l
74 UNION COUNTY PAST AND PRESENT
Meanwhile, the development of land transportation was slow.
» Impeded by rivers that had to be forded, and by dense canebrake
· l that covered the lower lands, the roads followed the lines of
least resistance which frequently led to their location along
routes badly adapted to transportation purposes. Combined with
3 this initial handicap was an insuflicient road fund, the poll tax
amounting to but 37.5 cents in 1836.
George Huston, of Morganfield, in his Memories of Eighty
Years describes the main-traveled highway that, in 1835, crossed
Union County. In that year he was a thirteen-year—old boy leav-
ing home for the first time to go to school in Morganiield. Of
that trip he says:
The only way I could go to Morganfield was by mail wagon. At that
time there was a mail route by land from Louisville to Shawneetown,
Illinois, and John Collins of Henderson was contractor to carry the mail
over this long, rough route. Hillery Kibby well-known to the old citizens, l
was a driver for Collins from Morganfield to Owensboro, going up one day
and down the next, and resting over Sunday. `
Hillery Kibby‘s conveyance was a broad, shallow box, roughly fastened
over the forewheels of a light wagon and drawn by two horses. Two hoop
poles arched above the pine supporting a cover of cotton cloth, and two
‘ planks served for seats. There were no springs of any kind. It was ar- `
ranged with Mr. Kibby that he was to come to our house and to have
_ breakfast and that he should take me to Morganfield. Mr. Kibby came at
the appointed hour; there was already one traveller on the "jumper,’? as the
mail conveyance was called, and they reached our house very early.
After breakfast mother wrapped me up very carefully, with warm socks
over my shoes and a heavy blanket around me over my coat. Then we got
aboard, took our seats on the boards and started for Green River, which
was two miles away. The day set was Saturday, the 21st day of January
1835. For well do I remember the date as a new departure in my voyage `
of life.
There had been a heavy rain the night before; the 1·oads were very muddy
and had been trampled deeply and cut up, and the sudden cold of the `
= morning had frozen them hard and fast. The sharp points of frozen earth `
made it rough traveling without springs. It was jump, jump over the frozen
ground. I remember a remark of the traveller who said: "I have just ,
found out what the cover is for; it is to hold us in."
Vlfhen we reached Green River the water was high and the current was
strong. We crossed at Calhoun's Ferry, and our means of crossing was a l
row-boat, and while we were going across I was detailed to hold the horses.
The ferryman, Mr. Kibby and the traveller took the oars and by pulling f
up stream near the shore in deep water for a long distance and then, by 3
main strength, crossing the river, we managed to land not so very far from  
the right place. ‘
We then boarded the "jumper" again and were off for a long day's I
journey over a bad road. \/Ve changed horses every ten or twelve miles. lf {
" ` '•\·»*‘