by
F. R. Conner
Note: The following piece claims to be nothing more than folklore. No further claims can be made for it, but it is given here as an example of the stories that have been told about the origin of Florence. You may find it to be of some interest. I have added a few notes where he begins to "impinge more obviously on history, of a kind". — Ed.
This bit of folk-lore is not intended to support or ney any written record, or any other piece of folk-lore. It is merely some of what I remember, of what my old folk told me, of what their old people told them.
So far as Family Bible records are concerned, my oldest begins with the birth of my grandfather, in 1792, and his wedding with sixteen year old Nellie Crisler in 1812.*
Some of my people have much older Bibles, mostly in Indiana, and not very accessible to me at this moment.
A little before Christmas, 1881, I must have had my curiosity aroused by something, and I asked my Father a question, thus:
"Pop," I asked, "how did they come to call this place Florence?"
"Pop," an M. D. and a school teacher, and, with all the thoroughness and dignity usual to those professions, began to answer, and, I think because it seemed to have so little to do with what I had asked, I believe I remember, almost word for word the way he started. "Evidently," he said, " long before the times when we first knew the Indians, certain tribes had agreed to make a large area of what is still Kentucky, neutral territory, so they could hunt here withour fear of molestation from each other, as tribes." (Now, just what did that have to do with what I had asked?) Well, plenty, and, here I forget the words for the story, and will have to use my own words, such as they are.
Those tribes, in the alliance, must have been willing to defend the neutral status, but it seems other tribes were free to hunt if they kept the rules.
Kentucky was, in those days, a seemingly inexhaustible food basket, and one from which game — birds to buffalo — could be obtained the year round.
Most of the Indians came from the other side of the river, and the topography made this spot ideal for a meeting place, not alone for hunting, but for all types of "pow-wow medicine," such as ghost dances and drunkenness, and also for the making of solemn treaties. (Which they appear to have kept much better than we have ever kept ours with them.)
The Indians could bring their rafts and canoes to the mouth of one of our big creeks, and leave them under guard: Then, wander up the creek, and arrive at, or near, what in now Florence. (It was said that, after the whites came even a rather lazy Indian, on his lesiurely way up the creek could get hold of enough green 'cat hides to trade for what he wanted.)
The place has had many names. One of the first, no doubt, was an Indian term, which I wish I could remember, meaning Polecat Junction. That it still is, and a very few years ago, my friend A. M. Yealey trapped seven in his chicken-yard, near the middle of town.
Dates, in folklore, are, as in purported history, apt to be a bit vague. At the time of my great grandfather's first visit to what is now Boone County, about 1760 or '63, it was a great trading place among the Indians, themselves.
During the Revolutionary War, which, you know, began long before most history books imply, "Perfidious Alion"* was arming the Indians with scalping knives, powder and lead, and steel tipped metal arrowheads, against (she thought) everybody but herself.
We kept on arming them against us, and, after all, who armed Japan? So, our beginning of a village became "Polecat Tradin' Post."
It seems that some of my people were here at least four times previous to 1816. (My Grandfather was one of nine brothers, and they could scatter "right smart." Some of them were at Big Bone twice, and on the second visit part of them went to Indiana, my Grandfather among them. He moved back, later, however.
Next name, so far as I was told, was Virginia Heights, and according to legend, a man named Ben Zimmer came and brought the skill and equipment to make "fire water" in quanity.
He put up a substantial building and made good streets for about sixty feet on two sides, thus creating a corner.
He is said to have put up a big sign, for name of town, and street signs on the corners of his building. Virginia Ave. on what is now Main St., and Zimmer St. on the other. Very old men, when I was a boy told me the building was where the Old Odd Fellows Temple now stands.
He quickly became very popular with the Indians — so much so, in fact, that they "adopted" him AND his equipment, and he was never heard of again.
Next name I believe, was Maddenburg, for a while, and then Connersville, but when the people wanted a post office that name had been preempted.
Leaders then invited everyone in the neighborhood to suggest a name. Florence got the most votes, so Florence it is.
But here I begin to impinge more obviously on history, of a kind, — so, gimme my hat.
P. S. I welcome anyone will tell me better.
Additional notes:
*This piece was originally printed in the Boone County Recorder 19 Jan 1956
*William Conner married Nelly Crisler 19 November 1812. The ceremony was performed by the Baptist preacher Christopher Wilson. Consent was by her father, Lewis Crisler. See Boone County Marriage Book A-14.
* 'cat here is probably short for polecat, or skunk.
*Alion is either a typographical error or a mistake for Albion, which is a poetic name for Britain.
Typed by: Tami Paul
Edited by James Duvall, M. A.
Florence Kentucky History