Crab Orchard in Lincoln County, Kentucky — The American South (East South Central)
Grand Gateway to Kentucky
Crab Orchard Kentucky
Photographed By Tom Bosse, April 12, 2017
1. Grand Gateway to Kentucky Marker
Inscription.
Grand Gateway to Kentucky. Crab Orchard Kentucky. Long Hunters, led by Elisha Walden, first recorded the beautiful orchard of crab apple trees in 1763. Soon, the long hunter's trail from Cumberland Gap to Crab Orchard, as it became known, carried a swelling tide of settlers. Crab Orchard, long known as the "grand gateway to Kentucky", became an important station. Some of those traveling the Wilderness Road settled here, including Colonel William Whitley and his wife, Esther. Col. whitley completed Sportsman's Hill, the first brick house in Kentucky near Crab orchard in 1794. It is now a State Historic Site. At his estate he constructed the first circular race track in America on which races were run in a counter-clockwise direction., Crab orchard's eight mineral springs were renowned for the medicinal properties. As early as 1827, Jack David built "A House of Entertainment" to exploit the springs. The elegant Crab Orchard Springs Hotel, with accommodations for 700 guests, was built about 1850. At the height of its popularity in the late 1850s, the hotel received almost 500 guests daily, among them John Hunt Morgan and his Lexington Rifles. Crab Orchard was known nationwide as the "Saratoga of the South"., During the Civil War the Wilderness Road was an important military route. Thousands of soldiers, Union anad Confederate, passed through Crab Orchard. John Hunt Morgan raided the town in 1862, destroying 120 Union supply wagons on the Somerset Road. The Union army turned the Baptist Church building into a hospital and in 1863 built a supply depot that helped supply the important Knoxville Campaign., (captions) , Top: The Civil War monument in the Crab Orchard Cemetery., Middle: The monument at the William Whitley House memorializes the race track that encircled the knoll in the background., Bottom: An advertisement for the Crab orchard Springs Hotel, ca..1880., Left: The William Whitley House, once known as the "Guardian of the Wilderness Road".
Long Hunters, led by Elisha Walden, first recorded the beautiful orchard of crab apple trees in 1763. Soon, the long hunter's trail from Cumberland Gap to Crab Orchard, as it became known, carried a swelling tide of settlers. Crab Orchard, long known as the "grand gateway to Kentucky", became an important station. Some of those traveling the Wilderness Road settled here, including Colonel William Whitley and his wife, Esther. Col. whitley completed Sportsman's Hill, the first brick house in Kentucky near Crab orchard in 1794. It is now a State Historic Site. At his estate he constructed the first circular race track in America on which races were run in a counter-clockwise direction.
Crab orchard's eight mineral springs were renowned for the medicinal properties. As early as 1827, Jack David built "A House of Entertainment" to exploit the springs. The elegant Crab Orchard Springs Hotel, with accommodations for 700 guests, was built about 1850. At the height of its popularity in the late 1850s, the hotel received almost 500 guests daily, among them John Hunt Morgan and his Lexington Rifles. Crab Orchard was known nationwide as the "Saratoga of the South".
During the Civil War the Wilderness Road was an important military route. Thousands of soldiers, Union anad Confederate, passed through Crab Orchard. John Hunt Morgan
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raided the town in 1862, destroying 120 Union supply wagons on the Somerset Road. The Union army turned the Baptist Church building into a hospital and in 1863 built a supply depot that helped supply the important Knoxville Campaign.
(captions)
Top: The Civil War monument in the Crab Orchard Cemetery.
Middle: The monument at the William Whitley House memorializes the race track that encircled the knoll in the background.
Bottom: An advertisement for the Crab orchard Springs Hotel, ca..1880.
Left: The William Whitley House, once known as the "Guardian of the Wilderness Road".
Location. 37° 27.745′ N, 84° 30.369′ W. Marker is in Crab Orchard, Kentucky, in Lincoln County. Marker is on Main Street (Kentucky Route 39) south of Cherry Street, on the right when traveling north. Marker is located in front of the Post Office. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 209 Main Street, Crab Orchard KY 40419, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Here, off duty till the last reveille, rest the southern soldiers, few in number who were slain in this and in the adjoining counties, during the War of Secession. They fell among strangers, unknown, unfriended, yet not unhonered; For strangers hands have gathered their ashes here and placed his shaft above them, that constancy, valor, sacrifice of self, though displayed in fruitless enterprise may not be unremembered.
Photographed By Tom Bosse
6. General John Hunt Morgan
Credits. This page was last revised on July 10, 2017. It was originally submitted on July 9, 2017, by Tom Bosse of Jefferson City, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 575 times since then and 52 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on July 9, 2017, by Tom Bosse of Jefferson City, Tennessee. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.