Dennis Partridge

A history of the Salem Association of Baptists really begins in the fall of 1779, or in the winter of 1780. At this time Captain Thomas Helm, Colonel Andrew Hynes and Samuel Haycraft built three rude stockades forming “a triangle, equidistant a mile apart,” in the dense unexplored forest of Severn’s Valley. Somewhere near this triangle of stockades on June 18, 1781, under a large sugar tree eighteen converted souls gathered the First Baptist Church in Kentucky. Here came John Gerrard, not unlike Melchizedek, priest of Salem. He was the first pastor of Severn’s Valley Church. About eleven months after … Read more

No Indians permanently resided in Meade County. Crossing the Ohio River at the mouth of Salt River, Rock Haven, Flippeii’s Run, Buck Creek and near the mouth of Wolf Creek they often came to hunt game. Many weapons and perfect specimens of small pottery of exquisite Indian workmanship have been unearthed at many places in the county. Perhaps the oldest Indian graveyard in Meade County was on the site of the lithographic works above Brandenburg. J. L. Logsden and others excavated this site. Mr. Logsden states that he had scruples about disturbing the resting place of even a savage. Below … Read more

Benjamin Keith began his work a little later than his brother. His ministerial life extended over half a century. He was identified with “Otter Creek Association of Regular Baptists” organized at the Otter Creek meetinghouse, October 25, 1839. This association was composed of the anti-missionary factions of the churches of Salem Association. Benjamin Keith was a remarkable preacher and did much good in all this section. The original minute book of the Otter Creek Baptist Church was in his possession. Unfortunately the records of the church and of the Otter Creek Association are now lost. Benjamin Keith, while visiting relatives … Read more

The present Phillips Memorial Baptist Church was gathered, Wednesday, February 11, 1829. The name given the organization was Mount Pleasant. It is within the degree of probability that the church was gathered in the house of Henry Yeakey on the hill that is occupied by the present meetinghouse. No one knows now as all the records were burned in the house of John K. Ditto, for many years the efficient church clerk. Simeon Buchanan was the first pastor. Brandenburg was a busy river town of over 300 inhabitants. From the town and country twenty-six members were reported to the association … Read more

In 1778 Squire Boone passing through this way in company with a certain John McKinney discovered at the head of Doe Run a spring which he frequented sundry times. In 1780 Squire Boone entered for Joseph Helm at this place 1,000 acres of land. August 20, 1786, Patrick Henry, Esquire, governor of the commonwealth of Virginia, signed the patent for this land which ad-joined 5,000 acres entered by James Larue. The land at the head of Doe Run was covered with large sugar trees. In November or December 1780 John Essery was with Samuel Wells, Senior, and others in the … Read more

About the same time the Richardsons came to Meade County from White Hall, New York. They landed at Richardson’s Landing on the Ohio River and settled at Payneville, Kentucky-. David Richardson and Lydia Ackley were married at White Hall, New York, August 11, 1790. Their son Daniel S. Richardson married Polly Hurd, April 11, 1818. Polly Hurd Richardson was the first person buried in the Richardson graveyard on the Richardson place between Midway and Payneville. One of the first doctors in Meade County was Doctor John Haynes of Virginia. He was a man of good education and received his medical … Read more

Before the white men came to Kentucky, the territory in the great bend of the Ohio River from the mouth of Otter Creek to the mouth of Sinking Creek was a veritable hunters’ paradise. Heavily wooded broken ground along the streams, dense forests on the knobs and thick timber in the groves furnished shelter for the abundant game. Thousands of acres of land bare of trees but covered with grasses and native clovers furnished grazing in summer for large herds of deer, elk and bison. Dense canebrakes provided abundant forage in winter Elk Grove, Doe Run, Elk Wallow, Sulphur Lick, … Read more