John Kiser's Station

John Kiser's Station (1781-1780s) - A Revolutionary War era Bourbon County Station established by John Kiser in 1781. John Kiser came to Kentucky from Frederick County, Maryland, first to Fayette County and then to Bourbon County, Kentucky. He established a stockaded Station near present-day Kiserton in 1781 and in 1785 built a stone house nearby.

History
The exact location of John Kiser's 1781 Station is not available but the stone house he built circa 1785 still exists. Kiser, with his wife Margaret and five children, moved to Fayette County in 1780 and then to Bourbon County in 1781. Kiser and his party first built a defensive station about 200 yards from where he would later build his stone house in 1785. The stone house still stands and defines the general area where the station was located. The site is along Peacock Road on the north bank of the South Fork of the Licking River near its confluence with Stoner Creek about 6 miles northwest of Paris, Kentucky.

The location of the actual station site is made more difficult by the absence of any land grants in John Kiser's name. The reported area of the station and the stone house are contained within a 400-acre grant entered by Samuel McMillan at the confluence of Hinkston Creek and Cooper's Run (old stream names). The grant was issued on 1 Apr 1785.

Bourbon County deed records also indicate that John Kizer of Bourbon County did purchase 276 acres from Samuel and Esther McMillan of Harrison County on 2 May 1816. Kizer may have been leasing the land from McMillan prior to that time. A plat reconstructed from survey calls includes the site of the Kiser stone house and probably the original station site.

Current Status
The stone house still stands and is occupied by private owners. The site is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as Kiser Station #77000601. The house site includes an original stone smokehouse and an original large double log "pen" now under protective cover.

See Also:
 * Kentucky Stations

Sources:
 * National Register of Historic Places - Kiser Station Nomination Form
 * National Register of Historic Places - Kiser Station Photos
 * National Register of Historic Places - Kiser Station Photos

Links:
 * North American Forts - John Kiser's Station
 * Frontier Folk - John Kiser's Station