Martin's Station

After British Captain Henry Bird arrived at Martin's Station in Kentucky on June 26, 1780, the Americans in the fort quickly surrendered, mainly due to the presence of Bird's six and five-inch cannons facing the fort’s walls. While the threat of artillery certainly worked in the British’s favor, cannons were only used twice in the backcountry campaigns: at Martin’s Station and Ruddell’s Station. The campaign proved to be difficult without the help of artillery, and after the British failed to gain a foothold, they never again mounted an expedition into Kentucky during the war.

Martin’s Station was built in the spring of 1779 along Stoner Creek in Bourbon County, Kentucky. By the end of the year, a number of families called the station home, many of them of Pennsylvania German descent. After the British capture of the station, many of the pioneers were taken captive and sent to Detroit; it was not until a treaty was signed in 1795 that the residents returned. While the historic station has been lost to time, its location is noted by a historic marker on the intersection of Bradford Road and US Highway 27 in Butler, KY.