The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1877-04-18
FRAGMENTS OF THE EARLY HISTORY
OF OHIO COUNTY.
BY Il. D. TAYLOR.
CHAPTER [.

OF history, had given partial promise &c
the Editor OF the Shield, who announced
the fact in his paper; thus committing
beth to the public, else this task would
never have been undertaken. Upon a
more thorough inspection Of the material
now LEFT for history, not Il single early
pioneer or cctller is now living, and ow-
ing TO the iact that il was part of jet
icrso', formed in 1880 sthcn Of Nelson.
formed in 1854, and then of Hardin, form
cd in l7S2, it has no county records Of it's
own until July, 1872 Tue first formation
o: State.Sor settlement of colony, is
always attended with such notorious
cyents "a leave records or traditions ac-
cssSible to the historian, but our territory
was from 1850 10 1898 always the lower,
outer bor,ler of the three first named
counties. aud such settlements as were
made during that I,rivi we're the result
II individual enterprise Nithcut any con-
/ cert or combination with others.
/ No one how can tell " hat pale face first
trsvvrscd the Gleen liver wilds. Was il
a maraGdlng culprit, hauishcd hy crime
he had committed. from civilization A
land spccua'or seeking choice bodies of
land on which to locate his entries and
surveys? 4 second Nimrod, led only by
his keen relish for slaughter. in pursuit
of the massive buffalo, stately elk, and
symmetrical deer? Or was he the more
humble, but sly and cautious trapper.
seeking TO liv,st the beaver, otter, mink
and ~ mbol;c coon of their warm, furry
vcstares?
None of these, nor even an amateur
Traveller. or novel writer has ever given
his first impression, as he stood upon a
lofty hill top. and told uS of the magnifi>
cent foreet trces, arbored over with n lab
yrinth Of grape 'ircs; that tremendous
herds Of bufialoes, as they marched along
their well ,beaien trace, to their watering
places; that most charming, meek deni-
zen Of the woods, showing his white flag
of peace, a. he first bounded high over
some obstruction in his Way. aud then
siidel sylph Ike below the tangled vines.
Gearing the nimble squirrel to a safe re-
treat upon the limb Of the nearest tree,
where ia safety he chartered and Larked,
braecart like
I Then again to wend his way to that
once beautiful stream, before its beauties
were married by civilization and the sylvan
scene forever locked and damEcd by the
| hands Of man, and beheld It's limpid green
waters kissing the still ereener canes
brakes that grew down I'd the waters
edge, aud dallied and playei with its
cooling ripplss. then looked at that shady
bend where besies Of ducks, geese, and
other Wild fowls, were diving. circing and.
aoqueiting then again on tina: sunny
slope Of the deep waters, where hoated
on or near the surface, fish of all de-
grees, in countless numbers. But 10! the
whole heavens are darkened, not by any
angry thunder cloud, but by myriads Of
Wild pigeons on the wing, aud as the
heavens are cleared again flock of paro
quets settle down on the tree tops in their
rich gold and green plumsge, chatteriug
as gaily as a bevy Of girls at a picnic.
Although no record has ever been made
of theee early SYLVAN scenes, their mem-
DRY is still fresh in the minds of some Of
the Oldest present Inhabitants.
Notwithstanding we have no written
record or living witnesses, we still have
some faint memorials Of our earliest ro-
we're. A surveying and engineering party
/ in 1896 found beech tree standing near
the bank of Green river, marked Leon
ard Helm, l716" Helms named was
carved in neat Roman capitals, the up
I and down strokes had spread to near the
breadth Of mans hand, and although
the tree was from three TO four feet in di-
ametcr, the name extended nearly around
the tree the date being below the name.
Leonard Helm is spoken OF in some OF
the early explorations of Carolina and
+ Tennessee, and no doubt extended his exN
plors,ions across the country TO Green
river, and followed down it to the Ohio,
and actually carved his name on that tree.
There is no doubt but that veteran pho.
neer, Daniel Boone, was also familiar