Montgomery County KYGenWeb

Historical Markers & Sites

Battle of Mt. Sterling Marker Number 177

Location Courthouse lawn, US 60, Mt. Sterling Description On March 22, 1863, about 300 Confederate cavalrymen under Colonel R. S. Cluke captured this city, taking 438 prisoners, 222 wagon loads of military stores, 500 mules, and 1000 stand of arms. Confederate losses: 8 killed, 13 wounded. Union losses: 4 killed, 10 wounded. Originally dedicated July 4, 1961. Subjects Civil War , Mt. Sterling

Battle-June 8, 1864 Marker Number 628

Location US 460, Mt. Sterling Description Early this day CSA forces under Gen. John H. Morgan on his tragic last raid attacked Union camp here under Capt. Edward Barlow. CSA took 380 prisoners and material. $59,000 taken from Farmers' Bank. Leaving a force here under Col. H. L. Giltner, Morgan moved west with 2nd Brigade. Next morning CSA driven out. Joined by Morgan, took Lexington next day. See map. Originally erected in 1964. Subjects Civil War , Lexington , Morgan, John Hunt , Mt. Sterling

Battle-June 9, 1864 Marker Number 629

Location US 60, Mt. Sterling Description CSA took Mt. Sterling on previous day. Early on 9th US forces under General S. G. Burbridge attacked CSA under Col. R. M. Martin camped on Camargo Pike. Col. H. L. Giltner brought CSA force from Levee Road, but both driven through city. CSA counterattacked, but was repulsed. Heavy loss on both sides. Morgan joined them and took Lexington next day. See map other side. Originally erected in 1964. Subjects Burbridge, Stephen G. , Civil War , Lexington , Morgan, John Hunt , Mt. Sterling

Civil War Robbery Marker Number 1331

Location Main & Bank Sts., Mt. Sterling Description In this building is the Farmers Bank vault, which was robbed of $60,000 as "Morgan's Raiders" were on their last raid through Kentucky. Later the night of June 8, 1864, several of Morgan's men went to the house of J. O. Miller, cashier, and took the vault key from him. The money was never recovered. It was believed it went to Confederate cause. See over. (Reverse) Bank Sues - In 1866, a civil suit was filed in Anderson Co. by Farmers Bank against Lt. J. F. Witherspoon. The bank was awarded a judgment of $59,057.33 for damages. On appeal, Witherspoon found not liable. Court of Appeals said that under laws of war robbery was not unlawful. Furthermore, there was no proof Witherspoon more guilty than any other in Morgan's command. Over. Subjects Civil War , Morgan, John Hunt , Morgan's Raiders

Courthouse Burned Marker Number 586

Location Courthouse lawn, US 60, Mt. Sterling Description Twenty-two Kentucky courthouses were burned during Civil War, nineteen in last fifteen months: twelve by Confederates, eight by guerrillas, two by Union accident. See map on reverse side. Dec. 2, 1863, CSA cavalry burned courthouse at Mt. Sterling to stop its use as a USA garrison. Clerk's records, in rear, saved. Circuit court records destroyed. Erected January 8, 1964. Subjects Civil War , Courthouses Burned

Estill's Defeat Marker Number 153

Location US 60, Mt. Sterling Description Here on March 22, 1782, in Battle of Little Mountain, Captain James Estill and 7 of his force of 25 pioneers were killed in desperate hand-to-hand fighting with a band of 25 marauding Wyandots. Subjects Indians , Wyandot Indians

Gen. John Bell Hood Home Marker Number 112

County Montgomery Location US 60, 4 mi. W. of Mt. Sterling Description Home of Hood family, 1835-1857. From here John Bell Hood (1831-1879) went to West Point, 1849. Resigned commission in 1861, joined Confederate Army, served with Texas Brigade throughout war. Hood wounded at Gettysburg; lost leg at Chickamauga. Subjects Civil War

Little Mountain Indian Mound Marker Number 2290

Location Corner of Queen St. & Adena Trail, Mt. Sterling Description On this site stood the massive Little Mountain Indian Mound, from which Mount Sterling derived its name. Constructed by the Adena Indian culture about 2000 years ago, the circular mound stood 25 feet in height and 125 feet in diameter and was located along the Warrior’s Trace. (Reverse) It was a prominent landmark used by William Calk and Enoch Smith to survey land claims in 1775. James Estill and his men camped here on March 21, 1782, the night before the battle of Estill’s Defeat. In 1845, the city removed the mound & extraordinary artifacts of copper, marble, stone, and shell were recovered during the excavation. Subjects Indians , Mt. Sterling

Montgomery County, 1797 Marker Number 1216

County Montgomery Location Courthouse lawn, US 60, Mt. Sterling Description Named for General Richard Montgomery, Revolutionary War officer. Born in Ireland, 1738. An advocate of colonial freedom, he commanded continental forces in the north, capturing first British colors in war, Fort St. Johns, 1775. Killed in Quebec attack, December 31, 1775. Original county taken from Clark; included area of 2 present counties and parts of 8 others. Subjects Revolutionary War

Morgan's Station - 6 Miles Marker Number 115

Location 2 mi. E. of Mt. Sterling Description Settled in 1789. Attacked by Indians April 1, 1793. 19 women and children captured while men worked in fields. One woman hid in spring house and gave the alarm. 12 of the prisoners were massacred. Subjects Forts and Stations , Indians

Mt. Sterling School Marker Number 2479

Location 110 Hamilton St., Mt. Sterling Description Mt. Sterling (Du Bois) School was the second of two Rosenwald Schools in Montgomery Co. Built in 1929, it initially had ten teachers for grades 1-12, as well as a library. In 1952, the two high schools for African Americans were consolidated. A fire destroyed the building in 1964, and the schools in Montgomery Co. then became fully integrated. (Reverse) Julius Rosenwald School- Site of one of the 158 Rosenwald Schools constructed in Kentucky between 1917 & 1932. The one-room schoolhouse provided an education for African American children required to attend segregated schools. This program grew out of Booker T. Washington’s vision for educational reform & his partnership with philanthropist Julius Rosenwald. Subjects African American , Mt. Sterling , Schools , Washington, Booker T.

Pioneer Outpost & Spring Marker Number 2395

Location 4510 Winchester Rd., Mt. Sterling Description 100 yds. south of here stood Fort Baker, 1 of 36 pioneer outposts critical to settlement of Clark, Montgomery, & Bath counties. Est. spring 1790 by John Baker, station covered 20 acres. Fort evacuated after nighttime attack on June 29 by four Native Americans. Samuel Dickerson severely wounded & died; Baker’s brother, Isaac, shot. Over. (Reverse) Although outpost was abandoned, several men returned at season’s end to harvest the corn crop they had planted. In 1793, John Baker gave 66 acres of his land & founded the town of Winchester, which was named after his hometown in Va. The oval spring & well, just north of the station, was visited by Pres. Andrew Jackson on October 2, 1832 Subjects Forts and Stations , Indians , Springs

The Gaitskill Mound Marker Number 1655

Location Northern Bypass, KY 686, Mt. Sterling Description Indian Mound attributed to Adena people, who inhabited Ohio Valley ca. 800 B.C. to A.D. 700. They began cultivating simple crops, bringing about a mixed hunting and farming economy. Central to Adena life were rituals involving cremation and mound building. Engraved stone tablets found here indicate mound to be Adena. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, 1975. Subjects Indians , National Register of Historic Places