOUISVILLE. 


die  of  the  mare  were  added  to  his  friend's  offer.  This 
trifling  difference  was  readily  yielded  by  the  opposite 
party,  and  for  many  years  after  this  good  old  man  was 
seen  pacing  through  the  streets,  mounted  upon  his  mare, 
the  two  ambling  along  far  more  quietly  than  he  and  his 
former  partner  had  ever  done. 

Returning,  however  to  the  requisitions  of  the  act,  we 
find  that,  repealing  so  much  of  the  ordinance  as  related 
to  the  location  of  the  market  house,  it  enjoins  upon  the 
Trustees  to  fix  upon  some  proper  place,  such  as  shall 
seem  most  convenient  to  the  inhabitants  of  the  town,  and 
there  to  erect  a  suitable  market  house." 

It  was  also  during  this  year  that  the  first  of  a  series  of 
smaller  towns,  attracted  by  the  gi-o wing  position  of  Lou- 
isville and  hoping  soon  to  rival  it,  began  to  spring  up. 
Jeffersonville,  situated  nearly  opposite  Louisville,  on  a 
high  bank  of  the  Ohio,  and  in  the  State  of  Indiana,  was 
laid  out  in  November  of  this  year.  Its  progress  until 
recently  has  not  been  rapid,  but  it  has  gradually  gained 
ground  until  within  the  last  seven  or  eight  years,  during 
which  it  has  come  to  be  a  very  useful  and  valuable  su- 
burb to  the  city.  More  will  be  said  of  its  history  in  a 
proper  place. 

Within  the  next  year  we  come  to  the  earliest  organi- 
zation of  the  town  of  Shippingport.  This  place,  now 
so  utterly  decayed,  once  promised  not  only  to  rival  but 
to  surpass  LouisviUe.  The  site  occupied  by  it  belonged 
to  Campbell's  division  of  the  two  thousand  acres  men- 
tioned in  the  earlier  pages  of  this  history,  and  was  by 
him  sold  during  this  year  to  a  Mr.  Berthoud.  Upon 
coming  into  the  possession  of  this  latter  gentleman  it 


iaiSTORY    OF    LOUISVILLE.  Ill 


was  surveyed,  a  plan  of  the  town  drawn  and  the  lots  ad- 
vertised for  sale.  Its  progress  however  was  not  rapid 
until  1806,  when  the  Messrs.  Terascons  purchased  the 
greater  part  of  the  lots  embraced  in  the  survey,  and  to 
their  enterprizing  endeavors  did  the  town  owe  its  rise. 
Its  present  importance  is  so  trifling  compared  with  its 
past  gi-eatness,  and  the  probabilities  of  its  future  emi- 
nence among  towns  are  so  small  that  we  shall  probably 
not  have  occasion  again  to  refer  to  it;  and  as  its  brief 
historv  belongs  rather  to  this  than  to  a  later  era  it  will 
be  as  well  to  close  this  account  of  it  in  the  words  of  one 
who  wrote  when  it  was  at  the  apex  of  its  fame. 

"This  important  place,"  says  Dr.  McMurtrie  in  his 
sketches  of  Louisville  published  in  1819;  "is  situated 
two  miles  below  Louisville,  immediately  at  the  foot  of 
the  rapids,  and  is  built  upon  the  beautiful  plain  or  bot- 
tom which  commences  at  the  mouth  of  Beargrass  creek, 
through  which,  under  the  brow  of  the  second  bank,  the 
contemplated  canal  will  in  all  probability  be  cut.  *  The 
town  originally  consisted  of  forty-five  acres,  but  it  has 
since  received  considerable  additions.  The  lots  are  75 
by  144:  feet,  the  average  price  of  which  at  present  (1819) 
is  from  forty  to  fifty  dollars  per  foot,  according  to  the  ad- 
vantages of  its  situation.  The  streets  are  all  laid  out  at 
right  angles,  those  that  run  parallel  to  the  river,  or  near- 
ly so,  are  eight  in  number  and  vary  from  30  to  90  feet 
in  width.  These  are  all  intersected  by  twelve  feet  allies, 
running  parallel  to  them,  and  by  fifteen  cross  streets  at 
right  angles,  each  sixty  feet  wide. 

The  population  of  Shippingport  may  be  estimated  at 

*This  prcdictioa,  as  is  well  known,  has  been  verified. 


Il2  HISTORY   OF   LOUISVILLE. 


600  souls,  including  strangers.  Some  taste  is  already 
perceptible  in  the  construction  of  their  houses,  many  of 
which  are  neatly  built  and  ornamented  with  galleries,  in 
which,  of  a  Sunday,  are  displayed  all  the  beauty  of  the 
place.  It  is,  in  fact,  the  Bois  de  Boulogne  of  Louis- 
ville, it  being  the  resort  of  all  classes  on  high  days  and 
holydays. 

"At  these  times,  it  exhibits  a  spectacle  at  once  novel 
and  interesting.  The  number  of  steamboats  in  the  port, 
each  bearing  one  or  two  flags,  the  throng  of  horses,  car- 
riages, and  gigs,  and  the  contented  appearance  of  a  crowd 
of  pedestrians,  all  arrayed  in  their  "Sunday's  best"  pro- 
duce an  effect  it  would  be  impossible  to  describe." 

The  reason  of  the  sudden  decay  of  this  once  flourish- 
ing place  is  found  in  the  fact  that  its  utility  as  a  point  of 
embarkation  and  debarkation  for  goods,  ceased  with  the 
building  of  the  Canal.  Previous  to  this  time  it  had 
been,  during  three  parts  of  the  year,  the  head  of  the 
navigation  of  the  lower  Ohio.  Even  as  early  as  this, 
however,  the  necessity  for  overcoming  the  impediment 
to  navigation  occasioned  by  the  falls  was  recognized  and 
acted  upon;  and  in  the  year  1804,  a  Canal  Company  was 
chartered;  but  nothing  was  done  beyond  surveys  until 
long  after  this  time.  The  subject  of  the  Canal,  however, 
was  one  of  absorbing  interest  with  the  citizens  of  Louisville 
from  this  time  forward,  and  various  plans  were  proposed, 
adopted,  rejected  and  discussed,  until  the  incorporation 
of  the  present  Canal  Company  in  1825.  The  movement 
toward  removing  the  obstruction  in  the  river  in  any  form 
had  its  opponents,  who  urged  that  the  sole  commercial 
advantage  to  be  possessed  by  the  city  consisted  in  the 


HISTORY   OF    LOUISVILLE.  113 


necessity  for  numerous  commission  and  forwarding  hou- 
ses to  receive  and  reship  the  vast  quantities  of  merchan- 
dise which  were  to  pass  up  and  down  this  great  artery. 
Among  the  many  plans  suggested  for  overcoming  the 
break  in  the  navigation  of  the  river,  one  of  the  earliest 
and  most  strongly  urged  was  one  which  has  yet  its  warm 
and  earnest  adherents, — this  is  the  construction  of  a  Ca- 
nal on  the  Indiana  shore, — a  plan  which  the  citizens 
of  Louisville  have  long  since  ceased  to  look  upon  except 
with  aversion,  but  which  the  residents  in  a  sister  city  are 
still  urging  with  a  violence  which  proves,  contemptu- 
ously as  they  may  speak  of  Louisville,  that  their  fears 
of  her  as  a  rival  city  are  strong  enough  to  induce  them 
to  wish  to  cripple,  if  not  to  destroy  her.     Former  sur- 
veys have  all  long  since  proved  the  Kentucky  shore  to 
be  best  suited  to  the  purposes  of  a  Canal,  and  the  inad- 
equacy of  the  present  construction  to  the  growing  trade 
of  the  river  does  not  seem  to  demonstrate  the  necessity 
for  still  further  obstructing  its  course,  even  during  high 
water,  by  an  additional  ditch  on  the  other  bank. 

Another  of  the  plans  suggested  at  this  time,  proposed 
the  blasting  of  a  channel  which  would  unite  all  the  wa- 
ter into  one  stream  at  low  stages.  The  bed  of  the  river 
was  also  surveyed  to  ascertain  the  expediency  of  making 
a  slack  water  navigation  by  means  of  one  or  more  dams 
or  locks.  All  of  these  and  various  others  were  howev- 
ever  merged  in  the  construction  of  the  present  Canal, 
which  will  be  noticed  at  the  appropriate  period  of  this 
history. 

With  the  next  year  comes  another  enactment  of  As- 
semblv  with  the  following  amusing  preamble: — ''Where- 


114  HISTORY    OF    LOUISVILLE. 


as  it  is  represented  to  the  present  General  Assembly 
that  a  number  of  persons  residing  in  the  town  of  Lou- 
isville, are  in  the  habit  of  raising,  and  are  now  possessed 
of  large  numbers  of  Svnne^  to  the  great  injury  of  the 
citizens  generally;  and  that  there  are  a  number  of  ponds 
of  water  in  said  town,  which  are  nuisances,  and  injuri- 
ous to  the  health  of  the  city  and  the  prosperity  of  the 
town:  Be  it  therefore  enacted — That  the  present  Trus- 
tees of  the  said  town,  and  their  successors,  or  a  majority 
of  them,  shall  have  full  power  and  authority  to  remove 
the  same  &c."  The  latter  of  these  nuisances  has  dis- 
appeared under  the  efforts  of  the  "said  successors,"  but 
even  the  distinguished  Mr..  Dickens  will  bear  us  wit- 
ness that  the  law  against  the  former  remains  to  this  day 
a  dead  letter. 

Another  of  the  provisions  of  this  same  act  invests  the 
Trustees  with  power  to  levy  a  sum  not  exceeding  eight 
hundred  dollars  for  the  purpose  of  repairing  the  streets, 
and  in  consideration  thereof  exempts  those  citizens  from 
working  on  the  streets,  who  shall  pay  an  equivalent  of  75 
cents  in  money.  It  also  gives  the  Trustees  power  to  make 
regulations  and  by-laws  for  the  proper  preservation  of  or- 
der, to  appoint  a  tax  collector  &c.,  and  extends  the  privi- 
lege of  voting  for  Trustees  to  the  residents  of  the  ten  and 
twenty  acre  lots,  thereby  increasing  the  purlieus  of  the 
town  to  the  present  site  of  Chestnut  street. 

In  speaking  of  the  navigation  and  commerce  of  this 
period,  Dr.  McMurtrie  tells  us  that  in  1806  "six  keel 
boats  and  two  barges;  the  one  of  thirty  tons,  belong- 
ing to  Reed,  of  Cincinnati;  the  other  of  forty,  owned  by 
Instone,  of  Frankfort;  sufficed  for  the  carrvino-  trade  of 


HISTORY    OF   LOUISVILLE.  115 


Louisville  and  Shippingport."  The  rapid  and  almost 
magical  increase  of  trade  in  less  than  fifty  years  after 
this  will  at  once  suggest  itself  to  every  reader. 

Mr.  r.  Gumming,  the  first  European  traveler  who 
passed  through  Louisville,  of  whose  record  we  have  any 
knowledge,  thus  states  his  impressions  of  the  town  du- 
ring this  year.  He  says: — "I  had  thought  Cincinnati 
one  of  the  most  beautiful  towns  I  had  seen  in  Ameri- 
ca, but  Louisville,  which  is  almost  as  large,  equals  it 
in  beauty,  and  in  the  opinion  of  many  exceeds  it.  It 
was  considered  as  unhealthy,  which  impeded  its  pro- 
gress until  three  or  four  years  ago,  when,  probably  in 
consequence  of  the  country  being  more  opened,  bilious 
complaints  ceased  to  be  so  frequent,  and  it  is  now  con- 
sidered by  the  inhabitants  as  healthy  as  any  town  on 
the  river.  There  is  a  Market  House,  where  is  a  good 
market  every  Wednesday  and  Saturday.  Great  retail 
business  is  done  here,  and  much  produce  shipped  to  ISTew 
Orleans." 

In  the  year  1807,  we  get  the  first  mention  of  a  news- 
paper published  in  Louisville.  We  are  not  able  how- 
ever to  give  any  account  of  its  origin,  ownership  or  his- 
tory. It  is  known  only  from  an  enactment  of  Assem- 
bly requiring  certain  laws  to  be  published  in  its  col- 
umns. It  was  called  the  "Farmer's  Library."  Similar 
mention  is  also  made  during  the  next  year  of  a  paper 
called  "The  Louisville  Gazette."  Whether  it  succeed- 
ed the  "Farmer's  Library,"  as  the  acts  of  Assembly  would 
seem  to  show,  or  was  cotemporary  with  it  is  not  known; 
a  bare  mention  of  its  name  is  all  that  is  left  to  posterity. 
In  America,  the  presence  of  the  newspaper  is  ever  the 


116  HISTORY    OF   LOUISVILLE. 

mark  of  peace,  and  quiet,  and  comfort.  What  to  those 
of  other  nations  is  the  luxury  of  affluent  ease  is  to  the 
American  the  earliest  of  necessities.  The  moment  the 
rifle  is  laid  aside,  the  newspaper  is  taken  up.  It  is  in- 
cident upon  his  every  conquest,  whether  of  man  or  of 
nature.  The  click  of  his  rifle  is  succeeded  by  that  of 
his  types,  and  the  roar  of  his  cannon  has  hardly  ceased 
till  we  hear  the  roll  of  his  press. 

Ten  years  having  now  elapsed  since  a  statistical  table 
of  the  town  has  been  examined  it  msiy  not  be  uninter- 
esting to  furnish  another  list  of  the  taxable  property  with- 
in its  limits.  It  will  be  recollected  that  the  entire  list 
of  1797  amounted  to  £31  15s  6d.  Let  us  now  turn  to 
the  list  for  the  present  year  as  shown  by  the  assessor's 
books,  and  mark  the  rapid  increase  of  these  ten  years. 

$74,000  value  of  lots  at  10  per  cent $740  00 

113  White  T vthes  at  50c 56  50 

82Black       "     over  16  years,  at  25c 20  50 

83     "  "     under  16"     at  12i^c 10  38 

11  Retail  Stores  at  §5 55  00 

3  Tavern  Licenses  at  $2 6  0 

30  Carriage  Wheels  at  123>^c  per  wheel 3  75 

2  BQliard  Tables  at  $2  50 5  00 

131  Horses  at  12i^ 16  37 

Total $913  50 

Without  pausing  to  remark  further  on  this  comparative 
statement,  we  pass  on  to  the  next  event  worthy  of  a  place 
in  this  brief  chronicle.  This  was  the  erection  of  a  The- 
ater in  Louisville,  which  occurred  early  in  1808.  We 
have  no  means  of  ascertaining  who  were  the  original 
projectors  of  this  enterprise,  but  we  have  the  authority 
of  Dr.  McMurtrie  for  stating  that  until  1818,  it  was 


HISTORY    OF   LOUISVILLE.  117 


"but  little  better  than  a  barn."  At  that  time,  however, 
it  fell  into  the  hands  of  the  celebrated  Mr.  Drake,  under 
whose  auspices  was  established  the  golden  era  of  the  Dra- 
ma in  the  West.  J^ot  only  did  this  gentleman  please 
the  taste  and  gratify  the  judgment  of  his  audience,  but 
he  absolutely  created  a  high  standard  of  taste  and  judg- 
ment among  them,  the  effects  of  which  are  still  percep- 
tible here.  It  is  chiefly  to  the  education  received  under 
his  management  that  the  critical  talent  of  our  Theatrical 
audiences  of  to  day,  so  well  known  and  so  generally  ac- 
knowledged by  the  profession,  is  owing.  Many  whose 
names  are  now  prominent  in  histrionic  art  took  the  ini- 
tiatory steps  in  their  career  under  Mr.  Drake's  regime 
here.  This  Theater  stood  upon  the  IN'orth  side  of  Jef- 
ferson street,  between  Third  and  Fourth,  and  was  de- 
stroyed by  fire  in  1843.  For  a  long  time  previous  to  its 
destiniction,  however,  it  had  ceased  to  be  the  resort  of 
any  but  the  most  profligate  members  of  society.  Even 
before  the  destruction  of  the  City  Theater,  Mr.  Coleman 
undertook  the  erection  of  a  new  dramatic  temple  at  the 
South-east  corner  of  Green  and  Fourth  streets,  but  from 
some  cause  did  not  proceed  further  than  the  erection  of 
the  outer  walls.  This  unfinished  building  was  after- 
wards purchased  by  Mr.  Bates  of  Cincinnati,  and  was 
by  him  opened  for  the  first  time  early  in  the  year  1846, 
sin^  when  it  has  been  regularly  opened  during  a  part 
of  every  year,  and  performances  creditable  alike  to  the 
judgement  cf  its  manager,  and  the  taste  of  its  audiences 
have  been  regularly  given. 


CHAPTEE  Y. 

The  series  of  details,  mostly  of  an  uninteresting  and 
dry  nature,  which  were  so  hastily  passed  over  in  the  last 
chapter  seem  to  have  been  but  the  precursors  to  events 
of  a  character  far  more  important  to  the  interests  of  the 
city  and  far  more  agreeable  to  the  reader.  Before  we 
approach,  however,  the  one  great  event  which  opened  a 
new  theater  of  action  to  the  city,  and  developed  resources 
before  undreamed  of — the  steam  navigation  of  the  Ohio. 
It  will  be  necessary,  to  preserve  the  order  in  which  this 
history  has  been  written,  to  stop  to  notice  two  or  three 
lesser  matters. 

Louisville,  having  become,  from  her  peculiar  position 
as  a  half-way  house  between  the  North  and  the  South, 
the  resort  of  numbers  of  strangers,  it  became  necessary 
establish  a  police  for  the  security  of  persons  and  proper- 
ty. This  was  done  in  1810  by  the  appointment  of  two 
Watchmen,  John  Ferguson  and  Edward  Dowler,  at  a 
salary  of  $250  per  annum;  and  the  records  of  the  time 
do  not  show  that  these  persons  held  their  office  as  a 
sinecure. 

The  rogues  having  been  thus  placed  under  supervision, 
it  became  necessary  to  have  a  proper  place  for  the  ad- 
ministration of  justice  to  them.  In  pursuance  of  this 
idea  a  Court  House  was  erected  in  the  centre  of  a  large 
square  now  bounded  by  Fifth,  Seventh,  Market  and 
Jefferson  Streets,     This  building  w^s  ma4e  of  brick  af-^ 


HISTORY   OF    LOUISVILLE.  119 


ter  a  plan  drawn  by  John  Gwathmey  and  was  finished 
in  1811.  The  precise  site  of  the  house  is  now  occupied 
by  a  part  of  the  present  Jail.  It  fronted  on  Sixth  Street, 
and  consisted  of  a  main  building  with  two  wings  attach- 
ed. In  front  of  the  main  building  was  a  lofty  Ionic 
portico,  supported  by  four  columns.  Long  before  this 
building  was  removed,  these  columns,  which  were  built 
of  wood,  gave  convincing  and  thoroughly  American 
proof  that  they  had  been  consigned  to  other  uses  than 
those  intended  by  their  projectors.  Notwithstanding 
their  great  size,  the  attacks  made  upon  them  by  the  pen- 
knives of  the  attachees  of  the  court  had  actually  severed 
one  of  them,  and  the  wood  within  convenient  reach  of  a 
man's  hand  which  remained  in  the  other  three,  would 
hardly  have  served  for  one  day's  good  whittUng,'^^ 
This  edifice  was,  in  its  earlier  days,  the  handsomest  of 
its  kind  in  the  western  country.  It  was  pulled  down  in 
1836,  in  order  to  make  room  for  the  new  structure  un- 
dertaken, but  never  completed,  in  1837. 

This  sublime  monument  of  the  city's  folly,  was  begun 
on  a  scale  of  unexampled  magnificence,  and  had  it  been 
possible  to  complete  it,  would  have  been  one  of  the  most 
beautiful  buildings  in  the  West.  It  still  stands  an  al- 
most mouldering  ruin,  its  half- finished  grandeur  con- 
stantly recalling  the  parable  of  the  foolish  man  who 
"began  to  build  and  was  not  able  to  finish." 

We  come  now  to  notice  an  event  of  vital  importance, 
not  only  to  Louisville,  but  to  the  whole  West.  This 
was  the  commencement  of  Steam  Navigation  on  the 
western  rivers.  In  October  of  1811,  Fulton's  steamboat 
called  the  "New  Orleans,"  intended  to  run  from  the 


120  HISTORY   Oi^   LOUISVILLE. 


port  of  that  name  to  Xatcliez,  left  Pittsburg  for  its  point 
of  destination.  At  this  time  there  were  but  two  steam- 
boats on  this  continent ;  these  w^ere  the  North  River 
and  The  Clermont,  and  they  were  occupied  on  the  Hud- 
son Kiver.  The  New  Orleans  on  her  first  trip  took 
neither  freight  nor  passengers.  Her  inmates  "were  Mr. 
Roosevelt,  an  associate  of  Fulton,  with  his  wife  and 
family,  Mr.  Baker,  the  engineer,  Andrew  Jack,  the  pi- 
lot, and  six  hands  with  a  few  domestics."  Her  landing 
at  Louisville  is  thus  described  in  Latrobe's  Rambler  in 
America. 

"Late  at  night  on  the  fourth  day  after  quitting  Fitts- 
burg,  they  arrived  in  safety  at  Louisville,  having  been 
but  seventy  hours  descending  upwards  of  seven  hundred 
miles.  The  novel  appearance  of  the  vessel,  and  the 
fearful  rapidity  with  which  it  made  its  passage  over  the 
broad  reaches  of  the  river,  excited  a  mixture  of  terror 
and  sm'prise  among  many  of  the  settlers  on  the  banks, 
whom  the  rumor  of  such  an  invention  had  never  reach- 
ed; and  it  is  related  that  on  the  unexpected  arrival  of 
the  boat  before  Louisville,  in  the  course  of  a  fine  still 
moonlight  night,  the  extraordinary  sound  which  filled 
the  air  as  the  pent-up  steam  was  sufiered  to  escape  fr'om 
the  valves  on  rounding  to,  produced  a  general  alarm, 
and  multitudes  in  the  town  rose  from  their  beds  to  as- 
certain the  cause.  I  have  heard  that  the  general  im- 
pression among  the  Kentuckians  was,  that  the  comet 
had  fallen  into  the  Ohio;  but  this  does  not  rest  upon 
the  same  foundation  as  the  other  facts  which  I  lay  be- 
fore you,  and  which,  I  may  at  once  say,  I  had  directly 
from  the  lips  of  the  parties  themselves." 


mSTORY   of-   LOUISVILLE.  121 


The  water  on  the  falls  did  not  allow  the  Orleans  to 
pass  on  to  Natchez  and  she  consequently  made  use  of 
her  time  of  detention  by  making  several  trips  to  and 
from  Cincinnati.  Toward  the  last  of  November  she  was 
enabled  to  pass  the  rapids,  and  after  having  weathered 
out  the  earthquakes,  reached  Natchez  about  the  1st  of 
January,  1812.  This  boat  was  finally  wrecked  near 
Baton  Rouge,  where  she  struck  on  her  upward  passage 
from  New  Orleans. 

From  this  event  we  may  date  the  prosperity  of  Louis- 
ville as  a  fixed  fact.  At  the  head  of  ascending  and  the 
foot  of  descending  navigation,  all  the  wealth  of  the  west- 
ern country  must  pass  through  her  hands.  Such  ad- 
vantages as  were  here  presented  could  not  go  unheeded. 
It  became  only  necessary  for  the  people  to  be  convinced 
of  the  efficacy  of  steamboat  navigation,  and  the  oppor- 
tunities held  out  to  the  capitalist  by  Louisville  must  be 
seen  and  embraced. 

But  as  if  to  counterbalance  the  dawning  of  this  great 
good,  there  came  with  it  a  gi'eat  evil;  for  it  was  in  De- 
cember of  this  year  that  the  first  of  a  series  of  terrible  and 
violent  earthquakes  was  felt  at  Louisville;  these  carried 
consternation  to  the  hearts  of  all  her  citizens;  and  during 
the  four  months  of  their  almost  constant  recurrance 
there  was  little  either  of  leisure  or  inclination  for  polit- 
ical progress.  The  first  of  the  shocks  was  felt  on  the 
16th  of  December  at  2  h.  15  m.  in  the  morning.  Mr. 
Jared  Brookes  says  of  it:  "It  seems  as  if  the  surface 
of  the  earth  was  afloat  and  set  in  motion  by  a  slight  ap- 
plication of  immense  power,  but  when  this  regularity  is 
broken  b}'  a  sudden  cross  shove,  all  order  is  destroyed, 


122  HISTORY    OF   LOUISVILLE. 


and  a  boiling  action  is  produced,  during  tlie  continuance 
of  which  the  degree  of  violence  is  greatest,  and  the  scene 
most  dreadful;  houses  and  other  objects  oscillate  large- 
ly, irregularly  and  in  different  directions.  A  gi-eat  noise 
is  produced  by  the  agitation  of  all  the  loose  matter  in 
town,  but  no  other  sound  is  heard;  the  general  conster- 
nation is  great,  and  the  damage  done  considerable ; 
gable  ends,  parapets,  and  chimneys  of  many  houses  are 
thrown  down."  The  whole  duration  of  this  shock  from 
the  earliest  tremor  to  the  last  oscillation  was  about  four 
minutes.  This  shock  was  succeeded  during  the  same 
day  by  two  others  of  almost  equal  power.  It  is  related 
that  when  it  was  felt,  several  gentlemen  were  amusing 
themselves  with  cards  when  some  one  rushed  in  crying, 
"Gentlemen,  how  can  you  be  engaged  in  this  way  when 
the  world  is  so  near  its  end?"  The  card-table  was  im- 
mediately deserted  for  the  street,  where  from  the  vibra- 
tory motion  the  very  stars  seemed  toppling  to  a  fall. 
"What  a  pity,"  philosophized  one  of  the  party,  "that  so 
beautiful  a  world  should  be  thus  destroyed!"  "Almost 
every  one  of  them,"  says  a  historian  of  the  incident, 
"believed  that  mother  Earth,  as  she  heaved  and  strug- 
gled, was  in  her  last  agony." 

During  the  prevalence  of  the  earthquakes,  it  was  cus- 
tomary to  suspend  some  object  so  as  to  act  as  a  pendu- 
lum in  all  the  rooms  and  by  the  degree  of  its  motion  to 
determine  the  probable  amount  of  danger.  If  the  pen- 
dulum began  to  vibrate  freely,  the  house  was  instantly 
deserted.  Those  who  inhabited  the  loftier  and  statelier 
mansions  were,  at  least  for  the  time  being,  free  from  the 
envy  of  their  humble  neighbors,  with  whom  they  would 


HIS'iOKY    OF    LOUISVILLE.  123 


then  have  freely  exchanged  tenements.  The  possession 
of  a  princely  edifice  would  then  have  been  a  source  of 
regret  rather  than  of  pride  or  of  congratulation.  It  is 
said,  that  unlike  the  gTeat  calamities  of  other  times,  this 
one  had  a  good  efiect  upon  the  public  morals.  The  rea- 
son of  this  may  probably  be  found  in  the  fact  that  while 
this  was  a  source  of  constant  terror  and  alarm,  it  was  yet 
not  of  a  character  to  produce  that  despair  which  leads 
men  to  seek  to  drown  all  thoughts  of  a  future  in  the 
reckless  pursuit  of  pleasure  or  of  forgetfulness. 

Mr.  Jared  Brooks  who  preserved  a  faitliful  scientific 
account  of  these  earthquakes  refers  to  that  of  the  7th  of 
February,  1812,  as  the  most  violent  endured  at  any  pe- 
riod during  their  continuance.  It  occurred  at  3  h.  15 
m.  in  the  morning  and,  as  this  gentleman's  account  says, 
"was  preceded  by  frequent  slight  motions  for  several 
minutes;  duration  of  great  violence  at  least  4  minutes, 
then  gradually  moderated  by  exertions  of  lessening 
strength,  but  continued  a  constant  motion  more  than 
two  hours;  then  followed  a  succession  of  distinct  tremors 
or  jarrings  at  short  intervals  until  10  h.  A.  M.,  when, 
for  a  few  seconds,  a  shock  of  some  degree  of  severity,  af- 
ter which  frequent  jarrings  and  slight  tremors  during  the 
day,  once,  at  least  in  ten  minutes.  At  8  h.  10  m.  P.  M. 
a  shock  of  second-rate  violence,  and  during  some  min- 
utes two  others  at  equal  periods,  connected  by  continual 
tremor  of  considerable  severity;  the  last  shock  was  vio- 
lent in  the  first  degree,  but  of  too  short  duration  to  do 
much  injury.  At  10  h.  10  m.  P.  M,  after  frequent 
considerable  motions,  the  shock  comes  on  violent  in  the 
second  degree,  strengthens  to  tremendous,  holds  at  that 


124  HISTORY    OF    LOUISVILLE. 


about  seven  seconds,  then  trembles  away;  severe  about 
five  minutes ;  frequent  tremors  follow,  and  a  shock  of 
third-rate  violence.  The  action  then  ceases  for  a  time." 
With  one  more  extract  from  Mr.  Brooks,  we  shall  con- 
clude this  account  of  the  celebrated  earthquakes  of  1811. 
This  is  a  table  showing  the  number  and  relative  value 
of  all  the  earthquakes  experienced  here.  It  is  preced- 
ed by  a  lucid  explanation  of  the  degrees  of  violence  re- 
feiTcd  to  in  the  table,  and  shows  at  a  glance  the  number 
and  intensity  of  the  shocks. 

'''First -Rate. — Most  tremendous,  so  as  to  threaten 
the  destruction  of  the  town,  and  which  would  soon  effect 
it,  should  the  action  continue  with  the  same  degree  of 
violence;  buildings  oscillate  largely  and  irregularly,  and 
grind  against  each  other;  the  walls  split  and  begin  to 
yield;  chimneys,  parapets  and  gable  ends  break  in  va- 
rious directions  and  topple  to  the  ground. 

''^Second- Rate. — Less  violent,  but  very  severe, 

^'' Third- Rate. — Moderate,  but  alarming  to  people 
generally. 

'^ Fourth- Rate. — Perceptible  to  the  feeling  of  those 
who  are  still  and  not  subject  to  other  motion  or  sort  of 
jarring,  that  may  resemble  this. 

''''Sixth- Rate. — Althouo'h  often  causinsf  a  strans-e  sort 
of  sensation,  absence,  and  sometimes  gidiness,  the  mo- 
tion is  not  to  be  ascertained  positively;  but  by  the  vi- 
brators or  other  objects  placed  for  that  purpose. 


HISTORY   OF  LOUISVILLE. 


125 


TABLE. 


|End  of  each  Week 

1  1st 

2d     1 

3d 

4th     1 

5th     1 

6th  Rate.  | 

Total. 

December  22 

3 

2 

3 

1 

12 

66 

87 

29 

0 

0 

0 

0 

6 

150 

156 

January       5 

0 

1 

2 

9 

3 

119 

134 

12 

0 

1 

0 

10 

0 

150 

161 

19 

0 

0 

0 

4 

6 

55 

65 

26 

1 

1 

7 

2 

2 

78 

91 

February     2 

1 

0 

4 

6 

7 

191 

209 

9 

3 

5 

7 

5 

15 

140 

175 

16 

0 

0 

3 

6 

12 

1          65 

86 

'<         23 

0 

0 

4 

6 

4 

278 

292 

March         1 

0 

0 

1 

4 

8 

126 

139 

8 

0 

0 

2 

9 

8 

39 

58 

15 

0 

0 

2 

3 

6 

210 

221 

Total 

8    J 

10 

35 

65 

89 

1667 

1874 

The  good  effect  which,  as  before  mentioned,  was  pro- 
duced upon  the  morals  of  the  town  by  this  succession  of 
dangers  does  not  seem  to  have  been  of  permanent  value 
if  we  may  credit  a  writer  in  the  Bedford  Pa.  Gazette,  in 
the  year  1814,  who  makes  himself  very  merry  over  what 
he  is  pleased  to  term  the  "devout  paroxisms"  of  the 
good  citizens  of  this  place,  as  will  appear  by  the  follow- 
ing communication. 

He  says:  "At  Louisville,  in  the  State  of  Kentucky, 
a  town  about  four  times  as  large  as  Bedford,  they  have 
no  church.  When  the  earthquake  gave  them  the  first 
shock,  they  grew  very  devout  in  one  night;  and  on  the 
next  day  with  long  faces,  they  subscribed  a  thousand 
dollars  to  build  a  house  of  public  worship.  Thus  the 
matter  rested  until  the  second  shock  came,  when  another 
devout  paroxism  produced  another  thousand  dollars.  It 
rested  again  till  a  third  earthquake  and  devout  fit  pro- 
duced another  subscription  to  the  same  amount.  There 
was  no  more  of  the  matter.  The  earthquake  did  not 
return,  and  the  Louisvillians  concluded  the  devil  would 


12G  HISTORY    OF    LOUISVILLE. 


not  send  for  them  for  a  few  years  more,  and  in  the  mean 
time  determined  to  be  merry.  They  immediately  built 
a  theater,  which  cost  them  seven  thousand  dollars,  and 
employed  a  company  of  actors,  the  oflscourings  of  mar- 
atime  city  theaters.  To  this  company  they  gave  about 
five  hundred  dollars  per  week,  till  at  length  the  actors, 
instead  of  raising  the  curtain,  broke  through  it  and 
broke  each  other's  heads  with  sticks,  and  the  heads  of 
some  of  the  auditors  who  interfered.  The  earthquakes 
have  lately  begun  to  shake  Louisville  again,  but  whether 
they  laugh  or  pray  I  have  not  heard." 

The  Western  Courier,  published  at  Louisville,  copies 
this  article,  with  some  stringent  remarks  upon  its  con- 
tents; and  attributes  the  authorship  of  it  to  some  actor 
whose  efibrts  in  his  profession  had  not  been  duly  honor- 
ed by  the  people  whom  he  villifies.  Who  is  in  the  right 
in  this  matter  it  is  now  impossible  to  say;  but  it  is  cer- 
tain that  the  author  of  the  article  in  question  is  guilty 
of  an  anachronism,  for  it  will  be  remembered  that  the 
theater  was  built  previous  to  the  commencement  of  the 
earthquakes.  It  is,  however,  unquestionably  true  that 
the  theater  was  built  several  years  before  a  church  edi- 
fice of  any  kind  was  attempted. 

The  newspaper  from  which  this  article  was  copied 
was  commenced  here  in  October  or  xTovember  of  1810, 
by  Nicholas  Clarke,  It  was  published  weekly  at  three 
dollars  per  annum,  and  contained  for  the  most  part  little 
else  than  news  of  the  wars,  acts  of  Assembly  and  of  Con- 
gi-ess,  and  advertisements.  In  1814,  Mann  Butler  join- 
ed Mr.  Clarke  in  the  editorship  of  the  paper,  but  did  not 
continue  long  in  his  chair.     The  Louisville  Correspond- 


HISTORY    OF   LOUISYIIJ.E.  12Y 


ent  was  issued  at  about  the  same  time,  and  edited  by 
Col.  E.  C.  Barry.  It  was  discontimied  in  1817.  It  is 
believed  that  there  are  no  files  of  it  in  existence  now. 

Reference  to  all  the  early  files  of  newspapers  publish- 
ed at  this  day,  will  show  how  gradual  and  yet  how  cer- 
tain was  the  progress  of  steamboat  navigation  on  the 
Ohio.  The  arrival  of  every  boat  was  carefully  noted 
and  always  accompanied  with  a  great  flourish  of  trum- 
pets and  a  renewed  eulogy  on  the  wonders  of  the  new 
invention.  Much  credit  is  due  to  Capt.  H.  M.  Shreve, 
lately  of  St.  Louis,  for  his  indefatigable  and  successful 
endeavors  to  improve  as  well  as  to  enlarge  this  promi- 
nent branch  of  commerce.  As  is  well  known,  Fulton 
and  Livingston  held  a  patent  for  the  entire  right  to  nav- 
igate all  the  rivers  in  the  United  Stages  for  a  certain 
number  of  years.  But  Mr.  Shreve,  seeing  the  injustice 
of  this  grant  and  doubting  its  legality,  openly  defied  it ; 
and  finally,  after  much  eifort  and  not  a  little  pecuniary 
loss,  succeeded  in  1816  in  removing  the  grant  and  tlu'ow- 
ing  open  the  navigation  of  the  public  highways  to  all . 
It  will  not  be  uninteresting  to  the  reader,  while  upon 
this  fruitful  topic,  to  glance  at  a  list  of  all  the  steamboats 
employed  upon  the  western  waters  until  1819.  This 
list  is  copied  from  Dr.  McMurtrie,  whose  data  is  not  al- 
ways implicitly  reliableT  It  has  however  been  correct- 
ed as  far  as  was  practicable  at  this  remote  period.  The 
present  tense,  whenever  employed ,  is  meant  to  refer  to 
the  year  1819. 


128  HISTORY    OF    LOUISVILLE. 


STEAMBOATS  EMPLOYED  ON  THE  WESTERN  WATERS   FROM 

1812  TO  1819. 

1st.  The  Orleans — the  first  boat  built  at  Pittsburg, 
owned  by  and  constructed  under  the  superintendence  of 
Mr.  Fulton.  Sailed  from  Pittsburg  in  October,  1811,  and 
arrived  at  her  destination,  Xatchez,  about  the  1st  Janu- 
ary, 1812.  She  ran  between  New  Orleans  and  Natchez 
about  two  years,  making  her  voyages  to  average  seven- 
teen days;  was  wrecked  near  Baton  Kouge,  where  she 
sunk  on  the  upward  bound  passage;  400  tons  burthen. 

2d.  The  Comet — owned  by  Samuel  Smith;  built  at 
Pittsburg  by  Daniel  French;  stern- wheel  and  vibrating 
cylinder;  on  French's  patent  granted  in  1809.  The 
Comet  made  a  voyage  to  Louisville  in  the  summer  of 
1813;  and  descended  to  New  Orleans  in  the  Spring  of 
1814;  made  two  voyages  to  Natchez,  and  was  sold;  the 
engine  put  up  in  a  cotton  gin;  45  tons  burthen. 

3d.  The  Vesuvius — built  at  Pittsburg  by  Fulton, 
and  owned  by  a  company  of  gentlemen  belonging  to  New 
York  and  New  Orleans.  Sailed  from  New  Orleans  in 
the  Spring  of  1814,  commanded  by  Captain  Frank  Og- 
den.  She  was  then  employed  some  months  between 
New  Orleans  and  Natchez,  under  the  command  of  Cap- 
tain Clemmont,  who  was  succeeded  by  Captain  John 
DeHart;  shortly  after  she  took  fire,  near  the  city  of  New 
Orleans  and  burned  to  the  water's  edoce;  havino:  a  valu- 
able  cargo  on  board.  She  was  afterwards  raised  and 
built  upon  at  New  Orleans.  She  has  since  been  in  the 
Louisville  trade,  and  has  lately  been  sold  to  a  company 
at  Natchez;  390  tons  burthen. 

4th.  The  Enterjprise — built  at  Brownsville,  Pennsyl- 


HISTORY   OF   LOUISVILLE.  129 


vania,  on  the  Monongahela,  by  Daniel  French,  on  his 
patent,  and  owned  by  a  company  at  that  place.  She 
made  two  voyages  to  Louisville  in  the  summer  of  1814, 
under  the  command  of  Captain  J.  Gregg.  On  the  first 
of  December  she  took  in  a  cargo  of  ordinance  stores  at 
Pittsburg,  and  sailed  for  IN^ew  Orleans,  commanded  by 
Captain  H.  M.  Shreve,  and  arrived  at  ISTew  Orleans  on 
the  14th  of  the  same  month.  She  made  one  voyage  to 
the  Gulf  of  Mexico  as  a  cartel;  one  voyage  to  the  rapids  of 
Ked  River  with  troops;  nine  voyages  to  Natchez;  set  out 
for  Pittsburgh  on  the  6th  May,  and  arrived  at  Shipping- 
port  on  the  30th,  (25  days  out,)  being  the  first  steamboat 
that  ever  arrived  at  that  port  from  I^ew  Orleans.  From 
thence  she  proceeded  on  to  Pittsburgh,  and  the  com- 
mand was  given  to  Captain  D.  Wooley,  who  lost  her 
about  twelve  months  after  in  Kock  harbor  at  Shipping- 
port;  45  tons  burthen. 

5th.  ^tna^L^mlt  at  Pittsburg,  and  owned  by  the  same 
company  as  the  Vesiiviics-,  sailed  from  Pittsburg  for  New 
Orleans  in  March,  1815,  under  the  command  of  Captain 
A.  Gale,  and  arrived  in  April  following;  continued  in 
the  Natchez  trade.  Was  then  commanded  by  Captain 
R.  De  Hart,  who  made  six  voyages  in  her  to  Louisville; 
and  is  now  commanded  by  Captain  A.  Gale  in  the  same 
trade. 

6th.  The  DispcUcTi — built  at  Brownsville,  on  French's 
patent,  and  owned  by  the  same  company  as  the  Enter- 
prise.  She  made  several  voyages  from  Pittsburg  to 
Louisville,  and  one  from  New  Orleans  to  Shippingport, 
where  she  now  lies  a  wreck,  her  engine  out;  was  com- 
manded by  Captain  J.  Gregg;  25  tons  burthen, 


130  HISTORY    OF    LOUISVILLE. 


7th  and  8th.  ThQ Buffalo^  300  tons;  and  James  Mon- 
roe^ 90  tons;  built  at  Pittsburg  by  Lati'obe,  for  a  compa- 
ny at  Kew  York,  but  failed  in  finishing  them.  They 
were  sold  at  Sheriflf's  sale,  and  fell  into  the  hands  of 
Mr.  Whiting,  and  finished  by  him  with  engines;  both 
dull  sailers. 

9th.  Washington — a  two-decker;  built  at  Wheeling, 
Virginia;  constructed  and  partly  owned  by  Captain  H. 
M.  Shreve;  her  engine  was  made  at  Brownsville,  under 
the  immediate  direction  of  Captain  Shreve.  Her  boil- 
ers are  on  the  upper  deck,  being  the  first  boat  on  that 
plan,  and  is  a  valuable  improvement  by  Captain  Shreve, 
which  is  now  generally  in  use.  The  Washington  crossed 
the  falls  in  September,  1816,  commanded  by  Captain 
Shreve,  went  to  Xew  Orleans,  and  returned  to  Louisville 
in  the  winter.  In  the  month  of  March,  1817,  she  left 
Shippingport  a  second  time,  proceeded  to  Xew  Orleans, 
and  returned  to  Shippingport,  being  absent  but  45  days. 
This  was  the  trip  that  convinced  the  despairing  public 
that  steamboa.t  navisfation  would  succeed  on  the  western 
waters.  She  has  since  been  running  with  similar  suc- 
cess in  the  same  trade;  400  tons  burthen. 

10th.  The  Franhlin — ^built  at  Pittsburg,  by  Messrs. 
Shires  and  Cromwell;  engine  built  by  George  Evans; 
sailed  from  Pittsburg  in  December  1816;  was  sold  at 
iSTew  Orleans,  and  has  been  in  the  Louisville  and  St.  Lou- 
is trade  since  that  time;  she  was  sunk  in  the  Mississippi 
near  St.  Genevieve  a  few  months  since,  under  the  com- 
mand of  Captain  Reed,  on  her  way  to  St.  Louis;  150 
tons  burthen. 

11th.  The  Oliver  jEi^ans\  (now  the  Constitution^ 


HISTORY   OF  LOUISVILLE.  131 


75  tons;  was  built  at  Pittsburg  by  Mr.  George  Evans; 
engine  his  patent.  She  left  Pittsburg  in  December,  1816, 
for  New  Orleans;  in  1817  she  burst  one  of  her  boilers, 
off  Coupee,  by  which  eleven  men  lost  their  lives,  prin- 
cipally passengers.  Has  done  but  little  since.  Is  now 
owned  by  Mr.  George  Sutton  and  others  of  Pittsburg; 
75  tons  burthen. 

12th.  The  Harriet — ^built  at  Pittsburg;  owned  and 
constructed  by  Mr.  Armstrong,  of  Williamsport,  Penn- 
sylvania. She  sailed  from  Pittsburg,  October,  1816,  for 
New  Orleans,  and  crossed  the  falls  in  March,  1817;  made 
one  voyage  to  New  Orleans,  and  has  since  run  between 
that  place  and  the  Muscle  Shoals;  40  tons  burthen. 

13th.  The  Pike — a  small  boat  built  by  Mr.  Prentiss, 
of  Henderson,  Kentucky;  run  some  time  from  Louis- 
ville to  St.  Louis;  from  thence  in  the  Red  River  trade. 
Was  lost  on  a  sawyer,  March,  1818;  25  tons  burthen. 

14:th.  The  Kentucky — ^built  at  Frankfort,  Kentucky, 
and  owned  by  Hanson  and  Bos  well;  in  the  Louisville 
trade;  80  tons  burthen. 

15th.  The  Gov.  Shelhy — built  at  Louisville,  Ken- 
tucky, by  Messrs.  Gray,  Gwathmey  and  Gretsinger;  Bol- 
ton and  Watt's  engine.  Now  performing  very  success- 
fully in  the  Louisville  trade;  120  tons  burthen. 

16th.  ThQN'ew  OrZ^c^^^— built  at  Pittsburg  in  1817, 
by  Fulton  and  Livingston;  in  the  Natchez  trade.  Near 
Baton  Rouge,  she  was  sunk  and  raised  again,  and  sunk 
at  New  Orleans  in  Feb.  1819,  about  two  months  after 
her  sinking  near  Baton  Rouge;  300  tons  burthen. 

17th.  The  George  Madison. — ^built  at  Pittsburg  in 
1818,  by  Messrs.  Yoorhies,  Mitchell,  Rodgers,  and  Todd, 


132  HISTORY    OV    LOUISVILLE. 


of  Frankfort,  Kentucky;  in  the  Louisville  trade:  200 
tons  burthen. 

18th.  The  Ohio— biiilt  at  New  Albany  by  Messrs. 
Shreve  and  Blair;  in  the  Louisville  trade;  443  tons  bur- 
then. 

19th.  The  Napoleon-,  built  at  Shippingport  in  1818, 
by  Messrs.  Shreve,  Miller,  and  Breckenridge,  of  Lou- 
isville; in  the  Louisville  trade;  332  tons  burthen. 

20th.  The  Volcano— -hmlt  atlJTew  Albany,  by  Messrs, 
John  and  Eobertson  De  Hart,  in  1808;  in  the  Louisville 
trade;  250  tons  burthen. 

21st.  The  Gen.  Jackson — built  at  Pittsburg  in  1818, 
and  owned  by  Messrs.  B.  Whiting  of  Pittsburg,  and 
Gen.  Carroll  of  Tennessee;  in  the  Nashville  trade;  200 
tons  burthen. 

22d.  The  Eagle— \^m\.i  at  Cincinnati  in  1818,  owned 
by  Messrs.  James  Berthoud  and  Son,  of  Shippingport, 
Kentucky;  in  the  Louisville  trade;  70  tons  burthen. 

23d.  The  ^(?c?«— built  at  Cincinnati  in  1818,  and 
owned  by  Messrs.  Honoreand  Barbaroux,  of  Louisville, 
Kentucky;  in  the  Louisville  trade;  TO  tons  burthen. 

24th.  HhQ  Henderson — built  at  Cincinnati  in  1818, 
and  owned  by  Messrs.  Bowens,  of  Henderson,  Kentucky; 
in  the  Henderson  and  Louisville  trade;  85  tons  burthen. 

25th.  The  Johnson — built  at  Wheeling  in  1818,  by 
George  White,  and  owned  by  Messrs.  J.  and  R.  Johnson, 
of  Kentucky;  in  the  Louisville  trade;  90  tons  burthen. 

26th.  The  Cincinnati — built  at  Cincinnati  in  1818, 
and  owned  by  Messrs,  Peniwit  and  Burns,  of  Cincinna- 
ti, and  Messrs.  Paxton  and  Co.  of  New  Albany;  in  the 
Louisville  trade;  120  tons  burthen. 


HISTORY    OF   LOUISVILLE.  133 


27th.  The  Exchange — ^biiilt  at  Louisville  in  1818, 
and  owned  by  David  L.  Ward,  of  Jefferson  county,  Ken- 
tucky; in  the  Louisville  trade;  200  tons  burthen. 

28th.  The  Louisiana — ^built  at  New  Orleans  in  1818, 
and  owned  by  Mr.  Duplissa  of  Kew  Orleans;  in  the 
Natchez  trade;  45  tons  burthen. 

29th.  The  James  Ross — ^built  at  Pittsburg  in  1818, 
and  owned  by  Messrs.  Whiting  and  Stackpole,  of  Pitts- 
burg; in  the  Louisville  trade.  This  boat  has  lately  made 
a  trip  from  New  Orleans  to  Shippingport,  in  sixteen 
days  and  a  half,  having  lost  sixty  one  hours  and  eight 
minutes  in  discharging  cargo  on  the  way.  Had  on  board 
200  tons  cargo;  330  tons  burthen. 

30th.  The  FranJcfort—\)M\li  at  Pittsburg  in  1818,  and 
owned  by  Messrs.  Yoorhies  and  Mitchell  of  Frankfort, 
Kentucky;  in  the  Louisville  trade;  320  tons  burthen. 

31st.  The  Tamerlane — ^built  at  Pittsburg  in  1818,  and 
owned  by  Messrs.  Boggs  and  Co.,  of  New  York;  in  the 
Louisville  trade;  320  tons  burthen. 

32d.  The  Cedar  Branch — built  in  1818,  and  owned 
at  Maysville,  Kentucky;  in  the  Louisville  trade;  250 
tons  burthen. 

33d.  The  Exjperiment — built  at  Cincinnati  in  1818, 
and  owned  at  that  r)lace;  40  tons  burthen. 

34th  The  St  Louis — built  at  Shippingport  in  1818, 
and  owned  by  Messrs.  Hewes,  Douglass,  Johnson  and 
others;  in  the  St.  Louis  trade;  220  tons  burthen. 

35th.  The  Testa — built  at  Cincinnati  in  1817,  and 
owned  by  Captain  Jenkins  of  that  place;  in  the  Louis- 
ville trade;  100  tons  burthen. 

36th.  The  Rifleman — built  at  Louisville  in  1819,  and 

•^  7 


134  HISTORY    OF    LOUISVILLE. 


owned  by  Messrs.  Butler  and  Earners,   of  Russelville, 
Kentucky;  in  the  Louisville  trade;  250  tons  burthen. 

37th.  The  Alabama — a  small  boat,  built  on  Lake 
Ponchetrane  in  1818;  in  the  Eed  Eiver  trade. 

38th.  The  Rising  States — ^built  at  Pittsburg  in  1819, 
and  owned  by  W.  F.  Peterson  and  Co.,  of  Louisville; 
in  the  Louisville  trade. 

39th.  The  General  Pike — ^built  at  Cincinnati  in  1819, 
intended  to  ply  between  Louisville,  Cincinnati,  and  Mays- 
ville,  as  a  packet,  and  owned  by  a  company  in  Cincinnati. 

4:0th.  The  Indejpendence — owned  by  Captain  ISTelson, 
and  intended  to  ply  between  Louisville  and  St.  Louis. 

41st.  The  United  States — built  at  Jeffersonville,  In- 
diana, in  1819;  owned  by  Hart  and  others,  and  has  two 
separate  engines,  made  in  England.  She  is  doubtless 
the  finest  merchant  steamboat  in  the  universe,  drawing' 
but  little  water,  and  capable  of  carrying  3000  bales  of 
cotton;  in  the  Louisville  trade;  700  tons  burthen. 

The  interest  of  this  subject  and  the  quantity  of  mate- 
rial which  presses  upon  us  in  regard  to  it  have  for  awhile 
led  us  to  forget  the  proper  order  of  our  history,  to  which 
it  will  be  necessary  now  to  revert.  Commencing  thexi 
with  1811  we  have  first  to  record  the  erection  of  a 
Catholic  Chapel  by  the  Rev.  Mr.  Badin.  This  build- 
ing was  situated  upon  a  lot  given  by  Mr.  Tarascon,  near 
the  present  corner  of  Eleventh  and  Main  streets.  It 
was  built  in  the  Gothic  style,  and  was  a  small  edifice. 
The  lot  upon  which  it  stood  was  used  as  the  cemetery  of 
the  church,  and  many  years  afterward  in  digging  out 
Eleventh  street;  skulls,  bones,  and  portions  of  bodies 
were  thrown  up  from  this  graveyard. 


HISTORY    OF   LOUISVILLE.  135 


With  the  opening  of  the  year  1812,  was  commenced 
the  first  Bank  ever  instituted  in  Louisville.  This  was 
the  branch  of  the  Bank  of  Kentucky.  Previous  to  this, 
there  was  an  unincorporated  establishment  named  the 
Louisville  Bank,  whose  capital  of  about  75,000  dollars 
was  thrown  into  this  Bank,  with  an  addition  of  25,000 
dollars,  making  for  the  first  incorporated  Bank  a  capital 
of  100,000  dollars.  This  bank  was  situated  on  the  Xorth 
side  of  Main  street,  near  the  corner  of  Fifth,  and  was 
under  the  direction  of  Thomas  Prather,  *  President,  and 
John  Bastard,  Cashier.  An  additional  impetus  was  also 
given  to  the  commercial  prosperity  of  the  town  by  the 
establishment,  during  this  year,  of  an  iron  foimdry  by 
Mr.  Paul  Skidmore.  The  attention  of  this  foundry  was 
directed  to  casting  gudgeons  for  water  and  horse  mills, 
dog  and  smoothing  irons,  and  odd  oven  lids.  From  this 
small  beginning  arose  that  branch  of  industry  now  so 
large  and  of  so  vital  importance  to  the  city.  A  brief 
sketch  of  the  progress  of  foundries  since  that  time  may 
be  interesting  to  the  reader.  Mr.  Skidmore  was  suc- 
ceeded by  Joshua  Headington,  who  continued  the  same 


*  This  gentleman  was  one  among  tlie  most  distinguished  of  the  early  citi- 
zens of  Louisville.  His  untiring  energy,  his  inflexible  honesty  of  purpose, 
and  his  fine  mental  ability,  all  contributed  to  render  him  conspicuous  in  every 
position  to  which  he  was  called.  An  excellent  epitome  of  his  character  is 
contained  in  a  remark  made  by  him  upon  the  occasion  of  his  resignation  of 
the  Presidency  of  the  Bank  referred  to.  The  directory  of  the  Bank  having 
determined  to  stop  payment,  Mr.  Prather  resigned  his  ^eat  with  these  memo- 
rable words: — •'•!  can  preside  over  no  institution  which  fails  to  meet  its  engage- 
ments promptly  and  to  the  letter."  Mr.  Prather  was  long  connected  in  busi- 
ness with  Mr,  John  I.  Jacob,  whose  recent  death  has  been  so  much  deplored; 
and  the  firm  of  Prather  &  Jacob  is  one  of  the  best  and  most  favorably  known 
amcng  the  early  merchants  of  thb  city. 


136  HISTORY    OF    LOUISVILLE. 


description  of  business  with  little  if  any  improvement 
until  1817,  when  he  was  in  his  turn  succeeded  by  Pren- 
tiss and  Bakewell,  who  undertook  the  building  of  Steam 
engines,  getting  a  part  of  the  machinery  from  Philadel- 
phia, and  a  part  from  Pittsburg,  but  they  did  not  suc- 
ceed very  satisfactorily  until  1825,  when  they  built  some 
engines  for  small  boats  which  performed  respectably. 
These  gentlemen  dissolved  their  connection  about  1826, 
Mr.  Prentiss  continued  the  business  a  short  time  alone, 
and  then  sold  one  half  of  his  establishment  to  Jacob 
Kefler,  who  was  to  superintend  the  foundry.  In  1831, 
this  foundry  ceased  operations,  and  Messrs.  D.  L.  Beatty, 
John  Curry,  and  Jacob  Beckwith  built  a  foundry  and 
carried  on  successfully  the  casting  and  steam  engine  bus- 
iness. These  gentlemen  erected  the  first  air  furnace 
which  ever  proved  of  any  value;  built  the  first  regulai' 
boring-mill,  and  substituted  the  blowing  cylinder  in- 
stead of  the  common  wood  and  leather  bellows.  There 
are  now  six  foundries  for  buildins;  steam-eng-ines  and 
machinery  of  all  kinds  in  full  operation,  beside  six  ex- 
tensive Stove  Foundries. 

The  legislature  of  the  State  passed  an  act  during  this 
year  ordering  Main  street  to  be  paved  from  cross  i^o.  3 
to  cross  No.  6,  at  the  expense  of  the  owners  of  lots 
fronting  on  said  street.  While  the  paving  was  progress- 
ing agreeably  to  this  order,  an  honest  Scotchman  came 
by  from  the  vicinity  with  a  loaded  wagon.  "What  '11 
ye  be  doin'  there?"  was  his  salutation  to  the  superinten- 
dent of  the  work.  "Paving  the  street','  was  the  answer. 
"Pavin',  do  ye  say,  weel,  weel,  when  it's  done.  111  wil- 
linly  pay  my  peart  o'  it,  for  I  hae  had  awfu'  wark  get- 


HISTORY    OF    LOUISVILLE.  137 


tin'  through  it  a'  before."  It  is  not  recorded  whether 
this  honest  gentleman  was  called  on  for  his  "peart,"  but 
it  is  presumed  he  was  enabled  to  enjoy  these  advantages 
gratis. 

It  was  also  about  this  period  that  a  Methodist  church 
was  built  in  this  place.  This  church  is  the  one  referred 
to  in  the  communication  published  a  few  pages  previous. 
It  was  the  second  church  of  any  kind  ever  built  in  the  city, 
and  was  erected  by  the  subscriptions  of  all  the  citizens. 
It  was  under  the  direction  of  the  Methodists,  but  was 
opened  to  ministers  of  all  denominations.  It  was  situ- 
ated on  the  ISTorth  side  of  Market  street  between  Seventh 
and  Eighth.  The  house  has  since  been  converted  into 
a  dwelling  and  is  still  standing.  It  was  soon  found  to 
be  too  small  to  accommodate  the  growing  population  of 
the  town  and  was  accordingly  sold,  and  the  present 
Fourth  street  Methodist  Church  built  with,  the  proceeds 
of  that  sale,  assisted  by  the  subscriptions  of  the  citizens. 
This  latter  building  was  erected  in  1815. 

In  1814:  the  town  of  Portland  was  laid  out  by  Alex- 
ander Ealston,  for  the  proprietor  William  Lytle.  It 
was  originally  divided  into  Portland  proper,  and  the  en- 
largement of  Portland.  The  lots  in  Portland  proper 
were  all  half  acre  lots,  and  when  laid  out,  were  sold  for 
two  hundred  dollars  each.  In  1819  they  had  advanced 
to  about  one  thousand  dollars.  The  lots  in  the  enlarge- 
ment were  three-fourths  of  an  acre,  and  were  sold  at 
three  hundred  dollars  each.  This  town  was  not  estab- 
lished by  law  until  1834,  and  in  1837  it  was  adjoined  to 
the  city.  It  has  fulfilled  the  office  of  a  suburb  to  Lou- 
isville, but  has  never  at  any  time  held  prominent  impor- 


138  HISTORY    OF    LOUISVILLE. 


tance  among  towns,  and  is  chiefly  worthy  of  notice  now 
as  a  point  of  landing  for  the  largest  class  of  New  Or- 
leans boats  at  seasons  when  the  stage  of  the  river  will 
not  allow  them  to  pass  over  the  rapids.  Although  it 
was  at  onetime  predicted  that  "its  futm-e  destinies  might 
be  regarded  as  those  of  a  highly  flourishing  and  impor- 
tant town,"  it  has  never  equalled  the  least  sanguine  hopes 
of  its  friends.  It  has  no  history  of  its  own  worthy  of 
relation . 

During  the  same  year  the  town  of  JSTew  Albany,  in 
the  State  of  Indiana,  opposite  to  Portland,  was  laid  out 
by  its  proprietors,  the  Messrs.  Scribner,  Its  progress 
at  first  was  slow,  but  the  many  advantages  which  it 
presented  (firstly  its  extremely  healthy  location,  and 
secondly  the  great  quantity  and  excellent  quality  of 
ship  timber  in  its  vicinity,)  soon  established  its  prosper- 
ity. In  1819  it  contained  a  population  of  about  1000 
souls,  and  had  150  dwelling  houses.  A  historian  of  this 
latter  period  asserts  that  the  inhabitants  are  all  either 
Methodists  or  Presbyterians.  It  has  now  grown  to  be 
one  of  the  most  important  towns  in  Indiana,  and  still 
promises  renewed  and  increased  prosperity.  It  would 
be  hardly  fair  to  class  this  flourishing  city  as  a  suburb 
of  Louisville,  and  yet  the  tw^o  are  so  intimately  connec- 
ted that  the  prosperity  or  adversity  of  the  one  cannot 
but  afiect  the  other.  The  value  of  those  relations  will 
be  shown  hereafter. 

Some  idea  may  be  formed  of  the  commercial  prosperi- 
ty of  the  town  at  this  period  by  reference  to  the  follow- 
ing manifest  of  the  Barges  and  Keel  boats,  arrived  at 
this  port  during  the  three  months,  ending  July  18th, 


I 


HISTORY    OF    LOUISVILLE.  139 


1814.  There  arrived  during  that  period,  12  barges, 
in  all  524  tons  burthen,  and  7  keel  boats,  in  all  132  tons. 
The  following  is  a  manifest  of  cargoes  delivered  by  these 
boats  during  that  period. 

813  bales  Cotton,  438  hhds.  Sagar,  5  bbls.  Molasses. 

26  bbls.  and  kegs  fish,  1267  bbls.  Sugar,  128  bbls.  Coffee, 

•28  cases  Wine,  12  Boxes       "  339  bags      " 

1  ijbl.         '•'  1  bbl.  Fish  Oil,  5  cases  Preserves, 

1  bag  and  1  bbl.  Allspice,  2  bags  Pepper,  29  bbls.  Indigo, 

6  ceroons  Cochineal,  28  bales  Wool,  2  ceroons    '  = 

1  demij.  and  1  bbl.  lime  juice,  21     "     Hides,  6  tons  Logwood, 

1  Bale  Bear  Skius,  453"         "     dry,  18000  lbs.  pig  cop'r, 

28  boxes  Steel,  1  bbl.  Rice,  1  box  Crockery, 

The  probable  value  of  these  articles  was  estimated  at  $266,015. 

It  was  during  the  same  year  that  Messrs.  Jacob  and 
Hikes  put  into  successful  operation  a  paper  mill  at  this 
point.  The  Western  Courier  was  issued  on  paper  man- 
ufactured at  this  mill. 

A  very  great  barrier  to  the  progress  of  the  town  at 
this  period  consisted  in  its  great  unhealthiness.  Ow- 
inof  to  the  vast  reservoirs  of  standing^  water  which 
still  remained  in  and  about  the  town,  there  was  a  great 
deal  of  bilious  and  remittent  fever,  "often  sufficiently 
aggravated  to  entitle  it  to  the  name  of  yellow  feverJ^^ 
It  will  be  recollected  that  reference  has  been  heretofore 
made  to  this  subject.  At  this  period,  a  new  alarm  was 
raised,  and  it  was  found  difficult  to  get  people  even  to 
bring  produce  to  the  markets  of  the  town.  Acclimation 
was  considered,  and  indeed  was  absolutely  necessary. 
The  newspapers  of  the  day  teem  with  indignation  at  the 
course  pursued  by  the  neighboring  and  rival  towns  in 
circulating  aggravated  accounts  of  the  progress  of  dis- 
ease here.     But  even  the  warmest  friends  of  Louisville 


14:0  HISTORY    OF    LOUISVILLE. 


did  not  pretend  to  deny  that  it  was  extremely  unhealthy. 
One  of  these  writing  soon  after  this  date,  says:  "To  af- 
firm that  Louisville  is  a  healthy. place  would  be  absurd, 
but  it  is  much  more  so  than  the  thousand  tons^ues  of  fame 
would  make  us  believe;  and  as  many  of  the  causes  which 
prevent  it  from  becoming  perfectly  so,  can  be  removed, 
a  few  years  hence  may  find  the  favorable  alterations  ac- 
complished, and  so  do  away  with  the  general  impression  of 
its  being  the  grave-yard  of  the  Western  country."  As 
is  well  known,  this  prediction  has  been  verified,  and 
from  the  reputation  of  a  gi^ave-yard,  Louisville  has  now 
everywhere  attained  the  title  of  the  most  healthy  city  in 
America. 

With  the  commencement  of  the  next  year,  1815,  we 
are  again  enabled  to  give  the  following  very  accurate 
tabular  view  of  the  political  position  of  the  city.  The 
following  table  will  clearly  show  its  past  growth,  and  give 
an  accurate  idea  of  its  size,  commerce,  and  manufactures 
at  that  time. 

24  Merchantile  Stores,  5  Medicine  shops,  3  House  Painters, 

1  Book  do,  8  Boot  makers,  4  Chair  makers, 

1  Auction  and  Commission,  store,  4  Cabinet  makers,  5  Tailors, 

1  Clothing  store,  2  Coach         do,  5  Hatters, 

1  Leather      do,  1  Gun  Smith,  3  Saddlers, 

1  Druggist's  do,  1  Silver  do,  2  Coppersmiths, 

1  Plan  maker,  2  Printing  offices,  1  Steam  Saw  mill, 

1  Carding  and  Spinning  factory,  1  Soap  factory,  1  Nail  factory, 

1  Tin  Shop,  1  Air  foundry,  6  Blacksmiths, 

4  Bazars,  4  Bakers,  1  Brewer, 

4  Rope  Walks,  2  Tobacco  fictories,      1  Bagging  factory 

4  High  Schools,  6  Brick  Yards,  1  Stone  ware,  do, 

1  Theater,  1  Tan  Yard.  1  Meth.  church, 

2  Taverns,  (inferior  to  none  in  the  Western  country,  and  several  others  of 
less  note. 


HISTORY    OF    LOUISVILLE.  141 


The  only  other  event  belonging  to  this  year  which 
may  be  considered  worthy  of  note  was  the  arrival  on  the 
1st  of  June  of  the  steamboat  Enterprize,  Captain  Shreve, 
only  25  days  from  New  Orleans  !  This  trip  then  so 
astonishingly  speedy  is  made  the  subject  of  remark  in 
the  newspapers  of  the  day,  and  Captain  Shreve  is  every 
where  congratulated  on  "the  celerity  and  safety  with 
which  his  boat  ascends  and  descends  the  currents  of  these 
mighty  waters."  These  congratulations  or  at  least  a 
part  of  them  were  received  just  in  time,  for  in  about  a 
year  afterwards,  this  same  gentleman  proved  that  his  nav- 
igation w"-as  not  always  alike  safe  and  speedy.  On  the 
3d  June,  1816,  he  was  in  command  of  the  steamer  Wash- 
ington, bound  from  Pittsburg  for  Louisville,  when  she 
met  with  the  first  serious  disaster  which  had  ever  oc- 
curred in  the  steamboat  navigation  of  the  Ohio.  When 
near  Wheeling  this  boat  burst  her  cylinder-head,  killing 
seven  persons  and  injuring  several  others,  Capt.  Shreve 
among  the  latter  number.  This  accident  elicited  a  de- 
gree of  sympathy  and  occasioned  an  amount  of  alarm, 
which  a  much  more  severe  steamboat  disaster  would  now 
fail  to  produce. 

The  following  announcement  from  one  of  the  newspa- 
pers of  the  day,  gives  an  account  of  the  launching  of  the 
first  steamboat  ever  built  at  this  point;  and  shows  that 
despite  of  accident  and  danger,  the  citizens  had  fairly 
embarked  in  a  business  that  has  since  been  so  productive 
to  the  interests  of  the  city.  "On  Monday  the  3d  of  July, 
was  safely  launched  from  her  stocks,  at  the  mouth  of 
Beargrass  into  her  destined  element,  the  elegant  new 
Bteamboat  Gov.  Shelby,  owned  by  Messrs.  Gray,  Gwath- 


142  HISTORY    OF    LOUISVILLE. 


mey,  Gretsinger  and  Ruble  of  this  town.  The  Gov. 
Shelby  is  intended  as  a  regular  trader  between  this  place 
and  New  Orleans,  is  of  122  tons  burden,  and  is  thought 
by  judges  to  be  one  of  the  handsomest  models,  which 
does  great  credit  to  her  constructors,  Messrs.  Desmarie 
and  McClary." 

It  was  at  this  period  that  the  old  banking  system  was 
in  the  zenith  of  its  power.  The  whole  country  was  Hood- 
ed with  paper  money  of  all  kinds  and  of  all  denomina- 
tions. Specie  currency  was  almost  entirely  out  of  cir- 
culation, having  been  supplanted  by  private  bills,  worth- 
less bank  notes,  and  all  other  kinds  of  "shin  plasters.*' 
This  sort  of  currency  was  the  occasion  of  innumerable 
disasters;  all  confidence  was  destroyed  in  the  community, 
and  pecuniary  transactions  were  of  course  limited.  The 
scarcity  of  silver  was  the  subject  of  much  merriment  as 
w^ell  as  the  cause  of  grievous  distress.  At  one  time  a 
specie  Spanish  dollar  is  advertised  as  a  curiosity,  and 
the  citizens  are  invited  to  witness  an  exhibition  of  it;  at 
another,  a  merchant  promises  to  show,  gratis,  four  silver 
Spanish  coins  to  all  who  will  call  and  purchase  at  his  store. 
The  tradesmen  generally,  however,  took  a  more  serious 
view  of  the  matter;  and  on  the  29th  August,  1816,  called 
upon  the  Merchants  and  Mechanics  of  the  town  "to  as- 
semble at  the  Union  Hotel  on  Saturday  afternoon  at  6 
P.  M.,  to  take  into  consideration  the  measures  necessary 
to  be  adopted  to  check  the  circulation  of  private  bills, 
<fcc."  The  result  of  this  meeting,  however,  never  trans- 
pired; and  as  the  shin-plaster  currency  continued  its  bale- 
ful operations  for  many  years  afterward,  it  is  to  be  sup- 
posed that  the  Merchants  and  Mechanics  of  Louisville 


HISTORY   OF    LOUISVILLE.  143 


either  could  not  concert,  or  could  not  execute  the  afore- 
said "necessary  measures." 

Notwithstandins:,  however,  all  the  disadvantao-es  ac- 
cruing  from  this  state  of  disordered  currency,  the  year 
did  not  pass  by  without  adding  another  to  the  increasing 
list  of  manufactories  in  the  town.  This  other  was  an 
immense  distillery,  organized  by  a  company  formed  in 
New  England,  and  incorporated  by  the  legislature  of 
this  State.  It  was  called  the  "Hope  Distillery,"  and 
had  a  capital  of  $100,000  dollars,  with  the  liberty  of 
increasing  it  to  double  that  amount.  This  Company  pur- 
chased one  hundred  acres  of  ground  at  the  lower  end  of 
Main  street,  opposite  to  the  commencement  of  Portland 
Avenue,  and  erected  immense  buildings  thereon,  intend- 
ing to  conduct  their  business  on  a  more  extensive  scale 
than  any  before  established  in  the  United  States.  This 
enormous  establishment  however  did  not  realize  the  ex- 
pectations of  its  proprietors,  and  the  project  was  aban- 
doned. The  buildings  remained  almost  tenantless  and 
useless  for  many  years.     They  were  finally  burned. 

As  if  to  counterbalance  the  prospective  evil  likely  to 
be  produced  by  this  enormous  manufactory  of  "poison 
for  soul  and  body,"  there  was  established  about  the  same 
time  the  first  Presbyterian  Church  in  Louis vill-e.  It 
was  organized  by  exactly  sixteen  members,  but  it  was 
not  until  the  next  year  that  a  building  was  erected  for 
them.  The  acts  of  the  legislature  of  this  year  also  in- 
corporated a  Louisville  Library  Company. 

The  account  of  the  year  1816  wiU  be  closed  with  an 
extract  fi-om  the  travels  of  Mr.  Henry  Bradshaw  Fearon, 
the  title-page  of  whose  book  represents  him  as  deputed 


144  HISTORY    OF    LOUISVILLE. 


by  thirty-uine  English  families  to  ascertain  whether  any 
or  what  parts  of  the  United  States  w^ould  be  agi-eeable 
to  them  as  a  fiiture  residence .  His  account  of  the  town 
is  of  com*se  honest,  so  far  as  he  is  concerned,  and  unprej- 
udiced, and  as  such  is  entitled  to  its  share  of  considera- 
tion. At  any  rate  he  treats  the  subject  more  in  detail 
than  most  foreign  travelers  have  done.  He  says:  ''Hav- 
ino"  been  twice  in  Louisville,  I  boarded  at  both  hotels; 
Allen's  Washington  Hall,  and  Gwathing's  [Gwathmey's] 
Indian  Queen.  They  are  similar  establishments,  and 
both  on  a  very  large  scale;  the  former  averages  80  board- 
ers per  diem;  and  the  latter  140.  The  hotels  are  con- 
ducted differently  here  from  those  with  which  you  are 
acquainted.  The  place  for  washing  is  in  the  open  yard, 
where  there  is  alaro;e  cistern,  several  towels,  and  aneo^ro 
in  attendance.  The  sleeping  rooms  commonly  contain 
from  4  to  8  bedsteads,  having  matresses  upon  them,  but 
frequently  no  feather  beds,  sheets  of  calico,  two  blan- 
kets and  a  quilt,  (either  a  cotton  counterpane  or  a  patch- 
work quilt.)  The  bedsteads  have  no  curtains,  and  the 
rooms  are  generally  unprovided  with  any  conveniences. 
The  public  rooms  are  the  news  room,  boot  room,  in  which 
the  bar  is  situated,  and  the  dining  room.  The  fires  are 
generally  surrounded  by  parties  of  six,  who  get  and  keep 
possession  of  them.  The  usual  custom  is  to  pace  up 
and  do^vn  the  bar  room  as  people  walk  the  deck  at  sea. 
Smoking  cigars  is  practised  by  all  without  exception, 
and  at  every  hour  of  the  day.  Argument  is  of  rare  oc- 
currence, and  social  intercourse  seems  still  more  unusual. 
Conversation  on  general  topics,  or  the  taking  enlarged 
or  enlightened  views  of  things  rarely  occurs;  each  man 


HISTORY    OF   LOUISVILLE.  14:6 


is  ill  pursuit  of  his  own  individual  interest,  and  follows 
it  in  an  individualized  manner.  But  to  return  to  the 
taverns;  at  half  past  seven  o'clock  the  first  bell  rings  for 
collecting  the  boarders;  at  eight  the  second  bell  rings, 
breakfast  is  then  set,  the  dining  room  is  unlocked,  a  gen- 
eral rush  commences,  and  some  activity  as  well  as  dex- 
terity is  essentially  necessary  to  obtain  a  seat  at  the  table. 
A  boy,  as  clerk,  attends  to  take  down  the  names,  in 
order  that  when  the  bills  are  settled  no  improper  deduc- 
tion should  be  made.  The  breakfast  consists  of  a  profuse 
supply  of  fish,  flesh,  and  fowl,  which  is  consumed  with 
a  rapidity  truly  extraordinary.  Often  before  I  had  fin- 
ished my  first  cup  of  tea,  the  room,  before  crowded  to 
sufibcation,  was  empty.  The  dinner  vv'hich  takes  place 
at  2  o'clock,  and  the  supper  which  is  eaten  at  six  is  con- 
ducted in  the  same  manner  as  the  breakfast.  At  table 
there  is  no  conversation  and  no  drinkinsr.  The  latter  is 
efiected  by  individuals  taking  their  solitary  eye-openers, 
toddy,  or  phlegm  dispersers  at  the  bar,  the  keeper  of 
which  is  in  full  employ  from  sunrise  till  bed-time  which 
is  always  at  ten  o'clock.  Liquor  here  is  never  drunk 
neat  or  with  sugar  and  warm  water. 

Speaking  of  the  society  of  Louisville,  the  same  Mr. 
Henry  Bradshaw  Fearon  takes  it  upon  himself  to  say: 
''I  do  not  feel  myself  competent  to  confirm  or  to  deny 
the  general  claim  of  the  people  of  this  town  to  generosi- 
ty and  warmth  of  character.  Of  their  habits  I  would 
also  wish  to  speak  with  equal  diffidence,  [and  here  is  a 
proof  of  it!]  but  that  they  drink  a  great  deal,  swear  a 
great  deal,  and  gamble  a  great  deal ,  is  very  apparent  to 
a  very  brief  resident.     There  is  a  great  lack  of  amuse- 


146  HISTORY    OF   LOUISVILLE. 


ment  in  Louisville;  the  only  one  I  saw  was  called 
'Gander  Pulling,'  whicli  is  thus  conducted.  Tie  a  live 
gander  to  a  tree  or  pole  and  grease  its  neck,  then  ride 
past  at  full  gallop,  and  he  who  succeeds  in  pulling  oif 
the  head  of  the  victim,  receives  the  victory,  the  reward 
of  which  is  the  body  of  the  gander.  I  think  I  have 
heard  of  a  similar  pastime  as  practiced  in  Holland. 
But  these,"  generously  adds  Mr.  Henry  Bradshaw  Fea- 
ron,  "are  not  to  be  taken  as  unmixed  characteristics." 

By  dint  of  great  exertions  on  the  part  of  the  inhabi- 
tants of  the  town,  they  at  last  succeeded  in  procuring  the 
location  of  a  branch,  bank  of  the  United  States  at  this 
point.  This  bank  was  opened  in  1817  under  the  aus- 
pices of  the  following  gentlemen :  Stephen  Ormsby, 
President;  "Wm.  Cochran,  Cashier;  G.  C.  Gwathmey, 
Teller ;  Alfred  Thruston,  First  Bookkeeper ;  Thomas 
Bullitt,  D.  L.  "Ward,  Richard  Furguson,  M.  D.,  Nor- 
burn,  B.  Beale,  Thomas  Prather,  John  H.  Clark,  Hen- 
ry Massie,  Charles  S.  Todd,  Wm.  S.  Yernon,  James  C. 
Johnson,  M.  D.,  John  Gwathmey  and  James  D.  Breck- 
inridge, Directors.  It  was  situated  at  the  north-east 
corner  of  Fifth  and  Main  Streets.  This  bank  does  not 
however  seem  to  have  been  more  agreeable  to  the  citi- 
zens than  were  its  predecessors.  "It  is  very  evident," 
says  the  first  historian  of  the  city,  "that  the  people  of 
this  country  are  ruining  themselves  by  banking  institu- 
tions as  fast  as  they  cleverly  can."  The  history  of  this 
bank  does  not  present  any  diflerent  features  from  that  of 
its  sister  branches. 

The  next  important  event  in  this  year  was  the  build- 
ing of  the  Presbyterian  Church.     This  edifice  was  erec- 


HISTORY    OF    LOUISVILLE.  147 


ted  on  the  west  side  of  Fourth  Street,  between  Market 
and  Jefierson,  on  the  north-west  corner  of  the  alley,  It 
was  a  neat,  plain,  but  spacious  building.  The  interior 
was  divided  into  three  rows  of  pews,  and  was  furnished 
with  galleries  on  three  sides;  the  exterior  was  brick,  and 
was  adorned  with  a  steeple  in  which  was  a  belfry  and  a 
superb  bell.  Its  first  pastor  v/as  Rev.  D.  C.  Banks, 
This  church  was  destroyed  by  fire  in  1836.  All  who 
were  residents  in  the  citv  at  that  time  will  remember 
this  confiagi-ation.  The  building  took  fire  in  the  eve- 
ning during  a  meeting  of  the  church.  The  efibrts  of  the 
citizens  to  preserve  it  from  destruction  were  energetic 
and  continued,  but  unavailing.  When  it  was  found 
that  it  was  no  longer  possible  to  save  the  building,  all 
eflbi'ts  were  directed  toward  the  preservation  of  the  bell. 
This  splendid  instrument,  the  first  large  bell  ever  in  the 
city,  was  esteemed  and  venerated  to  a  degree  far  beyond 
that  which  is  usually  felt  for  inanimate  objects;  it  had  a 
hold  upon  the  aflections  of  all  ages,  sexes  and  classes  of 
people,  as  well  the  inhabitants  as  those  who  visited  the 
city  periodically.  It  was  used  to  announce  all  public 
tidings,  whether  of  meetings,  fires,  or  deaths.  Its  clear 
and  silvery  notes  were  heard  for  miles  around,  and 
brought  joy,  or  terror,  or  wo  to  a  thousand  hearts ;  all 
within  the  sound  of  its  mighty  tongue  had  learned  to 
know  and  love  its  voice;  and  now,  that  its  destruction 
was  threatened,  a  thousand  hearts  thrilled  with  fear  of 
its  loss  or  throbbed  with  hope  of  its  salvation.  Still  the 
devouring  element  crept  on  apace,  and  still,  like  the 
old  sacristan  of  Saint  Nicholas,  stood  the  ringer  at  his 
post,  and  still  v/ent  on  the  loud  clanging  alarum  of  the 


148  HISTORY    OF    LOUISVILLE. 


bell.  Soon  the  pillars  which  supported  the  dome  of  the 
belfry  were  wrapt  in  sheets  of  flame,  but  the  alarm  peal 
still  rang  on  as  if  the  imprisoned  monster  was  yet  undes- 
pairing,  and  cried  aloud  "  to  the  rescue !  "  Then  the 
falling  timbers  and  flakes  of  fire  drove  the  ringer  from 
his  post.  For  a  while  the  bell  still  pealed  on  "in  a  cla- 
morous appealing  to  the  mercy  of  the  fire,"  till  at  last 
the  wheel  on  which  it  hung  was  wrapped  in  flames. 
Then  came  its  despair,  and  as  spoke  after  spoke  burnt 
from  the  wheel,  it  slowly  tolled — tolled  its  own  death- 
knell;  heedless  it  was  of  the  brilliant  coruscations  of 
flame  that  fell  in  showers  around  it,  as  the  covering  of 
the  dome  broke  from  its  fastenings  and  shot  upward  in 
the  light  and  then  fell,  leaving  a  train  of  fire  to  mark 
its  path;  heedless  of  the  soaring  flames,  of  the  upgazing 
crowd ;  thinking  only  of  its  approaching  dissolution. 
Slowly  and  solemnly  it  tolled  tlie  funeral  knell,  and  with 
the  last  stroke  of  its  hammer,  and  the  last  dazzlinoj  ofl- 
shoot  from  the  dome,  tower,  bell,  and  dome  all  came 
down  with  a  tremendous  crash.  The  crowd  had  ceased 
to  work,  had  ceased  to  speak ;  all  eyes  were  upon  the 
self-ringing  bell,  and  all  felt  the  poetic  power  and  beau- 
ty of  the  incident.  And  now  that  it  was  fallen,  no 
single  voice  sent  up  the  hurrah,  no  rude  sound  desecra- 
ted the  moment.  The  eno-ines  asjain  beo-an  their  com- 
bat,  and  all  went  on  as  before.  The  bell  was  the  next 
day  exhumed  from  its  bed  and  carried  away  by  piece- 
meal to  be  kept  as  relics  of  the  incident  of  its  death- 
struggle. 

The  second  event  of  this  year  was  the  incorporation 
of  a  hospital  company  which  consisted  of  twelve  promi- 


HISTORY   OF    LOUISVILLE.  149 


neiit  citizens,  who  were  authorized  to  obtain  a  sum  not 
exceeding  $50,000,  to  be  apjolied  to  this  purpose.  Mr. 
Thos.  Prather  contributed  five,  and  Mr.  Cuthbert  Bul- 
litt two  acres  of  land  as  a  site  for  the  institution.  This 
establishment  was  supported  by  a  duty  of  two  per  cent, 
on  auction  sales  in  Louisville.  Its  interests  are  fully  set 
forth  in  the  wretchedly  written  preamble  of  the  act  in- 
corporating it,  which  is  as  follows: 

"Whereas  it  is  represented,  that  of  those  engaged  in 
navigating  the  Ohio  and  Mississippi  rivers,  many  per- 
sons, owing  to  the  fatigue  and  exposure  incident  to  long 
voyages,  become  sick  and  languish  at  the  town  of  Louis- 
ville, where  the  commerce  in  w^hich  they  are  engaged 
sustains  a  pause,  occasioned  by  the  falls  of  the  Ohio 
river;  that  the  charity  of  the  citizens  of  that  town  and 
county  is  no  longer  able  to  minister  to  those  poor  un- 
fortunate j^ersons,  the  support  and  attention  which  the 
necessities  of  the  latter,  and  the  humanity  of  the  former 
would  seem  to  demand  and  prescribe;  that  the  gTOwiug 
character  of  Louisville,  as  a  place  as  well  of  import  as 
of  export,  and  the  growing  commerce  of  this  State  and 
of  the  western  country  connected  with  that  place  threatens 
to  throw  an  increased  mass  of  sick  upon  the  citizens  of 
that  town  and  country,  to  the  comfort  and  support  of 
whom  the  resom'ces  subject  to  the  exactions  of  chari- 
ty would  be  unequal,  and  applied  as  individual  sym- 
pathy might  dictate,  unavailing;  and  that  it  would  be 
wise  and  humane  to  incorporate  an  institution  at  that 
place,  for  the  relief,  sustenance,  comfort  and  restoration  of 
the  poor  and  the  afflicted  of  the  description  aforesaid : 
Wherefore,  &c."     In  1811,  the  Legislature  made  a  do- 


150  HISTOKY    OF    LOUISVILLE. 


nation  of  $10,000,  and  in  1822  a  similar  gift  of  87,500 
to  this  hospital.  It  is  now  in  the  hands  of  the  city,  and 
is  used  as  a  clinique  by  the  medical  schools  here.  The 
original  building  yet  stands,  but  has  been  remodeled 
and  improved. 

In  this  year  the  small-pox  made  fearful  ravages  in  the 
town,  and,  "owing,"  as  Dr.  McMurtrie  says,  "to  the 
slothful  negligence  of  the  civil  authorities,  it  was  impos- 
sible to  prevent  its  innouiating  the  place  for  several 
years." 

The  last  incident  which  will  be  mentioned  in  con- 
nection with  this  year  was  a  dinner  given  on  the  27th  of 
April,  1817,  to  Capt.  H.  M.  Shreve,  as  a  testimony  of 
the  consideration  in  which  he  was  held  as  a  steamboat 
navigator,  and  particularly  with  a  view  to  congratulate 
him  on  the  very  expeditious  voyage  he  had  performed 
from  Louisville  to  'New  Orleans  and  back.  This  voyage 
was  made  by  the  steamer  Washington,  and,  as  will  be 
seen  by  reference  to  the  list  of  steamboats  published  in  the 
earlier  part  of  this  volume,  was  performed  in  the  very 
brief  period  of  forty-five  days!  Capt.  De  Hart  was 
also  invited  to  partake  of  this  dinner,  the  committee  as- 
suring him  of  their  highest  respect,  and  that  they  would 
have  been  early  to  make  him  public  testimonials  of  this 
respect  but  for  fear  that  it  would  be  construed  into  a 
countenance  of  the  course  the  concern  to  which  he  was 
attached,  has  been,  and  is  pursuing.  Reference  is  here 
had  to  the  Fulton  and  Livingston  Company,  who  were 
still  seeking  to  monopolize  the  navigation  of  the  western 
rivers.  Mr.  Korborn  B.  Beale  was  President,  and  Maj. 
C.  P.  Luckett  Vice  President,  on  this  occasion.     The 


HISTORY    OF    LOUISVILLE.  151 

Committee  of  Invitation  consisted  of  J.  Headington, 
Levi  Tyler  and  Jas.  A.  Pearce.  Toasts  were  drunk  to 
several  of  the  Presidents,  to  the  19  United  States,  to  the 
Ohio  and  Mississippi,  to  the  State  of  Louisiana,  to  iS^ew 
York,  to  Pulton,  Shreve,  De  Hart  and  others.  The  fol- 
lowing toast  shows  that  Louisville  had  yet  some  fears  of 
the  rivalry  of  her  neighbors:  12th.  '''"Our  Sister-tovjns 
of  Lexington  and  Franlrfort — let  us  have  equal  priv- 
ileges in  a  fair  competition,  that  local  advantages  and 
individual  enterprise  may  insure  pre-eminence."  It  is 
said  that  at  this  dinner,  Mr.  Shreve  predicted  that  a  trip 
from  Xew  Orleans  to  Louisville  would  be  effected  in  ten 
or  twelve  days,  but  this  was  looked  upon  rather  as  the 
dream  of  an  enthusiast  than  as  the  sober  calculations  of 
a  sao'acious  man.  Mr.  Shreve,  however,  and  manv  of 
his  hosts  lived  to  see  the  prediction  more  than  fulfilled. 
The  earliest  event  in  the  next  year  which  deserves 
notice  here,  was  the  death  of  General  George  Rogers 
Clarke.  The  remains  of  this  distino-uished  man,  who 
was  so  intimately  connected  with  the  earlier  history  of 
Louisville,  were  interred  at  his  residence  at  Locust  Grove 
on  the  loth  February,  1818.  The  members  of  the  bar 
and  a  large  assemblage  of  persons  attended.  Pev.  Mr. 
Ba.nks  officiated  on  the  occasion,  and  John  Powan,  Esq., 
delivered  the  funeral  oration.  Minute  guns  were  fired 
during  the  ceremony  under  the  direction  of  Capt.  Minor 
Sturgus,  and  the  whole  procession  was  conducted  in  a 
very  solemn  manner.  The  members  of  the  bar  of  the 
Circuit  Court,  and  the  few  remaining  officers  of  the  revo- 
lution in  the  neighborhood  and  resolved,  to  wear  crape  on 
the  left  arm  for  thirty  days,  as  a  testimony  of  respect  to 


152  HISTORY    OF    LOUISVILLE. 


the  deceased  hero.     The  spot  where  his  remains  now 
rest  is  yet  unmarked  by  a  stone. 

We  are  enabled  to  present  the  reader  with  a  price  cm'- 
rent  published  during  this  year.  No  document  could 
be  oflered  which  would  give  a  more  definite  idea  of  the 
state  of  commerce  at  this  period.     It  is  as  follows : 

Bagging— 30c-  Whiskv— 62fS)75c.  Corn— 4-2@62. 

Cotton— 33rS) 35c.       Glass— 8x10,. $14@15.   Molasses— SI  50- 
Wheat — 60fa)75c.        "^"hite  Lead — $6.  Tobacco — S4  75@5. 

CoFFEE--35@37c.  No  demaiid--scarce.  Sugar — l6@18c. 

Teas— $2  25@2  50.  Oats— 42@50c. 

FREIGHTS. 
Tobacco,  Ic  "^  R).    Flour,  Si  50  ~^  bbl.     Pork  and  Whisky,  S2  f!  bbl. 
Light  Freight,  6c  f  lb.         Heavy  Freight,  4)^0  ^  %. 

By  the  assessment  of  this  year  the  value  of  lots  in  the 
town  is  computed  at  ^3,131,463. 

About  the  24th  of  November,  Louisville  boasted  an- 
other Bank.  This  was  the  Commercial  Bank  of  Louis- 
ville. Its  officers  were:  Levi  Tyler,  President ;  Abijah 
Bayless,  Cashier;  J.  C.  Blair,  Clerk.  Its  paper  is  said 
by  Dr.  McMurtrie,  to  have  been  in  as  good  credit  as 
that  of  the  United  States  Bank.  Its  capital  is  computed 
by  him  at  $1,000,000.  More  recent  accounts  however, 
do  not  speak  so  favorably  of  its  aflairs. 

On  the  1st  of  July,  still  of  this  year,  Mr.  S.  Penn 
commenced  the  publication  of  the  Public  Advertiser 
here;  a  paper  which  for  editorial  talent  and  skill,  as  well 
as  for  political  influence,  has  been  equalled  by  few  and 
exceeded  by  none  in  the  United  States. 

In  1819,  Dr.  McMurtrie,  of  whom  mention  has  been 
so  often  made  in  these  pages,  published  his  Sketches  of 
Louisville.     That  part  of  his  book  which  refers  directly 


HISTORY    OF    LOUISVILLE.  153 


to  the  city  is  comprised  in  about  one  Lnndred  pages. 
The  whole  book  however  contains  about  two  hundred 
and  fifty  pages,  16mo;  it  was  published  by  Mr.  S.  Penn, 
and  is  a  very  creditable  specimen  of  the  art  of  book- 
making.  The  greater  part  of  the  volume  is  filled  with 
scientific  researches,  and  in  an  appendix  there  is  placed 
an  account  of  the  earthquakes  by  Jared  Brooks,  Esq. 
There  is  also  a  scientific  catalogue  of  the  plants  found 
in  the  vicinity  of  the  city,  and  a  history  of  the  geological 
and  antiquarian  remains  of  this  part  of  the  country. 
Of  the  value  of  this  information  in  a  scientific  point  of 
view,  we  are  not  prepared  to  speak;  the  "Sketches"  pre- 
sent, doubtless  a  very  correct  view  of  Louisville,  as  it 
was  in  1819.  Notwithstandino-  this  book  has  been  so 
often  drawn  upon  for  isolated  facts  in  the  course  of  this 
history,  it  will  not  be  considered  unfair  to  offer  the 
reader  still  another  extract,  showing  a  sort  of  daguerreo- 
type view  of  the  city  as  it  then  was;  and  this  will  be  the 
more'pardonable  as  the  book  itself  is  no  longer  "in  print," 
Dr.  McMurtrie  savs:  "There  are  at  this  time  in  Louis- 
ville  six  hundred  and  seventy  dwelling  houses,  princi- 
pally brick  ones,  some  of  which  would  suffer  little  by 
being  compared  with  any  of  the  most  elegant  private 
edifices  of  Philadelphia  or  'New  York.  It  was  calculat- 
ed pretty  generally  that  from  two  hundred  and  fifty  to 
three  hundred  brick  buildings  would  have  been  erected 
during  the  last  summer,  but  such  was  the  scarcity  of 
money,  that  not  more  than  twelve  to  fourteen  were  com- 
pleted; preparations,  however,  are  making  to  proceed 
rapidly  in  the  business  in  the  ensuing  season,  the  influx 
of  strangers  being  so  great,  that  many  of  them  can 


154  HISTOKY    OF    LOUISVILLE. 


scarcely  find  shelter.     The  population  now  amounts  to 
4500  souls;  so  rapid  is  the  increase  of  this  number  that 
in  all  probability,  it  will  be  trebled  in  less  than  ten  years. 
'^Commercial   cities  of  all   newly  settled  countries, 
whose  inhabitants  are  gathered  from  every  corner  of  the 
earth,  who  have  immigrated  thither  with  but  one  single 
object  in  view,  that  of  acquiring  money,  are  stamped 
with  no  general  character,  except  that  of  frugality,  at- 
tention to  business,  and  an  inordinate  attachment  to 
money.     Absorbed  in  this  great  interest  of  adding  dol- 
lar upon  dollar,  no  time  is  devoted  to  literature  or  the 
acquirement  of  those  graceful  nothings  which,  of  no  val- 
ue in  themselves,  still  constitute  one  great  charm  of  pol- 
ished society.     Such  is  the  character  of  the  inhabitants 
of  this  place  in  general,  'ma  ogni  medaglio  ha  il  suo 
reverso.'     There  is  a  circle,  small  'tis  true,  but  within 
whose  magic  round  abounds  every  pleasure  that  wealth, 
regulated  by  taste,  or  urbanity  can  bestow.     There  the 
'red  heel'  of  Yersailles  may  imagine  himself  in  the  em- 
porium of  fashion,  and  whilst  leading  beauty  through 
the  mazes  of  the  dance,  forget  that  he  is  in  the  wilds  of 
America.     The  theater,  public  and  private  balls,  a  sober 
game  of  whist,  or  the  more  scientific  one  of  billiards, 
with  an  occasional  re-union  of  friends  around  the  festive 
board,  constitute  the  principal  amusements;   and  it  is 
with  pleasure  I  am  able  to  assert,  without  fear  of  con- 
tradiction, that  gaming  forms  no  part  of  them.     What- 
ever may  have  been  the  case  formerly^  there  is  hardly 
at  the  present  day,  a  vestige  to  be  seen  of  this  ridiculous 
and  disgracefid.  practice;  and  if  it  exists  at  all,  it  is  only 
to  be  found  iii  the  secret  dens  of  midnight  swindlers, 


HISTORY    OF   LOCISVILLE. 


0£> 


within  whose  walls  once  to  enter  is  dishonor,  infamy, 
and  ruin." 

The  prices  of  lots  at  this  time  were  about  $300  per 
foot  for  those  occupying  the  best  situations. 

The  following  list  if  compared  with  the  similar  one 
for  1815,  published  a  few  pages  earlier,  will  give  the 
reader  a  very  correct  idea  of  the  ratio  of  progress  here 
for  four  years.    There  were  at  this  time  in  Louisville: 


36  Wholesale  &  Eetail  Stores,  14  Wholesale  &  Com'n  Stores, 

3  Drugstores, 


3  Banks, 

3  Bookstores,        3  Printing  Offices, 

1  Nail  Factory,  28  Groceries, 

2  Hotels,  4  good  Taverns, 
10  Blacksmiths,  6  Saddlers, 

8  Tailors,  1  Silver  Plater, 

3  Watchmakers,  10  Cabinetmakers, 
1  Stone  Cutter,     1  Upholsterer, 

4  Turners,  5  Hatters 

30  Plasterers,       6  Shoemakers, 
22  Physicians, 

1  Air  Poundry, 

2  Steam  Saw  Mills, 
5  Tobacco  Factories 


12  Lawyers, 
6  Brickyards, 
2  Breweries, 
1  Music  store. 


2  Confectioner's  Shops, 
6  Bakehouses. 

2  Carriagemakers, 
1  Gunsmith. 

3  Chair  Factories, 
1  Potter, 

200  Carpenters, 
150  Bricklavers, 
1  Brass  Foundry, 

1  Steam  Engine  Factory, 

2  Distilleries, 

1  Sugar  Kefinery. 


"We  find  by  an  advertisement  in  the  Courier  of  Feb- 
ruary 12th,  in  this  year,  that  J.J.  Audubon,  the  world- 
renowned  ornithologist,  was  at  that  time  endeavoring 
to  procure  a  class  in  drawing,  and  was  offering  to  paint 
portraits  here,  which  his  advertisement  promises  shall 
be  "  strong  likenesses."  This  gentleman  was  for  some 
time  a  resident  of  this  city.  His  son  was  for  many  years 
employed  as  a  clerk  in  the  store  of  Mr.  K.  Berthoud  at 
Shippingport. 

On  the  23d  of  June,  1819,  the  President  of  the  Uni- 
ted States  and  suite,  accompanied  by  Gen.  Jackson  and 


156  HISTORY    OP    LOUISVILLE. 


suite,  arrived  iu  Louisville,  where  they  remained  until 
the  following  Saturday.  A  public  dinner  and  a  ball  was 
given  to  these  distinguished  persons,  and  general  hilar- 
ity and  good  feeling  distinguished  the  occasion. 

This  chapter,  as  well  as  the  history  of  this  year  will 
be  concluded  with  a  string  of  rhymes  which,  though  not 
highly  meritorious  in  themselves,  still  serve  to  show  the 
feelings  of  the  people  in  regard  to  the  much-talked-of 
apathy  of  their  rulers,  and  let  us  into  the  history  of  the 
times  as  fully  as  would  the  graver  chroniclers.  These 
versicles  are  said  to  be  extracts  from  a  letter. 

"You  know  I  informed  yon  when  I  landed  here, 
This  town  was  not  handsome,  and  living  darned  dear. 
The  streets  were  all  ponds,  and  I  'm  told  the  Trustees 
Had  sooner  wade  thro'  them,  quite  up  to  the  knees, 
Than  incur  the  expense  to  have  them  drained  off. 
Complain  to  their  honors.,  they  sneer,  laugh  or  scoff, 
And  say,  we  've  no  money;  and  you  very  well  know, 
Without  this  intercessor  the  mare  will  not  go. 


'Tis  whispered  about,  how  true  I  shan't  say. 

The  people  's  oft  taxed,  and  always  made  pay; 

And  who  handles  the  cash?  the  Lord  only  knows, 

Or  what  road  it  travels — for  what,  it  all  goes — 

Is  a  mystery  to  ail;  no  improvements  they  see, 

'Tis  sarcastically  said,  there  never  will  be. 

If  the  great  men  of  fortune  don't  aid  or  direct 

The  improvement  of  town,  it  will  ne'er  take  effect. 

Alas,  these  poor  souls,  if  they  secure  their  own  health. 

Let  us  wallow  in  mud,  while  they  're  rolling  in  wealth! 

Could  you  see  these  ^reat  folks,  I  protest  you  would  laugh. 

And  swear  on  each  iodi/  stuck  the  head  of  a  calf. 

I  -'  d  sav  von  were  right — with  hearts  hard  as  a  stone ; 

When  applied  to  for  alms  or  asked  for  a  loan. 


HISTORY    OF   LOUISVILLE.  157 


Before  I  left  home,  one  night  at  aunt  Kate's 

A  confab  we  had  concerning  new  States, 

I  then  said  what  since  to  my  sorrow  proved  true, 

When  settled  in  old  States  never  emigrate  to  new. 

You  called  me  false  prophet,  said  to  Louisville  hie. 

Which  for  beauty  and  commerce  would  with  Boston  soon  vie, 

And  moreover  you  said  a  great  man  I  could  be. 

If  I  'd  take  for  my  text:  boys,  huzza,  v/e  'fe  all  free. 

Dear  sir,  how  you  erred,  Kentucky  's  quite  changed; 

If  you  say  here,  we  're  free,  folks  vow  you  deranged. 

For  our  keen  wealthy  Yankees  located  here. 

Rule  the  natives  by  art,  it  cannot  be  fear; 

For  I  've  seen  them  so  rave,  curse  and  swear  so  uncivil; 

'Twould  shake  'steady  habits'  quite  as  much  as  the  d 1. 

i(i  ■J(i  if.  if.  if.  •:!(.  i;.  if.  ^  i!. 

Now  you  *11  own  without  money  man  here  has  less  chance 
Than  Don  Quixote  in  combat,  deprived  of  his  lance. 


CHAPTER  yi. 

The  next  ten  years  of  this  history  do  not  promise  to 
be  as  ricli  in  incident  for  the  historian,  or  as  full  of  prac- 
tical value  to  the  city,  as  were  the  few  years  just  chroni- 
cled. A  number  of  causes  were  operating  at  this  time 
to  retard  the  prosperity  of  the  town,  and  but  for  the 
vio'or  with  which  it  was  endued,  it  must  have  sunk 
under  the  misfortunes  which  surrounded  it.  Evil  reports, 
prejudicial  to  its  health;  garbled  accounts  from  rival  cities 
of  the  mortality  here;  a  lamentably  disordered  state  of 
currency,  a  Board  of  Trustees  whose  inefficiency  was 
constantly  complained  of,  were  all  opposing  the  growth 
of  the  town;  and  had  it  not,  as  has  been  before  said,  in- 
herently possessed  the  elements  of  its  own  progress,  it 
must  have  faded,  and  might  have  been  entirely  destroyed 
by  the  pressure  of  these  untoward  circumstances.  For 
about  two  years  the  western  country  had  been  laboring 
under  the  operations  of  shaving  and  brokerage;  there 
was  not  at  this  time  a  single  bank  west  of  the  mountains 
whose  paper  could  be  passed  at  a  fair  value,  except  in 
the  immediate  neighborhood  of  the  bank  itself,  and  there 
were  not  more  than  three  or  four  that  pretended  to  pay 
their  notes  in  money.  The  paper  of  the  Bank  of  Ken- 
tucky was  at  a  discount,  and  there  was  no  hope  of  its 
improving.  Tennessee  and  Ohio  were  in  a  similar,  if 
not  a  worse  condition.  The  paper  of  the  United  States 
Bank  was  alone  merchantable  at  its  value,  and  upon 


HISTORY    01'   LOUISVILLE. 


159 


Louisville,  as  the  great  commercial  mart  of  the  western 
coimtry,  must  these  circumstances  weigh  most  heavily. 
Despite  all  these  disadvantages,  however,  the  town  did 
progress,  not  so  rapidly  as  its  past  course  would  have 
promised,  but  w^ith  a  rational  and  steady  improvement. 
One  of  the  drawbacks  mentioned  above  was  beginning 
to  be  removed.  The  new  Trustees  of  the  town  began 
to  prosecute  their  measures  of  improvement  with  some 
degree  of  energy.  Wells  were  dug;  pavements  laid; 
streets  graded;  ponds  drained;  and  a  general  activity 
prevailed  which  showed  some  attention  toward  making 
the  town  more  desirable  as  a  residence,  both  in  point  of 
comfort  and  of  health.  The  removal  of  the  causes  of 
disease,  however,  could  not  be  instantaneous,  and  eveii 
if  they  had  been  it  would  have  required  time  to  convince 
those  disposed  to  emigrate  hither  of  the  fact. 

The  first  act  of  the  Trustees  in  the  year  1820  was  to 
order  the  purchase  of  two  or  three  five-engines.  Con- 
flagrations had  recently  become  of  not  uncommon  occur- 
rence,  and  the  means  for  combating  them  were  so  few 
in  number,  and  so  incompetent  in  character,  that  this 
measure  had  become  entirely  necessary  to  the  safety  of 
the  town .  Accordingly,  Thomas  Prather ,  Cuthbert  Bul- 
litt and  Peter  B.  Orsmby  were  appointed  a  committee 
to  purchase  suitable  fire-engines  for  the  use  of  the  city. 
This  being  done,  the  town  was  laid  ofl'  into  three  wards, 
and  Coleman  Daniel,  Daniel  McAllister  and  Peter  \Yol- 
ford  were  appointed,  one  to  each  ward,  to  obtain  each 
4:0  members  to  work  these  engines.  These  members 
were  to  elect  each  a  Captain  of  the  engine  and  such 
other  officers  as  might  be  necessary,  and  to  adopt  rules 


160  HISTORY   OF    LOUISVILLE. 


for  their  own  government.  Public  cisterns,  or  other  like 
conveniences  for  the  use  of  firemen,  were  then  unknown. 
Each  citizen  was  required  to  keep  two  or  more  leather 
fire-buckets  on  his  premises,  while  a  larger  number  of 
the  same  were  kept  at  the  engine  houses.  These  were 
taken  to  the  fire,  and  two  lines  of  men  formed  from  the 
engine,  which  was  stationed  near  the  fire,  to  the  nearest 
water.  One  of  these  lines  was  occupied  in  passing  buck- 
ets filled  with  water,  which,  when  they  arrived  at  the 
engine,  were  poured  into  it;  and  the  other  in  passing 
back  the  empty  buckets  to  be  refilled.  It  was  by  this 
tedious  process  alone  that  they  were  eualjled  successfully 
to  combat  a  fire. 

Although  tables  of  various  sorts,  showing  the  progres- 
sive increase  of  the  town,  liave  been  from  time  laid  be- 
fore the  reader,  yet  the  events  of  thirteen  years  have 
been  passed  over  without  ofieriug  to  his  inspection  that 
most  conclusive  of  documentary  evidence,  the  tax  list. 
It  may  be  remembered  that  the  assessment  of  1807 
amounted  to  $913  50.  The  following  list  for  1821  will 
give  a  clear  idea  of  the  increased  value  of  property  since 
that  time. 

VALUATION  OF  GROUND  AND  IMPROVEMENTS,  $1,189.6G1  00. 

Assessed  Taxes  on  same $4,637  68 

On  14  1st  rate  Retail  Stores  at  830 420  00 

24  2d    '■■       "         "  $20 540  00 

7  3d    "        "  "  $L0 70  00 

26  Tavern  Licenses $10 260  00 

70  Carriage  Wheels 50c 35  00 

2  Billiard  Tables $17 34  00 

Total $5  996  6S 


HISTORY   OF    LOUISVILLE.  161 


The  foUowiug  is  a  census  of  the  population,  taken  at 
this  period :  * 

Free  white  males  to  10  years  of  age 346 

10  to  16 152 

"    16  to  26 498 

26  to  45 707 

"      "    45  and  upwards 121 


Free  white  females  to  10  years  of  age; .356 

10  to  16 132 

«     "         "  16  to  26 , 273 

"  "  26  to  45    232 

"  "  45  and  upwards 69 


-1324 


-1062 


Total  White  Population 1886 

Blacks,  including  free  persons  of  color 1126 

Total 4012 

Of  whom  there  are  engaged  in  Commerce 128 

"  ««  "  Manufactures 591 

Foreigners 94 

On  the  3d  of  March  in  this  year  Mr.  Nicholas  Clarke 
associated  with  him,  in  the  publication  of  the  "Western 
Courier,  Messrs.  S.  H.  Bullen  and  A.  G.  Memweather. 
After  this  period  the  name  of  the  paper  was  changed  to 
The  Emporium  and  Commercial  Advertiser,  and  it  was 
issued  semi-weekly  instead  of  weekly.  This  connection, 
however,  was  not  of  long  duration,  for  in  February  '22, 
Messrs.  Clarke  &  Merri weather  left  the  establishment, 
transferring  their  interest  to  Mr.  Bullen  and  Mr.  F.  E. 
Goddard.  The  paper  finally  came  into  the  hands  of  this 
latter  gentleman  alone,  and  its  publication  was  stopped 
while  under  his  management.     Mr.  Goddard  will  be 


*This  census  does  not  include  the  residents  in  Preston's  or  Camphell's  en- 
largements, nor  does  it  refer  either  to  Portland  or  Shippingport. 


162  HISTORY    OF    LOUISVILLE. 


remembered  by  most  of  the  citizens  of  Louisville.  He 
was  the  preceptor  of  a  great  many  of  the  younger  men 
now  here,  and  was  universally  beloved  and  respected. 
His  genial  humor,  his  extraordinary  scholarship  and  his 
fine  qualities  of  heart  made  him  the  admiration  of  his 
friends,  while  his  faithful  discharge  of  all  his  duties  and 
his  firm  and  unwaving  efibrts  to  improve  the  minds  and 
morals  of  his  numerous  pupils,  cause  them  to  respect 
his  memory,  and  call  forth  alike  their  gratitude  and  their 
veneration.  No  man  has  ever  occupied  Mr.  Goddard's 
position  who  enjoyed  more  universally  or  more  merited- 
ly  the  regard  of  his  fellow  citizens. 

In  May,  still  of  this  year,  a  branch  bank  of  the  Com- 
monwealth was  located  here.  From  an  article  in  the 
Emporium  it  would  seem  that  this  bank  was  established 
without  one  dollar  of  specie  capital  and  hence  its  notes 
were  sold  at  very  large  rates  of  discount.  The  paper  of 
this  bank  and  that  of  the  Bank  of  Kentucky  formed  almost 
the  only  currency  at  the  time,  and  as  merchants,  in  or- 
der to  pay  their  calls  abroad,  were  obliged  to  buy  specie 
or  Eastern  funds  at  a  great  advance,  they  naturally 
enough  refused  these  bills  at  par  value.  This  seems  to 
have  been  a  grievous  troul^le  to  the  management  of  the 
bank  at  Frankfort,  and  it  was  suggested  by  them  that 
the  Le2:islature  should  remove  the  branch  established 
here  to  "some  other  situation  where  love  of  country, 
love  of  truth  and  love  of  general  prosperity  might  over- 
come the  combinations  of  the  weak  and  wicked."  This 
removal,  however,  was  not  efiected. 

It  was  also  dui'ing  this  year  that  a  night  watch  was 
established,  who  were  paid  by  a  subscription  of  the  cit- 


HISTORY    OF    LOUISVILLE.  16 


o 


izens  and  not  from  the  treasury  of  the  town.  B.  Mor- 
gan, 0.  Sly  and  M.  Woolston  were  the  first  persons 
elected  to  this  office. 

1822 — -The  first  event  of  the  next  year  was  the  au- 
thorization by  the  Trustees  of  the  issue  of  tovv^n  notes, 
varying  in  denomination  from  twelve  and  a  half  cents 
to  one  dollar,  the  ao:2rre2:ate  value  of  all  of  which  was 
not  to  exceed  four  thousand  dollars.  These  notes,  how- 
ever, did  not  meet  with  the  usual  fate  of  the  shinplaster 
currency,  for  in  about  a  year  afterward  we  find  an  order 
of  the  Trustees  for  counting  and  destroying  them,  leav- 
ing the  impression  either  that  they  were  not  put  into 
circulation  or  were  redeemed  and  so  withdrawn  from  a 
market  already  glutted  with  such  trash. 

It  was  during  the  year  1822  that  the  town  was  visited 
•by  a  dreadful  epidemic.  Dr.  John  P.  Harrison,  late  of 
Cincinnati  and  formerly  of  this  city^  a  physician  of  dis- 
tinguished ability,  has  published  a  minute  and  highly 
valuable  account  of  this  epidemic  in  the  Philadelphia 
Medical  Journal,  Yol.  8.  The  disease  was  a  highly 
a2:o:ravated  bilious  fever,  so  terrible  as  to  deserve  the 
dreaded  name  of  yellow  fever.  The  mortality  was  very 
great  and  the  alarm  existing  on  account  of  it  throughout 
the  w^hole  interior  of  the  neighboring  States  was  of  the 
most  exciting  character.  The  season  was  an  unhealthy 
one  throughout  the  West,  but  the  scourge  fell  most 
heavily  upon  Louisville,  probably  on  account  of  the 
miasma  from  her  many  ponds.  The  scourge  here,  as 
Dr.  Drake  says  in  his  valuable  history  of  the  diseases  of 
the  A^alley  of  Korth  America,  amounted  almost  to  de- 
population.    The  Trustees  were  by  it  awakened  from 


164:  HISTORY    OF    LOUISVILLE. 


their  lethargy.  A  Board  of  Health,  consisting  of  Drs. 
Gait,  Smith,  Harrison,  Wilson  and  Tompkins,  were 
appointed  to  examine  into  the  causes  of  disease  and  re- 
port the  same  to  the  Trustees,  together  with  the  mode  or 
practicability  of  removing  the  same.  This  first  Board 
of  Health  was  appointed  too  late.  Had  they  been  or- 
dered to  .examine  into  this  matter  years  before,  much 
might  have  been  efiected,  but  the  time  for  such  action 
was  now  passed,  and  this  fearful  malady,  now  inevita- 
ble, became  the  most  terrible  blow  ever  given  to  the 
prosperity  of  the  rising  town.  The  news  spread  far 
and  wide,  and  the  neighboring  towns,  instead  of  seek- 
ing to  publish  only  the  truth,  assisted  largely  in  circu- 
lating garbled  intelligence  and  extravagant  reports  of  a 
fact  which  tended  to  their  advantage  by  destroying  the 
fair  fame  of  their  rival.  Emigrants  from  abroad  as  well 
as  from  this  and  neighboring  States,  for  years  afterward, 
dreaded  even  to  pass  through  the  town,  and  of  those 
who  had  already  determined  to  locate  here,  many  were 
dissuaded  from  their  purpose  by  the  assertion  that  it  was 
but  rushing  upon  death  to  make  the  attempt.  This  oc- 
curred, too,  just  at  a  period  when  the  resources  of  the 
town,  beginning  to  develop  themselves,  were  attracting 
the  attention  of  capitalists.  It  was  this  alone  which 
gave  a  temporary  semblance  of  superiority  to  the  neigh- 
boring towns,  and,  for  a  time,  retarded  the  usual  pros- 
perity of  this.  Had  the  feeling  of  alarm  ceased  with 
the  disease,  it  would  have  been  less  of  a  blow,  but  for 
years  after  it  was  referred  to  as  a  warning  against  emi- 
gration hither. 

The  next  two  years  present  nothing  of  interest  to  the 


HISTOEY    OF    LOUISVILLE.  165 


reader,  save  the  building  in  the  winter  of  1824-5  of  an 
Episcopalian  Church  on  Second  Street,  between  Green 
and  Walnut,  the  present  Christ's  Church,  the  first  rector 
of  which  was  the  E-ev.  Mr.  Shaw. 

On  the  8th  of  May,  in  the  year  1825,  Lafayette  visited 
Louisville.  His  reception  here,  as  everywhere  else, 
was  enthusiastic  in  the  extreme.  The  Trustees  of  the 
city  paid  into  the  hands  of  John  Eowan,  the  chairman 
of  the  committee  of  arrangements  for  the  reception,  a 
considerable  sum  of  money,  to  be  expended  in  such 
manner  as  the  committee  might  direct  for  this  purpose. 
The  resolution  authorizing  this  expenditure  w^as  passed 
with  a  single  dissenting  voice,  that  of  Ricliard  Hall. 
The  meeting  of  Lafayette  with  some  of  the  old  ofiicers 
of  the  revolution,  particularly  that  with  Col.  Anderson, 
is  said  to  have  been  extremely  afiecting.  The  whole 
city  turned  out  to  receive  this  distinguished  patriot;  pro- 
cessions were  formed,  arches  erected,  bevies  of  young 
girls  strewed  his  pathway  with  flowers  and  the  whole 
town  was  a  scene  of  festivity  and  rejoicing.  Whether 
the  dissenting  Mr.  Richard  Hall  was  with  those  who  were 
thus  showing  their  sense  of  gratitude  to  him  who  had 
left  home,  country  and  friends,  and  faced  the  thundering 
cannon's  mouth  to  aid  them  in  their  hour  of  direst  peril, 
history  does  not  tell  us. 

The  Legislature  of  these  years  made  very  considerable 
additions  to  the  power  of  the  Trustees  ;  allowing  them 
to  borrow  money  on  the  credit  of  the  town,  to  purchase 
and  hold  real  estate  for  erecting  market-houses,  wharfs, 
&c.,  to  levy  a  tax  on  exchange  brokers,  to  tax  hacks, 
drays,  &c.,  to  appoint  harbor  and  wharf  masters,  and 


166  HISTORY    OF    LOUISVILLE. 


make  rules  governing  the  lading  and  unlading  of  vessels, 
to  collect  wharfage  fees,  to  appoint  inspectors  of  flour, 
&c.  The  first  use  made  of  this  new  power  was  the 
purchase  of  ground  for  a  wharf.  Eowan  owned  a  s"'ip 
of  ground  lying  north  of  Water  Street,  commencing  at 
Second  and  terminatino;  at  Seventh  Street.  A  simi- 
lar  slip,  lying  between  Seventh  and  Eighth  streets, 
was  already  the  property  of  the  city.  This  slip  the  city 
agreed  to  add  to  Rowan's,  and  also  to  pave  the  whole 
as  a  wharf,  using  the  stone  in  Rowan's  quarry,  situated 
on  the  premises,  and  for  the  wharf  so  constructed  tliey 
agreed  to  give  to  Rowan  and  to  his  heirs  forever^  in 
semi-annual  payments,  one-half  the  receipts  of  this  wharf. 
They  also  agreed  that,  if  at  any  time  Gray's  wharf, 
lying  east  of  Second  Street,  should  be  bought,  both  par- 
ties might  unite  in  the  purchase  and  Rowan  should  re- 
ceive as  before  one  half  the  profits  of  the  entire  wharf. 
This  contract;  made  with  but  a  single  dissenting  voice 
on  the  part  of  the  Trustees,  that  of  Jeremiah  Diller,  must 
have  been  the  result  of  either  a  very  low  state  of  finances 
or  of  very  injudicious  precipitation.  Rowan's  heirs,  it 
is  understood,  now  get  but  one  fourth  of  the  wharfage, 
but  even  this  would  have  been  a  sum  better  gained  to 
the  city  than  lost  by  a  want  of  proper  judgment  or 
foresight. 

On  the  12th  of  January,  in  this  year,  the  Louisville 
&  Portland  Canal  Company  was  incorporated  by  an  act 
of  the  Legislature,  with  a  capital  of  $600,000,  in  shares 
of  $100  each,  with  perpetual  succession.  3665  of  these 
shares  were  in  the  hands  of  about  70  individuals,  resi- 
ding in  difiercnt  States,  and  the  remaining  2335  shares 


HISTORY    OF    LOUISVILLE.  l67 


belonged  to  the  government  of  the  United  States.     In 
December  contracts  were  entered  into  to  complete  the 
work  of  the  canal  within  two  years  for  about  $375,000, 
and  the  work  was  actually  commenced  in  March  1826. 
Many  unforeseen  difficulties  retarded  it  until  the  close 
of  the  year  1828.     At  this  time  the  contractors  failed, 
new  contracts  were  made  at  advanced  prices,  and  the 
canal  was  finally  opened  for  navigation,  December  5th, 
1830.     When  completed,  it  cost  about  $750,000.     It  is 
about  two  miles  in  length  and  is  intended  to  overcome 
a  fall  of  twenty-four  feet,  occasioned  by  an  irregular  ledge 
of  lime-stone  rock,  through  which  the  entire  bed  of  the 
canal  is  excavated,  a  part  to  the  depth  of  12  feet,  over- 
laid with  earth.     There  is  one  guard  and  three  lift  locks 
combined,  all  of  which  have  their  foundation  on  the 
rock.     One  bridge  of  stone  240  feet  long,  with  an  eleva- 
tion of  68  feet  to  the  top  of  the  parapet  wall,  and  three 
arches,  the  centre  one  of  which  is  semi-elliptical,  with 
a  transverse  diameter    of  66,   and    a   semi-conjugate 
diameter  of  22   feet.     The  two  arches   are  segments 
of  40  feet  span.     The  guard  lock  is  190  feet  long  in  the 
clear,  with  semi-circular  heads  of  26  feet  in  diameter, 
50  feet  wide  and  42  feet  high,  and  contains  21,775 
perches  of  mason  work.     The  solid  contents  of  this  lock 
are  equal  to  15  common  locks,  such  as  are  built  on  the 
Ohio  and  New  York  canals.     The  lift  locks  are  of  the 
same  width  with  the  guard  lock,  20  feet  high  and  183 
feet  long  in  the  clear,  and  contain  12,300  perches  of 
mason  work.     The  entire  length  of  the  walls  from  the 
head  of  the  guard  lock  to  the  end  of  the  outlet  lock  is 
921  feet.     In  addition  to  the  amount  of  mason  work 


16S  HISTOKY    OF    LOUISVILLE. 


above,  there  are  three  culverts  to  drain  oft'  the  watei 
from  the  adjacent  lands,  the  mason  work  of  which,  when 
added  to  the  locks  and  bridge,  gives  the  whole  amount 
of  mason  work  41,989  perches,  equal  to  about  30  com- 
mon canal  locks.  The  cross  section  of  the  canal  is  200 
feet  at  top  of  banks,  50  feet  at  bottom  and  42  feet  high, 
having  a  capacity  equal  to  that  of  25  common  canals ; 
and  if  we  keep  in  view  the  unequal  quantity  of  mason 
work,  compared  to  the  length  of  the  canal,  the  great 
difliculties  of  excavating  earth  and  rock  from  so  great  a 
depth  and  width,  together  with  the  contingencies  at- 
tending its  construction  from  the  fluctuations  of  the  Ohio 
river,  it  may  not  be  considered  as  extravagant  in  draw- 
ing the  comparison  between  the  work  in  this,  and  in 
that  of  70  or  75  miles  of  common  canaling.-' 

In  the  upper  sections  of  the  canal,  the  alluvial  earth 
to  the  average  depth  of  20  feet  being  removed,  trunks 
of  trees  were  found,  more  or  less  decayed,  and  so  im- 
bedded as  to  indicate  a  powerful  current  towards  the 
present  shore,  some  of  which  were  cedar,  which  is  not 
now  found  in  this  region.  ^qy&vsI  fire-places  of  a  rude 
construction,  with  partially  burnt  wood,  were  discovered 
near  the  rock,  as  well  as  the  bones  of  a  variety  of  small 
animals,  and  several  human  skeletons ;  rude  implements 
formed  of  bone  and  stone  were  also  frequently  seen,  as 
also  several  well  wrought  specimens  of  hematite  of  iron , 
in  the  shape  of  plummets  or  sinkers  displaying  a  knowl- 
edge in  the  arts  far  in  advance  of  the  present  race  of 
Indians. 

The  first  stratum  of  rock  was  light,  friable  slate  in 
close  contact  with  the  limestone,  and  difficult  to  disen- 


lilSTOKY   OF   LOUISVILLE.  169 


gage  from  it;  this  slate  did  not  however  extend  over  the 
whole  surface  of  the  rock,  and  was  of  various  thick- 
nesses from  three  inches  to  four  feet. 

The  stratum  next  to  the  slate  was  a  close  compact 
lime  stone,  in  which  petrified  sea  shells,  and  an  infinite 
variety  of  coraline  formations  were  embedded,  and  fre- 
quent cavities  of  crystaline  encrustations  were  seen, 
many  of  which  still  contained  petroleum  of  a  higlily 
fetid  smell,  which  gives  the  name  of  this  description  of 
lime  stone.  This  description  of  rock  is  on  an  average 
of  five  feet,  covering  a  substratum  of  a  species  of  cias 
limestone  of  a  bluish  color,  embedding  nodules  of  horn 
stone,  and  organic  remains.  The  fracture  of  this  stone 
has  in  all  instances  been  found  to  be  irregularly  con- 
choidal,  and  on  exposure  to  the  atmosphere  and  subjec- 
tion to  fire  it  crumbled  to  pieces.  When  burnt  and 
ground,  and  mixed  with  a  due  proportion  of  silicious 
sand,  it  has  been  found  to  make  a  most  superior  kind  of 
hydraulic  cement  or  water  lime. 

The  discovery  of  this  valuable  lime  stone,  has  enabled 
the  canal  company  to  construct  their  masonry  more  sol- 
idly than  any  other  known  in  the  United  States. 

A  manufactory  of  this  hydraulic  cement  or  water 
lime  is  now  established  on  the  bank  of  the  canal,  on  a 
scale  capable  of  supplying  the  United  States  with  this 
much  valued  material  for  all  w^orks  in  contact  with 
water  or  exposed  to  moisture;  the  nature  of  this  cement 
being  to  harden  in  the  w^ater,  the  grout  used  on  the 
locks  of  the  canal  is  already  harder  than  the  stone  used 
in  their  construction. 

After  passing  through  the  stratum  which  was  com- 


170  HISTORY    OF    LOUISVILLE. 


monly  called  the  water  lime,  about  ten  feet  in  thickness, 
the  workmen  came  to  a  more  compact  mass  of  primitive 
grey  limestone,  which  however  was  not  penetrated  to 
any  great  depth.  In  many  parts  of  the  excavation, 
masses  of  bluish  white  flint  and  horn  stone  were  found 
enclosed  in,  or  encrusting  the  fetid  limestone.  And 
from  the  large  quantities  of  arrow  heads  and  other  rude 
formations  of  this  flint  stone,  it  is  evident  that  it  was 
made  much  use  of  by  the  Indians  in  forming  their 
weapons  of  war  and  hunting;  in  one  place  a  magazine 
of  arrow  heads  was  discovered,  containing  many  hun- 
dreds of  those  rude  implements,  carefully  packed  togeth- 
er, and  buried  below  the  surface  of  the  ground. 

The  existence  of  iron  ore  in  considerable  quantities 
was  exhibited  in  the  progress  of  excavation  of  the  canal 
by  numerous  highly  charged  chalybeate  springs,  that 
gushed  out  and  continued  to  flow  during  the  time  that 
the  rock  was  exposed,  chiefly  in  the  upper  strata  of 
limestone.*  The  canal  when  built  was  intended  for  the 
largest  class  of  boats,  but  the  facilities  for  navigation  have 
so  far  improved  and  the  size  of  vessels  increased  so  far 
beyond  the  expectations  of  the  projectors  of  this  enter- 
Y>rise  that  it  is  now  found  much  too  small  to  answer  the 
demands  of  navigation.  The  consequence  is  that  the 
canal  is  looked  upon  as,  equally  with  the  falls,  a  barrier 
to  navigation.  The  larger  lower-river  boats  refuse  to 
sign  bills  of  lading,  compelling  them  to  deliver  their 
goods  above  the  falls,  and  as  this  class  of  boats  is  increas- 
ing, it  promises  soon  to  be  as  difiicult  to  pass  this  point 
as  before  this  immense  work  was  completed.     As  pre- 

*  This  is  extracted  from  Mi",  Maum  Butler's  account  of  tke  Canal. 


illSTOKY    OF    LOUISVILLE.  171 


vious  to  the  undertaking  of  this  canal,  so  there  are  now 
numerous  plans  proposed  for  overcoming  the  impedi- 
ment; and  these  do  not  differ  materially  from  those  sug- 
gested and  noticed  in  1804.  The  only  ground  upon 
which  all  parties  agree  is,  that  whatever  is  done  should 
be  effected  by  the  general  government,  and  not  left  to 
be  completed  by  individual  enterprise. 

The  government,  as  has  before  been  said,  owns  a  very 
large  part  of  the  stock  in  this  canal,  say  three-fifths,  and 
it  is  strongly  urged  by  a  part  of  the  community  that 
nothinsr  would  better  serve  the  interests  of  western  nav- 
igation  than  a  movement  on  the  part  of  the  United 
States,  making  it  free.  The  question  of  internal  im- 
provement is  not  within  the  province  of  this  history  to 
discuss,  but  certainly  a  deaf  ear  should  not  be  turned  by 
the  general  government  to  the  united  voice  of  so  many 
of  its  children,  all  alike  demanding  to  be  relieved  from 
their  embarrassments,  and  the  more  particularly  so,  as 
it  has  already  heard  and  answered  the  supplications  of  a 
part  of  its  numerous  family.  Any  semblance  of  favor- 
itism in  a  government  is  a  sure  means  of  alienating  the 
trust  and  affection  of  a  part  of  its  dependants.  What- 
ever means  may  be  most  advisable  to  effect  the  removal 
of  the  impediment  to  navigation  here  should  at  once  be 
adopted.  And  if  the  opening  of  the  canal  freely  to  all 
could  tend  to  effect  this  object,  the  government  has  al- 
ready had  from  it  revenue  sufficient  to  warrant  it  in  tak- 
ing off  the  tax  from  navigation.  Up  to  the  year  1843, 
there  had  passed  through  this  canal,  13,776  steamboats, 
and  4701  flats  and  keels,  making  in  all  2,425,567  tons, 
the  tolls  of  which   amounted  to  $1,227,625   50.     It 


172  HISTORY    OF   LOUISVILLE. 

would  not  be  an  unfair  caJculation  to  rate  the  expenses 
of  keeping  up  the  canal  at  $30,000  per  annum,  or  $390,- 
000  for  the  thirteen  years  above  referred  to.  Supposing 
the  government  to  possess  three-fifths  of  this  profit,  it 
would  amount  to  $502,575,  or  nearly  enough  to  build 
a  new  canal.  It  is  not  to  be  wondered  at,  then,  that 
western  people  should  feel  disposed  to  murmur  at  hav- 
ing these  large  sums  of  money  taken  from  their  waters 
and  applied  to  improving  the  Balize  or  Sandy  Hook,  or 
any  other  distant  part  of  the  Union.  And  the  matter  is 
the  more  grievous  when  it  is  remembered  that  these  tolls 
are  not  only  not  free  but  are  enormously  and  dispropor- 
tionately high.  Whether  laden  or  not,  each  boat  is 
obliged  to  pay  at  the  rate  of  50  cts  per  ton,  in  proportion 
to  her  capacity,  as  a  toll!  The  whole  subject  is  one  de- 
serving immediate  and  earnest  attention,  as  involving 
interests  in  which  not  only  Louisville,  but  the  whole 
South  and  West  is  intimately  concerned. 

With  the  next  year — 1826 — we  come  to  the  establish- 
ment of  another  newspaper  here.  This  was  called  the 
Focus,  and  was  edited  by  Dr.  Buchanan,  assisted  by 
Mr.  W.  W.  Worsley,  and  published  weekly  by  Morton 
&  Co.  It  contained  a  very  large  amount  of  reading 
matter  on  literary,  scientific,  political  and  commercial 
subjects.  It  was  violently  anti- Jackson  in  politics,  but 
still  found  room  in  its  columns  for  an  unusual  quantity 
of  interesting  literary  matter.  It  was  conducted  with 
great  ability  by  these  gentlemen  for  a  period  of  about 
three  years,  when,  after  the  death  of  Dr.  Buchanan,  it 
was  sold  to  Messrs.  J.  T.  Gavins  and  G.  S.  Eobinson. 
It  was  afterwards  merged  into  the  Louisville  Journal, 


HISTORY    OF   LOUISVILLE.  173 


and  placed,  under  the  name  of  the  Journal  and  Focus,  in 
the  hands  of  Mr.  Geo.  D.  Prentice,  as  editor.  This 
was  in  the  year  1832.  Since  that  time  its  history  is  too 
well  known  wherever  the  knowledge  of  American  news- 
papers has  penetrated  to  need  any  furthur  notice  here. 
It  has  been  the  lot  of  the  gentleman  who  is  at  the  head 
of  it,  and  who  is  distinguished  alike  as  a  poet  and  a 
politician,  as  a  wit  and  a  sage,  to  wield  an  influence 
such  as  few  men  in  any  station  have  ever  exercised ;  an 
influence  which  is  not  only  political  but  also  literary  and 
social,  and  which  has  been  exerted  alike  at  the  birth  of 
a  true  poet  and  at  the  death  of  a  false  patriot  or  a  foolish 
politician. 

By  the  census  of  the  next  year — ^1827 — we  find  the 
population  of  Louisville  to  have  reached  7063,  showing 
an  increase  of  nearly  double  since  1821.  The  attention 
of  the  people  began  now  to  be  turned  toward  efiecting 
an  incorporation  of  the  town  and  placing  themselves  in 
a  condition  for  self-government,  and  accordingly  on  the 
3d  of  November,  of  this  year,  a  very  large  meeting  of  the 
citizens  was  held  at  the  court  house  for  this  purpose,  Levi 
Tyler  having  been  appointed  chairman  and  Garnett  Dun- 
can secretary,  the  following  resolutions  were  adopted : 

1st.  Resolved,  That  public  convenience  renders  it  im- 
portant that  we  ask  for  the  passage  of  an  act  incorpora- 
ting Louisville  with  its  enlargements,  and  giving  a  city 
court  for  the  speedy  punishment  of  crimes  and  the  speedy 
trial  of  civil  suits. 

2d.  Resolved,  That  a  committee  of  five  citizens  be 
appointed  to  draft  an  act  of  incorporation  and  to  submit 
the  same  at  an  adjournment  of  this  meeting. 


17  J:  HISTORY    OF    LOUIS^aLLE. 


3d.  Resolved,  Tliat  a  committee  of  three  be  a])point- 
ed  to  confer  with  the  inhabitants  of  Shipping-port  and 
Portland,  and  the  enlargements  of  Louisville,  and  to 
request  them  to  unite  with  us  in  this  subject. 

4th.  Resolved,  That  we  esteem  the  erection  of  a  per- 
manent bridge  across  the  Ohio  river,  at  the  most  con- 
venient point  across  the  Falls,  of  the  gi-eatest  utility  to 
the  public,  and  calculated  to  enhance  the  commerce  and 
prosperity  of  our  town,  and  that  we  respectfully  solicit 
the  legislature  of  this  State  to  incorporate  a  company 
with  competent  powers  and  capital  to  effect  the  erection 
of  such  a  bridge,  and  that  the  city  of  Louisville,  when 
incorporated,  should  be  authorised  to  raise  funds,  by 

loan  or  otherwise,  and  to  subscribe  for dollars  of 

stock  in  said  company. 

5th.  Resolved,  That  a  committee  of  se^-en  be  appoint- 
ed to  di-aft  a  charter  for  that  purpose,  and  that  our  rep- 
resentatives be  requested  to  use  their  best  exertions  to 
effect  the  passage  of  such  charter. 

Committee  under  the  second  resolution,  Daniel  Wurtz, 
Thos.  Anderson,  S.  S.  Goodvdn,  S.  S.  iS'icholas,  Gar- 
nett  Duncan. 

Committee  under  the  third  resolution,  J.  H.  Tyler, 
W.  D.  Payne,  W.  S.  Vernon. 

Committee  under  the  fifth  resolution,  J.  H.  Tyler,  J. 
Guthrie,  J.  S,  Snead,  J.  I.  Jacob,  G.  W.  Mem  weather, 
D.  R.  Poignard,  Geo.  Keats. 

These  committees  having  duly  reported,  their  memo- 
rials were  sent  forward  to  the  lec^islature,  and  on  the  13th 
day  of  February,  1828,  the  act  of  incorporation  passed 
and  Louisville  became  a  city.     Portland  had  refused  to 


HISTORY   OF    LOUISVILLE.  175 


become  annexed  to  the  city  as  yet,  but  Sliippingport  had 
consented  to  the  compact.  The  act  of  incorporation 
defines  the  limits  of  the  city  as  follows :  Beginning  at 
the  stone  bridge  over  Bear  Grass  creek,  near  Geiger's 
mills,  thence  on  a  straight  line  to  the  upper  corner  of 
Jacob  Geiger's  land  on  the  Ohio  river,  and  thence  by  a 
straight  line  down  the  Ohio  river,  so  as  to  include  Corn 
Island  and  the  quarry  adjacent  thereto,  and  thence  to  the 
upper  boundary  of  Shippingport  to  the  back  line  thereof, 
and  the  same  course  continued  until  it  intersects  the 
brckline  of  the  town  of  Louisville,  when  extended  west- 
wardlv  far  enou-^h  to  meet  the  said  line  extendino-  out 
from  the  river  with  the  upper  boundary  of  Shippingport, 
thence  from  the  said  intersection  to  the  south  or  back 
line  of  the  present  town  of  Louisville,  and  with  the  said 
back  line  to  the  south  fork  of  Bear  Grass  creek,  thence 
down  the  middle  thereof  to  the  beginning.  The  usual 
powers  of  a  municipal  body  were  vested  in  a  Mayor  and 
City  Council,  consisting  of  ten  persons.  The  city  was 
divided  into  five  wards,  each  entitled  to  two  councilmen, 
who  w^ere  to  be  elected  annually.  These  elections  were 
to  be  held  on  the  first  Monday  in  every  March.  On 
election,  the  Mayor  and  Councilmen  were  to  take  an 
oath  of  office  and  these  oaths  were  recorded.  They  were 
to  choose  a  clerk  annually,  whose  duty  it  should  be  to 
keep  a  record  of  the  proceedings  of  the  board,  sign  all 
warrants  issued  by  them  and  to  deliver  over  to  his  suc- 
cessor all  books  and  papers  entrusted  to  him.  Five 
Councilmen  and  the  Mayor  or  six  Councilmen  should 
constitute  a  quorum.  The  meetings  of  the  board  w^ere  to 
be  public,  and  the  Mayor's  salary  should  be  fixed  by  the 


176  HISTORY    OF    LOUISVILLE. 


Councilmen.  The  Mayor  was  not  allowed  any  judicial 
authority  in  civil  matters,  but  had  the  power  of  a  justice 
of  the  peace  over  slaves  and  free  negroes,  and  similar 
powers  to  require  surety  for  good  behavior  and  for  the 
peace ;  and  the  power  assigned  to  two  Justices  of  the 
Peace  in  committing  criminal  ofienders  and  sending  them 
on  for  trial ;  he  also  had  the  casting  vote  in  case  of  a 
tie  in  the  board  over  w^hich  he  presided,  but  had  no  vote 
otherwise.  The  powers  before  delegated  to  the  Trustees 
were  now  vested  in  the  Mayor  and  Council,  and  in  ad- 
dition to  these  were  granted  power  to  prohibit  the  erec- 
tion of  wooden  buildings  within  certain  limits,  to  erect 
suitable  buildings  for  a  poor  and  work-house,  to  establish 
one  or  more  free  schools  in  each  ward,  to  elect  all  sub- 
ordinate officers,  and  to  pass  by-laws  with  adequate 
penalties  for  their  infraction.  The  office  of  City  Mar- 
shal was  also  created  by  the  act.  He  was  to  be  chosen 
annually  by  the  people,  and,  if  required  by  the  Council, 
he  was  to  have  a  resident  deputy  in  each  ward  of  the 
city.  His  duties  were  to  preserve  order  at  all  sessions 
of  the  Mayor  and  Council,  and  to  execute  all  processes 
emanating  from  the  Mayor.  He  was  to  be  appointed 
City  Collector  and  State  Collector  within  the  city.  He 
was  to  execute  bond,  with  sufficient  security,  before  the 
Mayor  and  Council,  to  the  State,  for  the  performance  of 
his  duties,  and  a  lien  was  retained  on  all  his  lands  and 
slaves,  and  on  those  of  his  sureties,  for  all  sums  of  money 
which  came  into  his  hands  He  had  the  same  powers 
and  duties  within  the  city  as  a  Sheriff  and  received  the 
same  fees.  Not  less  than  two  persons  were  to  be  voted 
for  as  Mayor,  and  the  two  having  the  highest  vote  for 


HISTORY    OF    LOUISVILLE.  177 


this  office  were  to  be  certified  to  the  Governor,  one  of 
whom  was  by  him  to  be  commissioned  and  submitted  to 
the  Senate  for  their  advice  and  consent.  This  charter 
was  to  be  in  force  for  five  years  from  and  after  its  pas- 
sage, and  no  longer,  and  upon  the  dissolution  of  tlie 
corporation,  all  property  was  to  revert  to  the  Trustees 
of  the  town,  to  be  chosen  or  appointed  as  heretofore  di- 
rected by  law. 

The  first  election  under  this  charter  was  held  on  the 
fourth  day  of  March,  1828.  Mr.  J.  C.  Bucklin  was 
elected  Mayor,  by  a  small  majorit}^  over  Mr.  W.  Tomp- 
kins, and  W.  A.  Cocke  was  elected  Marshal  by  a  large 
majority.  The  following  gentlemen  were  elected  Coun- 
cilmen :  Messrs.  John  M.  Talbott,  W.  D.  Payne,  G. 
"W.  Merri weather,  Richard  Hall,  Jas.  Harrison,  J.  Mc- 
Gilly  Cuddy,  John  Warren,  Elisha  Applegate,  Daniel 
McAllister  and  Fred.  Turner.  Samuel  Dickinson  was 
appointed  Clerk. 

A  writer  in  the  Focus,  for  January  20,  1829,  gives 
an  idea  of  the  commerce  of  Louisville  in  regard  to  cer- 
tain leading  articles  at  this  period.  He  says  that  from 
1st  of  January,  1828,  to  1st  of  January,  1829,  there 
were  received  and  sold  in  this  place  414:^  hogsheads  of 
sugar  and  8607  bags  and  barrels  of  cofiee,  amounting  in 
value  to  $584,681.  He  also  fixes  the  inspections  of 
tobacco  in  Louisville  at  2050  hhds.  for  1826,  4354  hhds. 
for  1827,  and  4075  hhds.  for  1828.  The  average  price 
of  these  was,  for  1826,  $2  67,  for  1827,  $2  59,  and  for 
1828,  $1  98i.  The  wdiole  value  of  these  for  the  three 
years  was  $468,672  88.  1140  of  these  were  shipped  to 
Pittsburo',  3048  to  New  Orleans,  320  manufactured  here 


ITS  HISTOKY    OF    LOUISVILLE. 

and  458  were  stemmed.  In  this  article  sugars  are  quoted 
at  87  04  to  $7  02,  bj  the  barrel,  gunpowder  tea  at  $1  20 
to  $1  25 ;  and  it  also  states  that  groceries  of  all  kinds 
can  be  had  here  at  as  cheap  rates  as  they  can  be  procured 
either  in  New  York  or  New  Orleans,  A  writer  in  the 
Kentucky  Keporter  also  adds  to  this  information  the 
following  statement:  The  store  rooms  of  the  principal 
wholesale  merchants  are  larger  and  better  adapted  to 
business  purposes  than  any  to  be  found  in  the  commer- 
cial cities  of  the  East.  Not  a  few  of  chem  are  from  100 
to  130  feet  in  depth,  by  30  feet  wide,  and  from  three  to 
four  stories  high,  aiid  furnished  with  fire  proof  vaults 
for  the  preservation  of  books  and  papers  in  case  of  fire. 
The  wholesale  business  has  increased  very  rapidly  of 
late,  perhaps  dou?jled  in  the  course  of  two  years.  There 
has  also  been  a  proportionate  increase  in  the  shipping 
and  forwarding  business.  Mechanics  of  all  sorts  have 
full  employment  and  good  wages." 

An  excellent  criterion  to  judge  of  the  commerce  of  a 
place  and  to  show  the  increase  of  its  business,  is  its  ex- 
change operations.  The  following  statement  of  Domes- 
tic Bills  of  Exchange,  derived  from  the  official  documents 
of  the  bank  of  the  U.  S.,  being  the  amount  on  hand  and 
unpaid  on  the  1st  January  of  each  year,  will  give  some 
idea  of  the  amount  and  increase  of  the  business  of  Lou- 
isvi^e: 

Jan.  1,  :8v'6~Bills  of  Exchange  on  ha  ad .............  $40,392 

-  18-27,    "     -      "    108,287 

?'  1828,    ^'     '^      "    184,144 

''■     1829,    "     "      "    n50,354 

The  aggregate  of  business,  as  ascertained  by  a  personal 


HISTORY    OF   LOUISVILLE.  179 


application  and  inspection  of  the  books  of  the  principal 
houses,  was  ascertained  to  be  about  $13,000,000. 

On  the^lTth  of  September,  in  this  year,  the  branch  of 
the  Commonwealth's  Bank  was  robbed  of  $25,000  in  its 
own  notes.  The  robbery  took  place  before  9  o'clock  in 
the  eyening.  The  door  communicating  with  an  entry 
was  opened  by  a  false  key,  the  iron  chest  quietly  un- 
locked, the  notes  taken,  and  the  front  door  opened  with- 
out any  alarm  being  given.  A  reward  of  one  thousand 
dollars  in  specie  was  offered  for  the  apprehension  of  the 
robber  and  also  a  similar  reward  of  $1500  for  the  re- 
covery of  the  money.  These  rewards  did  not,  however, 
produce  the  desired  result  and  neither  the  money  nor  the 
robber  was  ever  discovered. 

During  this  year  there  was  a  secession  of  about  fifty 
members  from  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church  here,  who 
formed  and  established  the  first  Methodist  Reformed 
church.  Thev  constructed  an  edifice  at  the  corner  of 
Green  and  Fourth  Streets,  of  which  Mr.  K.  Snethen  was 
the  pastor.  This  church  was  afterwards  used  by  the 
congTegation  of  the  First  Presbyterian  church,  was  then 
sold  to  the  negroes,  and  finally  torn  down  to  make 
room  for  the  immense  Masonic  Hall  now  being  built  on 
that  spot. 

The  last  event  of  this  year  which  will  be  noticed  here 
is  the  erection  of  the  first  city  school  house.  This 
building,  still  standing  at  the  south-west  corner  of  Wal- 
nut and  Fifth  Streets,  was  then  an  extremely  creditable 
ornament  to  the  city.  It  is  capable  of  containing  seven 
or  eight  hundred  pupils  and  is  divided  into  a  male  and 
female  department,  which  are  entirely  distinct  from  each 


180  HISTORY   OF    LOUISVILLE. 


other.  It  was  superintended  by  the  Mayor  and  six  Trus- 
tees, annually  chosen  by  the  Council.  The  first  board 
of  Trustees  was  composed  of  the  following  gentlemen : 
Jas.  Guthrie,  Jas.  H.  Overstreet,  Wm.  Sale,  Samuel 
Dickinson,  F.  Cosby  and  Dr.  J.  P.  Harrison.  The 
standard  of  education  pursued  was  as  high  as  that  of 
any  private  school  and  the  terms  were  only  from  one 
dollar  to  one  dollar  and  a  half  per  quarter.  The  annual 
expense  of  this  school  to  the  city  was  $5,682.  Several 
equally  large  schools  have  been  since  erected  and  the 
system  of  free-schools  somewhat  changed.  These  will  be 
noticed  at  greater  length  in  another  part  of  this  history. 


CHAPTER   VII. 

The  opening  of  the  next  year — 1830 — found  the  young 
city  in  a  highly  prosperous  and  thriving  position.  The 
security  and  permanence  given  to  enterprise  by  the  char- 
ter had  its  effect  on  all  departments  of  business.  Ar- 
rangements were  made  at  the  beginning  of  the  season 
for  the  erection  of  not  less  than  five  hundred  substantial 
brick  houses,  and,  according  to  the  report  of  a  promi- 
nent resident  of  a  sister  city,  there  was  not  another  place 
in  the  United  States  which  was  improving  and  increasing 
in  population  more  rapidly  than  this.  The  number  of 
inhabitants,  as  ascertained  by  census,  had  reached  10,- 
336,  and  was  still  rapidly  increasing.  The  friends  of 
Louisville  had  everv  reason  to  cono^ratulate  themselves 
upon  her  position.  The  pecuniary  troubles  which  soon 
after  involved  the  place  were  not  foreseen,  and,  with 
buoyant  hopes  and  high  expectations,  the  citizens  looked 
forward  to  a  continuance  of  their  unexampled  prosperity. 
How  these  hopes  were  wrecked  and  these  expectations 
reduced,  the  history  of  the  next  decade  will  show. 

The  first  act  to  be  noticed  in  connection  with  the  city 
was  an  amendment  to  the  charter,  which  prevented  the 
Council  from  borrowing  or  appropriating  money  without 
the  consent  of  a  majority  of  their  body.  As  the  pro- 
ject of  a  bridge  over  the  Ohio  was  then  talked  of,  and  as 
the  Lexington  and  Ohio  Railroad  had  been  suggested,  and 
the  city  in  her  corporate  capacity  had  been  warmly  urged 


182  HISTORY    OF    LOUISVILLE. 


to  make  large  subscriptions  of  stock  to  these  enterprises, 
this  provision  was  probably  thought  necessary  to  prevent 
too  great  lavishness  in  expenditure. 

The  next  event  of  the  year  was  the  organization  of 
another  Presbyterian  church  under  the  Rev.  Mr.  Saw- 
tell.  It  was  commenced  in  April  with  12  members  who 
seceded  from  the  First  Presbyterian  church.  A  build- 
in  "■  for  worship  was  erected  on  Third  Street,  between 
Green  and  Walnut,  and  the  church  rapidly  increased  in 
numbers.  It  is  at  present  in  charge  of  Rev.  Dr.  Hum- 
phrey. 

The  last  circumstance  to  be  noticed  in  this  rapid  sketch 
of  the  year  1830,  is  the  establishment  of  the  Daily  Jour- 
nal bv  Prentice  &  Buxton,  afterward  Prentice  &  John- 
ston,  then  Prentice  &  Weissinger,  and  finally  Prentice 
&  Henderson.  It  was  first  published  on  an  imperial 
sheet  at  $10  per  annum.  Although  commenced  by  an 
entire  stranger,  as  Mr.  Prentice  then  was,  the  power  of 
its  articles  and  the  exquisite  vein  of  humor  and  irony 
displayed  in  its  columns,  soon  gave  it  such  popularity, 
that,  even  before  its  union  with  the  Focus  in  1832,  it 
had  risen  to  a  firm  and  enviable  position.  In  December 
Mr.  Edwin  Bryant  became  an  associate  editor  of  the  pa- 
per, but  did  not  remain  in  that  position  for  more  than 
six  months.  Soon  after  the  establishment  of  the  Jour- 
nal the  newspaper  war  with  the  Advertiser,  so  well  re- 
membered here  and  so  widely  known  abroad  as  having 
given  birth  to  a  fund  of  wit  and  of  satire  heretofore  un- 
paralleled in  the  annals  of  newspapers,  was  commenced. 
Even  the  distant  English  journals  had  each  their  column 
headed— '^'Prenticeana" — and  the  paper  was  sought  after 


HISTORY    OF    LOUISVILLB.  183 


far  and  near  by  every  lover  of  fun  or  of  humor  in  the 
land.  It  is  to  be  regretted  that  the  shifting  character  of 
American  politics  has  rendered  so  many  of  the  happiest 
of  these  allusions  and  witticisms  obscure  to  the  unpolit- 
ical or  to  the  distant  reader ;  a  collected  volume  of  them 
would  else  afford  a  delightful  compendium  for  a  leisure 
hour.  To  the  older  resident  of  Louisville,  it  may  be 
interesting  to  recall  the  commencement  of  this  long  and 
hard-fought  battle.  Mr.  Penn  of  the  Advertiser,  who 
had  deservedly  maintained  since  1819  the  most  promi- 
nent rank  as  an  editor  in  the  West,  was  kind  enough  to 
famish  the  Journal,  at  its  commencement,  with  all  its 
exchanges.  This  favor  is  repeatedly  acknowledged  by 
the  Journal  with  great  courtesy,  but  does  not  blind  that 
paper  to  the  fact  that  it  is  about  to  be  attacked  by  the 
opposite  party.  Whereupon,  after  some  time,  the  fol- 
lowing article  was  published :  "We  assure  the  editor  of 
the  Advertiser  that  we  shall  never  under  any  circum- 
stances covet  a  personal  controversy  with  him.  We  do 
not  believe  that  his  readers  would  be  willing  to  pay  him 
$10  a  year  for  dissertations  upon  our  private  character, 
however  bad  it  may  be  ;  and  we  are  quite  sure  that  ours 
would  be  loth  to  pay  that  sum  for  daily  disquisitions  on 
him,  whatever  may  be  his  excellencies.  We  have  due 
respect  for  the  Jackson  editors  in  the  West,  but  we  trust 
to  be  believed  when  we  say  our  respect  is  undebased  by 
fear.  We  prefer  that  they  should  accept  our  hand  open 
and  ungloved,  but  if  they  would  rather  have  it  in  the 
shape  of  a  fist,  it  is  still  at  their  service."  The  Ad- 
vertiser,  seeming  to  prefer  it  in  the  latter  form,  hereup= 
on  commences  anew  its  attack,  when  the  war  is  opened 


184  HISTORY    OF    LOUISVILLE, 


in  earnest  by  the  Journal,  which,  at  the  end  of  a  some- 
what long  and  rather  tart  paragraph,  let  off  in  reply  the 
following  first  coup  de  canon:  We  believe  he  (Mr. 
Penn)  has  not  had  an  article  since  we  came  here  that 
was  not  made  np  of  hints  taken  from  the  Journal.  "Well, 
we  have  one  consolation — ''he  that  giveth  to  the  poor 
lendeth  to  the  Lord.'' "  This  is  followed  up  by  a  series 
of  well  directed  blows,  which  are  vigorously  replied  to 
till  the  eleventh  or  twelfth  "round,"  when  one  of  the 
parties  left  the  field,  still,  however,  refusing  to  consider 
himself  vanquished. 

With  the  year  1831  came  another  amendment  to  the 
charter,  which  provides  that  the  real  estate  in  Louisville 
and  the  personal  estate  of  all  persons  dying  therein  shall 
be  subject  to  escheat  to  the  Commonwealth,  vested  in  the 
Mayor  and  Council,  for  the  use  of  public  schools.  Also 
that  all  fines  inflicted  in  Jefferson  county  shall  be  vested 
in  the  same  manner,  the  fund  arising  therefrom  to  be 
expended  in  the  purchase  of  a  lot  and  erecting  buildings 
thereon  for  said  schools.  It  also  provides  that  Jailor's 
fees  for  commitments  for  offenses  in  Louisville  shall  be 
paid  out  of  the  city  fund.  These  amendments  to  the 
charter  are  so  numerous  and  of  such  frequent  recurrence 
that  we  shall  hereafter  be  content  with  a  mere  allusion 
to  them. 

It  was  also  during  this  year  that  the  present  bank  of 
Kentucky  was  built,  with  a  view  to  the  uses  of  the  bank 
of  the  LTnited  States.  A  Louisville  Lyceum  was  also 
establislied  under  the  patronage  of  some  of  the  most  dis- 
tingaishad  citizens  of  Louisville.  This  literary  associ- 
ation continued  in  being  for  several  years  but  finally 


HISTORY    OF   LOUISVILLE.  185 


was  obliged,  like  all  its  fellows,  to  sink  beneath  the 
careless  inattention  of  a  purely  commercial  commu- 
nity. 

In  1832  a  new  calamity  came  upon  the  city.  This 
was  an  unparalleled  flood  in  the  Ohio.  It  commenced 
on  the  10th  of  February  and  continued  until  the  21st  of 
that  month,  having  risen  to  the  extraordinary  height  of 
51  feet  above  low-water  mark.  The  destruction  of  pro- 
perty by  this  flood  was  immense.  IsTearly  all  the  frame 
buildings  near  the  river  were  either  floated  ofi"  or  turned 
over  and  destroyed.  An  almost  total  cessation  in  busi- 
ness was  the  necessary  consequence  ;  even  farmers  from 
the  neighborhood  were  unable  to  get  to  the  markets,  the 
flood  having  so  afiected  the  smaller  streams  as  to  render 
them  impassable.  The  description  of  the  sufierings  by 
this  flood  is  appalling.  This  calamity,  however,  great 
as  it  was,  could  have  but  a  temporary  efiect  on  the  pro- 
gress of  the  city,  as  will  be  seen  hereafter. 

On  the  27th  of  May  the  first  Unitarian  church  was 
dedicated.  It  is  situated  at  the  corner  of  Walnut  and 
Fifth  streets,  and  was  under  the  direction  of  the  Rev. 
Geo.  Chapman,  of  Mass.  The  building  of  the  Louisville 
Hotel,  and  the  issue  of  the  first  Directory  ever  printed 
here,  were  also  events  of  this  period.  This  Directory 
was  published  by  R.  W.  Otis,  and  contains,  beside  much 
other  valuable  matter,  a  brief  sketch  of  the  history  of 
the  city,  from  the  pen  of  Mr.  Mann  Butler,  the  accom- 
plished historian  of  Kentucky.  From  it  we  get  the  fol= 
lowing  commercial  table  of  Imports  from  Dec.  1st,  1831, 
to  Aug.  4:th,  1832,  which  will  prove  interesting  to  the 
reader  of  statistics : 


186  HISTOEY    OF    LOUISVILLE. 


Bale  Rope 26  830  coiis. 

Bagging 33.411  pieces. 

China,  &.C 1,170  p'ckg;. 

Coffee 18,289  bags. 

Cotton 4,913  bales. 

Mackerel 12,037  bbls. 

Salt,  Kan.  and  Cone.  .16,729    •'* 
Salt,  Turk's  Island. .  .18,146  bags. 
Tea 63. 500  lbs. 


Flour 48.470  bbls. 

Hides 19,121 

Iron 631  tons. 

Lead 231     " 

Molasses 6,309  bbls. 

Nails 10,-395  kegs. 

Sugar,  N.  O, 7  717  hhds. 

'■      Loaf 4,318  bbls. 

Tin  Plate 3.108  boxes. 


The  inspection  of  whiskey  during  this  time  amounted 
to  14.627  barrels.  This  Directory  also  sives  the  Ibllow- 
ing  as  the  statistics  of  manufactures : 

One  steam  woolen  factory,  employs  30  hands  and  con- 
smnes  25,000  pounds  of  wool  per  annum. 

One  cotton  factory,  employs  80  hands  and  consumes 
500  bales  annually ;  works  1,056  spindles. 

Two  potteries. 

One  steam  grist  mill. 

Two  foundries,  employing  together  155  hands  and  con- 
suming 1,200  tons  of  iron  per  annum. 

Sixteen  brick  yards. 

One  steam  planing  mill,  with  two  machines  and  two 
circular  saws ;  planes,  tongues,  grooves,  &c.,  about 
2,000  feet  of  boards  to  each  machine  per  day. 

Three  breweries. 

Two  white  lead  factories  consume  600  tons  lead  an- 
nually. 

Four  rope  walks,  which  work  up  600  tons  of  hemp 
per  annum. 

Passing  on  as  rapidly  as  may  be,  we  come  first  to  the 

chartering  of  the  Bank  of  Louisville.     The  book^"  were 

opened  for  subscription  to  this  bank  in  March,  1833,  and 

closed  on  the  third  day,  $1,500,000  having  been  subscri- 


HlSTOKl     Ob'    LOUISVILLE.  187 


bed  in  that  brief  period.  By  the  act  of  incorporation  the 
capital  was  fixed  at  $2,000,000,  but  the  commissioners 
were  allowed  to  close  the  books  at  any  time  after  $500,- 
000  were  subscribed.  Each  director  was  required  to 
take  oath  not  to  permit  any  violation  of  this  charter. 

The  next  event  in  order  was  another  amendment  to 
the  city  charter,  which  provides  that  no  street  or  alley 
can  be  laid  out  without  consent  of  Council — that  a  iury 
shall  assess  what  damages  shall  be  awarded,  and  what 
paid  by  persons  injured  or  benefitted  by  opening  streets 
or  alleys — that  it  shall  not  be  necessary  for  the  Council 
to  have  alphabetical  lists  of  the  voters  made  out,  except 
for  the  tax  collectors  and  judges  of  the  election — that 
those  only  shall  be  eligible  to  office  who  are  house-keep- 
ers or  free-holders  and  have  paid  taxes  the  preceding 
year  in  the  city  of  Louisville — that  the  removal  of  a 
councilman  from  the  ward  in  which  he  was  elected  snail 
cause  his  office  to  be  vacant,  and  that  any  vacancy  oc- 
curring either  in  this  way  or  by  resignation  shall  be  sup- 
plied by  the  Council  out  of  the  said  ward. 

A  museum  was  opened  here  at  this  period  by  a  num- 
ber of  gentlemen  as  stockholders,  under  the  direction  of 
J.  R.  Lambdin;  the  collection  of  objects  of  natural  his- 
tory, of  curiosity,  and  of  vertu  was  extremely  good.  A 
Savings'  Bank  was  also  established  during  the  year,  un- 
der the  direction  of  Ed.  Crow,  President;  and  E.  D. 
Hobbs,  Treasurer. 

The  editor  of  a  Erankfort  paper,  giving  an  account  of 
his  visit  to  Louisville  about  this  time,  says:  "Whoever 
visits  this  city  leaves  it  with  the  conviction  that  all  the 
elements  are  at  work,  which  must  advance  it  to  a  great 


188  HISTORY    OF    LOUISVILLE. 

commercial  town,  and  urge  it  on  till  it  has  passed  all 
the  towns  of  the  Ohio  in  the  race  for  supremacy."  It  is 
not  to  be  wondered  at  that  the  thriving  appearance  of 
the  citj  at  this  time  should  have  attracted  the  attention 
and  notice  of  strangers,  and  the  more  particularly  as  all 
the  neighboring  towns  and  cities  were  now  suffering 
from  the  visitations  of  that  dreaded  and  dreadful  scourge, 
the  Cholera,  while  Louisville  hardly  knew  of  its  pres- 
ence. The  causes  of  disease  here  had  been  in  a  great 
measure  removed,  and  notwithstandinsr  the  fears  which, 
the  approach  of  the  plague  had  inspired  in  a  city  which 
had  before  suffered  so  severely  from  contagion,  the  chol- 
era passed  lightly  over  it,  not  making  sufficient  impres- 
sion to  produce  any  effect  against  its  prosperity.  This  was 
the  more  a  cause  of  congratulation  to  the  city  as  it  afford- 
ed an  opportunity  to  prove  the  falsity  of  the  reports  pre- 
judicial to  its  health,  which  were  still  industriously  circu- 
lated. But  though  exempt  from  this  visitation,  the  city 
did  not  pass  another  year  without  its  share  of  calamity. 
The  government  deposites  which  had  heretofore  been 
placed  in  the  banks  here  and  used  by  them  as  banking  cap- 
ital, were  now  removed,  and  as  a  consequent  there  arrived 
another  disastrous  period  of  pecuniary  distress.  This  was 
so  severe  as  to  call  for  a  meeting  of  the  citizens,  which 
took  place  at  the  court  house  in  1834,  and  the  object  of 
which  was  to  memorialize  the  government  upon  the  sub- 
ject of  their  troubles.  Of  this  meeting,  T.  Gwathmey  was 
President,  D.  Smith  and  E.  Crow,  Vice  Presidents,  and 
C.  M.  Thruston  and  F.  A.  Kave,  Secretaries.  In  the 
words  of  the  memorial,  "all  is  gloom  and  despondence, 
all  uncertainty  and  suspense,  all  apprehension  and  fore- 


HISTORY    OF    LOUISVILLE.  189 


boding.  Prices  here  have  fallen  beyond  any  former  ex- 
ample. Flour  has  sunk  from  $4  to  $3,  or  even  $2  50 
per  barrel.  Hemp,  pork,  and  every  other  commodity 
has  decreased  in  an  equal  degree.  Real  property  has 
fallen  in  many  instances  50  per  cent.  It  is  believed 
that  there  will  not  be  employment  during  the  ensuing 
season  for  one-fourth  of  the  mechanics  and  working  men 
of  Louisville.  Few  contracts  for  building  have  been 
or  are  likely  to  be  made.  In  the  opinion  of  the  memo- 
rialists, the  first  remedy  for  this  state  of  things  is  the  re- 
storation of  the  deposites.  They  therefore  pray  that  the 
deposites  be  restored,  and  such  measures  taken  in  rela- 
tion to  a  Xational  Bank  as  shall  be  most  likely  to  afibrd 
relief  to  the  country."  This  crisis  does  not  seem  to 
have  produced  very  disastrous  results  here,  but  was 
probably  more  severe  in  anticipation  than  in  reality. 
It  is  even  possible  that,  as  political  excitement  ran  very 
high,  and  as  this  removal  of  the  deposites  was  very  ob- 
noxious to  one  of  the  political  parties,  that  the  evil  was 
a  foreboding  induced  b}^  their  own  fears,  and  of  such  a 
character  as  actually  to  produce  a  temporary  depression 
in  business.  And  this  opinion  is  supported  by  the  fact 
that  no  material  change  seems  to  have  taken  place  in 
the  onward  progress  of  the  city.  The  policy  and  pro- 
priety of  establishing  water  works  had  been  for  some 
time  under  discussion,  and  in  this  vear  the  citv  went  so 
far  as  to  purchase  a  site  for  a  reservoir  on  Main  above 
Clay  Street.  This  project  was  very  soon  abandoned, 
but  whether  from  the  pressure  of  the  times  or  from  the 
opposition  of  many  of  the  citizens  does  not  appsar  in 
any  record  of  the  period.     The  incorporation  and  survey 


190  HISTOEY    OF    LOUISVILLE. 


of  two  turnpike  companies,  the  Bardstown  and  Louis- 
ville, and  Elizabethtown  and  Louisville,  during  the 
same  year,  would  however  seem  to  incline  us  to  believe 
that  it  was  not  given  up  for  the  want  of  means.  The 
state  of  affairs,  even  if  as  bad  as  represented  in  the  me- 
morial, does  not  seem  to  have  thrown  a  very  deep  or 
settled  gloom  over  the  community ;  on  the  contrary  an 
incident  of  the  period  would  seem  to  show  a  light-heart- 
edness  and  freedom  from  care  not  common  in  times  of 
distress.  This  incident  was  the  sudden  appearance  in 
the  streets  of  the  city  of  a  very  singular  procession, 
since  known  as  the  Corniced  Guards.  They  were  in- 
troduced as  a  burlesque  of  the  militia  drills,  then  of  bi- 
ennial occurrence  here.  The  procession  was  headed  by 
an  enormous  man,  rivaling  Daniel  Lambert  in  his  su- 
perabundance of  flesh,  mounted  on  an  equally  overgrown 
ox,  on  whose  hide  was  painted  the  following  descriptive 
motto,  ''''The  Bull-icorlcs  of  our  Country!'''  This  he- 
roic captain  also  wore  a  sword  of  mighty  proportions,  on 
whose  trenchant  blade  was  written  in  letters  of  scarlet  the 
savage  inscription,  '''^ Blood  or  GutsP"^  This  leader  was 
followed  by  a  band  of  equally  singular  character;  long 
men  on  short  horses,  little  boys  on  enormous  bony  Hozi- 
nantes,  picked  up  from  off  the  commons;  men  enclosed 
in  hogsheads,  with  only  head,  feet  and  arms  visible; 
men  encased  even  to  helmet  and  visor  in  wicker-work 
armour,  and  a  thousand  other  knights  of  fanciful  cos- 
tume, and  all  marching  with  heroic  step  to  the  martial 
clangor  of  tin  pans,  the  braying  of  milkhorns,  the  shrill 
sound  of  whistles,  the  piping  of  cat-calls,  and  the  cease- 
less din  of  penny-trumpets  and  cornstalk  fiddles.     This 


HISTORY    OF   LOUISVILLE.  191 


procession  halted  in  its  progress  through  the  streets  in 
front  of  the  residences  of  the  officers  of  the  militia,  and 
after  saluting  them  with  a  flom^ish  of  music,  made  them 
a  speech,  and  cheered  them  with  a  chorus  of  groans. 
After  marching  bravely  through  the  principal  streets 
this  procession  suddenly  disappeared  from  public  view 
never  again  to  greet  the  sunlight. 

Toward  the  last  of  June,  the  news  of  the  death  of  La- 
fayette reached  the  city,  and  on  the  first  of  July  a  meet- 
ing was  held,  and  resolutions  passed  recommending  the 
stores  to  be  closed,  and  the  day  spent  in  exercises  suit- 
able to  the  occasion.  A  procession,  in  which  the  trades 
and  professions  were  all  represented,  and  which  was  the 
largest  ever  seen  in  the  city,  was  formed,  and  after  pas- 
sing through  the  principal  streets,  stopped  in  the  lot  occu- 
pied by  Mr.  Jacob,  where  a  eulogy  was  delivered  by  Mr. 
M.  K.  Wigginton.  All  who  had  joined  in  the  proces- 
sion, wore  crape  on  the  left  arm  for  thirty  days.  The 
whole  proceedings  of  the  day  were  highly  creditable  to 
the  city,  and  highly  worthy  of  the  occasion.  Another 
event  of  the  year  was  the  establishment  of  a  new  paper 
called  the  Louisville  Xotary  and  published  weekly  by 
D.  C.  Banks  and  A.  E.  Drapier.  This  paper  however 
never  rose  to  any  eminence  in  the  city. 

During  1833  and  1834  two  new  amendments  had  been 
made  to  the  charter.  One  of  them  authorizes  some  tri- 
fling change  in  the  boundary  of  the  city,  and  the  other 
allows  the  borrowing  of  money  to  erect  Water- Works, 
and  compels  the  inspector  of  liquors  to  mark  the  degree 
of  proof  on  the  head  of  each  barrel.  The  next  year — 
1835 — also  shows  similar  amendments:  first,  requiring 


192  HISTORY    OF    LOtJISVILLE. 

the  valuation  of  property  to  be  made  on  the  10th  of 
January  in  each  year;  second,  authorizing  the  city  mar- 
shall  to  collect  his  bills  for  summoning  juries;  and  third 
authorizing  the  citj  to  subscribe  for  stock  in  the  Lex- 
ington and  Ohio  Eailroad  Company.  This  road  was 
this  year  opened  to  Frankfort.  The  building  of  the 
Gait  House  also  dates  from  this  period,  as  does  the  first 
movement  toward  lighting  the  city  with  gas. 

It  will  be  recollected  that  in  1830  the  population  was 
given  at  10,336,  in  1835  it  had  reached  by  actual  cen- 
sus 19,967,  giving  an  increase  of  nearly  one  hundred 
per  cent,  in  less  than  five  years!  The  Tax  list  for  this 
year  will  also  show  a  similar  increase: 

Real  estate  and  Improvements  valued  at $10,425,446 

Personal  Property 644,250 

Tythables,  white  and  black,  4,960  at  $150 ...  7,440 

34  l,t  rate  stores  at  $80 2,720 

42  2d    "        "          60 2.52  1 

57  3d    "        "         40 2,880 

62  4tli  --         "         20 1,240 

68  H  '.cks,  132  Drays,  53  Waggons,  $4;  124  Carts  $2  1,260 

50  Coffee-Houses  at  $50 2,500 

10  Taverns  at  S50 500 

60  Groceries  and  Spirits  at  $50 3,000 

96  Spirits  alone  at  40 3,840 

20  Groceries  alone,  and  20  Confectioners  at  16 720 

A  table  of  the  imports  of  the  city  has  been  so  recently 
given,  that  it  may  be  more  interesting  to  ofier  now  a  list 
of  exports,  for  the  six  months  succeeding  January  1st, 
1835,  which  is  as  follows: 

Tobacco,       1,337  lihds.  Whisky.  .14,643  bbls.  Bagging.  .65,348  p's. 

114  boxes.  Flour. . .  .19,999    '■'  Eale  Eope. 42,030  els. 

Bacon.  .2,813.560  lbs.  Lard. . .  .60,713  kegs.  Pork 14,419  bbl 

Tallow.  119  bbh.  Hemp...         38  ton?.  Linseed  Oil       72  bbl 


HISTORY    OF    LOUISVILLE.  19o 


To  this  list  may  be  added  the  amount  of  goods  sold 
during  the  next  year — 1836 — by  47  of  the  largest  whole- 
sale dry  good  and  grocery  houses,  which  is  officially 
stated  at  $12,128,666  16.  There  were  also  built  du- 
ring the  summer  of  this  latter  year  110  stores  and  114 
dwelling  houses,  all  of  the  better  class.  Rents  were 
steadily  advancing  on  the  stores,  and  "as  for  dwellings 
it  would  be  impossible  to  rent  one,  finished  or  unfinish- 
ed. And  these  improvements  resulted  from  the  natural 
advantages  of  the  place,  and  not  from  the  completion  of 
any  of  the  works,  to  which  the  city  had  always  looked  as 
the  precursors  of  greatness."  These  statistics  require 
no  additional  demonstration  to  prove  the  progress  of 
the  town.  The  first  thing  worthy  of  notice  in  this  year 
was  a  ninth  amendment  to  the  charter,  which  abolishes 
the  Mayor's  Court  and  establishes  a  Police  Court  in  lieu 
thereof.  This  court  was  to  be  a  court  of  record ;  its 
judge  to  be  appointed  as  other  judges,  and  to  receive  a 
salary  of  $1200.  The  prosecuting  attorney  to  be  elected 
by  the  Council.  The  City  Court,  as  far  as  it  is  a  Police 
Court,  should  always  be  open,  and  for  the  trial  of  pleas 
of  the  Commonwealth,  there  were  to  be  monthly  terms  of 
of  said  court,  to  commence  on  the  first  Monday  in  each 
month.  It  might  summon  grand  juries.  This  act  also 
fixed  the  salary  of  the  Mayor  at  $2,000,  and  compelled 
all  insurance  offices  to  file  with  the  Mayor  a  certified 
copy  of  their  charters ;  it  also  extended  the  city  boun- 
dary 300  feet  above  Geiger's  Ferry  landing.  Two  more 
newspapers  were  in  this  year  added  to  the  growing  list 
of  the  city.  The  first  of  these  was  the  Louisville  City 
Gazette,  a  daily,  published  by  John  J.  &  Jas.  B.  Mar- 


194  HISTORY    OF    LOUISVILLE. 


shall;  and  the  second,  the  Western  Messenger,  a  month- 
ly, under  the  care  of  the  Kev.  J.  F.  Clark.  This  last 
was  originally  published  in  Cincinnati,  but  was  this 
year  transferred  to  Louisville. 

As  will  be  remembered  a  motion  had  been  made  sev- 
eral years  before  this  time  toward  the  erection  of  a 
bridge  over  the  Ohio.  This  project  had  been  discussed 
from  time  to  time  ever  since  that  period,  and  finally  in 
this  year,  the  contracts  were  entered  into  and  the  corner 
stone  of  the  bridge  was  laid  with  all  due  ceremony,  at 
the  foot  of  Twelfth  Street.  The  work  however  never 
progressed  beyond  this,  the  contractor  having  failed  to 
perform  his  duty,  beside  which  the  next  year  brought 
with  it  by  far  the  most  terrible  calamity  that  had  ever 
afiected  the  city.  The  last  few  years  had  been  years  of 
such  unexampled  prosperity;  confidence  had  become  so 
thoroughly  established,  credit  was  so  plenty,  and  luxury 
so  courted,  that,  when  the  unexpected  reverse  came,  the 
blow  was  indeed  terrible.  On  the  19th  of  April,  the 
Banks  of  Louisville  and  of  Kentucky  suspended  specie 
payment,  by  a  resolution  of  the  citizens  so  authorizing 
them.  Previous  to  this,  the  Banks  all  over  the  country 
had  stopped;  another  awful  commercial  crisis  had  ar- 
rived, and  one  which  Louisville  felt  far  more  severely 
than  she  had  felt  the  former.  Instead  of  passing  lightly 
over  her,  as  before,  the  full  force  of  the  blow  was  felt 
throughout  the  whole  community.  House  after  house, 
which  had  easily  rode  out  the  former  storm,  now  sunk 
beneath  the  waves  of  adversity,  until  it  seemed  as  if 
none  would  be  left  to  tell  the  sad  story.  A  settled 
gloom   hung   over   the   whole   mercantile  community. 


HISTORY    UF    LOUISVILLE.  195 


Main  Street  was  like  an  avenue  in  some  deserted  city. 
Whole  rows  of  houses  were  tenant) ess,  and  expectation 
was  upon  the  tiptoe  every  day  to  see  who  would  be  the 
next  to  close.  Each  feared  the  other;  all  confidence 
was  gone;  mercantile  transactions  were  at  an  end;  and 
everything,  before  so  radiant  with  the  spring-time  of 
hope  and  of  promise,  was  changed  to  the  sad  autumn 
hues  of  a  fruitless  year. 

It  was  in  the  midst  of  this  gloom  and  despondence 
which  prevaded  one  part  of  the  community,  that  the  ears 
of  another  part  were  astonished  and  gladdened  with  a 
strain  of  melody,  such  as  had  not  before  stolen  through 
the  glades  and  groves  of  this  western  land.  A  young 
girl,  modest  and  unpretending,  unknown  to  all  but  lier 
little  circle,  inspired  by  some  unseen  power,  trembling- 
ly warbled  forth  a  few  verses  of  melody,  but  of  such  en- 
chanting power,  beauty  and  harmony,  that  all  the  lite- 
rary world  were  confounded,  and  all  eagerly  inquired 
who  it  was  that  under  the  simple  signature  of  '"Ame- 
lia," and  away  off  in  the  distant  West  had  struck  her 
lyre  "with  an  angel's  art,  and  with  the  power  of  the 
fabled  Orpheus,"  and  whose  "strains  had  been  caught 
up  by  melody-lovers  throughout  the  Union,  and  sung  in 
every  peopled  valley,  and  echoed  from  every  sunny  hill- 
side of  our  vast  domain."*  Such  genius  could  not  long- 
remain  unknown;  and  soon  the  name  of  its  possessor 
was  proclaimed  through  the  columns  of  the  Louisville 
Journal,  but  the  name  gave  no  clue  to  the  source  whence 
this  mighty  power  had  been  derived.  For  the  many, 
the  ten  days  wonder  soon  passed  away.     The  genius  of 

*  Gallagher'.   Review  of  Aiaelia  in  the  Hesperian  for  1839, 


196  HISTORY    OF    LOUISVILLE. 


tlie  writer  was  acknowledged  and  forgotten  by  them. 
But  the  true  lovers  of  her  art  followed  her  for  many 
years  with  looks  of  admiration,  regard  and  affection;  and 
still,  tliough  her  harp  has  long  lain  untouched,  await 
with  anxiety  and  hope  for  new  strains  from  the  lyre  they 
have  loved  so  well.* 

It  is  not  for  the  historian  to  dwell  at  any  length  upon 
subjects  kindred  to  this,  agreeable  as  the  theme  may  be. 
We  must  then  revert  again  to  the  usual  details  of  the 
year.  The  first  of  these  was  the  reception  here  of  the 
distinguished  Mr.  Webster,  who  was  met  some  twelve 
miles  from  the  city  by  a  large  number  of  citizens.  On 
his  arrival  he  was  welcomed  by  the  Mayor  and  invited 
to  meet  the  citizens  at  a  barbacue  near  the  city.  The 
season  was  one  of  great  festivity,  and  nearly  four  thou- 
sand persons  were  present  at  the  barbacue.  Mr.  Web- 
ster addressed  the  citizens  in  his  usual  felicitous  manner. 

An  important  event  of  the  year  was  the  addition  of 
the  town  of  Portland  to  the  limits  of  the  citv.  The 
building  of  the  First  Presbyterian,  and  of  St.  Paul's 
(Episcopal)  Church,  and  of  the  bank  of  Louisville,  as 
well  as  the  selection  of  this  point  as  the  site  for  the  gov- 

*  This  hope  is  now  destined  never  to  be  gratified,  fov.  since  the  above 
was  written,  this  accomplished  poetess  and  estimable  woman  has  been  called 
away  to  join  her  voice  with  the  angelic  choir,  whose  harmonies  are  the  de. 
light  and  the  glory  of  the  celestial  world.  On  a  bright  ?v1ay  morning,  such 
as  her  own  sonsis  have  taa£ht  us  to  love,  when  the  earth  was  redolent  of 
beanty,  and  the  flowers  were  sending  up  to  heaven  the  incense  of  their  per- 
fumes, when  all  rejoicing  nature  was  pouring  out  its  morning  oiison  lo  its 
Creator,  the  angels  sent  by  her  Heavenly  Father,  came  and  bore  her  spirit 
to  its  home  in  the  skies.     And  so 

"She  has  pissed  like  a  bird  from  the  minstrel  throng, 
She  has  gone  to  the  land  where  the  lovely  belong." 


HISTORY    OF   LOUISVILLE.  197 


ernment  hospital,  and  the  incorporation  of  the  Louisville 
Manufacturing  Company,  are  among  the  events  of  this 
year.  A  paper  called  the  Western  Journal  of  Education, 
was  also  issued  from  the  Journal  office,  under  the  edit- 
orship of  the  Kev.  B.  O.  Peers,  but  was  soon  discontin- 
ued for  want  of  sufficient  patronage. 

For  some  time  previous  to  this  period  the  removal  of 
the  medical  department  of  Transylvania  University  at 
Lexington  to  this  city  had  occupied  much  attention,  and 
had  created  some  bitterness  of  feeling  between  the  two 
cities.  In  this  year  this  vexed  Cjuestion  was  finally  de- 
cided by  the  Legislature  against. the  removal;  no  less  to 
the  gratification  of  Lexington  than  to  the  serious  annoy- 
ance of  this  city.  The  examination  of  the  subject  how- 
ever brought  to  light  an  old  charter,  passed  in  1833  and 
amended  in  1835,  which  sufficed  to  enable  a  new  school 
of  medicine  to  be  established  here.  The  city  according- 
ly set  apart  four  acres  of  ground  and  the  sum  of  $50,000 
in  money  for  its  use,  and  so  organized  a  medical  school 
here,  of  which  Messrs.  Caldwell,  Cooke,  Cobb,  Flint, 
Yandell,  Miller  and  Locke  were  the  professors.  In 
February  of  the  next  year,  the  corner  stone  of  the  build- 
ing to  be  erected  by  the  city  for  this  use  was  laid,  and 
soon  after  Dr.  Flint,  with  the  money  appropriated  for 
that  purpose,  visited  Europe,  and  purchased  a  fine  libra- 
ry and  apparatus  for  the  Institution.  Few,  if  any  me- 
dical schools  in  the  United  States,  have  ever  risen  as 
rapidly  in  public  favor,  or  as  speedily  attained  as  high 
position  in  public  estimation  as  this.  The  first  course 
of  lectures  was  delivered  to  80  students,  the  second  to 
120,  the  third  to  205,  the  fifth  to  262;  and  since  that 


198  HISTORY    OF    LOUISVILLE. 


time  the  classes  have  reached  400  pupils.  It  has  attain- 
ed the  rank  of  the  first  school  of  medicine  in  the  West, 
and  is  second  to  few  in  the  country.  There  is  now  an- 
other medical  school  in  this  city,  which  will  be  noticed 
at  the  proper  place. 

The  next  year — 1838 — brings  ns  to  the  opening  of  a 
railroad  to  Portland.  This  road  was  intended  to  con- 
nect with  the  Lexington  and  Ohio  railroad.  It  was  kept 
in  employ  but  a  very  short  time,  the  citizens  on  Main 
Street  below  the  depot  at  Sixth  were  violently  opposed 
to  the  road,  and  used  every  effort  to  impair  its  usefulness. 
After  the  establishment  of  the  Blind  Asylum  here,  the 
profits  of  this  road  were  transferred  to  that  institution; 
but  it  did  not  long  enjoy  the  advantages  so  oftered,  for 
the  road  was  discontinued  by  an  application  to  court 
from  some  of  the  citizens,  as  offensive  to  some,  and  un- 
profitable to  all. 

A  glance  at  the  population  of  the  city  for  this  year 
will  show,  that  in  spite  of  the  commercial  difficulties  of 
the  time,  the  city  still  grew  with  astonishing  rapidity. 
It  had  now  reached  a  population  of  27,000,  showing  a 
gain  of  7,033  in  three  years. 

The  only  other  event  worthy  of  remembrance  was  the 
robbery  of  the  Savings  Bank.  This  was  efiected  in  the 
daytime,  by  a  man  named  Clarendon  E.  Dix,  who  enter- 
ed the  bank  about  3  o'clock  in  the  afternoon.  Soon  after 
this  time,  Mr.  Julien,  the  cashier  of  the  bank,  entered 
the  establishment  and  found  Dix,  who  had  still  in  his 
hand  the  large  bank  hammer,  with  which  he  had  killed 
the  clerk  whom  he  found  there.  Findino^  that  he  should 
be  vanquished  in  the  struggle  with  Mr.  Julien,  Dix 


HISTORY    OF   LOUISVILLE.  199 


drew  a  pistol  and  shot  himself.  He  was  believed  to  be 
insane. 

The  Literary  i^ewsletter,  a  paper  under  the  charge  of 
Ed.  Flagg,  editor,  was  issued  from  the  Journal  office  in 
December  of  this  year.  Its  existence  was  limited  to 
about  thirty  months.  It  was  however  eminently  deserv- 
ing of  a  much  greater  success  than  attended  its  issue. 

The  Kentucky  Historical  Society  was  also  incorpora- 
ted at  this  time,  under  the  direction  of  Hon.  J.  Eowan, 
President;  Hon.  Geo.  M.  Bibb  and  Hon.  Henry  Firtle, 
Yice  Presidents;  D.  C.  Banks,  Pecording  Secretary;  and 
Edward  Jarvis,  Corresponding  Secretary  and  Librarian. 
Its  library  which  was  amassed  by  the  indefatigable  zeal 
of  Dr.  Jarvis,  is  now  incorporated  with  the  Louisville 

Library.  The  Society  itself  is  not  now  in  active  exist- 
ence. 

Early  in  1839,  there  was  established  a  Ladies'  Provi- 
dent Society,  for  the  benefit  of  the  poor.  This  society 
was  organized  in  the  best  possible  manner,  and  -vvas  of 
very  great  value  to  the  city.  A  depot  for  the  reception 
of  donations  of  food,  clothing,  &c.,  was  established, 
where  also  work  was  provided  for  such  indigent  females 
as  failed  to  find  employment  elsewhere.  The  city  was 
divided  into  wards,  to  each  of  which  two  female  and  one 
male  visitor  was  apportioned,  and  the  poor  in  each  dis- 
trict were  carefully  and  judiciously  attended  to.  l^o 
better  scheme  for  ameliorating  the  distress  which  is  ever 
to  be  found  in  cities,  could  have  been  invented,  and  it  is 
greatly  to  be  regretted  that  this  noble  monument  of 
charity  no  longer  exists.  The  present  form  of  provision 
for  the  destitute,  though  good,  is  far  less  efiTective  than 


200  HISTORY    OB    LOUISVILLE, 


was  this;  and  it  is  believed  that  if  the  Provident  So- 
ciety were  now  re-established,  the  increase  both  of 
wealth  and  population  in  the  city  would  prevent  its 
second  failure.  The  Scotch  Benevolent  Society,  which 
is  an  association  of  Scotchmen  for  the  purpose  of  reliev- 
ing any  necessitous  persons  of  their  own  countrymen 
who  may  be  in  Louisville,  was  also  instituted  at  this 
time,  and  is  still  in  active  operation. 

The  well  remembered  visit  to  this  city  of  the  beautiful 
and  accomplished  America,  descendant  of  Amerigo 
Yespucci,  the  voyager  whose  name  is  so  closely  identi- 
fied with  the  discovery  of  this  continent,  occurred  du- 
ring this  year.  It  will  be  recollected  that  she  was  an 
exile,  and  in  distress;  and  that  she  had  visited  this 
country  with  the  hope  of  obtaining  some  aid  from  the 
government,  which  she  solicited  in  view  of  her  ances- 
tor's name  and  services.  A  private  subscription  was 
commenced  for  her  at  the  office  of  the  Journal,  which, 
however,  she  declined,  saying:  "A  national  boon  will 
ever  honor  the  memory  and  the  descendant  of  Amerigo 
Yespucci,  but  xlmerica,  even  as  an  exile  in  the  United 
States,  cannot  accept  an  individual  favor,  however  cour- 
teous and  delicate  may  be  the  manner  in  which  it  is 
profiered." 


CHAPTEK  Ylll. 

This  history  now  approaches  a  period  so  recent,  that 
it  will  hardly  be  necessary  to  chronicle  the  events  of  the 
next  decade  with  as  much  minuteness  as  has  heretofore 
been  attempted.  The  reader  will  doubtless  long  ago 
have  perceived  the  difficulty  of  stringing  together  inci- 
dents, interesting  in  themselves,  yet  having  so  little 
bearing  upon  each  other,  as  frequently  to  present  more 
the  dryness  of  a  chronological  table  of  eA^ents,  than  to 
offer  the  interest  of  a  consecutive  history.  It  is  believed 
however,  that  in  preparing  a  book  of  this  character,  this 
difficulty  could  not  well  be  avoided,  especially  if  intend- 
ed, as  this  is,  to  be  used  as  a  work  of  general  reference. 
The  events  of  the  next  ten  years  are  however  so  en- 
tirely within  the  memory  of  all,  that  the  same  attention  to 
minutiae  need  not  be  preserved,  such  things  possessing 
interest  less  from  their  inherent  value,  than  from  the 
period  of  their  occurrence.  It  will,  however,  be  still 
necessary  to  notice  all  that  pertains  absolutely  to  the 
interests  or  prosperity  of  the  city. 

Commencing  then  with  the  year  1840,  and  keeping 
in  view  the  fact  that  the  effects  of  the  disastrous  crisis 
of  1837  were  not  yet  passed  away,  the  first  thing  claim- 
ing notice,  is  some  account  of  the  state  of  the  city  as  it 
then  was.  The  census  of  the  United  States  for  this  year 
assio-ns  to  Louisville:  1  commercial,  and  11  commission 
houses,  [a  somewhat  indefinite  phraseology,]  in  foreign 


202  HISTORY    OF    LOCISVILLE. 


trade,  with  a  capital  of  $191,800;  270  retail  stores, 
with  a  capital  of  83,128,4:00;  3  lumber  yards,  with  a 
capital  of  $52,000;  2  flouring  mills;  2  tanneries;  2 
breweries;  1  glass  cutting  works;  1  pottery;  2ropewalks; 
7  printing  offices;  2  binderies;  5  daily,  7  weekly,  and  3 
semi- weekly  newspapers;  and  1  periodical:  total  capital 
employed  in  manufactures,  $713,675.  One  college,  80 
students;  10  academies,  269  students;  14  schools,  388 
scholars.  The  aggregate  of  population  by  this  census 
was  21,210;  of  which  9,282  white  males,  7,889  white 
females;  609  free  colored  persons,  and  3,420  slaves. 
This  census  is  not  considered  authentic,  as  manv  trans- 
parent  errors  were  found  in  various  parts  of  it.  Other 
computations  made  from  reliable  data  at  the  same  pe- 
riod, give  to  the  city  23,000  to  24,000  inhabitants.  As 
the  former  number,  however,  has  received  official  sanc- 
tion, it  would  be  idle  to  dispute  its  correctness. 

Two  events  belong  also  to  this  year  which  were  of 
vital  importance.  Of  these,  the  first  was  the  lighting 
of  the  city  with  gas.  This  was  done  by  a  corporate 
company,  established  by  charter  in  1839,  having  a  capital 
of  81,200,000,  with  power  also  to  erect  water- works  and 
with  banking  privileges,  except  the  issue  of  bills.  The 
city  is  better  supplied  with  gas,  and  better  lighted  than 
any  in  the  United  States,  if  not  in  the  world;  most  of  the 
wealthier  citizens  use  it  in  their  dwellino-s,  and  all  the 
shops  are  lighted  with  gas.  The  perspective  view  of 
the  miles  of  brilliant  lamps  stretching  away  in  the  dis- 
tance is  very  beautiful,  and  very  attractive  to  strangers. 
Before  the  introduction  of  this  sort  of  lisfht,  the  citv  had 
been  for  two  or  three  vears  ^reatlv  infested  bv  robbers, 


HISTORY    OF    LOUISVILLE.  203 


who  favored  by  the  darkness,  made  nightly  attacks  upon 
passengers  through  the  streets,  striking  and  disabling 
them  with  colts,  and  in  no  few  instances  murdering  them 
outright.  Hesidents  were  seldom  attacked  by  these  ban- 
ditti, but  the  streets  were  considered  unsafe  for  strangers. 
Finding  it  impossible  to  pursue  their  avocation  where 
every  street  was  brilliantly  illuminated,  these  gentry 
changed  their  place  of  operations  immediately  on  the 
lighting  of  the  town,  much  to  the  relief  of  the  citizens  as 
well  as  the  re-establishment  of  the  fair  fame  of  the  city; 
The  second  of  the  events  above  alluded  to  was  the  con- 
flagration which  will  be  long  known  as  the  Great  Fire 
in  Louisville.  It  originated  about  midnight,  on  Third 
Street,  between  Main  and  Market,  in  the  chair  factory  of 
John  Hawkins,  and  burned  south  within  one  door  of  the 
Post  Office,  (then  at  the  corner  of  Market  and  Third 
Streets,)  and  north  to  Main  Street.  It  then  took  a  west- 
wardly  direction  down  Main  Street,  destroying  all  the 
houses  to  within  two  doors  of  the  Bank  of  Louisville. 
Its  further  progress  having  been  arrested  here,  the  flames 
crossed  the  street,  and  coming  back  upon  their  course 
destroyed  nine  large  stores  and  one  boarding  house  on 
the  north  side  of  Main,  east  of  the  middle  of  the  square. 
Upwards  of  thirty  houses  were  consumed,  and  the  loss 
was  estimated  at  more  than  $300,000.  The  houses  de- 
stroyed were  chiefly  large  importing  and  commercial 
stores;  many  of  the  goods  were  saved,  but  all  the  build- 
ings  were  entirelv  destroved.  This  conflao^*ation  how- 
ever,  proved  in  the  end  rather  a  gain  than  a  loss  to  the 
city  in  general,  as  the  site  of  the  fire  was  speedily  re- 
built in  a  much  better  style  than  before. 


204  HI3T0KY    OF    LOUISVILLE. 


The  friends  of  the  city  were  at  this  time  urging  the 
propriety  of  establishing  manufactures  here,  a  want  not 
felt  less  at  that  time  than  now.  In  an  article  upon  this 
subject  in  one  of  the  daily  papers,  the  following  statis- 
tics of  the  sale  of  cotton  goods  were  elicited,  in  which 
reference  is  had  to  the  year  1841.  "At  this  time  there 
were  sold,  brown  cottons  to  the  value  of  $276,095; 
prints  amounting  to  $249,824;  cotton  yarns  to  $224,- 
819  ;  bleached  cottons  $89,589,  and  checks  and  tickings 
$68,180,  making  a  total  of  $908,772  taken  from  the 
city,  which,  it  was  urged,  could  have  been  easily  and 
profitably  furnished  on  the  spot.  It  was  then  said  and 
may  be  now  repeated  that  too  little  attention  is  paid 
to  the  vast  advantages  to  be  derived  from  the  establish- 
ment of  manufactures,  especially  at  this  point  where  the 
necessary  power  could  and  can  be  so  easily  and  so  cheap- 
ly attained.  It  is  somewhat  remarkable  that  this  popu- 
lation has  depended  and  still  depends  so  entirely  upon 
commerce  as  a  means  of  gain.  Ko  other  city  perhaps 
in  the  world  has  so  large  a  commercial  business  in  pro- 
portion to  its  population.  This  is  probably  accounted 
for  in  the  fact  that  the  increase  of  commerce  has  been 
so  rapid  and  the  difficulty  of  overdoing  the  business  so 
apparently  impossible  that  every  temptation  has  been 
ofiered  to  the  capitalist  to  prefer  this  mode  of  invest- 
ment. The  time,  however,  cannot  be  far  distant  when 
the  advantages  ofiered  to  the  manufacturer  will  be  ac- 
knowledged and  embraced."  Indeed  the  commencement 
of  what  must  before  long  become  a  very  large  branch  of 
prosperity  here  was  already  established,  but  it  has  not 
grown  with  a  rapidity  commensurate  with  the  increase 


HISTORY   OF   LOUISVILLE.  205 


of  other  departments  of  trade.  A  few  foundries  and 
manufactories  of  bagging  and  rope  were  established 
about  this  period.  These,  with  the  addition  of  a  lard 
oil  factory,  begun  by  C.  C.  P.  Crosby,  in  1842,  may  be 
said  to  embrace  the  whole  manufacturing  business  of  the 
city  in  that  year.  Future  statistics  will  show  how  it 
has  increased,  and  will  demonstrate  the  value  of  this 
addition  to  the  trade;  and  to  these  we  will  now  turn. 

The  Louisville  Directory  for  1844 — 1845,  compiled 
by  N.  Peabody  Poor,  and  the  best  directory  ever  pub- 
lished here,  gives  a  very  complete  and  interesting  view 
of  the  city  for  that  year.  As  no  events  in  any  degree 
connected  with  the  public  interests,  or  of  any  especial 
political  value,  are  referable  to  the  period  between  this 
year  and  1840,  it  will  be  as  well  to  pass  on  at  once  to  a 
notice  of  the  results  of  these  five  years  of  steady  progress. 
Beginning  then  with  the  population,  which,  it  will  be  re- 
membered, amounted  in  1840  to  21,210,  we  find  that 
in  September,  1845,  an  actual  census  shows  it  to  have 
reached  37,218  souls.  Of  these  32,602  were  whites, 
560  free  blacks,  and  4,056  slaves.  The  increase  of  five 
vears  is  thus  shown  to  amount  to  16,008.  Nor  was  it 
alone  in  the  matter  of  population  that  such  rapid  pro- 
gress had  been  made.  The  number  of  houses  engaged 
in  the  w^holesale  and  retail  trade  had  increased  from  270 
to  upwards  of  500,  and  in  addition  to  these  purely  com- 
mercial houses,  there  were  then  "12  large  foundries  for 
the  construction  of  steam  machinery;  1  large  rolling  and 
slitting  mill;  2  extensive  steam  bagging  factories,  capable 
of  producing  about  2,000,000  of  yards  annually;  6  cor- 

dao-e  and  rope  factories,  some  of  which  produced  900,000 
^  10 


206  HISTORY    OF   LOUISVILLE. 


pounds  of  bale  rope  annually,  beside  which  there  were 
several  smaller  rope  walks  for  the  making  of  sash  cord, 
twine,  &c.;  1  cotton  factory;  1  woolen  factory;  4  flour- 
ing mills,  producing  about  400  barrels  daily;  4  lard  oil 
factories;  1  white  lead  factory;  3  potteries;  6  extensive 
tobacco  stemmeries,  employing  a  large  capital,  where 
the  leaf  is  stripped  from  the  stem  and  re-packed  for  the 
English  market;  several  tobacco  manufactories;  2  glass 
cutting  establishments;  a  large  oil  cloth  factory;  2  sur- 
gical instrument  makers;  2  lithographic  presses;  1  pa- 
per mill;  1  star  candle  factory;  4  pork  houses,  which 
will  slaughter  and  pack  about  70,000  hogs  annually;  3 
piano  forte  manufactories;  3  breweries;  8  brick  yards; 
1  ivory  black  maker;  6  tanneries;  2  tallow  rendering 
houses,  rendering  about  1,000,000  pounds  annually;  8 
soap  and  candle  factories;  3  planing  machines;  2  scale 
factories;  2  glue  factories;  3  large  ship  yards,  at  which 
have  been  built  some  of  the  fastest  running  boats  on  the 
river;  besides   several  factories  of  less  note."*     The 
simple  statement  of  these  facts  famishes  a  more  con- 
vincing demonstration  of  the  rapid  and  healthy  progress 
of  the  city,  than  whole  volumes  of  argument  could  aflbrd. 
Another  event  bearing  directly  upon  the  prosperity  of 
the  city  during  the  rest  of  this  decade  was  the  opening 
of  the  Louisville  and  Frankfort  Railroad.     The  subject 
of  this  road  had  for  a  long  time  agitated  the  city;  many 
surveys  had  been  made,  and  indeed  the  work  had  at  one 
time  progi'essed  to  the  actual  digging  and  embankment 
of  several  miles  of  the  track.     The  opening  of  the  road 
was  finally  efiected  by  the  subscription  of  one  million 

*  Halderaau's  Directory  for  1844-5. 


HISTORY    OF    LOUISVILLE.  207 


iof  dollars  by  the  city  herself,  which  was  paid  by  a  tax 
of  one  per  cent,  for  fonr  years  on  all  real  estate  within 
her  limits,  and  this  tax  was  re-paid  to  the  owners  in 
shares  of  stock.  Although  sanctioned  by  the  vote  of  a 
very  large  majority  of  the  citizens,  this  measure  was  for 
a  while  a  very  unpopular  one;  but  the  malcontents  have 
lately  found  that  the  present  loss  was  to  them  in  the  end 
a  gain,  and  they  are  ready  once  more  to  submit  to  simi- 
lar taxation,  if  by  so  dping  other  roads  can  be  construct- 
ed. Indeed  the  subject  of  railroads  was  now  eagerly 
taken  up,  and  a  just  and  most  effective  feeling  in  their 
favor  was  taking  the  place  of  the  former  apathy  and  in- 
difference. The  Louisville  and  Lexington  Eailroad  had 
opened  so  many  new  sources  of  wealth  and  developed 
such  advantages  before  unthought  of,  that  the  policy  of 
stretching  out  iron  arms  to  embrace  in  their  circle  all 
possible  resources  was  no  longer  doubted.  Acting  upon 
this  feeling,  the  people  of  Louisville  united  with  those 
of  Jeffersonville  in  building  a  road  from  that  point  to 
Columbus,  and  with  those  of  Kew  Albany  in  uniting 
that  growing  city  with  Salem.  The  purpose  had  in 
view  in  the  construction  of  these  roads  is  the  ultimate 
and  not  very  distant  connection  of  Louisville,  Jefferson- 
ville and  ^ew  Albany  with  Lake  Erie,  St.  Louis  and 
Lake  Michigan.  The  entire  line  of  the  first  of  these 
roads  is  now  in  progress  of  construction,  and  the  greater 
part  of  the  other  is  under  contract.  Beside  these,  a  rail- 
road hence  to  ivTashville,  Tenn.,  is  now  being  surveyed, 
which  will  unite  with  roads  already  partly  under  op- 
eration leading  to  some  point  on  the  Atlantic  coast,  near 
Charlest'^n,  S.  C.     The  Louisville  and  NashWlie  end  of 


208  HISTORY    OF    LOL'ISVlLLt. 


this  route  will  be  put  under  contract  as  soon  as  proper 
surveys  can  be  established.  Other  roads  are  had  in  con- 
templation, but  nothing  has  yet  been  done  toward  their 
construction.  The  effect  of  these  improyements  will  be 
the  subject  of  notice  in  another  chapter. 

With  the  opening  of  the  year  1850,  was  commenced 
the  first  of  a  series  of  movements  which  led  to  the  form- 
ation of  a  new  charter  for  the  city.  This  document 
makes  ail  city  officers  elective  by^the  people,  and  places 
the  goverament  in  the  hands  of  a  Mayor,  a  Board  of 
Common  Council,  and  a  Board  of  Aldermen.  [Many  of 
the  provisions  of  this  charter  are  found  healthful  and 
wise  in  their  operation,  while  many  others  are  incom- 
prehensible or  impracticable.  The  fir>t  Mayor  under 
this  new  charter  felt  himself  oblisred  to  i'esi2:n  his  office, 
on  the  plea  of  incompetence  to  perform  the  duties  assign- 
ed to  him  by  the  instrument.  The  Council,  however, 
unwilling  to  dispense  with  so  efficient  an  officer  as  he 
had  proved  himself,  continued  him  in  place  as  '-'•Mayor 
pro  ^6m.,"  until  the  end  of  his  term.  Experience  and 
the  necessities  of  the  city  government  will  doubtless,  as 
time  progresses,  so  modify  this  instrument  as  to  make  its 
provisions  work  well  and  harmoniously. 

The  annals  of  the  city  up  to  the  year  1852  having  now 
been  presented  to  the  reader,  it  only  remains  to  offer  a 
view  of  its  present  state  in  regard  to  population,  com- 
merce, manufactures  and  social  position;  which,  together 
with  a  chapter  on  its  future  destiny,  will  conclude  this 
history.  It  is  not  the  intention  of  this  work  purposely 
to  mislead  any,  as  to  the  actual  position  of  the  city,  and 
therefore,  instead  of  embracing  with  the  statistics  of 


HISTOKY    OF    LOUISVILLE.  209 


Louisville  those  of  all  the  suburban  villages  and  cities  in 
the  vicinity,  as  has  universally  been  done  by  other  west- 
ern places,  we  purpose  to  give  such  statistics  as  belong 
exclusively  to  this  city.  If,  however,  it  is  ever  honest 
for  a  city  to  aggrandize  to  itself  all  the  prosperity  of  its 
suburban  neighbors,  it  is  eminently  so  with  Louisville. 
The  towns  immediately  around  the  falls  are  as  ready  to 
concede,  as  Louisville  is  to  claim  a  perfect  identity  of  in- 
terests. The  pre-eminence  which  it  has  already  gained 
over  the  neighboring  towns  forbids  all  hope  of  rivalry  on 
their  part,  and  compels  them  to  unite  their  interests 
with  those  of  Louisville  as  a  means  of  their  own  pros- 
perity. In  certain  branches  of  trade,  IN'ew  Albany  or 
Jeffersonville  may  and  do  successfully  compete  with  this 
city,  but  it  is  idle  to  imagine  that  this  partial  success  can 
benefit  them  in  such  a  way  as  to  afford  them  any  supe- 
riority in  point  of  fact  On  the  contrary,  this  very  suc- 
cess is  owing  entirely  to  their  proximity  to  Louisville. 
Those  branches  of  manufacture  or  of  trade  in  which 
they  excel  find  encouragement  just  so  far  as  they  are 
part  and  parcel  of  the  manufactures  or  commerce  of 
Louisville;  and  they  would  find  no  market  for  such 
wares,  and  no  sale  for  such  manufactures,  did  they  de- 
pend only  on  their  own  resources  of  trade.  It  is  the 
immediate  contiguity  of  the  large  city  which  is  their 
stimulus  to  exertion,  and  their  means  of  preservation 
or  of  prosperity.  They  cannot  but  be  considered  as 
identical  in  interest  with  their  elder  sister.  Nor,  on  the 
other  hand,  can  it  be  denied  that  these  places  are  of  im- 
mense advantage  to  Louisville.  Firstly,  because  they 
are  situated  in  a  free  state,  and  hence  can  offer  freedom 


210  HISTORY    OF    LOUISVILLE. 


from  the  disadvantages  of  slavery;  secondly,  because,  as 
smaller  towns,  they  are  cheaper  residences  for  those 
whose  means  require  attention  to  careful  economy;  third- 
ly, because  they  claim  for  Louisville  the  sympathy  and 
encouragement  of  the  State  in  which  they  are  situated; 
and  finally,  because  they  extend  the  area  of  the  trade  and 
manufactures  of  the  city.  It  is  probable  that  if  the  same 
advantages  which  have  made  Louisville  great  had  been 
ofiered  to  jN"ew  Albany  or  to  JejSersonville,  either  of 
those  places  might  have  exceeded  their  more  fortunate 
compeer.  But  now  the  supremacy  once  gained,  cannot 
but  be  maintained;  and  the  growth  and  prosperity,  or 
the  decay  and  adversity  of  Louisville,  must  either  make 
or  mar  the  fortunes  of  her  sister  towns. 

Before  entering  upon  the  commercial  statistics  of 
Louisville,  it  may  be  well  to  consider  its  social  position, 
and  to  endeavor  to  convey  some  idea  of  the  advantages 
offered  by  this  city  as  a  place  of  residence,  aside  from  its 
character  as  a  commercial  emporium.  It  is  believed 
that  there  are  few  commercial  cities  on  this  continent 
which  possess  the  same  characteristics  as  this.  The 
restlesness,  the  turmoil  and  the  eagerness  in  the  pursuit 
of  wealth  which  is  ever  the  characteristic  of  large  com- 
mercial cities,  has  generally  produced  a  littleness  of 
feeling,  and  a  selfishness  of  manner  which  does  not  at 
all  tend  to  elevate  the  social  position  of  those  places,  but 
rather  causes  them  to  lack  that  feature  which  in  other 
countries  is  known  and  valued  by  the  name  ^Hone.'''^ 
In  Louisville,  this  does  not  appear.  Indeed  it  is  diffi- 
cult to  reconcile  the  manner  of  pursuing  traffic  here  with 
its  results.     As  will  be  seen  hereafter,  the  business  of 


UISTOKY    OF    LOUISVILLE.  211 


the  city  is  of  great  extent,  and  yet  tlie  stranger  in  its 
midst  would  perceive  nothing  to  indicate  such  prosper- 
ity. Business  is  pursued  quietly  and  without  ostentation; 
no  eflbrts  are  made  by  any  to  convince  others  of  their 
successes;  no  factitious  means  are  employed  to  display 
the  results  of  labor,  no  hurry  or  restlessness  or  con- 
fusion attends  even  the  largest  and  most  prosperous 
houses.  Trade  is  pursued  as  a  means  of  gain,  but  is 
not  allowed  to  blind  its  votaries  to  every  other  pursuit 
of  life:  business  closes  with  the  close  of  the  day,  and  is 
forgotten  in  other  things,  until  it  is  revived  on  the  mor- 
row. While  pursued,  it  is  pursued  with  all  the  avidity 
that  is  consistent  with  the  dignity  of  manhood;  but  it  is 
never  allowed  to  obtrude  where  it  does  not  belong,  nor 
is  it  permitted  to  make  any  forget  that  there  are  other 
duties  than  those  of  the  merchant,  and  other  pleasures 
than  that  of  adding  dollar  to  dollar.  Yet  it  is  believed 
that  there  is  no  city  in  the  Union  where  the  aggregate 
amount  of  sales  in  any  one  department  of  business,  di- 
vided by  the  number  of  houses  engaged  in  that  business, 
will  show  so  large  a  result.  Doubtless  this  state  of 
things  is  in  a  great  measure  caused  by  the  peculiarities 
of  character  which  belong  to  the  Kentuckian,  and  which 
are  so  essential  an  element  in  the  society  of  this  city, 
which  society  comes  now  to  be  considered  in  its  proper 
form. 

There  are  certain  traits  in  the  Kentucky  character 
which  are  everywhere  spoken  of  with  approbation.  A 
manly  independence,  a  generous  frankness,  and  a  care- 
less but  attractive  freedom  of  manner,  united  with  un- 
bounded hospitality,  and  that  true  politeness  and  defer- 


212  Hlti'iUJtti:    UF    LULISVILLE. 


ence  which  proceeds  rather  from  natural  instinct  than 
from  a  knowledge  of  the  rules  of  etiquette,  are  perhaps 
the  chief  of  these  characteristics.  All  these,  and  much 
more  which  will  elude  description,  and  which  can  be  ap- 
preciated only  by  acquaintance,  go  to  make  up  that  praise- 
worthy trait  of  character  which  has  always  and  every- 
where distinguished  the  Kentuckian,  as  fully  as  the  most 
elaborate  description  could  do,  we  mean  his  chivalry. 
Despising  alike  the  narrow  prejudices,  the  suspicious 
reserve,  the  silly  dignity,  the  proud  self-gratulation  of 
the  Yankee;  and  the  pride  of  birth  and  of  purse,  the  os- 
tentation of  manner  and  the  foppish  pretension  of  the 
Southerner,  he  takes  from  the  fii-st  his  respect  for  talent, 
his  patriotism  and  his  spirit  of  enterprise,  and  from  the 
last  his  genial  warmth  of  heart,  his  worship  of  the  beau- 
tiful, his  deference  for  the  other  sex,  and  his  manly  in- 
dependence of  heart.  Add  to  these  a  bold  and  reckless 
frankness,  an  easy  confidence,  a  love  of  adventure,  a 
scorn  of  oppression,  a  noble  intolerance  of  even  seem- 
ing insult,  and  an  almost  criminal  indifference  of  life 
when  duty  or  honor  seems  to  call  it  into  peril,  and  you 
have  a  fair  picture  of  the  true  Kentuckian,  of  the  char- 
acter which  forms  the  basis  of  the  society  now  under 
consideration.  Perhaps  the  most  distinguishing  feature 
of  this  societv  is  the  readiness  with  which  it  receives 
and  swallows  up  all  those  sectional  differences  which  in 
other  cities  remain  intact.  Society  here  is  generalized; 
the  spirit  of  cliqueism  does  not  prevail,  social  distinc- 
tions are  marked  in  broad,  plain  lines,  but  the  highest 
class  is  open  to  all  who  merit  a  place.  The  test  of  po- 
sition is  neither  wealth,  birth,  nor  pretension;  respecta- 


HISTORY   OF   LOUISVILLE.  213 


hillty  as  readily  enters  the  higher  circles,  and  receives  as 
ready  encouragement  as  either  of  these.  In  other  cities, 
society  divides  into  numerous  little  circles,  each  claim- 
ing superior  position  to  the  other,  each  ridiculing  the 
pretension  and  refusing  the  association  of  the  other. 
Here,  all  are  honored  in  their  respective  spheres,  and 
few  claim  a  position  to  which  they  are  not  entitled. 

Society  here  has  also  the  power  of  generalization  to 
the  extent  that  sectional  differences  are  lost  by  its  mem- 
bers, and  the  Northern,  Eastern  or  Southern  man,  as 
well  as  the  n£tive  of  another  country,  seems  to  lose  all 
identity  of  manner,  and  becomes  only  an  integral  part 
of  one  great  circle.  The  fashionable  world  acts  as  if 
with  one  common  impulse,  while  the  other,  the  larger 
and  better  class  of  respectable  people,  who  do  not  aspire 
to  this  title,  but  who  could  claim  it  by  the  mere  exercise 
of  their  will,  are  neither  led  by  the  heau  monde^  on  the 
one  hand,  nor,  on  the  other,  do  they  make  a  virtue  of 
opposing  this  class.  Society  is  correct  in  its  outline  and 
harmonious  in  detail.  Distinctions  of  class,  though 
plainly  marked,  are  never  offensively  shown. 

Perhaps  the  worst  feature  of  society  is  its  lack  of  a 
proper  reverence  for  the  intellectual,  its  tendency  to 
frivolity.  The  amusements  most  prized  by  all  classes 
are  of  a  frivolous  character.  The  song,  the  play  or  the 
dance,  are  valued  far  above  the  lecture  or  the  conversa- 
tion. The  pleasures  of  the  intellect  are  considered  dull 
and  tame,  when  compared  with  those  which  excite  but 
for  a  moment,  and  are  then  forgotten.  That  the  power 
of  the  intellectual  man  is  acknowledged  is  true,  but  the 
acknowledgment  is  not  practical,  it  is  merely  theoretical, 


214  HISTORY    OF    LOUISVILLE. 


While  a  high  respect  is  had  for  the  man  of  letters,  he 
does  not  command  that  symjpathy  which  should  be  ac- 
corded him.  The  great  singer  or  actor  receives  far  more 
at  the  hands  of  society  than  the  profound  philosopher 
or  the  elegant  essayist.  People  of  all  ranks  are  bent 
upon  attaining  pleasure  with  the  least  possible  intellec- 
tual exertion.  Libraries  are  little  patronized ;  public 
amusements  of  all  sorts  meet  with  unbounded  success. 

Another  glaring  defect  of  a  certain  part  of  society  is 
found  in  a  desire  for  notoriety,  even  if  purchased  at  the 
expense  of  good  taste.  This  feeling  is  one  hardly  de- 
serving the  name  of  ambition,  for  ambition  has  ever  a 
laudable  object  in  view,  while  this  purposes  to  itself  no 
more  than  merely  having  one's  name  coupled  with  some 
eccentric  freak,  or  being  pitied  as  the  victim  of  outre 
tastes  in  dress  or  manner.  It  has  resulted  from  the 
thoughtless  admission  of  very  young  persons  into  terms 
of  social  equality,  and  will  doubtless  be  corrected  as  these 
grow  mature  or  pass  over  the  stage,  and  admit  a  new 
group  to  the  places  they  have  just  yielded  up. 

The  first  of  these  defects  is  by  far  the  worst  in  its 
general  tendencies ;  for  it  reduces  the  educational  stand- 
ard, causing  daughters  to  be  educated  merely  with  a 
view  to  shine  in  society,  and  leading  young  men  to  es- 
chew pursuits  which  they  find  do  not  advantage  them 
with  their  daily  companions.  It  is  in  society  that  the 
young  man  first  fee's  the  promptings  of  ambition  ;  and 
if  excellence  in  the  E-edowa  or  the  Mazourka  gain  for 
him  more  admiration  than  skill  with  the  pen  or  the  pal- 
let ;  if  genius  in  ball-room  prattle  make  him  more  friends 
than  learning  or  philosophy,  it  is  easy  to  see  that  the 


HISTORY    OF    LOUISVILLE.  215 


Redowa  and  the  ball-room  will  carry  tlie  day.  !N"or,  on 
the  other  hand,  can  it  be  doubted  that  if  young  ladies 
were  so  educated  as  to  show  their  appreciation  of  useful 
talent ;  if  their  tastes  would  lead  them  to  smile  on  the 
endeavor  of  merit,  and  to  frown  on  him  who  had  neg- 
lected the  graces  of  the  mind  to  bestow  his  time  and  at- 
tention on  those  of  the  person,  a  very  great  social  change 
would  ensue.  Men  would  then  have  a  proper  point  for 
their  ambition  to  aim  at ;  the  parlor  or  the  ball-room 
would  become  a  place  of  real  and  rational  enjoyment, 
and  society  would  take  a  rank  far  above  that  held  by  the 
ballet  girls  and  singers  of  the  conservatoire. 

But  society  here  has  its  virtues  as  well  as  its  defects. 
It  is  singularly  free  from  absolute  vice  of  all  sorts.  It 
discourages  gaming,  drunkenness  and  sensuality ;  its 
prevailing  tone  is  virtuous  and  moral ;  and,  while  peo- 
ple are  hedged  in  by  few  conventionalities,  yet  a  char- 
acter for  respectability  is  imperatively  demanded  from 
all  who  knock  at  its  portals  for  admission.  No  society 
could  be  more  agi'eeable  to  the  stranger  than  that  of 
Louisville.  Its  unbounded  hospitality,  ancl  generous, 
confiding  frankness  are  characteristics  which  are  to  him 
a  sc  een  against  any  minor  defects. 

It  is  not  to  be  argued  from  anything  which  has  been 
previously  said  that  this  city  can  boast  of  no-  prominent 
intellectual  men.  On  the  contrary  few  cities  of  corres- 
ponding size  in  the  country  can  show  as  many  widely 
known  and  respected  names  connected  with  the  world  of 
letters.  There  are  now  living  in  Louisville  eighteen 
authors  who  have  each  contributed  one  or  more  success- 
ful volumes  to  the  literature  of  the  dav.     But  author- 


216 


lilSTOEY    OF    LOUISVILLE. 


ship  and  intellectual  exertion,  like  business  or  physical 
labor,  seems  to  form  no  part  of  the  every  day  life  of 
society. 

The  next  subject  which  presents  itself  as  connected 
v^ith  the  social  review  of  the  city  is  a  glance  at  the  reli- 
gious statistics   of  Louisville.      This  is  offered  to  the 

reader  in  the  following 

TABLE  or  CHURCHES. 


CHURCHES. 


Baptist 

Episcopal 

Methodist 

Ppesbyterian 

German  Evangelical. 

"        Lutheran... 

"        Reformed... 

Disciple 

Unitarian 

Umversalist 

Roman  Catholic 

Jews 


aa 

a 
p 

a 
bo 

00 

a 
"a 

ber  in 

gation. 

dance.) 

Accom- 
lOQS  for 

bo 

Commu 

Num 
Congre 
(Atten 

Church 
modat 

5 
3 
17 
5 
4 
li 

4 
2 


1.729, 
431, 

3.036 
913 


75 

410, 

631 

70 
5,000 


2.200 
1,425; 

5,900 
2/225 

1,200 

loo; 

200 
520 
240 
200' 
5,000i 
4001 


2.650 

2,150 

8.250 

3.300 

2,150 

100 

200 

950 

320 

500 

3,540 

400 


~    ft, 
ej     O 


HO.  000 

76.000 

109.01.0 

126.000 

21,700 

2.250 

18.000 

12.000 

8.000 

125,000 

11.000 


Total. '46  11,727;  19,61Q|  24,510, 590,900 

The  tasteful  and  elegant  structures  which  many  of 
these  churches  have  erected  are  great  additions  to  the 
beauty  of  the  city.  Those  most  worthy  of  note  are  the 
Walnut  Street  Baptist,  First  Presbyterian,  Catholic  Ca- 
thedral, St.  Paul's  (Episcopal)  and  the  Synagogue ;  the 
last  mentioned  of  which  is  the  most  elegant  building  in 
the  city,  although  it  is  probably  less  expensive  than 
either  of  the  others.  The  pulpit  of  Louisville  is  emi- 
nently well  supplied.  Some  of  the  most  distinguished 
divines  of  the  countrv  are  amono-  its  members;  and  few. 


HISTOKY    OF   LOUISVILLE.  217 


if  any,  of  the  clergy  are  men  whose  talents  do  not  rank 
above  mediocrity. 

Beside  the  churches  above  mentioned,  Louisville  has 
also  many  beautiful  public  and  private  buildings.     The 
city  is  ]Derhaps  more  thoroughly  classified  and  better 
ari-anged,  both  for  business  and  for  comfortable  residence, 
than  any  other  western  place.     The  wholesale  business 
of  the  city  is  entirely  confined  to  Main  Street,  which 
is  more  than  four  miles  long,  is  perfectly  straight,  and 
is  built  up  on  either  side  with  good  substantial  brick 
buildings   for  more  than  half  its  entire  length.     The 
stores,  taken  as  a  whole,  are  the  largest  and  finest  ware- 
houses anywhere  to  be  seen;  having  fronts  of  from  twen- 
ty to  thirty  feet  and  running  back  from  one  hundred  and 
ten  to  two  hundred  feet,  and  three  to  five  stories  in 
height.     The  houses  thus  referred  to  occupy  the  most 
central  part  of  the  business  street  and  extend  from  First 
to  Sixth  cross  streets,  a  distance  of  5,04:0  feet  in  a  direct 
line.     On  the  north  side  of  Main  Street,  throughout  this 
whole  extent,  there  are  but  two  retail  stores  of  any  kind, 
and  even  these  only  sell  their  goods  at  retail  because 
they  are  enabled  to  do  so  without  interference  with  their 
wholesale  trade.     On  the  south  side  of  the  same  street 
are  about  twenty  of  the  fashionable  shops  side  by  side 
with  many  of  the  largest  wholesale  houses.     Market 
Street  is  exclusively  devoted  to  the  retail  business.     It 
is  on  this  street  that  the  principal  small  transactions  in 
country  produce  are  made.     With  the  exception  of  the 
squares  bounded  by  Third  and  Fifth  Streets,  where  most 
of  the  retail  dry -goods  business  is  done,  the  entire  ex- 
tent of  this  street  is  given  up  to  the  retail  grocers,  pro- 


218  HISTORY    OF   LOUISVILLE. 


vision  dealers  and  clothiers.  Jefferson  is  recently  be- 
ginning to  be  used  as  a  fashionable  street  for  the  retail- 
ers, but  yet  contains  many  handsome  residences.  The 
streets  south  of  Jefferson  are  all  entirely  occupied  with 
dwelling  houses.  No  business  is  done  on  any  of  them 
except  an  occasional  family  grocery  or  drug  store.  The 
fashionable  shops  are  fitted  up  in  a  style  of  unexampled 
magnificence  and  contain  the  most  beautiful  products  of 
human  ingenuity.  No  city  in  the  Union  is  better  sup- 
plied with  or  finds  more  ready  sale  for  the  finest  class  of 
articles  of  every  description  than  Louisville.  The  city 
south  of  Jefferson  Street  is  very  beautiful.  The  streets 
are  lined  on  either  side  with  large  and  elegant  shade 
trees,  the  houses  are  all  provided  with  little  green  yards 
in  front,  and  are  cleanly  kept,  presenting  a  graceful  and 
home-like  appearance.  An  impression  of  elegant  ease 
every  where  characterizes  this  part  of  the  city.  The 
houses  seem  to  be  more  the  places  for  retirement,  com- 
fort and  enjoyment  than,  as  is  customary  in  most  cities, 
either  the  ostentatious  discomforts  of  display,  or  the  hot, 
confined  residences  of  those  whose  life  of  ease  is  sacri- 
ficed to  the  pursuit  of  gain.  There  is  little  appearance 
of  poverty  and  little  display  of  wealth ;  every  house 
seems  the  abode  of  modest  competence  that  knows  how 
to  enjoy  a  little  with  content,  careless  of  producing  a 
display  of  wealth  to  feast  the  eyes  of  a  passing  idler. 
Even  the  more  ambitious  residences  on  Chestnut  and 
Broadway  Streets  are  constructed  rather  for  the  comfort 
of  the  inmates  than  to  produce  an  impression  on  the 
stranger.  This  latter  is  the  most  beautiful  street  in  the 
citv.     It  is  one  hundred  and  twentv  feet  in  width  from 


HISTORY    OF    LOUISVILLE.  219 


front  to  front  and  is  perfectly  straight.  The  side-walks 
are  twenty-five  feet  wide.  The  view  up  and  down  this 
street  is  extended  and  beautiful.  It  is  destined  to  be- 
come the  fashionable  street  for  residence.  Already  many 
beautiful  buildings  are  being  erected  upon  it  and  the 
former  less  elegant  houses  are  1  eing  removed  to  more 
remote  situations. 

The  subject  of  Public  Education  comes  now  to  claim 
its  share  of  consideration.  The  free  school  system  is 
the  same  in  its  outline  here  as  in  other  cities.  The  city 
schools  are  under  the  direction  of  a  Board  of  trustees, 
who  are  elected  by  the  people,  and  are  open  to  all  those 
persons  who  are  not  able  to  pay  for  the  tuition  of  their 
wards  ;  children  of  all  ages  and  of  both  sexes  are  placed 
under  the  care  of  competent  instructors,  and  educated  in 
all  the  ordinary  branches  of  learning  without  any  charge 
to  the  pupil.  The  sexes  are  kept  separate  and  male  and  * 
female  teachers  are  employed.  The  standard  of  study  is 
as  high  as  in  other  unclassical  schools,  and  every  pupil 
has  equal  advantages  of  improvement.  A  high  school 
is  about  to  be  established  where  all  the  branches  of  study 
usually  employed  in  colleges  will  be  taught  to  those  pu- 
pils who  have  successfully  passed  through  the  lower 
schools,  also  without  any  charge.  By  this  magnificent 
educational  scheme,  the  children  even  of  the  poorest  and 
humblest  member  of  society  are  afibrded  all  the  advan- 
tages which  the  wealthiest  person  could  purchase.  The 
attendance  at  the  public  schools  of  Louisville  has  not 
been  so  large  as  it  should  have  been;  firstly,  because 
there  are  comparatively  few  parents  who  are  not  able  to 
pay  for  the  tuition  of  their  children;  and  secondly,  be- 


220  HISTORY    OF    LOUISVILLE. 


cause  of  a  foolish  pride  which  prevents  parents  from 
accepting  this  education  as  a  gratuity.  The  number  of 
children  taught  in  private  schools  as  compared  with 
those  who  embrace  the  free  school  privileges  show  that 
these  reasons  have  immense  weight  with  the  people.  It 
is  probable,  however,  that  the  opening  of  the  new  high 
school  will  bring  about  a  change  in  this  regard.  The 
advantages  which  will  then  be  offered  to  the  pupil  will 
be  so  great  as  to  overcome,  in  a  great  measure,  the  ab- 
surd prejudices  which  have  existed  in  the  city  against  the 
common  schocl.  There  are  twentv-four  free  schools  in 
the  city,  having  thirty-one  female  and  twenty-five  male 
teachers,  whose  salaries  range  from  two  hundred  and 
fifty  to  seven  hundred  dollars.  The  number  of  pupils 
entered  for  the  year  reaches  about  three  thousand,  six 
hundred  and  fifty,  while  the  number  in  attendance  does 
not  exceed  one  thousand,  eight  hundred  and  fifty.  This 
afibrds  an  average  of  only  thirty-three  pupils  to  each 
teacher;  so  that  all  the  pupils  are  able  to  receive  every 
requisite  attention. 

The  city  also  has  control  of  a  Medical  and  of  a  Law 
school,  which  are  recognized  as  departments  of  the  Louis- 
ville University.  The  first  of  these  is  one  of  the  most 
distinguished  schools  of  its  class  in  the  United  States. 
Something  has  been  said  of  its  history  in  a  previous  part 
of  this  volume.  Three  thousand,  eight  hundred  and 
sixty-one  young  men  have  been  attendants  on  this  school 
since  its  commencement.  The  names  of  its  Professors 
are  well  known  in  the  medical  world  and  afibrd  a  sure 
guarantee  for  its  position.     They  are  as  follows  : 

Charles  W.  Short,  M.  D.,  Emeritus  Professor  of  Ma- 
teria Medica  and  Medical  Botanv, 


HISTORY    OP   LOUISVILLE.  221 


*Jedediah  Cobb,  M.  D.,  Professor  of  Descriptive  and 
Suro-ical  Anatomv. 

Lunsford  P.  Yandell,  M.  D.,  Professor  of  Physiology 
and  Pathalogical  Anatomy. 

Samuel  D.  Gross,  M.  D.,  Professor  of  the  Principles 
and  Practice  of  Surgeiy. 

Henry  Miller,  M.  D.,  Professor  of  Obstetric  Medi- 
cine. 

Levels  Rogers,  M.  D.,  Professor  of  Materia  Medica 
and  Therapeutics. 

Benjamin  Silliman,  Jr.,  M.  D.,  Professor  of  Medical 
Chemistry  and  Toxicology. 

*Daniel  Drake,  M.  D.,  Professor  of  the  Theory  and 

T.  G.  Kichardson,  M.  D.,  Demonstrator  of  Anatomy. 

The  venerated  name  of  Charles  Caldwell,  M.  D., 
was  also,  for  a  long  time,  associated  with  this  school, 
and  much  of  its  earlier  success  is  attributable  to  his 
exertion. 

The  law  department  of  the  University  has  been  in  ac- 
tive operation  only  since  the  winter  of  1847.  It  has, 
however,  obtained  a  wide  spread  and  deservedly  great 
reputation  as  a  school.  The  number  of  pupils  educated 
in  this  department  since  its  commencement  is  one  hun- 
dred and  ninety-six. 

The  Professors  of  the  Law  Department  of  the  Univer- 
sity are  as  follows : 

Hon.  Henry  Pirtle,  L.  L.  D.,  Professor  of  Constitu- 
tional Law,  Equity  and  Commercial  Law. 

Hon.  Wm.  F.  Bullock,  Professor  of  the  Law  of  Eeal 

*These  gentlemen  having  recently  resigned,  the  chairs  so  vacated  are  now 
occupied  by  Drs.  Palmer  and  Austin  Flint,  of  Buffalo,  N.  Y. 


222  HISTORY    OF   LOUISVILLE. 


Property  and  of  the  Practice  of  Law,  including  Plead- 
ing and  Evidence. 

Hon.  James  Pryor,  Professor  of  the  History  and  Sci- 
ence of  Law,  including  the  Common  Law  and  Interna- 
tional Law. 

The  prospects  of  this  school  for  the  ensuing  year  are 
more  flattering  than  they  have  ever  been.  The  distin- 
guished gentlemen  who  are  at  the  head  of  this  institu- 
tion have  reason  to  congratulate  themselves  as  well  on 
their  past  success  as  on  their  brilliant  prospects  for  the 
future. 

Besides  these  two  schools  under  the  immediate  control 
of  the  city,  the  Medical  Department  of  the  Masonic 
University  of  Kentucky  is  also  located  here.  This 
school  has  been  in  operation  for  a  very  short  time,  hav- 
ing been  organized  in  1850,  but  its  claims  seem  already 
to  be  recognized  throughout  the  West.  The  institution 
opened  with  a  class  of  103  young  gentlemen,  which 
number  was  increased  in  the  second  year  of  its  existence 
to  110.  With  so  auspicious  a  commencement,  and  un- 
der the  direction  of  its  distinguished  faculty,  there  seems 
to  be  no  reason  why  it  should  not  soon  equal  in  point 
of  numbers  and  utility  the  other  and  older  college.  The 
advantages  of  Louisville  over  other  western  cities  as  a 
location  for  medical  schools  does  not  need  any  further 
notice  than  these  statistics  will  afford.  What  has  al- 
ready been  accomplished  by  these  institutions  will  es- 
tablish its  advantages  with  the  reader  more  fully  than 
any  deliberate  reasoning  could  do.  The  faculty  of  the 
Kentucky  School  of  Medicine  is  composed  of  the  fol- 
lowing gentlemen : 


HISTORY    OP   LOUISVILLE.  223 


Benj.  W.  Dudley,  M.  D.,  Emeritus  Professor  of  An= 
atomy  and  Surgery. 

Eobert  Peter,  M.  D.,  Professor  of  Chemistry  and 
Toxicology. 

Thos.  D.  Alitchell,  Professor  of  Theory  and  Practice 
of  Medicine. 

Joshua  B.  Flint,  M.  D.,  Professor  of  Principles  and 
Practice  of  Surgery. 

James  M.  Bush,  M.  D.,  and  Ethelbert  L.  Dudley,  M. 
D.,  Professors  of  Special  and  Surgical  Anatomy  and 
Operative  Surgery. 

Henry  M.  Bullitt,  M.  D.,  Professor  of  Physiology 
and  Pathology. 

Llewellyn  Powell,  M.  D.,  Professor  of  Obstetrics  and 
Diseases  of  Women  and  Children. 

Erasmus  D.  Force,  M.  D.,  Professor  of  Materia  Med- 
ica  and  Clinical  Medicine. 

David  Cummings,  M.  D.,  Demonstrator  of  Anatomy. 

St.  Aloysius  college,  under  the  care  of  the  Jesuits,  is 
an  academical  institution  of  some  celebrity.  It  has  six 
professors  and  several  tutors.  The  Kentucky  Institu- 
tion for  the  Education  of  the  Blind  is  also  located  here. 
This  noble  monument  of  philanthropy  has  been  the 
means  of  much  good  to  the  class  for  whom  it  was  in- 
tended. It  has  had  an  average  attendance  of  about 
twenty  pupils.  The  course  of  instruction  is  ample  and 
the  results  have  been  in  the  highest  degree  creditable  to 
the  teachers.  The  proficiency  of  many  of  the  pupils  is 
truly  wonderful ;  and  their  aptitude  in  learning  many 
of  the  branches  taught  them,  more  especially  that  great 


2'24:  HISTOKV    OF    LOUISVILLE. 


solace  of  the  blind,  music,  is  everywhere  noted.  They 
are  also  instructed  in  various  kinds  of  handicraft,  bv 
which  they  are  enabled  to  earn  an  honorable  support 
after  leaving  the  school.  The  price  of  board  and  tuition 
for  those  who  are  able  to  pay  is  only  one  hundred  dollars 
per  annum;  while  indigent  children,  resident  in  the 
State,  are  educated  gratuitously.  The  spacious  building 
erected  for  the  use  of  this  school  was  recently  destroyed 
by  fire,  but  will  be  speedily  rebuilt  on  a  more  favorable 
site  and  in  a  better  manner  than  before. 

Beside  the  schools  above  mentioned  there  are  a  great 
number  of  private  schools  of  various  grades  of  excellence. 
Among  these  the  Young  Ladies'  Schools  of  Bishop 
Smith  and  of  Prof.  Koble  Butlek  are  perhaps  the  most 
widely  known.  They  offer  advantages  for  the  education 
of  young  ladies  which  are  not  surpassed  in  any  city. 
Indeed  the  educational  opportunities  afibrded  by  the 
many  excellent  public  and  private  schools  of  Louisville 
are  in  the  highest  degree  creditable  to  the  city  and  have 
attracted  and  still  continue  to  attract  to  it  manv  families 
from  distant  parts  of  the  country.  To  those  who  know^ 
how  properly  to  estimate  the  value  of  educational  privi- 
leges, the  training  of  their  children  is  an  all-important 
consideration  ;  and,  as  nothing  can  supply  the  want  of 
parental  care,  it  is  not  uncommon  for  families  to  seek  as 
a  residence  those  places  which  at  once  possess  great  fa- 
cilities for  instruction,  and  are  free  from  the  dangers  of 
ill-health,  Louisville  has  both  these  advantages,  and 
hence  this  city  owes  to  these  facts  much  of  her  best  pop- 
ulation. 

The  healthiness  of  Louisville  is  everywhere  a  subject 


HISTORY    OP    LOUISVILLE.  ^25 


of  remark.  Its  past  reputation  for  insalubrity  is  long 
since  forgotten,  and  its  singular  exemption  from  those 
epidemic  diseases  whose  ravages  have  been  so  terrible 
in  other  places,  have  gained  for  it  a  very  enviable  dis- 
tinction among  cities.  The  following  recent  report  of 
the  Committee  on  Public  Health  of  the  Louisville  Med- 
ical Society  will  tend  still  further  to  confirm  what  has  just 
been  said:  "Since  the  years  1822  and  1823,"  says  this 
document,  "the  endemic  fevers  of  summer  and  autumn 
have  become  gradually  less  frequent,  until  within  the 
last  five  or  six  years  they  have  almost  ceased  to  prevail, 
and  those  months  are  now  as  free  from  disease  as  those  of 
any  part  of  the  year.  Typhoid  fever  is  a  rare  affection 
here,  and  a  majority  of  the  cases  seen  occur  in  persons 
recently  from  the  country.  Some  physicians  residing 
in  the  interior  of  this  State  see  more  of  the  disease  than 
comes  under  the  joint  observation  of  all  the  practitioners 
of  the  city,  if  we  exclude  those  treated  in  the  Hospital. 

"Tubercular  disease,  particularly  pulmonary  con- 
sumption, is  not  so  much  seen  as  in  the  interior  of 
Kentucky.  Our  exemption  from  pulmonary  consump- 
tion is  remarkable,  and  it  would  be  a  matter  of  much 
interest  if  a  registration  could  be  made  of  all  the  deaths 
from  it,  so  that  we  could  compare  them  with  those  of 
other  places. 

"For  the  truth  of  the  remarks  as  to  the  extent  and  fre- 
quency of  the  diseases  enumerated  w^e  rely  solely  upon 
what  we  have  observed  ourselves,  and  upon  what  we 
have  verbally  gathered  from  our  professsional  friends. 

"  This  exemption  of  Louisville  from  disease,  can  be 
accounted  for  in  no  other  way  than  from  its  natural  sit- 


226  HISTOflY    OF    LOUISVILLE. 


uation,  and  from  what  has  been  done  in  grading,  in 
buildins:,  and  in  lavino:  ofi'  the  streets. 

"Louisville  is  situated  on  an  open  plain,  where  the 
wind  has  access  from  every  direction;  upon  a  sandy  soil, 
which  readily  absorbs  the  water  that  falls  upon  it;  sus- 
ceptible of  adequate  drainings;  supplied  bountifully  with 
pure  lime  stone  water,  which  is  filtered  through  a  depth 
of  thirty  or  forty  feet  of  sand;  its  streets  are  wide  and 
laid  off  at  right  angles — north  and  south,  east  and  west 
— a'ivinoj  the  freest  ventilation;  and  the  buildings  com- 
pact,  comfortable,  and  generally  so  constructed  as  to  be 
dry  and  to  admit  freely  the  fresh  air.  It  is  situated  upon 
the  border  of  the  beautiful  Ohio,  and  environed  by  one 
of  the  richest  agricultural  districts  in  the  world,  sup- 
plying it  with  abundance  of  food,  and  all  the  comforts 
and  luxuries  of  life.  It  must,  under  the  guidance  of 
science  and  wise  legislation,  become,  if  it  is  not  already, 
one  of  the  healthiest  cities  in  the  world.  Its  proximity 
to  the  rapids  of  the  Ohio  may  add  to  its  salubrity,  and 
it  is  certain  that  the  evening  breezes  wafted  over  them, 
produce  an  exhilarating  efiect,  beyond  what  is  derived 
from  the  perpetual  music  of  the  roar  of  the  falls." 

It  may  be  proper  to  add  the  following  table  of  the 
comparative  statistics  of  annual  mortality  of  the  resi- 
dent population  as  ascertained  from  ofiicial  sources. 

In  Louisville         the  deaths     are        one         to         50, 

Philadelphia do do 36. 

New  York do do 37. 

Boston .      do do 38. 

Cincinnati do do 35. 

Naples d) do 28. 

Paris do do 33. 

London   do do 39. 

Glasgow do ... , do 44. 


HISTORY   OF   LOUISVILLE.  227 


The  Market   Houses  of  Louisville,  five  in  number 
and  all  located  upon  Market  Street,  are  profusely  supplied 
with  every  production  of  this  latitude.     Markets  are  held 
every  day,  and  prices  are  much  lower  than  in  Eastern 
cities.     The  Kentucky  beef  and  pork  which  is  every- 
where so  celebrated,  is  here  found  in  its  true  perfection . 
The  vegetables  and  fruits  peculiar  to  this  climate,  are 
also  ofiered  in  excellent  order  and  in  great  abundance. 
Irish  and  sweet  potatoes,  green  peas,  corn,  cucumbers, 
lettuce,  radishes,  asparagus,  celery,  salsafie,  pie  plant, 
melons,  peaches,  apples,  cherries,  strawberries,  and  many 
other  vegetables   and    fruits  are  plentifully   supplied. 
The  Irish  potato  is  sold  at  from  twenty-five  to  forty 
cents  per  bushel,  gi^een  peas  command  about  twenty 
cents  per  peck,  strawberries  fifty  cents  per  gallon.     The 
choice  pieces  of  beef  can  be  had  at  from  six  to  eight 
cents  x^er  pound,  less  desirable  pieces  bring  three  and 
four   cents.     Pork  is  bought  at  about   five  cents  per 
pound.     Turkies  bring  fifty  to  seventy-five  cents  each. 
Spring  chickens,  from  seventy-five  to  one  dollar  and 
fifty  cents  per  dozen.   Ducks,  fifteen  to  twexty-five  cents 
each.     Eggs  are  sold  at  four  to  eight  cents  per  dozen. 
Butter,  fifteen  to  twenty  cents  per  pound.     The  lamb 
and  mutton  sold  in  this  market,  cannot  be  surpassed  in 
point  of  quality  in  the  United  States.     The  extreme  fer- 
tility of  the  country  around  Louisville,  and  its  perfect 
adaptation  to  the  wants  of  the  gardener  and  the  stock- 
raiser,  must  always  give  to  this  city  the  advantage  of  an 
excellent  and  cheap  provision  market. 

The  following  is  a  list  of  all  the  publications  issued 
from  thiB  citv: 


228  HISTOEY    OF    LOCISVILLE, 


Journal Daily  and  Weekly ,  .Whig. 

Courier " " <•- 

Times '• " Democrat.  • 

Democrat " '•' " 

Beobachter  am  Ohio ..." '•' " 

Louisville  Anzeiger. . . ." " " 

1-nion Daily. .  .^ Neutral. 

Bulletin ". . > " 

Sunday  \^arieties Wee^lcly ■' 

Presbyterian  Herald '•' Presbyterian. 

"Western  Recorder " . .    . .  , Baptist. 

Watchman  and  Evangelist. . ." Cumb.  Presby. 

Christian  Advocate '' Methodist, 

Kentucky  New  Era. . .  .Semi-Monthly Temperance. 

Christian  Repository ^lonthly Baptist. 

Indian  Advocate " '. 

Bible  Advocate " Neutral. 

Theological  Medium '- Cumb.  Presbv. 

Western  Journal  of  Medicine  and  Surgery Monthly. 

Transylvania  Medical  Journal " 

This  review  of  the  social  statistics  of  Louisville  will  be 
concluded  with  a  notice  of  the  number  of  persons  engag- 
ed in  the  various  avocations  of  life,  as  shows  in  the 
following : 

Agents 58    ,    Bricklayers 265 

Agricultural  Implement  Makers.  .5       Brick  Makers 45 

Apothecaries 113        Brewers 37 

Architects 6  Bristle  Cleaners.*. .  .V. .  .'.'.'.'.*.'. '.  .4 

Artificial  Flower  Makers 2       Book  Sellers 18 

-Artists ._  ...10    :    Boot  and  Shoe  Dealers 58 

Auctioneers 26        Book  Binders 102 

Barbers 198       Butchers 201 

■Bakers 362       Candle  and  Soap  Makers 38 

Bar  Keepers 231        Caulkers 18 

Basket  Makers. 15    \    Caqjet  Weavers 8 

Bellows  Makers 5    •    Carvers 13 


Blind  Makers 5 

Blacking  Makers 4 

Blacksmiths 251 

Bird  Stuffers !7.2 

Brush  Makers 15 

Brokers 28 


Cartmen 452 

Carpenters 674 

Camphine  Makers 4 

Cabinet  Makers 275 

Cemeut  ^Nlaker I 

Clerks 1130 


HISTORY    OF   LOUISVILTE. 


229 


Clothiug  Dealers 57 

Cigar  Makers 1 59 

Composition  Roofers 2 

Cotlou  Packers 22 

Cottou  Caulk  Makers .3 

Collectors... 22 

Confectionaries 96 

Coach  Makers 78 

Coopers 116 

Comb  Makers 3 

-Dancing  Teachers 10 

Daguerreot  ypists 23 

Dentists..." 13 

Distiller 1 

Doctors 162 

Druggists 75 

Dry  Goods  Dealers 275 

Dyers  i 11 

Editors 18 

Edge  Tool  Makers 11 

Egg  Packers 4 

Engravers 15 

Engineers 139 

Farmers 17 

Feed  Dealers 15 

Fishermen 10 

File  Cutters 3 

Foundrymen 369 

Fringe  Makers 4 

Gardeners 31 

Gentlemen 36 

Gilders 8 

Glass  Setters. 3 

Glass  Cutters 2 

Glass  Stainer 1 

Glass  Blowers 21 

Glue  Makers 2 

Grocers 504 

Guagers 3 

Gunsmiths 17 

Hatters 117 

Hackmen 95 

Hardware  Dealers 34 

Hucksters 45 

Hose  Makers 2 

Ice  Dealers 6 

Ink  Makers 6 

Insurance  Agencies 27 

Iron  Safe  Maker 1 

Lamp  Makers 2 

Laborers ....      1 920 

11 


Last  Makers 3 

Leather  Finders 16 

Lawyers. 125 

Liquor  Dealers 45 

Locksmiths 47 

Livery  Keepers 43 

Lightning  Rod  Maker 1 

Lathe  Makers 2 

Match  Makers 12 

Machinists 33 

Marble  Cutters 21 

Merchants 85 

Millers 37 

Milliners 186 

Milkmen 8 

Millwrights 17 

Midwives 23 

Music  Dealers 9 

Music  Teachers 30 

Music  Publishers 3 

No  Occupation 127 

Oil  Cloth  Makers 15 

Ovster  Brokers 5 

Organ  Builders 4 

Oil  Stone  Makers 10 

Opticians 2 

Oil  Makers 27 

Paper  Makers 22 

Paper  Box  Makers 8 

Painters 267 

Pedlars 47 

Plasterers 94 

Plane  Makers 26 

Planing  Mill  and  Lumbermen,.  .33 

Piano  Makers 36 

Printers 201 

Paper  Hangers 48 

Potters 17 

Professors 26 

Pump  Makers 16 

Pickle  Dealer 1 

Plumbers 9 

Pork  Packers 25 

Preachers 57 

Presidents  Company 45 

Policemen 32 

Queensware  Dealers 26 

Rftilroad  Car  Makers 6 

lief rigerator  Makers 6 

River  Men 330 

Rope  Makers 65 


230  HISTORY    OF    LOUISVILLE. 


Saddlers 195    \    Tailors 375 

Semptresses 311        Tanners - 42 

Scale  Makers 7        Tavern  keepers 27o 


Silver  Platers 5 

Silversmiths 63 

Shoemakers 356 

Ship  Carpenters 133 

Soda  Makers 8 


Teachers 67 

Telescopic  Instrument  Makers. . .  .1 

Tinneri 115 

Turners 22 

Tobacconists 61 


Speculators 43  i  Trunk  Makers 35 

Starch  Makers 10  ■  Upholsterers 29 

Stereotypers 3  I  Umbrella  Makers 5 

Stone  Cutters 2i9  \  Variety  Dealers 46 

Stocking  Weavers 2  ;  Vinegar  ^fakers 8 

Surveyors 13  |  Wig  Makers 3 

Students 638  Wire  Workers 12 

Saw  Millers 8  \  Wagon  Makers 144 

Stucco  Workers 4  ■  Whip  Makers 3 

Stove  Makers 4  '  Wood  and  Coal  Dealers 30 

Sail  Makers 2  !  White  Lead  Makers 2 

Surgical  Instrument  Makers 4  ,  Wall  Paper  Makers 1 

The  commercial  and  manufacturing  statistics  of  Lou- 
isville come  next  to  be  considered.  And  it  is  well  to 
state  here,  however  discreditable  such  statement  may  be 
to  the  city,  that  no  business  organization  of  any  kind 
has  ever  been  attempted  and  no  statistical  tables  have 
ever  been  kept  either  by  the  city  government,  by  societies 
or  individuals.  The  only  means  left  to  the  statistician, 
therefore,  have  been  the  tedious  and  often  incomplete 
process  of  personal  application  and  investigation.  The 
statistics  which  are  here  offered  to  the  reader  are  derived 
from  the  best  authority  and  are  believed  to  be  correct, 
but  are  necessarily  far  less  complete  than  could  have 
been  wished.  This  outline  will,  however,  serve  to  give 
some  idea  of  the  general  business  character  of  the  city. 

All  departments  of  business  in  Louisville  are  trans- 
acted upon  a  very  large  scale.  It  is  perhaps  the  great- 
est faidt  in  the  commercial  character  of  the  city  that 
everything  is  conducted  upon  too  h^rge  a  scale.     There 


HISTORY   OF    LOUISVILLE. 


231 


is,  to  use  a  painter's  phrase,  too  much  of  outline  and 
too  little  in  detail.  The  wealth  and  importance  of  cities 
depends  less  upon  the  great  than  upon  the  small  dealers 
and  manufacturers  ;  these  latter  are  content  with  doing- 
each  a  small  and  careful  business  which  may  gradually 
rise  to  be  of  vast  extent,  and  which  will  thus  really  im- 
prove and  profit  the  city  more  than  the  mighty  efforts  of 
the  large  dealer.  In  Louisville,  however,  none  are  con- 
tented to  do  a  little  business.  The  feeling  seems  to  ex- 
ist that  mercantile  or  manufacturing  pursuits  are  respec- 
table just  in  proportion  to  the  capital  employed  in  them, 
and  the  desire  of  every  one  seems  to  be  to  attain  a  high 
point  of  respectability.  Louisville  greatly  lacks  that 
class  of  inhabitants,  so  useful  to  a  city,  who  are  content 
to  attain  wealth  by  careful  and  laborious  means,  who 
cun  commence  with  the  basket  of  apples  and  gradually 
work  up  to  the  proud  proprietorship  of  extensive  ware- 
houses or  factories.  There  is  everywhere  prevalent 
among  those  who  should  seek  to  rise  gradually,  a  desire 
to  place  themselves  at  once  in  a  rank  with  the  largest 
dealers.  It  is  the  small  dealer  and  the  small  manufac- 
turer, who  is  content  to  rise  by  his  own  efforts,  unaided 
by  factitious  means  of  any  sort,  who  is  needed  here. 
There  is  abundant  room  and  abundant  work  for  such, 
their  advent  is  courted ;  and,  if  they  will  avoid  the  char- 
acteristic desire  for  extensive  business  relations  and  be 
content  to  seek  their  fortunes  by  pains-taking  progress, 
their  success  is  infallibly  certain. 

It  has  already  been  remarked  that  the  aggregate  amount 
of  sales  in  any  one  department  of  business  divided  by 
the  number  of  liouses  enii;ai>:ed  in  that  business  would 


232  HISTORY    OF    LOUISVILLE. 


show  a  very  large  result.  In  this  statement  reference 
is  had  only  to  those  exclusively  wholesale  houses,  whose 
sales  are  made  to  dealers.  JSTo  exclusively  retail  houses 
of  any  sort  are  placed  in  the  enumeration,  though  the 
sales  of  many  of  the  retail  stores  would  fully  equal,  if 
indeed  they  did  not  exceed,  some  of  the  wholesale 
houses.  The  difficulty  of  reaching  any  proper  account 
of  the  retail  business  will,  however,  prevent  any  notice 
being  taken  of  it  in  this  volume. 

Louisville  contains  twenty-five  exclusively  wholesale 
Dry  Goods  houses,  whose  sales  are  made  only  to  dealers 
and  whose  market  reaches  from  I^orthern  Louisiana  to 
Northern  Kentucky  and  embraces  a  large  part  of  the 
States  of  Kentucky,  Lidiaua,  Tennessee,  Alabama,  Illi- 
nois, Mississippi  and  Arkansas.  The  aggregate  amount 
of  annual  sales  by  these  houses  is  five  million^  eight 
hundred  and  fifty-three  thousand  (5,853,000)  dollars^ 
or  an  average  of  tioo  hundred  and  thirty -four  thou- 
sand (234,000)  dollars  to  each  house.  The  sales  of 
three  of  the  largest  of  these  houses  amount  in  the  aggre- 
gate to  one  million^  seven  hundred  and  eighty -nine 
thousand  (1,789,000)  dollars.  Neither  this  statement 
nor  those  which  follow  include  any  auction  houses. 

In  Boots  &  Shoes,  the  sales  of  the  eight  houses  of 
the  above  description  reach  one  7nillion^  one  hundred 
and  eighty-four  thousand  (1,184,000)  dollars^  or  one 
hundred  and  forty-eight  thousand  (148,000)  dollars 
to  each  house.  The  sales  of  the  three  largest  houses  in 
this  business  reach  six  hundred  and  thirty  thousand 
(630,000)  dollars. 

The  aggregate  amount  of  annual  sales  by  eight  houses 


HISTORY    OF   LOUISVILLE.  233 

in  Drugs,  &c.,  is  07ie  million^  one  hundred  and  Uoen- 
ty-three  thousand  (1,123,000)  dollars^  or  07ie  hundred 
2^xA  forty  thousand^  three  hundred  and  seventy-five 
(140,375)  dollars  to  each  house;  and  the  sales  of  the 
three  largest  houses  amount  to  seven  hundred  2t.n6.  fifty- 
three  thousand  (753,000)  dollars. 

The  sales  of  Hardware  by  nine  houses  amount  an- 
nually io  five  hundred  and  ninety  thousand  (590,000) 
dollars^  being  an  average  of  sixty-five  thousand^  five 
hundred  and  fifty-five  (65,555)  dollars  to  each  house. 

The  sales  of  Saddlery  reach  7iine  hundred  and 
eighty  thousand  (980,000)  dollars^  of  which  nearly 
one-half  are  of  domestic  manufacture. 

The  sales  of  Hats  and  Caps,  necessarily  including 
sales  at  retail,  amount  to  six  hundred  and  eighty-three 
thousand  (683,000)  dollars. 

The  sales  of  Queensware,  less  reliably  taken,  reach  two 
hundred  and  sixty-five  thousand  (265,000)  dollars. 

There  are  thirty -nine  wholesale  Grocery  houses, 
whose  aggregate  sales  reach  ten  millions.,  six  hundred 
and  twenty-three  thousand,  four  hundred  (10,623,- 
400)  dollars.,  which  gives  an  average  of  two  hundred 
and  seventy-two  thousand.,  four  hundred  (272,400) 
dollars  to  each  house.  A  brief  statement  of  some  of 
the  principal  annual  imports  in  the  Grocery  line  will 
perhaps  give  a  better  idea  of  this  business.  The  figures 
refer  to  the  year  1850 : 


Louisiana  Sugar 15.615  Llids. 

Refined       "     10,l00p'ckg3. 

Molasses 17,500  bbls. 

Coffee 42,500  bags. 

Rice 1.275  tierces. 

Cotton  Yarns 17,925  bags. 


Cheese 25,250  boxes. 

Flour 80,650  bbls. 

Bagging 70,160  pieces. 

Rope. 65.350  coils. 

Salt,  Kauawlia 110,250  bbls. 

"     Turk's  Island. .  .50,525  bags- 


234 


HISTORY    OF    LOUISVILLE. 


The  following  Recapitulatory  Table  will  enable  the 
reader  to  see  at  a  glance  all  that  has  just  been  stated  : 


TABLE. 


Description  of  Business. 


No  of 
Houses. 


Aggregate  An- 
nual Sales. 


Average  Sales  to 
each  house. 


Groceries 

Dry  Goods 

Boots  and  Shoes. 

Drugs 

Hardware 

QueeusAvare  . . . . 
Hats,  Furs,  &c.. 

ToFarTTy." 


39 
25 

8 
8 
9 
6 
8 


103 


$10,623,400  !  $27-2.400 

5.853,000  I  234.000 

1.184.000  j  148  000 

1.123.000  '  140.375 

590  000  i  65  555 

265.000  44  166 

683,000  '■ 85.375 

$20,32^400"  [  $197,295 


It  will  be  seen  that  these  tables  do  not  include  many 
of  the  largest  departments  of  business.  Beside  tlie 
houses  already  mentioned  are  many  commission  houses, 
whose  sales  in  cotton,  tobacco,  rope,  bagging,  hemp, 
provisions  &c.,  would  very  greatly  increase  the  amounts 
above  stated.  The  impossibility  of  procuring  accurate 
and  reliable  statistics  of  the  amount  of  sales  by  these 
houses  will  prevent  any  attempt  to  fix  the  exact  ratio  of 
their  business.  The  Western  reader  who  is  at  all  con- 
nected with  commerce  does  not,  however,  need  to  be  told 
that  the  trade  in  these  articles  in  Louisville  is  of  im- 
mense extent.  The  great  superiority  of  this  city  as  a 
market  for  hemp  and  its  products,  bagging  and  rope,  is 
so  obvious,  so  well  known  and  so  widely  acknowledged, 
that  any  dissertation  upon  these  merits  is  unnecessary 

here. 

As  a  Tobacco  Makket,  Louisville  possesses  advan- 
tages which  are  not  afforded  by  any  other  "Western  or 
Southern  city.  The  rapid  and  healthful  increase  in  the 
receipts  and  sales  of  this  article  during  the  last  few  years 
is  of  itself  sufficient  evidence  of  this  fact.  Even  as  early 
as  the  year  1800  the  prospects  of  the  city  in  tliis  regard, 


HISTORY    OF    LOUISVILLE.  235 


though  in  the  distant  future,  were  lool^ed  upon  as  highly 
flattering.  A  Mr.  Campbell  had  at  that  time  a  tobacco 
ware-house,  vvhich  was  situated  opposite  Corn  Island. 
This  ware- house  was  suppressed  b^^  the  legislature  in 
1815,  and  a  new  one  ordered  to  be  erected  at  "the  mouth 
of  Bear2:rass."  The  buildins:  thus  directed  was  located 
on  Pearl  Street,  about  one  hundred  feet  from  Main,  and 
the  salary  of  the  Inspector  was  fixed  at  £25,  currency, 
per  annum.  This  inspector  resided  at  some  distance 
from  the  city,  and  when  a  sufficient  quantity  of  tobacco 
had  been  collected  at  the  ware-house  to  make  it  an  ob- 
ject, he  was  sent  for  to  come  and  perform  his  duties. 
The  entire  crop  did  not  then  exceed  500  hogsheads. 
There  are  at  present  in  the  city  three  large  tobacco  ware- 
houses, all  receiving  and  selling  daily  immense  quanti- 
ties of  this  article.  Speculators  are  attracted  to  this 
market  from  great  distances  and  the  receipts  are  contin- 
ually upon  the  increase.  The  following  table  of  receipts 
since  183T  will  show  how  steadily  and  securely  this  in- 
crease has  been  efiected : 


1837 2,133  hlids. 

1838 2,783  •' 

1839* L295  '■■• 

1840 3,113  " 

1841 4,031  " 

1842 5,131  ^' 

1843 5,424  " 

1844 


1845 8,454  hlids. 

1846 9J00 

1847 7,070 

1848 4.937 

1849 8,906 

1850 7,155 

1851 11,300 

1852 16,176 


These  figures  are  of  themselves  a  strong  argument  in 
favor  of  this  city  as  a  market  for  tobacco.     The  reasons 

*  "In  this  year,  a  line  of  46  hhds  brought  $3,390  84,  averaging  $73  73 
per  hhd.  The  crop  was  short,  and  speculation  ran  high.  Dealers  in  the  ar- 
ticle were  heavy  losers." — Directory  for  1845. 


236  HISTORY    OF    LOUISVILLE. 


for  tlie  steady  and  rapid  increase  in  the  receipts  of  this 
article,  as  well  as  for  the  opinion  that  this  is  the  best 
market  for  tobacco  in  the  United  States,  are  very  simple, 
very  convincing  and  very  easily  stated.  In  the  first 
place,  it  is  a  fact  well  known  to  all  tobacco  dealers,  that 
in  the  three  divisions  of  Kentucky — to-wit :  the  North- 
ern, Southern  and  Middle — a  variety  of  leaf,  suitable  to 
all  the  purposes  of  the  manufacturer,  is  gi'own.  In  no 
other  State  is  so  great  and  so  complete  a  variety  of  leaf 
produced.  The  cigar  maker,  the  lump  manufacturer 
and  the  stemmer  all  find  in  this  State  the  article  just 
suited  to  their  various  purposes.  These  tobaccos  all 
naturally  find  their  way  to  Louisville  as  a  market,  and, 
of  a  necessary  consequence,  attract  buyers  to  this  place. 
Beside  this  advantage,  another  important  point  is  gained 
in  the  presence  of  the  numerous  manufacturers  of  to- 
bacco in  Louisville.  These  persons,  having  to  compete 
with  the  established  markets  of  older  States,  ofier  large 
prices  to  the  planter  and  so  attract  here  great  quantities 
of  the  article.  It  is  well  known  that  really  fine  tobacco, 
for  manufacturing  purposes,  has  brought  and  will  always 
command  here  as  high  rates  as  can  be  had  for  it  at  any 
other  point  in  the  United  States.  The  number  of  man- 
ufacturers is  rapidly  increasing,  the  character  of  the 
article  which  they  produce  is  steadily  growing  into 
favor,  and  the  market  for  its  sale  is  enlarging  every  day, 
so  that  planters  cannot  be  so  blinded  to  their  interests  as 
to  seek  foreign  markets  for  an  article  which  will  pay 
them  so  handsomely  at  their  own  doors.  Again :  the 
facilities  for  the  shipment  of  the  article  from  this  point 
to  the  various  Eastern  markets  are  recently  so  increased 


HISTORY    Ofi-    LOUISVILLE.  237 


that  an  entirely  new  demand  has  sprung  up  for  Louis- 
ville tobacco.  "Western  ISTew  York,  Western  Pennsyl- 
vania, ISTorthern  Illinois,  Ohio  and  Michigan,  all  of 
which  were  formerly  obliged  to  look  to  Kew  York  City 
for  their  supplies  of  this  article,  have  recently  turned 
their  faces  westwardly,  for  the  simple  reason  that  they 
can  now  get  the  same  article  at  less  rates  of  freight  and 
without  the  former  numerous  and  onerous  commissions. 
]Nor  is  this  the  only  benefit  procured  to  these  purchasers 
in  choosing  this  market.  It  is  well  known  that,  unless 
tobacco  is  in  unusually  excellent  order,  it  is  always  se- 
riously injured  by  being  confined  on  shipboard  in  its 
passage  through  the  warm  climate  of  the  Gulf  of  Mexico 
and  along  the  coast  of  the  Southern  States.  And  as 
Louisville  is  the  only  other  prominent  shipping  point 
for  the  article,  it  has,  of  course,  this  great  advantage 
over  rival  markets.  The  facts  above  enumerated  indi- 
cate only  the  prominent  and  leading  reasons  for  believing 
Louisville  to  be  the  best  tobacco  market  in  the  Union. 
Many  other  advantages  might  be  enumerated,  but  these, 
which  are  all  acknowledged  and  have  been  demonstrated 
over  and  over  again,  are  considered  sufiicient  to  estab- 
lish the  proposition.  However  much  Louisville  has 
gained  in  regsrd  to  this  article,  there  is  yet  much  to 
gain.  Her  destiny  is  but  beginning  to  be  unfolded,  and 
only  a  few  years  will  elapse  until  the  largest  of  the  re- 
ceipts above  quoted  will  appear  quite  insignificant  and 
worthless  beside  the  swollen  columns  of  the  statistician 
of  a  future  period. 

The  assertion  that  Louisville  is  destined  very  soon  to 
become  distinguished  also  as  a  Cotton  Mabki;/!  may  ex- 


238  HISTOKY    OF    LOUISVILLE. 


cite  some  surprise  among  those  who  have  not  had  their 
attention  called  to  this  matter.     But  that  this  is  a  fact 
can  readily  be  shown  to  the  most  skeptical.     The  con- 
sumption of  cotton  in  the  West  amounts  to  35,000  bales, 
and  heretofore  this  has  constituted  the  entire  demand  of 
this  section  of  the  country.     But  the  recent  opening  up 
of  new  means  of  communication  with  the  Atlantic  coast 
at  the  East  has  begun  and  will  complete  an  entirely  new 
state  of  affairs  in  this  regard.     Let  us  look  for  a  moment 
at  the  effect  of  these  new  facilities  of  transport.     By  the 
1st  of  January,  1853,  an  uninterrupted  communication 
with  the  Atlantic  at  the  Xorth  will  be  efiected  by  the 
lake  route,  continuing  from  1st  of  May  to  1st  of  Iso- 
vember.     At  the  same  time  the  Jeffersonville  Eailroad 
will  have  established  connection  with  other  railroads 
reaching  to  Xew  York.     Beside  all  of  which,  the  Bal- 
timore and  Ohio  Eailroad  will  have  been  completed  from 
Whee^ino'  to  Baltimore,  from  which  point  all  descrip- 
tions of  Western  produce  can  reach  Philadelphia  and 
New  York,  either  by  railroad,  or,  more  cheaply,  by  means 
of  propellers,  steamers  and  sail- vessels.     The  comple- 
tion of  this  latter  road  will  be  the  signal  for  the  estab- 
lishment of  a  line  of  steam-packets  from  Louisville  to 
Wheeling,   another   to   Memphis,  and  yet  another  to 
Xashville.      These  lines   are   already  established   and 
merely  wait  the  completion  of  the  Baltimore  and  Ohio 
Railroad  to  go  at  once  into  operation.     A  line  of  packets 
to  Tuscumbia  and  Florence  is  already  in  successful  op- 
eration.    The  facts  above  stated  are  well  known  to  the 
community  both  East  and  West.     It  only  remains,  there- 
fore, to  examine  how  they  will  affect  Louisville  as  a 


HISTORY   OF    LOUISVILLE.  239 


market  for  cotton.  Kew  Orleans,  it  cannot  be  denied, 
has  heretofore  been  considered  the  only  proper  point  of 
shipment  for  this  article,  but  if  both  the  seller  and  the 
buyer  can  be  benefited  by  a  change  of  markets,  surely 
that  change  will  ensue.  Kew  Orleans  is  certainly  the 
natural  depot  for  Southern  cotton,  but  if  the  cotton  raised 
in  Alabama,  Tennessee  and  ISTorth  Mississippi,  or  that 
which  finds  its  way  to  market  down  the  Cumberland 
and  Tennessee  rivers,  can  be  placed  in  Louisville  at  less 
rates  of  freight  than  would  be  charged  to  Kew  Orleans, 
and  thence  can  reach  the  Eastern  markets  in  less  time 
and  at  less  rates  than  from  that  city,  it  is  surely  the  in- 
terest of  both  seller  and  buyer  to  make  Louisville  their 
market.  Now  it  is  certain  that  from  these  points  cotton 
will  be  carried  to  Louisville  at  one  dollar  per  bale  less 
than  to  Kew  Orleans ;  it  is  equally  certain  that  insur- 
ance can  be  had  via  Louisville  to  JS^ew  York  at  one-half 
the  rates  charged  via  New  Orleans,  and  that  freight,  af- 
ter the  1st  of  January  next,  from  this  city  onward,  will 
be  the  same  as  from  New  Orleans  ;  beside  which  the 
time  of  transit  will  be  thirty  days  less,  thus  saving  no 
inconsiderate  sum  in  interest.  Again,  the  trade  of 
North  Alabama,  Tennessee  and  North  Mississippi  with 
this  city  is  ascertained  to  reach  two  and  a  half  millions 
of  dollars.  To  pay  this  debt  seventy  thousand  bales  of 
cotton,  valued  at  seven  cents  per  pound,  would  be  re- 
quired. Here  is  presented  another  reason  why  this  cot- 
ton should  seek  Louisville  as  its  natural  market.  One 
of  our  most  sagacious  and  enterprising  merchants  has 
recently  returned  from  the  East,  where,  with  laudable 
energy,  he  had  been  presenting  the  claims  of  this  market 


240  HISTORY    OF    LOUISVILLE. 

to  Eastern  buyers.  And  the  result  of  this  mission  is, 
that  reliable  arrrngements  have  been  made  for  buying 
whatever  cotton  may  come  to  this  market  at  New  Or- 
leans quotations.  It  is  perfectly  safe  then  to  predict 
from  January  of  next  year  a  spirited  and  regular  demand 
for  all  the  cotton  which  may  be  sent  here.  The  140,000 
bales  produced  in  Tennessee,  or  finding  its  way  to  mar- 
ket from  Tennessee  river,  will  find  ready  sale  in  Louis- 
ville and  at  the  regular  New  Orleans  prices.  Can  it  be 
doubted,  in  view  of  all  these  facts,  that  Louisville  is 
entirely  certain  to  attain  prominence  as  a  market  for 
cotton.  This  has  long  been  the  natural  market  for  the 
article,  and  only  waited  the  completion  of  lines  of  con- 
nection with  the  East,  which,  now  they  are  about  to  go 
into  operation,  must  of  necessity  make  it  the  first  cot- 
ton marhet  of  the  Western  country. 

Louisville  also  deserves  consideration  as  a  market  for 
pork.  This  market,  though  perhaps  less  in  extent  here 
than  in  some  other  Western  cities,  is  steadily  increasing 
in  the  amount  of  its  operations  and  rapidly  growing  into 
favor  mth  the  dealers.  In  1S27  there  were  but  two 
pork  houses  in  the  city ;  one  of  which  was  owned  by 
Patrick  Maxcy  and  the  other  by  Colmesnil  and  O'Beirne. 
It  was  then  the  custom  to  buy  the  hog  in  small  lots  from 
the  farmers  by  means  of  aorents  who  traveled  throu2fh 
the  State.  These  hogs  so  procured  were  concentrated 
at  some  point  and  corn  was  bought  and  fed  to  them  un- 
til the  time  for  slauschterino;  arrived,  when  thev  were 
driven  to  this  city  and  here  butchered.  The  number  of 
hogs  killed  by  these  two  houses  did  not  then  exceed  fif- 
teen thousand,  while  at  the  end  of  the  pork  season  in 


HISTORY    OF   LOUISVILLE.  241 


1851,  this  amount  had  been  increased  to  one  hundred 
and  ninety-five  thousand,  four  hundred  and  fourteen.  It 
is  fully  calculated  by  the  packers  that  this  number  will 
be  exceeded  ten  per  cent  in  the  ensuing  year.  Both  the 
farmer  and  the  buyer  have  reasons  for  prefering  this 
city  as  a  pork  market.  The  farmer,  because  it  is  not 
the  custom  here  to  "^c«Ze"  the  hog — that  is,  to  make  a 
standard  v^eight  for  which  the  market  price  is  given, 
while  all  below  that  point  are  taken  at  reduced  figures — 
and  the  buyer,  because  pork  is  here  packed  under  the 
same  roof  where  it  is  butchered.  This  last  may  be  con- 
sidered a  small  inducement;  but  when  it  is  remembered 
that  where  the  butchering  and  packing  are  carried  on  by 
difierent  individuals  and  in  difierent  parts  of  the  city, 
the  hog  is  obliged  to  be  transported  at  all  seasons  and 
in  all  states  of  weather  from  house  to  house  at  consid- 
erable labor  and  cost  and  with  danger  of  damage  to  the 
meat,  it  will  be  found  an  item  worthy  the  serious  con- 
sideration of  the  buyer.  The  meat  put  up  here  is  sur- 
passed in  quality  by  none  in  the  world,  and  when  the 
facilities  of  transportation  referred  to  in  the  above  re- 
marks upon  cotton  are  established,  the  growth  of  this 
city  as  a  pork  market  will  be  yet  more  rapid  than  it  has 
before  been.  There  are  at  present  eight  large  pork 
houses  in  the  city.  The  importance  of  Louisville  as  a 
pork  market  is  well  enough  known  to  need  no  further 
elaboration  of  its  merits  in  these  pages. 

The  manufacturing  interests  of  Louisville  come  now 
to  claim  their  share  of  attention.  And  it  is  somewhat 
singular  that,  with  the  resources  and  capacity  of  this 
city  as  a  place  for  manufactures,  there  should  be  so  little 


242  HISTOKY    OF    LOUISVILLE. 


to  boast  of  in  this  regard.  Of  her  commercial  statistics, 
as  has  already  been  shown,  Louisville  has  abundant 
cause  to  be  proud,  but  she  has  at  the  same  time  reason 
to  regret  the  little  use  which  has  heretofore  been  made 
of  her  immense  advantages  as  a  manufacturing  point. 
It  is  not  to  be  denied  that  there  are  many  excellent  man- 
ufacturing establishments  in  and  around  the  city,  but 
the  number  is  greatly  below  what  is  needed  and  greatly 
disproportioned  to  the  advantages  oflered  here.  There 
are  many  reasons  why  this  city  should  hold  prominent 
rank  as  a  place  for  manufactures.  The  facilities  in  the 
way  of  water-power,  the  immense  surface  of  level  and 
highly  productive  country  by  which  it  is  surrounded, 
the  cheapness  of  rents  and  of  building  lots,  and  the  ad- 
vantages for  placing  the  manufactured  article  in  market, 
are  among  the  most  prominent  of  these  reasons.  There 
is,  perhaps,  no  city  in  the  Union  where  similarly  great 
inducements  are  offered  to  the  judicious  and  enterprising 
manufacturer.  And  yet  the  results  of  commercial  en- 
terprise of  other  sorts  have  been  so  successful  and  so 
rapidly  produced  as  to  lead  away  from  the  manufactur- 
ing interests  much  capital  which  would  otherwise  have 
been  invested  in  them.  The  brilliant  success  of  any  one 
department  of  trade  in  a  city  has  usually  led  to  precisely 
similar  results  as  are  alluded  to  here.  Of  this  Cincin- 
nati furnishes  a  notable  example.  Her  earliest  success 
was  effected  by  means  of  her  manufactures,  and  persons 
seeking  investment  for  their  capital  naturally  gave  it  the 
direction  which  had  already  proved  productive.  Lou- 
isville, on  the  contrary,  owing  to  her  peculiar  location, 
found   her   earliest   and   most  promising   evidences  of 


niSTOKY    OF    LOUISVILLE.  243 


prosperity  in  commerce,  and  consequently  all  the  capital 
seeking  emplo3'ment  was  naturally  drawn  into  this  chan- 
nel. And  it  is  unfortunate  for  Louisville  that  this  has 
been  true,  for  however  important  commercial  prosperity 
may  be  to  a  city,  it  is  far  inferior  in  point  of  utility  and 
universal  profit  to  the  advantages  conferred  by  successful 
manufactures.  During  the  last  four  or  five  years  this 
matter  has  begun  to  engage  the  attention  of  capitalists 
and  a  proper  and  healthful  feeling  is  rapidly  gaining 
ground  in  favor  of  this  branch  of  trade.  Many  new 
factories  have  already  sprung  up,  and  several  more  are 
on  the  eve  of  establishment.  The  public  mind  is  fully 
awakened  to  the  necessity  for  building  up  and  for  en- 
couraging the  products  of  home  industry,  and  the  pro- 
ducer has  taken  new  rank  in  public  estimation.  The 
prejudice  which  may  once  have  existed  against  mechan- 
ical employments  of  all  sorts  is  no  longer  felt,  but  the 
manufacturer  and  his  employees  are  held  alike  high  in 
favor  and  in  social  rank. 

The  following  table  of  manufactures  in  Louisville  is 
chiefly  taken  from  the  census  report  of  1850.  Addi- 
tions have  been  made  to  the  more  important  branches  of 
manufacture  as  far  as  reliable  data  could  be  obtained, 
so  as  to  enable  the  reader  to  have  a  comprehensive  view 
of  the  subject  up  to  the  present  time.  It  is  believed 
that  the  figures  in  this  table  are  under  the  actual 
amounts  ;  it  is  certain,  at  any  rate,  that  they  do  not  in 
any  instance  exceed  the  truth.  A  more  extended  and 
special  notice  of  the  principal  manufacturing  establish- 
ments of  the  city  will  be  given  in  an  appendix  to  this 
volume,  to  which  all  who  feel  an  interest  in  the  state  of 
manufactures  here  are  especially  referred. 


244  HlSiOKY    OF   LOUISVILLE 


TABLE  OF  MANUFACTURES. 
Kind  of  Manufacture.         No.  of  Factories.        No.  of  hands.         Annual  product. 

Animal  Charcoal 2 12 $15,000 

Awnings  and  Tents 2 13 7,500 

Artificial  Flowers 1   3 6,000 

Bagging  Factories 3 120 184,0f)0 

Bakers 96 332 469.200 

Bandboxes 3 .... , 9 3,800 

Baskets 3 7 5,400 

Bellows 2 7 15,000 

Blacking 3 12 7,500 

Blacksmiths 49 254 163,400 

Blinds,  Venitian 3 12 14.200 

Blocks  and  Spars 2 12 7,500 

Bootmakers 6.3 302 375,100 

Brewers 6 30 108,600 

Brushes 2 9 5,813 

Bricks 36 339 224  000 

Bristle  Dressers 1 3 2,500 

Burr  Stones 1 8 12,000 

Boiler  Makers 4 30 64,200 

Candy 9 56 184,800 

Camphiue,  &c 1 3 31,500 

Carpenters 144 916 1,027,600 

Cars,  &c 1 100 

Carpet  Weavers 2 .14 6.000 

Coach  Makers 9 98 123.300 

Cotton  and  Wool 3 135 173,500 

Clothing 45 1,157 941,500 

Composition  Roofing 1 

Combs 6 18 9  800 

Coopers 20 60 36,800 

Cement 1 4 10,000 

Edge  Tools 2 9 16.000 

Feed  and  Flour  Mills 9. 47 ,  ..283,800 

Flooring  and  Saw  Mills 14 190 420.200 

Fringes,  Tassels,  &c 1 6 8,700 

Furniture 25 446 638,000 

Fouudrics 15 930 1,392  200 


HISTORY   OF   LOUISVILLE.  245 


Kind  of  Maanfactnre.        No.  of  Factories.        No.  of  hands.        Annual  product. 

Glass  Cutters 1 3 |2,500 

Glue 2 6 5,000 

Gunsmiths 4 8 , 14,000 

Glass 1 50 50,000 

Hats 6 68 201 ,700 

Last  Makers 1 2 2,500 

Lath  Makers 1 4 5,000 

Lock  Makers 6 38 37,400 

Leather  Splitter 1 1 1 ,000 

Lithographers 2 9 20,000 

Looking  Glass,  &c 2 11 12,000 

Machinists* 2 5 6,200 

Marble  Workers 4 41 35,000 

Mathematical  Inst.  Makers 1 3 6,500 

Mustard 2 13 21,000 

Musical  Inst.  Makers .3 60 

Millinery 35 344 340,000 

Oil  Cloth 2 12. . . , 11,500 

Oil  Stones 1 6 22,900 

Oil,  Lard  and  Linseed 3 16 140,000 

Nd.l 1 2 3,000 

Paper  Mill 1 36 113,000 

Plane 3 8 13,000 

Platform  Scale 1 11 12,000 

Patent  Medicines 24 127 467,400 

Printing  Offices 12 201 214,000 

Plows 4 32 35,000 

Perfumery 2 10 8,000 

Pottery 2 14 11,500 

Pork  Houses 4 475 1,370,000 

Pumps 3 16 15,100 

Rope 11 166 460,000 

Saddlery 17 114 236,000 

Saddle  Trees 1 7 7,500 

Soap  and  Candles 6 59 409,000 

Starch 1 8 20,000 


*  Most  of  the  machinists  are  connected  with  the  foundries. 


246  HISTORY    OF    LOUISVILLE. 


Kind  of  Manufacture.        No.  of  Factories.        No.  of  hands.        Annual  product. 

Steamboat  Carpenters t 4 75 $235,U0{) 

Stocking  Weavers 1 10 5,000 

Silversmiths 4 18 34.500 

Stucco 1 5 7,000 

Tobacco  and  Segars 82 1,050 1,347.500 

Tin,  Copper,  &c 17 87 122,309 

Tanners 9 64 176,000 

Trunks 3 27 29  500 

Turners ; 4 8 1 1 ,600 

Upholsterers 5 21 56,000 

White  Lead 1 8 12,600- 

Wigs 1 4 8,000 

Whips 1 2 1,500 

Wire  Workers 2 12 12,500 

Wagons 20 144 184,800 

To  this  list  may  be  added  the  following  memoranda 
of  steamboats  for  1850.  It  has  been  found  impossible 
to  bring  this  list  forward  as  far  as  1852.  In  the  former 
year  there  were  employed  on  53  steamboats,  owned  in 
Louisville,  1,903  hands.  The  amount  of  capital  invest- 
ed in  these  boats  was  $1,293,300,  and  the  annual  pro- 
duct for  freight  and  passage  reached  $2,549,200. 

f  This  does  not  include  all  steamboat  builders. 

I  Most  of  the  turners  are  connected  with  various  factories. 


v^^^ 


CONCLUSION. 

In  concluding  tliis  history  it  will  be  well  to  look  back 
and  examine  the  ratio  of  its  progress  for  the  last  half 
century,  as  well  in  population  as  in  pecuniary  value. 
This  may  be  done:  first,  in  the  following  table  showing 
the  increase  in  numbers  of  every  ten  years;  and  second, 
in  a  tabular  view  of  the  assessment  of  real  estate  at  the 
end  of  each  similar  term  of  years.  The  population  of 
Louisville  then,  commencing  with  the  year  1800,  may 
be  stated  as  follows : 


1800 600  !  1830 10,090 

1810 1,300 

1820 4,000 


1840 2L00O 

1850 43,217 

1852 ■., 51,726 

It  will  be  seen  from  this  table  that  the  city  has  never 
shown  as  rapid  an  increase  as  has  been  eflected  in 
the  last  two  years.  This  is  the  result  chiefly  of  the  im- 
pulse which  has  been  given  to  Louisville  by  her  action 
in  reference  to  lines  of  railroad,  and  other  facilities  of 
communication  with  distant  points,  as  well  as  of  the  fact 
that  a  new  energy  has  been  infused  into  the  commercial 
circles,  and  more  vigorous  eflbrts  have  consequently 
been  made  to  afford  to  this  city  that  reputation  as  a  com- 
mercial mart,  which  she  has  long  deserved. 

Of  the  present  population  of  Louisville,  no  less  than 
18,000  are  Germans,  and  this  number  is  daily  being 
augmented  by  arrivals  from  the  fatherland.     It  would 


248  HISTORY  OF  locisvillp: 


perhaps  be  no  more  than  just  to  say  that  these  foreigners 
form,  as  a  body,  one  of  the  best  classes  of  om*  popula- 
tion. They  are  a  careful,  pains-taking  and  industrious 
people,  of  quiet,  unobtrusive  and  inoffensive  manners; 
and  are,  in  a  majority  of  instances,  men  of  some  educa- 
tion and  ability.  The  better  class  of  this  population  are 
rapidly  rising  in  public  estimation,  and  while  they  are 
becoming  in  a  measure  identified  with  the  native  citizens, 
and  so  Americanized,  the  influence  of  their  philosophic 
habits  of  mind,  of  their  thoughtfulness,  and  of  their  love 
of  the  beautiful  in  nature  and  in  art,  is  gradually  incor- 
porating itself  into  the  social  life  of  the  city,  and  so  ad- 
ding to  each  some  of  the  advantages  possessed  by  the 
other.  The  German  character,  in  its  higher  develope- 
ments,  displays  many  attributes  which  are  wanting,  in 
more  senses  than  one  to  our  native  x)opulation.  From 
the  educated  German,  we  may  learn  that  enthusiastic 
love  and  reverence  for  the  intellectual  and  for  the  beau- 
tiful in  all  its  phases,  whether  of  nature,  of  sentiment, 
or  of  art,  which  is  inherent  in  his  character,  and  which 
gives  to  life  so  much  of  its  charm;  while  by  us  he  is  taught 
that  practicality  must  be  the  basis  of  his  philosophy, 
and  that  without  a  certain  admixture  of  utilitarianism  his 
sentiment  is  mawkish  and  unmanly,  and  his  theories  are 
idly  speculative  and  puerile.  Thus  each  class  imbibes 
from  the  other  what  it  most  needs,  and  society  reaps  the 
benefits  of  the  union.  The  German  population  is  also  use- 
ful to  the  city  in  a  political  point  of  view.  They  serve 
as  the  "filling  up"  to  the  picture.  As  has  been  recently 
said:  "The  bulk  of  the  population  of  every  city,  perhaps 
two  out  of  three,  arc  small  manufacturers  or  artisans  of 


HISTORY   OF   LOUISVILLE.  249 


some  description  or  other,  and  those  dependent  on  them; 
of  the  sewers  together  of  clothing,  the  makers  of  toys, 
confectionary,  and  jeweh-y,  the  compounders  of  materials 
nsed  in  medicine  and  the  arts,  the  furnishers  of  the  toilet, 
the  parlor,  and  the  kitchen,  the  fabricators  of  iron,  wood, 
and  stone  into  forms  required  by  the  uses  or  fancies  of 
man.  Think  of  the  amount  of  our  yearly  purchases  of 
Boston  bonnets,  ISTew  York  caps,  and  Philadelphia  shoes, 
and  of  the  thousand,  the  innumerable  articles  that  our  re- 
tail and  fancy  dealers  pick  up  in  the  lanes,  alleys,  and 
cellars  of  those  cities,  articles  which  were  made  for  West- 
ern demand,  for  the  very  market  of  which  this  is  the  nat- 
ral,  and  ought  to  be  the  commercial  center.  To  this 
kind  of  population  we  are  to  look  for  increase,  these  hand 
workers  are  to  cover  our  vacant  lots,  and  consume  the 
products  of  our  surrounding  agriculturists;  they  come  in 
silently,  and  go  to  work  unnoticed;  the  grocer  at  the 
corner,  the  baker,  and  the  brewer,  build  higher  houses, 
and  are  men  of  more  noise  and  note,  and  we  forget  that 
for  every  one  of  the  latter  there  must  be  one  hundred  of 
the  former."  * 

It  is  precisely  the  class  spoken  of  in  the  foregoing  ex- 
tract that  is  being  built  up,  and  is  yet  to  be  built  up  by 
the  German  citizens  in  Louisville.  And,  notwithstand- 
ing the  number  already  here,  there  is  yet  room  and  work 
for  many  more.  As  has  already  been  said  the  advent 
of  artizans  of  this  class  is  desired  by  the  city,  and,  if 
they  can  be  content  to  rise  to  wealth  by  slow  and  steady 
increase  rather  than  by  rapid  strides  of  progress,  their 

*  From  "Louisville  and  the  Elements  of  her  Prosperity,"  by  H.  Smith, 
Esc|.,  ill  the  Louisville  Journal, 


250  HISTOKY    (Ji    LOLISVILLE. 


1800 $91,183 

1810 210,475 

1820 1.655.226 


success  is  infallibly  certain.  Other  inducements  will 
also  be  oflered  to  this  and  to  other  classes  of  people, 
seeking  homes  and  investments,  in  considering  the  value 
of  real  estate  in  Louisville.  Let  ns  first  look  at  the 
progress  of  property  valuation  during  the  last  half  cent- 
ury, as  shown  in  the  following  table.  The  assessment 
valuation  of  property  was,  in 

1830 4,316.432 

1840* 13.340,164 

1850 13.350,566 

1852 16,350,052 

This  valuation  is  much  smaller  than  that  of  the  same 
quantity  of  property  would  be  in  any  other  American 
city,  and  this  very  fact  has  been  urged  against  Louis- 
ville by  her  rival  neighbors.  They  insist  that  the  low 
price  of  property  here  is  a  proof  that  the  trade  of  the 
city  is  not  progressive,  that  hence  no  inducements  are 
offered,  either  to  the  emigrant  or  to  the  capitalist.  A 
slight  examination  of  the  subject,  however,  ^dll  show 
why  property  has  not  advanced  here  in  the  same  ratio  as 
in  other  cities,  and  will  also  demonstrate  the  fact  that 
the  very  argument  which  is  urged  against  Louisville,  is 
really  a  matter  of  serious  congratulation  to  her.  It  is 
not  denied  that  land  can  be  had  within  one  mile  south 
of  the  center  of  the  city  at  from  two  to  three  hundred 
dollars  per  acre,  whereas  land  similarly  situated  either 
in   Pittsburg,    Cincinnati,   St.  Louis   or  Kew  Orleans 

*  Speculation  in  city  lots  ran  very  high  at  this  time,  and  property  bore  au 
enormous  fictitious  value.  As  will  be  remembered,  this  feeling  was  not  con- 
fined to  Louisville,  but  was  prevalent  all  over  the  western  country.  This 
was  the  era  of  speculations  in  western  town  lots,  an  era  which  will  not  be  re- 
called wiin  pleasure  by  most  western  men. 


HISTORY    OF    LOUISVILLE.  251 


would  command  nearly,  if  not  quite  four  times  that  price. 
On  the  contrary,  it  is  urged  that  this  should  be  and  that 
it  is  at  once  claimed  as  a  strong  recommendation  both 
to  the  capitalist  and  to  the  emigrant,  in  favor  of  this 
city.  The  reason  why  this  difierence  exists  in  favor  of 
Louisville,  is  thus  plainly  shown.  If  the  reader  will 
take  up  the  map  of  Kentucky  and  Indiana,  and,  com- 
mencing at  the  mouth  of  Harrod's  Creek,  which  empties 
into  the  Ohio  river  eight  miles  above  the  city,  will 
draw  a  line  down  to  a  point  five  miles  below  the  mouth 
of  Salt  river,  and  another  line  thence  southwardly  for  a 
distance  of  sixteen  miles;  and  from  this  point  draw  a 
gradually  decreasing  arc  back  to  the  point  of  beginning, 
he  will  have  enclosed  a  space  of  country,  every  foot  of 
which  is  entirely  level,  is  delightfully  watered,  abounds 
in  building  material  of  every  description,  and  is  equally 
as  well  suited  to  all  purposes  of  builr?ling,  as  are  the  best 
lots  now  within  the  citv  limits.  ]^or  is  this  all;  cross- 
ing  the  Ohio  river  at  the  foot  of  the  Indiana  Knobs, 
one  mile  below  Xew  Albany,  and  going  north-east  a  dis- 
tance of  sixteen  miles,  and  thence  back  to  the  Ohio  river 
at  or  near  Utica,  a  triangle  is  formed  whose  base  is  twelve 
miles  long,  and  whose  other  legs  reach  about  twenty 
miles  to  the  apex.  The  space  embraced  within  this  tri- 
angle possesses  precisely  the  same  characteristics  as  that 
contained  in  the  arc  above  mentioned.  When  it  is  re- 
membered, as  has  been  said  by  another  writer  upon  the 
same  subject,  that  we  have  "no  need  to  encroach  on 
arms  of  the  sea  as  at  Boston  or  IS'ew  York,  or  to  raze 
hills  in  the  rear  as  at  Pittsburg  and  Cincinnati,  or  to 
make  embankments  and  to  reclaim  swamps  as  at  Xew 


252  HISTOEY    OF   LOUISVILLE. 


Orleans,"  but  on  the  contrary,  that  we  possess  a  location 
where  building  lots  equally  good,  both  as  to  site  and  ma- 
terial, may  be  had  at  one  mile  and  at  ten  miles  distant 
from  the  center  of  the  city,  the  mystery  of  our  cheap 
lots  begins  to  be  evolved.  Here  is  a  space  of  level 
country  beyond  the  reach  of  any  flood,  all  parts  of  which 
are  equally  well  adapted  to  the  purposes  of  the  builder, 
sufficiently  large  to  contain  within  its  limits  the  cities 
of  London,  Paris,  and  St.  Petersburg,  with  the  founda- 
tion for  a  large  city  already  laid,  with  a  location  which, 
in  reference  to  facilities  of  intercourse  with  the  rest  of 
the  United  States,  is  unsurpassed  ;  at  the  only  point  of 
obstruction  in  a  continuous  line  of  two  thousand  miles 
of  inland  navigation;  a  half-way  house  between  Isorth 
and  South ;  a  point  through  which  all  the  great  railroad 
arteries  must  of  necessity  pass;  in  the  center  of  the  most 
fertile  and  productive  agi'icultural  lands  in  the  Union;  in 
a  State  distinguished  for  the  nobility  and  chivahy  of  char- 
acter of  its  inhabitants,  with  every  advantage  which 
nature  can  give  to  the  merchant,  the  manufacturer  or 
the  idle  man  of  wealth  and  fashion;  what  is  there,  in 
view  of  all  these  circumstances,  to  prevent  it  from  be- 
coming the  Great  City  of  the  West?  What  other  induce- 
ments could  be  asked  either  by  the  capitalist  at  home  or 
the  emigrant  from  abroad?  Does  the  cheapness  of  pro- 
perty or  do  the  low  prices  of  rents  prove  obstacles  to  either 
of  these  classes  of  people?  Does  the  fertility  of  the  sur- 
rounding country,  and  the  consequent  cheapness  of  the 
markets  draw  away  any  ^  ho  might  otherwise  be  attract- 
ed hither?  Kone  of  these  present  the  reason  why  Louis- 
ville is  not  already  what  she  must  inevitably  become,  the 


HISTORY    OF   LOUISVILLE. 


253 


first  city  in  the  West.  The  reason  is  contained  in  the 
fact,  not  that  these  things  are  true,  but  that  being  true, 
they  are  not  known.  It  is  to  her  own  supineness,  to 
her  indifference  and  lack  of  ambition  to  attain  the  rank 
to  which  she  is  entitled,  that  she  is  indebted  for  her 
second-rate  position.  Had  the  energy  of  the  last  two 
years  been  invested  ten  years  ago,  and  been  continued 
till  now,  the  population  of  Louisville  would  to-day  have 
been  one  hundred  thousand  souls.  But  she  has  been 
content  to  sit  languidly  down  to  the  enjoyment  of  the 
passing  hour,  while  her  competitors  were  bracing  every 
nerve  and  straining  every  muscle,  not  only  to  surpass 
her  in  the  race  for  supremacy,  but  to  disable  and  destroy 
her.  She  has  at  last  awakened  to  a  sense  of  her  posi 
tion,  her  lethargy  is  at  last  thrown  off,  and  now  the 
struggle  begins  in  earnest.  If  it  be  continued  in  earnest 
it  is  easy  to  see  that  she  can  rapidly  regain  her  place, 
and  easily  bear  off  the  palm. 

Let  us  look  for  a  moment  at  the  geographical  position 
of  Louisville,  and  her  facilities  of  intercourse  with  other 
portions  of  the  country.  The  following  table  of  dis= 
tances,  time,  conveyance  and  cost  will  readily  show  this: 


From  Louisville  to 


Pittsburg 

Cincionati. . . . 

Memphis. ., . 

New  Orleans.. 

St.  Louis 

Nashville 

New  York.. . , 

Boston 

Philadelphia. , 
'  Washington... 
!   Baltimore. . . 


Dist'ce,         Time, 


Conveyance. 


608 

60  Hours. 

150 

14  " 

643 

60  " 

1365 

240   " 

535 

40   " 

176 

33  " 

1080 

60   '•- 

1135 

62   "  i 

793 

54   "  ' 

736 

52   " 

696 

50   " 

Steamboat. 


<« 


Stage. 
Steamboat  &  Eailroad 


Cost. 

$7 

50  . 

2 

50  • 

8 

00  , 

20 

00  i 

8 

00  1 

12 

00  i 

22  00 

25  00 

20  00  ' 

19 

00  I 

17 

50  , 

12 


254  HISTORY    OF    LOUISVILLE. 


In  a  very  few  years,  Cincinnati,  Nashville  and  St. 
Louis,  will  be  connected  with  us  by  railroads,  which  are 
already  partly  completed,  and  so  reduce  the  time  to 
those  cities  to  six,  eight,  and  twelve  hours  respectively. 
These  communications  once  established,  Louisville  be= 
comes  the  very  center  of  a  vast  network  of  roads,  con= 
necting  different  climates,  the  products  of  different  soils 
and  regions  of  every  diversity  of  wealth.  The  railroad 
to  Nashville  connects  immediately  with  Charleston,  and 
thence  opens  roads  to  New  Orleanss  and  Mobile;  while 
in  another  direction  it  reaches  Eichmond,  Ya.,  passing 
through  immense  tracts  of  rich  agricultural  and  mineral 
lands.  The  railroad  to  Cincinnati  opens  to  us  the  whole 
North  and  East;  while  that  to  St.  Louis  T\dll  ultimately 
bring  to  our  doors  the  products  of  the  Pacific  Coast  and 
the  treasures  of  the  modern  El  Dorado.  Add  to  all 
these  advantages  the  unavoidable  effects  of  these  rail- 
roads, in  bringing  to  light  all  the  possible  wealth  of  the 
countries  through  which  they  X)ass,  and  then  say  if  any- 
thing but  the  most  criminal  neglect  of  the  advantages 
which  Nature  has  given  her,  can  prevent  Louisville 
from  arriving  at  the  most  prominent  rank  among  West- 
ern cities.  Does  the  capitalist  desire  an  investment? 
Where  can  he  better  find  it  than  near  a  citv  thus  situa- 
ted,  and  one  w^here  lands  are  sold  at  less  prices,  and 
building  materials  are  cheaper  and  are  more  accessible 
than  in  any  other  city  of  the  Union?  Does  the  emigrant 
desire  a  home?  Where  can  he  better  find  it  than  near  a 
city  thus  situated,  one  where  the  whole  of  his  little 
fortune  is  not  required  to  buy  him  a  shelter  from  the 
winds  and  the  rain,  one  that  is  yet  unfilled  with  eager 


HISTORY    OF    LOUISVILLE.  255 


competitors  in  the  struggle  for  wealth,  one  where  the 
products  of  his  industry  are  needed  and  will  be  eagerly 
taken  from  his  hands  at  their  fair  value,  one  where  he 
can  have  not  only  a  field  for  his  own  struggle  with  the 
world,  but  a  place  and  a  circle  of  friends  possessing 
all  those  attributes  which  make  a  home  happy?  It  can- 
not be  but  that  as  publicity  is  given  to  these  advantages 
possessed  by  this  city,  she  will  attract  to  her  thousands 
of  emigrants  from  abroad,  and  thousands  of  capitalists 
and  adventurers  from  other  parts  of  our  country.  While 
other  cities  have  been  spending  time  and  means  and  in- 
fluence in  advocating  their  claims  to  consideration, 
Louisville  has  been  silent.  She  gives  publicity  to  her 
merits  now  for  the  first  time,  and,  by  this  humble  little 
missive,  she  begs  only  for  a  fair  hearing  and  for  an  un- 
biassed consideration  of  her  claims  to  public  favor,  sat- 
isfied that  if  these  can  be  secured  her,  she  need  have  no 
fear  that  the  highest  dreams  of  ambition  which  have 
ever  been  presented  to  her  will  be  fully  realized. 


APPENDIX 


aPPENDIa 


3 


LOUISVILLE  ROLLING  MILL  COMPANY, 


MANUFACTURERS  OF 


(CHARCOAL  AND  PUDDLED.) 

v..  line  fkk$;  ^^11^0^5  Sxiea,  Ci]^Iira  m^  §pl\\^$i 

'wm&w  ^h^mm^  WEmmm^  psii 


^s 


-/  Office  and  Store  640  Main  street,  corner  Fifth. 

■    •• .      •  ■•     ■  . 

■ .  .-•••-•■- 

■  -This  establishment  is  one  of  the  largest  in  the  city  and  forms  a  very  im- 

r'pdrtaiit  brancli  of  Louisville  manufactures;  not  only  in  the  way  of  affording 
employment  and  the  means  of  living  to  a  large  number  of  persons,  but  also 
by  attracting  from  every  part  of  this  Great  Valley  an  important  branch  of  its 
trade, ".  'The  company  is  organized  in  the  best  possible  manner ;  the  mill  con- 

-  tains  all  the  scientific  improvements  in  this  description  of  manufacture,  and 
the  energetic  President  of  the  company  possesses  all  the  requisites  which 

. .could  tend  to  guarantee  the  success  of  the  concern.  The  Iron  made  here 
has  been  fully  tested  all  over  the  West  and  commands  every  market  into 
W-hich  it  is  introduced.  The  company  have  testimonials  of  the  most  flacter- 
"ing- character  from  all  the  iron-workers  of  Louisville,  who  pronounce  it 
^ully  equal  if  not  superior  to  any  Iron  they  have  ever  worked,  and  more 
tt?)ifqrm  in  its  quality  than  any  other  Iron."  Similar  testimonials  have  been 
r^eived  from  the  superintendents  of  the  Louisville  and  Frankfort,  the  New 
Albany  and  Salem,  the  Jeffersonville,  the  Vicksburg  and  Jackson,  and  other 
Railroads,  as  well  as  from  Col.  Long,  superintendent  of  the  U.  S.  Marine 
.Hospital.  The  following  letter  is  a  fair  specimen  of  the  favor  with  which 
^He  company's  Iron  is  everywhere  regarded,  and  is  only  one  of  many  such 

•^(instantly  received  by  them.     It  is  dated 

•"V    "/,  Cleveland,  Ohio,  May  1,  1852. 

'^jL^-e-are  now  using,  and  have,  within  the  past  year,  used  some  fifty  tons  of 
tb£  L.ouisville  Rolling  Mill  Iron,  for  large  Bolts  for  Railroad  Bridges  in  In- 
diana..  ^The  Iron  for  this  work  must  be  of  very  superior  quality,  uniting 
g'teaC  strength  and  tenacity.  All  the  Iron  we  received  of  the  Louisville 
filing.  Mill  was  of  that  character,  and  gave  great  satisfaction. 

V     •  THATCHER,  BURT  &  CO., 

.  :{.     .    •  Railroad  Bridge  Contractors, 


f. 


APPENDIX    TO 


FULTON    rOUNDKY. 


h  @M£f 


%^       ^ 


(SUCCESSORS   TO  INMAN,  GAULT  &  CO.) 
MANUFACTURERS  OF 

STEAM   ENO-Il'fES 

For  Marine  and  Land  purposes,  and 

wiiii  mimi  if  Au  iSERiPfiiis. 

Main  street,  near  corner  of  Ninth. 


This  is  believed  to  be  the  oldest  Fouudry  in  Louisville,  and  one  of  the 
largest  and  most  extensive  in  the  Western  country.  Their  eiigiues  have  a 
wide-spread  reputation  in  the  West  and  South,  and  are  well  known  and 
highly  prized  by  Southern  boat  builders.  Their  fidelity  in  materials  and 
workmanship,  their  promptness  iu  the  execution  of  orders,  and  their  exten- 
sive assortment  of  the  latest  and  most  improved  style  of  tools  and  patterns, 
combined  with  the  well-known  enterprise  of  the  gentlemen  who  compose 
the  firm,  have  all  contributed  to  build  up  for  this  establishment  a  busi- 
ness and  a  reputation  which  reflects  credit  upon  this  branch  of  manufacture 
in  the  city.  Steam  engines  are  built  by  them  in  complete  running  order 
and  ready  for  use,  the  purchaser  not  being  required  to  go  to  any  other  fac- 
tory for  any  of  his  order.  Their  business  relations  extend  over  a  very  large 
surface  of  country,  and  bring  to  the  city  much  foreign  trade.  Besides  their 
engines  for  boats,  they  also  manufacture  machinery  of  all  kinds,  Car  wheels. 
Axles  and  Car  castings  of  all  descriptions,  together  with  Iron  and  Brass  cas- 
tings and  Wrought  Iron  work. 

This  foundry  employs  one  hundred  and  twenty  hands,  and  uses  six  hun- 
dred tons  of  pig  iron  annually,  beside^s  other  materials  in  proportion. 


RISTORY   OF    LOUISVILLE. 


& 


efflfi®p  nppDi' 


a 


MANUFACTURERS    OF 


OF   EVERY  DESCRIPTION, 

SUGAR  MILLS,  COTTON  GINS,  &G.,  &C. 

Main  street,  near  Ninth, 


This  concern,  although  not  so  old  as  many  of  its  class  is  yet  one  deserving 
especial  notice.  The  description  of  the  business  of  this  foundry  differs  very 
little,  if  at  all,  from  some  of  those  already  noticed.  The  quality  of  work 
is  in  the  highest  degree  creditable  to  the  proprietors  and  profitable  to  this 
department  of  manufactures  in  the  city,  Both  members  of  the  firm  are 
thorough  practical  workmen,  having  been  regularly  brought  up  to  the 
business,  and  hence  the  work  which  proceeds  from  this  foundry  compares 
favorably,  not  only  with  any  in  the  city,  but  with  similar  kinds  of  manu- 
factures in  any  part  of  the  country.  Like  most  of  our  large  machine  foun- 
dries, the  Union  has  extensive  connection  with  the  Southern  markets. — 
They  have  frequently  forwarded  as  many  as  seven  cotton-gins  within  a 
fortnight,  to  different  ports  on  the  Mississippi  river.  Their  Sugar  Mills, 
wherever  they  have  been  used,  are  eminently  successful  in  their  operation. 
The  casting  of  Chairs  and  Frogs  for  Railroads  has  also  been  extensively  car- 
ried on  at  this  foundry.  In  the  great  department  of  their  business,  the  man- 
ufacture of  Steam  Engines  for  Boats,  the  Union  Foundry  enjoys  a  reputation 
which  cannot  be  anywhere  surpassed.  They  have  built  all  sizes  of  engines, 
and  are  at  present  engaged  upon  a  pair  of  engines  with  thirty  inch  cylinder 
and  ten  foot  stroke.  Indeed  the  heaviest  castiugs  of  all  sorts  are  construc- 
ted as  readily  and  perfectly  as  the  lightest,  and  are  made  to  work  with  equal 
pase  and  precision. 

The  Union  Foundry  employs  eighty-four  hands  the  '-year  round,"  and 
conanmes  sii  hundred  tons  of  metaL 


APPENDIX   TO 


KENTUCKY 


mM.^MimM  ^m@W' 


ii^wi®^  ^  wm^mm 


m 


MANUFACTURERS    OF 


@-2?:ES^.1VC  JS^JSriD    :E-IDFt3ES   :ES3>^O^X3?ir3E5SI, 


Main  street,  near  Ninth. 


This  well  knowu  Brass  Foundry,  now  in  the  fifteenth  year  of  its  eiistence» 
*i  another  of  those  factories  which  are  ornaments  to  the  city.  It  has  never 
attempted  the  heavy  steamboat  castings,  rather  choosing  the  lighter  machin  - 
ery;  and  the  reputation  of  the  establishment  is  derived  chiefly  from  the  excel- 
lent finish  and  completeness  of  the  work  turned  out.  The  most  complex 
machinery  is  carefully  and  accurately  made  and  fitted  together.  All  work 
requiring  nicety  of  construition  and  careful  attention  to  detail,  is  here  man- 
ufactured, and  in  a  manner  which  has  always  given  entire  satisfaction. 

Every  article  is  made  under  the  immediate  supervision  of  the  proprietors, 
who  are  practical  workmen  and  whose  past  reputation  is  a  sure  guarantee  fc* 
the  quality  of  every  piece  of  work.  The  Fire  Engines,  and  machinery  for 
Hemp  manufacture  made  at  this  establishment  are  deservedly  celebrated.— 

Some  of  the  most  effective  fire  engines  of  this  city  "and  vicinity,  have  been 
constructed  at  this  foundry.     The  Brass  work  made  there  is  also  creditable. 

From  thirty-five  to  forty  hands  are  employed  constantly;  the  business, 
unlike  that  of  most  foundries,  being  equally  good  at  all  seasons  of  the  year. 


HISTORY    OF    LOUISVILLE. 


HYDKAULIC  FOUNDEY. 


m 


m<i   «Ja    <Stf    Ks^W 

S  M  M  ®  1 


MANUFACTURERS    OF 


vtitrf      <S!A 


& 


(G£§f  m 


(GlEW  FWE 


9 


IRON  RAILING,  ORNAMENTAL  CASTINGS, 


WASHINGTON  ST.  COR.  FLOYD. 


This  foundry  possesses  many  features  which  are  peculiar  to  it  alone.  It  is 
only  here  that  Cast  Iron  Screw  pipes  are  made;  no  other  manufactory  of  this 
article  exists  in  the  Western  States.  The  machinery  used  in  this  manufac- 
ture is  beautiful  in  its  construction,  and  perfectly  adapted  to  the  use  for 
which  it  is  intended.  All  the  Gas  pipes  for  the  city,  as  well  the  main,  as 
the  smaller  sevice  pipes  are  made  at  this  establiehment.  Many  of  these 
screw  pipes  are  iised  in  the  Southern  sugar  houses,  and  their  cheapness  and 
durability,  as  well  as  the  convenience  with  which  they  are  put  up,  especially 
recommend  them  for  that  purpose.  For  supplying  rail  road  stations,  distill- 
eries and  tan  yards  they  are  also  largely  used.  The  demand  for  this  article 
of  so  universal  use  is  of  course  very  great,  and  attracts  much  attention  to 
Louisville  manufacture.  This  foundry  also  manufactures  a  pnmp,  well 
known  to  be  the  best  forcing  and  lift  pump  in  existence.  Many  hundreds  of 
them  arc  annually  sold  in  New  Orleans,  and  their  reputation  and  sale  all 
over  the  South  is  of  the  very  first  character,  Tobacco  Screws  and  Presses  for 
Cotton,  Tobacco  and  Hay  as  well  as  machinery  generally,  are  also  made  here. 
Iron  Railing  in  another  large  branch  of  their  manufacture.  The  patterns 
for  this  railing  are  almost  endless  in  variety,  and  few  foundries  in  the 
country  can  offer  so  many  inducements  to  the  purchasers  of  all  sorts  of  or- 
namental Castings  as  this.  Their  latest  novelty  is  a  Morticing  machine, 
which  is  worthy  of  the  special  attention  of  mechanics.  This  establishment 
employ?  fifty  hand?,  and  is  the  only  one  of  the  kind  in  the  city. 


APPENDIX    TO 


©VILTY  W@^li 


8; 


BEATTY  &  HAWLEY, 

MANUFACTURERS    OF 

STEAM-MADE  COCKS  AND  FAUCETS 

AND 

North  side  Main  Street  between  Eighth  and  Ninth. 


This  factory,  which  has  been  but  recently  put  into  operation,  is  the  delib- 
erate result  of  several  years  consideration  and  study.  Messrs.  Beatty  and 
Hawley,  the  former  of  whom  has  been  long  and  well  known  in  Louisville  as 
a  sagacious  practical  manufacturer  and  man  of  business,  have  finally  com- 
pleted all  the  arrangements  which  are  necessary  to  the  establishment  of  this 
foundry  on  thoroughly  scientific  principles,  and  have  possessed  themselves  of 
all  the  advantages  to  be  derived  from  a  complete  study  of  the  business.  The 
concern  is  by  no  means  an  ordinary  brass  foundry.  The  "West  has  heretofore 
sadly  needed  an  establishment  of  this  kind,  those  already  in  operation  being 
incompetent  to  the  wants  of  the  people.  The  factory  is  now  thoroughly 
organized,  the  best  workmen  have  been  employed,  the  most  recent  and  useful 
tools  and  machinery  have  been  provided  and  everything  has  been  done  with 
reference  to  a  permanent  and  valuable  business.  Cylinder,  Pump,  Guage 
and  Oil  Cocks,  Oil  Cx^ps,  Fawcetts,  Couplings  and  all  like  requirements  of 
the  Steam  Engine  builder  are  made  here  and  warranted  fully  equal  to  any 
made  in  the  United  States.  The  same  may  be  said  with  reference  to  articles 
used  by  the  house  plummer.  Their  planing  machines,  lathes,  «fec.,  are  of 
the  very  best  quality,  and  their  machines  for  screw-cutting  ana  for  punching 
nuts  and  washers  are  also  very  perfect.  Bells,  Steam-Whistles,  and  in  fine 
every  variety  of  article  manufactured  from  brass  or  bell  metal  will  be  made 
at  this  foundry.  Babbet  metal  and  such  other  like  composiiions  as  are  use- 
ful to  the  raachihest  or  brass  founder  are  also  sold  at  this  establishment. 


HISTORY    OF   LOUISVILLE.  9 


19  19 


MANUFACTURERS    OF   ALL   KINDS    OF      ^ 

lEITM  Ai  AMHITKTIIML IBII IQM. 

Market  Street,  between  Eighth  and  Ninth. 


This  Foundry  directs  its  atteation  more  particularly  to  a  new  branch  of 
business,  in  whichlt  also  has  been  eminently  success! nl.     It  adds  yet  a  greater 
nnmber  to  the  already  large  variety  of  uses  to  which  iron  is  applied.     Mr. 
Snead  is  the  pioneer  of  this  business  in  Louisville,  and  his  is  the  only  estab- 
lishment in  the  West  where  ornamental  work  is  the  chief  business  of  the 
foundry.     It  is  well  known  that  Iron  can  be  applied  to  almost  all  work  of 
this  description,  and  furnished  at  less  price  than  any  other  kind  of  material. 
The  city  abounds  with  proofs  of  the  taste  displayed  by  this  gentleman  in  his 
manufacture.     His  efforts  have  been  constantly  directed  toward  attaining  the 
highest  degree  of  excellence,  both  in  design  and  execution,  and  he  is  con- 
stantly preparing  novelties  and  adapting  his  pliant  material  to  new  and  valu- 
able uses.     Amoug  the  latest  of  these  novelties  may  be  mentioned  a  cast-iron 
Pavement  for  the  sidewalk,    which  is  composed  of  nicely  fitting  plates  of 
Iron,  in  various  forms  of  mosaic  work,  ornamented  with  graceful  designs. 
This  pavement,  which  will  soon  be  exhibited,  will  doubtless  at  once  take  the 
place  of  the  present  destructible  and  uncomfortable  footways,  as  it  is  not  on- 
ly more  beautiful  but  far  more  durable.     Iron  counters  for  fancy  stores  form 
another  improvement  proceeding  from  this  foundry.     Cast  Girders  for  the 
builder  is  also  a  novel  article.     The  patterns  for  this  establishment,  already 
greater  than  would  readily  be  credited,  are  daily  augmented  by  additional 
designs  from  competent  and  tasteful  hands.     Store-fronts,  Porticos  for  church- 
es and  private  dwellings,  Corinthian,  Ionic,   Doric,  Composite  and  Gothic 
columns,  cast  Lintels  and  Sills  for  windows  and  doors.  Brackets  and  Trusses 
of  the  most  ornamental  designs.  Flue  Covers,  Chimney  Covers,  Vault  Gra- 
tings, Air  Grates,  Stair  Plates,  Bedsteads,  "Window  Frames  and  Sash,  Hat, 
Racks,  Caps  and  bases  for  columns  of  any  order,  and  numerous  other  like  ar- 
ticles, are  made  at  this  foundry.     Spittoons,  Grate-bars,  Hollow-ware,  Tea- 
Kettles,  (fee,  also  form  a  part  of  their  work.     The  continued  success  of  this 
foundry  i.-  a  proof  of  the  existence  of  a  high  order  of  taste  in  the  city. 

13 


10 


APPENDIX    TO 


LOUISVILLE 


D.  &  J.  WRIGHT  &  Co. 


MANUFACTURERS     OF 

COPPER,  TIN,   AND   SHEET  IRON  WARE. 

NO.  432  MAIN  STREET. 


This  immense  establisliment  was  organized  by  Messrs.  Bridgeford  &  Hoi 
brook  as  early  as  1837,  and  was  the  first  foundry  for  stoves  in  the  city.  The 
articles  manufactured  at  this  establishmenc,  are  well  known  as  bearing  a  high 
reputation  all  over  the  West.  The  gentlemen  who  compose  the  firm  are 
men  of  enterprise,  and  are  always  the  first  to  present  the  latest  novelties  in 
patterns  or  workmanship.  They  manufacture  a  large  part  of  the  sheet  iron 
steamboat  stoves  which  are  used  on  the  western  rivers,  and  have  a  deservedly 
great  name  among  steamboat  furnishers.  The  large  and  commodious  build- 
ing erected  by  them  as  a  foundry,  is  a  proof  of  the  prosperity  which  has  at- 
tended their  endeavors.  The  work  sent  from  this  establishment,  whether  of 
the  most  ordinary  kinds  or  of  the  finest  and  most  elegant  enamelled  ware, 
will  compare  very  favorably  with  that  of  any  other  establishment  m  the 
West.  Thev  consume  annually  in  their  foundry  about  twelve  hundred  tons 
of  iron,  and  employ  one  hundred  hands;  while  the  tin  and  copper  factory 
iises  and  vends  three  thousand  boxes  of  tin  plate,  and  from  S15,0(10  to 
$20,000  worth  of  sheet  copper,  wire,  block  tin,  sheet  zinc,  lead,  lead  pipe,  &c_ 
Two  thousand  bundles  of  sheet  and  rod  iron  aie  also  annually  employed 
The  establishment  is  one  which  reflects  great  credit  upon  its  proprietors,  and 
forms  an  important  part  of  Louisville  Manufactures. 


tJiSTORY    OF    LOUISVILLE,  il 


EAGLE  FOUNDEY. 


WaLL^^lj  L!jT^^@W  &  ^@« 


MANUFACTURERS    OF 


•  IS[(D1LL(DW  WAW&, 

COPPER,   TIN,  AND  SHEET  IHON   WORK. 

NO.  536  MAIN  STREET. 


This  foundry  may  be  regarded  as  having  been  the  first  to  introduce  into 
the  city  the  manufacture  of  the  present  extensive  and  complete  variety  of  the 
finer  sorts  of  stove  work.  The  principals  of  the  establishment,  themselves 
practical  workmen,  have  used  much  well-directed  exertion  to  produce  quite 
a  revolution  in  the  style  of  manufacture  of  the  articles  which  come  from 
their  foundry.  They  have  not  only  been  early  to  introduce  novelties  from 
abroad,  but  have  themselves  patented  many  valuable  articles.  Among  them 
the  Eclipse  Ransje,  a  cooking  stove  possessing  numerous  advantages  over  most 
of  those  now  known,  is  desei-ving  of  especial  mention.  This  range  is  in  very 
common  use  all  over  the  city,  and  is  highly  prized  wherever  it  is  known, 
They  are  also  manufacturers  of  a  great  variety  of  elegant  enamelled  grates 
garden  vases  and  ornamental  figures  for  gardens  and  yards.  These  latter  ar- 
ticles have  recently  been  introduced  by  these  gentlemen,  and  they  are  being 
rapidly  transferred  from  their  warehouses  to  the  many  beautiful  grounds  of 
our  wealthier  citizens. 

Their  foundry  and  buildings  cover  about  half  a  square  of  ground;  they 
employ  one  hundred  and  twelve  hands,  and  melt  daily  seven  tons  of  iron 
Their  importation  of  tin  plate  reaches  four  thousand  three  hundred  and  fifty 
boxes.  Copper,  zinc,  wire,  sheet  iron,  &c.,  are  also  used  in  immense  quan- 
tities. The  latest  novelty  of  this  establishment  is  Cliilson's  Air  Warming 
and  Ventilating  Furnace  for  public  and  private  buildings. 


12  APPENDIX    TU 


FALLS  CITY 


McDEHMOTT,  McGEAIN  &  Co., 

MANUFACTURERS  OF 

COPPER,  TIN  AND  SHEET  IRON  WARE, 

No.  73  Fourth  Street. 


This  foundry,  begun  by  Meadows  &  McGrain,  is  another  well  known  es- 
tablishment. The  castings  made  by  these  gentlemen  bear  an  equally  high 
reputation  with  those  already  noticed.  The  firm  has  since  its  commence- 
ment been  constantly  improving  in  the  quantity  of  its  manufactured  articles, 
and  has  added  many  valuable  improvements  to  the  stock  of  the  stove  founder. 
Among  these  may  be  noticed  three  new  styles  of  cooking  stove,  all  of  which 
have  attained  a  deserved  celebrity.  These  are  called  'The  Stooe.,''  'Du- 
rahle  Kentuckian,"  and  the  ''Queen  Fretnium."  The  fii-st  of  these  is  suit- 
ed to  the  wants  of  the  city,  Keing  economical  in  the  use  of  it^  fuel,  and  hav- 
ing attached  to  it  a  "summer  arrangement,"  which  does  away  with  the  ex- 
treme heat  of  the  ordinary  cooking  stove.  The  oven  is  also  so  arranged  that 
both  bread  and  meat  may  be  baked  at  the  same  time  without  imparting  the 
taste  of  the  one  to  the  other.  The  second  stove,  the  Kentuckian,  is  particu- 
liarly  adapted  to  the  wants  of  the  farmers,  being  large,  roomr,  and  of  un- 
usual weight  and  durability.  All  of  these  stoves  have  met  the  entire  appro- 
bation of  those  who  have  used  them.  Large  quantities  of  Hollow  Ware,  such 
as  pots,  kettles,  skillets,  ovens,  odd  lids,  &c.,  are  cast  at  this  foundry,  and 
sold  as  well  to  the  city  as  to  country  dealers.  The  common  stoves  made  at 
the  Falls  City  Foundry,  are  of  excellent  patterns  and  unusual  weight;  it  not 
bemg  the  custom  of  this  establishment  in  any  case  to  sacrifice  utility  to  or- 
nament. All  the  articles  usually  made  by  the  tinner  also  form  a  branch  of 
their  manufactory.  These  gentlemen  receive  large  quantities  of  job-work, 
which,  as  is  well  known,  they  execute  in  a  superior  manner. 


HISTORY    OF   LOUISVILLE.  13 


M@p>i  r@yiB«©i^Y« 


MANUFACTURER   OF 

ST©¥IS,  ©BATES,  HOii-OW  WAIE, 

TEA  KETTLES,  SAB  IRONS, 

ARCHITECTURAL  AND  OTHER  CASTINGS. 

Foundry,  Main  Street  between  Thirteenth  and  Fourteenth. 
Ware  House,  367  Main  Street, 


This  Foundry,  although  recently  established,  is  under  the  charge  of  a  gen- 
tleman who  is  well  known  as  having  been  long  connected  with  this  business 
in  the  city,  and  as  bearing  a  very  high  reputation  as  a  master-workman. 
The  details  of  this  business  differ  little  from  those  already  noticed.     The 
quality  of  the  work  which  proceeds  from  the  Hope  Foundry  is  surpassed  by 
none  in  any  part  of  the  country.     The  sole  difference  between  this  and  the 
stove  foundries,  already  noticed,  is  found  in  the  fact  that  great  attention  is 
here  paid  to  architectural  and  job-work.     Mr.  M's  skill  in  the  operations  of 
the  foundry,  and  his  constant  presence  and  attention  to  aU  his  work,  recom- 
mend this  establishnent,  in  the  highest  manner,  to  all  who  desire  to  get  up 
any  novelty  or  to  prepare  any  peculiar  work.     This  foundry  is  as  yet  in  its 
infancy,  having  been  organized  less  than  a  year  ago.    It  has  already  acquired 
an  excellent  business,  and  now  finds  ready  sale  for  all  the  articles  which  can 
be  produced.     It  is  entirely  safe  to  predict  for  it  a  speedy  rise  to  great  emi- 
nence.    The  factory  is  so  arranged  as  to  be  readily  extended  to  any  capacity 
which  may  be  desired,  and  the  constantly  increasing  demand  for  this  species 
of  manufacture  in  the  city,  and  its  dependancies,  will  doubtless  soon  bring 
about  this  increase.     It  will  be  seen  that  Louisville  is  abundantly  supplied 
with  Foundries,  and  that  the  extent  of  work  done  in  this  line  is  of  very  great 
importance  to  hei*  interests. 


14 


APPENDIX    TO 


MANUFACTURERS    OF 

ffMiis.  pyffs.  EimifiTiss,  ah  qsiiigs 

FOR  AGRICULTURAL  PURPOSES, 
Corner  Main  and  Hancock  Streets. 


This  is  the  largest  cstablishmeat  of  the  kiud  in  the  western  country,  and 
is  alike  a  credit  to  its  proprietors  and  an  honor  to  the  city.  The  machinery 
used  is  of  the  most  perfect  order,  and  the  concern  is  indebted  to  its  own  in- 
ventive powers  for  a  great  part  of  its  completeness.  The  proprietors  are  both 
practical  workmen,  and  they  give  their  constant  attention  to  all  the  details 
of  their  manufacture.  The  consequences  of  this  care  and  attention  are  shown 
in  the  widely  spread  reputation  of  their  manufactured  articles.  The  chief 
market  of  these  articles  is  found  in  the  southern  States  and  in  Texas.  It  is 
greatly  to  the  credit  of  this  factory  that  their  articles  are  so  readily  taken  up 
by  the  planters,  for  it  is  well  known  that  inferior  agricultural  machines  and 
implements  find  no  buyers  among  this  class  of  consumers.  In  Louisiana, 
Mississippi,  Arkansas  and  Tennessee,  the  machines  and  implements  of  this 
firm  are  universally  known,  and  possess  an  enviable  reputation.  Messrs.  H. 
&  C.  have  introduced  machinery  by  which  one  man  can  produce  as  many, 
iron  axles  in  a  day  as  can  usually  be  made  by  thirty  hands,  and  the  article 
so  made  is  far  more  perfect  than  the  old  and  tediously  constructed  one. 
They  have  also  a  small  and  ingenious  saw  of  their  own  invention,  for  cutting 
felloes,  and  for  sawing  crooked  lines,  which  for  rapidity  and  precision  cannot 
be  anywhere  surpassed.  They  also  manufacture  on  their  premises  every  ar- 
ticle and  every  part  of  every  article,  which  they  sell.  Plows,  wagons,  carts, 
timber  wheels,  harrows,  cultivators,  and  other  articles  are  made  entirely  on 
the  premises,  from  the  raw  material  in^o  the  perfect  and  finished  article. 
They  employ  thirty  hands,  and  produce  from  eighty  to  one  hundred  thousand 
dollars  worth  of  work  annually.  Beside  this  establishment  there  are  four 
other  plow  manufacturers,  and  twenty-one  other  wagon  makers. 


HISTORY    OF    LOUISVILLE. 


15 


BE.^J.  F.  AYERY, 


MANUFACTURER    OF 


AND 


Main  St.  bet  Floyd  &  Preston, 


It  is  a  proof  of  the  prosperity  of  a  city  when  manufactories  of  so  exclusive 
a  character  as  the  one  before  us  not  only  exist  but  are  handsomely  sustained. 
Some  five  years  ago  Messrs.  B.  F.  &  D.  H.  Avery  commenced  the  manufac- 
ture of  the  since  celebrated  Livingston  County  Plow.  It  was  with  difficulty 
that  the  prejudices  of  the  agricultural  community  in  favor  of  other  instru- 
ments were  overcome,  but  by  dint  of  industrious  exertion  the  plow  slowly 
gained  the  confidence  of  the  community  until  it  now  holds,  in  several  of  the 
Southern  and  Western  States,  the  very  first  rank  as  a  plow.  It  is  worthy  of 
notice,  as  a  proof  of  the  enterprise  of  this  firm,  that  each  year  since  it  was 
first  introduced  they  have  been  obliged  to  double  the  number  of  plows  made 
the  preceding  year.  A  few  months  since  Messrs.  B.  F.  &  D.  H.  Avery  dis- 
solved their  firm  and  Mr.  B.  F.  Avery  has  now  sole  charge  of  the  establish- 
ment. He  has  recently  made  some  valuable  improvements  upon  his  plow, 
which  will  make  its  utility  still  more  general.  The  new  plow  is  found  ex- 
eellent  for  after -cultivation,  and  in  connection  with  the  old  one  makes  his 
stock  of  plows  fully  adequate  to  every  variety  of  American  soil.  Mr.  B.  F. 
Avery  has  spent  some  twenty-five  years  in  this  species  of  manufacture,  and 
his  experience  is  alone  a  proof  of  the  value  of  his  invention.  His  business, 
though  already  very  large,  is  growing  rapidly  eveiy  year. 


16  APPENDIX    TO 


EDWARD  HOLBROOK, 

MANUFACTURER    OF 


CIG-AHB,    &c. 

No.  474  MAIN  STREET, 


This  extensive  tobacco  factory,  established  some  twelve  years  ago,  is  one  of 
the  most  important;.in  the  city.  It  \\as  commenced  at  a  time  when  Kentucky 
manufactured  tobacco  found  very  little  market  in  the  cities  of  the  United 
States,  but  has  grown  with  astonishing  rapidity  and  vigor.  Mr.  Holbrook 
is  an  old  dealer  in  tobacco,  and  has  acquired  great  sagacity  in  the  selection 
of  the  article  suited  to  the  various  departments  of  manufacture.  His  skill 
as  a  manufacturer  is  also  worthy  of  notice.  For  many  years  he  has  been  em- 
ployed in  testing  the  value  of  the  various  methods  of  producing  the  finest 
qualities  of  Chewing  Tobacco,  and  has  added  many  valuable  improvements  to 
the  ordinary  methods  of  manufacturing  the  article.  By  the  industry  and  en- 
terprise of  this  gentleman  and  his  fellow  tobacconists,  the  Louisville-made  ar- 
ticle has  driven  entirely  out  of  market  all  the  medium  and  lower  brands  of 
Virginia  tobacco,  and  readily  competes  with  even  the  higher  brands  of  this 
favorite  manufacture.  The  business  of  this  factory  is  extended  over  a  large 
surface  of  country.  From  the  Lakes  at  the  North  to  New  Orleans,  this  to- 
bacco is  not  only  rapidly  bought  up,  but  is  eagerly  inquired  for.  Barker  & 
Co.,  of  Detroit,  Mich.,  write  to  Mr.  H.:  "We  have  orders  daily,  which  we 
cannot  fill  for  want  of  your  tobacco."  Preston  &  Bros.,  of  Evansville, 
write:  "This  tobacco  gives  good  satisfaction."  Twitty  &  Smith,  of  New- 
Orleans,  say:  ""We  doubt  not,  speedy  satisfactory  sales  may  be  made  of  several 
hundred  boxes  by  1st  of  September."  Rawson,  "Wilby  &  Co.,  of  Cincinnati, 
under  date  of  June  7,  1852,  write:  ^'We  have  a  market  for  all  the  tobacco 
you  can  manufacture y  Hundreds  of  similar  letters  could  be  shown  from 
various  points.  These  however  will  be  sufficient  to  establish  the  character 
of  the  article. 


HI8T0KY    OF    LOUISVILLE.  17 


y)M[@M  r^©T@^T« 


MANUFACTURERS    OF 


CHEWING  TOBACCO, 

Sixth  Street,  near  Main. 


This  is  the  oldest  tobacco  factory  in  the  city,  and  was  the  first  which  man- 
aged successfully  to  introduce  this  article.  Previous  to  the  establishment  of 
this  factory,  all  descriptions  of  chewing  tobacco  were  brought  from  Virginia . 
Almost  any  other  manufacturers  would  have  sunk  under  the  distrust  and  ill- 
will  evinced  by  dealers  of  every  class  against  this  tobacco  in  the  earliest 
years  of  its  introduction.  It  was  difficult  at  first  to  persuade  the  dealers 
even  to  receive  the  article  on  commission — and  prodigious  efforts  were  then 
required  to  overcome  the  prejudice  against  western  made  tobacco.  The 
gentlemen  who  are  at  the  head  of  the  firm,  however,  fully  persuaded  of  the 
value  of  their  manufacture,  and  knowing  it  needed  only  to  be  known  to  be 
appreciated,  continued  their  exertions,  and  finally  succeeded  in  reaching  the 
market.  The  results  were  great  beyond  their  expectation.  In  1832,  the  first 
iron  tobacco  press  was  brought  by  them  to  this  city;  ten  years  have  elapsed, 
and  nearly  two  hundred  presses  are  now  in  full  operation.  The  Union  Fac- 
tory merited  and  has  received  its  full  share  of  the  benefit  of  this  increase. 
The  tobacco  made  by  them  competes  with  the  best  Virginia  article,  and  has 
completely  supplanted  all  the  inferior  qualities  of  that  tobacco.  The  city 
dealers  are  almost  entirely  supplied  by  this  factory,  and  hundreds  of  boxes 
are  daily  sent  abroad.  Their  tobacco  has  found  a  market  even  in  the  distant 
California.  Several  hundred  boxes  were  recently  shipped  to  that  point  by 
the  way  of  New  York.  A  great  revolution  has  been  effected  in  this  article 
by  these  gentlemen,  thousands  of  dollars  have  been  added  to  the  trade  of  the 
city,  and  an  entirely  new  market  has  been  created  by  them.  They  have  not 
oiily  richly  merited  the  success  which  has  awaited  them,  but  they  also  deserve 
much  at  the  hands  of  the  friends  of  the  city  for  their  sagacity  and  enterpriso 
in  this  regard. 


18 


APPENDIX   TO 


J",    r".    33  JUL 


MANUFACTURER    OF 


iffii  ^  ^\W  sn^     ^1 


wsmmimm  Wii&iiii 


m^m 


AND 


'i::^  la^  o^  ^^ 

Main  Street,   between  Second  and  Third. 


Tills  is  an  old  and  well  established  firm,  and  one  of  those  which  have  risen  to 
eminence  from  small  beginnings.  The  manufacture  of  cigars,  Mr.  Bast 
shares  in  common  with  some  hundreds  of  others,  though  his  establishment  is 
by  far  the  largest  in  the  city,  but  in  the  making  of  snuff  he  is  without  a  rival. 
The  attention  of  this  factory  is  principally  dii-ected  to  the  manufacture  of  the 
finer  quality  of  cigars,  though  many  common  cigars  are  made  here.  Mr.  B. 
is  himself  an  accomplished  workman,  and  his  articles  may  be  entirely  depend- 
ed upoa.  There  aie  about  three  millions  of  cigars  made  and  sold  here  annu- 
ally. The  smoking  tobacco  from  this  factory  is  eagerly  sought  for  wherever 
it  is  known;  its  superior  qualit\  and  cheapness  making  a  ready  market  for  it 
wherever  introduced.  Mr.  B.'s  manufacture  of  snuff  also  forms  a  larse 
branch  of  this  business.  The  peculiar  quality  of  this  article  consists  in  its  en- 
tire adaptation  to  every  climate,  and  its  capacity  for  withstanding  the  in- 
fluences of  time.  It  may  be  transported  everywhere,  and  kept  for  any  length 
of  time  without  receiving  injury,  j\Ir.  B.'s  sales  at  wholesale  are  not  con- 
fined merely  to  the  usual  country  trade;  many  of  his  articles  find  their  way 
in  large  quantities  to  the  great  cities,  and  many  of  his  brands  receive  distin- 
guished preference  in  these  places.  Beside  his  own  manufactured  articles 
Mr.  B.  imports  choice  pipes,  snuif  boxes,  cigar  cases,  and  similar  fancy  ar- 
ticles. As  a  retailer,  his  store  is  celebrated  as  the  resort  of  all  the  counois. 
seurs  in  smoking,  snuffing,  and  their  various  equipments. 


HISTORY    OF    LOUISVILLE.  19 


CHRISTOPHER  &  STANCLIFF, 


MANUFACTUREKS   OF 


iiiLioiecig 


AND    OF 


SASH,  BLINDS,  DOORS,  &C. 


CORNER  OF  EIGHTH  AND  GREEN. 


This  factory  was  organized  three  years  ago  on  a  very  extensive  scale,  with 
a  view  to  supplying  the  demand  for  Sashes,  Doors,  and  other  like  articles 
for  the  builder  or  the  house  carpenter.  Since  its  commencement,  however, 
it  has  constantly  increased  both  in  the  amount  and  variety  of  work,  until  it  has 
come  to  be  one  of  the  largest  establishments  in  the  city.  Enormous  build- 
ings have  been  put  up  at  great  expense,  new  machinery  of  various  kinds  has 
been  added  to  the  original  supply,  experienced  workmen  have  been  brought 
from  the  older  cities,  and  everything  has  been  effected  which  could  con- 
tribute to  place  the  concern  on  an  equality  in  point  of  car)acity  with  any 
similar  establishment  in  the  country.  The  manufacture  of  railroad  cars  is 
a  new  department  of  the  business;  created  by  the  growing  necessity  for  pro- 
curing such  work  at  home.  The  cars  made  by  these  gentlemen  have  all  the 
new  improvements  known  to  the  car  builder,  and  are  beautiful  specimens  of 
handicraft.  In  this  immense  factory,  the  painter,  the  turner,  the  black- 
smith, the  cabinetmaker,  the  car  builder,  the  upholsterer,  and  the  carpenter, 
all  find  employment  at  ^heir  various  trades.  All  the  screws,  nuts,  &c.,  used 
in  the  factory,  are  made  on  the  premises  by  machinery.  The  gentlemen  who 
compose  the  firm,  are  entirely  competent  to  the  management  cf  their  diver- 
sified business,  and  great  credit  is  due  them  for  the  promptness  and  excel- 
lence with  which  they  execute  all  descriptions  of  their  work. 


20 


APPENDIX  TO 


^. 


im   ^^ 


m 


MANUFACTURERS  OF 


5©li.  IMHIS.  %A§ 


AND 


No.  622  MAIN  STREET. 


This  large  and  well  organized  mill  is  well  known  to  western  builders.  It 
is  one  of  those  conveniences  which  are  fonnd  only  in  large  cities,  where  the 
buHder  can  find  ready  made  to  his  hand  all  that  is  necessary  for  the  interior 
and  exterior  wood  work  of  his  house.  Boards  are  taken  from  the  lum- 
ber yard,  and  by  machinery  planed  and  moulded  into  all  the  forms  necessary 
for  the  house  carpenter,  thus  saving  all  the  tedious  hand  labor,  and  reducing 
the  enormous  expense  which  has  attended  the  building  of  houses.  The  major- 
ity of  planing  mills  have  never  attempted  more  than  the  preparation  of  work  for 
cheap  house-;  but  this  establishment  before  us  has  specimens  of  its  manufac- 
ture in  some  of  the  finest  residences  in  and  about  the  city.  The  proprietors 
of  this  mill  are  devoting  much  attention  to  the  finer  departments  of  work,  and 
their  success  is  at  once  complete  and  merited.  The  feeling  which  once  ex- 
isted against  the  work  of  the  planing  mill,  is  rapidly  disappearing  before  the 
exertions  of  these  gentlemen;  they  have  supplied  such  large  quantities  C£ 
work  of  all  sorts,  and  have  so  entirely  the  confidence  of  the  community, thtt 
their  work  is  eagerly  sought  after,  and  they  are  constantly  full  of  orders^ 
They  employ  about  seveniy-five  hands,  and  have  machines,  which  plane 
about  twenty-three  thousand  feet  of  lumber  per  day.  They  also  manufacture 
large  quantities  of  Packing] Boxes,  which  they  furnish  to  the  stoi-es  at  smal^ 
prices.  This  department  of  their  business  is  of  itself  of  considerable  extent. 
Lumber  in  the  rough  is  also  sold  in  large  quantities. 


HISTORY   OF    LOUISVILLE. 


n 


BEN.  F.  CAWTHON, 


MANUFACTURER   OF 


AT 


H  O 

Comer  of  Ninth  and  Jefferson. 


This  establishment  is  among  the  largest  factories  of  its  class  in  the  western 
country.    Although  but  a  short  time  bas  elapsed  since  the  manufacture  of 
furniture  by  machinery  was  adopted  in  this  part  of  the  country,  this  factory 
has  come  to  supply  the  wants  of  a  great  part  of  the  West.     In  factories  of 
this  sort  the  manufacture  of  the  most  elegant  classes  of  furniture  is  not  at- 
tempted; attention  being  directed  only  to  the  staples  of  the  trade,  in  the  pro- 
duction of  which  machinery  can  be  used  to  advantage.     This  machinery  beau- 
tiful in  its  adaptation,  and  perfect  in  its  application,  is  well  worthy  of  notice. 
There  are  comparatively  few  of  the  operations  of  this  establishment  to  which 
the  machinery  does  not  apply.     All  the  separate  parts  of  each  piece  of  fur- 
niture are  got  out  by  machinery  and  cleaned  up,  veneered,  and  put  together 
by  hand  workmen.     Mr.  C.  thoroughly  comprehends  the  business  which 
he  pursues,  and  has  entirely  the  confidence  of  those  with  whom  he  has  com- 
mercial relations.     Large  quantities  of  lumber  are  kept  upon  the  premises, 
so  that  all  the  wood  used  in  manufacture,  is  thoroughly  seasoned;  the  work- 
men employed  in  the  factoi-y  are  mechanics  of  the  best  order,  and  the  estab- 
lishment has  a  high  reputation  for  honesty  and  fair  dealing,  not  only  in  the 
quality  of  work  but  in  the  equality  of  prices.     Mr.  C.  has  a  regular  printed 
price  current  by  which  he  is  governed,  and  according  to  which  all  dealers 
are  equally  served.     His  trade  extends  over  a  great  part  of  the  West  and 
South,  enibraciug  the  States  ol  Kentucky,  Indiana,  Tennessee,  Alabama, 
Mississippi;  Louisiana,  Arkansas  and  Missouri.     As  will  readily  be  seen,  a 
manufactory  of  this  kind,  so  useful  in  its  interests,  and  so  large  in  its  extent, 
is  of  great  importance  to  the  city;  bringing,  as  it  does,  large  amounts  of 
money  from  other  and  distant  points,  and  disbursing  them  at  home;  as  well 
as  offering  inducements  to  the  immigration  hither,  (which  are  and  have  been 
eagerly  embraced.)  of  a  valuable  class  of  citizens. 


22 


APPENDIX  lO 


MANUFACTURER  OF  ALL  KINDS  OF 


533  Main  Street,  between  2nd  &  3rd. 


The  manufacture  of  furniture  in  large  quantities  and  with  the  aid  of  ma- 
chinery has  but  lately  been  introduced  into  the  western  country,  and  how- 
ever it  may  have  reduced  the  prices  or  extended  the  sale  of  the  articles  so 
manufactured,  it  has  by  no  means  destroyed  or  even  interfered  with  the  sale 
of  articles  manufactured  by  hand.  Of  the  finer  class  of  furniture,  of  all 
those  articles  which  are  used  merely  as  luxuries,  as  well  as  of  such  as  are  re- 
quired to  stand  the  test  of  severe  use,  those  manufactured  by  hand  are  yet 
preferred;  and  the  growing  desire  in  the  West  for  the  best  articles  of  fur- 
niture has  rendered  the  class  of  manufactures  under  consideration  of  great 
value  and  importance.  Louisville  contains  a  very  large  number  of  establish- 
ments for  the  manufacture  of  fine  as  well  as  of  durable  and  substantial  com- 
mon furniture.  The  largest  of  these  and  the  one  best  calculated  to  display 
this  branch  of  business  is  the  well-known  establishment  of  John  M.  Stokes, 
now  in  the  22d  year  of  its  existence.  There  is  scarcely  a  finely  furnished 
parlor  in  Louisville  or  its  vicinity,  scarcely  an  elegant  steamer  in  the  south- 
ern trade,  that  does  not  show  the  capacity  of  this  firm  to  rival  any  similar 
establishment  in  the  country.  And  while  in  some  other  branches  of  manu- 
facture, Louisville  may  be  exceeded  by  other  western  cities,  it  is  only  fair  to 
say,  that  a  visit  to  the  immense  establishment  of  Mr.  Stokes  will  readily  con- 
vince any  one  that  in  this  department  of  trade,  Louisville  cannot  be  exceeded 
either  in  quality  of  work  or  in  its  price.  Mr.  S.  has  now  in  process  of  erec- 
tion a  large  four  story  building,  where  he  purposes  to  add  very  considerably 
to  his  already  large  manufacture. 


HISTOliY    OF    LOUISVILLE. 


23 


ISAAC  OSOMIE, 


MANUFACTURER    OF 


PiiiTiiePiP 


Mill,  Main  Street  between  Tenth  and  Eleventh, 

Store,  No.  477  Main  St. 


This  is  the  largest  Paper  Mill  iu  the  Western  country,  and  fully  equal  in 
point  of  capacity  and  advantages  with  any  in  the  Union.  It  was  established 
in  1846,  and  passed  into  the  hands  of  its  present  proprietor  in  1848.  The 
mill  is  furnished  with  every  desirable  improvement  in  the  machinery  used 
for  paper  making;  the  building  is  very  commodious  and  well  arranged,  and 
is  under  the  immediate  supervision  of  Mr.  Kellogg,  a  gentleman  in  every  way 
qualified  for  his  office.  It  is  inconstant  operation,  night  and  day,  being 
lighted  up  by  gas,  which  is  also  manufactured  on  the  premises.  This  mill 
has  advantages  over  most  western  mills  in  the  fact  that  an  abundant  supply 
of  rags  is  furnished  in  this  market,  that  it  is  situated  in  a  fine  hemp  growing 
region,  where  this  article  can  readily  be  procured,  bleached  and  reduced  to 
the  finest  texture  for  streogthening  paper;  that  this  is  an  admirable  location 
for  making  shipments  of  the  manufactured  article,  and  that  the  most  exce'- 
lent  water  is  brought  from  wells  on  the  premises  in  any  quantity  which  may 
be  desired.  A  very  large  amount  of  capital  is  invested  in  this  establishment, 
and  no  expense  has  been  spared  in  effecting  every  improvement  known  to 
the  paper  maker,  and  the  results  of  this  outlay  of  capital,  and  of  the  sagacity 
and  enterprise  of  its  proprietor  are  now  evident.  Not  only  does  this  paper 
find  a  ready  market,  but  orders  have  so  multiplied  upon  the  factory  that, 
even  with  the  immense  product,  they  have  been  unable  until  lately  to  com- 
plete  their  contracts  for  delivery.  The  stack  for  the  furnace  of  this  mill  is 
140  feet  high,  and  can  be  seen  from  all  the  avenues  of  approach  to  the  city. 


u 


ArrENDIX    TO 


WHOLESALE  AND  RETAIL  DEALERS 


I  N 


STRAW  GOODS,  FURS,  &C. 


485  Main  Street. 


But  a  few  years  have  elapsed  since  all  the  hats  sold  in  this  market  were 
the  produce  of  eastern  factories;  and  this  department  was  not  considered  of 
sufficient  value  to  be  detached  from  oiher  branches  of  trade.  In  latter  years 
however,  it  has  reached  a  position  which  makes  it  equal  in  importance  to 
most  other  branches.  Western  merchants  are  fully  aware  of  the  value  of 
Louisville  as  a  market  for  hats,  and  even  where  many  other  articles  are  pur- 
chased elsewhere,  this  market  is  always  selected  and  preferred  by  the  buyer 
for  his  bill  of  hats. 

Few  firms  have  as  rapidly  grown  into  the  favor  and  confidence  of  the  com- 
munitv  as  the  one  referred  to  above.  They  possess  an  enviable  reputation 
throughout  the  South  and  West,  both  as  elegant  manufacturers,  and  as 
prompt  and  efficient  men  of  business.  Neither  Beebe  of  New  York,  nor 
Rousto  of  Paris,  are  better  known  or  more  prized  as  hatters  by  the  residents 
in  the  valley  of  the  Mississippi.  This  is  proven  in  the  fact  that  their  sales 
at  wholesale  reach  the  amount  of  one  hundred  thousand  dollars,  while  their 
retail  trade  adds  to  this  the  sum  of  fifty  thousand  dollars  more.  Their  man- 
ufacture is  chiefly  confined  to  the  finest  quality  of  hats.  They  employ  from 
twenty-five  to  thirty  hands. 

This  house  also  deals  largely  in  furs,  their  purchases  in  this  article  amount 
to  about  thirtvfive  thousand  dollars  annually.  Their  market  for  these  fui's 
is  found  m  London  and  Leinsie. 


HISTORY    OF    LOUISVILLE. 


25 


POLLARD,  FEATHER  &  SMITH, 


LATELY    P.  S.  BARBER   &    CO. 


MANUFACTURERS     AND     DEALERS     IN 


3xr 


g^l^W   et®Dii 


i 


No.  455  MAIN  STREET. 


This  establishment,  the  oldest  in  the  city,  also  commands  a  very  prominent 
position^n  the  western  country.  "What  has  before  been  said  with  reference 
to  the  hat  business,  applies  equally  well  to  this  establishment.  The  energy 
and  promptness  of  this  firm  as  manufacturers,  the  extended  character  of  their 
business  relations,  and  the  high  position  which  they  occupy  at  home  as  well 
as  abroad,  have  not  only  insured  their  own  prosperity  beyond  any  usual  con- 
tingency but  have  added  to  the  fame,  the  business  and  the  resources  of  the  city 

Some  idea  may  be  formed  of  the  increase  in  this  department  of  business, 
when  it  is  asserted  that  the  sales  of  this  house  alone  now  reaches  an  amount 
greatly  beyond  what  five  years  ago  were  the  entire  sales  of  the  city.  Hats 
made  in  Louisville  always  find  the  preference  with  western  and  southern 
purchasers  over  those  made  elsewhere.  Not  only  are  the  qualities  greatly 
superior,  but  the  styles  are  far  preferable;  and  for  a  similar  class  of  goods, 
the  prices  are  equally  as  low  as  those  of  any  other  market.  In  these  re- 
marks, reference  is  of  course  had  to  the  best  quality  of  hats.  Tnere  is  no 
department  of  trade  which  has  increased,  and  siill  promises  to  increase  more 
rapidly  than  this. 

The  purchase  and  export  of  furs  and  peltries  is  also  extensively  carried  on 
by  this  house. 

The  two  examples  of  this  business  given  in  this  volume  will  bear  favorable 
comparison  with  any  other  hat  houses  in  the  West;  if  indeed  they  do  not  sur- 
pass all  their  compeers. 


26 


APPENDIX   TO 


NEEDHAM' 


AND 


Jefferson  St.  between  3rd  &  4th,  North  Side. 


This  establishment  has  been  in  permanent  aad  successful  operation  for  the 
last  seventeen  years,  and  iS;  we  believe,  the  oldest  one  of  the  kind  in  the 
city.  The  greater  portion  of  the  marble  used;  is  imported  directly  from 
Italy  in  the  block,  via  New  Orleans.  The  foreign  and  domestic  marble  bu- 
siness has  been  a  rapidly  increasing  one  from  the  period  of  its  first  introduc- 
tion, and  our  workmen  have  readily  availed  themselves  of  all  the  improved 
manufacturing  processes.  They  are  therefore  prepared  to  furnish  all  articles 
in  their  line  at  as  low  a  price,  as  the  same  articles  can  be  furnished  at  any 
point  in  the  West.  Fine  articles  of  manufactured  marble  are  now  cheaper 
in  the  city  of  Louisville  than  in  the  city  of  London. 

At  Needham's  Marble  Warerooms  may  be  found  a  well  arranged  stock  of 
marble  Mantles,  varying  in  price  from  twenty-five  to  one  hundred  and  fifty 
dollars.  They  are  made  of  Italian,  Egyptian,  Irish,  and  the  Sienna  marbles. 
He  also  makes  to  order  the  various  descriptions  of  furniture  marble  work. 

In  the  department  of  monuments,  tombs,  tablets,  and  general  cemetery 
work,  his  stock  aud  designs  are  said  to  be  the  largest  in  the  West.  All  work 
sent  from  the  city  is  carefully  packed,  and  warranted  free  from  breakage. 
The  aim  and  object  of  the  proprietor  is  to  establish  a  permanent  business  by 
doing  good  work  at  moderate  prices . 


HISTOET   OF  LOUISVILLE. 


27 


mm  wEmmEmm 


i 


MANUFACTUKER    OF 


Aud  all  articles  appertaining^  to  the  business  of  the 

UPHOLSTEEEK, 

Wall   Street,  four   doors  below  Main. 


In  Louisville,  the  business  of  upholsterer  is  one  of  great  importance.  The 
large  number  of  steamboats  which  are  built  and  furnished  at  this  point  gives 
a  great  deal  of  work  in  this  department  of  manufacture.  The  reputation  of 
this  city  as  an  admirable  place  for  procuring  articles  of  this  description  has 
attracted  much  trade  from  other  points.  The  factory  of  Mr.  Wilkins,  now 
in  the  twelfth  year  of  its  existence,  is  one  of  the  best  and  most  favorably 
known  in  LouisvUle  and  in  the  "West.  It  is  perhaps  more  in  this  than  in  any 
other  department  of  manufacture  that  the  purchaser  is  compelled  to  depend 
on  the  honesty  as  well  as  the  taste  and  judgment  of  the  workman.  The  re- 
putation of  this  factory  is  a  sure  guarantee  for  the  first  of  these  qualities,  and 
the  many  specimens  of  work  to  be  seen  all  over  the  city  and  in  most  of  our 
steamboats,  will  readily  establish  the  other.  A  very  large  trade  has  been 
built  up  for  this  concern  by  the  fidelity  and  carefulness  of  its  proprietor. 
The  whole  interior  fitting  of  steamboats  and  houses  is  nndertaken  here, 
Beds,  carpets  and  curtains  of  all  descriptions  and  qualities  are  made  and  fit- 
ted up  in  a  style  of  superior  excellence.  The  spring-mattrasses  made  at  this 
factory  have  a  wide  spread  and  deservedly  great  reputation.  Some  of  those 
mattrasses  have  not  only  been  used  during  the  life  of  one  boat,  but  have  been 
removed  from  one  steamer  to  its  successor  several  times.  The  use  of  spring 
mattrasses  on  steamers  is  probably  the  severest  test  to  which  they  can  be 
subjected. 


28 


APPENDIX    TO 


METCALFE'S  BEEWEEY. 


^iWi^if  1  ®  ^i^iPiiii 


MANUFACTURERS    OF 


^Ll 


'l 


1^  P^ETl^j 


AND 


i^T       (S'^ 


Market  Street,  between  Sixth  and  Seventh. 


This  brewery,  organized  in  1832,  is  the  oldest  in  the  city,  and  is  equal  in 
point  of  size  and  capacity  to  any  in  the  West.  The  long  practice  in  this 
manufacture  which  the  senior  partner  of  this  firm  has  had,  and  the  well- 
known  reputation  of  the  establishment  are  sufficient  proofs  of  the  quality  of 
articles  manufactured  here.  Situated  in  the  centre  of  a  splendid  grain  mar- 
ket, with  water  equal  to  any  in  the  world,  and  with  thoroughly  practiced  and 
competent  workmen,  the  Louisville  Ales,  Beer,  Brown-Stout,  &c.,  cannot  be 
anywhere  surpassed.  The  Brown-Stout  from  Metcalfe's  Brewery  is  fully 
equal  in  every  respect  to  the  London  article;  and  the  experiment  of  placing 
it,  iu  Byass'  bottles,  before  the  best  connoisseurs  has  been  frequently  attempt- 
ed, and  always  with  success.  It  has,  however,  a  reputation  of  its  own  and 
does  not  therefore  need  a  foreign  stamp  to  make  it  currently  received.  Be- 
side furnishing  the  interior  of  most  of  the  western  States,  Messrs.  M.  &  G. 
find  a  very  extended  and  ready  market  for  articles  of  their  manufacture  in 
the  larger  cities.  Memphis  and  St.  Louis  receive  and  sell  large  quantities  of 
these  articles,  and  scarcelv  a  boat  leaves  for  the  Tennessee  or  Cumberland 
rivers  without  having  among  her  freight  more  or  less  of  the  products  of  this 
brewery.  Cards  announcing  the  presence  of  these  articles  for  sale  are  every 
where  showm  out  as  inducements  to  the  lovers  of  these  delightful  beverages. 
In  Louisville   the  brewings  of  Messrs.  M.  &  G.  are  highly  valued  by  all. 


HISTORY    OF    LOUISVILLE- 


CLAEK  BEADLE Y, 


•29 


MANUFACTURER    OF 


Main  Street,  between  Brook  and  First. 


The  manufacture  of  carriages  is  not  carried  on  as  extensively  by  any  single 
firm  in  the  West  as  in  the  East.  The  business  is  however  one,  embracing  a 
large  amount  of  capital,  but  the  number  of  manufactories  preveuts  any  single 
house  from  doing  a  very  large  amount  of  work.  Carriage  building  in  Louis- 
ville has,  however,  recently  partaken  of  the  impulse  which  has  been  given  to 
every  department  of  manufactures.  There  are  fully  three  times  as  many 
carriages  built  in  Louisville  now,  as  there  were  three  years  ago.  The  smaller 
establishments  in  the  interior  places  have  been  obliged  to  resign  to  the  superior 
quality  and  price  of  Louisville  work.  There  is  no  city  in  the  Union  where 
there  are  so  many  private  vehicles  used,  in  proportion  to  the  population,  as  in 
Louisville.  This  fact  ha§  led  to  the  endeavor  on  the  pait  of  carriage  makers 
here  to  compete  with  foreign  workmen.  And  with  the  single  exception  of 
heavy  carriages,  Louisville  builders  are  at  any  time  ready  to  furnish  carriages 
at  the  same  price  as  they  can  be  had  in  the  East. 

Mr.  Bradley's  establishment  will  afford  a  very  fair  example  of  this  busi- 
ness. It  is  one  of  the  oldest  in  the  city,  and  has  a  fine  reputation.  The 
quality  of  work  manufactured  here  cannot  be  surpassed,  and  Mr,  B.'s 
thorough  knowledge,  long  experience,  and  personal  attention  to  his  business, 
have  done  credit  to  him,  and  tended  to  advance  the  interests  of  this  business 
in  the  city.  His  sales  extend  to  Kentucky,  Tennessee,  North  Alabama,  Ar- 
kansas, and  even  to  Mississippi  and  Louisiana.  Fully  one  third  of  the  sales 
of  this  factory  are  made  out  of  the  State.  Mr.  Bradley  employs  about  twenty 
hands,  who  receive  about  ten  thousand  dollars  annually.  His  sales  amount 
to  about  thirty  thousand  dollars.  The  value  of  this  as  a  market  for  this 
species  of  manufacture,  is  fast  beginning  to  be  felt:  and  it  cannot  be  doubted 
that  it  will  become  ere  long  the  very  best  market  of  the  country. 


30 


APPENDIX  TO 


MANUFACTUERS  OF 


D  ia  ik3./ 


©^l^lia@li,  t@e^^W^Y! 


^D 


^XJCSrCSrXESS,    cfcC^. 


No.  650  Main  Street. 


This  mauiifactorv,  though  not  so  old  as  many  of  our  carriage  shops,  is  still 
one  deserving  especial  notice.  The  proprietors  are  themselves  constantly 
employed  in  the  details  of  their  work,  and  the  result  of  their  knowledge,  at- 
tention and  experience  is  plainly  observable  in  the  work  which  proceeds  from 
their  establishment.  They  possess  the  entire  confidence  of  the  community, 
and,  for  the  short  time  they  have  been  employed  in  their  business,  have  been 
in  every  way  very  successful  workmen.  Although  the  greater  part  of  their 
sales  are  made  in  and  around  the  city,  they  yet  send  theu*  carriages  over  a 
large  part  of  the  southern  and  soutt-western  States.  It  is  idle  for  western 
aud  southern  buyers  any  longer  to  indulge  the  foolish  opinion,  that  better, 
more  durable,  or  more  elegant  carriages  can  be  bought  in  the  eastern  mar- 
kets, than  can  be  had  at  home.  Such  an  opinion  was  held  until  recently  in 
regard  to  fine  furniture,  but  that  has  disappeared  under  the  earnest  endeavor 
of  Louisville  manufacturei's,  and  it  is  time  for  western  purchasers  to  learn  to 
depend  on  their  own  workmen  for  supplies  of  every  sort.  Messrs.  B.  <fc  R. 
have  now  in  their  establishment  carriages  of  all  sorts  which  will  favorably 
compare  in  point  of  elegance  with  those  made  in  any  part  of  the  Union,  and 
will  far  exceed  any  others  in  point  of  durability.  This  ma+ter  is  one  deserv- 
ing the  attention  of  carriage  buyers,  and  if  they  can  only  be  persuaded  to 
make  a  trial  of  Louisville  work,  the  fame  of  the  city  in  this  regard  will  bo 
casilv  established. 


HISTORY    OF    LOUISVILLE. 


31 


1 


liffl  a 


JOMI 


MANUFACTURER    OF  THE 


iriLUJlIB 


irmicir 


OF 


SARSAPARILLA. 


Office  on  5th  Street,  below  Main. 


Dr.  John  Ball  has  used  in  the  manufacture  of  his  Sarsaparilla  within  the 
last  year  3,648  gross  of  hottles,  27,744  packing  boxes  at  a  cost  of  $6,885  50, 
and  affords  constant  employment  to  about  55  hands.  Amount  of  sales  for 
the  year  ending  this  date,  §255,700  90.  Dr.  Bull  commenced  the  manu- 
facture of  this  article  exclusively  about  five  years  since,  and  the  full  amount 
of  sales  at  that  time  was  about  $5,500,  which  amount  was  entirely  consumed 
in  advertising  and  printing  of  various  kinds.  The  second  year  sales  about 
$38,600.  Third  year,  $89,200  50.  Fourth  year,  $157,030  70.  Fifth 
year,  $255,700  90,  as  per  al)ove  statement.  The  demand  for  his  Sarsaparilla 
is  greater  now  than  it  has  been  at  any  time  previously,  and  its  reputation  is 
becoming  more  extended.  He  has  received  large  orders  from  California, 
New  Mexico,  and  the  island  of  Cuba.  Wherever  it  has  been  tried,  the  sales 
of  it  have  increased,  which  is  a  sufficient  guarrantee  ts  efficacy  and 
standing  in  all  places  where  it  has  been  introduced. 


32 


APPENDIX    TO 


THOMAS  WILLIAMS  &  Co. 


AND 


No.  462  MARKET  STREET. 


This  establisliment  is  the  only  one  of  the  kind  in  the  citv,  and  since  its 
commeucement  a  little  more  than  a  year  ago,  it  has  rapidly  grown  into  favor. 
Pew  persons  are  perhaps  aware  of  the  fact  that  all  those  minor  elet,ancies  and 
luxuries  which  follow  the  establishment  of  water  works  in  a  city  can  be  pro- 
cured and  pnt  in  operation  by  this  firm  as  readily  and  completely,  as  in  cities 
ever  so  abundantly  supplied  with  water.  Water  closets,  bath  houses,  wash 
basins,  pumps,  boilers,  and  all  the  appurtenances  of  an  elegant  mansion  are 
here  manufactured  and  furnished  in  complete  order-  Most  of  the  residences 
built  since  the  existence  of  this  firm,  have  taken  advantage  of  these  furnish- 
ings, and  many  of  the  older  dwellings  have  added  a  part  at  least  of  these 
conveniences.  These  gentlemen  also  import  a  great  variety  of  gas  fixtures 
of  all  descriptions,  as  well  as  wrought  iron  welded  tubes  for  steam,  gas  and 
water,  which  they  put  up  in  a  superior  style.  They  also  manufacture  brass 
work  of  all  the  lighter  descriptions.  The  Beer-Pumps  which  are  seen  upon 
the  counters  of  our  coffee  houses,  are  also  from  this  factory.  These  pumps 
arc  of  a  very  superior  quality,  and  are  exported  from  the  city  in  large  quan- 
tities. Steamboat  plumber's  work  also  forms  an  important  part  of  this  busi- 
ness. The  well-known  steamer  Eclipse  was  furnished  from  this  establish- 
ment. All  the  v\'ork  done  by  this  firm  is  of  the  very  best  quality.  These 
gentlemen  are  thorough  and  accomplished  workmen,  and  attend  in  person  to 
the  details  of  their  business.  There  are  few  plumbing  establishments  in  this 
country  with  which  this  will  not  bear  favorable  comparison. 


HISTORY    OF    LOUISVILLE. 


aa 


^iiPia  811?Sil» 


No.  44  Third  Street. 


Lithographic  printing  is  a  very  important  branch  of  the  Art,  dnd  one  in 
which  excellence  is  rarely  attained.  It  is  applicable  to  a  very  great  variety 
of  work,  and  hence  is  worthy  of  much,  consideration.  Few  persons  are  pro- 
bably aware  of  the  utility  of  the  art  referred  to.  Maps,  landscapes,  cards, 
bill  heads,  labels,  drawings  for  the  Patent  Office,  anatomical  plates,  and  in 
fine  all  the  work  of  the  ordinary  printer  as  well  as  of  the  draftsman  and  of 
the  engraver,  can  be  executed  by  the  lithographer.  To  do  all  these  things 
well,  an  office  requires  to  be  thoroughly  organized,  to  possess  artists  of  abili- 
ty, and  to  be  in  the  hands  of  men  of  artistic  taste  as  well  as  of  business  ca 
pacity.  In  all  these  respects,  the  office  of  Messrs.  Milne  &  Bruder  is  complete:^ 
In  all  those  classes  of  work  which  come  within  their  province,  these  gentle- 
men enjoy  a  high  reputation.  Prompt  and  efficient  in  their  business  rela- 
tions, tasteful  and  artistic  in  the  execution  of  the  work  entrusted  to  them, - 
they  are  enabled  to  command  a  large  amount  of  patronage,  not  only  in  Louis- 
ville, but  all  over  the  West  and  South.  The  new  map  of  Kentucky  lately 
issued  from  their  press,  is  of  itself  a  sufficient  guarantee  for  the  character  of 
the  work  executed  at  this  establishment.  This  map  is  the  best  ever  publish- 
ed, and  its  authenticity  is  in  no  whit  inferior  to  its  mere  artistic  excellence. 
It  is  steadily  growing  into  public  favor,  and  is  deservedly  appreciated  wher- 
ever it  is  known.  There  is  no  lithographic  establishment  in  the  West,  which 
can  and  does  execute  a  greater  variety  or  a  better  quality  of  work  than  that 
nnder  consideration. 

14 


84 


APPENDIX    Tu 


m^  Wm  mmMMM^  %  m 


PUBLISHERS    OF 


m 


1 


AND  DEALERS  IN  EVERY  DESCRIPTION  OF 

MUSISAi  INS  iBUIilWTS^ 
JONAS  CHICKEEING^S 

No.  117  Fourth  Street,  Mozart  Hall. 


But  little  more  than  a  year  has  elapsed  since  the  publication  of  sheet  music 
was  begun  by  this  firm.  Their  catalogue  however  already  embraces  a  large 
number  and  a  great  variety  of  excellent  music.  The  success  of  their  publish- 
ing house  is  by  the  practical  talent  and  fine  taste  of  the  proprietors,  already 
placed  beyond  a  contingency  of  failure,  and  only  needs  the  necessary  lapse  of 
time  to  become  complete.  As  is  well  known,  Louisville  numbers  a  great 
many  accomplished  musicians  and  musical  amateurs  among  her  population. 
There  is  perhaps  no  other  American  city  of  equal  size  where  thi^  art  is  so 
much  cultivated  and  so  high  in  favor  with  the  whole  people.  Music  pub- 
lishing, the  necessary  consequence  of  this  state  of  affairs,  becomes  therefore 
an  important  branch  of  business.  Messrs.  B.  &  Co.  are  high  in  favor  with 
our  musical  people,  have  published  a  good  deal  of  Louisville  composition,  and 
are  rapidly  finding  a  large  market  abroad  as  well  as  at  home  for  their  pro- 
ductions. These  gentlemen  are  also  agents  for  Chickerings  celebrated 
Pianos,  as  well  as  for  other  favorite  brands.  Their  attention  is  also  particu- 
larly directed  to  supplying  Brass  Instruments  for  bands.  And  they  offer  ex- 
cellent security  for  the  quality  of  the  articles  which  they  keep .  As  a  music 
store,  their  establishment  is  a  favorite  resort  with  the  amateurs  of  this  de- 
lightful art- 


HISTORY    OF    LOUISVILLE.  35 


PETEES,  WEBB  &  CO. 


Main  Street,  bet.  2d  and  3d,  Opposite  Bank  of  Ky. 


;Titi^  @ii^^#  ^  ©@, 


3D     ^B^S^^BT^-     1,^    ^^8) 
MANUFACTURERS  OF 

Main   Street,  between  Thirteenth  and   Fourteenth. 


ORGAN  MANUFACTUEEES. 


The  pul3 listing  house  of  Peters,  Webb  &  Co.,  perhaps  the  oldest  establish- 
ment of  the  kind;  and  certainly  the  most  favorably  known  in  the  West,  em- 
ploys one  title  engraver,  three  music  engravers,  and  about  six  printers. 
They  keep  three  copper-plate  presses  constantly  employed,  and  issue  from 
seven  to  ten  thousand  pages  of  music  per  week. 

The  piano-forte  manufactory  of  Peters,  Cragg  &  Co,  was  organized  only  a 
few  years  ago,  but  its  success  has  been  so  constant  and  rapid,  that  they  ara 
not  now  able  to  supply  the  demand  for  their  instruments.  They  have  em- 
barked a  very 'large  capital  in  this  business,  and  are  now- erecting  a  large 
three  story  factory  on  Main  Street,  where  they  will  be  enabled  to  do  a  still 
greater  amount  of  work.  They  are  prepared  with  all  the  most  recent  useful 
improvements  in  manufacture  and  will  employ  in  their  new  factory  about 
thirty  hands.  This  firm  is  ready  at  any  moment  to  duplicate  any  bill  of 
wholesale  prices,  which  may  be  had  from  any  respectable  eastern  house, 
either  in  sheet  music  or  pianos. 

p.  W.  &  Co.,  in  company  with  J.  Wekerle,  a  practical  organ  builder, 
commenced  the  manufacture  of  these  instruments  in  Louisville  a  little  less 
than  three  years  ago,  since  which  time  they  have  built  several  instruments 
for  western  churches,  in  Louisville  and  elsewhere.  These  have  been  pio- 
nounced  by  competent  judges  equal  to  any  made  in  the  countrj'.  Five  work- 
men are  constantly  employed  in  this  department. 


36  APPENDIX    TO 


CHAliLES  DL'FFIELD  &  CO/S 

Water  Street,  between  5tli  and  6tii,  Entrance  on  6th. 


This  is  the  largest  establishment  exclusively  devoted  to  the  curing  of  hams, 
not  only  in  the  United  States,  but  in  the  world.  The  buildings  are  of  brick 
and  are  three  stories  in  height.  The  curing-house  is  66  feet  wide  and  350 
feet  long,  embracing  over  52,000  square  feet  of  floor.  The  smoking  house 
is  35  feet  in  width  by  65  in  length,  and  will  hold  40,000  hams  at  one  smo- 
kina:.  One  to  two  hundred  thousand  hams  are  cured  here  iu  one  season, 
and  thirty  to  fifty  men  are  employed  nearly  six  months  in  the  year  in  pre- 
paring the  hams  for  market  and  summer  keeping.  The  details  of  the  curing 
process  are  not  made  public. 

Mr.  Duffield  was  the  first  to  establish  and  make  permanent  the  business 
of  ham  curing,  as  a  separate  and  distinct  branch  of  the  provision  trade,  which 
he  did  by  persevering  in  making  fine  hams  for  years  without  profit — and  he 
has  thus  became  the  Pioneer  in  giving  character  to  oar  western  hams,  which 
now  stand  unequalled  in  the  markets  of  the  United  States.  It  is  to  this 
perseverance  that  we  are  indebted  for  all  the  fine  hams,  by  whomsoever 
cured,  that  now  fill  our  markets. 

Mr.  Duffield  was  the  Jirst  to  cure  in  Cincinnati,  in  1835,  as  many  as 
20.000  hams,  and  from  this  heginnivy,  the  business  is  believed  to  have  now 
reached  the  grand  aggregate  of  from  six  to  eight  hundred  thousand  hams, 
cured  in  an  extra  style,  in  all  the  western  cities.  Mr.  D.'s  hams,  however, 
still  stand  pre-eminent.  The  demand  for  them  increases  yearly.  His  brand 
is,  "Duffjeld's  American  "Westphalia  Hams."  The  reason  for  the  term 
"American  Westphalia"  is  contained  in  the  fact,  that  the  only  hams  cele- 
brated in  the  United  States  markets,  when  Mr.  D.  commenced  curing,  were 
those  imported  from  "Westphalia,  in  Germany,  (which  were  then  and  still  are 
sold  at  25  and  30  cents  per  pound,)  hence  the  propriety  and  boldness  of  the 
term  "^»z^?7C«7?  Westphalia."  It  is  certain  that  Mr.  Duffield's  cure  will 
not  be  found  inferior  to  the  best  imported  from  Westphalia,  and  will  not 
cost  the  consumer  one-half  the  price  of  that  article. 

The  following  list  of  diplomas,  medals,  &c.,  which  have  been  awarded  at 
different  times  to  the  hams  cured  by  Mr.  Duffield,  will  corroborate  this 
opinion.  By  Ohio  Mechanics'  Institute,  in  1844;  by  Hamilton  County  Ag- 
ricultural Society,  in  1846;  by  Ohio  State  Fair,  held  in  Cincinnati,  in  1850; 
by  The  London  Indiistrial  Exhibition,  and  World's  Fair  Prize  Medal,  ni 
1850.  We  are  proud  of  Mr.  D.'s  reputation,  and  glad  to  be  able  to  say  that 
Louisville  has  the  largest  ham  curing  establishment  in  the  vjarld. 


HISTORY    OF    LOUISVILLE.  37 


MANUFACTURER    OF 

PLANES  AND  EDGE  TOOLS, 

The  manufacture  of  Planes  and  Edge-Tools  in  Louisville  is  not  and  has  not 
been  considered  a  very  prominent  branch  of  trade.  It  is  well  known  that 
the  skillful  manufacture  of  these  articles  has  long  been  a  difficulty  hard  to 
overcome.  Mr.  ]McBride,  who  has  been  a  practical  workman  with  the  plane, 
has  successfully  combatted  all  the  difficulties  in  the  way  of  producing  a  per- 
fect article.  "Wherever  the  tools  from  this  factory  have  been  used,  they  have 
achieved  that  most  difficult  of  results,  the  entire  approbation  of  the  mechanic . 
Mr.  B.'s  business  is  one  of  those  the  steady  growth  of  which  indicates  real 
merit  and  ultimate  success.  Every  article  produced  is  made  by  the  hands, 
of  skillful  workmen,  and  under  the  immediate  eye  of  the  proprietor;  bene 
all  may  be  sure  of  procuring  a  far  more  valuable  article  thau  can  be  had  from 
the  steam  factories.  Mr.  McBride  has  in  addition  to  his  mauufactory,  a 
fine  stock  of  Hardware  and  Cutlery. 


iiiis  iBffiii  isfiitisiiiiT^ 


This  useful  establishment  is  one  of  those  minor  factories  which  are  indis- 
pensible  to  a  great  city.  Necessai%^  of  small  extent  as  compared  with  manj 
other  branches  of  manufacture,  it  is  yet  an  important  and  useful  concern, 
Mr.  Hunter  is  the  foreman  of  his  own  factorv.  and  is  a  thorough  and  accom- 
plished  workman.  It  is  at  his  shop  that  those  elegant  cuttings  on  tinted  and 
white  glass,  which  adorn  the  windows  of  our  southern  steamboats,  and  ad(? 
so  much  to  their  magnificence,  are  done.  In  this  de[>artraent  of  his  business 
he  is  without  a  rival  in  the  city  and,  it  is  believed,  in  the  West,  Bcsid?- 
this,  Mr.  H.  is  a  fitter  of  glasses  for  jeweller's  work,  such  as  rings,  breast- 
pins, miniatures,  &c.  He  also  replaces  parts  of  broken  sets  of  glass  and  per- 
forms, in  a  superior  manner,  all  the  work  done  at  the  glass  cutters.  A  good 
jtock  of  cut  glass-ware  is  also  to  be  found  at  this  factory. 


38  APPENDIX   TU 

K E N T U C KY  LOCK  F ACTOR Y. 
HAKIG  &  STOY, 

MANUFACTURERS   OF 

SAfl  Ml.  rail  lAIL  mD  iBE  IICIS. 


The  Keatucky  Lock  Factoiy  is  another  establishment  deserving  especial 
tnotice.  The  work  made  at  this  factory  is  sui-passed  in  qnality  by  none  in 
the  West.  Locks  of  every  description  from  those  of  the  prison,  the  Bnk 
and  the  safe,  to  the  smallest  mortise  lat^h,  are  mannfactured  with  equal  care 
<ind  fidelity.  The  Fire-Proof  Safe,  which  has  a  well  established  reputation 
everywhere,  is  also  made  here.  Iron  doors  and  frames  for  bank  vaults  and 
prisons  as  well  as  sliding  door  locks  and  trimmings  also  form  a  part  of  the 
daily  work  of  the  factory.  This  concern,  under  the  charge  of  Mr.  Aug.  C. 
Harig  has  for  a  long  time  enjoyed  the  confidence  and  patronage  of  this  com- 
munity, and  it  will  doubtless,  under  its  present  management,  continue  to  in- 
crease in  public  favor.  In  addition  to  articles  of  their  own  manufacture, 
Messrs.  H.  &  S.  offer  for  sale  an  excellent  assortment  of  Builders  Hardware, 

TJ"<3.    OT    THIH-XJ    STH.3E3EIT- 

Tn  the  same  building  with  the  factory  noticed  above,  may  be  found  the  in- 
strument shop  of  Mr.  Tiensch.  In  this  exceedingly  complex  and  scientific 
manufacture,  this  gentleman  is  very  eminent.  The  most  delicate  manipula- 
tions of  his  art  are  performed  by  him  with  singular  accuracy  and  facility. 
Manufactories  of  this  kind  are  rare  in  the  American  cities,  nor  is  the  demand 
for  these  articles  very  great.  Mr.  T.  is  therefore  able  to  furnish  the  pro- 
ceeds of  his  manufacture  to  buyers  who  are  scattered  over  a  large  surface  of 
■country.  He  keeps  on  hand  a  stock  of  the  instrnments  in  most  common  use 
and  is  thoroughly  competent  to  the  successful  manufacture  of  any  article  in 
his  line  which  may  be  desired  by  the  scientific  man.  His  factory  will  doubt- 
less grow  with  the  growing  wants  for  articles  of  this  description  in  this  great 
•city.     The  cnrious  in  such  matters  will  find  his  shop  well  worthy  of  a  visit. 


HISTORY    OF    LOUISVILLE.  35 


HULL  &  BEOTHEE, 


%m\i  &  I0I) 


S3  &  85  TaifHi)  §i^eet-,  beibeei]  li)Ii)  ^i)^  l)J^\^\\ii, 


This  firm  commenced  business  in  tliis  city  in  the  year  1844.  It  has- 
gradually  grown,  from  a  small  begiuuing,  until  it  stands  second  to  no  es- 
tablishment in  the  West,  either  for  facilities  or  workmanship.  Although 
its  principal  business  is  that  of  Book,  and  the  finer  kinds  of  Job  Prin- 
ting, yet  at  this  office  are  issued  two  weekly  papers,  and  three  monthly  pe- 
riodicals— making  an  average  of  over  ten  thousand pej'iodicals  weeMi/. 

The  Proprietors  being  both  practical  men,  (having  been  all  their  lives 
engaged  in  the  business,  and  understanding  thoroughly  every  department  of 
it,)  they  have  been  enabled  to  carry  the  Art  of  Printing  to  a  perfection  that 
would  surprise  aud  astonish  the  spirits  of  Faust  and  Guttemberg,  were  they 
to  arise  from  their  graves,  as  much  as  it  j)leases  and  attracts  the  lovers  of 
the  beautiful  of  the  present  day. 

In  connection  with  this  establishment  thera  is  a  well  assorted  Bindery, 
imder  the  direction  of  Mr.  J.  A.  Irwin,  who,  in  this  department,  is  con- 
nected with  the  Messrs.  Hull.  He  also  is  a  practical  workman,  well  ac- 
quaiiit-^d  with  every  part  of  his  busincj;. 

Every  branch  and  variety  of  the  business  is  here  carried  on.  From  the 
mill,  the  paper  passes  to  the  wetting  trough,  thence  to  the  printing  press; 
from  the  press  to  the  drying  boards,  then  into  the  hands  of  the  Folder,  and 
so  successively,  to  the  Forwarder,  the  Embosser,  and  the  Finisher,  until 
the  perfect  book  is  produced. 

The  Messrs  H.  employ  about  forty  hands  in  their  Establishment  and  are 
supplied,  both  in  their  Printing  aud  Binding  departments,  with  the  very  best 
matei'hlsand  machinery  that  have  been  invented. 

Altogether  it  is  an  Establishment  that  does  credit  to  our  city,  and  give* 
additional  evidence  of  its  increasing  prosperity.