(Most of the material in this article was obtained from the writings of the late Judge H. Y. Davis, the scrap-books of the late Mr. S. B. Davis and from conversations with Mr. D. T. Curd and Mr. Elkanah Dickey.) A comprehensive history of Cave City would require the writing of a book. Within the limits of a brief article it is possible to merely touch upon some of the outstanding points in its history. The site upon which Cave City stands was acquired in October 1853 by the Knob City Land Company - which company was composed of Messrs. Graham, Quigly, Adams, and Hopson, all of whom were Louisville men and who envisioned the place as a resort town due to its proximity to Mammoth Cave. 200 acres of the original site was acquired by James Perry by land grant in the year 1798. In 1811 Henry Roundtree, as assignee of James Perry, in consideration of the sum of $190.00, deeded the tract to John Owens who was the ancestor of the Owens family in this section. John Owens added 142½ acres to the tract. After his death his executor sold the 342½ acres to Thomas T. Duke for the consideration of $1,732.00. Thomas T. Duke was the grandfather of Mr. B. B. Duke of Cave City. Thomas T. Duke, in turn, sold the entire tract to the Knob City Land Company. Duke received $6,850.00 for the land, or $20.00 per acre, and that price set a record for land sales in Barren County to that date. The company surveyed and laid off the town site, the main streets being 80 feet wide, and began to sell lots about the time the L&N Railroad was finished through the County. The first train ran through Cave City in 1859. Prior to that time the old time stage coach was the means of transportation and coaches ran regularly through Cave City from Louisville to Nashville over what is now known as U. S. Highway 31-W. A stage coach line from Cave City to Mammoth Cave was operated for many years by the late Andrew McCoy. In November 1900, Mr. McCoy, testifying in the celebrated water works case in Cave City, stated that he came to Cave City in March 1860 and gave his occupation as "staging and hotel." He further stated that he operated stage lines from Cave City to Mammoth Cave and from Cave City to Glasgow; that he operated the hotel in Cave City from 12 to 15 years; that the hotel was opened in 1859 and the railroad completed in that same year. Mr. McCoy went on to say! that when he came here in 1860 there were only about two families living in town - one at the hotel and one this side and that no one was operating the hotel at the time he bought it. (To be continued) M. Dean Hunt Louisville, KY

Thanks, Dean. I knew we could count on you for some interesting stuff. Huldah Barns' (Barrons') grandson. Gordon Crump Hermit in the Woods Columbia, KY ----- Original Message ----- From: "Dean Hunt" <deanhunt@bellsouth.net> To: <SOUTH-CENTRAL-KENTUCKY-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Friday, April 21, 2006 10:35 AM Subject: [SCKY] A Brief History of Cave City - Part 1 > (Most of the material in this article was obtained from the writings of the late Judge H. Y. Davis, the scrap-books of the late Mr. S. B. Davis and from conversations with Mr. D. T. Curd and Mr. Elkanah Dickey.) > A comprehensive history of Cave City would require the writing of a book. Within the limits of a brief article it is possible to merely touch upon some of the outstanding points in its history. > The site upon which Cave City stands was acquired in October 1853 by the Knob City Land Company - which company was composed of Messrs. Graham, Quigly, Adams, and Hopson, all of whom were Louisville men and who envisioned the place as a resort town due to its proximity to Mammoth Cave. > 200 acres of the original site was acquired by James Perry by land grant in the year 1798. In 1811 Henry Roundtree, as assignee of James Perry, in consideration of the sum of $190.00, deeded the tract to John Owens who was the ancestor of the Owens family in this section. John Owens added 142½ acres to the tract. After his death his executor sold the 342½ acres to Thomas T. Duke for the consideration of $1,732.00. Thomas T. Duke was the grandfather of Mr. B. B. Duke of Cave City. Thomas T. Duke, in turn, sold the entire tract to the Knob City Land Company. Duke received $6,850.00 for the land, or $20.00 per acre, and that price set a record for land sales in Barren County to that date. > The company surveyed and laid off the town site, the main streets being 80 feet wide, and began to sell lots about the time the L&N Railroad was finished through the County. The first train ran through Cave City in 1859. Prior to that time the old time stage coach was the means of transportation and coaches ran regularly through Cave City from Louisville to Nashville over what is now known as U. S. Highway 31-W. A stage coach line from Cave City to Mammoth Cave was operated for many years by the late Andrew McCoy. In November 1900, Mr. McCoy, testifying in the celebrated water works case in Cave City, stated that he came to Cave City in March 1860 and gave his occupation as "staging and hotel." He further stated that he operated stage lines from Cave City to Mammoth Cave and from Cave City to Glasgow; that he operated the hotel in Cave City from 12 to 15 years; that the hotel was opened in 1859 and the railroad completed in that same year. Mr. McCoy went on to say! > that when he came here in 1860 there were only about two families living in town - one at the hotel and one this side and that no one was operating the hotel at the time he bought it. > > (To be continued) > > M. Dean Hunt > Louisville, KY > > > ==== SOUTH-CENTRAL-KENTUCKY Mailing List ==== > >