1795 Elihu Barker Map
What would some day become Carter County is at the headwaters of the "Tigers Creek" - "Little Sandy River" area of the map.
The Scioto River is notably absent from the map north of the Ohio River, and both the Little Scioto and Turkey Creek are far west of their actual locations. Who would have guessed that "Salt Lick" is the oldest identified community in this part of Kentucky!! Somewhat interestingly, the westerly head of northeastwardly flowing Tygart's Creek is drawn to be south of the head of Tiplett Creek (which flows west into the Licking River). That's actually closer to the location of the Soldier Branch of Tygart's Creek. What we refer to as the main course of Tygart's Creek is well to the northeast of Triplett Creek.I have a theory that the Soldier Branch of Tygart's Creek was the principle route followed by ancient east-west travelers through western Carter County. It would seem to be a somewhat easier travel route, and was in fact the route chosen by the builders of the "Elizabethtown, Lexington and Big Sandy Railroad" (the predecessor to the C&O Railroad) when it was constructed in the 1880's.