Came across some Knox County History, thought maybe someone might find interesting. Knox County Kentucky was the 41st state on order of formation, it is in southeastern Kentucky bounded by Clay, Laurel, Whitley, and Bell Counties, it has an area of 388 square miles. It was created on December 19, 1799 from Lincoln county and was named after General Henry Knox of Massachussetts, the nation;s first secretary of War. Barbourville is the county seat. Knox County was orginally embraced all the upper Cumberland Valley and several counties were later created from its territory. Clay (1807), Rockcastle (1810), Whitley (1818) Harlan (1819) Laurel (1825) and Bell (1867). Knox County's topography is hilly and mountainous, and it is on the watershed of the Cumberland River. Highest elevations are in the southern and eastern sections, which reach about 2,000 feet above sea level. Lowest elevations are along the the Cumberland River, which runs from east to west through the south central portion of the county. Soil conditions are generally adapted to agriculture in the valley's. Tobbacco is the main cash crop, Beef cattle are the principal livestock. Approximently 3/4 of the county is forested. Coal and timber are the county's most profitable natural resources, followed by natural gas. The primary manufactured products in 1990 were steel, wire and fiber products, food service equipment, brassiers and girdle's, industrial sealants, lumber, roofing materials, machine parts, and fishing and pleasure boats. Other industries included railroad repair and coal processing. Railroad transportation through the county is provided by CSX Transportation. The Cumberland Gap Parkway ( U.S 25 E) is the county's main highway and connects with I-75 near Knox County's northwestern border, not far from the Tri- County Industrial Park. The population of Knox County has remained stable since 1940, with a natural increase and immigration offset by emigration to industrial sites, a trend that had slowed by 1990. A major city is Corbin, located partially in Knox County, but extending in Whitley and Laurel County's. Other communities include; Artemus, Bimble, Bryant's Store, Cannon, Dewitt, Flat Lick, Girdler, Gray, Green Road, Heidrick, Hinkle, Mills, Scalf, Trosper, Walker and Woolum. A large number of residents trace their ancestory to English, Scotch- Irish, and German settlers. The main religious domination is Southern Baptist, followed by Pentecostal Congregations and other Baptist Groups. Primary and secondary public education is provided by the Knox County Schools and the Barbourville Independant School Districtt. Union College, founded in 1879 in Barbourville, is a four year school affiliated with the United Methodist Church. The area known as Knox County was the home of prehistoric Native Americans, and remains of villages and mounds have been located. The first English explorers who came to the region were Dr. Thomas Walker and companions. In the 1760's parties of the long hunter's roamed the region for months at a time and often followed the Warrior's Path to the Flat Lick- Stinking Creek area. In 1775, Daniel Boone blazed the trail later known as the "Wilderness Road" through Knox County. The county's frontier hertitage is celebrated each October with the Daniel Boone Festival, established 1948. Daniel Boone Trail Memorial Park is located at Flat Lick, and the Knox County Historical Museum in Barbourvile contains many items relating to the Frontier Era. Knox County's population grew steadily after the Civil War, reaching 10, 587 in 1880. In 1888, the Louisville and Nashville Railroad ( now CSX Transportation) completed lines through the county, generations a land boom. Another boom occurred around 1900 with the discovery of oil. A large mining community flourished in the Artemus- Kay-Jay area from 1900- to the late 1940's. Knox County's notable citizens include Joseph Eve, the nation's only charge d'affairs to the Republic of Texas, Caleb Powers, involved in the assasination of Governor William Goebel (1900) and U.S Congressman James Love, Green Adams, George M Adams, John H Wilson, and John M Robinson. Knox County has provided Governor's James Black,(1919) and Flem Simpson (1927-1931). The completion of I-75 in the early 1970's brought business growth near Corbin. The fourlaning of U.S 25 E in the early 1990's brought similar growth to Barbourville. The population of Knox County was 23,689 in 1970, 30. 239 in 1980, and 29,676 in 1990.