When residents wanted to open a new road or
change an existing road, an application was made to the county court. Three or
more men were appointed to view the road and report the advantages and
disadvantages to the court. If approved,
the court would issue summons to the land owners to give testimony regarding
why or why not the road should be approved. If approved, the court would order
the road work to be done. These road
orders are usually recorded in the county court order books and some counties
also have these transactions recorded in separate road order books. The road orders are a good way to learn the
names of neighbors. Yes, the James Ford mentioned below is the same man who operated Ford's Ferry Ohio in what was then Livingston County, but would now be in Crittenden County. John E. Wilson lived on the waters of Crooked Creek and was my 4th great grandfather.
On Monday,
the 2nd day of November 1829, James Ford made a motion to the Livingston County
Court that George Witherspoon, Joseph
Mercer, Dempsey Jerrald, John E. Wilson and Henry Shouse, or any three of them,
be appointed to lay out and mark a way for
a road from James Ford's ferry on the
Ohio River to intersect the road leading from Centreville.[1]
Ten days
later, George Witherspoon, John E. Wilson and Joseph Mercer made their report
on the prospective road.
"We the undersigned after
being duly sworn, commenced to view & mark out a way for a road from Jas.
Fords Ferry opposite the rock & cave, on the Ohio river, which was marked
as follows: viz, At or near Barker's old landing, with the old way through a
military survey of land, belonging to Mr. Singleton, living in Virginia, thence
through the land belonging to the heirs of Joseph Morris of the state of
Mississippi, thence through John Wider's Mr. Owen's, & then intersecting
the Salem road, & keeping sd. road until it passes the house of Joseph
Mercer, & through land belonging to Mary Mercer, thence through the land
belonging to George Witherspoon, & by Witherspoon's house, thence through Boling
Thompson's, Jas. Hillhouse's, James Thompson's of Virginia, David Elder's, John
E. Wilson's & by Wilson's house, David Mcleskey's, Richard Cruce's and Robt.
Woodsides, and intersecting with the road leading from Centreville to Ford's
old Ferry, where Barker's old road did
formerly. The conveniences are
these: A nearer, and we think a better
way for a road from Centreville to the Salt Works, than any other. It is, for the most part, a dry ridge way,
and yet tolerably well supplied with spring & stock water. Another is that Crooked Creek where it
crosses, is fordable, when it is not where the road from Centreville to Ford's
old Ferry crosses it. Another, that
there is a Waggon makers Shop on this way.
Under existing circumstances, we do not think there is any inconvenience
arising from the opening of this road, either to the public or
individuals. [signed] George
Witherspoon, Jno. E. Wilson, Joseph Mercer."[2]
[1]
Livingston County, Kentucky Court Order Book G, p. 393.
[2]
Livingston County, Kentucky Clerk's Court Misc. Papers 1829-1830-1831, County Clerk's Office, Smithland, Kentucky.
Published 17 Oct 2019, Western Kentucky Genealogy Blog, http://wkygenealogy.blogspot.com/
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