Court Order Book Paints Picture of Town's Past

Thanks to the work of the very talented genealogist Brenda Joyce Jerome, CG, I was able to abstract the following valuable gems about Dycusburg's history. If you drive through Dycusburg now, it's hard to imagine the town with police officials, judges, a river ferry, hotels, a jail, taverns and streets lined with merchants.

Through the dedication and devotion of professional genealogists like Jerome who spent the time sifting through dusty documents, a clearer picture of a bustling Dycusburg is painted.

These notations appear in her publication, Crittenden County, Kentucky: County Court Order Book I (1842-1852). She has graciously allowed me to share these abstracts with readers of this Web site. I encourage you to visit Brenda's genealogy blog at http://wkygenealogy.blogspot.com/. In addition to this book (nearly out of print), Brenda has an impressive collection of publications available for purchase, including many Crittenden County publications.

Crittenden County was created from Livingston County in 1842. Soon after, Dycusburg became a very active little community, as you can see from the entries appearing here.

12 April 1847
Pg. 173: Theophilus Killen, James Duvall, Joshua Duvall, Hiram Sanders and Geo. Martin appointed commissioners to view & mark a road commencing about 3/4 mile from Dycus's warehouse and that they report the name of the persons through whose land sd. road may pass.

10 April 1848
p. 209: D.W. Carter, John Brasher, Lee Travis, Newton Clement & Jacob Coon, or any 3 of them, appointed to view and mark a way for a road to commence at Dycusburg to run the nearest and best way therefrom to Marion and report conveniences & inconveniences.

p. 216: G.B. Dycus moved the court to grant him a charter of privilege of establishing a ferry across the Cumberland River at Dycusburg which motion continued until the next term of court.

Stephen B. McElroy appointed (in place of Jno. F. Bennett) Surveyor of that part of the road leading from the ford of the creek at Kirkpatrick's and extending to Jacob's Landing on Cumberland River, beg. at the ford of Livingston Creek and extending to the creek near Shirley Tisdale's and that he with the following keep same in good repair, Jesse Brooks, J.W. Brooks, J.J. Cowsert, A.J. Johnson, John McElroy, E. Evans, W.J. Martin, Wm. Bennett, James Wyatt, George Martin, Jonas Martin & B.W. Bennett & hands.

8 May 1848
p. 219: Mortimer Jackson, A.M. Hunter, Joshua Duvall, James McKenn & Samuel McWaters appointed trustees for the town of Dycusburg.

12 June 1848
p. 226: James McKean, Justice of the Peace, has taken the oath of fidelity to the Commonwealth and with Theo. Killen & G.B. Dycus, as his securities, entered into bond in the penalty of 500 pounds. Ordered that a testimonial issue to him authorizing him to celebrate the rites of matrimony between all persons in sd. Commonwealth who shall produce a marriage license.

p. 233: On application of G.B. Dycus for the establishment of a publick ferry across Cumberland River at Dycusburgh and appearing that notice hath been given to the owners of the land on one side of sd. stream and Dycus being the owner of the other side, ordered that ferry be established at the place designated and that Dycus be required to keep at all times one good substantial ferry boat and not less than one hand to manage same and that he be allowed to charge & receive rates. Whereupon Dycus and Theo. Killen & John S. Gilliam, securities, entered the bond in the penalty of 20 pounds, according to law.

G.B. Dycus produced into court a plann of the town of Dycusburgh, which is ordered recorded.

12 February 1849
p. 272: Giles L. Cobb, J.C. Elder, Wilson Travis, Newton Clements & Andrew Stinson, or any three of them, appointed to view and mark a way for a road to commence at the Salem road near I.N. Clement's residence to extend the nearest & best way to Dycusburgh and that they report the names of all persons through whose lands the road will pass & also report the conveniences from the establishment of sd. road.

p. 274: The following persons appointed as Trustees for the town of Dycusburgh, viz, C.M. Jackson, Joshua Duvall, J.C. Elder, H.W. Sanders & G.B. Dycus & that James McKean be appointed to act as clerk of sd. Trustees and that sd. Trustees be governed by the general law now in force in relation to the Trustee of towns.

License granted A.G. Noel to keep a tavern at the house in the town of Dycusburgh for one year from this date. Whereupon he took the required oath & with W.B. Shaw & Answell Bennett, his securities, entered into bond in the penalty of 100 pounds.

9 April 1849
p. 283: George Martin, in place of Alex Hunter, appointed Surveyor of that part of the public road leading from Dycusburg to Princeton, commencing at Shirley Tisdale's land and extending to Free Betty ford on Livingston Creek and that Tisdale & hands & Bryant W. Bennett & hands keep sd. road in good repair.

9 July 1849
p. 296: Ordered that the following officers & Judges be appointed for the ensuing election:
Dycusburg Precinct:

Richard G. Stewart, Sheriff
Thomas Duvall, Clerk
Theophilus Killen, Judge
D.W. Carter, ditto

11 March 1850
p. 330: Ordered on motion of Joshua Duvall, who is hereby released, that John Swinney be appointed Surveyer of the road from Dycusburg and extending to the Jacobs's landing Road and that he with all hands within 3 miles on each side of sd. road keep same in good repair.

Wilson Travis appointed Surveyor of the road leading from his house to Dycusburg and that he with all hands living with 2 miles of sd. road on either side proceed to cut & open sd. road.

8 April 1850
p. 341: Agreeable to [an] Act of the General Assembly passed at the last session, ordered that the following Judge, Sheriffs, and Clerks be appointed to conduct the Election in May, next, viz:

D.W. Carter, Judge at Dycusburg Precinct
Samuel McWaters

p. 345: B.W. Bennett, Shirley Tisdal, J. Martin, Enoch Evans, & G.L. Cole appointed to view & fix a place at which to construct a bridge upon Livingston Creek on a route leading from Dycusburg to Fredonia in Caldwell Co. & report as soon as practicable.

10 June 1850
Page 354: Wm. E. Parker, M.L. Smith, David D. Moore, F.C. Trice & Pleasant Fox permitted to act as Trustees for the town of Dycusburg.

M.L. Smith, Captain, and P.R. Bliss, Robert Cooksey & David Moore appointed pattrollers of the town of Dycusburg.

8 July 1850
p. 360: The following persons appointed to conduct the ensuing Election in August next:

D.W. Carter, Judge at Dycusburg Precinct
Samuel McWaters, Judge at ditto

p. 362: I.N. Clement, Chesley Wheeler, James Banks, Wm. Banks, & Wm. B. Clement, or any three of them, appointed to view and mark a way for a road to commence on the road from Princeton to Salem near the residence of I.N. Clement and extending to the upper corner of Wm. Banks' field on the Dycusburg Road and they report conveniences & inconveniences.

14 October 1850
p. 380: Anthony Coon appointed (in place of Wilson Travis), surveyor of the road from Wilson Travis' hence to Dycusburg and that he with the following hands keep same in repair, vis, Thos. Brasher, Jacob Coon, Saml. Coon, Auswell Bennett, Thomas Lear, John Duncan, Wm. Sparkman, Wm. Harpe, Wm. Cash, Franklin Harpe, Wm. Simpkins, Thomas Mercer, Franklin Dunn, James Markham, Elijah Duncan, John Markham, William McKee, Jesse Ford & A.J. Roades.

10 February 1851
p. 394: On motion of Samuel McWaters, ordered that W.C. Graves, Thomas Jarrett, G.B. Dycus, Robert Cooksey and A.M. Hunter be appointed to view and mark a way for a public road commencing at Dycusburg and extending to or near the mouth of Livingston Creek and that they report the names of all persons through whose land sd. road will pass & report conveniences and inconveniences.

10 March 1851
p. 398: J.A. Yandell appointed constable for the Dycusburg District and thereupon too the oath of office and with Andrew J. Brasher, Jefferson Travis, William Banks, James Banks & Ewell Cruce, his securities, entered into and acknowledged bond in the penalty of $2000.

14 April 1851
p. 407: Ordered that George M. Marshall be permitted to change the road leading from Marion to Dycusburgh, sd. change commencing opposite the dwelling house of Marshall and extending about 200 yards beyond the house.

p. 414: Jerry P. Brooks (in place of J.G.W. Brooks, released) appointed surveyor of the road leading from Fredonia to Dycusburg, commencing at Kirkpatrick's and extending to the Creek at Shirley Tisdale's and that he with the following hands keep same in repair, viz, B.W. Bennett & hands, G.D. Martin & hands, Jonas Martin, H.J. Martin & hands, E.P. Evans, A.B. Perkins, J.F. Bennett & hands, J.G.W. Brooks, J.P. Brooks, J.L. Cowsert, Shadrack Johnson, J.C. Samples, J.F. McElroy, Stephen McElroy, Wesley Hyatt, James Hyatt, Hew Hyatt, Thomas White & Lidwell Mitchell.

Robert Cooksey appointed surveyor of the road from Dycusburg to or near the mouth of Livingston Creek and that he with all hands living with 2 miles of sd. road proceed to cut out & open said road & keep it in repair.

Date not known
p. 416: Ordered that the ferry landing in Dycusburg be as follows: Commencing at the upper corner of Commerce Street & extending up the river 200 feet.

p. 417: Ordered that ferryman at Dycusburg be allowed 150 feet as a ferry landing to commence at the upper edge of the house now occupied by Golman and Dupriest & running up the river and that James Bishop & C.M. Jackson be appointed to lay off sd. landing.

p. 418: The following persons appointed as Judges, Clerks and Sheriffs of Elections:

Lee Travis, Judge at Dycusburg
James Bishop, ditto at ditto
G.L. Cobb, Clerk at ditto
F.M. Clement, Sheriff at ditto

Commissioners A.J. Brasher, E.P. Evans & J.G.W. Brooks produced which stated that Giles L. Cobb be paid out of the next levy the sum of $80 for the building of a bridge.

p. 419: Bennett Crouch, Asa Crouch, C.C. Cobb, Glenn Owen, & G.B. Dycus, or any three of them, appointed commissioners to view a way for a road to commence at Dycusburg and extend to Clay Lick Creek & they are to report the names of all persons through whose land the road will pass & name the conveniences and inconveniences.

8 September 1851
p. 431: License granted to Isaac Loyd to keep a tavern at his house in Dycusburg for one year from 8th of Septr. 1851. Whereupon he took the oath and entered into bond the penalty of 500 pounds.

8 March 1852
p. 458: P.H. Clement allotted the following hands to work the road leading from Mrs. Rentfrow's to intersect the Dycusburg Road, to wit, Wm. Travis, Bradley Bettis, David Lackman, W.S. Perkins, A.J. Brasher & hands and Chambers.

p. 462: On motion of Isaac Shelby, ordered that Hiram Smith, Wiley Sawyer, & Saml. McWaters appointed to lay off the ferry boundary across the Cumberland River in Dycusburg.

12 April 1852
p. 465: Elisha Tabor (in place of Abraham Deboe) appointed surveyor of the road from Butler's Mill to Dycusburg commencing at sd. Mill and extending to the Fords Ferry Road, near Mrs. Nancy Cruce's Mill and that he keep sd. road in repair with the following hands, viz, Abram Deboe, Hezekiah Tabor, Joseph Stephens, Jaob Taybor, Coonrad Crayne, John Debo & James Crayne.

p. 466: It appearing to the court that A.M. Hunter died in this county intestate, ordered that A.J. Hill be appointed admr of the estate of the decedent upon his executing bond in the penalty of $400. Whereupon he took the oath & with A.J. Hill (sic) acknowledged bond. J.F. Bennett, Henry Martin, J.G. Brooks, B.W. Bennett & D.W. Carter appointed appraisers of said estate.

George Martin (in place of Jesse Brooks) appointed surveyor of the road leading from Fredonia to Dycusburg commencing at Kirkpatrick's and extending to the creek at Shirley Tisdale's and that he with the following hands keep sd. road in repair, viz, B.W. Bennett & hands, G.D. Martin's hands, Jonas Martin, H.J. Martin and hands, E.S. Evans, A.B. Perkins, J.F. Bennett & hands, J.G.W. Brooks, J.P. Brooks, J.L. Cowsert, Shadrack Johnson, J.C. Samples, J.T. McElroy, Stephen McElroy, Wesley Hyatt, James Hyatt, Hugh Hyatt, Thomas White & Ledwell Mitchell.

p. 467: Thomas Brasher, in place of A. Coon, appointed surveyor of the road from Wilson Travis's house to Dycusburg and that he with the following hands kept sd. road in repair, viz, Jacob Coon, Saml. Coon, Oswald Bennett, Thomas Lear, John Duncan, Wm. Sparkman, W. Harper, Wm. Cash, Franklin Harper, Wm. Simpkins, Thomas Mercer, Franklin Dernin, James Markham, Elijah Duncan, John Markham, William McKee, Jesse Ford, A.J. Roads.

p. 471: It appearing that Theodore Vosier was duly elected Police Marshall of Dycusburg, ordered he be allowed to qualify. Whereupon he took the oath & with Isaac Loyd, L. Shelby & G.L. Cobb entered into bond in the penalty of $2000.

12 July 1852
p. 486: The following person appointed officers of the Elections in August next:

H.B. Brasher & Samuel McWaters, Judges, Dycusburg Precinct
G.M. Marshall, clerk, Dycusburg Precinct
I.N. Clement, Sheriff, Dycusburg Precinct

9 August 1852
p. 494: Hiram Smith, W.S. Graves, Isaac Loyd, W.B. Sawyer, & M.L. Smith appointed Trustees of the town of Dycusburg.

11 October 1852
p. 511: Following sums allowed officers of Election in August 1852:
H.B. Brasher, Judge at Dycusburg: $1.00
Samuel McWaters, ditto: $1.00