[From the _Kentucky Gazette_ (August 25, 1826)]
This country was well known to the Indian traders many years before
its settlement. They gave a description of it to Lewis Evans, who
published his first map of it as early as 1752.
In the year 1750,[2] Dr. Thomas Walker, Colby Chew, Ambrose Powell
and several others from the counties of Orange and Culpepper, in the
state of Virginia, set out on an excursion to the Western Waters; they
traveled down the Holstein river, and crossed over the Mountains into
Powell's valley, thence across the Cumberland mountain at the gap
where the road now crosses, proceeded on across what was formerly
known by the name of the Wilderness until they arrived at the
Hazlepath; here the company divided, Dr. Walker with a part continued
north until they came to the Kentucky river which they named Louisa or
Levisa river. After traveling down the excessive broken or hilly
margin some distance they became dissatisfied and returned and
continued up one of its branches to its head, and crossed over the
mountains to New River at the place called Walker's Meadows.
In the year 1754 James McBride with some others, passed down the Ohio
river in canoes, and landed at the mouth of the Kentucky river, where
they marked on a tree the initials of their names, and the date of the
year. These men passed through the country and were the first who gave
a particular account of its beauty and richness of soil to the
inhabitants of the British settlements in America.
No further notice seems to have been taken of Kentucky until the year
1767, when John Finlay with others (whilst trading with the Indians)
passed through a part of the rich lands of Kentucky. It was then
called by the Indians in their language, the Dark and Bloody Grounds.
Some difference took place between these traders and the Indians, and
Finlay deemed it prudent to return to his residence in North Carolina,
where he communicated his knowledge of the country to Col. Daniel
Boone and others. This seems to have been one of the most important
events in the history of Kentucky, as it was the exciting cause which
prompted Col. Boone shortly afterwards to make his first visit to the
Dark and Bloody Grounds.