FLEMING COUNTY BACKGROUND
Fleming County was formed in 1798 and was named for Colonel John Fleming. It was was twenty-sixth county formed in the Commonwealth. Flemingsburg has been the county seat since the county was formed. The City of Flemingsburg was finally incorporated in 1812. At that time, like other surrounding areas, the area was known for its mineral springs. People from all over came to Fleming County for the medicinal spring water. People also game because of the amount of game that was native to the area. Hotels were busy and profitable, but once the game started to disappear, so did the hotel guests.
In 1865 the counties first oil well was dug. However, they didn't hit oil, but gas. Oil was later discovered nearby and helped stimulate the local ecomony for years. It also led to the construction of the first railway in the county.
Above all else, Fleming County's claim to fame came in 1998. In that year, the Kentucky General Assembly designated Fleming County as the "Covered Bridge Capital of Kentucky". At one time there were over 400 covered bridges in Kentucky, today there are only 13. Three of the thirteen are located in Fleming County. They are the Goddard White Bridge, the Grange City Bridge and Ringo's Mill Bridge. A more solemn memorial stands in the Elizaville Cemetary. There, you will find a monument commemorating the raising of the American Flag at Iwo Jima by the Marines during World War II. Pfc Frank Sousley a native of Fleming County was one of the six Marines in the now infamous picture and statue of that event.
OUR VISIT
We were advised that on our trip to Fleming County, whenever that may be, we should head to the cemetery to check out a special monument. In such a small cemetery, this monument was immediately obvious. It marks the grave of one of the six marines who raised the flag on Iwo Jima. Turns out, PFC Franklin Sousley was from Fleming County! Wow! Just standing there, reading all the plaques and markers, I was overwhelmed with pride. Proud to be an American for sure and becoming increasingly proud to be a Kentuckian!
Driving on, we'd read that Fleming County was known for its covered bridges, so we decided to scout some out. First we found the Goddard White Bridge, the sight of which really takes you back in time. Looking on to the other side with the little country church in the background is reminiscent of The Little House on the Prairie. I found myself looking for Half-Pint and Pa to come down the steps of that church any minute. Then we found the Ringos Mill Bridge. This one reminded me more of the movie The Bridges of Madison County (sniff, sniff), sans Mr. Eastwood, but with all the rugged charm, nonetheless.
We took a quick drive through Flemingsburg, the county seat of Fleming County, and found the courthouse. This is something we try to do in most counties we visit. With this being a holiday weekend, there wasn't much activity on the streets and nothing caught our eye or brought us to a stop. And this, kids, is why I fell in love with Fleming County. The bridges were something else. I truly wan't expecting to see anything special when we headed out that morning, but was I ever surprised. The one thing that I wished we'd paid more attention to was the barn quilts. You know, the little wooden squares that are hung over the doors and on the sides of so many barns on the hillsides of Kentucky. There is a leaflet on the barn quilts of Fleming County with each one pictured so you can check them off as you find them. I knew we didn't have the time on this given day, but this may be something to do on a future road-trip.
By the way, I have to give credit to dad for writing the background on Fleming County.
2 comments:
Very cool! Now we know! Think I will skip 4th grade Indiana history and do KY history with your blog!
Mel, you might as well. We are learning a ton.
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