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Springs Station, Kentucky

Former buildings and structures in Louisville, KentuckyForts in KentuckyHistory of Louisville, KentuckyPre-statehood history of Kentucky
Historic American Buildings Survey Theodore Webb, Photographer, Mar. 19, 1934 GENERAL VIEW (FRONT NORTHEAST) Spring Station, Lexington Road and Cannon's Lane, Louisville, HABS KY,56 LOUVI,3 1
Historic American Buildings Survey Theodore Webb, Photographer, Mar. 19, 1934 GENERAL VIEW (FRONT NORTHEAST) Spring Station, Lexington Road and Cannon's Lane, Louisville, HABS KY,56 LOUVI,3 1

Spring Station was a fort established sometime before 1782 around Beal's Branch of Beargrass Creek in what is now Louisville, Kentucky. It was established at the time of Louisville's founding as part of the settlement's defensive network of six forts, which protected settlers from attack by the Native Americans (commonly referred to as "Indians" at the time) who were allied with the British. The fort at Spring Station was built by the Steele family, originally from Ireland. Richard Steele and his family emigrated to America to the town of Mercersburg, Pennsylvania. Richard Steele's children, specifically Richard Steele Jr., moved his family to Kentucky to occupy the land he had been granted for his military service in 1780. The Steeles traveled down the Ohio River in flatboats, landing on Corn Island near the Falls of the Ohio. They remained there for two years before moving to Beargrass Creek and building a fort at Spring Station. Richard and Martha Steele lived at Spring Station and had thirteen children. Martha Steele became a pioneer heroine when she saved her wounded husband after an Indian attack at Spring Station. When the fort was attacked, Martha and the other women and children went to Floyd Station, another fort about five miles from Spring Station, where they would be safe. Tradition has it that when Martha learned that her husband, Richard Steele Jr., had been seriously injured, she wrapped her baby up and traveled alone on horseback through the wooded night back to Spring Station. She rode past the Native American encampment and up the road now known as Story Avenue. The story goes that once Martha was within calling distance of the fort, she began screaming for Richard. Upon recognizing his wife's voice, he ordered the gate to be opened just in time for her horse to run through without stopping. Martha Steele narrowly made it in time and was able to aid her husband, who ended up making a full recovery. By 1784, the Steele family moved from Spring Station to a farm in Fayette County, Lexington, Kentucky.

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article Springs Station, Kentucky (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors, Images).

Springs Station, Kentucky
Trinity Road, Louisville

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Latitude Longitude
N 38.2473 ° E -85.6695 °
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Trinity Road 3301
40206 Louisville
Kentucky, United States
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Historic American Buildings Survey Theodore Webb, Photographer, Mar. 19, 1934 GENERAL VIEW (FRONT NORTHEAST) Spring Station, Lexington Road and Cannon's Lane, Louisville, HABS KY,56 LOUVI,3 1
Historic American Buildings Survey Theodore Webb, Photographer, Mar. 19, 1934 GENERAL VIEW (FRONT NORTHEAST) Spring Station, Lexington Road and Cannon's Lane, Louisville, HABS KY,56 LOUVI,3 1
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