History
PREFACE
In Pursuance of an Act of Congress of the United States, recommending that a Historical Sketch of every County and Town in the United States be prepared and read on the 4th day of July of our Centennial year, copies of which were to be filed in the Clerk's offices of the respective counties, and also in the Librarian's office in Washington City, to furnish historical data and incidents from which to write a correct General History of the United States, the people of Grant County held a meeting at the Court House on the 12th day of June, 1876, to determine in what manner they would celebrate th
The History of Grant County
Ladies and Gentleman:
It is always a pleasant and an agreeable task to acknowledge a favor, hence it is a very great pleasure in acknowledging our obligations and gratitude for the favor and compliment in promoting us to the position of historian on this occasion, but our duty to say that the responsibility and amount of labor required in so short a time as was given us, are too great for one whose acquaintance with the history of the county was so limited as ours.
In the Beginning, Part of Virginia
All the present State of Kentucky, one hundred years ago, was a part of a single county of Old Virginia, named Fincastle. In 1776 this matronly old county of Fincastle, that enclosed within her boundry lines the territory upon which States were destined to be formed, was extinguished by the division of that territory into three counties, Washington, Montgomery and Kentucky.
Grant was once part of Pendleton County
We all seem to know by intuition that Grant was taken from Pendleton. Her identity does not seem to extend further back, and hence it was not uncommon formerly, when Grant, from any political or sectional cause, showed symptoms of waywardness, for Pendleton to assume the old responsibility of a good mother and urge her, by much kindly advice from her abundant store, to follow, and learn from the example of her maternal friend and guide; but Grant, be it said to her credit, has always had a will of her own, and has reared sons and daughters with capacity and energy to execute that will.
Formation of New County not without controversy
Upon the issue of the formation of a new county a very strong and heated contest was made for the Representative in the year 1819. Those desiring a new county brought out for their candidate, Mr. William Littell, a clear and worthy gentleman, and a brother of James Littell, now one of our oldest citizens. The opposing candidates were, Elijah McClannahan and Dr. John Bennett. Mr. Littell was very warm in behalf of the new county and pledged his very ears to his people that should he be elected, to never let the Legislature rest until the fondest wish of himself and his friends was realized.
First Court; Tavern Rates Established
In the bill it was provided that the county should have seven Justices of the Peace, who should meet at the house of Henry Chiders, still standing on the west side of the turnpike, about one hundred and fifty yards below the Old Childers Farm, now owned by Judge O. P. Hogan, and hold the first Court. The new county was to still vote with Pendleton in the election of a Representative.
First Circuit Court
The first Circuit Court was held at the house of Henry Childers on the 5th day of May, 1820, Hon. John Trimble presiding.
The Grand Jury of this Court were John Marksbury, foreman; Dixon Tongate, John Crook, Daniel Seward, Robert Childers, Richard Lucas, Perry Chipman, Bennett Williams, Zachariah Hogan, Lewis Gregory, John Norton, Ichabod Ashcraft, James Reed, Absalom Skirvin, John Rowland, and Thomas Thomas.
New Court House
The new Court House was built by William Arnold for the sum of $2,199, paid in three equal annual instalments. It was a brick building, two stories high, thirty four feet long by thirty feet wide. The first floor twelve feet high, and the second eight feet.
The bar was elevated eighteen inches above the lobby or audience floor, and the Judge's Bench,; as it was called, two feet higher than this. The lobby floor was made of brick, closely laid and cemented together. From the bar ascended the flight of stairs to the jury rooms above.
First Jail
The first jail was built by Absalom Skirvin for $220. It was sixteen feet square, and was built of hewed logs, dovetailed and let down one upon the other. This jail was two stories high, and had two small windows in each story. There was also a “stray pen” built on the public ground for the purpose of holding all the stray stock that was taken up. This was thirty feet square, and inclosed by a post-and-rail fence.
Hunting is the Chief Enterprise
It is not strange, under these circumstances, that the people cultivated and displayed but little taste in their dress and in the erection of dwelling houses. The chief occupation, of many of them, was hunting, in which they found a peculiar delight and pleasure, and when wearied and worn out with their pursuit of the deer, which abounded plentifully in the hills and valleys now covered by luxuriant meadows and cornfields, they cared but little what kind of houses received them on their return so they were sheltered from the wolves and storms.