5
Historical Sketch »
sembly created Knox County, Colonel Knox was serving as state senator (ibid.,
vol. 2, p. 776). _*_-T
The section of land in southeastern Kentucky, including the counties of
" Knox, Whitley, and Bell, and parts of others, was secured by the United States
` in 1805 from the Cherokee Indians for the benefit of Kentucky (U. R. Connelly
` and E. N. Coulter, History of Kentucky, vol. 1, p. 489),
As early as 1795 there were settlements on Poplar Creek, Flat Lick, and
Watt’s Creek, the latter in what is now Whitley County, At the house of John
Logan, June 25, 1800, it being the place appointed by the Kentucky General
Assembly for holding the first court in Knox County, a commission from his
Excellency, James Gerrard, Governor of Kentucky, directed to James Mahan,
_n' George Brittian, John Reddick, John Ballinger, and Jonathan hcheal, gentlemen
esquires, appointing them justices of the peace, was read. Pursuant to the
said commission, James Mahan administered the oaths of office and of fidelity
to Erittian, Reddick, Ballinger, and ncheal. Then John Ballinger administer-
11 ed the oath of office to James h&h&H• Alexander Goodwin received a commission
from Governor Garrard, bearing date of October 21, 1799, appointing him sher-
iff of Knox County. The court, thus composed, appointed Richard Ballinger as
clerk, John Ballinger, surveyor, George Brittian, tax commissioner, and Thomas
Goodwin, coroner (Order geek, entry 20%).
The court ordered the county laid off into four districts and constables
· appointed for each. John Alsop, Isaac Comstock, John Hudson, and John Eaton
i were appointed as the first constables (ibid.).
Uhcn the court decided to fix the seat of justice in Knox County in 0cto—
bor 1800, James Barbour off rod to give the county two acres of land for a
public square and onc—ha1f the proceeds from the salt of thirty~fivc adjacent
acres, if the court would locate the county seat on his land. This generous
offer of Mr. Barbour’s was unanimously accepted and the court ordered that the
seat of justice be fixed on the tract so presented. Thus, the town of Harbour-
_ ville camo into being (Deed Book, 1801, entry 28).
John Logan, James Mahan, John Roddick, Jorn Ballinger, James Johnson,
Josiah Collins, and Richard Ballinger were appointed commissioners to lay off
the new town. A report by the said commission, with p plan of "B