Indian old fields

Eskippakithiki is a former Shawnee village located in the Kiddville Rd. area in the eastern part of Clark County, Kentucky, United States of America. (to be contiuned)

Between 1670-1754, a Shawnee village and trading post was an active and booming area for Indian culture. This small region is located in eastern Clark County near Goff’s Corner and the Montgomery County line. If you search on a map for Indian Fields you can find the listing on Arrowhead Lane, while the official name of this site is, Eskippakithiki. Eskippakithiki is the Shawnee name for "Place of Blue Licks," referring to the salt deposits on Lulbegrud Creek near the settlement. Arrowheads and other Indian artifacts can be found in this general area on a regular basis.

Eskippakithiki was a 3,500-acre settlement located about 13 miles southeast of Downtown Winchester. The area lies between Lulbegrud Creek and Upper Howard's Creek. It is crossed from west to east by the Mountain Parkway and Ironworks Rd and from north to south by Kiddville Rd and Trapp-Goff's Corner Rd. But the first occurrence of any new settlers wasn’t until early pioneers arrived in this area in search of land. In the summer of 1775, a party of men came from Virginia, and explored the country north of the Kentucky River (Southeast of Winchester) and marked off claims for 5,800 acres of land between Upper Howard's Creek and Lulbegrud. The group included Marquis Calmes Jr. and Sr., Cuthbert Combs, Benjamin Combs and Benjamin Berry.

Current day, there is an interchange construction planned to begin in 2009 off the Mountain Parkway in the middle of the Eskippakithiki area. This plan has the available funds provided by the State Government and is awaiting archeologist approval for a “go ahead” stance if the Indian artifacts will be affected or harmed by this improvement on Kentucky Roads. But current sites such as-www.ohioindianwars.com- have been debating if the actual issue is the possibility of strip malls and gas stations which will be constructed in the long run of his new project or if the actual issues will be the greater amount of transportation and the newly laid blacktop.

As you can tell this little Shawnee village and trading post was much more significant than just another hangout spot for Indians back in the day. This was a place of religious, spiritual, and economical wealth that was a start of our current community of Winchester. The Shawnee were proud people who took their land and everything that made there culture unique, very seriously. Even though they do not currently inhabit this land they deserve to be honorably remembered.