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The West Family of Kentucky
"The West's of Fairfax and Prince William Counties, Virginia were crucial to the settlement of Central Kentucky. Their trade was the manufacture of guns, and their skill was almost legendary in the bluegrass."1 Kentucky was the hunting grounds of the Shawnee and Cherokee Indian tribes. The name, Kentucky, is believed to have come from an Indian word meaning “prairie”. One of the early explorers, Dr. Thomas Walker, entered Kentucky after discovering Cumberland Gap in 1750. The gap provided a relatively easy route through the Cumberland Mountains, and in subsequent years countless explorers and settlers were to move through it. One of the best-known explorers was the legendary Daniel Boone, who first arrived in 1767. Edward “Ned” West was the first of the family to arrive. The year was probably 1784. The area was then still part of Virginia, as it did not separate until 1792, eight years later, to become Kentucky, the 15th state. He brought with him his 9 year old nephew Lynn WEST. Lynn’s father, James WEST had died before 1780. As a 9 year old youth, Lynn learned the gunsmith trade from his uncle. In 1797 Lynn returned to Virginia and while there married Susan JACKSON. They returned to, by then, the city of Georgetown, Scott County, Kentucky, to a house which Lynn had built on the corner of Hamilton and Bourbon Streets. There they brought eight children into the world. Besides being a renowned gunsmith, Lynn became notable as a thoroughbred breeder, and his race track, located north of town, became a setting for many a famous contest. Lynn West would have been 35 years old when the war of 1812 broke out. This war, which was basically between England & France, had been going on for some time in Europe. The United States was neutral, but England needed more conscripts, and looked to the former colony for supply, and the ex-colonists were not happy. Thus, on the 18th day of June 1812, war was declared. Kentucky volunteered 7000 men, far above the 5500 requested by the US Government. The State did not hold back her best, but offered her worthiest sons for the cause. Scott county furnished nearly six companies, which formed the larger part of Col. R. M. Johnson’s regiment. (Col. Johnson was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives. When war broke out he returned to Kentucky to aid in the fight against the British. He later went on to become Vice President under Martin Van Buren (1837-1841).) One company was commanded by our Captain Lynn West. Col. Johnson’s mounted regiment was sent north into the Michigan Territory, which had recently surrendered to the British, around the 15th of August. Captain West was in the Battle of the Thames, fought at Chatham, Ontario, Canada, October 5, 1813.2 There Col. Johnson’s troops killed Tecumseh, the famous Shawnee warrior chief, who had joined the British against the Americans. Col. Richard M. Johnson took personal credit for killing Tecumseh. He along with his brother Shawnee Prophet tried to stop the advance of white settlement in the old Northwest. Shawnee Prophet is famous for starting the Battle of Tippecanoe. After the war Captain Lynn West returned to Georgetown, Kentucky and eventually bought most of the land in the neighborhood of Washington and North Hamilton Streets. In addition to being a gunsmith, he was also a silversmith, inventor and horseman. He was a breeder and racer of fine Thoroughbred stock, and owned a race tract, called the Gano tract, on the north edge of town, which was the setting form many a famous contest. Lynn West died in 1836. In 1829 Lynn West deeded to his eldest son, Lewis H. WEST several lots on which to start his own business. Before that in 1823 Lewis had married Sarah Elizabeth “Sallie” MAHONEY. She was the daughter of James H. MAHONEY who was a popular tavern keeper in Georgetown. Lewis’s house, which may have been of log construction, was erected by him on the northeastern corner of Washington and Hamilton streets after 1829. His gunsmith shop occupied the opposite corner. He had bought that lot including the gunsmith shop from John C. Miller for $100. Lewis had become so skillful in the manufacture of rifles and pistols that he had orders for more than he could furnish, employing several hands in his shop. He lived in that house and conducted the gunsmith business from that shop until he was seventy-nine years of age. George Edward WEST, the 6th of 8 children of Lewis & Sarah West was born in Georgetown on August 30, 1841. George would have been 20 at the outbreak of the Civil War, but we have no record of his serving. But to support the thought that he must have was his marriage to Eliza S. Snell in October of 1865, after the end of the War. They had two girls Loulu, born November 11, 1867, and Issie V. born July 18, 1872. Unfortunately soon after their second child, Eliza died in March of 1874. Then, apparently with his fathers blessing George, his two daughters, and one other left for Texas in 1875. The one other most likely was his father Lewis. 1) Ann Bolton Bevins, A History of Scott County As Told By Selected Buildings, 1989 2) B.O. Gaines History of Scott County, Reprint of 1904 Edition - 1981, Vol. I, pg. 25
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