This page contains information on the
formation
of Whitley County Kentucky, it's
topography,
Early
Settlers, Major
Economy Past/Present, Towns,
Local
Colleges and Attractions, and a link to information on the
Marsh Creek
area. The Marsh Creek page gives information on the formation of the Bethel
Church and names of 36 of it's early families. There are also links to where to
find
accommodations in the Whitley Area, Motels and Campgrounds.
"The
fifty-ninth county in order of formation, Whitley County is located in
southeastern Kentucky, along the Tennessee state line. It is bordered by Bell,
Knox, Laurel, and McCreary counties and has an area of 443 square miles. The
county was formed January 17, 1818, from a section of Knox County and was named
in honor of Col. William Whitley, a Kentucky pioneer and Indian fighter. The
county seat,
Williamsburg was originally called Whitley Courthouse.
The topography of Whitley County is hilly to mountainous, a steep and rugged
landscape. Three-fourths of the county is forested with oak, black walnut,
yellow poplar, hickory, and pine. The
Daniel
Boone National Forest covers 38,000 acres of the county, including Jellico
Mountain, with an elevation of 2,124 feet. The major water sources are the
Cumberland and Laurel Rivers.
In April 1759 explorer Dr. Thomas Walker and his party entered the Whitley
County area at Blake's Fork Creek. Raiding parties of Indians frequently
attacked and killed hunters and trappers. Among those killed, probably by
Cherokee, were Joseph Johnson at Lynn Camp and the son of Joe Tye on Big Poplar
Creek. In 1786 Indians attacked the large group of settlers known as McNitt's
company and killed twenty-one of them in the area between the Big and Little
Laurel Rivers .
Williamsburg and
Corbin
are the two incorporated towns in the county. Corbin is the county's
largest town. The county's largest employers, located in
Corbin, are American Greetings Corporation; NCR Systems Media, which makes
business forms; National Standard Company, which manufactures industrial wire,
cloth, and fibers; Tri-County Manufacturing and Assemblies, which produces
typewriter components; and CSX Transportation. CSX completed a $41 million
expansion of its railroad service facilities at Corbin in
1988.
Although the rugged terrain limits agriculture in Whitley County, some tobacco,
corn, and livestock are raised. Lumber and coal have been the mainstays of the
county's economy. Among the mineral resources of the area are
coal, oil, iron, and minute traces of silver.
Whitley County is also the home of
Cumberland College in
Williamsburg.
Cumberland Falls , the "Niagara of the South," is located in Whitley County.
Cumberland Falls State Resort Park offers a lodge, cottages, camping,
swimming, hiking, horseback riding, and convention facilities. Laurel River Lake
covers 5,600 acres in Whitley County. These attractions, along with the Nibroc
(Corbin spelled backwards) Festival and the scenic trails of the Daniel Boone
National Forest, make Whitley County a major recreation area.
The population of Whitley County was 24,145 in 1970, 33,396, in 1980; and
33,326, in 1990."
Article by Ron Bryant
"The Kentucky Encyclopedia" c 1992 University Press of Kentucky, Editor in Chief
John E. Kleber; Associate Editors Thomas D. Clark; Lowell H. Harrison; James C.
Klotter.
Learn about Whitley County's
Marsh Creek
area.
Accommodations in the Whitley County Area.
Corbin Kentucky,
Williamsburg Kentucky
Camp Grounds:
Cumberland Falls State Park ,
CORBIN KOA
Attractions in this area:
Trace the
footsteps of Daniel Boone
Last Update
