Bullitt's Lick
Bullitt's Lick is a historic
History
Its high salinity levels in regards to other sources of water made it a popular spot for buffalo and others animals, causing natural roads for humans to use.
Captain
Saltworks
The first actual saltworks on the property were in 1779. Salt was difficult to obtain in the area, as there were few transportation facilities. (Louisville, the first white settlement in the area, had only been established in 1778). Salt was extracted by boiling the water in 25 iron kettles above a 1000-gallon-sized trench of fire. These kettles originally weighed 100 pounds, but the later kettles would weigh up to 200 pounds. There would be three cycles of salt making in a 24-hour period. These furnaces were initially located by the salt lick itself, but once the nearby wood was used, the furnaces were moved to the newer supplies of wood, as that was a cheaper alternative than bringing the wood to the furnaces. Until 1780, it was the only saltworks west of Pennsylvania's Allegheny Mountains. This in turn made the Wilderness Road the "inland intermodal distribution system" in the territories of the United States.[3][4] Joseph Field briefly worked for the salt works at Bullitt's Lick, and later was a member of the Lewis and Clark Expedition.[5]
This salt would soon be used not only in Kentucky, but the
One side effect of Bullitt County's early salt making was the deforestation of much of its land. This was the impetus for the creation of Bernheim Arboretum and Research Forest in the early 20th century.[6]
See also
- Mann's Lick
- Big Bone Lick
References
- ^ Kleber, John. Encyclopedia of Louisville (University Press of Kentucky, 2000) pg.145
- ^ Kleber pg.145, 782
- ^ a b Kleber 145, 783
- ^ a b Kentucky's Derby Region
- ^ "Lewis and Clark in Kentucky : Kentucky people : Joseph and Reubin Field biography". Archived from the original on 2007-10-10. Retrieved 2008-01-27.
- ^ a b The History of Bullitt County, Kentucky Archived May 9, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Kleber 145