James Harrod disappeared while visiting Swift's mine

           Perhaps one of the oldest known references to the Swift legend occurred in 1793.  And it came from the widow of James Harrod, founder of the first permanent white settlement in the Kentucky wilderness, Fort Harrod.  Also, comes with it one of strangest twists on the treasure story. This was reported by Dr. Christopher Graham  in in 1871 from conversations he had with Ann Harrod years before.  Dr. Graham was the family physician to Mrs. Harrod during the early part of the 19th century. Dr. Graham related the information to Louis Collins who recorded in his  History of Kentucky, published in 1882 by his son Richard H. Collins.

Present day Ft. Harrod replica is located very near  the original fort site

     Mrs. Harrod told Dr Graham her husband was murdered.  Mrs. Harrod claimed a man named Bridges had been searching for the Swift's silver mine. This was in 1793! Mrs. Harrod stated that many had hunted for the mines. This man Bridges,  Mrs.Harrod informed Dr. Graham, told James Harrod that he had found the Swift's mine and invited Harrod in as a partner because he had the means to work the mine. According to Mrs. Harrod, James  Harrod accompanied this Bridges fellow along with a third man to the Three Forks of the Kentucky River, the place Bridges claimed to have found the mine.

Early Filson map of Kentucky clearly shows the three forks of the Kentucky River

     James Harrod never returned from this trip.  Bridges returned claiming that Harrod had been killed by Indians.  The other man on the trip did not hunt or witness, but knew that Harrod and Bridges were on the same side of the river when he heard a shot.  Later a party of men went to the the Three Forks area and recovered bones they thought to be James Harrod.   The bones had been picked clean but the hunting shirt was supposed to be that of James Harrod.
     Widow Harrod was absolutely convinced  Bridges murdered James Harrod because the two men had previously been engaged in a law-suit about property.  Before the ill fated trip, the two men had not spoken to each other in some time. This event likely occurred in July of 1793 because records indicate that Harrod's seat on the Harrodsburg Board of Trustees was declared vacant in August of 1793, due to Harrod's recent death.
     This adds another layer of mystery to the whole Swift legend as well as credible evidence that people were actively searching for the legendary mines along the Kentucky river as early as 1793. The Three Forks of the Kentucky River would be in the Beattyville, Kentucky area of Lee County.

Numerous rock shelters or "houses" over Eastern Kentucky exhibit mine workings

     Numerous rock houses or shelters located all along the sandstone conglomerate outcrop of the Pennsylvanian formation which forms the coal fields of Eastern Kentucky. Some of the many rock houses show the signs of developed workings to extract some type of material.  Historically, salt peter was mined and processed in many cliff shelters.  Through a leaching process the broken rock and sand contained the mineral, an essential ingredient in pioneer gun powder. Another mineral extracted from the rocky areas was iron ore, found abundant over the same region.  The ore was removed and taken to one of the many "pig iron" furnaces of the region where the ore was smelted into iron used to make cannon balls as well as a host of items.  The largest of these types of furnaces still stands today in rural Estill County Kentucky.  The Fitchburg Furnace is the largest iron furnace of this type known to exist in the world according to information provided at the site.  The site is owned and maintained by the US Forest Service and is worth a trip for anyone exploring neat places in Kentucky.

Fitchburg furnance

     Though I digress from my original intent, pondering the fact James Harrod disappeared and was presumed murdered while searching for the famous John Swift Silver Mine.
     Finally, I discovered another great site relating many special places around state.  You can read a lot more about Kentucky's unique places at kaintuckeean.com.

Charles Allen

     Back in 1992 I had the great pleasure of spending an afternoon with Reverend Charles Allen of Sand Gap, Kentucky.  Sand Gap is located in Jackson County.  I met Mr. Allen at his home and spent most of the day with him hiking back to an area he believed he had discovered the silver ore that Swift and company mined. Charles Allen was not your average silver mine hunter, though he had claimed to have found the workings.  He had carefully identified the correct light houses, various rock landmarks and creeks.  The area he  identified was, indeed like many areas, located under and around one of the many sandstone rock houses that exist all along the escarpment of Eastern Kentucky.  It was an enjoyable day to be sure and and he was remarkably fit. This man, in his 70's, nearly walked me to death that day and I recall having a difficult time keeping up with him.

     Charles Allen was a silver mine hunter to be sure but his special gift; his uniqueness among all the rest of us was his claim to be a descendant of John Swift.  Yes, that's right, Charles Allen claimed to have very accurately traced his ancestry back to John Swift and beyond.

Charles Allen

     OK, I know, this sounds like a wild tale and I have no way to confirm other than the paper he gave me that day when I departed, very tired and with samples of iron hematite-no silver on this visit.  Now the serious researcher can easily find that John Swift married a Virginia woman named Ann (Nancy in some accounts) Roberdeau.
  Charles Allen claims  John Swift married a Cherokee woman of the Red Cherokee Tribe living in the area that is now Jackson County, Kentucky.  Without going into a list of genealogy records, Mr. Allen claims that his great, great (I think four greats) grandmother was one Theina Renfrowe.   Theina, Allen insists, was the daughter of John and Dandelion Swift.  Dandelion being the daughter  of  Little Hawk, a Cherokee.
     So, the obvious jumps out.  What happened Swift's wife Ann?   Perhaps, Swift found another wife in wilderness?  Swift never mentions taking a Cherokee wife.  But Charles Allen was insistent on the matter.  He is descended from John Swift.
     No one will ever know if this is story is factual.  Charles Allen believed it with all his heart.  I found him to be a sensible, earnest and humble man and wanted absolutely nothing for his information.  I think, in the end, he just wanted the record to show he was a living testament to the Swift legend.  I do not know if Mr. Allen is still alive or not.  I could not find any listings for him at this writing.  I can say, without a doubt, one sunny day a number of years ago, I was fortunate enough to meet Reverend Charles Allen, a descendant of John Swift.

Daniel Boone at Pilot Knob

Pilot Knob view travelling east on the Mountain Parkway

     Traveling east on the the Mountain Parkway one crosses part of what once was the last Shawnee Town ever recorded in Kentucky.  It was called Eskippakithiki and was located on the level plain before the terrain abruptly becomes hilly and rugged.  The first noticeable mountain is the famous Pilot Knob.  It was here that Daniel Boone proclaimed to have first saw the beautiful levels of Kentucky.  Boone was actually looking on the old Shawnee Town location. Boone reported to have made the trek up the mountain on the sixth day of June, 1769.
     Now historians report that Boone never made this trip and discovery without the help of another great pioneer, John Finley.  Old John Finley actually was Boone's guide into the wilderness after Boone's first attempt, two years earlier, ended in dismal failure.  So how is it that John Finley knew so much about the Kentucky wilderness that he could lead Boone?  Well, John Finley had somehow, established a trading store in the very Shawnee town.  He carried on a good trading business with the residents of Eskippakithiki until he and the entire village was burned and destroyed in 1754.  I actually wrote an article on the subject in the former "Kentucky Parks" magazine.

     The interesting thing here is that Boone was in Kentucky in 1769 and according various "Swift" journals, John Swift claimed to have made his last visit to mine silver in 1769.  Actually, within a month of each other.  This has always been a puzzle to me and most who have studied the legend are aware of this strange confluence of events.
     Just imagine what the Shawnee Town would have looked like to Finley when he first saw it.  It must have been a sight to see spread out along the flat plain that actually marks the very eastern edge of the so-called Cincinnati Arch, a geological configuration that actually produces the Bluegrass region.
     With all this in mind, I would like to offer you a small excerpt from the book, Swift.  This is the first time Finley sees Shawnee Town (Eskippakithitki.)

       

            The site of the Shawnee town shocked John Finley as they crossed over a low hill and the entire levels of the town came into full view. They had already greeted others along the path coming out from the town and observed other small parties of five and six hunters moving out in various directions. As they made their way into the village some took notice but seemed apathetic to the arrival of the group containing two white men. The people of the village assumed the warriors would not have brought trouble to their town.

Eskippakithiki positioned on a level plain near the foot hills of the last remnants of the mountains located to the east. The village appeared a scattering of long bark houses, the kind of permanent house most southeastern tribes built. Several poles were set in a general rectangular -shape, stockade style. Smaller, flexible rafter poles arched  across the top of the structure as roof supports. Mud, moss, leaves, dry grass and bark was mixed in random fashion to cover the entire structure. Despite the unusual materials, the long bark houses provided water tight housing. Numerous cooking fires scattered about the camp sent straight columns of smoke into the blue cloudless sky. Surrounding the village flat fields of green grasses and crops being cultivated by the Shawnee made the whole scene welcoming. At least one notable stream meandered nearby supplying a continuous fresh water source. A well worn path led from the village, westward to the long hill, then downward to the meandering creek. Women and children traveled at various distances along the path carrying skins and pots of water to their various homes in the town. Hunting seemed good in every direction. Bison located  north, south, and west of the town while deer and elk were plentiful east in the mountains. A good source of flint outcropped nearby in the mountainous area. The flint, a precious resource, provided the raw material for practically every tool for everyday life. This group of Shawnee had begun to acquire metal objects including axes and even some now had rifles they obtained from the British.

            John Finley and George Mundy were ignored by their traveling companions as each hunter separated off to their own house and waiting families. The hunters brought back numerous trade items but they never divulged their origins to either John or George. The two strangers moved right though the village and, though were stared at by the inhabitants, they exhibited no hostility. John Finley moved to the eastern edge of the town.  He found a big Burr oak tree in the hot savanna plain well outside of the town at the edge of the woods and adjacent to a well used path. John assumed the path an old bison trail but later would learn it to be the Warrior’s Path. John discarded his heavy pack and set about making a hasty temporary camp. John gathered firewood, built a cooking pit from stones and made ready for his first night’s stay in a big town. George Mundy rested under the shade of the big oak tree, watching John hurry about setting up camp. Some of the Shawnee kids came around just to see the newcomers, the white-skinned new comers.

            “Aren’t you going to lay a camp?” John asked.

            “I will in a little while. Do you know what Eskippakithiki means?” George said, changing the subject.

            “I don’t speak Shawnee, so it’s pretty likely I don’t know what it means,” John replied with a touch of sarcasm.

            “Means a place called Blue Licks. Eskipp means Blue Licks, ak means place and the ithiki

            “A place called Blue Licks,” John chuckled.

            “Yes sir. Funny thing to me too. Back east they call this country out here Kentakee. I think some hunters confused the last part of this town’s name and came up with Kentakee. You take the ‘Ki-thi-ki from the last part of Eskippa and it would be pretty easy for some of them devils to make Kee-taa-kee sound like Ken-ta-kee. It always seemed like it to me anyway.”

            “Well, if nothin’ else, it sure is something to ponder.”