A 1766 map of the old "Falls of the Ohio"
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1766 Ohio River, Tygarts Creek area maps
These maps are somewhat enigmatic when compared to todays name usages, or even the 1773 usages of other maps on this site.
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From the west (the left), scanning to the right, the first major north-south river north of the Ohio is the Wabash. Next comes the Big Miami River ("Gr. Miamumee").
Then the Little Miami, Elk Creek, then the Scioto ("Scioto or Chillicothe River").
South of the Ohio, the creek names are somewhat problematical. In current usage, Tygarts Creek is the first water course east of the Scioto,
on the Kentucky side of the Ohio. On this map, the first one to the east illegible, then the Little Sandy, followed closely by the Big Sandy ("Gr. Sandy").
There is a possible creek about where Tygarts Creek is in relation to the Scioto River, but the contour of the Ohio and the
course of putative Tygarts Creek are poorly represented. As this "Tygarts Creek" line is followed south and then west, it begins to appear to be a trail
rather than a creek line.
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On this map, the Ohio River is the line just below the large "AQUANI" letters.
Uniquely inaccurately, the title "OHIO" identifies an area to the SOUTH of the Ohio River (just to the north of the "Kentucke River")!!!
Just below the "A" in the "AQUANI" is an Ohio River feature clearly labeled "The Big Bend". This would orient us to the area
just east of the Kentucky-West Virginia state line. That would tell us that the dark line to the south is the Kanawha River.
The next major river to the west is pretty clearly identified as the "Big Sandy". The next line should be the Little Sandy, but its illegible.
To the north of the Ohio, the next line represents the Scioto River. Notably, there are dashed lines along the west side of the Scioto which
apparently indicate a Native American trail (present day State Route 104). The "trail" indication extends straight south across the Ohio into
northern Kentucky along what would be the passageway of Tygarts Creek through Greenup and Carter Counties. The "trail" appears to be labeled, but this
too is illegible. It eventually intersects with a water course ("G. Salt Lick R.") that clearly fits the profile of the present Licking River.
On the map below, note the Licking River ("G. Salt Lick R.") intersecting with the Ohio River (just east of present day Cincinnati, Ohio). The river just to the
east of this conjunction is the Little Miami River ("L. Minimami(?)"). A little to the left (past "Limestone"), the Great Miami River joints the Ohio River
from the north. The Indiana river which flows into the Ohio River just to the west of the Great Miami is the Whitewater River.
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Another version of the preceding map.