Scott County, Kentucky

Newtown

pp. 213-214

NEWTON PRECINCT - DESCRIPTIVE AND TOPOGRAPHICAL FEATURES - EARLY SETTLEMENT - PIONEER TRIALS AND HARDSHIPS - MILLS, ROADS, BRIDGES, ETC. - RELIGIOUS - METHODIST AND OTHER CHURCHES - EARLY SCHOOLS - VILLAGE OF NEWTOWN - ITS BUSINESS, ETC., ETC.

Newtown Precinct

Election precinct No. 8, known and designated at Newtown Precinct, lies in the southeast part of Scott County, and is bounded on the north by the Cynthiana & Georgetown road, on the east by the Bourbon and Fayette County lines, on the west by the Lexington and Newton pike and the Oxford road, and on the south by the Fayette County line. Its surface is rolling or undulating, and is fine blue grass land. The original timber was walnut, sugar maple, ash, cherry, hickory and oak, principally the latter. The principal streams are Cherry and Boyd's Runs, North Elkhorn and Little Elkhorn, which drain the land well, and afford an abundance of stock water. The principal pursuits are farming and stock raising, and a number of fine farms are located in this section. The people are industrious, honorable and enterprising, and withal educated and intelligent.

Among the early settlers of Newtown Precinct were Nelson and Clifton Smith, James Parks, Samuel Walker, James McCroskey, Austin Bradford, George Hume, Gen. Henry John Wallace, Newton Cannon and David Flournoy. The precise date of their settlement is not known, but as there were settlements made in the county as early as 1775, it is altogether probable that settlements were made in this section within the succeeding decade. The pioneers above mentioned were from Virginia, and came down the river in boats, as was the custom with many of the settlers in this section of the State. They landed at Maysville, then called "Limestone," and from thence journeyed across the country, bringing their goods on packhorses. Wagons were scarce in the settlement for several years after the first white people moved in. But few descendants of this first installment of pioneers are now living in the precinct, and hence not much could be learned of them. Their life was the same as fell to the lot of all the early settlers in Central Kentucky. The first years were years of toil, privation and danger -- a hard and stubborn contest for a foothold in the wilderness. The Indians were plenty, and often troublesome, as will be seen by reference to the chapter on Indian history. They not only plundered the settlements, stole horses and committed other depredations, but they did not hesitate to murder the settlers indiscriminately when occasion presented. Thus the early settlers of the section now embraced in Newtown Precinct lived the first years of their frontier life, not only in danger of their lives from savages, but also from want and from wild beasts. But their efforts prevailed; their perseverance was crowned with success.

The precinct of Newtown, being mostly a stock-raising and agricultural district, the hum of machinery but little disturbs the Short-Horns and South-Downs as they graze upon the blue grass pastures. The first and only mill ever in the precinct was, or is, known as "Lemon's Mill," on the North Elkhorn, and was built by Joshua Leathers. It is still in operation, but since its erection has changed into a distillery, then converted back into a mill. A tannery was established in a very early day by Joseph Moring, but it has long since passed away with other relics of the "by-gones." In the pioneer times it was the custom for every man to take hides to the tanyard, have them tanned, and have his shoes, and those of his family, made at home; but that, too, has become one of the lost arts.

The first public road through the precinct was the Lexington & Newtown road, and was also the first that was macadamized. The converting of it into a pike was begun in 1849, and finished in 1852. The Paris & Georgetown pike, which passes through the precinct, was also begun in 1849, and finished in 1852. The Leesburg & Newtown pike was built in 1857. The first bridges were built by the turnpike companies, and were wooden structures. It will be seen by these roads that, in the matter of highways, the precinct is well supplied. Good roads add materially to the prosperity of a community, and by this system of improvements its standard of wealth and prosperity is often determined by strangers.

The precinct is well supplied with churches. The Methodist Church was organized about the year 1804 by Anthony Houston and others. The original building was a wooden structure, and was burned in 1849. It was rebuilt in 1852, of brick, at a cost of about $1,600. The present membership is small.

The Presbyterian Church was organized in 1809, as the Cherry Spring Presbyterian Church, and had for its first pastor Rev. John Lyle. The original Elders were John Scroggins, John A. Miller and David Torrence. We have been unable to learn any further particulars of this organization.

The Christian Church at Newtown was organized in 1856 by Elder John A. Gano, who was its first, is its present, and has been its only pastor. The church edifice is of brick, and is a good, comfortable building. Its original membership was about the same as that maintained at present. A flourishing Sunday school is supported, and is the only one in the precinct. The average attendance is about thirty.

Of the early schools of the neighborhood we know but little. The first taught, of which we have any account, was by Nelson Smith, Esq., one of the early settlers, who took up a school for the purpose of teaching his own children. It is said that there was no other person in the immediate settlement at the time competent to take charge of the school, and Mr. Smith, in order to afford his own children an opportunity of "schooling," thus opened a school, and extended its benefits to the other children of the community. The schools and facilities for receiving an education have improved since that day, and the precinct is now better provided, though there is still room for improvement in the public schools, not only of this precinct, but of the whole county.

The village of Newtown is rather venerable, and has been "town" for many years. It is situated near the Fayette County line, at the junction or crossing of the Lexington and of the Leesburg pikes. It originated into a town by the farmers selling lots to mechanics who built shops of the different trades and commenced business. This led to the establishment of a store at the place, which supplied goods to the mechanics and to the surrounding families. The first store was opened by Martin Bates, who kept a general variety of goods. A shoe shop was opened by a man named Johnson, and a blacksmith's shop by Billy Anderson. This latter was of considerable notoriety throughout the country, for a great distance. Anderson was a very fine mechanic, and made edge-tools of different kinds, with which he supplied the people, and the excellent quality of which rendered him very popular. The only store is at present that of S. Ornsparber, general merchandise. There are two shops -- one blacksmith and one woodshop. This comprises the business of the place at the present time. The only school in Newtown Precinct, is located here. It is in a very flourishing condition, and well patronized, with an average attendance of about sixty pupils. It was organized in this village in 1862, and the first teacher was a man named Tomkins. The present teacher is George Williams (1822). and all the primary branches are taught, usually taught in a common school.

Newtown Precinct is a rather quiet, unassuming community, and has no very thrilling history. Its people move on "in the even tenor of their way," attend to their own business, and leave others to do the same. No railroads traverse the precinct, disturbing the people with the screeching of their locomotives and the rumbling of their trains, but everything is done in the good old way of the fathers.
--Perrin