This article was originally written by Bobby Rose in the early 1970's.
Submitted by Norwood Thorpe
Cobhill is located about 9 miles south of Irvine, off to the right, on Highway #52, at the foot of the mountain on the way to Beattyville, Lee County, Kentucky. Cobhill is reached by going about two miles up a rather steep hill after turning right off Highway #52.
Cobhill was named for Samuel and Henry Cobb, two of the sons of Jesse Cobb, Sr. and his wife, Edith Oldham Cobb. Jesse, Sr. and his family had come with several other families, namely the Oldhams, the Rices, and the Peppers in the western migration about the year 1800 from Caswell County and other North Carolina counties. Henry Cobb, oldest son of Jesse and Edith Cobb was born in present day Estill County on July 11, 1802, and died in Madison County, Kentucky, August 21, 1857. Jesse Cobb, Sr., was born February 27, 1769, in Caswell County, North Carolina, and died in Estill County, Kentucky, Jun 1, 1836. His wife, Edith, was the daughter of Richard Oldham, a Revolutionary War soldier who settled in Madison County, Kentucky.
Samuel and Henry Cobb were large landowners of the Cobhill section of the County, and it is thought that Henry moved from Cobhill rather early in life, but that Samuel continued to live there for many years. Apparently, they secured large land grants and farmed the land and worked in logging.
Cobhill at one time was thickly settled. Mining ore to be taken to the Fitchburg smelting furnace offered employment there as did the logging industry. When these two industries ceased to be active, many of the inhabitants moved from Cobhill to the Bluegrass area of the state and even to other states to find employment. Now, however, the children of previous inhabitants are moving back to Cobhill, because their parents had continued to own the land and thus they had a place to build new homes or to place mobile homes. The prefer to live at Cobhill, but commute daily to Winchester and Lexington to work in the industrial plants. Approximately 100 families now live at Cobhill.
A post office was established at Cobhill March 20, 1898, with Achilles D. Howell as postmaster. Later postmasters were: Ellen Hall, John S. Watson, Albert W. Estes, George W. Hall, Allie Howell, Benjamin Hall, George W. Hall (who apparently served a second term). Mrs. Florence Rogers served from December 3, 1935, to retirement January 31, 1960. Miss Lillie A. Patrick began serving February 5, 1960, and is continuing as postmaster at Cobhill to the present day. Her name was changed to Lillie A. Rogers by marriage December 21, 1962, to Olney Ray Rogers. The post office is located in a small grocery store owned by the Rogers.
The mail is presently brought into Cobhill from the Pryse post office (Estill County) by Hazel Patrick and her husband, John, who serve as carriers to people who have mail boxes along the route. They leave the remainder of the mail with packages, etc. at the post office where stamps and money orders are sold. Among the families who have received mail at Cobhill are Clinton and John Patrick, Andrew and Dillard Patrick, Virgil Rogers, Orlon and Shelby Smith, Flynn Bach, Lonnie Dickerson, Hubert Johnson, Luther Pelfry, Herman Watson, Mrs. Sidney Warmouth, Gainus Rogers, Clyde Hall, Lloyd Hall, Everett Smith, Leman Stamper, Claude Case, Opal Abney, Floyd Stamper, Roy Stamper, Thom Watson and Lenlie Abney.
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