Crab Orchard in Lincoln County, Kentucky — The American South (East South Central)

A View from Sportsman’s Hill

Photographed by Tom Bosse, April 12, 2017

1. A View from Sportsman’s Hill Marker

Inscription. The threat of an attack by a large Native American raiding party was a very real possibility in 1788 when William Whitley established a horse race track at Sportsman’s Hill. This threat continued for the next six years. By 1794, most attacks were by small raiding parties on single individuals or small groups in isolated settings. Completed in 1794, Whitley’s home was the first brick house in Kentucky and the first west of the Allegheny Mountains. It was visible from the Wilderness Road. The vista from atop “Sportsman’s Hill” above the circular track afforded a view of the surrounding area and any approaching party. The close proximity of the house and the hill which can be seen from one to the other was mutually supportive if any type of attack were to occur. From the crest of the hill it was possible for the race spectators to view the race in its entirety and also the surrounding area. With the spectators grouped together at the crest of the hill, they could move in unison to the festivities and safety of the brick house. Luckily, no attack or assault ever materialized. The thundering sound of the horses’

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hooves in the autumn races echoed for years unmolested about the hill.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Indigenous Peoples and Communities • Settlements & Settlers • Sports. In addition, it is included in the Kentucky, Sportman’s Hill series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1788.

Location. 37° 28.159′ N, 84° 32.686′ W. Marker is in Crab Orchard, Kentucky, in Lincoln County. It can be reached from William Whitley Road. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Crab Orchard KY 40419, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Kentucky’s The Knobs.

It is also in the American South,

specifically in the Upper South,

in Appalachia,

and specifically in Southern Appalachia. Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture

and also the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Where Racing Turned Around (about

Sportsman’s Hill Marker Locations image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Tom Bosse

2. Sportsman’s Hill Marker Locations

400 feet away, measured in a direct line); The Legacy of Sportsman’s Hill at Crab Orchard (about 600 feet away); A Little Bit to Eat at the Race (about 700 feet away); Celebration (approx. 0.2 miles away); Beginning of Horse Racing in Kentucky (approx. 0.2 miles away); Sportsman's Hill / Whitley House - 1785 (approx. ¼ mile away); Sportsman Hill (approx. ¼ mile away); Sportsman's Hill (approx. half a mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Crab Orchard.

William Whitley House image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Tom Bosse, April 12, 2017

3. William Whitley House

William Whitley image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Tom Bosse

4. William Whitley

Photographed by Tom Bosse, April 12, 2017

5. A View from Sportsman’s Hill Marker

Sportsman’s Hill image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Tom Bosse, April 12, 2017

6. Sportsman’s Hill

Credits. This page was last revised on July 15, 2017. It was originally submitted on July 14, 2017, by Tom Bosse of Jefferson City, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 592 times since then and 25 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on July 14, 2017, by Tom Bosse of Jefferson City, Tennessee. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.