Beech Tree News Network

We have entered the home stretch.  Settle in.  This is going to be a long one. Today we start with Trimble County, KY.  Founded on February 9, 1837, Trimble’s largest city as well as county seat is Bedford.  The county was named for Robert Trimble, an attorney, judge, and justice of the United States Supreme Court.  Trimble County is part of the Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN Metropolitan Statistical Area.  Estimated population in 2015, the last census, was 8,769.  

Union County was founded January 15, 1811.  The county seat and largest city is Morganfield.  Morganfield was named for Revolutionary War General Daniel Morgan, who received the land the city now sits on in return for his military service.  Located at the mouth of the Wabash River, Union County, along with neighboring Posey County, Indiana, and Gallatin County, Illinois from the tripoint of the Illinois-Indiana-Kentucky Tri-State Area. Estimated population, as of 2015, was 15,050.  The John T Myers Locks and Dam once known as Uniontown Locks and Dam is located on the Ohio River 3 ½ miles downstream from Uniontown and straddles the river between Union County and Posey County, Indiana.  Construction on the Dam was begun in 1965 by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and completed in 1977.  It was renamed to honor retired Indiana congressman John T. Myers.

Warren County was founded December 19, 1796.  The county seat and largest city is Bowling Green.  Estimated population as of 2015 was 122,851.  The 24th county in order of formation, Warren County was named for Major General Joseph Warren.  Born near Boston on June 11, 1741, Warren entered Harvard at age fourteen. He studied medicine, and, after graduation, ran a successful practice in Boston. Warren is best known for his heroism during the Revolutionary War; he is credited with dispatching William Dawes and Paul Revere on their famous midnight ride to alert the countryside of the approaching British. Warren also earned acclaim at the Battle of Bunker Hill on June 17, 1775. 

Warren County was approved by the Kentucky legislature on December 19, 1796, and it was officially created on March 1, 1797. The approximately 546 square miles were taken from portions of Logan County. One of the earliest settlements in the area was at McFadden Station on the north bank of the Barren River. This strategic location connected the settlement with the Cumberland River settlement of Nashville and the Green River settlements to the northeast. As McFadden’s Station prospered, other smaller communities were soon established all around the Warren County area. The first courthouse, located at what today is Fountain Square, was a log structure completed in March 1798. That same year, the county seat, Bolin Green (Bowling Green), was created. 

Besides the waterways, rail played an important role in the expansion of Warren County. The Bowling Portage Railroad Company was organized during the early development of Warren County. The one-mile track connected the Barren River with a warehouse for storing freight and merchandise. The company was the first in Kentucky to use iron cars, which were drawn by mules. The Bowling Green Portage Railroad Company was sold to the Louisville and Nashville Company in 1855 for $20,000.

Founded in 1792, Washington County was named for George Washington.  The county seat and largest city is Springfield.  It was established from land given by Nelson County.  It was the first county created by the Commonwealth of Kentucky after its separation from Virginia.  Wayne County was formed December 13, 1800 from Pulaski and Cumberland Counties.  It was the 43rd county and named for General “Mad Anthony” Wayne, a hero of the American Revolutionary and Northwest Indian War.  Wayne’s victory at the Battle of Fallen Timbers virtually ended the Indian threat against Kentucky settlers.  The county seat and largest city is Monticello.  Estimated population as of 2015 was 20,464.  

Webster County was founded in 1860 and named for Daniel Webster, who twice served in the House of Representatives.  The county seat is Dixon.  The largest city is Providence.  Estimated population, as of 2015, was 13,170.  Notable residents were psychologist and author Robert Baker, musician Chris Knight, American poet Cale Young Rice and Garrett Withers, who represented Kentucky in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives.  Whitley County was founded January 17, 1818 and named for American pioneer William Whitley.  The county seat is Williamsburg; largest city is Corbin.  Whitley County was created on January 17, 1818 from adjacent Knox County, Kentucky.[3] In the years prior to its establishment as an independent county, many skirmishes were fought between native Indians and hunters and trappers in the area. The namesake of the county, Colonel William Whitley,[4] is famous locally for fighting many of these battles within the area, safeguarding the Wilderness Road, as well as for his service in the War of 1812, where he was killed at the Battle of the Thames. The county seat, Williamsburg, is also named for Colonel Whitley, with the first court held at the home of the town's earliest resident, Samuel Cox.[5]

Its rugged terrain, densely forested woodlands, and a history of conflict with local Indian tribes all combined to make for a very slow rate of growth in Whitley County. The development of the coal mining industry in the area towards the late 1800s spurred on population growth as poor families from neighboring states rushed into the county and led to the formation of Corbin, still the largest city in Whitley County.

North Corbin, just north of Whitley County is home to Sanders Cafe which is the birthplace of Kentucky Fried Chicken. It was founded there by Harland David Sanders, better known as Colonel Sanders, in 1930.

Wolfe County was founded in 1860 and named for the Wolfe Family out of Western North Carolina. The county seat and largest city is Campton.  Estimated population as of 2015 was 7,259.  Notable people are Pete Center, 1940 pitcher for the Cleveland Indians, folk artist Edgar Tolson and politician South Trimble, born Hazel Green.  

Finally, Woodford County, Kentucky was founded November 12, 1788 and founded for American Revolutionary War general William Woodford.  It was the last of the original nine counties established that formed the commonwealth of Kentucky in 1792.  The county seat and largest city is Versailles.  Scott County was formed from part of the county in 1792.  Franklin County took another part of the county in 1794.  Queen Elizabeth II stayed in Woodford County at Lane’s End Farm in May 2007.  Estimated population, as of 2015, was 25.793.  Notable residents include John Buford, Union cavalry officer during the American Civil War, Albert Benjamin “Happy” Chandler, Sr-Governor of Kentucky and baseball commissioner, Ben Chandler, U.S. Representative, John Conlee, Chad Pennington-former NFL QB, and William Shatner.  

I hope you’ve enjoyed this series as much as I’ve enjoyed writing it.  Many weeks, I’d have a set number of counties to write about but it was so interesting that I just kept going.  For example, this series was going to go on another week but there were two counties remaining.  I was having so much fun I just kept going.  I’ll be back with something brand new next week.  Thanks for reading!