Category: Uncategorized

No Destination: Morehead State University

Morehead State University has a surprisingly beautiful campus. Sure, it has its traditional campus-like, Soviet-era bunkers (including one that is probably a six-story cylinder). But it also has nine buildings on the National Register which were build from 1926-1932 in a “Collegiate Gothic” design.

The school was begun as a Christian school in 1887 and when through various lives before it became MSU in 1966. Pictured above is the Camden Library (c. 1931); below is the clocktower in front of the library.

No Destination: Olive Hill (& Beckham County)

My initial reaction in seeing the old East Carter High School: imagine climbing all of those steps! Now the Olive Hill Historical Society, there is a mural showing the history of Olive Hill directly below this picture. From the mural, you learn that the Chesapeake & Ohio railway came through town from 1910 to 1971 and that the town was established in 1861.

For 90 days in 1904, Olive Hill was the county seat of Beckham County. Beckham County (originally to be called Hardscabble County, later Goebel County) was named after the Governor who signed it into creation on Feb. 9, 1904. Citizen Zimmerman, upon receiving a tax bill of $75.00, soon challenged the county’s legitimacy. Joined by Carter County (who did not want to lose the tax base), the Kentucky Court of Appeals ultimately dissolved Beckham County (finding it unconstitutional under Kentucky’s 1891 Constitution which geographically restricted the formation of new counties) on April 29, 1904.

No Destination: Pactolus

Pactolus. I’ve been here so many times. My father-in-law’s family was one of the founding families of the church (Pactolus Methodist) pictured above, c. 1922, and the family remains in the area.

Iron furnaces around this part of the state were quite common and it is believed that the Pactolus furnace (no longer in existence, last blast in 1835) was the first in the state. This unincorporated community is considered a part of Grayson.

No Destination: Grayson

At the convergence of the AA Highway and Interstate 64, the formerly sleepy town of Grayson is busy. Main Street (pictured above) is quiet as the new main strip is the Carol Malone Blvd. (named after an opera singer from Grayson). It was founded in the early 1800s by salt makers and was originally known as Crossroads, but the community was renamed Grayson when it became the county seat of Carter in 1838.

The town is also home to my wife’s family and Kentucky Christian University. I will return to Carter County many times with many more posts.

No Destination: Farmers

In the western part of Rowan County, the county’s first community began to be settled around 1792 on the banks of the Licking River. The town, CrossRoads, was named for obvious reasons. Hard timber in the area made CrossRoads (later renamed Farmers in 1882) a boom-town, until timbering became exhausted c. 1900. By then, much of the commerce had shifted ten miles east to the county seat: Morehead.

No Destination: Cave Run Lake

I wasn’t expecting to see Cave Run Lake at all (road construction detoured my route), but I am so glad I did. It was peaceful, tranquil and beautiful. Above is a picture taken from a short trail near the Cumberland Ranger District office in Rowan County.

Below is a video taken near Clear Creek – at the southern end of Cave Run Lake in Menifee. The only sounds were the wind rustling the tree next to me and the water rippling onto the boat ramp (Leatherwood boat ramp, on which I was sitting).

The lake was created by the Army Corps of Engineers in a project that began in 1965. The dam became operational in 1974. Cave Run Lake is 8,270 acres (summer) in size.

No Destination: Frenchburg

Menifee’s County seat, Frenchburg, has (c. 2000) a population of 551. This small-town was established in 1869 to be the county seat and is the only incorporated community in this rural county.

The county was named after Congressman Richard Menefee, but the state general assembly misspelled the name when chartering the county. In a Congressional 1837 election, Menefee defeated Richard French. French, a lawyer and judge, is the namesake of Frenchburg.

Beyond the already discussed and defunct Frenchburg School, there is little in this town. Pictured above are a few of the ‘quilts’ that are frequently found in the area and a corner of the Menifee County courthouse. It is a really cool building…I’ll save the details for Nate.

No Destination: Frenchburg School Campus

Driving into Frenchburg, I noticed several abandoned buildings behind the Sav-A-Lot that piqued by interest. The three large brick buildings were completely out of place. Finding information, even with the internet, proved difficult at first.

The Frenchburg School opened in 1909 by the Presbyterian church. It provided religious, educational and medical services to regional residents. In fact, for several years after the opening of its hospital in 1915, Frenchburg had the only hospital located between Lexington and Ashland. (Note: Watch this YouTube video created in 1944 featuring Frenchburg physician Dr. Richard Adler – it is very interesting.) The Frenchburg School also provided the only high school educational offering in the county (despite state law mandates).

The three brick buildings I saw were the School Building (c. 1910, two-story), the Girls’ Dormitory (c.1917, three-story Georgian Revival) and the Hospital Building (c. 1941, Neo-Georgian replacing original 1915 structure lost to fire). In their hayday, the buildings would have been typical of the “classical renaissance that developed in the late 19th century … suitable for an academic setting.”

The buildings have been vacant since at least 1978, when the site was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Application was a source of much of the information in this post is available here (PDF).

No Destination: Menifee County

Just east of Means, Kentucky – an unincorporated community in Menifee County – I twice pulled off the road. Now in the Daniel Boone National Forest, the leaves were really starting to change colors. The first is pictured above.

The second time I pulled off the road, I went up a steep, gravel road (Scenic Ridge Road). About mid-way up, I questioned whether this was a good idea (for those that don’t know, I drive a Honda Fit). Anyway, I made it and the view was great. But also disappointing. I had no idea that the kudzu invasion had reached this part of Kentucky. Apparently, as evidenced below, it has.