The History of Louisville, from the Earliest Settlement till the Year 1852Casseday, Ben
History
The History of Louisville, from the Earliest Settlement till the Year 1852
Casseday, Ben
Louisville (Ky.) -- Description and travel; Louisville (Ky.) -- History
Peace with Great Britain having been declared, the necessity for an army
on the borders of Virginia no longer existed; and as that State was
pressed for means, this army was disbanded, and the commission of Gen.
Clark withdrawn, with many thanks to this gentleman "for his very great
and singular services." This was soon followed by a much more substantial
testimony of the favor in which he was held by his native State, for
during the same year he and his soldiers received a grant of one hundred
and fifty thousand acres of land lying north of the Ohio, to be located
where they chose. They selected the region opposite to the falls, and thus
was founded the town of Clarksville, which still remains in a state
scarcely more improved than it then was.
Something like security and confidence was now established, and
consequently the immigration here was constant and large. Factories for
supplying the necessities of the household were established, schools were
opened, the products of the soil were carefully attended to, and abundant
crops were collected; several fields of wheat were gathered near
Louisville, and the whole country changed its character from that of a
series of military outposts to the more peaceful and more attractive one
of a newly settled, but rich and fruitful territory, where industry met
its reward, and where every one could live who was not too proud or too
indolent to work. It was during this year that a new era was opened to the
citizens of Louisville. A lot of merchandise, all the way from
Philadelphia, arrived at the falls, and Daniel Brodhead opened there a
retail store. The young ladies could now throw aside all the homely
products of their own looms, take the wooden skewers from their ill-bound
tresses, and, on festive occasions, shine in all the glories of flowered
calico and real horn combs. It is not known whether it was this worthy Mr.
Brodhead who was the first to introduce the luxury of glass window-lights,
but it is certain that previous to this time such an extravagance was
unknown; and there is an incident connected with the first window pane
which deserves a place here, and which is recorded in the words of an
author who is not more celebrated for his many public virtues, than for
his unceasing and incurable exercise of the private vice of punning. After
referring to the introduction of this innovation, this gentleman says: "A
young urchin who had seen glass spectacles on the noses of his elders, saw
this spectacle with astonishment, and running home to his mother
exclaimed, 'O, Ma! there's a house down here with specs on!" "This," he
adds, "may be considered a very precocious manifestation of the power of
generalization in the young Kentuckian."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account