Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1902-03-14
"ALLFAcE," THE PIONEER.
Romance OF The Early Settlements
OF tIOpkinsville, KY.
By the historian Of The Baidheaded Club.


A. COVERED WAGON slowly
" made its way over the trail
from the southeast, and it's white
top, soiled by the stains of long
journey, appeared upon a hill top
overlooking the future city of Hop
kinsville, Ky. The occupants of
the wagon were three young pio-
neers, who had left their homes in
North Carolina. the advance guard
Of the tide of immigration that a
few years later peopled Western
Kentucky with the sturdy yeoman-
~ of Virginia and the Carolinas.
1t was in the early spring of 1887.
The adventurous young pioneers
had turned their faces westward
from North Carolina the year be-
tore, and after pushing their way
to Cumberland Gap had constructed
a ilatboat capable of conveying
their wagon, team, aud the rude
outfit necessary for life on the
frontier, and during the fall of 1886
had made their way down the Cum
berland River to the mouth of Red
river, thence up the Red river to
the block house of James Davis and
John Montgomery, who in 1855 had
made the first settlement 10 what is
now Christian county. Here they
had been cordially welcomed by
those hardy pioneers, and after
spending the winter had left their
boat and started overland in the
early spring to reach a highly ia
Wored spot the pioneers on Red river
had discovered in one of their hunt
ing trips Twenty miles to the
north, they told of a well-watered
secticu, where the two branches of
a formidable stream emerging from
the hills and forests to the north,
were united into one and passing
through a rich section of alternate |
prairie land and forest to the south.
west, emptied into the Cumberland /
river. A lew miles above where |
the streams came together, was a
spring OF pure water, long favor
ate camping place OF the Indians.
The woods to the north were filed /
with deer, bear and other large
game, while the barrens to the
south were stilltheg grazing grounds
of occasional herds of buffalo.
From their knowledge of the trail
they knew that a mile to the west
of the stream they had already |
crossed was the other, from beside
which there gushed out the famous
Spring, near which they had re-
solved to pitch their camp and make
for Themselves q homeIn the wilder
ness.
1t was near the hour of sunset,
and as the tired horses came down
the hill, they quickened their pace
70 a brisk trot aud soon a halt was
made at the spring. Back fifty
yards from the stream, surrounded
by an overhangiug ledge Of rugged
stones on two sides, forming a cres-
cent, this spring was afterwards
known as the Rock Spring, and no
doubt largely influenced the location
OF the present city few years later,
But there lurked near the travel
ers a danger they dreamed not Of
Indian depredatlons had almost
ceased in Kentucky, but the APP
proach of spring had tempted
party of Cherokees to venture once
more into their old hunting grounds /
aud they had arrived a few days
before, and after locating their VII
lage in the woods a short distance
10 the south Of the spring, they had
begun to hunt the gamethat abound
ed on all sides.
Hardly had the pioneers begun
their hasty preparation for the
night, when d dozen Indian war
riors, returning from the hunt, ap
peared on the opposite side OF the
Shallow stream. Others we're seen
forcing the stream aboyeon their po-
mics, and before they could get their
guns from the wagon the travellers
were surrounded by the yelling
savages But they resolved to sell
their lives as dearly as possible.
In their eagerness, the Indians
were Plunging their ponies into the
water opposite the camp, when
three rifles cracked and three OF
the foremost braves tumbled from
their ponies and fell headlong into