Bullitt County History

Blue Lick Turnpike Road Company

The Kentucky General Assembly, in 1869, passed an act to incorporate the Blue Lick Turnpike Road Company. This Act is transcribed below, and is taken from Acts of the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Kentucky, 1869, pages 474-5.


CHAPTER 1579.

AN ACT to incorporate the Blue Lick Turnpike Road Company.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Kentucky:

§ 1. That a company is hereby formed for the purpose of building a turnpike road leading from the Louisville and Shepherdsville turnpike road, at or near the point where the New Cut road leading from Shepherdsville to Louisville intersects it, and running thence with or near the New Cut road to the old coal bank, in Bullitt county; thence to the school-house near H. B. North's; thence with or near the old county road to the gap in the knob, in Bullitt county, to be styled the "Blue Lick Turnpike Road Company."

§ 2. The capital stock of said company shall be sixteen thousand dollars, to be increased or diminished at the pleasure of the company, to be divided into shares of fifty dollars each.

§ 3. That books of subscription shall be opened by W. B. M. Brooks, J. H. Huber, George N. Saunders. Dr. B. F. McCauley, James McCauley, and Jordan Gilmore, who are hereby appointed commissioners for that purpose, at such time: and places as they may deem proper; they shall insert in a book an obligation as follows: "We, whose names are hereto subscribed, severally promise to pay to the president and directors of the Blue Lick turnpike road company the sum of fifty dollars for each and every share of stock set opposite our names, in such manner and at such times as shall be by them required under the law incorporating said company, to be collected as other debts. Witness our hand, this -- day of ---."

§ 4. That when ten thousand dollars shall have been subscribed to the capital stock of said company, it shall be the duty of the commissioners named to give notice thereof, and call a meeting of the stockholders, at such time and place as they may think proper, for the purpose of electing a president and four directors; one vote shall be allowed for each share of stock; and the president and directors chosen shall continue in office for one year, and until their successors are elected and qualified. The time and place of each election thereafter shall be fixed by the president and directors, a majority of whom shall be competent to do business.

§ 5. So soon as said company is organized by election of the officers, the president and directors shall be a body politic and corporate, in fact and in law, by the name and style of the Blue Lick turnpike road company, with the privileges and franchises of a corporation; shall he capable of holding their capital stock, and the increase and profits thereof; and holding, by purchase, gift, or otherwise, all things necessary or proper for the prosecution of their work; they shall have power to contract, and be contracted with, to sue and be sued, in all courts of law and equity. and generally to do all and every thing lawful for a corporation to effect the object for which said corporation was created.

§ 6. Said corporation shall fix and regulate the grade and width of said road, and its covering with stone or gravel; may designate the place for the toll gates, fix the rates of toll, not, however, exceeding the rate fixed by the general laws; they may erect a gate on said road When two and one half miles of said road is completed.

§ 7. Said company is authorized and permitted by this Charter to build a branch road to Brook’s Station, Huber’s Station, and to Hebron Church.

§ 8. lt shall he lawful for the officers and employes of the company, with their tools and appliances, to enter upon the lands over and contiguous to which the road shall pass, for the purpose of procuring gravel, stone, or timber for said road, having first given notice to the owners or occupiers three days. They shall have the right to take and receive the right of way over and through the land where said road shall be located, and the release of timber, stone, or gravel; and if they cannot agree with the owners, then the president shall apply to the county court of the county in which the land lies for a writ of ad quod damnum to assess the damages for the right of way, or for timber, stone, or gravel; and upon the payment or tender of the damages assessed. it shall he lawful for the company to open said road, and enter upon said land, and take the stone. timber, or gravel necessary to do the work pertaining thereto.

§ 9. The commissioners and board of directors may receive subscriptions to be paid in work on said road, subject to such regulations as the board of directors may deem proper.

§ 10. The president and directors shall give notice, as they may deem proper, of the amount of call on each share of stock, and the time and place of payment.

§ 11. The president and directors may appoint such officers as they may deem necessary, and prescribe their duties.

§ 12. This act shall take effect from its passage.

Approved February 24, 1869.


This Act was amended by the General Assembly on 23 Feb 1878 when the original company failed to complete the project. The actions resulting from this amendment were confirmed by the General Assembly on 1 Apr 1882 as shown below.


Acts of the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Kentucky, 1882, pages 1167-8.

CHAPTER 708.

AN ACT for the benefit of, and to amend the charter of, the Blue Lick Turnpike Road Company.

Whereas, The Blue Lick Turnpike Road Company, incorporated February 24th, 1869, undertook to build a turnpike road leading from the Louisville and Shepherdsville Turnpike Road, at or near the point where the New-cut road leading from Shepherdsville to Louisville intersects it, and running thence with or near the New-cut road to the old coal bank, in Bullitt county; thence to the school house near H. B. North's; thence with or near the old county road to the gap in the knob, in Bullitt county; which is still unfinished, and the work on said road was stopped because of a failure of means in the hands of said company to carry on the said work to its final completion, and was left in such condition at the time work was stopped on same that the company is not allowed to collect tolls on any portion of said road; and whereas, the said company had become indebted to some of its stockholders, and to other parties, in such sums as it was unable to pay without a sale of its road-bed, franchises, and charter privileges; and in order to pay said debts, under and by virtue of an act, entitled "An act for the benefit of, and to amend the charter of, the Blue Lick Turnpike Road Company," approved February twenty-third, 1878, authorizing the sale of said road-bed, franchises, and chartered privileges, a petition was filed in the Bullitt circuit court by one S. D. Brooks and other creditors of said company, to subject said road-bed, franchises, and chartered privileges to the payment of their debts, and obtained a judgment for the sale of said road-bed, franchises, and chartered privileges; and thereafter the said property was sold by the master commissioner ot the Bullitt circuit court, at the courthouse door in Shepherdsville, and the said S. D. Brooks became the purchaser of same, and thereafter obtained a deed from the commissioner of said court, conveying to him the said road-bed, franchises, and chartered privileges, as directed by the judgment of the court aforesaid; and whereas, the said S. D. Brooks has, for a valuable consideration, conveyed to the following named parties: C. N. Sanders, S. N. Brooks, D. F. Brooks, A. F. Brooks, Edward C. Preston, and W. B. M. Brooks, the said road-bed, franchises, and chartered privileges, the said parties being original stockholders in the said company; now, in order to enable the said parties to finish and complete the said turnpike road,

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Kentucky:

§ 1. That the proceedings had in the Bullitt circuit court, under and by virtue of which the road-bed, franchises, and chartered privileges were sold, are hereby declared legal and valid.

§ 2. That the said G. N. Sanders, S. N. Brooks, D. F. Brooks, A. F. Brooks, Edward C. Preston, and W. B. M. Brooks shall, within thirty days after the passage of this act, meet at such a place as they may think proper, for the purpose of electing a president and four directors. One vote shall be allowed for each share of stock; and the president and directors shall continue in office for one year, and until their successors are elected and qualified. The time and place of each election thereafter shall be fixed by the president and directors, a majority of whom shall be competent to do business.

§ 3. The said G. N. Sanders, S. N. Brooks, D. F. Brooks, A. F. Brooks, Edward G. Preston, and W. B. M. Brooks are authorized to open books for additional subscriptions to the capital stock of said company at such times and places as they may deem proper; and subscriptions made and entered in said book or books, signed by the party subscribing for same, shall be collected as other debts.

§ 4. All the provisions embodied in the act incorporating the Blue Lick Turnpike Road Company, approved February 24th, 1869, and all amendments thereto (except so much of the amendment approved February 23d, 1878, as authorized the sale of road-bed, franchises, and chartered privileges), are made a part of this act.

§ 5. This act shall take effect from its passage.

Approved April 1, 1882.


If you, the reader, have an interest in any particular part of our county history, and wish to contribute to this effort, use the form on our Contact Us page to send us your comments about this, or any Bullitt County History page. We welcome your comments and suggestions. If you feel that we have misspoken at any point, please feel free to point this out to us.

The Bullitt County History Museum, a service of the Bullitt County Genealogical Society, is located in the county courthouse at 300 South Buckman Street (Highway 61) in Shepherdsville, Kentucky. The museum, along with its research room, is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. Saturday appointments are available by calling 502-921-0161 during our regular weekday hours. Admission is free. The museum, as part of the Bullitt County Genealogical Society, is a 501(c)3 tax exempt organization and is classified as a 509(a)2 public charity. Contributions and bequests are deductible under section 2055, 2106, or 2522 of the Internal Revenue Code. Page last modified: 12 Jan 2024 . Page URL: bullittcountyhistory.org/bchistory/bluelickturnpike.html