The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-06-02
Kentucky and Tennessee
 Statehood Anniversary

The first day of June marks the
 anniversary of the addition of two
 brilliant stars to the flag of the Un- ion. It was 123 years ago, June 1, 1792, that Kentucky was admitted as
 the fifteenth state, and just four
 years later, June 1, 1796, it's ueigh- Dor, Tennessee, was admitted to the rights, privileges and duties of a, l sovereign state. While these states
 do not celebrate Admission Day. with the enthusiasm which charac- terizeS such anniversaries in Califor-
 mia and other western states, the joint
 anniversary recalls a phase of the | early development of the North American continent which is well worthy of iperpetuaton.
 There is not a. state of the Union, nor province of the dominion, that cannot boast of the bravery and de- votion of it's pioneers,a but the daring needs of the Kentucky and Tennes- see soldiers of civilization appeal | most powerfully to the imagination. | The bIack-robed -Jesuits of New France and the French adventurers and explorers b1azed the way which
 was soon followed by such brave spirits as Daniel Boone. PIunging 1 into the then distant and trackless
 wilderness, they dared a thousand periIs in order to lay the foundation
 for the future states To hardship p and privation were added the dan gers and disasters Of almost constant
 warfare with the Indians.
 Long before Kentucky was admit ted to the Union in 1792, it's scatter ed l pioneers had sought to set up an in dependent government. While the
 white population of the Kentucky
 wilderness was still largely confined Ito the tiny settlements of HarrodS4 i burg. and Boonesboro and Louisville was only a, name, the ambiG ous pioneers held a, convention at Boones- boro and adopted proprietary gov ernment for the state of Transylva- 1 Richard Henderson. who, with oth-
 CTS, had made a treaty with the l Cherokees and acquired, for $50, 900, l the territory between the Ohio, Ken | lucky and Cumberland rivers. Col l Henderson's purchase was not recog- nized by Virginia, but the citizens of l the new state of Transylvania were
 determined to secure recognition In I1775 they sent James Hogg as a dele l gate to the Continental Congress, but l Virginia prevented his admission. For some time thereafter the Kentuckians | were too busy with the savages to pay
 much attention to political matters. | Louisville was settled in 1778, and | Lexington was founded the following
 year. In the latter town the first
 newspaper west of the A1leghanies, 1 the Kentucky Gazette, was issued in |
 The capture of Daniel Boone by the
 Indians, his escape and his long jour- ney of 16O miles through the wilder
 ness to warn the people of Boones- l boro of an impending Indian raid, | constituted but one of a multitude of 1 thrilling incidents of Kentucky | pioneer days.
 The early history of Tennessee was
 very similar to that of Kentucky. The | Tennessee pioneers, like their neigh
 bors, were independent of spirit and ambitious for se1f-goyernment. In 1784 they held a convention in Jones'
 boro, declared the country no longer
 a part of North Carolina, and formed | a constitution for the state of Frank l land. The following year the consti- l tuition for Frankland or the state o1 Franklin was accepted by a conven- l ton at Greeneville and later John Sevier was chosen governor. After ] a brief experience of independence l the new state collapsed, and the gov ernment reverted to North Carolina A few years later the separation was peacefully accomplished, and on June 1, 17e6, Tennessee was admitted to the sisterhood of states, with Sevie1
 as the first governor.