Description:

Simon Kenton
[Mason County, KY], February 26, 1801
Kentucky Settlers Sign Promissory Note to Frontiersman Simon Kenton, Who Immediately Transfers It
MDS

[SIMON KENTON.] John Kenton, Robert B. Morton, Richard Durrett, Manuscript Document Signed, Promissory Note to Simon Kenton, February 26, 1801, [Mason County, Kentucky?], with endorsement signed by Simon Kenton, February 26, 1801. Witnessed by A. K. Marshall, M. Helm Jr., and Benjamin Bayly. 2 pp., 7.5" x 8.125". Expected folds; small holes at intersection of on folds, with minimal impact on text.

Simon Kenton's brother John Kenton (1751-1829), Robert B. Morton (1761-1805), and Richard Durrett (1753-1824) of Mason County, Kentucky, signed this promissory note for $450 on February 26, 1801, promising to pay Simon Kenton exactly one year later. On the same day, Kenton assigned the promissory note to John Nickols (1748-1802).

Complete Transcript
$450 for value Received we John Kenton Robert B. Morton and Richard Derrett do promise and Bind our selves our heirs and assigns to pay or cause to be paid to Simon Kenton his heirs or assigns the just and full sum of four hundred and fifty dollars on the 26th day of feby 1802 as witness our hands and seals this 26th day of feby 1801
Note the words Richard Derrett in [?] Between the firs & second Line and the word dollars between the 5th & 6 line
John Kenton {seal}
Robt B Morton {seal}
Richd Durrett {seal}
Attest / A K Marshall / M Helm Jr
<2>
Feby 26th 1801 for value Receivd I assign the within to John Nickols
Simon Kenton
Test
Benjn Bayly

Historical Background
Frontiersmen Simon Kenton and Daniel Boone founded what became Maysville, Kentucky, where Limestone Creek empties into the Ohio River. Kenton first settled there in 1775, and Daniel Boone's cousin had a tavern there. Kenton left to participate in the western battles of the Revolutionary War but returned in 1784 and built a blockhouse to protect settlers from raids by Native Americans.

The settlement was incorporated as Maysville in 1787 but was known well into the nineteenth century as Limestone. It served as a harbor for river commerce and a starting point for settlers moving into the Bluegrass region of Kentucky. A buffalo trace that Native Americans had used for centuries formed the route for a road from Maysville to Lexington, 60 miles to the southwest. In the first decade of the nineteenth century, Maysville and Louisville were Kentucky's two principal ports.

Simon Kenton (1755-1836) was born in Virginia and fled to the frontier in 1771 after fearing he had killed a man. He later learned the man had survived. In 1777, he saved his friend Daniel Boone's life. He served as a scout for George Rogers Clark in 1779 in Clark's expedition to capture Fort Sackville in what is now Vincennes, Indiana. In 1785, a teenager taught Kenton how to write his name. In 1793-1794, Kenton fought in the Northwest Indian War with General Anthony Wayne. He began making claims in the Ohio country as early as 1788 and led settlers there in 1799. He served as a brigadier general in the state militia and led militiamen in the War of 1812, including participation in the Battle of the Thames in 1813.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

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  • Dimensions: 7.5" x 8.125"
  • Medium: MDS

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