Welcome to Franklin County, KY History

Home                                                  Communities                                         Graveyards                                        Early Residents                              Early Settlers JOHN BAKER He came to Franklin County about 1813 and purchased land on Elkhorn from William Gaines and his wife, Sarah. Robert Church, Sr. He was born in Culpepper County, Virginia in 1752 and came to Kentucky with his wife, Margaret Campbell, in 1785.  Robert served from Bedford County, Virginia during the Revolutionary War.  He was wounded at the battle of Guilford Courthouse, which left him unable to perform manual labor.  For his service he was given a grant for almost 2,500 acres on main Elkhorn.  He build a log cabin, where he and Margaret raised five boys.  A log cabin on this property was the subject of locate conversation a few years ago when this property was put up for public auction.  The lucky buyer, a sportsman from Texas. TANDY L. LEE Tandy and his wife, Ursley Susong Lee, migrated to Franklin County, Kentucky from Greene County, Tennessee about 1882.  They raised a very large family in Frankfort and Franklin County.  Tandy and Ursley Lee are buried in the Peaks Mill Cemetery. JAMES SULLIVAN, SR. The Sullivan family came to Virginia from Northern Ireland.  James Sullivan was born in Essex County, Virginia about 1768.  He came to Kentucky and first settled in Woodford County.  In 1835, James purchased 383 acres on main Elkhorn from Gabriel and Polly Sullenger. In August 1999, the last descendant of the Sullivan died.  The portion of the property he had inherited was left to the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife.  Demolition was started on the old farm house.  To the surprise of many, under all the layers of siding and modern building materials, stood a well camouflaged piece of Franklin County history.  Today, the Sullivan cabin stands on Fort Hill and has been preserved as one of Franklin County's valuable historic buildings. Churches and Graveyards Bethel Church & Cemetery Is located on the Old  Owenton Road, U. S. 127 North about five miles from Frankfort.  Still in use, the cemetery is located beside the church and containes several hundred graves. Calvert Cemetery This cemetery contains about ten tombstones and several graves marked with fieldstones.  The oldest grave in the cemetery is that of Isaac Calvert, born October 18, 1783.  The cemetery is located off Owenton Road on state road # 898 about one half mile north of Bethel Church. Carr Cemetery The cemetery has approximately 50 marked graves, predominately burials of the Fitzgerald family.  It is located on' U. S. 127 North about three miles from Swallowfield at the Franklin - Owen County line. GRAHAM CEMETERY Is located on Indian Gap Road between Peaks Mill and the Owenton Road. PEAKS MILL CHRISTIAN CHURCH THe Church is located in the heart of Peaks Mill.  A plaque hangs over the entry, dedicated November 29, 1891. The cemetery is located beside the church and is still in use. QUARLES GRAVEYARD This cemetery is located at  the mouth of lower Elkhorn and the Kentucky River bottom.                                                                                                                                                                           Peaksmill Robert Todd, a Virginian was issued a land grand in Kentucky for his service in the Revolutionary War.  This grant included the area known today as Peaks Mill.  Around 1812, Thomas H. Goldman came from Pennsylvania purchased a tract of land, which was part of the original Todd grand.  Goldman petitioned the Franklin County Court to build a grist mill on the waters of the Elkhorn Creek.  Permission was granted and the area became Goldmans's Mill.  John Peak, a Virginia native, moved from Scott County and in 1838 purchased the Goldman mill.  Under Peak's ownership the mil prospered.  Farmers from all the surrounding communities came to Peak's Mill to have their grain ground into flour and meal.  Peak ran the mill until his death in 1853.  During the 1870's the Legislature granted articles of incorporation and the Post Office was established at Peaks Mill.  Located in the northeastern section of Franklin County, Peaks Mill is surrounded by the communities of Elmville, Switzer, Forks of Elkhorn, Swallowfield and Owenton Road. Swallowfield Swallowfield is located about twelve miles north of Frankfort on U. S. 127.   In the early days it was known as Dottsville.  Like all the smaller communities throughout the county, there was once a general store, post office, blacksmith shop, churches and doctors.  Two physicians lived in the community; Dr. Greenwell and Dr. Brooks, who is said to have made a delicious Pepsin chewing gum.  The Swallowfield Baptist Church was established in December 1894.  At that time it was just a few neighbors meeting at the home of George Karsner and his wife.  George donated land and later a church was built.  The Church of Christ was organized in 1891 and was built on land which was part of an early Kentucky land grant.   Swallowfield even had a roadside hotel.  On the Elkhorn, not far from where the creek flows into the Kentucky River stood the Mayflower Hotel.  The proprietors were Leonidas "Lonnie" Quire and his wife, America.  They ran the Mayflower for a number of years.  In 1938 the property was sold to the Strohmeier family, who today operate Stillwater Campground. THE STATE JOURNAL - June 30, 1997 Community feel effects of loss of historic bridge Article concerning the bridge over Elkhorn Creek at Strohmeier's Still Waters Campground on U. S. 127 North.  About 3 o'clock on the morning of March 2, 1997 the bridge was knocked from its foundation from flooding of the Elkhorn Creek.  Strohmeier stated he has lived at the camp since 1938 when his parents, Ed and Ester Strohmeier, bought the property from Lonnie Quire and his wife, America, who had operated the Mayflower Hotel at the mouth of the Elkhorn.  However, the great flood of 1937 forced America to sell.  America said she'd always wanted running water in her house, but not that way.  The Strohmeier's were frequent visitors to the Mayflower.  They told the Quire's if they ever wanted to sell, they'd be interested. Today, the general stores and mills are gone and there is no post office; it was discontinued in the 1930's.  The progress of the automobile has made travel to the city routine, where once it was a weekly treat. Property Owners and Businessmen in the Peaks Mill Precinct Name Post Office Place of Birth Occupation Settlement Date Acreage Bacon, E. F Peaks Mill Franklin County, Ky Blacksmith 1839 Bacon, G. K. Peaks Mill Franklin County, Ky Carpenter 1837 26 Baker, D. Peaks Mill Franklin County, Ky Farmer 1813 75 Baldwin, T. S. Peaks Mill Franklin County, Ky Farmer 1849 30 Bates, J. W. Frankfort Franklin County, Ky Farmer 1847 130 Bates, M. C. Frankfort Franklin County, Ky Physician 1841 49 Calvert, C. Peaks Mill Franklin County, Ky Farmer 1827 260 Carr, James Peaks Mill Franklin County, Ky Farmer & Magistrate 1826 350 Carr, T. C. Peaks Mill Fulton County, Ky Miller 1881 36 Carr, W. H. Frankfort Franklin County, Ky Farmer 1814 164 Conley, James Peaks Mill Fall River, Mass Farmer 1866 33 Conley, P. H. & Rob. Peaks Mill Lancashire, England Farmer 1866 84 Field, George Peaks Mill Connecticut Miner 1882 Gault, Deborah Peaks Mill Cape May, New Jersey Farmer 1857 380 Gregory, E. W. Peaks Mill Connecticut Farmer & Miller 1845 1100 Hancock, A. N. Peaks Mill Franklin County, Ky Teacher 1844 50 Hancock, Jos. Stamping Gd. Franklin County, Ky Farmer 1829 112 Hancock, S. T. Peaks Mill Franklin County, Ky Farmer 1841 65 Hancock, T. W. Peaks Mill Franklin County, Ky Farmer 1839 75 Harp, J. M. Frankfort Franklin County, Ky Farmer 1844 Hawkins, W. C. Frankfort Franklin County, Ky Farmer 1841 20 Haydon, C. B. Peaks Mill Franklin County, Ky Farmer 1845 146 Haydon, T. J. Peaks Mill Owen County, Ky Farmer 1843 78 Haydon, W. M. Peaks Mill Franklin County, Ky Farmer 1863 Hodges, S. N. Peaks Mill Franklin County, Ky Lawyer 1841 2 Jackson, Alex Peaks Mill Franklin County, Ky Carpenter 1848 Mefford, N. B. Stamping Gd. Franklin County, Ky Farmer 1846 71 McCord. W.S. Peaks Mill Clark County, Ky Farmer & Merchant 1870 187 Owens, S. J. Frankfort Clinton County, Ky Farmer 1837 195 Parker, G. W. Elmville Franklin County, Ky Miller 1853 Parker, J. M. Peaks Mill Fayette County, Ky Farmer 1848 136 Penn, Mrs. R. C. Peaks Mill Franklin County, Ky Farmer 1850 300 Settle, F. J. Frankfort Franklin County, Ky Farmer 1825 200 Stafford, N. P. Peaks Mill Carroll County, Ky Physician & Surgeon 1877 26 Steele, R. C. Peaks Mill Franklin County, Ky Farmer Steele, Samuel Frankfort Virginia Farmer 1817 214 Suter, G. W. Peaks Mill Franklin County, Ky Physician 1819 Webster, George Peaks Mill Franklin County, Ky Farmer 1840 60 Wiggington, M Peaks Mill Scott County, Ky Farmer 1864 177