Kentucky Roots

Before Bardstown, Kentucky became an official town in 1788, the surrounding region was already filling with pioneers traversing the Wilderness Road blazed by Daniel Boone ten years before. Among those early settlers was Thomas Newman who migrated from Botetourt County, Virginia and settled west of Bardstown on 400 acres he was awarded in 1783 for his service during America's Revolutionary War. Thomas and his wife, Mary, arrived in 1785 with 6 children and doubled that count with the birth of their last child in 1791. Their land acquisitions also increased and by the time of Thomas' death in 1820 he owned at least 900 acres along Lick Creek, 12 miles west of Bardstown. It is the graves of Thomas and Mary Newman that I've come here to find. They were my 5th great grandparents.

June 1, 2013

I exited the Blue Grass Parkway two miles shy of Bardstown under a darkening sky and imminent threat of rain.  The  "America's Inn" motel seemed a convenient choice, especially because the expected deluge commenced as soon as I released the last bungee cord from my pack and hefted it to the covered walkway outside my room. Convenient except for food. I stood under the overhang watching the thunderous downpour, debating whether to snorkel my way to town for dinner or visit the gas station/convenience store across the highway where I might find a cellophane-wrapped sandwich. Either option would be quite a swim, albeit the latter was shorter. I waited for a break in the storm and made a run for it, returning with a sack full of nutrition-lacking snacks.

June 2, 2013

Next morning the weather hadn't changed much. More rain. But I had plenty of computer work to occupy my time as the afternoon drizzled on. Eventually, the clouds broke and sunshine steamed a dry path to town.

I entered Bardstown from the south on Hwy 31, passing a couple of odd looking warehouses --- Huge, 6-story structures, black with red-trimmed windows. I would later learn these are called "rack houses" where aging barrels of bourbon are stored and that Bardstown is considered the bourbon capital of Kentucky, home to several distilleries, including the granddaddy of them all, Jim Beam, whose ancestor, Jacob Beam, started the industry in these part back in 1795.

Immediately captivated by Bardstown's historic ambiance, I was soon wandering the streets, camera in hand, capturing photos of old stone buildings brightly lit by late afternoon sun. At the city hub, circled by a roundabout, is the impressive 1892 courthouse, now serving as the Bardstown Visitor Center. Among signs of historical interest is one announcing Bardstown's 2012 status as The Most Beautiful Small Town in America.     PICTURES

Across from the visitor center the Old Talbott Tavern has been in continuous operation, offering lodging, food and drink to travelers since it was built in 1779. Of course it wasn't always called the Talbott Tavern. It has been called  Hynes House, Bardstown Hotel, Chapman's House, Shady Bower Hotel, The Newman House (Interesting), Talbott Hotel, Talbott Tavern and Old Stone Tavern, Inc. (Reference: Nelson County Genealogical Roundtable, Pages 89 and 90, Nelson County Library.) History lists Daniel Boone among its early guests as well as the 2-child family of Thomas and Nancy Lincoln who stayed there in 1815 during a court battle over ownership of their farm near Hodgenville, about 20 miles south of Bardstown. The court ruled against Thomas Lincoln who, the following year, moved his family to Indiana. His son, Abraham, was then seven years old.

An interesting side note regarding the Old Talbott Tavern is my discovery that it was previously known as the "Newman House" before the proprietor, Thomas Newman, sold it to his in-laws, Ben and George Talbott in 1885. Obviously, this could not be "my" Thomas Newman who died in 1820. Nor could it be his son, also named Thomas, who died in 1828 at age 50. But the younger Thomas also had a son named Thomas who could have been living in 1885 or perhaps also passed on the name Thomas to the next generation. I wonder if one of them was the Thomas Newman in question?

Having accumulated a camera full of photos from a lengthy walk around town I looked forward to my first sit down dinner in several days, choosing a Mexican restaurant in the historic district. I was seated near a biker foursome, a family on a day ride from Louisville, 30-or-so miles north. We shared riding stories and they seemed downright interested in hearing about my lengthy journey but questioned the sanity of doing it alone. Didn't I get lonely? Well, I am too busy for loneliness and it probably helps that I'm not much of a talker anyway. This was the first actual conversation I'd had with anyone in over a week, maybe more.

Looking South on North 3rd Street

Bardstown Visitor Center Was Built in 1892 as The Nelson County Courthouse.
The flag at half mast is in honor of a Bardstown Police Officer who was 
shot and killed by ambush a week earlier.     Read about it  Here

The Visitor Center From Another Angle

The Old Talbot Tavern Was Built in 1779

Had Dinner Here

June 3, 2013

Top of the list on today's agenda was to find a laundromat and recycle my dirty clothes. I inquired at the office and the East Indian lady who, along with her husband, manages the small motel said for $7 per load she would do it. I was more than pleased with such convenience and was able to change plans, which included a visit to the Bardstown library to peruse the area history and perhaps find additional information on my ancestor, Thomas Newman.

I already have information that gravestones for Thomas and Mary no longer exist and that they are buried in what is called the Harned-Newman Cemetery at the intersection of Old Boston Road (Hwy 62) and Road 733 (Bellwood Road) about 12 miles west of Bardstown. I also knew, like many of the cemeteries in this part of the country, the graves are on private property. But I was unsure what corner of the intersection was the correct property and I wondered if the owner actually lived there? 

Consulting a book listing the area cemeteries I learned an actual address and that the Harned-Newman Cemetery was next to another small cemetery called "Sprigg Cemetery". Both had the same address. In viewing the interments I noted Sprigg was the married name of Hannah Harned, daughter of Jonathan and Catherine Harned who are said to be buried next to Thomas and Mary Newman. I suspect the Newmans are related to the Harneds and Spriggs but have yet to discover that connection.

Thomas Newman started with 400 acres on Lick Creek where it intersects the Beech Fork of the Rolling Fork of the Salt River. That location is pinpointed at the bottom left of the blue shaded area on the map below. It should be noted the shaded areas are complete speculation, merely connecting to Lick Creek and not necessarily placed on the correct "side" of Lick Creek. (As of this writing, two moths later, I kick myself for not attempting a verification of land boundaries by a records search at the Nelson County Courthouse in Bardstown.)

Thomas Newman purchased an additional 350 acres on Lick Creek in 1792 and another 160 acres in 1819, again on Lick Creek. The colored area on the map below is not to scale but shows the general vicinity of the properties.

Lick Creek, upstream from where it dumps into the "The Rolling Fork," comprises the left border of all properties. Lick Creek also runs along the northern border of the amber-shaded section. From there, it is approximately 1 mile to the grave of Thomas Newman, which would negate my assumption he was buried on his own property ..... unless that property, which is said to border Lick Creek, was on the north side of the creek and the 160 acre boundary was narrow enough to extend that far north? 

Estimated Vicinity of Thomas Newman's Land

June 4, 2013

Having procrastinated long enough, today's mission was to find Thomas Newman's grave. But knowing the gravestone had crumbled away years ago, it would be an imaginary viewing only. Actually, I didn't expect to find any markers at all, whether they be Harned, Sprigg or Newman. Nevertheless, I felt compelled to see and photograph the area.

Only the southeast corner of Old Boston Road and County Road 733 had trees and bushes capable of hiding a small cemetery. That and the fact the adjacent brick home had large numbers on the front matching the address listed in the library's cemetery book, I knew it was the correct spot. All I needed was permission to enter the property. But it didn't appear anyone was home.  Suddenly, as if meant to be, a car appeared from behind the house, coming down the gravel drive straight toward me.

I intercepted the young man behind the wheel and declared my affiliation with the cemetery, asking permission to view the graves. As if used to such requests he said I was certainly welcome to do so and that it had been recently mowed. I would have liked to talk to him more but, though congenial, he seemed disinterested in furthering the conversation, perhaps in a hurry to get to where he'd started for. I did learn that he has only owned the property for about a year and a half and knows no history of the graves there, but seems agreeable to their preservation, probably at the behest of a local cemetery association.

Even though my ancestors weren't among them I found the old stones fascinating. Jonathan Harned is also a veteran of The American Revolution. I noted he was 10 years younger and died 12 years after Thomas. Just the two men and their wives are listed as buried there. Jonathan's stone is barely discernible and has had a modern plaque placed at the bottom of it. The other stone, said to be Jonathan's wife, Catherine, has no discernible markings. Two oddly shaped, horizontal stones flank the standing stones but appear too thick to be toppled gravestones.  I'm curious as to their purpose, and even more curious as to the connection between the Harneds and Newmans? 

Some researchers have said Mary Newman's maiden name was Harned but most say it was Cockrane? As far as I know, no evidence has been discovered to prove either one. The modern marker for Jonathan Harned, plus the artificial flowers, indicate living descendants are tending his grave and perhaps live nearby. (I have since found leads to follow up on.)

Jonathan and Catherine Harned

Modern Marker For Jonathan Harned

Newman-Harned Cemetery Consists of Four Graves

After spending ample time photographing the area and capturing every conceivable angle of the Harned stones and those in the nearby Sprigg Cemetery, I looped south along Bellwood Road, a scenic country two-lane void of traffic, rolling by silo-dotted farms and grazing cattle, the highlights of which appear in the video below. My day ended at the Old Talbott Tavern for an early supper and historical pondering of life in these parts those many years ago.

Video of My Countryside Ride and Visit of Thomas Newman's Grave

Loop Ride Shown in Video Above

June 5, 2013

I planned on a narrated tour of Bardstown via the $5 trolley I learned about at the visitor center but abandoned the idea when my picture-taking walk to the starting point was taking much longer than anticipated. It was "iffy" if I'd make it in time for the top of the hour departure. So, I decided instead on lunch at the Circa Restaurant   , a converted stone home of 1780.

From the reasonably priced menu I ordered a BLGT sandwich, which is bacon, lettuce and “fried green” tomato. It was delicious and came with a uniquely flavored potato salad on a lettuce leaf garnished with grapes, cantaloupe, watermelon and slice of orange. I finished with a piece of Key Lime Pie and a cup of coffee while discussing with the waitress a wall-hung painting of "My Old Kentucky Home" located just a few blocks away, she said. I learned the waitress was not only the owner of the "live-in" restaurant but the artist of the painting. I made a mental note to visit "My Old Kentucky Home" as soon as I returned from my planned tour of the Jim Beam Distillery, 15 miles north of town at Clermont.

The Circa Restaurant is The Bardstown's Oldest Stone Home, Built in 1780

Owners of The Restaurant Live Upstairs

Inside Dining

Key Lime Pie

Jim Beam Distillery at Clermont, KY

Booker Noe, Grandson of Jim Beam, was "Master Distiller" (CEO) of the distillery 
from 1965 to 1995. He died in 2004 at age 74.

Aged at least 4 years, barrels of Jim Beam Bourbon are stored in "Rack Houses"

The Jim Beam Distillery has been in continuous operation since prohibition ended in 1932. The Beam family, however, started making bourbon in the area in 1795. The tour took longer than I anticipated and it was 5:15 p.m. by the time I returned to Bardstown, closing time for "My Old Kentucky Home." Needless to say, I missed the last tour. Though I could have easily spent a couple more days exploring Nelson County, Kentucky I was committed to a June 6th arrival in Washington, Indiana to visit my old Navy Buddy, Jim.

CLICK FOR JIM BEAM TOUR PICTURES