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2016-09-27T19:54:49Z

Created page with "thumb|right|Map of Knottsville Precinct in 1876. ==Boundaries== In 1867, the following were fixed as the boundary lines of this precinct: Be..."

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[[File:Knottsville_Precinct.jpg|thumb|right|Map of Knottsville Precinct in 1876.]]

==Boundaries==
In 1867, the following were fixed as the boundary lines of this precinct: Beginning at Ohio County line, where same crosses North
Panther Creek, near Charles Hamilton's; thence down said creek to
the Leitchfield road, thence with Leitchfield and Owensboro road to
the bridge over Caney Creek; thence up Caney Creek, so as to include
James McKinney's; thence a line to Ben Allen's, including E. S.
Jones's and William McKay's; thence to the Hardinsburg road at
Richard Jett's, excluding Jett's and J. W. Gabbert's ; then to the
Pike's Peak schoolhouse; thence with the old trace to David
Clark's, including said Clark; thence to the nearest point of new
road leading to C. Bell's; thence with said new road to the Barker
road near C. Bell's; thence with the Barker road to W. Winkler,
Jr's; thence to the White Oak ford on Blackford, thence with
Blackford Creek and Hancock and Ohio County lines to the beginning.
The precinct of Knottsville was named from the village, and the
village was named for a Mr. [[Leonard Knott]], who settled here. Formerly
the name was spelled "Nottsville."

==Early Settlement==
The first settlers in this precinct were families by the name of
Smeathers, Duncan, Bell, Adams, and Husk. Metcalfs and Winklers
came afterward. Valentine Husk came from Virginia. He
first settled at Yellow Banks, around 1799; then lived on the Ohio
River at the mouth of Pup Creek. In 1801, he moved with his
family to a point on the Yelvington and Knottsville road, three
and a half miles north of the former place, where he began improving
the farm afterward owned and occupied by Henry Johnson.
He was the first settler in this part of the country. Soon
afterward Benjamin, George, Charles, and Raleigh Duncan came
from Nelson County and settled here. James Adams came about
the same time, and settled at a point four miles northwest of
Knottsville. Eli and Nathaniel Bell came from Maryland about
the time of the Duncans. Eli settled on the farm afterward owned
by W. B. Head, Esq. Descendants of the Smeathers and Bells
are still living in the precinct. Ben Purcell came in 1824; R. N.
Wilson, father of Robert T. Wilson, came to the county in 1820,
from Nelson County, and settled on a farm four miles west of
Knottsville. The Mays came from Nelson County about the same
time, and settled on the Hardinsburg road west of Knottsville.

==First School==
The first school in this part of the county was taught by a man
named Walker, who happened to be passing through the country. It was found that he had some education and was straightaway employed to teach a three months' school.
It was taught on Pup Creek, on land afterward owned by John
Bell, and the old log cabin in which it was held went to decay more
than fifty years ago (as of 1883).

==First Religious Services==
The first religious services were held by a Methodist preacher
named Craig, about 1808, in the house of Benjamin Duncan. He
organized a church in this house, and Benjamin Duncan and Valentine
Husk were among the first members. One of the first
priests was Father Derbin, who was born Jan. 1, 1800. He came
here about 1822. He lived in Union County, and came here to
preach once a month. On one occasion he lost his way, and was
belated. He kept his course by the moss on the trees, which
always grows on the north side. After dark the wolves were very
troublesome, and came near taking him from his horse, but the
horse was very spirited, and fought the wolves off. Father Derbin
still lived in Russellville, Logan County as of 1883.

==First Brick Kiln==
The first brick-kiln was burned in 1825, by Thomas Purcell, a
native of Virginia, who came to this county in the spring of that
year.

==First Cemetery==
The first burying ground was started about 1806, on the land of
Charles Duncan, north of Pup Creek, on the Knottsville and Yelvington
road, and the first person buried was Raleigh Duncan, a
son of Charles Duncan. This was the first death in the precinct.
The first marriage in this precinct was "big Billy Bell" to his
cousin, Betsey Bell, about the year 1810. They had two children.
Mrs. Bell died, and Mr. Bell subsequently married twice. He
raised a large family of children, and died in this precinct several
years ago.

In early days the pioneers made all their own sugar and syrup
from maple-trees, which were very abundant on Pup Creek. A
man named Thomas Montgomery made sugar so extensively that
he paid for his entire farm from the sale of the sugar. From that
time he was known as "Sugar Tom Montgomery," to distinguish
him from another Tom Montgomery living in the precinct. The
early settlers paid their taxes with wolf and wildcat scalps. They
would get a certificate from the magistrate for the amount of the
scalps, which was the same as an order on the County Treasurer at
the present day. And if the amount exceeded the taxes, the
Sheriff, or Collector, paid the difference in specie. The women
wore buckskin dresses every day, and had checked cotton for Sunday.
The children had neither boots nor shoes. Some would
wrap rags around their feet, while others ran through the snow
barefoot. "Uncle" Henry Hazel' tells that when he was a boy
he would procure a piece of puncheon, or large block of wood,
place it before the fire until thoroughly warmed, then carry it to
the wood-pile and stand on it while chopping wood. He would
repeat this process as often as the block became cold, until his
task for the day was completed.

==Post Offices==
Many years ago, a post office was established a mile and a half
east of where Knottsville now stands, and was named Goreham.
It was then the only post office in Daviess County, except the one
at Owensboro. A town was also staked off at this point by a Mr.
Lang, but nothing more was done toward building it up. The
voting place for the upper end of the county was located at the
house of Mr. Gore, and remained here until it was established at
Knottsville, about I884. The Goreham voting place was the only
one in the county except at Owensboro.

Gatewood Post office was established in the summer of 1882, at
the store of P. D. Wilson, in the northeast corner of this precinct,
with Dr. P. D. Wilson as Postmaster; but he has since resigned,
and as no successor has been appointed the office will probably be
discontinued.

As of 1876, this area had three stores, a blacksmith shop, cabinet-making shop, wagon shop, and hotel.
[[St. Lawrence Catholic Church]] is two miles east of the town. The surface in Knottsville Precinct is hill except in the creek bottoms.

==Towns in this Precinct==
* [[Gatewood]]
* [[Knottsville]]

{{1883}}

{{Atlas}}

[[Category:Precincts]]

Knottsville Precinct - Revision history

Adam: Created page with "Map of Knottsville Precinct in 1876. ==Boundaries== In 1867, the following were fixed as the boundary lines of this precinct: Be..."