Timeline

Below is a timeline with date information regarding important events in the Williams Creek Basin (abbreviated “WCB”).

A “p” in the green superscript text denotes a page number within the referenced source. Click on the green superscript text to see the full reference information.

More entries when additional research is accomplished.
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1776 Jul 4 – United States declares independence From Great Britain.

1776 Dec 31 – Kentucky County, VA formed.^{DenBoer-KY County, p7}  WCB part of this boundary.

1780 Nov 1 – Fayette County, VA formed.^{DenBoer-KY County, p8}  WCB part of this boundary.

1783 Sep 3 – Treaty of Paris signed ending the American Revolutionary War.

1786 May 1 – Bourbon County, VA formed.^{DenBoer-KY County, p8}  WCB part of this boundary.

1789 May 1 – Mason County, VA formed.^{DenBoer-KY County, p8}  WCB part of this boundary.

1792 Jun 1 – Kentucky admitted as 15th State to Union,^{DenBoer-KY County, p8} making Mason County part of Kentucky.  WCB part of this boundary.

1795 – Land patent issued by KY’s first Governor, Isaac Shelby, to William Grayson for 70,000 acre parcel in current western Boyd and eastern Carter Counties.^{Wolfford, KY Encyclopedia, p385}  Much, but not all, of the WCB is included in this parcel.

1804 Feb 1 – Greenup County, KY formed.^{DenBoer-KY County, p10}  WCB part of this boundary.

1815 (about) – Mordecai Williams (1777-1843) and Mary Davidson Williams (1770 -1834) settle onto a 100 acre plot beside Williams Creek at what will later be called Coalton.  Williams Creek is named for this family.^{Johnson, A History of KY and Kentuckians, p1207}  Plot is part of the 70,000 acre William Grayson land patent.

1822 Feb 11 – Lawrence County, KY formed from sections of Greenup and Floyd Counties.^{DenBoer-KY County, p13}

1838 May 1 – Carter County, KY formed from sections of Greenup and Lawrence Counties.^{DenBoer-KY County, p16}

1844 Feb 6 – City of Grayson KY established by KY General Assembly.^{Wolfford, KY Encyclopedia, p385}

1847 – Buena Vista Furnace constructed on 6,000 acre tract.^{Rist,Iron, p41}

1848 – Star Furnace constructed^{Rist,Iron, p101} on 9,333 acre tract.^{Map of Star Furnace Lands}

1852 Sep – Lexington and Big Sandy Railroad Company formed. Plans route from Lexington, KY to Catlettsburg, KY.^{Lexington Historical Museum, Lexington & Big Sandy Railroad}  Terminus later changed to Ashland, not Catlettsburg.

1854 Mar 8 – Kentucky Iron, Coal, and Manufacturing Company incorporated and lays out the town of Ashland, KY.^{Jackson, KY Encyclopedia, p109}

1856 – City of Ashland Incorporated by act of Kentucky Legislature.^{Powers, KY Encyclopedia, p36}

1857 – 10 miles of Lexington and Big Sandy Railroad from Ashland to Princess completed.^{Jackson, KY Encyclopedia, p109}

1858 – Lexington and Big Sandy Railroad completed to Coalton.^{Jackson, KY Encyclopedia, p109}

1860 May 1 – Boyd County formed from parts of Carter, Greenup, and Lawrence Counties.^{DenBoer-KY County, p19}

1865 Jan 25 – Lexington and Big Sandy Railroad – Eastern Division Incorporated by State of Kentucky as a successor to the Lexington and Big Sandy Railroad Company.  Company to produce iron, mine coal, and operate a railroad.^{WikiProject Trains/ICC valuations/Ashland Coal and Iron Railway, Wikipedia}

1865 – Coalton Station Coal Mines established.^{ACI, p23}

1871 – AC&I Rush #5 Mine Established.^{KY, Annual Report of Mines, 1885, p10}

1872 – Lexington and Big Sandy Railroad – Eastern Division – completed to Rush.^{Jackson, KY Encyclopedia, p109}

1872 – Norton Iron Works established.^{ACI, p29}

1873 – Last blast of Star Furnace.^{Rist,Iron, p104}

1874 Feb 3 – Town of Geigerville, KY incorporated by KY Legislature.^{KY General Assembly 1873, p212}

1874 – Star Furnace, including over 9,000 acres of land, sold to Norton Iron Works.^{Rist,Iron, p104}

1876 – Buena Vista Furnace last blast.^{Rist,Iron, p43}

1877 Mar – Princess Furnace first blast.^{Rist,Iron, p93}

1878 Apr – Princess Furnace last blast.^{Rist,Iron, p94}

1879 – Princess Furnace property liquidated due to bankruptcy, purchased by Thomas W. Means (1803 – 1890), one of the original owners of the furnace.^{Rist,Iron, p94}

1880 – Lexington and Big Sandy Railroad Company – Eastern Division named changed to Ashland Coal and Iron Railway (AC&I ).^{Jackson, KY Encyclopedia, p109}  The AC&I has railroad, iron manufacturing, and coal mining operations.

1881 – AC&I Railroad links with railroad from Lexington at Denton, KY, just west of the Means Tunnel at head of Williams Creek.^{Patrick, History of Ashland, p46}

1883 Sep – Princess Furnace dismantled and shipped to Glen Wilton, VA for reassembly.^{Rist,Iron, p94}

circa 1889 – AC&I #5 Mine opens at Rush.^{KY, Annual Report of Mines, 1889, p31}

1890 – AC&I #6 Mine opens at Rush.^{KY, Annual Report of Mines, 1890, p47}

1893 Jun – AC&I #7 Mine at Grant’s Station opens.^{KY, Annual Report of Mines, 1893, p84}

1902 Jan 1 – Ashland Coal and Iron Railway (AC&I) officially splits into two companies.  Ashland Iron and Mining Company (AI&M – iron and coal production) and a subsidiary, the AC&I, now only a railroad operation.  This is due to KY legislative pressure via a statue of 1892 Apr 15 limiting railroads to only railroad activities.^{WikiProject Trains/ICC valuations/Ashland Coal and Iron Railway, Wikipedia}

1907 Sep 1 – Princess Land and Mining Company sold to Big Run Coal Company, David S. Gay (1864 – 1923), President.^{KY, Annual Report of Mines, 1907, p52}

1908 Mar 24 – Kentucky enacts the “Sullivan Law”. This creates countywide school boards with elected board members and a county property tax levy for schools. This abolished the previous system with totally independent, one school, tiny school districts independently administrated by three trustees. All the previously independent tiny locals schools in the Williams Creek Basin (Upper Rush, Lower Rush, Coalton, Princess, Goldenrod, Star, Music, etc.) are integrated into the Boyd or Carter County School Boards.^{Sullivan Law, KY Encyclopedia, p860}

1910 – Big Run Coal Company erects 36 company houses and a two story brick company store at Princess.^{KY, Annual Report of Mines, 1910, p179}

1920 (about) – Extensive construction and rebuilding on Midland Trail that would become US 60.

1921 – Dec 31 – Ashland Iron and Mining Company (AI&M) and it’s wholly owned subsidiary, the Ashland Coal and Iron Railway (AC&I), are sold to American Rolling Mill Company.^{Iron Trade Review LXIX, p1699}

1924 – Feb 24 – American Rolling Mill Company sells the entire stock of The Ashland Coal and Iron Railway (AC&I), that runs along Williams Creek and Ashland to Denton (Seaton), to the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway Company (C&O).

1926 – Jun 1 – Big Run Coal Company changes name to Big Run Coal & Clay Company.^{KY, Annual Report of Mines, 1926, p15}

1942 Dec 9 – American Rolling Mill Company transfers huge Clinton, Coalton, Williams, and Pleasant Norton land tracts in Boyd & Carter Counties to Eastern KY Lumber and Development Corp.^{Boyd County Deed}

1940’s – Many “Greasy Row” and “New Row” Mining Company Houses in Rush sold to private individuals by Eastern KY Lumber and Development Co.^{Boyd County Deed}

Late 1940’s to mid 1950’s – US 60 between Cannonsburg and Grayson extensively rerouted and improved.

1958 Fall – Small one and two room community schools in Boyd County at Rush, Coalton, Princess and Buena Vista consolidated at larger 8 grade school in Cannonsburg, KY.

1958 Fall – Small one and two room schools in Carter County at Geigerville, Norton Branch, Music and Star consolidated at a larger 8 grade school in Star, KY.

1964 – Kentucky Electric Steel at Coalton established.

Sep 1968 – Republic Corporation of Beverly Hills CA purchases Kentucky Electric Steel and Mansbach Metals of Ashland. ^{Scranton Sunday Times.}

Aug 1986 – Newport Steel Corporation of Newport KY purchases the assets of Kentucky Electric Steel Plant at Coalton KY from Republic Corporation of Los Angeles CA.^{Saturday Oklahoman.}

Jun 1993 – NS Steel, that is a holding company that holds the assets of Newport Steel, plans a public offering to sell its Kentucky Electric Steel facility.^{Lexington Herald Leader.}

Jan 2003 – Kentucky Electric Steel files for bankruptcy^{Courier-Journal.}