The hill overlooking the bend of the Licking River just downriver from the present town was fortified and settled c.1800 by Archibald Prater, Ebenezer Hanna, and others. Originally known as "Prater'sFort", the community had become "LickingStation" by the time of its first post office in 1839.[3]
In 1849, the post office was moved to the community at site of the present city and renamed "Adamsville" after local landowner Uncle William Adams. In addition to his farmland, Adams operated a hotel, a gristmill, a tannery, and a blacksmithy at the new location.[3]
In 1860, Magoffin County was formed from parts of the surrounding Floyd, Johnson, and Morgan Counties. Billy Adams donated land for the platting and establishment of a new county seat, and the community was renamed "Salyersville" in gratitude to State Rep. Samuel Salyer, who sponsored the bill creating the new county.[9] The post office changed the following year.[3]
During the Civil War, Salyersville fell on hard times. Because of its location in the Upper South and its history of settlement by migrants and farmers from Virginia, some residents sided with the Confederacy, despite the general lack of slaves in the area. In 1864, Union forces defeated a Confederate raiding force in the Battle of Salyersville.[citation needed]
Adams gave more land to the city in 1871 for the construction of a proper courthouse.[citation needed] It was completed in 1890 and stood for 67 years before burning to the ground in 1957.[10]
The Great Depression hit Salyersville hard, since such a high percentage of Salyersville's citizens were laborers or farmers, who saw prices for crops fall from 40 to 60%. Nearby mining and logging operations also closed or limited production when demand for their products fell sharply. [citation needed]
In 1939, floods in February and July caused extensive property damage.[12] During the July event, the Licking River crested over 25ft (7.6m).[13]
The Mountain Parkway opened in 1963, stretching west 76mi (122km) from Salyersville to intersect with Interstate 64 at a point just east of Winchester. It enabled more tourists to visit the area, and heritage tourism began to help Salyersville develop a changed economy.[14]
The first Magoffin County Founder's Day Festival was held in 1979; the annual event continued until 2015.[15]
In the winter of 1997, as part of Kentucky's elk restoration project, Salyersville became one of the locations selected for the release of elk into the wilderness area of its mountains.[16]
Between 2002 and 2006, the third Magoffin County courthouse (erected in 1959 [17]) was demolished and replaced with a new Magoffin County Justice Center.[10]
On March 2, 2012, Salyersville was hit by a tornado, which caused extensive damage to many businesses and homes. No deaths were reported in Salyersville.[18] The tornado was reported to be an EF3.[19] Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear visited Salyersville and toured the eastern part of the state after the tornado outbreak.[20]
Geography
Salyersville is in central Magoffin County at 37°44'53" north, 83°3'47" west (37.748171, -83.062984),[21] in the valley of the Licking River, where it is joined from the northeast by the State Road Fork and from the southeast by the Burning Fork. The Licking River is a direct tributary of the Ohio River, joining it at Covington, Kentucky.
U.S. Route 460 passes through the center of Salyersville as Parkway Drive, South Church Street, and West Maple Street. US 460 leads northwest (downriver) 22 miles (35km) to West Liberty and east 19mi (31km) to Paintsville. Kentucky Route 7 passes through downtown Salyersville with US 460, but leads southeast 36mi (58km) to Wayland. Kentucky Route 40 runs northeast out of Salyersville and also leads to Paintsville, reaching it in 18mi (29km).
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city of Salyersville has a total area of 2.49 square miles (6.45km2), of which 0.02sqmi (0.05km2) (0.96% or about 13 ac) is covered by water.[4]
Climate
The climate in this area is characterized by relatively high temperatures and evenly distributed precipitation throughout the year. The Köppen climate classification describes the weather as humid subtropical, designated as Cfa on climate maps.[22]
As of the 2000 census,[8] 1,604 people, 646 households, and 414 families were residing in the city. The population density was 758.1 inhabitants per square mile (292.7/km2). The 710 housing units had an average density of 335.6 per square mile (129.6/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 99.69% White, 0.06% African American, and 0.25% Native American. 0.31% of the population were Hispanics or Latinos of any race.
Of the 646 households, 27.9% had children under 18 living with them, 49.4% were married couples living together, 12.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.9% were not families. About 33.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.9% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.22 and the average family size was 2.85.
In the city, the age distribution was 20.8% under 18, 9.2% from 18 to 24, 26.1% from 25 to 44, 24.1% from 45 to 64, and 19.8% who were 65 or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 88.9 males. For every 100 females 18 and over, there were 83.1 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $16,042, and for a family was $23,393. Males had a median income of $26,534 versus $20,188 for females. The per capita income for the city was $11,881. About 35.7% of families and 40.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 56.4% of those under 18 and 34.3% of those 65 and older.
Economy
Major employers included the manufacturing company Joy Mining Machinery, which closed its Salyersville plant in 2015.[25][26] Major employers now include Logan Machinery, which opened in 2016, hiring around 70 people from the area. Coal mining was once a major employer in Salyersville, but the last mine in Magoffin County, U.S. Coal, shut down in 2019. Most of Salyersville's economic income is sourced out of town, in nearby areas, such as Georgetown, and Lexington, by the likes of tradesman. The biggest contributor to the workforce in the city is the school system.
Arts and culture
Cultural events and fairs
Founders' Day, an annual county festival for the people of Magoffin County, attracts those who have roots in Eastern Kentucky and others who are interested in the genealogy and history of the area. A different family surname is celebrated each year as part of the festival. The festival offers young people opportunities to enter contests and win prize money for excelling in academic subjects such as math, spelling, essay writing, and art. Pageants are held for young people from neonates to 14 for boys and girls and for young women from 17 to 26. A parade, drama and fashion shows, pet shows, clogging, other dance exhibitions, and specialty acts are just a few of the festivities that are part of Founders' Day.[27]
Street Dance, a public square dance, is held each year in downtown Salyersville. The intersection surrounding the downtown courthouse is blocked off for the event, which lasts well into the night.
The Independence Day Festival celebrates July 4 with a parade and pageants.
Museums
Pioneer Village is a complex of 15 original log cabins located near downtown Salyersville that have been restored and preserved through the efforts of the Magoffin County Historical Society.[29] Together, the cabins form a living history museum, where staff members create displays and demonstrations of early crafts. The cabins in Pioneer Village often date back to the early 19th century. Donated cabins are disassembled with care, the logs numbered and cleaned, and are transported and reassembled in the Pioneer Village.
Monuments
Several marblemonuments are located downtown near the Pioneer Village cabins, including the Founders' Pyramid, a surname marker, a county marker, a Civil War memorial, and a memorial soldier's bell. The George "Golden Hawk" Sizemore grave and monument[30] sits at the rntrance of Oakly Cemetery, and the Tip Top coal camp marker sits at the head of the creek.[31]
Historical markers
The Civil War Action marker, located near Puncheon Creek in Salyersville, states: "On mission to clear area of CSA forces, Col. Geo. W. Gallup with USA troops repulsed Confederate attack led by Lt. Colonel E. F. Clay at Paintsville April 13, 1864, and pursued enemy to this point. Union men attacked next day. Clay was mortally wounded: CSA suffered 60 casualties and 60 men, 200 horses, 400 saddles, 300 small arms taken. USA sustained only slight losses."
The County Named, 1860 marker, located in downtown Salyersville, describes the biography of Gov. Beriah Magoffin, the county namesake.
The First Settlement marker at the eastern Salyersville city limits describes the founding of the town by European Americans.
The Ivy Point Skirmishes marker on Ivy Point Hill tells of skirmishes during the Civil War.
The Reuben Patrick Grave marker notes a Civil War action by Patrick, who also served as a Kentucky state legislator, 1863–1867.
The Wm. "Uncle Billie" Adams marker in the downtown tells a short biography of one of the founders.
Salyersville's public schools are operated by the Magoffin County Board of Education. Public schools in the city include Magoffin County High School (mascot: the Hornets), Herald Whitaker Middle School, North Magoffin Elementary, Salyersville Elementary School, and South Magoffin Elementary.
The Magoffin County Career and Technical Center teaches students tradesman skills in the fields of welding, electrical work, carpentry, law enforcement, agriculture, and medical services.
The local weekly newspapers in Salyersville include The Salyersville Independent, founded in 1921; its circulation is over 4,000 copies every Thursday. It is currently owned and published by Ritt Mortimer. The Trading Post is a circular mostly for advertising.
Cable service in Salyersville is provided by Rick Howard Cable, Frank Howard Cable, and Foothills Cooperative. Through these companies, Salyersville is provided with standard and premium cable TV service, high-speed Internet access, and telephone service. Frank Howard Cable and Rick Howard Cable offer local programming viaMagoffin County Television (MCTV) and MC School TV, a channel dedicated to local school programming. MCTV carries a daily local news media program Your News Today, a nightly local news broadcast that airs on Howard's Cable and Foothills Communication. It was started in 1998 by Ritt Mortimer.
Salyersville's radio stations include the local WRLV Pure Country 106.5. Stations of surrounding counties can also be heard, such as Prestonsburg's WQHY (FM) 95.5, Paintsville's WKLW (FM) 94.7, and West Liberty's Kick 102.9.
1 2 "Magoffin County". American Courthouses. Archived from the original on June 30, 2022. Retrieved January 28, 2025.
↑ Preston, Todd (February 2, 2017). "Feb 2, 2017". The Salyersville Independent. Archived from the original on January 14, 2025. Retrieved January 28, 2025.
↑ Preston, Todd (June 23, 2011). "Jun 23, 2011". The Salyersville Independent. Archived from the original on January 14, 2025. Retrieved January 28, 2025.
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