History of Providence, KY
Part 2
by Frances Bassett PriceAt an early day, probably between 1800 and 1810 a postoffice was established in the home of Eleazar Given. The house was a large two story structure with a long ell with a wide porch on the east side. The great stone chimneys of the house were cracked by the earthquake of 1811. The postoffice was kept in the great front hall. The receiver of letters or other postal matter paid for it by distance mileage, so much for each mile it had traveled. The writer once heard an old gentleman tell of a letter coming for him from a friend who had gone to California on which the postage was about one dollar. Dollars were hard to get then as now and he often said it was his first and hardest dollar to obtain and the mostly highly prized letter he ever received.
Coming of Savage
In January 1820 Eleazar Given married his third and last wife, Mrs. Mary Savage Settler of Winchester, Virginia. She brought with her when she came to his big home in the midst of many well-tilled acres, her brother, Richard Savage, a youth of 18. For several years he assisted his brother-in-law, Given, in his postoffice, and trading post which he had added.
Immediately west of Given's land lay a steep, rocky hill covered with a dense woodland. Two Indian trails wended their devious way over the rock and ruts under the great trees, crossing at the summit of the hill.
Young Savage decided to clear the forest and build a trading post and home for himself on the summit of the hill or present day crossing of Main and Broadway Streets. Present day descendants of the family have been under the impression that he secured the land as part of a military warrant for a large body of land due his father, Dr. Joseph Savage, surgeon in the Revolutionary War, but records found recently in Hopkins county seem to indicate that William Jenkins had already secured it and Savage bought it from him.
One record reads:
"Wm. Jenks Sept. 2, 1830 deed book 6, page 47, to $370.00 fpr 158 acres land to R. B. Savage, corners E. Given and John Robertson and adjoins meeting house lot."
Another entry reads:
"May 29, 1824 Saml. Whitesides and wife Margaret and John Whitesides and Sarah, his wife conveyed to Wm. Jenks, deed Book 4, page 364, 98 1/2 acres cornering with E. Given. the forks of the road and the meeting house lot.
Witnesses A. M. Henry, John Montgomery."
Another is:
"Jan. 20, 1816 John Robertson conveyed (deed book 2, page 37) to Samuel and John Whitesides 100 acres on Owen Branch, corners with E. Given. E Given, Wm. Gunter, witnesses. John Robertson received this land from Wm. R. Weir, March 12, 1814, deed book 1, page 212."Some time between 1825 and 1830 Savage, hiring to assist his own all available slaves from the nearby settlers, cleared the hill and adjacent land and laid off town lots by numbers ranging from 1 to 24. On his own lot No. 1 he built his trading post and residence. It is said that the wolf bounty paid by the government assisted him largely in his project. He paid his negro landclearers a small bit for each wolf scalp they turned in, and turned it in to the government at the much better bounty price.
The following old records are of this time:
"R.B. Savage to E. Given Nov. 22, 1830, 158 acres (deed book 6, page 81) Jacob Rudy to E. Given, trustee for Anne Rudy Savage wife of Richard Savage, Oct. 1829, 1 negro girl named Eleanor; 1 negro girl named Luanna; 1 horse, saddle and blanket; 1 cow and calf; 2 feather beds and furniture; 1 bureau; 2 folding leaf tables."
"May 6 1840 (deed book 9, page 422) Richard B. Savage and Ann V. Savage conveyed to Wm. G. Wetzel and Elijah E. Baker for $350 lot No. 2 in town of Providence."
"Dec. 28, 1840 (deed book 9, page 497) Richard B Savage and Ann V. Savage conveyed to Matthew Ledbetter lot 3 in town of Providence, adjoining number 2 on Main St., also lots 4 and 16."
"Dec. 28, 1840, R.B. and Anne V. Savage conveyed to D.A. and N.W. Brooks a lot in town of Providence adjoining Brooks Store House and Savage's Grocery, price $60."
"July 31, 1841 (deed book 10, page 46) Richard B. and Anne V. Savage of the town of Providence conveyed to William G. Wetzel for $200.00 lot 15 on the plan of said town adjoining lots 1 on Main St. and lot No. 24."
"Dec. 28, 1840 (deed book 9, page 494) William G. Wetzel and Hannah Ann, his wife, coveyed to M. Ledbetter lot 2 in town of Providence, adjoining lots 1, 3 and 4."
"Dec 28, 1840 (deed book 9, page 496) Richard B. Savage to James Trader for $40.00 lot 24 in town of Providence, adjoining lots No. 15 and 26. $40.00."
From the Centennial Supplement of THE PROVIDENCE ENTERPRISE:
Published Every Thursday: Volume XXXVIII, Providence, Kentucky,
Thursday, July 18, 1940, Number 38Used here with the permission of
The Providence-Journal Enterprise,
Providence, Kentucky
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