John Floyd

Floyd County was named in honor of Colonel John Floyd (1750-1783), a surveyor and famous pioneer explorer.

In the 1800's all or parts of fifteen other counties were formed from the original 3,600 square mile tract.

Floyd (estab. 1800) Col.John Floyd (1750-1783), pioneer surveyor and military leader of Jefferson County.

John Floyd (1750-1783), a pioneer, surveyor and military leader of Jefferson County.

John Floyd, the early companion of Boone, was a typical pioneer.
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Colonel John Floyd, who was one of the party (himself afterward killed by Indians), thus described the attack and the rescue, in, a letter written the next Sunday to the Lieutenant of Fincastle, Colonel William Preston: "Our study had been how to get the prisoners without giving the Indians time to murder them after they discovered us: Four of us fired, and all of us rushed on them; by which they were prevented from carrying anything away except one shot-gun without any ammunition.

Floyd County was named in honor of Colonel John Floyd (1750-1783), a surveyor and famous pioneer explorer.

John Floyd, the early companion of Boone, was a typical pioneer.He was educated, brave, and adventurous.Himself and two brothers fell by the Indian's rifle.Two of his brothers-in-law shared the same fate.At twenty-four years of age he was with Boone in Kentucky, and next year took part in the deliberations at Booneshorough.He hastened back to Virginia in the autumn of 1776, and with perfect confidence in his own resources fitted out a privateer and cruised as its commander.His checkered career brought him to Dartmouth as a prisoner of war, thence, by a daring escape, to Paris, where, as he afterward said, he wandered unknown, and wondered "if there was in all the world a man so lonely as he."Franklin met him, and conceived a strong esteem for the bold and handsome and courtly young hunter.He was received with marked interest at Versailles, and was the lion of the hour.Again he found his way back to Virginia, and rejoined Boone and Harrod in Kentucky in 1779, to lose his life soon afterward by a bullet from an ambuscade.

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Colonel John Floyd, who was one of the party (himself afterward killed by Indians), thus described the attack and the rescue, in, a letter written the next Sunday to the Lieutenant of Fincastle, Colonel William Preston: "Our study had been how to get the prisoners without giving the Indians time to murder them after they discovered us: Four of us fired, and all of us rushed on them; by which they were prevented from carrying anything away except one shot-gun without any ammunition.