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Archiver > Southern-Trails > 2001-05 > 0988833573


From: "" <>
Subject: [SouthernTrails] Re:Trails (repost)
Date: Wed, 02 May 2001 15:59:35 -0400
In-Reply-To: <200104301740.f3UHeRj05999@lists2.rootsweb.com>


5/1/01 1:30pm EDT

This appeared on this list 3 Feb 2001 as [Fwd: trails to early KY] (and, it
appears also, 23 Sept 99) and I intended to respond when I could check out
some resources, then time just slipped away!.

>Subject: [SouthernTrails] Trails
>
>An earlier posting by Mary Miller who is no longer active on the list.
>Thought it might be of interest so some of the new people.
>
>Judy
>
>Let me explain something it has taken me a while to figure out. I always
>assumed the trail early settlers used right after the Rev War to get into
>KY went thru Cumberland Gap. A large portion of the early settlers coming
>out of Shenandoah Valley of Va (and maybe originally from PA, MD, even New
>York) did go thru the Gap. Also, some of the early men coming out of part
>of North Carolina, went to Watauga, Knoxville TN and then thru the Gap.
>
>But.........stay with me on this one.
>
>Tennessee had two early settlements. The one in eastern TN - Holston
>river, Clinch River, Carter's Valley, Knoxville, etc. The other early
>settlement was Ft Nashborough NC settled 1780 - today Nashville Tennesse.

> They got there by going thru Cumberland Gap and taking Cumberland River.

Actually they split into 2 groups, the men, led by James Robertson, went
overland (not by Cumberland River)....see "Early History of Middle
Tennessee by Edward Albright, 1908 (at
http://www.rootsweb.com/~tnsumner/early12.htm) for details of the route;
and the women and children, led by John Donelson, went by way of the
Holston, Tennessee, Ohio, and Cumberland rivers.....see the above (at
http://www.rootsweb.com/~tnsumner/early14.htm) for details of the route.

>Sounds the long way around, but the area between Eastern TN and Nashville
>TN was full of Indians, and it would take about 15 years after Rev War for
>it to be really safe to travel. People did go that way, but with a
>military escort.

Actually Middle TN as well as KY were hunting grounds and supposedly were
not permanently occupied by Native Americans (historic times) prior to
these lands being "sold". Robertson party was not attacked by Native
Americans and saw no signs of them on arrival at French Lick (though Indian
warfare began by 1792). The lands between French Salt Lick and East TN
were Indian Lands at this time but I would guess that the routes taken were
simply because these were the most direct "roads" of the time.

>So TN was settled mainly from Nashville back to the east.

Certainly not so!!!! The capitals of the State of Franklin (1784-8) and
the Territory South of the Ohio river(1789-1796), both of which preceded TN
were located in East TN as well the 1st capitals of TN. The state capitol
didn't move to Middle TN (Murfreesboro) until 1818.

> Whites kept pushing the Indians....guess you could say they the Indians
> were in a squeeze play.
>
>If you wanted to get to Kentucky, or anywhere on the Ohio River say
>1790-1800 from sections of North Carolina, South Carolina, etc......you
>probably traveled to Alabama, took river or trail to Nashville, and went
>into KY from there.

Not really sure why this would be true since the Ohio starts in Pittsburgh,
PA. There were plenty of trails/roads between NC & SC & East TN and the
Cumberland Gap was an established route into KY from there.

>Let me give you the first major route This would be ca 1790s the
>Zanesville - Nashville Pike (mostly present day US68) Zanesville, Ohio
>crosses Ohio river at Limestone (present day Marysville KY) went down
>through Paris KY (major spot on trail by 1800) Lexington, Harrodsburg,
>Cambellsville, Bowling Green, Russellville to Nashville TN.
>
>this is the route some of the men from New England and western PA used to
>get to land right after Rev War.....land for soldiers service was in
>Davidson Co NC - which was about the center third of present Tennessee.

>this was also the way people from NC, TN, etc. could get to the Ohio river
>and move to Illinois, MO, etc.

Certainly possible but it would be more likely that they went down the
Tennessee River to the Ohio to the Mississippi to get to these
places. Middle TN people would probably use the Cumberland River to the Ohio.

<snip>

Judy has said that the originator, Mary, is no longer active on the
list.....does anyone know where she might have gotten her
information. Mine comes from living in East TN and being very familiar
with the geography and somewhat familiar with the history....But.....I
certainly could be wrong.

Larry Shahan
Kodak, TN

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