Timeline

John Heckwelder (Moravian Missionary) and guides stop at “Buffalo Salt Lick” on the way to the Falls.  Once again he did not call it French Lick

Mr. Foyle began a stagecoach line on the trace from New Albany to Vincennes

Rangers organized to patrol the Buffalo Trace to keep settlers safe

William Rector was hired to survey the Trace in order to lay out the Indian Treaty Line.

Ebenezzer Buckingham surveys begin in the Orange County area…

Treaty of Fort Wayne grants the Vincennes Tract

Arthur St. Clair, Jacob Burnett, and a Mr. Morrison use the Buffalo Trace and report “no human life” and also note an “abandon shack on the White River”, presumably McDonald’s cabin, as he returned to Louisville because of Indian raids

George Teverbaugh made the trip across the Trace with mail traveling a foot once a week, the 130 mile distance

Moses Austin (Stephen F Austin’s father) uses the Buffalo Trace, while leaving Louisville he notes 30 houses in Louisville

Constantin Volney uses the Buffalo Trace and notes no inhabitants along the trace

Englishman Samuell Argoll mentions seeing native large cattle in the eastern United States.

Gen Harmar sent to Vincennes and uses Clark’s Trace.  His account of the journey calls this stopping place “Lick”.  Gen Denny’s account of the same journey calls it “The Great Lick”.  It takes them 7 days via Clark’s Trace.  They note that there are 400 houses in Vincennes at the time and 900 French, 400 … Read more

Clark and militia return to Vincennes via “Clark’s Trace”.  Along the way a horse is stolen, Capt Gaines writings mention a “meeting at a place called French Lick” to settle the dispute over Col James Barrett’s stolen horse.  What’s important here is that within Clark’s militia the stopping place was named “French Lick”.  All other … Read more

Filson again travels to Vincennes via the Ohio, again uses Buffalo Trace on return to the Falls.  Both of Filson’s trips take 9 days.

Filson requests help from Clark to protect Vincennes, because of Indian raids

Mapmaker Filson makes first journey to Vincennes via Ohio and Wabash.  Return to the Falls was via the Buffalo Trace with 3 Indian guides.

Clark awarded 150,000 acres by government, Clark’s Grant

Clark travels back to the Falls of the Ohio, not on  the Buffalo Trace all the way, but uses what will be called in the future journeys by others as “Clark’s Trace”  This is important because as future travels show, he must have encamped at the “Salt Licks” here.

Clark writes to Patrick Henry referencing land on the Cumberland River called “French Lick”, he was in hopes that he could get 3,000 acres he thought was his.

Clark captures Fort Sackville (Vincennes)