The Formation and Boundaries of Lyon County - page 3
Submitted by Jo An Scott - 2008
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Frederick H. Skinner and James S. Chandler
received the highest number of votes for Justices of the Peace and Morrison D. Wilcox for Constable in District Number One
Robert Pearce and James Ramey received the highest number of votes for Justices of the Peace and William Barnett for Constable in District Number 2.
Edward J. Smith and Samuel Duncan received the highest number of votes for Justice of the Peace in District Number 3.
John B. Stell and James P. Brewster received the highest number of votes for Justices of the Peace and James Sampler for Constable in District Number 4."
Collin's History of Kentucky describes Lyon County thus:
"Lyon County is the best watered county in Kentucky. Springs of limestone water abounding and the Tennessee and Cumberland Rivers furnish transportation. Livingston Creek, 100 miles long is one of the largest in the state. Eddy Creek, which flows from East to West through the center of the County is fed by large springs and makes possible several fine mills at all seasons."
Also from Collin's History of Kentucky we find the following items about Lyon County: "June, 1868: Lyon County voted by a 62 majority a subscription to the Elizabethtown-Paducah Railroad." (Later became the Illinois-Central Railroad).
"February 18, 1871. D. Howard Smith, state auditor, reported that Lyon County was still indebted $200,000.00." This was for the construction of the railroad.
Below are two copies made from the original land grants given to Thomas L. Baker and Preston M. Hildreth. Attention is called to the number of years a person had to prove his land before the grant became permanent.
" John Breathitt Esq.,
Governor of the COMMONWEALTH OF KENTUCKY, to all whom these presents shall come, Greeting:
KNOW YE, That by virtue and in consideration of a Kentucky Land Office Warrant No. 11804—There is granted by the said Commonwealth unto Thomas L. Baker a certain TRACT OR PARCEL OF LAND, containing one hundred fifty (150) acres by survey bearing date of 24th day of December one thousand eight hundred and twenty-two (1822) lying and being in the county of Caldwell on the water of Cumberland River and bounded as follows (to-wit): 29th day of March in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight and of the Commonwealth the sixty-sixth.
By the Governor:
C. S. Morehead Brown, Secretary"
The first deeds of Lyon County are recorded in Livingston and Caldwell County. In Lyon County's first deed book the writing is beautiful but almost illegible because of its form of script and its age. The descriptions, or calls, are fascinating because of their quaint phraseology and their lack of definiteness.
For example, these deeds would state:
"from a white oak tree go 39 steps to a pine tree (about 10 years old). Next go to a pond and from there, 22 steps to a large rock—"
"From a Negro boy standing in a field, go 27 steps to a Pig wallow—"
"From an oak tree by the side of the road go 300 feet to a dead elm tree; thence down to the right about 150 feet to a stalk of sassafras out in a fence row—"
Land was plentiful, the calls were vague and the deed always gave the acreage more or less. When the Corps of Engineers bought the land for the Barkley Lake impoundment, one family found that they had more land left after the government bought what was needed than the original deed called for.
Collin's History of Kentucky listed the products of Lyon County for the 1870's thus: "820,345 pounds of tobacco, 595 acres of hemp; 257,310 bushels of corn; 15,676 bushels of wheat." The livestock listed are: "1,193 horses; 592 mules. 2,995 cows and 4,838 hogs."
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