Historical information of Bullitt County as told by J. W. Croan
in March 19,1897:
"The county was formed in 1796 and the county government attained full
sovereignty in 1800. Settlements had been made in 1780 at Bullitt's Lick
and near the mouth of Floyd's Fork. Bullitt's Lick was named for William
G. Bullitt.
"Bullitt County was formed from parts of Jefferson and Nelson counties
and was the 22nd Kentucky County to be formed after the original three-
- or the 25th in Kentucky. The line with Jefferson County was not definitely
established until Aug. 11, 1811 and it was re-run in 1846. Before Kentucky
became a state, the first land entered in the territory now Bullitt County
was located and entered under the Virginia Patent and Entry Acts of March
28, 1781, by Peter Shepherd (sic), the founder of Shepherdsville.
"About 1810 or a little later, the first steel rails manufactured west
of the Alleghaney (sic) Mts., were made here. The dam across the river made
a ferry necessary almost year round; this was kept by James Croan Sr. Booker
Barker (or Baker) had a large brick building (in 1820) at the river front,
on Main Street.
"This was later used by Troutman Brothers. Thomas Joyce had a tavern
on the S. W. corner of the public square-now the American Hotel. About one
half block from the river on the west side of Main Street was the Bank of
Shepherdsville, this bank occupied the only storehouse in Shepherdsville,
which is still in a perfect state of preservation and is occupied by Carpenter
Waybe Caldwell as a residence.
"From 1810 until the building of the L and N RR, Shepherdsville did
an immense business. A state turnpike from Louisville to Bowling and Nashville
went through Shepherdsville, and this was a popular resting point for immense
wagon trains.
"Shepherdsville had five or six inns and coffee houses, perhaps 50
flourishing dry goods stores and as many groceries. Thomas Joyce had a flour
mill and corn mill on the west side of town, H. J. Craycraft owned a saddle
and harness shop working five to eight journeyman employees and he kept
two or three wagons on the road selling his wares and Henry Kalfus had a
large tannery just above the Methodist Church. There were numerous carpenter
shops and J. I. Richardson had a cabinet shop and made beds, bureaus, etc."