Knox County

Heading North on US 25 out of Bell County, our next stop was Knox County.  It was about this time that we came to realize something.  And that is, there are a lot of colleges in Kentucky.  We were on our way to see another one.  This time it was Union.  However, you should know the drill by now, first a little background on Knox County.

KNOX COUNTY BACKGROUND

Knox County was formed in December of 1799, having been seperated from what was then called Lincoln County.  Originally, all of the upper Cumberland Valley was included in Knox County.  However, over the years several other counties were formed in this area.  It was the 41st county formed in Kentucky.  The county's namesake is General Henry Knox of Massachusetts, America's first Secretary of War.

The county seat is Barbourville and the only other city is Corbin.  Corbin is unique in that it straddles 3 counties; Knox, Whitley and Laurel.

Daniel Boone helped blaze The Wilderness Trail through Knox County.  It is also said that the first log cabin in Kentucky was built in Knox County by Dr. Thomas Walker while exploring in the interest of the Royal Land Company in 1750.  There is an exclusive spot just outside of Flat Lick, where three historic roads converge to become one road heading to The Cumberland Gap.  They are Boone's Trace, The Wilderness Road and The Warrior's Path. 

During the nineteenth century, Barbourville was the largest city south of Richmond and was a major stop for settlers and travelrs who crossed the Cumberland Gap.

The first Kentucky Civil War Battle took place in Barborville as Confederate forces destroyed a Federal recruiting station on what is now Union College's campus.  This Battle saw the deaths of soldiers on both sides of the conflict.

Union College was formed in 1879 and is affiliated with the United Methodist Church and offers 27 degrees in the liberal arts.  It's campus encompasses 100 acres and 20 buildings near downtown Barbourville. 

OUR VISIT

After stopping on the highway to get a picture of Roadkill and the Knox County sign,  we headed over to the Union campus.  This is another extraordinary college campus in southeast Kentucky.  Unlike the University of the Cumberlands, the Union campus is covered in huge old elm trees and mountain laurel and has a more "plantation" type feel.  I know I'm starting to sound like a broken record, but no students were on campus here either.  However, there were a few people around because they parked everywhere nearly blocking the main entrance.

When we finished our quick look around campus, we moved a few streets over to downtown Barbourville.  We took a couple of minutes to snap a picture or two and decided to move on.  We had three more counties on the agenda and it was already lunch time.

My final thought on Knox County is this: They are extremely proud of their pioneer heritage.  It's evident in everything that you see.  It's good to see a community embrace their history and share it with all who visit.