The Long Run Massacre & Floyd’s Defeat

Squire Boone knew when he selected a site in present-day Shelby County for a station in the 18th century, that it wouldn’t be easy to settle an isolated location during the American Revolution.

Squire, like so many other early frontier settlers, was determined to carve out an existence in Kentucky. He built a fort along the banks of Clear Creek in 1779/1780. Many families came to Painted Stone Station during the short time it provided a haven from the increasingly hostile actions of Native Americans. Eventually they were driven to evacuate on a fateful day in September 1781, walking into a massacre that killed several settlers. The ones who managed to escape left behind a legacy through their descendants, thus keeping alive a very precious part of Kentucky’s early history that is now 244 years old.

It is the story of the brave souls that settled Painted Stone Station that will be told through an annual living history event at Red Orchard Park on September 13th in Shelby County, KY. Historically, September 13th was the actual date of the massacre. Hosted by the Painted Stone Settlers, Inc., a group of living history re-enactors, this story is preserved through a dramatic re-enactment known as The Long Run Massacre & Floyd’s Defeat. It retells the story of Painted Stone Station and the real people who lived there. This entire event is meant to portray history as it actually happened in the social and cultural context of 1781, while the Revolutionary War was still being fought, with Kentucky in the crossfire. The original story script was taken from historian Vince Akers who researched it thoroughly and is also a descendant of the Low Dutch Colony that settled in Henry County, KY.

Included in the Saturday event are various demonstrations of heritage skills, and militia life and a Native American campsite are also depicted. Visitors can experience an 18th century cannon demonstration and engage in lively conversation with Patriots and Loyalists. The main re-enactment (battle between settlers and Natives) will be at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 13th. The SAR (Sons of the American Revolution) will provide a special American flag ceremony prior to the battle re-enactment. A prisoner exchange will follow the re-enactment with Shawnee Storytelling by Native re-enactor Russell Morris. This event is representative of the warfare that took place in what would become Kentucky.

This year, a special addition to the lineup will be the unveiling by the Shelbyville/Shelby County Parks & Recreation of a marker dedicated to Whitaker Station. This was an important refuge for early settlers to Shelby County. Aquilla Whitaker settled and planted an orchard there in 1792, thus it is sometimes referred to as Red Orchard Station because it turned a brilliant red in the fall (now known as Red Orchard Park). For more info on the marker, contact the Shelbyville/Shelby County Parks & Recreation at (502) 633-5059.

In honor of America’s 250th birthday on July 4, 2026, admission is FREE this year. Please bring your own chairs or blankets to sit on.

For more information about the group or upcoming historical events please visit www.PaintedStoneSettlers.org or call (502) 500-4475, (502) 487-0379, or visit the Painted Stone Settlers, Inc. Facebook page.