Wilmington
From the research papers of William R Stevens, a Campbell County historian held by the Campbell County Historical Society in Alexandria.
On December 7, 1793, when the area west of the
Licking River was a part of Scott County, Wilmington by an act of the First
session of the General Assembly, Chapter XXVI, was established as a town on
fifty acres of land belonging to John Grant and lying on the main Licking
between the mouths of the two Grassy Creeks. The town trustees were:
John Sanders
John Thrasher Sr.
Matthias Corwine
Joseph Floyd
John Hay
Squire Grant
William Henry
The trustees were to lay out lots of a half acre each with convenient streets. There were to be sold at public auction at 18 months credit for the best price that could be had, taking bond with approved security of the purchaser or purchasers, the time and place of the sale was to be previously advertised for one month in the public Gazette. Each purchaser was to build a dwelling house twenty feet by eighteen feet at least with a brick or stone chimney, to be finished fit for habitation within four years from the day of the sale.
On May 10, 1795 the creation of Campbell County
became effective and Wilmington was in Campbell County. On June 1, 1795,
the Justices named by the General Assembly in the Commission of the Peace for
the county of Campbell met at the home of John Grant in Wilmington. There
they took their oaths and designated the officers of the county which are as
follows:
Washington Berry-Justice
Robert Benham-Justice
Thomas Kennedy-Justice
Nathan Kelly-Sheriff
Richard Southgate-Attorney
James Taylor-Clerk
Squire Grant-Justice
John Bartle-Justice
At this same meeting in Wilmington, several of the justices that had been appointed by the Governor Isaac Shelby on the request of James Taylor, voted to move sessions of the court from Wilmington to Newport. John Grant fought back through his brother Squire who proposed moving the county seat back to Wilmington a year later. Squire Grant pointed out to his fellow justices that Newport had failed on its promise to build a two-story stone jail by making the structure of heavy logs. Wilmington would have won this round except for two Newport trustees, Thomas Kennedy and Henry Brasher, who caused the motion to fail by one vote.
On February 1, 1796, the court appointed Joseph Robinson, James Williams, William Smith and William DeCoursey or any of the three to mark out the nearest and best way from Thomas Kennedy's Ferry to DeCoursey's Run on a direction to Wilmington and to make a report to the court. Jesse Bracking, John Boyd, Thomas Johnston and Bartholomew Riggs were appointed viewers from DeCoursey's Run to Wilmington.
John Grant continued to flail against Newport's
selection as county seat. He next challenged the legality of the court's
action at Frankfort. James Taylor ended up spending three weeks at the
capital in November 1796 to lobby against his rival's accusations. Newport
again prevailed when the legislature enacted a measure on December 14, 1796 to
designate it as the site of court sessions. Grant countered by convincing his
faction of magistrates, including John Bartle, to hold rump session of the
county court at Wilmington as a means of showing how most of Campbell County
residents were inconvenienced by having to do their legal business in Newport.
The controversy dragged on until 1801, when the legislature appointed six
commissioners to fix a permanent site for the county government. the panel
affirmed Newport's claim in April 1802. John Grant was left to watch his
real estate steadily lost its value as Wilmington slowly declined until it was
extinct.