he soil in Mammoth Cave, Edmonson County,
Kentucky.

While Kentuckians were winning laurels on the battlefields of the Indian
wars and the War of 1812, literary pursuits were not neglected. In 1785,
John Filson wrote the first history of the State, and drew maps of the
region. In 1812, Humphrey Marshall, Sr., also wrote a history of Kentucky.
Colleges were being established, and young men were being trained in
classical lore and oratory. Among the prominent orators of the early day
were Thomas F. Marshall and Richard M. Menefee. The genius, ready wit,
satire, and forensic power of Marshall made him a favorite with all
audiences at all times; but unfortunately his habit of intemperance
lessened his powers and closed his career. The oratory of Menefee was so
pleasing and convincing as to cause him to be called the Patrick Henry of
the West.

Internal Improvements

The wealth of timber, mineral, and farm products of the State was so great
as to cause early improvements in the building of macadamized roads or
pikes, and as early as 1830 the turnpike from Maysville to Lexington was
built to facilitate the movement of freight and farm products from the
bluegrass region to the towns along the Ohio River on the northern
boundary. A similar road was built from Louisville through Glasgow and
Bowling Green to Nashville, Tenn., and this road not only served as a
commercial outlet to the South, but has played an important part in the
history and subsequent development of the State.

Early in the past century, interest was shown in the making of the water
courses of Kentucky navigable throughout the year by the building of locks
and dams. These were built on Kentucky, Barren and Green Rivers. Kentucky
is said to have a greater number of miles of navigable streams than is
owned by any other State. Its territory was supposed, in the early days,
to extend to low water mark on the eastern side of the Big Sandy River, to
the northern bank of the Ohio River, and to the western bank of the
Mississippi on the western border, while the Kentucky, Barren and Green
rivers lie wholly within its borders, and the Cumberland and Tennessee
rivers cross the State in the western section. Green River is said to be
one of the deepest river waterways in the world, and the scenery along its
banks is indeed picturesque. The towering walls on either side of the
Kentucky River between Frankfort and Beattyville rival in g