200 Years of Stories: Celebrating Oldham County’s Bicentennial
Cole•
10 Fun Facts About Oldham County’s Early History from the Oldham County History Center 1. The Commander of the U.S. Naval Fleet, during the Revolutionary War, was Commander Richard Taylor
10 Fun Facts About Oldham County’s Early History from the Oldham County History Center
1. The Commander of the U.S. Naval Fleet, during the Revolutionary War, was Commander Richard Taylor who moved to Oldham County in the 1794 with a land grant of 5,333 acres, given to him for service in the Revolutionary War. The name of Taylor’s farm was Woodlawn, located on a ridge west of Westport.
2. By 1824 when Oldham County was founded, three famous internationally known people had been born that were part of Oldham County’s and the world’s history: Freemasonic leader Dr. Rob Morris (1818-1888) , Freedom seeker, abolitionist and Underground Railroad conductor Henry Bibb (1815-1854) and two-time Governor of Illinois, Richard James Oglesby (1824-1899).
3. According to census records, in 1840 the population in Oldham County was 4,858 whites 145 free blacks, and 2,377 enslaved laborers.
4. In the 1840 census, the population of LaGrange, designated as the county seat in 1838, was 433 people.
5. The first county seat was in a small village called Lynchburg near the junction of Hwy. 53 and Hwy. 42.
6. The first murder case on record was in 1824 where enslaved Lucy, woman of color, was convicted of murder of her enslaver, Elizabeth Smith, (wife of Isaac Smith) by grinding glass and putting into a stew that Lucy served to Elizabeth.
7. The first ferry in Oldham County was operated by Levi Bowyer that connected Westport to the Indiana territory. The ferry was operated by horsepower. Bowyer had a stone building on the Indiana side that served as a general store, post office and saloon.
8. Oldham County became part of a famous classic book, Democracy in America written by Alexis de Tocqueville about his observations on American life. Tocqueville, travelling down the Ohio River, made a stop in Westport in 1831 because of severe ice conditions on the river.
9. The first and only Kentucky Masonic College was established in LaGrange in 1850. Built in 1841, it had previously served as a school for children of Masonic families.
10. In 1836 a large portion of northeastern Oldham County and parts of Henry County were taken to create Trimble County.
For more information: Oldham County History Center, 106 N. Second Ave., LaGrange, KY 502.222.0826 info@oldhamkyhistory.com, www.oldhamkyhistory.com, facebook: Oldham County History Center
