Founding of West Point / James Young - West Point, KY
Posted by: 
Markerman62
N 38° 00.040 W 085° 56.690
16S E 592641 N 4206414
Located at Elm Street and North 2nd Street, West Point
Waymark Code: WM180YC
Location: Kentucky, United States
Date Posted: 05/06/2023
Views: 1
Founding of West Point
In 1796, James Young and Samuel Pearman established the town of West Point on land owned by Young. It received its name because it was the westernmost English-speaking settlement downstream from the Falls of the Ohio River (Louisville). Over time the town prospered due to access to the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers.
James Young (1767-1849)
While residing in West Point and operating Young’s Inn, James Young promoted and helped finance the Louisville-Nashville Turnpike that later evolved into Dixie Highway. By 1797, Young was operating a ferry from the mouth of the Salt River across the Ohio River, to what was the Northwest Territory (present day Indiana).
Marker Name: Founding of West Point/ James Young
Marker Location: City
Type of Marker: Person
Marker Number (for official markers): 2463
Group(s) Responsible for placing Marker:
Kentucky Historical Society
Kentucky Department of Highways
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Visit Instructions:
A picture of the site or anything specific to the text on marker.