Description
Land Grant signed by the first Governor of Kentucky, Isaac Shelby, transferring 200 acres to Major Richard Bibb, an officer in the Revolutionary War.
Document on parchment, previously folded, housed in double glass wood frame, measures 14.5″ x 17.5″. Chain hook along top edge. Splits along seams, stable in frame. This land grant is dated December 13, 1813, the “twenty second” year of the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Embossed seal along bottom left corner, signed on verso by county recorder. The land grant transfers 200 acres to Richard Bibb, in Logan County Kentucky, at the headwaters of the Muddy River.
Revolutionary War Major Richard Bibb (1752-1839) moved to Kentucky in 1799 and settled in Russellville, KY. He was reported to be the wealthiest man in Western Kentucky and one of the largest slaveholders in the region. In later life, Bibb changed his views on slavery and sent a majority of his slaves to Liberia. The slaves that remained were given plots of land and $5000 upon his death, creating a small community known as “Bibbtown.” He freed a total of 65 slaves
