The Warriors Path
The Ohio River is on the upper right margin of the map.
The location of Maysville is marked to the left of one of the branches of the Warriors Path,
at the point where the ancient Great Buffalo Trace emerges from central Kentucky to cross the Ohio River.
Carter County is in the triangle created by the two forks of the Warriors Path and the Ohio River.
The following routing per: http://www.clayfamilies.com/History.html On the next page of Kincaid’s book is a map of the Warrior’s Path that shows it running along the path described by Decker, and which has it running along a north/south path that would go through what would become Clay County. This map corresponds with one of the earliest maps of Kentucky, by John Filson, in 1784, and numerous others in various publications. The Warrior’s Path has been known since the first white men started drawing maps of Kentucky. From the south, it entered Clay County via the “War Gap” on the ridge that separated the Kentucky River drainage from the Cumberland River drainage, i.e. between the headwaters of Otter Creek in Clay County and the headwaters of Road Fork of Stinking Creek in Knox County. In 1806 the act that created Clay County designated the southern boundary in part: “--thence along the dividing ridge between the waters of Cumberland and Kentucky to a point from which by running due east will pass by Collin’s Fork of Goose Creek, midway between Outlaw’s salt works and Peter Hammonds’; thence a course to strike the ridge between Cumberland and Kentucky at War Gap.” The path in Clay County runs northward from the War Gap to Clay Gap on the Clay/Owsley County line. Knox County historian Elmer Decker wrote: “The Warrior’s Path led south from Limestone (Maysville) almost a direct route to Cumberland Ford [Pineville], across Clear Creek, and up Yellow Creek to Cumberland Gap. Northern tribes of Indians made the trail, and it was much traveled by them. Later it was used by pioneers and settlers, as were its branches down Straight Creek and elsewhere.” The route of the Warrior’s Path has long since stopped being questioned except in a few small areas. There is an official Kentucky highway historical marker at Gray Hawk in Jackson County that has the path going along War Fork in extreme eastern Jackson County, which corresponds to the research of James F. Bowman, who has the path going from Clay County into Owsley County then crossing into Jackson County east of Gray Hawk. This marker reports that the path was used by Gabrel Arthur in 1674 , and much later (in 1750), by Dr. Thomas Walker, and following them, Christoper Gist (1751) and much later, John Finley and Daniel Boone.
The following routing per: http://www.foresthistory.org/ASPNET/Publications/region/8/daniel_boone/chap21.htm From Cumberland Gap the Warrior's Path turns north crossing the Cumberland River near the present city of Pineville, Kentucky and, continuing north through Flat Lick, it crossed the divide between the Cumberland River and the Kentucky River to the head of Goose Creek. Continuing slightly west of north, it followed down Goose Creek and, passing close to the present town of Manchester, Kentucky in Clay County, it proceeded northwest to the vicinity of Gray Hawk, Kentucky in Jackson County, where it crossed through Sand Gap to the headwaters of Station Camp Creek. Following Station Camp Creek it crossed the Kentucky River near the present town of Irvine and, continuing west and north, crossed the Red River near its junction with the Kentucky, continuing north up Lulbegrud Creek to the vicinity of Es-kip-pa-kith-i-ki (Indian Old Fields). Just north of Indian Old Fields (which is about ten miles from Winchester, Kentucky) this famous trail forked, one branch turning northeast and, passing in the vicinity of the present day city of Mount Sterling, followed Slate Creek to its mouth where it crossed the Licking River near the present-day city of Portsmouth, Ohio. From that point, it continued up the Scioto River and on to Lake Erie. While one branch of this trail turned northeast at Es-kip-pa-kith-i-ki, the other branch continued north to the upper Blue Licks where it crossed the Licking River and continued in a northeast direction, crossing the Ohio at the mouth of Salt Lick Creek. Just before reaching the vicinity of the present day town of Flemingsburg, a third fork took off to the left and ran due north reaching the Ohio River at the mouth of Cabin Creek.
Warrior's Path
Scioto River to Ohio River Ohio River to Vanceburg (Salt Lick - KY 10) Big Branch (KY 989 to Escalapia Moutain) Powder Lick Branch (KY 989 to KY 344 (NW) to KY 57 (S)) Flemingsburg (KY 57 to KY 111 to Licking River) Owingsville (KY 111 to US 60 (W) to KY 36 (S)) Licking River (KY 36 to KY 965) Slate Creek (KY 965 to KY 713) Mount Sterling (KY 713 to KY 11 to KY 646 to KY 1960 . . .Eskippakithiki (Lulbegrud Creek)
================================================================================================= The following routing per: http://www.foresthistory.org/ASPNET/Publications/region/8/daniel_boone/chap21.htm Lulbegrud Creek (Eskippakithiki) South on Schollsville Rd. - Rt. 974 Rt. 974 to Rt. 89 (north on Ironworks Rd. to Pilotview Rd.) South on Rt. 89 to the Red River - Kentucky River Junction Irvine Station Camp Creek (Rt. 421) Sand Gap (north) Grey Hawk Manchester (south) (Rt. 11) Flat Lick - Goose Creek (Rt. 25E) Pineville Cumberland Gap ================================================================================================= The following routing per: http://www.ucumberlands.edu/academics/history/files/vol7/ChuckDupier95.html Goose Creek Paint Gap Trace Branch Flat Lick Cumberland River Pine Mountain water gap at Pineville Yellow Creek Cumberland Gap ================================================================================================= Te following routing per: http://www.foresthistory.org/ASPNET/Publications/region/8/daniel_boone/chap21.htm From Cumberland Gap the Warrior's Path turns north crossing the Cumberland River near the present city of Pineville, Kentucky continuing north through Flat Lick, it crossed the divide between the Cumberland River and the Kentucky River to the head of Goose Creek. Continuing slightly west of north, it followed down Goose Creek and, passing close to the present town of Manchester, Kentucky in Clay County, it proceeded northwest to the vicinity of Gray Hawk, Kentucky in Jackson County, where it crossed through Sand Gap to the headwaters of Station Camp Creek. Following Station Camp Creek it crossed the Kentucky River near the present town of Irvine and, continuing west and north, crossed the Red River near its junction with the Kentucky, continuing north up Lulbegrud Creek to the vicinity of Es-kip-pa-kith-i-ki (Indian Old Fields). Just north of Indian Old Fields (which is about ten miles from Winchester, Kentucky) this famous trail forked, one branch turning northeast and, passing in the vicinity of the present day city of Mount Sterling, followed Slate Creek to its mouth where it crossed the Licking River near the present-day city of Portsmouth, Ohio. From that point, it continued up the Scioto River and on to Lake Erie. While one branch of this trail turned northeast at Es-kip-pa-kith-i-ki, the other branch continued north to the upper Blue Licks where it crossed the Licking River and continued in a northeast direction, crossing the Ohio at the mouth of Salt Lick Creek. Just before reaching the vicinity of the present day town of Flemingsburg, a third fork took off to the left and ran due north reaching the Ohio River at the mouth of Cabin Creek. ================================================================================================== The following routing per: http://www.foresthistory.org/ASPNET/Publications/region/8/daniel_boone/chap21.htm Beginning at Cumberland Gap the trace followed the ancient Warrior's Path northward, crossing the Cumberland River at the present location of the city of Pineville and continuing in a northerly direction to Flat Lick. Here the trace left the Warrior's Path and followed a buffalo trail, previously marked and used by hunters, which lead to the northwest. The trace continued in this direction crossing the Laurel and Little Laurel rivers, through the site of the present city of London, to a large area covered with a dense growth of hazel which soon became a landmark on the trace for the many thousands of people who travelled it. This area, called the Hazel Patch, still is known by that name to this day. ================================================================================================= The following routing per: http://www.ucumberlands.edu/academics/history/files/vol7/ChuckDupier95.html The Warriors' Path in Kentucky extended north from the Cumberland Gap through the eastern edge of the Middlesboro Basin, down Yellow Creek to the point where that creek turns east. It then follows an overland route to the Pine Mountain water gap at Pineville. At Pineville, the path crossed the Cumberland River and followed along the east bank to Flat Lick, about six miles north of Pineville.(23) At Flat Lick, which is at the confluence of Stinking Creek and the Cumberland River, the trail turns northeast, up Stinking Creek, then follows a tributary called Trace Branch northward to its head, then crosses Kentucky Ridge at Paint Gap into the headwaters of Goose Creek which is in the watershed of the South Fork of the Kentucky River. Thomas Walker, on May 1, 1750, approached the future site of Barbourville from the west and went northeastward up Little Richland Creek, across the ridge and down the Collins Fork of Goose Creek. Walker notes in his journal on that day, "We got to Powell's River [Goose Creek] in the afternoon and went down it along an Indian Road, much frequented.. .and I think it is that Which goes through Cave Gap [Cumberland Gap]." =================================================================================================This map by Richard A. Gilbreath
