Daniel Boone Goes Through Gallatin

Daniel Boone, on his exploration of Kentucky, visited what is now known as Gallatin County.  He entered at the Meyers Cut where the L & N railroad enters Gallatin from Boone County.  From there he made his way to the place now known as Napoleon, when he followed the ridges to the hill overlooking Eagle Creek where Glencoe is now. This is about the same course as that taken by Kentucky Highway 16. From this point he turned northward about two miles to the present location of the Oakland Baptist Church, thence westward about three miles, crossing what is known as Lost Branch (this branch received its name from the fact that a little girl playing near by was lost and never returned. Supposition was she was carried away by Indians).  [See Lost Creek on a map, here.]

On the hill above Lost Branch once stood a palatial home of the Hamiltons, an outstanding pioneer family of Gallatin County.  About one-half mile west, Boone crossed the Warsaw Sparta Road. Here, many years later, B. f. Turley, and early settler, built the first English-type house in this section of the country.  It was such a deviation from the old "L" house that it was the source of much community comment, even approaching "gossip" in that day.

Beginning near this location and extending toward Napoleon, hence to the north and south, B. F. Turley bought a tract of three thousand acres.

The George Peace heirs now (1947) live on a part of the Turley land near Napoleon and are the only descendents holding title to the original tract.

From this site Boone continued  westward, descending the Hixon Hill, head waters of Lick Creek, and crossed Threlkeld Branch [map]. (It is the author's opinion that the Threlkeld Branch was named for a settler of that name who received a grant of land and ran a water mill there.)

Boone followed Lick Creek to the site of the Bramlette Church, where Carson now stands.  From there he continued to Shufly [aka Shoofly, map], crossed McCool's Creek, [map] then southwest to White's Run toward the site of Worthville where there was a ford over the Kentucky River below the mouth of the Eagle at the place where the L. & N. Bridge now crosses.  To direct members of their tribes, the Indians had, at intervals, stones of considerable size from White's Run, pointing to this ford near Worthville in Carroll County, formerly Gallatin.

by Dr. E. C. Threlkeld, and appearing in the Owenton Herald Leader, December 18, 1947