Announcements
Us and some of our friends
The Bullitt County Genealogical Society meets the third Saturday of the month at the Ridgway Memorial Library at the corner of Second and Walnut streets, Shepherdsville. The meeting time is 11:00 a.m. Note: Instead of a regular Society meeting this month, we will be having a Christmas Social at the home of David and Bonnie Strange, 878 Peaceful Way, on December 12 at 2:00 p.m. Thanks Dave and Bonnie for your hospitality.
The Mt. Washington Historical Society meets the first and third Tuesday of the month at the Lloyd House, Old Highway 31E and Dooley Drive. The meeting time is 7:00 p.m. Note: There will be an, “Old Tyme Christmas Open House” at the Lloyd House Museum from 2:00-4:00 p.m.on Saturday, December 12. Bring the whole family and enjoy the decorations, refreshments, treats for the kids, door prizes and holiday music. Tour the old Lloyd House while you are there. This event is free of charge.
The Spencer County Genealogical Society meets the fourth Monday of the month at the Spencer County Library, 168 Taylorsville Road. Meeting time is 7:00 p.m.
The Louisville Genealogical Society meets the first and fourth Tuesday of the month at the LDS Church, Hurstbourne Parkway and Linn Station Road. Meeting time is 1:00 p.m. Note: The Society will have Christmas luncheon at the Big Springs Country Club Tuesday December 8 at 11:30 a.m. For additional information, go to kylgs.org.
The Bullitt County History Museum will be closed December 24 and 25 for the Christmas Holidays.
“More Bullitt County Memories, Second in a Series,” has arrived and is available for purchase. Like the original, “Bullitt County Memories,” it is an expanded compilation of articles from the Sunday Edition, Neighborhood Section, of the Courier –Journal by David Strange and Charles Hartley.
The following information applies to both books:
Price: $20 each
Purchase at:
Bullitt County History Museum, 300 South Buckman St., Shepherdsville, Ky.
Kroger—Shepherdsville, KY
Kroger—Mt. Washington, KY
Mud Lane Kroger—Hillview, KY
If purchased from the Museum, we pay the sales tax and shipping. With Christmas Season coming on, these books are sure-fire winners as gifts.
Not to be outdone, Betty Darnell, long-time Genealogical Society member and author, has informed us that her long anticipated biography, “Henry Crist-Businessman on the Kentucky Frontier,” is at the publisher, and while it will not be available until January, you can pre-order today.
I’ll let Betty tell you all about it:
Henry Crist
Businessman on the Kentucky Frontier
The Crist Families in Bullitt, Nelson, and Spencer Counties in Kentucky
Henry Crist was prominent in the early history of Bullitt County. Land records, court documents, and Collins’ History of Kentucky show him as a pioneer businessman, land speculator, Indian fighter, builder, farmer, judge, state representative, state senator, and United States Congressman. He was born in 1764 and came to this area in 1780, at age sixteen. He was acquiring land and learning the saltmaking trade.
Crist was an early saltmaker, operating at Bullitts Lick and at Long Lick. His exploits at the “Battle of the Kettles” are recorded in Kentucky histories. He built the first Bullitt County courthouse in 1804. He served as a justice of the peace for many years, and was named state representative in 1795, from Nelson County, and again in 1806, from Bullitt County. He served in the state senate, 1800 to 1804, and was elected to the United States Congress in 1809, the only Bullitt Countian to serve in the US Congress.
He died in 1844 near Shepherdsville, and in 1869, his remains were re-interred at the State Cemetery at Frankfort.
Shepherdsville attorney Burlyn Pike became fascinated with Crist, after seeing his name in land and court records in Bullitt County. He began writing a book on Crist’s activities, and collecting information on his descendants. For several years, I helped Mr. Pike with the research, and after his death, his widow asked me to continue the work.
The book includes transcripts from books, magazines, newspapers, and circuit court records, relating the story of Henry Crist, as well as a transcript of Henry Roy Selman’s notes from the George Nicholas Crist Account Book. The “families” section includes information on descendants of Nicholas Crist:
A. Henry Crist married Rachel Cartmell; their children: Sarah Thomas, Catherine “Kitty” Norvell, Rebecca Kinnison Jones, Susan Hamilton, Henry Spears, Eliza Jones, and Julia Swearingen. Henry also had children with Sophia Withers: Catherine Hibbs, John Frank, Margaret Harris Alexander, Henry Clay, John Rowan, Benjamin, and Sarah Ann Rayman.
B. Catherine Crist married, first, Nathan Cartmell; their son: Henry Cartmell Martin. Catherine married, second, John Leewright.
C. Nicholas Crist Jr. had a daughter born in Pennsylvania: Sarah Deacon Jarboe. Nicholas married Ruth Briscoe; their children: Nancy Briscoe Brady, Briscoe P., Catherine Talbott Miller, Henrietta Burilla David, Llewellyn Holsclaw, and Henry C.
D. Rebecca Crist married Jacob Cartmell; their children: Nicholas, Sarah Lane Timmons, Catharine “Kitty” Higdon, and Elizabeth Nelson.
E. Jacob Crist married Rogeneah Cartmell; their children: Catharine Cochran, Rebecca McGee; Sarah Ann Collings, and Nathan.
Information is also included on George Crist of Spencer County, Kentucky (he married Mildred Payne; their children: Charlotte Gregory, Harrison, Joseph, Elizabeth Ellen Rogerson, Eliza Jane Cain, Anna, Georg, and Mary), and on Catherine (Crist) Jennings of Nelson County, Kentucky.
Hardcover, 8½ x 11, 326 pages, photographs, maps, images of documents, name and locality index.
Henry Crist, Businessman on the Kentucky Frontier; The Crist Families in Kentucky
Please send __ copies at $40 plus $5 for mailing (total $45) each (after 30 Nov 2015, $50 plus $5 for mailing)
Contact Betty R. Darnell (bettyd0150 at att.net) or the museum for details.
News and Views
Where in the world is Adam Shepherd?
As we know from the old records, and the story written by Charles Hartley, Adam Shepherd came to our area about 1781, and over a number of years surveyed thousands of acres for his father Peter, and himself. Of all these acres he surveyed across this part of the frontier, he and his family settled in the area that became Bullitt County, where he founded our town of Shepherdsville in 1793. The mystery is, where exactly did he live, and where has he been sleeping for the past 196 years?
Not to worry, because we have our own History Detective on the job. Long time genealogical society member Daniel Buxton has been researching Adam for some time, and believes that he resided, and is buried somewhere in the vicinity of West Highway 245/Clermont/Pumpkin Center area.
I will let you know when Daniel comes up with anything definitive about our founding father. In the meantime, if you have any old family stories, letters, documents, or just an idea that may shed some light on these questions, please call (502) 921-0161, or email us at BullittCountyHistory.org. Daniel thinks he is out there just waiting to be found. I don’t know about you, but my money is on Daniel!
Good News
Mark Gardner has been making great progress completing the repair and restoration of our Display Room B. As you probably recall, about a year ago the ceiling fell, made a mess, and deprived us of some much needed space. The duct work has been replaced and the balance of the room has been painted. We are now waiting on the completion of the drywall to cover the duct work, a little more paint, and we will be ready to go. Thanks for hanging in there with us Mark.
Calling all Volunteers
As I have said before, we have an outstanding group of volunteers. The only problem is, there are just not enough of them. There are really only two qualifications you must have to be a museum volunteer. You must have an interest in history/genealogy, and a few free hours per week. There is no experience necessary. We will train you (as the volunteers are training me).
If you think you, or someone you know, might be interested in becoming a volunteer, give me a call at (502) 921-0161,or email me Will.Burden at bullittcountyhistory.org. We can fit your schedule. (Caution; this type work can be extremely gratifying, but highly addictive).
The Bullitt County History Museum, a service of the Bullitt County Genealogical Society, is located in the county courthouse at 300 South Buckman Street (Highway 61) in Shepherdsville, Kentucky. The museum, along with its research room, is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. Saturday appointments are available by calling 502-921-0161 during our regular weekday hours. Admission is free. The museum, as part of the Bullitt County Genealogical Society, is a 501(c)3 tax exempt organization and is classified as a 509(a)2 public charity. Contributions and bequests are deductible under section 2055, 2106, or 2522 of the Internal Revenue Code. Page last modified: 13 Sep 2024 . Page URL: bullittcountyhistory.org/newsletters/newsletter07dec15.html
