Miles’ Trail led from his ferry, on the Ohio about six miles above Lusk’s ferry (Golconda), north-west through Pope County, across the southwest corner of Saline County, entering Williamson north of the Saline River, passing near Marion and through Herrin’s Prairie and crossing the Big Muddy River near the mouth of Pond Creek, thence to Kaskaskia. The trail was blazed about 1780 by Captain Nathaniel Hull of Massachusetts. This Revolutionary soldier built a home and blockhouse in the American bottom near Kaskaskia, and became an early justice and judge of the Randolph County court. The bank of the Ohio where he beached his boats for the overland trip to Kaskaskia was long known as Hull’s Landing, until Miles built his ferry when the blazed trace also received the ferryman’s name.
Governor Ninian Edwards named Mile’s trail the boundary between the counties of Gallatin and Johnson when he established them September 14, 1812. The present Williamson County area was divided between them and remained so until 1816.
(Extracted from Pioneer Folks and Places, Barbara Barr Hubbs, 1939 which is on sale at the Williamson County Museum)