Established in 1785 by William Christian and his wife, Anne, a sister of Patrick Henry, Fort William stood on the site of one of the earliest stone houses in Kentucky, a famous tavern called The Eight Mile House on Harrods Trace to Falls of the Ohio. From here, Col. Christian directed the defense of Jefferson County. He was killed by Indians in 1786 and was buried on Middle Fork of Beargrass. A pioneer leader prominent in the development of Virginia and Kentucky, he was born in Virginia in 1743, served as an officer in the French and Indian War, in Dunmore's War, the Revolution, and the defense of the frontier, brought his family to Kentucky in 1785, developed Bullitt Lick Saltworks, Kentucky's first industry, served as a trustee of Transylvania Seminary and county lieutenant, and Christian County was named for him in 1796.