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Campbellsville,
Tennessee |
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CAMPBELLSVILLE,
TN HISTORY 1876
John Dickey, Esquire, father of James R. Dickey, Esquire, moved from Logan County, Kentucky, and first stopped in Maury and thence to this County in 1808. He cut the cane near the Big Spring at Campbellsville and sowed turnips that Fall, and made a crop of corn in 1809. James Ross, the grandfather of Jas. R. Dickey, came the same Fall and settled the place old Andrew Yokley lived on until his death. Ross
was one of the Commissioners appointed by the Legislature to locate and lay
off the town of Pulaski. They traveled the Bumpass trail. The only road
at that time coming South from Columbia was the Bumpass trail. They
came up Little Bigby, crossed Elk ridge at what is now called the Yokley gap,
and came down the Eastern or Yokley branch of Big Creek. The first corn
raised in that part of the County was in 1809. Hamilton C. Campbell and
Jacob Baylor came about the same time that Dickey did. Jacob Baylor and
John Dickey were appointed by the Legislature in November 1809 Magistrates
for the "beat" in which they lived. Jas. Ashmore was among
the first settlers. He settled the old James Hannah place, one mile
North of Campbellsville. He was elected the first constable in his
Captain's "beat." Daniel Allen was one of the first settlers and
settled at what has since been known as Wright's spring. He erected a
powder mill and made powder there for several years. Dan Allen was the
father of General Richard H. Allen, for many years a prominent citizen of
this County, and afterwards of Lawrence County. John Dickey was elected
Representative to the Legislature in 1817. The settlers went to
Williamson County the first year for corn. Jacob Bayler built a mill on
Dry Creek about one mile West of Campbellsville about 1809 or 1810.
This was the first mill built in that part of the county. A mill was
built about the same time or soon after on Richland Creek below Moriah Church
opposite James Hayes' place, called Mayfield's Mill. James R. Dickey
was about twelve years old when his father came to the County; says there
were but few houses in Columbia when his father moved through there and but
few on the road after he left Columbia. Gideon Pillow lived on Little
Bigby three miles South of Columbia. It was several years after that
before he settled the Pillow place in Giles at Wales Station. He says
the Bumpass trail came down the Eastern branch of Big Creek, by the old man
Ross's and by Mack Alexander's or rather between the two thence South leaving
Campbellsville about one mile to the right hand; it then left Big Creek and
took the Dividing Ridge between that creek and Dry Creek, bearing towards Dry
Creek and crossing it where Samuel Wilson now lives, and where old Colonel
John Bodenheimer lived and died. This trail went rather a zig-zag
course to avoid the large cane. Cunnigham, who settled the place now owned by
John English on the East branch of Big Creek; Jesse Foster, who settled on
Dry Creek where Sam Wilson lived; and Kirkland who settled where Jno.
I. Morris lived were among the first settlers. Isaac Morris, Sr., and
his sons, Matthew Benthal, Peter Swanson, John Wright, Andrew Yokley, Walter
Locke, the Gibsons, Reas, Caldwells, Englishes, Alexanders and McCutcheons,
Hannahs, Brownlowes, Keltners, Wilcoxes, Shulers, Normans and others, were
early settlers; all came before 1820, and some of them among the first; but
the dates at which they have not been ascertained.
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Webmaster Jennifer
H. Stout Campbellsville, TN
