The central record. (Lancaster, Ky.) 18??-current, 1916-04-06
INTERESTING LANDMARKS
OF GARRARD COUNTY.

The recent placing in the Smithsonian
Institute, Washington. of Deringer
rifle used by Congressman William J.
Graves. Of Kentucky. in his famous
duel in 1928 with Jonathan Cilley. of
Maine, has recalled attention to this
affair of seventy-eight wears ago.
which at that time so outraged public
opinion that subsequent political events
were affected by it and Congress was
led to enact an anti-dueling law.
Although resident of New Castle,
Henry county. and representing the
Louisville district in Congress, Mr..
Graves was by birth a Garrard county
man. The rich Bluegrass COUNTIES and
the growing towns Of North and West
Kentucky drew on the region along the
Old Wilderness Trail for its sturdiest
stock, and this section. where the
earliest settlements were made, in tune
became but a ''backwater" in the
States development, its very remote
ness tending to preserve its landmarks
anu legends OF pioneer days.
In the hill country along the Garrard-
Lincoln line-the foothills of the Ken
lucky mountains blue bank on the
horiZon-w where the wild wooded knobs
project upon the back-lying fields of
farmsteads and where brakes creek
marks fertile bottom lands along its
meaHdering course, are ancient farm
houses of early Kentucky associations.
Two Of these old houses are Of stone.
one being the girlhood home OF Lydia
Williams, and the other her home after
her marriage into the neighboring
Graves family and where on July s,
1904, she became the mother of Will
liam Jordan Graves, the future young
Congressman from Kentucky.
Inc Williams no use stands practically
WIS ~yer century ego, the win
aews Several feet over mans height
from the ground, suggesting precau-
Ions against Indians. The interior
woodwork, dressed by adj, is held in
place by wrought iron nails and wooden
pins. The rough plaster of the walls,
the high mantels, the open freplacss
of heavy stone masonry. wide hearth
of stone slabs: the doors of boards and
battens. the chair-boarding, and even
the hooks in the ceiling by means Of
which the quilting frame was drawn
overhead for the night. are mute wit
nesses of great age.
The house on the fIeighboring farm,
which was the birthplace of Mr.. GRAY
es. must have been originally Of identi-
cal plan. Here the elder Graves lived
while the son was growing in fame and
wealth and becoming one Of the quartet
Of Wings. with Crittenden, Letcher and
Menefee, who formed the PRIV home
council Of Henry Clay.
Aged negroes of the Graves line OF
slaves can recall stories Of visits Of the
"Young Master" to the paternsl roof
"Marse Jurdan would come home In .
big kerridge. with glass all round N
sido, him and his wife and chillun vi
the inside and his black man SssoI
s-settin' on de top drivin' an tn har
ness shiss1' lax gold"
The Graves homestead stood as
beacon of progress in the neighborhood
1t is recalled that oil lamps We're firs
used there. II also boosted tbs frs
buggy. a smart affair with small sea
behind for negro boy who did footma
duties. But the innovation introduce
by this house which most marked tn
par ting from the old ways was the ad
, ve,,t Of the frat cook stove of the step