John Miller's Station

John Miller's Station (1779-?) - John Miller, William Miller and Robert Miller were three brothers who, along with other settlers, came to Kentucky in 1778 from Sherman's Valley near Carlisle, Pennsylvania (1). John Miller had apparently made his first trip as early as 1775 to claim land possibly along with William McClintock, William Steele, one of the Houstons and others. The 1778 party included the Millers, McClintock, Steele, Robert Pollock, William McClellan, David Marshall, Henry Thompson, John Patton and others, totaling eighteen men with their families. A surveyor named Johnson laid off their claims and land was cleared and corn planted. Indian depredations drove them back to the settlements (with the loss of Robert Miller's life) but some apparently returned in 1779 and built a blockhouse (1).

Following extracted from an Article in Kentuckian-Citizen(2)

John Miller preempted the land upon which Millersburg stands, but settled about a mile north of the town…William Miller built a cabin about a mile south of Millersburg… Each of the Millers built block-houses, where the families collected for protection against the Indians in times of alarms, which for the first few years were numerous and frequent.

After securing lands, erecting cabins and planting a crop of corn, they, in the latter part of the year, returned to Pennsylvania for their families and supplies. In the following year 1779 (fourth trip), they came back to Kentucky, making the trip by land to Pittsburg, and thence down the Ohio on flat-boats.

During the voyage, they were compelled to keep in the middle of the stream, through fear of the Indians who infested the banks and were ever ready to attack a small party of whites. Once, in attempting to land, Robert Miller was shot by the Indians, who secured his body. Mr. Miller had upon his person a silver watch and wore silver knee-buckles and shoe buckles, which were then fashionable. Some years afterward a man came to Millersburg wearing these relics of the unfortunate victim, which he had bought from the savages. They were recognized and purchased by John Miller, a brother of the murdered man. Owing to the hostility of the Indians along the Ohio, the party did not land at Limestone (Maysville), as they had intended, but proceeded to the mouth of the Beargrass, now Louisville, where there were a fort and settlement.

The unsettled condition of the country arising from the Revolutionary War, then in progress, and the depredations of the Indians, incited to murder and bloodshed by British emissaries, their intended settlement was delayed, and it was not until about 1785-86 that the members of the little colony took possession of their lands. ..

Location: North of Millersburg, Kentucky

Sources:

References:
 * 1) Kentuckian-Citizen, Paris, Ky., 1944
 * 2) Kentuckian-Citizen, Paris, Ky., 22 Jun 1943 & 29 Jun 1943

Links:
 * Bob Francis