John Ritchie was born in Scotland in 1752 and died in 1814 in Nelson County, Kentucky. He left Scotland and came to America while a mere youth and settled in Virginia. It is not known with whom or how he came to America, nor is it known just how long he stayed in Virginia but it is believed that he stayed about six years when his restless nature prompted him to seek new fields of excitement and thus he made his way west.
Before "White Man" had explored Kentucky the entire area was part of Augusta County Virginia. Later all of Kentucky was part of Fincastle, Virginia, then in 1776 Kentucky was designated Kentucky County, Virginia. In 1780 it was divided into three counties; Fayette, Jefferson and Lincoln. In 1790 those three counties were subdivided into nine and so on until on June 1, 1792, Kentucky became the fifteenth state admitted into the union.
John Ritchie went west to Eastern Kentucky County, Virginia. While there, he made the acquaintance of Benjamin LINN who was making up a company to defend themselves and families from the Indians and go even farther west. In this company was John GILKEY, the GOFFs, the KINGs and other families.
Before John left Eastern Kentucky he met Miss Jemima QUICK who would be called a "Yankee Girl" having been born in Jersey, then called the Island of Jersey. Jemima was born ca. 1753. She died in 1840 in Nelson County, Kentucky. Jemima was of Dutch descent, her ancestors from Naarden, Holland. Jemima and John were married on the banks of the Licking River.
Under the leadership of Benjamin Linn, John Ritchie, John Gilkey, the Goffs, Kings and others constructed a flotilla of five boats and with supplies started down the Licking river to the Ohio river, then on down to the landing place where Louisville now stands. There were only two log buildings at Louisville at that time, one being a Post Office and the other a small store. After a few days stay, they proceeded down the Ohio to the Salt river (now West Point, Ky) then up Salt river to the Rolling Fork and from the Rolling Fork into the Beech Fork to a small stream now known as Landing Run which is about five miles southeast of Bardstown. From here they journeyed through the wilderness about three miles and on the edge of a beautiful plateau, built a fort known Linn's Fort. The fort was located on the brow of a hill and commanded a full view of the rising and setting sun.
John Ritchie was the first man to build a house and leave Linn's Fort. He built his house two miles west of the fort near the Beech Fork River where he took up 650 acres (the original deed says 590 acres) of land and began to till the soil.
He built a distillery not 100 yards from the residence where he made the first sour mash whiskey ever made in Kentucky and perhaps the first made in the United States. During the year 1780, John Ritchie and companions loaded a flatbed boat with whiskey he had made at the distillery and together with other produce, made a trip to New Orleans where they sold their entire boat load at a good profit. After disposing of their stock, they all tramped back through the wilderness to Kentucky with a load on their backs.
Historians in the Ritchie family say they were many long weeks returning home and fought off Indians many times.
Upon their return to Linn's Fort, John Ritchie and John Gilkey concluded to go to the place where they first landed when they settled in Kentucky, which was at the mouth of a small branch. While standing there they spied a buffalo coming toward them. Ritchie fired and killed the buffalo. At this juncture three Indians jumped out of the thicket and shot at the white men with arrows, at the same time time running toward them with uplifted tomahawks. Mr. Gilkey who was armed with a good gun, kept them at bay while Mr. Ritchie ran for his life. Then Mr. Gilkey who was very fleet of foot, would run until he overtook Ritchie. This mode of proceedure was continued until the fort was reached, when the Indians disappeared and were seen no more.
The Creek where Gilkey and Ritchie started on the race for their lives was called Ritchie's Run and is still known by that to this day. The stream where they killed the buffalo was called Bull Run and it flows from the direction of New Haven, emptying into the Beech Fork at Buckman's fish trap.
John Ritchie built his house about 1778, it is located about 2 miles from Linn's Fort. The location is almost if not directly on a portion of land occupied by an Indian Village and burying ground. It is certain that both the Indians and John Ritchie drew water from the same spring.
The two room log house is still standing, with the marking "J.R. 1780" on a rock in the chimney. With additions to the rear and second floor, it is the home of Guy B. and Doris Ritchie a fifth generation descendant of the original builder and their son Gregory a sixth generation. It is located on what is known as Ritchie Road, one mile south of U.S. 31E.
Jemima Ritchie contributed her share toward making a home. The family wore plain clothes made of linen and woolen cloth called homespun. Jemima and her daughters knew how to hackle flax, spin and thread and weave the linen for sheets, pillow cases clothing etc. They carded wool and wove into blankets, spreads and clothing. Winter evenings found them home sitting by the firelight knitting socks and stockings and sewing for the entire family. They made soap and candles and were contented and happy living in their new home in the wilderness of Kentucky.