Grayson County

Grayson County was organized in 1810, out of parts of Ohio and Hardin counties, the 54th formed in the state, and named in honor of Colonel Wm. Grayson. It is situated in the west middle part of the state, and bounded north by Breckinridge and Hardin counties, east by Hart, south by Edmonson, and west by Ohio and Butler. The face of the country is generally level, and the land about second rate. The County abounds with fine timber, and in portions of it has stone coal and iron ore. Wheat, corn, oats, grass and tobacco are the leading productions. The principal water courses are: Nolin, Rough, Rock, Big Clifty, Little Clifty, Short, Bear, Canoloway, and Caney creeks.

Towns
Litchfield, the County seat, named after Maj. David Leitch (of Leitch's station, Campbell County, Kentucky), who was the patentee of the land on which it stands, and donated the site of the town, 110 miles from Frankfort and 73 miles from Louisville, is a thriving town on the Elizabethtown and Paducah railroad; incorporated February 5, 1866; population in 1870, 314, but in January 1873, over 500; it contains an elegant new court house, 3 churches (Roman Catholic, Baptist, and Reformed or Christian), 1 high school, 1 common and 1 colored school, 7 lawyers, 4 physicians, 5 dry goods and grocery stores, 1 drug store, 10 mechanics' shops and several other business houses, 3 hotels, and 2 tanneries.
Millerstown, on Nolin River, 15 miles east of Litchfield; incorporated in 1825; population in 1870, 80.
Caneyville, on the E. & P. R. R., 13 miles west of Litchfield, is a growing village, of 75 inhabitants.

Members of the Legislature from Grayson County, since 1816.

Senate
Wm. Cunningham, 1826-34;
Eli Bozarth, 1851-53;
William L. Conklin, 1853-57 and 1869-73.

House of Representatives
William Love, 1816;
John Cunningham, 1817, '18, '35;
Wm. Cunningham, 1819, '20, '39;
Wm. English, 1821, '22, '27;
Jeremiah Cox, 1824,'25;
Wm. C. Wortham, 1828, '31;
Thos. M. Yates, 1829, '32;
Jas. H. Wortham, 1830;
Chas. Wortham, 1833, '34, '45, '46;
Willis Green, 1836, '37;
Val. Yates, 1838;
Wm. M. Gray, 1840, '43, '44, '50;
Wm. L. Conklin, 1841, '48, '61-63, '65-67;
Eli Bozarth, 1842, '47;
Isaac H. Deweese, 1849;
Jas. Edelin, 1851-53;
Anderson Gray, 1853-59;
Lafayette Green, 1859-61;
Caleb Stinson, 1863-65;
Jere. W. Bozarth, 1867-69;
Austin D. Weller, 1869-71;
J. M. White, 1871-73;
R. W. Brandon, '73-75.

Grayson Springs, a celebrated watering place and summer resort, situated 2½ miles from the railroad and 5 miles from Litchfield, The number of white sulphur springs here is remarkable, about 100 of them on a single quarter-acre of land, said to be more strongly impregnated with sulphur than any in the United States; they vary in temperature, some very cold and others very warm, and are valuable for their medicinal properties, their use having effected many wonderful cures. Great improvements in the hotel accommodations have recently been made.

The Elizabethtown and Paducah Railroad passes through Grayson County for over twenty-five miles. With the direct connection to Louisville over its own main line, it will still more rapidly develop the valuable lands of Grayson, which have so long lain out of reach of markets.

Remains, in the solid limestone rock, at points not far from Grayson Springs, are the exact and perfect tracks of human feet, much larger than the ordinary size; the toes, heels, length and breadth of the feet are imprinted with wonderful exactness. On the slope of a high hill, 12 miles from Litchfield, are to be seen, also in the solid rock, two inches deep, the hoof or foot tracks of horses, mules, and colts, some of them shod; they showed that some of the animals were walking, others running; in size, some were 6 inches across. In stripping off the earth on which timber is growing, these tracks can be seen, covering an area of acres of ground.


Colonel William Grayson, for whom this County was named, was a native of Virginia. He was first elected a member of Congress in 1784. He was a member of the Virginia convention which was called to ratify the constitution of the United States. In this illustrious assembly his talents rendered him conspicuous. He opposed the adoption of the constitution. Alter the adoption of the constitution he was elected in conjunction with Richard H. Lee to represent his native State in the senate of the United States. He died March 12th, 1790, while on his way to Congress.


Source: History of Kentucky, Volume II, by Lewis Collins, Published by Collins & Company,
Covington, Kentucky, 1874