The first deed to be put on record in the Laurel County court was between Media Bledsoe of Garrad County of the first part and Daniel Garrard of Clay County of the second part.  Being 4800 acres of land lying in Knox County on Laurel River and being that part of 16000 acres of land patented in the name of John Watts.  One thousand dollars was the sum paid for this land.  This is on record in Deed Book “A”, page 1.  Date of September 30, 1824.

JEFFERSON CO.  (Byers York)

Susan Dale Sanders: 

The following is a story of Mrs. Susan Dale Sanders, #1 Dupree Alley, between Breckinridge and Lampton Sts., Louisville, an old Negro Slave mammy, and of her life, as she related it.

“I lived near Taylorsville, Kentucky, in Spencer County, nearly all my life, ‘cept the last fo’ or five yea’s I’se been livin’ here.  I was bo’n there in a log cabin, it was made of logs, and it was chinked with clay and rock.  My Mammy, was raised from a baby by her master, Rueben Dale.  He was a good ole Master, and was alway’s good to my Mammy.  Master Dale owned a big farm and had big fields of co’n an’ tobacco, and we raised everything we had to eat.  Ole master Dale was a good ole baptist, had lots of good ole time relig’n.  Ruben Dale had lots of slaves, and every family had its own cabin.  As he raised my Mammy as a slave from a baby, she thought there was none livin’ bett’r than her master Dale.

The next fa’m close to the Masters, was owned by a man, Colonel Jack Allen, and he had a big fa’m and owned lots of slaves.  And Mammy was allowed to marry one of the Allan slaves, and my father’s name was Will Allen.  You see the slaves had the same name as the Master’s, as he owned ’em.  My Mammy had seven children and we all grow’d up on our Master Dales fa’m.  My father had to stay at his master’s, Col.  Jack Allen’s and wo’k in the fields all day, but at night he would come to my mammy’s cabin and stay all night, and go back to his master’s, Col.  Allen’s fields the next mon’in.  Yes, I grow’d up in slavery times.  I used to carry tubs of clothes down to the old spring house, there was plenty of water, and I’se washed all the clothes there.  Me and my sisters used to wash and sing and we had a good time.  I can’t remember much of the ole song’s its been so long ago.

I had two brothers, and they jined the war and fought in the army.  One was named Harry and ’tother Peter.  Mammy wo’ked hard, done all the cookin’ but ole Master Dale was so good to all of us children we did’t mind it.  I’se was a mischevious gal when I was grow’in up.  I’se would get a lickin’ most every-day.  I’se alway’s like to fight the ot’er children, and I would say, “Mammy she hit me”, but I was bad and I’se got my whipp’n.  On my masters fa’m we killed a lot of hogs for our meat, had a big trough, that we cut the meat up in, and put the hams and shoulders together, and the middles together, then put ’em down in salt