Walking in the Footsteps of Pioneers
“Patrick Henry Esq., Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia, to all whom these presents shall come greeting. Know ye that by virtue and in consideration of a land office treasury…there is granted by the said Commonwealth unto Francis Taylor a certain tract or parcel of land containing one thousand acres..lying and being in the county of Jefferson [Kentucky] bounded as followeth, to-wit: Beginning at John Taylor’s N. E. corner on the waters of Floyd’s Fork running with said John Taylor’s line south 70 degrees.” – 27th of January, 1785
It was on this same land, 227 years later, that I found myself on two beautiful spring mornings this April. I have been blessed this year with permission to hunt the old Taylor farm. I’ve been chasing turkeys and having a blast, glad to be back in the field after a two-month layoff. The spot I have been hunting is a back field on the property, bordered by the same Floyd’s Fork mentioned in the original land grant. The field has been worked by the landowners for over 200 years. It’s really kind of amazing the soil still produces but I can testify that it is healthy and rich. The property is also teaming with wildlife. This spring I have sen wood ducks, mallards, teal, blue herons, otter, squirrels, doves, geese, deer, owls and turkeys.
Francis Taylor received this land in Virginia, now present-day Kentucky as payment for his services in the Revolutionary War. Francis never saw his grant and his nephew took ownership in 1796. When Major William Taylor arrived Kentucky had only been a state for four years. He settled into a rough log cabin in relative proximity to other family members, including cousin Richard Taylor, father of future president Zachary Taylor. In 1800 he would build a fine brick home for his family, which still stands today.
The Taylors were one of the first-families of Kentucky and their story is a long one. When I received permission to hunt on the farm I had no idea about its history. After seeing the original home and the family cemetery I started doing some research. The stories were fascinating. My favorite was about a family friend, Abraham Hapstonstall, who is buried on the property and was an associate of one of my heroes, Daniel Boone.
As much as I love hunting, the joy of having access to his place has been walking in the footsteps of pioneers. I find myself wondering how much the first Taylors would recognize the land today. I feel a real responsibility while I am there to honor their legacy. Access to quality private land for hunting is a rare commodity these days. Adding the historic nature of this farm has made me feel extraordinarily lucky. It is said of Kentuckians that our greatest birthright is the land. Spending time out among the more wild places has certainly made me feel a sense of kinship just as strong as the blood ties to my family. Those are the kind of deep roots that have kept me in my home state all of these years and exactly why I never plan to leave.
Mike, one day before the heat death of the universe, you and I need to go out into the woods together.Report
Any time Patrick. I would love that.Report
My ancestor also had a land grant in Kentucky as payment for Rev. War services, but later moved to Indiana.
His ancestors had land in the Eastern shore of Maryland, and I have a photocopy of a description of the land that is both nearly illegible (due to the writing style) and makes reference to landscape features that likely to not exist today. But someday I would love to figure out where that property is and walk upon it.Report
James, the land grant system after the Revolutionary War was extensive. Most of the grants were in Kentucky though some in other areas. As a result Kentucky’s early leaders were pretty much all veterans of the war.
The way it worked was that you got your grant (usually 1,000 acres for an officer) and then paid a surveyor to go there and plot out your land. You might give him some instructions about what you were looking for but it was generally understood that everyone wanted clean water and flat ground for crops. The problems arose because the boundary markers were so vague and often temporary (as you have probably discovered). They might use a tree or a bend in a creek or a pile of stones. Also, many of the surveyors simply weren’t very good at their jobs or didn’t bother to file their surveys properly. This resulted in other people claiming the same property and overlapping property lines called ‘shingled’.
Daniel Boone spent much of his later years paying off debts he encured with poor surveying work.Report
Mike,
Actually I didn’t know that, but having heard it, I find it not just plausible but nearly inevitable. If there’s anything government does well (besides war) it’s marking and recording ownership, but only when they use specialized bureaucrats for the purpose.
I learned last summer that the U.S./Mexico border in the Gadsden Purchase area was initially poorly surveyed, partly because there weren’t lots of good landmarks, partly because some folks bribed the surveyors to be on a particular side of the border, but mostly because the space is so godawful empty and unproductive it didn’t really matter much where the border went. It all had to be redone, iirc, in the 1950s. But even then, not to satisfy conflicting private claimants, because it’s still godawful empty and unproductive!Report
A few years later and a bit farther north, the Four Corners monument was placed, defining the point where present-day Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, and Utah come together. The surveyors placed the monument within 1800 feet of where it was supposed to be, remarkably accurate for the available tools of the day. From time to time, articles appear about how the marker is in the “wrong” place. Under established law, though, once placed and agreed to by the parties involved, the marker becomes “right” by definition and further measurements are made relative to it. In addition to the four states, the Navajo and Ute tribes have also agreed, since the same marker identifies where the Mountain Ute and Navajo reservations meet.
Georgia and Tennessee have been scuffling over a portion of their border for 170 years. A few years ago Georgia revived their claims, in an effort to get access to the Tennessee River and divert some amount of the river flow into northern Georgia, which faces increasing problems with their water supply. Living in a Western state, I find it amusing that any place that average 50 inches of precipitation per year has a water shortage problem.Report
Hey, we’ve got lawns to maintain!Report
I’ve known people from Deming. At a population of 14k, it’s a fairly large town by New Mexico standards; 12th largest in the state.
There used to be a lot of drilling around there. A lot of cattle. Mining, mostly copper, molybdenum, and gemstones.
Not a bad place to be.Report
Sorry I have to disagree with your statement that, “most of the grants were in Kentucky though some in other areas.” The future states of Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Ohio, and Tennessee were all affected by land grants from the states they originated from.Report
Scott,
I misspoke to James so thanks for the corection. James said that his ancestor had a land grant in KY so I assumed he lived in Virginia or Maryland. You are right that other states gave their land grants elsewhere (NC gave land in present-day TN for example). I should have been more clear about that.
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