McClure Family

One of the most interesting groups of settlers who came here in the early days was the party of young Scottish Presbyterians who rode into Kentucky on horseback. They left Rockbridge County, Virginia in 1795 and crossed the mountains at a place called Cumberland Canebreak. They first lived in Woodford County, Kentucky but in 1798 they took up land in Boone County on Bullock-Pen Creek, which later became Grant County. The families of this group were the Anderson's, Kennedy's or Canady's, McClure's (Nathaniel, his wife and two half-brothers, Alexander and Moses), the McPherson's and McCullock's. Mrs. Kennedy carried a baby in her arms on this journey which took six weeks. The journey started with the elopement.

Nathaniel McClure started for Kentucky alone because the father of his sweetheart, Jean Porter, would not allow his daughter to marry and go to live in the wilderness. After one day of the journey he returned to her home by night and persuaded the young girl to slip off with him unknown to her parents. They were married at Lexington, Virginia next day and joined the party going to Kentucky.

Nathaniel and Jean McClure lived at the top of the hill above Bullock-Pen Creek in sight of Lebanon Church where they and many of their children are buried. Alexander McClure lived on a farm just east of Lebanon Church. Moses McClure lived on a creek northwest of Crittenden. His wife was Eleanor McPherson.

From the files of Isabelle Lanter, deceased.

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