If you are familiar with Hendersonville Tennessee or know your local Tennessee history, then you’ve probably heard of Mansker Station.
If not, then let’s talk about him. His Christian name was Kasper Mansker, but in frontier history he was referred to as Casper Mansko or Gasper Mansker. I guess when you write stories from word of mouth, then misspellings happen.
Kasper was a German American who more than likely was born in Pennyslvania Dutch settlement early in the 1800’s. He was one of the greatest Hunters and Indian fighters in Tennessee History.
He had a favorite rifle that he named “Nancy” and she doom for many deer and hostel Indians. In 1769, Mansker was among the party who passed through the Cumberland Gap and began exploring Kentucky and Tennessee. During the course of the expedition, Mansker discovered Salt Licks in the present day Davidson County Tennessee.
After several months of hunting, some of the hunters decided to return to North Carolina. Others went north into Kentucky. There were parts of the group who stayed with Manker and they built flat boats and started down the Cumberland River looking for a market for their furs and hides.
They had several adventures on an unknown river and finally reached Natchez Mississippi. The next year Mansker found himself back in Kentucky as the leader of a group of hunters. The group trapped all year and had gathered a large amount of furs and hides of Buffalo, Elk and Deer hides. A group of Cherokee Indians raided their camp and destroyed all their pelts. It was said that the group of hunters and amassed 2300 deer hides. No mention of Buffalo or Elk Hides. To say the least it was a defastaing blow. The group continued hunting. One day while Mansker was hunting near the Green River, he heard a sound that was very unusual. He krept closer to the sound until he gort insight of a man stretched out on the ground, singing to the top of his lungs. The singer was none other then “Daniel Boone”. This was the first meeting between the two.
In 1779, Mansker established a settlement near the Salt Licks he had discovered and to the end of his days wqas a strong and helpful in the establishment of the community of Nashville, Tennessee.