Levi Jackson Wilderness Road State Park
Encyclopedia
Levi Jackson Wilderness Road State Park is a park located just south of London, Kentucky
in Laurel County
. The park encompasses 896 acres (3.6 km²), and includes a section of the Wilderness Road
that early settlers used to reach Kentucky
. The park is named for Levi Jackson, an early Kentucky pioneer. It is open for year-round recreation including picnicking, camping, hiking and bird-watching.
Levi Jackson Wilderness Road State Park features two historic recreations of pioneer life. The Mountain Life Museum is a restored pioneer village that includes seven buildings with tools and household items. The museum is open seasonally. McHargue’s Mill is a reproduction working watermill
with authentic interior works, built on the banks of the Little Laurel River. Outside the mill is a large display of millstones. The mill is open seasonally and admission is free.
. The road was the main route used by settlers fifty-plus years to reach Kentucky
from Virginia
.
In 1775, Daniel Boone
blazed a trail for the Transylvania Company from Fort Chiswell in Virginia
through the Cumberland Gap
into Kentucky. It was later lengthened, following Native American
trails, to the Falls of the Ohio at Louisville
. The Wilderness Road was rough and steep. In the early days of the trail, it could only be traveled on foot or horseback. As more travelers passed the road improved and horse-drawn wagons were able to follow the trail. In spite of the conditions, thousands of people used it. Many of their descendants still live in Kentucky. Including the members of the McNitt Company a group of pioneers who were attacked by Native Americans
on October 3, 1786. The park is also at the intersection of Boone's Trace and the Wilderness Road. Boone's Trace was also blazed by Daniel Boone. It is still open today to hiking and the Wilderness Road has since been paved as part of Kentucky Route 229.
Levi Jackson was one of the first settlers in Laurel County
. He arrived in 1802 with his partner, John Freeman, who claimed a large tract of land along the Wilderness Road as payment for Freeman's services in the American Revolutionary War
. Jackson built a large two-story house which he licensed as a tavern
in 1803. He and John Freeman ran the Wilderness Road Tavern and Laurel River Post Office. The surrounding area became known as "Jackson's Farm" and remained in the Jackson family until 1931 when the land was donated to the state to honor the pioneers of Kentucky.
The McNitt Company was one of may large groups of early settlers to use the Wilderness Road as the moved across the Appalachian Mountains
and into the Ohio Valley. The group of fourteen families came under attack on the evening of October 3, 1786. On this night they failed to post a guard against attacks by Native Americans on whose land the settlers were encroaching. The settlers "danced and drank until late the evening." They were attacked after they had fallen asleep. Twenty-four known victims died that night with just three survivors. The dead were buried near the site of the massacre at what is known as the Defeated Camp Burial Ground, within the boundaries of Levi Jackson Wilderness Road State Park.
The land on which Levi Jackson Wilderness Road State Park sits was donated to the state by his descendants in 1931. The park facilities were constructed during the Great Depression
in 1935. The National Park Service
spent $55,000, building cabins, foot-bridges, parking areas, an auditorium, and observation tower. Additionally the Civilian Conservation Corps
restored an old log cabin
and built McHargue's Mill in 1939. Park improvements have continued to the present day and Levi Jackson Wilderness Road State Park serves as both a recreational and historic park.
course near the campground entrance. There is a large group camping area. The large group area includes an "activity center." There are 8.5 miles (13.7 km) of hiking trails in the park. The trails follow the Wilderness Road and Boone's Trace. A community pool is located within the park, as are basketball courts, horseshoes
pits and volleyball facilities. Picnic tables are scattered throughout the park and there are four picnic shetlers available for large groups.
McHargue's Mill, rebuilt by the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1939, is a working grist mill. The largest collection of millstone
s is on the grounds of the mill. The working stones in the mill were brought over the Wilderness Road in 1805. Fresh ground corn meal can be purchased by visitors. The corn meal sells in one pound bags at $2.50 a pound.
The Mountain Home Museum consists of several cabins and other pioneer era structures. Some of the cabins are arranged to demonstrate what a pioneer settlement looked like during the Wilderness Road era. Relics of the early settlers and displace Native Americans are also on display in the museum. Other buildings on the grounds are, a barn, stable, loom
house, church and blacksmith shop. The blacksmith has barred windows and was used as a jail
in location filming of "The Kentuckian
" a 1955 movie starring Burt Lancaster
.
London, Kentucky
-Education:All of the following schools are administered by the Laurel County School District.-Primary schools:* * * * * * * * * * * * -High schools:* * -Colleges:* Laurel Technical College* * -Notable natives:...
in Laurel County
Laurel County, Kentucky
Laurel County is a county in the U.S. state of Kentucky. The population was 58,849 in the 2010 Census. Its county seat is London.The London Micropolitan Statistical Area includes all of Laurel County....
. The park encompasses 896 acres (3.6 km²), and includes a section of the Wilderness Road
Wilderness Road
The Wilderness Road was the principal route used by settlers for more than fifty years to reach Kentucky from the East. In 1775, Daniel Boone blazed a trail for the Transylvania Company from Fort Chiswell in Virginia through the Cumberland Gap into central Kentucky. It was later lengthened,...
that early settlers used to reach Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
. The park is named for Levi Jackson, an early Kentucky pioneer. It is open for year-round recreation including picnicking, camping, hiking and bird-watching.
Levi Jackson Wilderness Road State Park features two historic recreations of pioneer life. The Mountain Life Museum is a restored pioneer village that includes seven buildings with tools and household items. The museum is open seasonally. McHargue’s Mill is a reproduction working watermill
Watermill
A watermill is a structure that uses a water wheel or turbine to drive a mechanical process such as flour, lumber or textile production, or metal shaping .- History :...
with authentic interior works, built on the banks of the Little Laurel River. Outside the mill is a large display of millstones. The mill is open seasonally and admission is free.
History
Levi Jackson Wilderness Road State Park is on the historic Wilderness RoadWilderness Road
The Wilderness Road was the principal route used by settlers for more than fifty years to reach Kentucky from the East. In 1775, Daniel Boone blazed a trail for the Transylvania Company from Fort Chiswell in Virginia through the Cumberland Gap into central Kentucky. It was later lengthened,...
. The road was the main route used by settlers fifty-plus years to reach Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
from Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
.
In 1775, Daniel Boone
Daniel Boone
Daniel Boone was an American pioneer, explorer, and frontiersman whose frontier exploits mad']'e him one of the first folk heroes of the United States. Boone is most famous for his exploration and settlement of what is now the Commonwealth of Kentucky, which was then beyond the western borders of...
blazed a trail for the Transylvania Company from Fort Chiswell in Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
through the Cumberland Gap
Cumberland Gap
Cumberland Gap is a pass through the Cumberland Mountains region of the Appalachian Mountains, also known as the Cumberland Water Gap, at the juncture of the U.S. states of Tennessee, Kentucky, and Virginia...
into Kentucky. It was later lengthened, following Native American
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
trails, to the Falls of the Ohio at Louisville
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
. The Wilderness Road was rough and steep. In the early days of the trail, it could only be traveled on foot or horseback. As more travelers passed the road improved and horse-drawn wagons were able to follow the trail. In spite of the conditions, thousands of people used it. Many of their descendants still live in Kentucky. Including the members of the McNitt Company a group of pioneers who were attacked by Native Americans
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
on October 3, 1786. The park is also at the intersection of Boone's Trace and the Wilderness Road. Boone's Trace was also blazed by Daniel Boone. It is still open today to hiking and the Wilderness Road has since been paved as part of Kentucky Route 229.
Levi Jackson was one of the first settlers in Laurel County
Laurel County, Kentucky
Laurel County is a county in the U.S. state of Kentucky. The population was 58,849 in the 2010 Census. Its county seat is London.The London Micropolitan Statistical Area includes all of Laurel County....
. He arrived in 1802 with his partner, John Freeman, who claimed a large tract of land along the Wilderness Road as payment for Freeman's services in the American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
. Jackson built a large two-story house which he licensed as a tavern
Tavern
A tavern is a place of business where people gather to drink alcoholic beverages and be served food, and in some cases, where travelers receive lodging....
in 1803. He and John Freeman ran the Wilderness Road Tavern and Laurel River Post Office. The surrounding area became known as "Jackson's Farm" and remained in the Jackson family until 1931 when the land was donated to the state to honor the pioneers of Kentucky.
The McNitt Company was one of may large groups of early settlers to use the Wilderness Road as the moved across the Appalachian Mountains
Appalachian Mountains
The Appalachian Mountains #Whether the stressed vowel is or ,#Whether the "ch" is pronounced as a fricative or an affricate , and#Whether the final vowel is the monophthong or the diphthong .), often called the Appalachians, are a system of mountains in eastern North America. The Appalachians...
and into the Ohio Valley. The group of fourteen families came under attack on the evening of October 3, 1786. On this night they failed to post a guard against attacks by Native Americans on whose land the settlers were encroaching. The settlers "danced and drank until late the evening." They were attacked after they had fallen asleep. Twenty-four known victims died that night with just three survivors. The dead were buried near the site of the massacre at what is known as the Defeated Camp Burial Ground, within the boundaries of Levi Jackson Wilderness Road State Park.
The land on which Levi Jackson Wilderness Road State Park sits was donated to the state by his descendants in 1931. The park facilities were constructed during the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
in 1935. The National Park Service
National Park Service
The National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...
spent $55,000, building cabins, foot-bridges, parking areas, an auditorium, and observation tower. Additionally the Civilian Conservation Corps
Civilian Conservation Corps
The Civilian Conservation Corps was a public work relief program that operated from 1933 to 1942 in the United States for unemployed, unmarried men from relief families, ages 18–25. A part of the New Deal of President Franklin D...
restored an old log cabin
Log cabin
A log cabin is a house built from logs. It is a fairly simple type of log house. A distinction should be drawn between the traditional meanings of "log cabin" and "log house." Historically most "Log cabins" were a simple one- or 1½-story structures, somewhat impermanent, and less finished or less...
and built McHargue's Mill in 1939. Park improvements have continued to the present day and Levi Jackson Wilderness Road State Park serves as both a recreational and historic park.
Recreation
Levi Jackson Wilderness Road State Park is open for year-round recreation. It has a wooded campground with 146 sites. Campers have access to utility hook-ups and a grocery store. There are three central services buildings featuring laundry and shower facilities as well as modern latrines. There is a miniature golfMiniature golf
Miniature golf, or minigolf, is a miniature version of the sport of golf. While the international sports organization World Minigolf Sport Federation prefers to use the name "minigolf", the general public in different countries has also many other names for the game: miniature golf, mini-golf,...
course near the campground entrance. There is a large group camping area. The large group area includes an "activity center." There are 8.5 miles (13.7 km) of hiking trails in the park. The trails follow the Wilderness Road and Boone's Trace. A community pool is located within the park, as are basketball courts, horseshoes
Horseshoes
Horseshoes is an outdoor game played between two people using four horseshoes and two throwing targets set in a sandbox area. The game is played by the players alternating turns tossing horseshoes at stakes in the ground, which are traditionally placed 40 feet apart...
pits and volleyball facilities. Picnic tables are scattered throughout the park and there are four picnic shetlers available for large groups.
McHargue's Mill, rebuilt by the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1939, is a working grist mill. The largest collection of millstone
Millstone
Millstones or mill stones are used in windmills and watermills, including tide mills, for grinding wheat or other grains.The type of stone most suitable for making millstones is a siliceous rock called burrstone , an open-textured, porous but tough, fine-grained sandstone, or a silicified,...
s is on the grounds of the mill. The working stones in the mill were brought over the Wilderness Road in 1805. Fresh ground corn meal can be purchased by visitors. The corn meal sells in one pound bags at $2.50 a pound.
The Mountain Home Museum consists of several cabins and other pioneer era structures. Some of the cabins are arranged to demonstrate what a pioneer settlement looked like during the Wilderness Road era. Relics of the early settlers and displace Native Americans are also on display in the museum. Other buildings on the grounds are, a barn, stable, loom
Loom
A loom is a device used to weave cloth. The basic purpose of any loom is to hold the warp threads under tension to facilitate the interweaving of the weft threads...
house, church and blacksmith shop. The blacksmith has barred windows and was used as a jail
Jail
A jail is a short-term detention facility in the United States and Canada.Jail may also refer to:In entertainment:*Jail , a 1966 Malayalam movie*Jail , a 2009 Bollywood movie...
in location filming of "The Kentuckian
The Kentuckian
The Kentuckian is a 1955 adventure film directed by Burt Lancaster, who also starred. It also marked the feature film debut of Walter Matthau. The picture is an adaptation of the novel The Gabriel Horn by Felix Holt...
" a 1955 movie starring Burt Lancaster
Burt Lancaster
Burton Stephen "Burt" Lancaster was an American film actor noted for his athletic physique and distinctive smile...
.