William Chapman Whitley (1749 - 1813)

Born 14 Aug 1749 in Bolivsin River, Augusta County, Virginia

Ancestors

Descendants

Died 5 Oct 1813 at age 64 in Chatham, Chatham-Kent Municipality, Ontario, Canada

Problems/Questions Profile manager: David England [send private message]

War of 1812|United States of America

Biography

William Whitley is a DAR Patriot Ancestor, A124884.

Lt. Col. William Whitley was a prominent and historical person in early Kentucky history, and fought in both the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812 where he was killed at the Battle of the Thames, Ontario, Canada.

He is the one responsible for horse racing in Kentucky being ran counter-clockwise and on dirt instead of turf. This was due to his disdain for England. Additionally, his home was the first brick home built West of the Allegheny mountains and still stands to this day.

Additional biography by Deb Redmon, 47383009.

History: William Whitley House Ky. Historic site William Whitley House State Historic Site William Whitley House is the first brick home in Kentucky, and the site of the nation's first circular racetrack, completed in 1788 by Kentucky pioneer William Whitley and his wife Esther. The estate, known as Sportsman's Hill, was famous for its unusual architectural features, and it became a gathering spot for early Kentuckians, including George Rogers Clark and Daniel Boone. The House The William Whitley House stands today as a monument to pioneer ingenuity and resourcefulness. From the delicate dentil molding and frieze board of the cornice along the roof's edge, to the poplar floors, the House is a gem. The brick house was constructed in the Flemish bond pattern which was more expensive than other methods; however, it gave the walls greater strength. In this type of construction, one brick was laid lengthwise, the next endwise. The lengthwise brick is called a stretcher,; the endwise brick a header. Glazed headers were used to create decorative patterns. In the Whitley house, the Flemish bond pattern is used on all four outside walls. The diamond-like pattern on the side walls of the house is called a diaper. The WW initials on the front of the house and the EW initials on the back of the house were patterned after buildings in Virginia, where it was usually indicative of a desire to establish a family dynasty. Inside the house, the walnut and pine fielded paneling, the S-shaped carvings over the fireplace, the crown molding and chair railings throughtout the house, and the eagles carved on the footers of the stairsteps are evidence of skilled craftsmen on the frontier. A fascinating feature is the presence of a hidden stairway in the house, supposedly built as a last-stand defense against attack. The Danger of Settlement The son of Irish immigrants, William Whitley made his first trip to Kentucky in 1775 accompanied by his brother-in-law, George Clark. They established a station [[1]]on land near St. Asaph, now known as Stanford. Whitley returned to Virginia for his wife Esther, and two daughters (eventually their offspring would number eleven). Often the terrain was so rough that they had to take their goods off the pack animals and carry them by hand. The Whitleys built their homestead away from a walled fort because attacks by the native Americans were few. They planted 10 acres of corn, thus staking their claim to the land. However, attacks from the natives increased and the Whitleys fled, first to Logan's Fort, then to Fort Harrod. After a year, the family returned to their station. Its position on the Wilderness Road led to persons gathering there to increase their numbers before crossing the wilderness back to Virginia. Whitley advised the travelers and sold them supplies. He became well-known as an "Indian fighter" because his station was often the first stop for travelers who had been attacked on the way to Kentucky. He or his wife Esther would raise the Kentucky Militia to pursue the attackers. Whitley was recommended to the rank of captain in the Militia. Whitley's fame as a defender of the frontier caused his acceptance as a volunteer at the age of 64 in the War of 1812. He was killed in the Battle of the Thames. The Race Track During the 1780s and 1790s, the Whitleys felt secure enough to build the brick home and a circular racetrack, and held race meetings each autumn. The track was unique in the nation because it was the first circular design and was built of clay instead of using turf. It is felt that the American practice of racing counter-clockwise began at this track, in response to anti-British feeling at the time. The British raced in a clockwise direction.

• Whitley was an early settler of Kentucky in 1775. In subsequent years, he participated in many military campaigns against the Indians.

Note

Note: Draper Manuscrips, Account of Solomon Clark, nephew to William, says William married an Esther Gill, whose father was a revolutionary soldier. Draper Manuscrips. 9cc1 Ky. pg. 1 From Solomon Clark, Pontotoe Miss., June 1842, Nephew of Col. Whitley Col. Whitley had three brothers - he the oldest, and five sisters; George Clark (my informants father) married Margaret Whitley (sister of Col. Whitley) and went with Whitley to Kentucky. Col. Whitley married Easther Gill. Her father was in the Rev. War and on one occasion, when short of provisions and passing by a farm house, where there was a fine turkey gobbler. Gill said if his companions would keep cool, he would get the old gobbler. He baited a fish hook with corn and threw it out, the old gobbler then caught the bait. Gill started on with the line in hand and the old gobbler was dragged along with extended wings. The attention, of the old lady of the house, was attracted to the scene. She howled out "the turkey won't hurt you, there's no danger!" To which Gill promptly replied "Oh, how can I trust you", and made-off with great apparent fear, he turning every now and then and pretending to try to scare back the apparently pugnacious bird. The turkey was completely hooked and he did'nt hurt Gill in the least

Legacy

• Whitley County, Indiana and Whitley County, Kentucky are both named in his honor.
• Whitley's brick house was the first built in Kentucky, and still stands as a Kentucky Historic Site.

Sources

• Wikipedia:William_Whitley
• Find A Grave: Memorial #66465866
• Source: S1 Title: The path of empire in the conquest of The Great West. Author: Robert L. Kincaid Publication: Middlesboro, KY; Mrs. Robert L. Kincaid; 1973 Page: " From Logan's William Whitley built a station five miles west of the 'crab orchard'......S

Acknowledgments

• Thank you to David England for creating WikiTree profile Whitley-757 through the import of LydiaSHargrove.ged on Sep 3, 2013. Click to the Changes page for the details of edits by David and others.