Royal Spring Park

Infobox nrhp | name =Royal Spring Park
nrhp type = nrhp

---

caption = Royal Spring
location= Georgetown, Kentucky
lat degrees = 38
lat minutes = 12
lat seconds = 37
lat direction = N
long degrees = 84
long minutes = 33
long seconds = 33
long direction = W
locmapin = Kentucky
area =
built =1774
architect=
architecture=
added = April 2 1973
governing_body = State
refnum=73000842cite web|url=http://www.nr.nps.gov/|title=National Register Information System|date=2008-04-15|work=National Register of Historic Places|publisher=National Park Service]

Royal Spring Park is the site of a large spring in Georgetown, Kentucky that since the earliest settlements has provided water for the area. In addition to the spring, the park has a log cabin built by a former slave, Milton Leach.

History

Royal Spring

Royal Spring is a large spring in Georgetown, Kentucky that has been a main source of water since the first settlements in the area. In 1889, the Georgetown Water Works Company was incorporated, and distributed the spring water until the City of Georgetown purchased that company and established the Municipal Water Works Plant in 1945.cite web|url=http://www.gmwss.com/about-us.htm|title=About Us|access date=2008-07-27|work=Georgetown Municipal Water and Sewer Service web site|publisher=Georgetown Municipal Water and Sewer Service] Currently, more than 8,000 customers of Georgetown Municipal Water and Sewer Service rely on water from the spring as their primary water supply. cite conference |first=Randall L.|last=Paylor|authorlink=|coauthors=Currens, James C.|title=Determining Groundwater Travel Times In The Royal Spring Karst Basin Of Kentucky|booktitle=Abstracts with Programs|pages=|publisher=Geological Society of America|date=2004-11-10|location=Denver,Colorado|url=http://gsa.confex.com/gsa/2004AM/finalprogram/abstract_79983.htm|doi=|id=|accessdate=2008-07-27]

Early settlements

In 1774 John Floyd of Fincastle County, Virginia lead a surveying party into Kentucky to locate land to be used as "compensation for soldier in the French and Indian War". On July 7 1774, Floyd found the spring and he received it and 1000 acres of land as payment for his surveying work. This spring's earliest know name was "Mr. Floyd's Spring". In October of 1775, Floyd transferred ownership of the spring to John McClelland, from Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, after McClelland surveyed and built a cabin on the land earlier in the year. In 1776 McClelland's Fort, an army outpost was built on a nearby cliff to have close proximity to the spring. The fort was abandoned in 1777 after Indians attacked the fort and killed McClelland.cite web|url=http://www.georgetownky.com/hist.html|title=History|date=|work=Georgetown|publisher=Georgetown/Scott County Tourism Commission] cite web |last=|first=|authorlink=|coauthors=|title=About Scott County|work=Scott County Clerk's Office|publisher=Software Management LLC|date=2004|url=http://www.scottcountyclerk.com/contact_about.html|format=|doi=|accessdate=2008-07-24]

Kentucky Bourbon developed

Baptist preacher Elijah Craig set up a grain mill and used the spring water to first distill bourbon whiskey using the sour mash process on this site in 1789.cite web|url=http://www.georgetownky.com/hist.html|title=History|date=|work=Georgetown|publisher=Georgetown/Scott County Tourism Commission] cite web|url=http://www.signsofhistory.com/kentucky/Scott/bourbon.htm|title=Birthplace of Bourbon|date=|work=Signs of History|publisher=] Craig has long been credited with the creation of bourbon though more recent research suggests alternative explanations.cite journal |last=Cowdery|first=Charles K.|authorlink=|coauthors=|title=How Bourbon Whiskey "Really" Got Its Famous Name|journal=The Bourbon Country Reader|volume=3|issue=1|pages=|publisher=|location=|date=July 1996|url=http://home.netcom.com/~cowdery/articles/name.html|doi=|id=|accessdate=]

Royal Spring Park

Royal Spring Park, located off West Main Street (U.S. Route 460) in the downtown area, features an outdoor recreation area, viewing of Royal Spring, and an authentic restored log cabin museum. The site has several historical markers and monuments that give tribute to the spring, early settlers, and local war heroes.

The park was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places on April 2, 1973.

Leach Cabin

In 1874, Milton Leach, a former slave, built a log cabin to use as his dwelling. The log cabin was restored and relocated to Royal Spring Park to serve as a museum.

References

External links

* [http://waterdata.usgs.gov/ky/nwis/uv/?site_no=03288110&PARAmeter_cd=00065,00060 Royal Springs at Georgetown, Kentucky entry on U.S. National Water Information System] web site.
* [http://www.gmwss.com/about-us.htm Georgetown Municipal Water and Sewer Service web site]