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.

Back to story

Research notes

Walker Daniel, Danville’s namesake

Virginia lawyer Walker Daniel laid out the town at Crow’s Station in 1783, was the District of Kentucky’s first attorney general and was killed in 1784; Danville was named for him in 1787.

Updated

Danville's founding

  • Daniel bought land from John Crow in 1782, laid off a town at Crow's Station in 1783 and gave land for the district court; the 1787 Virginia act named the town Danville for him. EKH KHS 190

Attorney general and death

  • First attorney general of the District of Kentucky (1783); killed in August 1784 near Bullitt's Lick by a party of about seven warriors, per a Virginia newspaper report. EKH KHS 190

Timeline

  1. 1781 Arrives in central Kentucky EKH
  2. 1783 District attorney general; lays off town at Crow's Station EKH
  3. 1784 Killed near Bullitt's Lick EKH
  4. 1787 Town established and named Danville EKH

People

  • Walker Daniel Founder of Danville; first district attorney general
  • John Crow Founder of Crow's Station
  • Robert Daniel Brother; sold remaining lots

Open questions

  • Identity of the attacking party's nation is not given in the sources.

Sources

web