Big Reedy is an

unincorporated community An unincorporated area is a region that is not governed by a local municipal corporation. Widespread unincorporated communities and areas are a distinguishing feature of the United States and Canada. Most other countries of the world either have ...

in the northwest corner of Edmonson County,

Kentucky Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia to ...

, United States, near the boundaries of Grayson and Butler counties. It is approximately due north of

Bowling Green A bowling green is a finely laid, close-mown and rolled stretch of turf for playing the game of bowls. Before 1830, when Edwin Beard Budding of Thrupp, near Stroud, UK, invented the lawnmower, lawns were often kept cropped by grazing sheep on ...

. Big Reedy is part of the Bowling Green

Metropolitan Statistical Area In the United States, a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) is a geographical region with a relatively high population density at its core and close economic ties throughout the area. Such regions are neither legally Incorporated town, incorporate ...

History

The Big Reedy community is named for Big Reedy Creek, a tributary of the

Green River Green River may refer to: Rivers Canada * Green River (British Columbia), a tributary of the Lillooet River *Green River, a tributary of the Saint John River, also known by its French name of Rivière Verte *Green River (Ontario), a tributary of ...

which drains the watershed along the Edmonson County side of the current Butler and Edmonson County lines; the adjacent Little Reedy Creek drains a similar area of Butler County. John May and company recorded surveying on Big Reedy Creek on November 14, 1783.Jillison, Willard Rouse. ''Old Kentucky Entries and Deeds: A Complete Index to the Earliest Land Entries, Military Warrants, Deeds, and Wills of the Commonwealth of Kentucky''. Filson Club Publications #34, 1926; Reprinted Clearfield, 2008. The community was established prior to the 1825 formation of Edmonson County in the section of Edmonson which was originally part of Grayson County. Many of the settlers were Revolutionary War and War of 1812 veterans, with a preponderance of settlers coming originally from Virginia, though many lived for several years in eastern Kentucky before crossing to Big Reedy. Various independent schools existed in the community prior to the consolidation of all

Edmonson County schools Edmonson County Schools is a public school district in Edmonson County, Kentucky, based in Brownsville. Schools The Edmonson County School District has two elementary schools, one school that houses 5th and 6th grade students, one middle schoo ...

in 1959, and some of the original school buildings are preserved though not in usable form. Current community activities are centered on three churches, some small shops and one restaurant in Big Reedy and the nearby community of

on the county line. Most employment and entertainment is found in Brownsville, the county seat of Edmonson County; Leitchfield, the nearest large community in Grayson County; Caneyville, another nearby community; and in the city of Bowling Green. Several cemeteries exist in various states of preservation.

Geography

The community is located at coordinates . The community is located along

Kentucky Route 185 Kentucky Route 185 is a north–south state highway traversing four counties in west-central Kentucky. Route description , - , Warren , , - , Butler/ Edmonson , , - , Grayson , , - , Total , KY 185 begins on Gordon Aven ...

(KY 185) at the junction with KY 238.

Nearby cities

* Brownsville * Caneyville * Leitchfield * Morgantown * Roundhill

References

External links

Big Reedy
at the U.S.

Geographic Names Information System The Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) is a database of name and locative information about more than two million physical and cultural features throughout the United States and its territories, Antarctica, and the associated states of ...

{{authority control Unincorporated communities in Edmonson County, Kentucky Unincorporated communities in Kentucky Bowling Green metropolitan area, Kentucky