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Eagle Bend Farm was established in 1830, but only became known as Eagle Bend in recent years. The farm land itself was given as a land grant to Samuel and Jane Huey when some areas of Kentucky were still hinterlands of Virginia. The Hueys were living near Fort Harrodsburg at the time, and when Indian raids occurred, customarily took refuge in the fort. On one of these occasions, they met Daniel Boone who told them of the land up north with the salt licks and the big bones lying about on the ground. As the land was quite fertile, the Hueys acquired a land grant of more than 15,000 acres and moved north to what is now known as Big Bone Lick State Park.
The Hueys made their home there with 12 children. In later years, Samuel died when a tree fell upon him during some logging work, and Jane died at age 82 when thrown from a horse. Their oldest son, William, became the overseer of all the land and he chose to build his own home on the present site of Eagle Bend Farm ….. now called by Eagle Bend Alpacas.
William lived in a modest log cabin while his two story brick home was being built. The cornerstones and stone hearth of the cabin still remain place to this day and are located alongside a deep stone water well on the existing property.
The brick for the home was made nearby and it took 3 years for completion of the present structure. Only three homes in Boone County boast of being designed by the architect, Thomas Zane Roberts, Sr., whose signature was a floating staircase with curved walls. All three homes are still standing.
William Huey raised four children and was counted as the twenty-second richest man in the state of KY based upon his slave holdings. Though his slaves only numbered 11, each was skilled and therefore very valuable. William lived at his residence until 1870. William and his son, Daniel, were confederate supporters and it was the custom of the U.S. government to take away lands from those who had fought against the Union during the bloody civil war of the 1860s. Land was taken away from owners in those states who had led in the rebellion beginning with those who were first in the line of succession and then proceeded in descending order. Therefore, William’s lands were confiscated in 1870 and passed over to a staunch supporter of the U.S. government. This man was Lewis Conner.
The Conner family held sway here until the 1920s. The land was slowly divided and sold here and there. The Conner family raised sheep which they herded to Cincinnati for sale. The Conners referred to the farm as “the brick”.
When the farm left the hands of the Conner family it was bought and sold, land was divided and passed along until our purchase of the remaining land and the house in 1986. We acquired the old house complete with several barns, grain shed,
Smoke house, and corn crib and 52 remaining acres.
The house, still well preserved and complete with 8 fireplaces, is listed on the national, state, and county registries of historical homes. It has been the site of two archeological digs by the Behringer-Crawford Museum, was strongly considered by the Cincinnati Film Commission for the filming of the movie “Beloved”, and has also been utilized to film a television commercial.
The name, Eagle Bend Farm, was given to the property in the 1970s, this to signify its location at “the eagle posts” in the bend of East Bend Road. We changed the name to Eagle Bend Alpacas in June, 2005 when we made the decision to join in the alpaca industry.
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