The History of Louisville, from the Earliest Settlement till the Year 1852 Part 6

27th. The _Exchange_--built at Louisville in 1818, and owned by David L.

Ward, of Jefferson county, Kentucky; in the Louisville trade; 200 tons burthen.

28th. The _Louisiana_--built at New Orleans in 1818, and owned by Mr.

Duplissa of New Orleans; in the Natchez trade; 45 tons burthen.

29th. The _James Ross_--built at Pittsburg in 1818, and owned by Messrs.

Whiting and Stackpole, of Pittsburg; in the Louisville trade. This boat has lately made a trip from New Orleans to Shippingport, in sixteen days and a half, having lost sixty one hours and eight minutes in discharging cargo on the way. Had on board 200 tons cargo; 330 tons burthen.

30th. The _Frankfort_--built at Pittsburg in 1818, and owned by Messrs.

Voorhies and Mitch.e.l.l of Frankfort, Kentucky; in the Louisville trade; 320 tons burthen.

31st. The _Tamerlane_--built at Pittsburg in 1818, and owned by Messrs.

Boggs and Co., of New York; in the Louisville trade; 320 tons burthen.

32d. The _Cedar Branch_--built in 1818, and owned at Maysville, Kentucky; in the Louisville trade; 250 tons burthen.

33d. The _Experiment_--built at Cincinnati in 1818, and owned at that place; 40 tons burthen.

34th The _St Louis_--built at Shippingport in 1818, and owned by Messrs.

Hewes, Dougla.s.s, Johnson and others; in the St. Louis trade; 220 tons burthen.

35th. The _Vesta_--built at Cincinnati in 1817, and owned by Captain Jenkins of that place; in the Louisville trade; 100 tons burthen.

36th. The _Rifleman_--built at Louisville in 1819, and owned by Messrs.

Butler and Barners, of Russelville, Kentucky; in the Louisville trade; 250 tons burthen.

37th. The _Alabama_--a small boat, built on Lake Ponchetrane in 1818; in the Red River trade.

38th. The _Rising States_--built at Pittsburg in 1819, and owned by W. F.

Peterson and Co., of Louisville; in the Louisville trade.

39th. The _General Pike_--built at Cincinnati in 1819, intended to ply between Louisville, Cincinnati, and Maysville, as a packet, and owned by a company in Cincinnati.

40th. The _Independence_--owned by Captain Nelson, and intended to ply between Louisville and St. Louis.

41st. The _United States_--built at Jeffersonville, Indiana, in 1819; owned by Hart and others, and has two separate engines, made in England.

She is doubtless the finest merchant steamboat in the universe, drawing but little water, and capable of carrying 3000 bales of cotton; in the Louisville trade; 700 tons burthen.

The interest of this subject and the quant.i.ty of material which presses upon us in regard to it have for awhile led us to forget the proper order of our history, to which it will be necessary now to revert. Commencing then with 1811 we have first to record the erection of a Catholic Chapel by the Rev. Mr. Badin. This building was situated upon a lot given by Mr.

Tarascon, near the present corner of Eleventh and Main streets. It was built in the Gothic style, and was a small edifice. The lot upon which it stood was used as the cemetery of the church, and many years afterward in digging out Eleventh street; skulls, bones, and portions of bodies were thrown up from this graveyard.

With the opening of the year 1812, was commenced the first Bank ever inst.i.tuted in Louisville. This was the branch of the Bank of Kentucky.

Previous to this, there was an unincorporated establishment named the Louisville Bank, whose capital of about 75,000 dollars was thrown into this Bank, with an addition of 25,000 dollars, making for the first incorporated Bank a capital of 100,000 dollars. This bank was situated on the North side of Main street, near the corner of Fifth, and was under the direction of Thomas Prather,[11] President, and John Bustard, Cashier. An additional impetus was also given to the commercial prosperity of the town by the establishment, during this year, of an iron foundry by Mr. Paul Skidmore. The attention of this foundry was directed to casting gudgeons for water and horse mills, dog and smoothing irons, and odd oven lids.

From this small beginning arose that branch of industry now so large and of so vital importance to the city. A brief sketch of the progress of foundries since that time may be interesting to the reader. Mr. Skidmore was succeeded by Joshua Headington, who continued the same description of business with little if any improvement until 1817, when he was in his turn succeeded by Prentiss and Bakewell, who undertook the building of Steam engines, getting a part of the machinery from Philadelphia, and a part from Pittsburg, but they did not succeed very satisfactorily until 1825, when they built some engines for small boats which performed respectably. These gentlemen dissolved their connection about 1826. Mr.

Prentiss continued the business a short time alone, and then sold one half of his establishment to Jacob Keffer, who was to superintend the foundry.

In 1831, this foundry ceased operations, and Messrs. D. L. Beatty, John Curry, and Jacob Beckwith built a foundry and carried on successfully the casting and steam engine business. These gentlemen erected the first air furnace which ever proved of any value; built the first regular boring-mill, and subst.i.tuted the blowing cylinder instead of the common wood and leather bellows. There are now six foundries for building steam-engines and machinery of all kinds in full operation, beside six extensive Stove Foundries.

The legislature of the State pa.s.sed an act during this year ordering Main street to be paved from cross No. 3 to cross No. 6, at the expense of the owners of lots fronting on said street. While the paving was progressing agreeably to this order, an honest Scotchman came by from the vicinity with a loaded wagon. "What'll ye be doin' there?" was his salutation to the superintendent of the work. "Paving the street," was the answer.

"Pavin', do ye say, weel, weel, when it's done, I'll willinly pay my peart o' it, for I hae had awfu' wark gettin' through it a' before." It is not recorded whether this honest gentleman was called on for his "peart," but it is presumed he was enabled to enjoy these advantages gratis.

It was also about this period that a Methodist church was built in this place. This church is the one referred to in the communication published a few pages previous. It was the second church of any kind ever built in the city, and was erected by the subscriptions of all the citizens. It was under the direction of the Methodists, but was opened to ministers of all denominations. It was situated on the North side of Market street between Seventh and Eighth. The house has since been converted into a dwelling and is still standing. It was soon found to be too small to accommodate the growing population of the town and was accordingly sold, and the present Fourth street Methodist Church built with the proceeds of that sale, a.s.sisted by the subscriptions of the citizens. This latter building was erected in 1815.

In 1814 the town of Portland was laid out by Alexander Ralston, for the proprietor William Lytle. It was originally divided into Portland proper, and the enlargement of Portland. The lots in Portland proper were all half acre lots, and when laid out, were sold for two hundred dollars each. In 1819 they had advanced to about one thousand dollars. The lots in the enlargement were three-fourths of an acre, and were sold at three hundred dollars each. This town was not established by law until 1834, and in 1837 it was adjoined to the city. It has fulfilled the office of a suburb to Louisville, but has never at any time held prominent importance among towns, and is chiefly worthy of notice now as a point of landing for the largest cla.s.s of New Orleans boats at seasons when the stage of the river will not allow them to pa.s.s over the rapids. Although it was at one time predicted that "its future destinies might be regarded as those of a highly flourishing and important town," it has never equalled the least sanguine hopes of its friends. It has no history of its own worthy of relation.

During the same year the town of New Albany, in the State of Indiana, opposite to Portland, was laid out by its proprietors, the Messrs.

Scribner. Its progress at first was slow, but the many advantages which it presented (firstly its extremely healthy location, and secondly the great quant.i.ty and excellent quality of ship timber in its vicinity,) soon established its prosperity. In 1819 it contained a population of about 1000 souls, and had 150 dwelling houses. A historian of this latter period a.s.serts that the inhabitants are _all_ either Methodists or Presbyterians.

It has now grown to be one of the most important towns in Indiana, and still promises renewed and increased prosperity. It would be hardly fair to cla.s.s this flourishing city as a suburb of Louisville, and yet the two are so intimately connected that the prosperity or adversity of the one cannot but affect the other. The value of those relations will be shown hereafter.

Some idea may be formed of the commercial prosperity of the town at this period by reference to the following manifest of the Barges and Keel boats, arrived at this port during the three months, ending July 18th, 1814. There arrived during that period, 12 barges, in all 524 tons burthen, and 7 keel boats, in all 132 tons. The following is a manifest of cargoes delivered by these boats during that period.

813 bales Cotton, 26 bbls. and kegs fish, 28 cases Wine, 1 bbl. "

1 bag and 1 bbl. Allspice, 6 ceroons Cochineal, 1 demij. and 1 bbl. lime juice, 1 Bale Bear Skins, 28 boxes Steel, 438 hhds. Sugar, 1267 bbls. Sugar, 12 Boxes "

1 bbl. Fish Oil, 2 bags Pepper, 28 bales Wool, 21 " Hides, 453 " " dry, 1 bbl. Rice, 5 bbls. Mola.s.ses, 128 bbls. Coffee, 339 bags "

5 cases Preserves, 29 bbls. Indigo, 2 ceroons "

6 tons Logwood, 18000 lbs. pig cop'r, 1 box Crockery, The probable value of these articles was estimated at $266,015.

It was during the same year that Messrs. Jacob and Hikes put into successful operation a paper mill at this point. The Western Courier was issued on paper manufactured at this mill.

A very great barrier to the progress of the town at this period consisted in its great unhealthiness. Owing to the vast reservoirs of standing water which still remained in and about the town, there was a great deal of bilious and remittent fever, "often sufficiently aggravated to ent.i.tle it to the name of _yellow fever_." It will be recollected that reference has been heretofore made to this subject. At this period, a new alarm was raised, and it was found difficult to get people even to bring produce to the markets of the town. Acclimation was considered, and indeed _was_ absolutely necessary. The newspapers of the day teem with indignation at the course pursued by the neighboring and rival towns in circulating aggravated accounts of the progress of disease here. But even the warmest friends of Louisville did not pretend to deny that it was extremely unhealthy. One of these writing soon after this date, says: "To affirm that Louisville is a healthy place would be absurd, but it is much more so than the thousand tongues of fame would make us believe; and as many of the causes which prevent it from becoming perfectly so, can be removed, a few years hence may find the favorable alterations accomplished, and so do away with the general impression of its being the grave-yard of the Western country." As is well known, this prediction has been verified, and from the reputation of a grave-yard, Louisville has now everywhere attained the t.i.tle of the most healthy city in America.

With the commencement of the next year, 1815, we are again enabled to give the following very accurate tabular view of the political position of the city. The following table will clearly show its past growth, and give an accurate idea of its size, commerce, and manufactures at that time.

24 Merchantile Stores, 1 Book do, 1 Auction and Commission, store, 1 Clothing store, 1 Leather do, 1 Druggist's do, 1 Plan maker, 1 Carding and Spinning factory, 1 Tin Shop, 4 Bazars, 4 Rope Walks, 4 High Schools, 1 Theater, 5 Medicine shops, 8 Boot makers, 4 Cabinet makers, 2 Coach do, 1 Gun Smith, 1 Silver do, 2 Printing offices, 1 Soap factory, 1 Air foundry, 4 Bakers, 2 Tobacco factories, 6 Brick Yards, 1 Tan Yard, 3 House Painters, 4 Chair makers, 5 Tailors, 5 Hatters, 3 Saddlers, 2 Coppersmiths, 1 Steam Saw mill, 1 Nail factory, 6 Blacksmiths, 1 Brewer, 1 Bagging factory, 1 Stone ware, do, 1 Meth. church, 2 Taverns, (inferior to none in the Western country, and several others of less note.)

The only other event belonging to this year which may be considered worthy of note was the arrival on the 1st of June of the steamboat Enterprize, Captain Shreve, _only 25 days from New Orleans_! This trip then so astonishingly speedy is made the subject of remark in the newspapers of the day, and Captain Shreve is every where congratulated on "the _celerity and safety_ with which his boat ascends and descends the currents of these mighty waters." These congratulations or at least a part of them were received just in time, for in about a year afterwards, this same gentleman proved that his navigation was not always alike _safe_ and speedy. On the 3d June, 1816, he was in command of the steamer Washington, bound from Pittsburg for Louisville, when she met with the first serious disaster which had ever occurred in the steamboat navigation of the Ohio. When near Wheeling this boat burst her cylinder-head, killing seven persons and injuring several others, Capt. Shreve among the latter number. This accident elicited a degree of sympathy and occasioned an amount of alarm, which a much more severe steamboat disaster would now fail to produce.

The following announcement from one of the newspapers of the day, gives an account of the launching of the first steamboat ever built at this point; and shows that despite of accident and danger, the citizens had fairly embarked in a business that has since been so productive to the interests of the city. "On Monday the 3d of July, was safely launched from her stocks, at the mouth of Beargra.s.s into her destined element, the elegant new steamboat Gov. Shelby, owned by Messrs. Gray, Gwathmey, Gretsinger and Ruble of this town. The Gov. Shelby is intended as a regular trader between this place and New Orleans, is of 122 tons burden, and is thought by judges to be one of the handsomest models, which does great credit to her constructors, Messrs. Desmarie and McClary."

It was at this period that the old banking system was in the zenith of its power. The whole country was flooded with paper money of all kinds and of all denominations. Specie currency was almost entirely out of circulation, having been supplanted by private bills, worthless bank notes, and all other kinds of "shin plasters." This sort of currency was the occasion of innumerable disasters; all confidence was destroyed in the community, and pecuniary transactions were of course limited. The scarcity of silver was the subject of much merriment as well as the cause of grievous distress.

At one time a specie Spanish dollar is advertised as a curiosity, and the citizens are invited to witness an exhibition of it; at another, a merchant promises to show, gratis, four silver Spanish coins to all who will call and purchase at his store. The tradesmen generally, however, took a more serious view of the matter; and on the 29th August, 1816, called upon the Merchants and Mechanics of the town "to a.s.semble at the Union Hotel on Sat.u.r.day afternoon at 6 P. M., to take into consideration the measures necessary to be adopted to check the circulation of private bills, &c." The result of this meeting, however, never transpired; and as the shin-plaster currency continued its baleful operations for many years afterward, it is to be supposed that the Merchants and Mechanics of Louisville either could not concert, or could not execute the aforesaid "necessary measures."

Notwithstanding, however, all the disadvantages accruing from this state of disordered currency, the year did not pa.s.s by without adding another to the increasing list of manufactories in the town. This other was an immense distillery, organized by a company formed in New England, and incorporated by the legislature of this State. It was called the "Hope Distillery," and had a capital of $100,000 dollars, with the liberty of increasing it to double that amount. This Company purchased one hundred acres of ground at the lower end of Main street, opposite to the commencement of Portland Avenue, and erected immense buildings thereon, intending to conduct their business on a more extensive scale than any before established in the United States. This enormous establishment however did not realize the expectations of its proprietors, and the project was abandoned. The buildings remained almost tenantless and useless for many years. They were finally burned.

As if to counterbalance the prospective evil likely to be produced by this enormous manufactory of "poison for soul and body," there was established about the same time the first Presbyterian Church in Louisville. It was organized by exactly sixteen members, but it was not until the next year that a building was erected for them. The acts of the legislature of this year also incorporated a Louisville Library Company.

The account of the year 1816 will be closed with an extract from the travels of Mr. Henry Bradshaw Fearon, the t.i.tle-page of whose book represents him as deputed by thirty-nine English families to ascertain whether any or what parts of the United States would be agreeable to them as a future residence. His account of the town is of course honest, so far as he is concerned, and unprejudiced, and as such is ent.i.tled to its share of consideration. At any rate he treats the subject more in detail than most foreign travelers have done. He says: "Having been twice in Louisville, I boarded at both hotels; Allen's Washington Hall, and Gwathing's [Gwathmey's] Indian Queen. They are similar establishments, and both on a very large scale; the former averages 80 boarders per diem; and the latter 140. The hotels are conducted differently here from those with which you are acquainted. The place for washing is in the open yard, where there is a large cistern, several towels, and a negro in attendance. The sleeping rooms commonly contain from 4 to 8 bedsteads, having matresses upon them, but frequently no feather beds, sheets of calico, two blankets and a quilt, (either a cotton counterpane or a patchwork quilt.) The bedsteads have no curtains, and the rooms are generally unprovided with any conveniences. The public rooms are the news room, boot room, in which the bar is situated, and the dining room. The fires are generally surrounded by parties of six, who get and keep possession of them. The usual custom is to pace up and down the bar room as people walk the deck at sea. Smoking cigars is practised by all without exception, and at every hour of the day. Argument is of rare occurrence, and social intercourse seems still more unusual. Conversation on general topics, or the taking enlarged or enlightened views of things rarely occurs; each man is in pursuit of his own individual interest, and follows it in an individualized manner. But to return to the taverns; at half past seven o'clock the first bell rings for collecting the boarders; at eight the second bell rings, breakfast is then set, the dining room is unlocked, a general rush commences, and some activity as well as dexterity is essentially necessary to obtain a seat at the table. A boy, as clerk, attends to take down the names, in order that when the bills are settled no improper deduction should be made. The breakfast consists of a profuse supply of fish, flesh, and fowl, which is consumed with a rapidity truly extraordinary. Often before I had finished my first cup of tea, the room, before crowded to suffocation, was empty. The dinner which takes place at 2 o'clock, and the supper which is eaten at six is conducted in the same manner as the breakfast. At table there is no conversation and no drinking. The latter is effected by individuals taking their solitary eye-openers, toddy, or phlegm dispersers at the bar, the keeper of which is in full employ from sunrise till bed-time which is always at ten o'clock. Liquor here is never drunk _neat_ or with sugar and warm water."

Speaking of the society of Louisville, the same Mr. Henry Bradshaw Fearon takes it upon himself to say: "I do not feel myself competent to confirm or to deny the general claim of the people of this town to generosity and warmth of character. Of their habits I would also wish to speak with equal diffidence, [and here is a proof of it!] but that they drink a great deal, swear a great deal, and gamble a great deal, is very apparent to a very brief resident. There is a great lack of amus.e.m.e.nt in Louisville; the only one I saw was called 'Gander Pulling,' which is thus conducted. Tie a live gander to a tree or pole and grease its neck, then ride past at full gallop, and he who succeeds in pulling off the head of the victim, receives the victory, the reward of which is the body of the gander. I think I have heard of a similar _pastime_ as practiced in Holland. But these," generously adds Mr. Henry Bradshaw Fearon, "are not to be taken as unmixed characteristics."

By dint of great exertions on the part of the inhabitants of the town, they at last succeeded in procuring the location of a branch bank of the United States at this point. This bank was opened in 1817 under the auspices of the following gentlemen: Stephen Ormsby, President; Wm.

Cochran, Cashier; G. C. Gwathmey, Teller; Alfred Thruston, First Bookkeeper; Thomas Bullitt, D. L. Ward, Richard Furguson, M. D., Norburn, B. Beale, Thomas Prather, John H. Clark, Henry Ma.s.sie, Charles S. Todd, Wm. S. Vernon, James C. Johnson, M. D., John Gwathmey and James D.

Breckinridge, Directors. It was situated at the north-east corner of Fifth and Main Streets. This bank does not however seem to have been more agreeable to the citizens than were its predecessors. "It is very evident," says the first historian of the city, "that the people of this country are ruining themselves by banking inst.i.tutions as fast as they cleverly can." The history of this bank does not present any different features from that of its sister branches.

The next important event in this year was the building of the Presbyterian Church. This edifice was erected on the west side of Fourth Street, between Market and Jefferson, on the north-west corner of the alley. It was a neat, plain, but s.p.a.cious building. The interior was divided into three rows of pews, and was furnished with galleries on three sides; the exterior was brick, and was adorned with a steeple in which was a belfry and a superb bell. Its first pastor was Rev. D. C. Banks. This church was destroyed by fire in 1836. All who were residents in the city at that time will remember this conflagration. The building took fire in the evening during a meeting of the church. The efforts of the citizens to preserve it from destruction were energetic and continued, but unavailing. When it was found that it was no longer possible to save the building, all efforts were directed toward the preservation of the bell. This splendid instrument, the first large bell ever in the city, was esteemed and venerated to a degree far beyond that which is usually felt for inanimate objects; it had a hold upon the affections of all ages, s.e.xes and cla.s.ses of people, as well the inhabitants as those who visited the city periodically. It was used to announce all public tidings, whether of meetings, fires, or deaths. Its clear and silvery notes were heard for miles around, and brought joy, or terror, or wo to a thousand hearts; all within the sound of its mighty tongue had learned to know and love its voice; and now, that its destruction was threatened, a thousand hearts thrilled with fear of its loss or throbbed with hope of its salvation.

Still the devouring element crept on apace, and still, like the old sacristan of Saint Nicholas, stood the ringer at his post, and still went on the loud clanging alarum of the bell. Soon the pillars which supported the dome of the belfry were wrapt in sheets of flame, but the alarm peal still rang on as if the imprisoned monster was yet undespairing, and cried aloud "to the rescue!" Then the falling timbers and flakes of fire drove the ringer from his post. For a while the bell still pealed on "in a clamorous appealing to the mercy of the fire," till at last the wheel on which it hung was wrapped in flames. Then came its despair, and as spoke after spoke burnt from the wheel, it slowly tolled--tolled its own death-knell; heedless it was of the brilliant coruscations of flame that fell in showers around it, as the covering of the dome broke from its fastenings and shot upward in the light and then fell, leaving a train of fire to mark its path; heedless of the soaring flames, of the upgazing crowd; thinking only of its approaching dissolution. Slowly and solemnly it tolled the funeral knell, and with the last stroke of its hammer, and the last dazzling off-shoot from the dome, tower, bell, and dome all came down with a tremendous crash. The crowd had ceased to work, had ceased to speak; all eyes were upon the self-ringing bell, and all felt the poetic power and beauty of the incident. And now that it was fallen, no single voice sent up the hurrah, no rude sound desecrated the moment. The engines again began their combat, and all went on as before. The bell was the next day exhumed from its bed and carried away by piecemeal to be kept as relics of the incident of its death-struggle.

The second event of this year was the incorporation of a hospital company which consisted of twelve prominent citizens, who were authorized to obtain a sum not exceeding $50,000, to be applied to this purpose. Mr.

Thos. Prather contributed five, and Mr. Cuthbert Bullitt two acres of land as a site for the inst.i.tution. This establishment was supported by a duty of two per cent, on auction sales in Louisville. Its interests are fully set forth in the wretchedly written preamble of the act incorporating it, which is as follows: