Kentucky History Drive

History is all around us.

Pioneers, Native nations, long hunters, soldiers and distillers. Explore the stories that made Kentucky, on a living map you can travel through time.

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Licking Valley: Stations, Blue Licks and Covered Bridges

Follow the Licking River country from the 1780 British-Indian expedition against Ruddell's and Martin's stations to the 1782 Battle of Blue Licks, with three of the valley's 19th-century covered bridges, ending in old Washington in Mason County.

Stops

  1. 1. Ruddell's Station site

    Private land: marker onlyCaptured June 1780. Marker only. The site is on private farmland.

    Isaac Ruddell and the guns at Ruddell's Station →Ojibwe on Bird's War Road →

  2. 2. Martin's Station site

    Private land: marker onlyCaptured June 1780. Marker only. The site is on private farmland.

    6.2 mi, about 19 min from stop 1
    Delaware (Lenape) in the 1780 Kentucky raids →Cynthiana: Cynthia & Anna on the Licking →

  3. 3. Colville Covered Bridge

    PublicBuilt 1877. Covered bridge on a public road over Hinkston Creek; drive-through.

    5.6 mi, about 16 min from stop 2
    No story yet for this stop.

  4. 4. Blue Licks Battlefield State Resort Park

    PublicBattle August 19, 1782. Public state park.

    19.2 mi, about 30 min from stop 3
    Battle of Blue Licks →Hugh McGary, the Blue Licks Hothead →

  5. 5. Johnson Creek Covered Bridge

    PublicBuilt 1874. Closed to vehicles; view it from the roadside pull-off.

    4.7 mi, about 8 min from stop 4
    No story yet for this stop.

  6. 6. Goddard Covered Bridge

    PublicBuilt 1864. Public road bridge over Sand Lick Creek.

    26.8 mi, about 46 min from stop 5
    No story yet for this stop.

  7. 7. Washington, Mason County

    PublicFounded 1786. Historic town; visitor center and some buildings keep seasonal hours.

    26.3 mi, about 33 min from stop 6
    Washington, Mason County →

Directions cover the public stops only. Ruddell's and Martin's station sites are on private farmland: they're shown on the map for context, with no directions. Please don't enter private land.

Route map