good people have disappeared

franklin

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I’ve been meaning to get a copy of prather’s book, as it mentioned that there was land owns by John James. The area was he mentioned in his video is correct. John James was my family. He did indeed own land on Johns Creek in Floyd County. However, without the dates from the book, I can’t say if it’s accurate. I don’t think my family was here during that time. However, my grandmothers family was. The Harmons of the Jenny Wiley story. That was about that time. And it was in the area of Johns Creek. So, looks like I need to order that book!!

I just looked through some of the deeds in the back of the book. I also looked in the words and names in the back of the book. No one I could find was listed by the name of James. I did however see mention of the name on the Internet when Swift went to England. Also when he purchased some of the land from someone in England not in the United States. I have those deeds or partials of them in my computer. If I could only find them? The book of Prather's that I purchased came from a discontinued book at a library. Your best bet is to check with your local libraries----they may have a copy.
 

franklin

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Swiftfan, I checked the partial deeds I have and it records the land as being purchased from George James by Jonathan Swift. The land lies in Fayette County, Kentucky on Salt Creek. If you know where Salt Creek is located. The other deed is where Jonathan Swift purchased land in Lancaster County, England in Liverpool I believe from four gentlemen, one of which was a Robert Jones. The other page has the location of the land but whoever posted it did not post the other page. That is all I have.
 

KY Hiker

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The Swift of Prather's book is a good bit younger than the legend. His land dealings were in the early 1800s not the the mid-late 1700s. The book is in its third edition now. I'm beginning to think the Swift silver mine legend is a myth or maybe just a half truth, two Swifts from Alexandria in the shipping business 30 years apart would be strange at least. That said, I do think there was silver being mined in KY. That nugget of truth behind the legend and how Swift was connected to it is what I am looking for...
 

Ken S.

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Swiftfan, I checked the partial deeds I have and it records the land as being purchased from George James by Jonathan Swift. The land lies in Fayette County, Kentucky on Salt Creek. If you know where Salt Creek is located. The other deed is where Jonathan Swift purchased land in Lancaster County, England in Liverpool I believe from four gentlemen, one of which was a Robert Jones. The other page has the location of the land but whoever posted it did not post the other page. That is all I have.

I believe that Fayette Co. at that time took in the whole of eastern Ky. From Lexington to its eastern border. Seems like I saw that on one of the old maps of that age.
 

Tiredman

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Social media has changed, video now being the desired format. Today one can find forums, live streaming, video resources, etc., all at a single location. I really think that if Treasurenet is to survive it is going to have to adapt to these new platforms.

Lost treasure magazine closed their doors due to the changes.
 

KY Hiker

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I believe that Fayette Co. at that time took in the whole of eastern Ky. From Lexington to its eastern border. Seems like I saw that on one of the old maps of that age.

The Filson map showed Jefferson, Fayette and Lincoln counties.

http://www.kyhistory.com/cdm/ref/collection/PH/id/660

https://www.raremaps.com/gallery/de...ctual_Observations_By_John_Filson/Filson.html

on second link notice what is on the SW and Southern edge of the map...interesting...iron ore and a lead mine....this is just North of the mammoth cave area....
 

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swiftfan

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I believe that Fayette Co. at that time took in the whole of eastern Ky. From Lexington to its eastern border. Seems like I saw that on one of the old maps of that age.

I think you’re right, I’ll have to check and make sure.
 

Ken S.

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The Filson map showed Jefferson, Fayette and Lincoln counties.

John Filson Map of Kentucky, 1784 :: Visual Materials

https://www.raremaps.com/gallery/de...ctual_Observations_By_John_Filson/Filson.html

on second link notice what is on the SW and Southern edge of the map...interesting...iron ore and a lead mine....this is just North of the mammoth cave area....

Neither of those maps are accurate, Neither shows Sandy River. They also show what rivers that are listed running all the way into present day W.Va ,. Sandy runs into the Ohio at the bottom of the V in the Ohio .
 

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KY Hiker

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It is considered one of the first maps of KY, it shows the counties...its accuracy is explained within its title '...drawn by actual observations by John Filson'. You would be hard pressed to find an accurate map of anywhere in that time period. Rarely are they scaled properly N-S or E-W. The mouth of the Sandy is shown in the far NE corner of the clearer second map. I was simply trying to show an example of an early map that showed the counties...

Keep in mind, the man that made this map also had made a land warrant for a property some 60miles Northeastwardly of Martins Cabin (Martins Station near Cumberland Gap), at the center of that property a silver mine worked and improved upon by a man named Swift...could this be why on his map nothing is shown NE of the Gap? Maybe he had a reason for cutting the Eastern 40-60 miles off of the the map? I also am speculating that he shows a 'fine lead mine' in the region of KY near Mammoth, Horse and other cave massive cave systems...could one of those been the Great Cave? It does not match the proper distance according to Swift Journal time traveled...but maybe that is a deception by Swift?
 

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Ken S.

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Yes I see G.Sandy Creek up in the top right now. Since Filson was supposed to be the one surveying the area I believe this would be his deception. I also see that it says that it's 321 miles below Ft Pitt, that distance from where it is on that map will put you in the area of what is Harrisburg Pa. today. If Ft. Pitt is where Pittsburg is today it's probably only half that distance. Maybe he thought Ky began at The Cumberland Gap. The Licking River just likes a couple of counties going all the way across Ky. in a North westerly fashion. So there is more deception in this map and probably a lot more if the map is studied real close. Who's to say what he was thinking when he made this map.
 

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Ken S.

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If we double the distance here and give half the distance from there everyone will be looking in the wrong place. AND considering that they wont know just what to look for, they never will find what is right under their nose.
 

Curtis

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You are right on the fort pitt...and remember that Virginia was a lot lager before the division of West V. and then KY came later also..so we have to go by landmarks and their travel days.
 

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