Richmond daily register. (Richmond, Madison County, Ky.) 1917-1978, 1921-07-14
TABLET UNVEILED AT
SITE OF OLD FORT
D. A. r. Rite In Bourbon County
Attended By Several Local
Chapter Members

SSFSiai iiCiilDSIS VI DOOIlcS
borough Chapter, d. A. r. wer
i'll Bourbon county last Friday
for an impressive occasion, o
which the Paris News tells a
follows:
Swaying leaiy boughs, singing
birds, sunny skies, fields of ripen
ed grain, freshly cut, lying yel
low in the golden June sunshine
in the background the historic
old stonehouse, Fairfield, in for
n!er days the home OF the re
nowned General James Garrard
behind whose gray stone wall:
was held the fourth court i'll The
State of Kentucky-these mark
cd the scene Of the coming to-
gether of the Jemima johnson
Chapter, ID. A. r., of Paris, anC
their guests from adjoining Cen
trail kentucky towns on Friday
June "a, at eleven O'Clock.
The occasion was the unvell-
ing of the stone tablet erected by
this Chapter to mark the site o:
what was known in early pionee
days as Martins Ford.
The place is on the +. +. Clay
farm, three miles from Paris o.
the Cynthiana pike, the exac,
spot having been located by tn
research of Mrs. Wade Whitley
with the assistance Of surveyors
This portion was ceded to tn.
Paris Chapter by Col. Clay prio
to his death and has been recent
ly enclosed by a substantial stone
wall with the tablet for the cen
ter. After the invocation by Rev.
DR.. f. w. Eberhardt. pastor o.
Georgetown Baptist church. Mrs.
Cassius Clay, Regent. stated
briefly the purpose Of the meet
ing and courteously introduced
the speaker Of the occasion, Mrs.
w. L. Laffertv. Of Lexington.
Mrs. Lafferty, who has done such
valuable research work in gath
cring together data concerning
early Kentucky history, reat
from her carefully prepared man
uscripts, excerpts setting forth
the manners, dress and custom
OF the pioneer settlers, who blaz-
cd the way through the trackles>
forests, endured privations ano
suffered hardships. that we, their
children, might live i'll peace and
plenty. The speaker had made (.
careful study Of all the records
and consequently was prepared
to give interesting accounts OF
the iivcs and characters of many
OF these settlers who had an ac-
tive part in the settlement OF our
beloved old Commonwealth
Boone, Harrod, Hinkson, Town
send, Cooper and Martin being
foremost among them.
Mrs. Lafferty stated that this
particular spot was the cradle of
Bourbon county history. Martins
Fort, built in l779, was one of the
most formidable on the frontier.
1t was destroyed by the British
and Indians on June "a, 1880, its
occupants taken prisoners and
carried away to the far North
across the border into Canada.
At the site of the fort are the
remains of the famous old Coop
res Run Baptist church, which
played an important part IN the
religious life Of early Kentucky
settlers AT the conclusion Of
Mrs. Lafferty's reading, Mrs. T..
+. Clay made brief remarks, as
did DIR. Daugherty, of Paris, who
spoke of further incidents con-
nected with the fort and church,
which information he had CLEAN
ed from the diary of Gen. Gar
rard, from whom he is d lineal
descendant.
The tablet was then, unveiled
by the two lovely little daughters
of Mr.. and Mrs Brutus Clay,
Mary and Ann. dressed in airy
green trOCkS, wearing the cum
ningest of poke bonnets tied over
their pretty curls, their diinpled
knees encased in lace trimmed
pantalettes after the fashio on OF
we olden time. During the cerc-
mony the guests stood and al,
sang America, while the manly
young son of MIR. and Mrs. VIM.
Talbot, clad in khaki uniform.
stood at attention before the flag
which veiled the stone tablet.
After the impressive ceremo-
nies were concluded the Rev. ].
T. Sharrard, of Paris, pronounced
the benediction, and SO another
red-letter day passed into the his
tory Of the Jemima johnson