Salyersville () is a home rule-class city on the Licking River in

Magoffin County, Kentucky Magoffin County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of the 2010 census, the population was 13,333. Its county seat is Salyersville. The county was formed in 1860 from adjacent portions of Floyd, Johnson, and Morgan Counties. ...

, in the United States. It is the

seat A seat is a place to sit. The term may encompass additional features, such as back, armrest, head restraint but also headquarters in a wider sense. Types of seat The following are examples of different kinds of seat: * Armchair (furniture), ...

of its county. According to the 2010 census, the population was 1,883.

History

Early history

After an attempt at the first settlement in 1794, the hill overlooking the Bend of the Licking River just downriver from the present town was fortified and settled by Archibald Prater, Ebenezer Hanna, and others. Originally known as Prater's Fort, the community had become Licking Station by the time of its first post office in 1839. 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 gristmill (also: grist mill, corn mill, flour mill, feed mill or feedmill) grinds cereal grain into flour and Wheat middlings, middlings. The term can refer to either the Mill (grinding), grinding mechanism or the building that holds it. Grist i ...

, a

tannery Tanning may refer to: *Tanning (leather), treating animal skins to produce leather *Sun tanning, using the sun to darken pale skin **Indoor tanning, the use of artificial light in place of the sun **Sunless tanning, application of a stain or dye t ...

and a

blacksmith A blacksmith is a metalsmith who creates objects primarily from wrought iron or steel, but sometimes from #Other metals, other metals, by forging the metal, using tools to hammer, bend, and cut (cf. tinsmith). Blacksmiths produce objects such ...

at the new location. In 1860, Magoffin Co. was formed from parts of the surrounding Floyd,

Johnson Johnson is a surname of Anglo-Norman origin meaning "Son of John". It is the second most common in the United States and 154th most common in the world. As a common family name in Scotland, Johnson is occasionally a variation of ''Johnston'', a ...

, 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. The post office changed the following year. During the

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

, 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 Slavery and enslavement are both the state and the condition of being a slave—someone forbidden to quit one's service for an enslaver, and who is treated by the enslaver as property. Slavery typically involves slaves being made to perf ...

in the area. In 1864, Union forces defeated a Confederate raiding force in the

Battle of Salyersville The Battle of Salyersville, also called Battle of Ivy Point Hill (not to be confused with The Battle of Ivy Mountain, which took place in April 1861), also called The Battle of Half Mountain, was the largest of the many skirmishes in Magoffin C ...

. Adams gave more land to the city in 1871 for the construction of a proper courthouse. It was completed in 1890 and stood for 67 years before burning to the ground in 1957.

20th century

Salyersville's first high school, the Magoffin County Institute, was founded in 1908 by A.C. Harlowe. The

Great Depression The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...

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. In 1939, the Licking River crested over , flooding most of downtown Salyersville and causing extensive property damage. March 02, 2012 Salyersville, KY Aerial Tornado Damage

March 02, 2012 Salyersville, KY Aerial Tornado Damage

In 1963, the

Bert T. Combs Mountain Parkway The Bert T. Combs Mountain Parkway, commonly known as the Mountain Parkway, is a freeway in eastern Kentucky. The route runs from Interstate 64 just east of Winchester, Kentucky, Winchester southeast for 75.627 miles (121.710 km) to a jun ...

is completed, stretching west from Salyersville to intersect with

Interstate 64 Interstate 64 (I-64) is an east–west Interstate Highway in the Eastern United States. Its western terminus is at I-70, U.S. Route 40 (US 40), and US 61 in Wentzville, Missouri. Its eastern terminus is at an interchange w ...

at a point just east of

Winchester Winchester is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city in Hampshire, England. The city lies at the heart of the wider City of Winchester, a local government Districts of England, district, at the western end of the South Downs Nation ...

. It enabled more tourists to visit the area, and heritage tourism began to help Salyersville develop a changed economy. The first annual Magoffin County Founder's Day Festival was held in 1978. 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 The elk (''Cervus canadensis''), also known as the wapiti, is one of the largest species within the deer family, Cervidae, and one of the largest terrestrial mammals in its native range of North America and Central and East Asia. The common ...

into the wilderness area of its mountains.

21st century

In 2002, the second Magoffin County court house (erected in 1960) was demolished. In its place, a new Justice Center was constructed, which opened in Spring 2004.The new Justice Center's architecture plays tribute to Magoffin County's original courthouse. On March 2, 2012, Salyersville was hit by a tornado which caused extensive damage to many businesses and many homes.There were no deaths reported in the Salyersville March 2 Tornado. The Tornado was reported an EF3; There were however deaths that occurred during the Tornado that took place in West Liberty Ky. Though having their homes and businesses destroyed by the March 2nd Tornado, the people of Salyersville came together to rebuild their town. This tornado was a separate storm that formed in Wolfe County, KY, and is not the tornado that previously hit West Liberty and

Wellington Wellington ( mi, Te Whanganui-a-Tara or ) is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the second-largest city in New Zealand by me ...

. Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear visited both cities on March 3 and toured the eastern part of the state after the tornado outbreak.

Geography

Salyersville is " North, 83°3'47" West (37.748171, -83.062984). According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

, the city has a total area of , all land.

Climate

The climate in this area is characterized by relatively high temperatures and evenly distributed precipitation throughout the year. The Köppen Climate System describes the weather as

humid subtropical A humid subtropical climate is a zone of climate characterized by hot and humid summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between latitudes 25° and 40° ...

, and uses the abbreviation ''Cfa''.

Demographics

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...

of 2000, there were 1,604 people, 646 households, and 414 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 710 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 99.69%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...

, 0.06%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, and 0.25% Native American. 0.31% of the population were

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

of any race. There were 646 households, out of which 27.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.4% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...

living together, 12.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.9% were non-families. 33.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.22 and the average family size was 2.85. In the city, the population was spread out, with 20.8% under the age of 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 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 88.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.1 males. The median income for a household in the city was $16,042, and the median income for a family was $23,393. Males had a median income of $26,534 versus $20,188 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the city was $11,881. About 35.7% of families and 40.7% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...

, including 56.4% of those under the age of 18 and 34.3% of those 65 and older.

Economy

Major employers included the manufacturing company Joy Mining Machinery, which closed its Salyerville plant in 2015. 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, however, the last mine in Magoffin County, U.S. Coal, shut down in early 2015. Most of Salyersville economic income is sourced out of town, in nearby areas, such as Georgetown KY, and Lexington KY, 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

* Founder's Day - Founder's day is an annual county

festival A festival is an event ordinarily celebrated by a community and centering on some characteristic aspect or aspects of that community and its religion or cultures. It is often marked as a local or national holiday, mela, or eid. A festival c ...

for the people of Magoffin County. It attracts those who have roots in eastern Kentucky and others who are interested in the

genealogy Genealogy () is the study of families, family history, and the tracing of their lineages. Genealogists use oral interviews, historical records, genetic analysis, and other records to obtain information about a family and to demonstrate kins ...

and

history History (derived ) is the systematic study and the documentation of the human activity. The time period of event before the History of writing#Inventions of writing, invention of writing systems is considered prehistory. "History" is an umbr ...

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 Mathematics is an area of knowledge that includes the topics of numbers, formulas and related structures, shapes and the spaces in which they are contained, and quantities and their changes. These topics are represented in modern mathematics ...

spelling Spelling is a set of conventions that regulate the way of using graphemes (writing system) to represent a language in its written form. In other words, spelling is the rendering of speech sound (phoneme) into writing (grapheme). Spelling is one ...

essay An essay is, generally, a piece of writing that gives the author's own argument, but the definition is vague, overlapping with those of a letter, a paper, an article, a pamphlet, and a short story. Essays have been sub-classified as formal a ...

writing, and

art Art is a diverse range of human activity, and resulting product, that involves creative or imaginative talent expressive of technical proficiency, beauty, emotional power, or conceptual ideas. There is no generally agreed definition of wha ...

. Pageants are held for young people from age 1-day to age 14 for boys and girls and for young women from age 17 to age 26. A

parade A parade is a procession of people, usually organized along a street, often in costume, and often accompanied by marching bands, float (parade), floats, or sometimes large balloons. Parades are held for a wide range of reasons, but are usually ce ...

, drama & fashion shows, pet shows, clogging, other dance exhibitions, and specialty acts are just a few of the festivities that are part of Founder's Day. * Street Dance - Each year there is a public

square dance A square dance is a dance for four couples, or eight dancers in total, arranged in a square, with one couple on each side, facing the middle of the square. Square dances contain elements from numerous traditional dances and were first documente ...

in downtown Salyersville. The intersection surrounding the downtown courthouse was blocked off for the event which went well into the night. * Independence Day Festival - Independence Day is celebrated in Salyersville with a parade and pageants.

Museums

* Pioneer Village - Located near downtown Salyersville, Pioneer Village is a complex of 15 original

log cabin A log cabin is a small log house, especially a less finished or less architecturally sophisticated structure. Log cabins have an ancient history in Europe, and in America are often associated with first generation home building by settlers. Eur ...

s that have been restored and preserved through the efforts of the Magoffin County Historical Society. Together the cabins form a

living history museum A living museum, also known as a living history museum, is a type of museum which recreates historical settings to simulate a past time period, providing visitors with an experiential interpretation of history. It is a type of museum that recrea ...

, where staff 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 they are transported and reassembled in the Pioneer Village.

Monuments

* Several

marble Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or Dolomite (mineral), dolomite. Marble is typically not Foliation (geology), foliated (layered), although there are exceptions. In geology, the ...

monument A monument is a type of structure that was explicitly created to commemorate a person or event, or which has become relevant to a social group as a part of their remembrance of historic times or cultural heritage, due to its artistic, his ...

s are located downtown near the Pioneer Village cabins, including the 'Founder's

Pyramid A pyramid (from el, πυραμίς ') is a structure whose outer surfaces are triangular and converge to a single step at the top, making the shape roughly a pyramid in the geometric sense. The base of a pyramid can be trilateral, quadrilat ...

', a

surname In some cultures, a surname, family name, or last name is the portion of one's personal name that indicates one's family, tribe or community. Practices vary by culture. The family name may be placed at either the start of a person's full name ...

marker, a county marker, an

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

memorial, and a memorial soldier's bell. The George "Golden Hawk Sizemore" grave and monument sits at the Mouth of Oakly Cemetery, and the Tip Top coal camp marker sits at the head of the creek.

Historical markers

Action - This 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." * County Named, 1860 - This marker, located in downtown Salyersville, describes the biography of Gov. Beriah Magoffin, the county namesake. * First Settlement - This marker at the eastern Salyersville city limits describes the founding of the town by European Americans. * Ivy Point Skirmishes - This marker on Ivy Point Hill tells of skirmishes during the Civil War. * Reuben Patrick Grave - This marker notes a Civil War action by Patrick, who also served as a Kentucky state legislator, 1863–1867. * Wm. "Uncle Billie" Adams - This marker in the downtown tells a short biography of one of the founders.

Parks

* Ramey Memorial Park - This park offers picnic shelters, picnic tables, a

playground A playground, playpark, or play area is a place designed to provide an environment for children that facilitates play, typically outdoors. While a playground is usually designed for children, some are designed for other age groups, or people ...

, a walking track,

basketball court In basketball, the basketball court is the playing surface, consisting of a rectangular floor, with baskets at each end. Indoor basketball courts are almost always made of polished wood, usually maple, with -high rims on each basket. Outdoor sur ...

tennis court A tennis court is the venue where the sport of tennis is played. It is a firm rectangular surface with a low net stretched across the centre. The same surface can be used to play both doubles and singles matches. A variety of surfaces can be u ...

s, and

baseball field A baseball field, also called a ball field or baseball diamond, is the field upon which the game of baseball is played. The term can also be used as a metonym for a baseball park. The term sandlot is sometimes used, although this usually refers ...

s as well as a

swimming pool A swimming pool, swimming bath, wading pool, paddling pool, or simply pool, is a structure designed to hold water to enable Human swimming, swimming or other leisure activities. Pools can be built into the ground (in-ground pools) or built ...

(open during the summer). The park has access to a steel bridge that crosses the Licking River, connecting the park to the historic Pioneer Village and a

commemorating

veteran A veteran () is a person who has significant experience (and is usually adept and esteemed) and expertise in a particular occupation or field. A military veteran is a person who is no longer serving in a military. A military veteran that has ...

s of war from Magoffin County.

Education

Salyersville's public schools are operated by the Magoffin County Board of Education. Salyersville's

Magoffin County High School Magoffin County High School (MCHS) is a public secondary-level education high school located in Salyersville, Magoffin County, Kentucky and is part of the Magoffin County Public School District. MCHS is the only high school located within Magof ...

mascot is the Hornets. 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. As of 2019 Vince Minix, is acting Principal over the Career and Tech center. Some of the instructors include, Rodney Whitiker “Welding”, Robert Arnett “Electricity“, Anthony Taubee ”law enforcement”, and recently Nick Stevens “Agriculture“. Public schools in Salyersville include: Magoffin Co. High School, Herald Whitaker Middle School, North Magoffin Elementary, Salyersville Elementary School, and South Magoffin Elementary. Salyersville has a

lending library A lending library is a library from which books and other media are lent out. The major classifications are endowed libraries, institutional libraries (the most diverse), public libraries, and subscription libraries. It may also refer to a library ...

, the Magoffin County Public Library.

Media

The local weekly

newspaper A newspaper is a periodical publication containing written information about current events and is often typed in black ink with a white or gray background. Newspapers can cover a wide variety of fields such as politics, business, sports a ...

s in Salyersville include ''The Salyersville Independent'' and the ''Trading Post'', mostly for advertising. Founded in 1921, ''The Salyersville Independent'' circulates over 4,000 copies every Thursday. It is currently owned and published by Ritt Mortimer. 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 Cable television is a system of delivering television programming to consumers via radio frequency (RF) signals transmitted through coaxial cables, or in more recent systems, light pulses through fibre-optic cables. This contrasts with broadc ...

service, high-speed Internet access and

telephone A telephone is a telecommunications device that permits two or more users to conduct a conversation when they are too far apart to be easily heard directly. A telephone converts sound, typically and most efficiently the human voice, into e ...

service. Frank Howard Cable and Rick Howard Cable offer local programming via MCTV (Magoffin County Television) and MCSTV (Magoffin County School TV), a channel dedicated to local school programming. MCTV carries a daily local news media program "Your News Today." "Your News Today" is 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.

Notable people

* Abraham Lincoln Collinsworth, member "Fiddling Five" Championship UK basketball team *

Jimmy Flynt Jimmy Ray Flynt (; born June 20, 1948) is the co-founder of ''Hustler''. Flynt has been tried alongside his brother Larry Flynt (1942–2021) in many battles involving the First Amendment − most notably in 1977 for obscenity charges in Cincinn ...

, co-founder of ''

Hustler Hustler or hustlers may also refer to: Professions * Hustler, an American slang word, e.g., for a: ** Con man, a practitioner of confidence tricks ** Drug dealer, seller of illegal drugs ** Male prostitute ** Pimp ** Business man, more gener ...

'' magazine *

Larry Flynt Larry Claxton Flynt Jr. (; November 1, 1942 – February 10, 2021) was an American publisher and the president of Larry Flynt Publications (LFP). LFP mainly produces pornographic magazines, such as ''Hustler'', pornographic videos, and three por ...

, publisher of ''Hustler'' magazine *

Rebecca Lynn Howard Rebecca Lynn Howard (born April 24, 1979) is an American country music artist. She has charted seven singles on the '' Billboard'' Hot Country Songs charts, and has released three studio albums. Her highest-charting single, "Forgive", peaked at ...

, country singer songwriter * Buell Kazee, bluegrass singer, minister * Chase Lewis, musician *John Morgan Salyer, fiddler * Samuel "The Fiddling Legislator" Salyer * Thomas J. Whitaker, Appalachian Artist * Charlie Sizemore, Bluegrass singer

References

External links

Magoffin County Schools

Magoffin County Historical Society
{{authority control Cities in Magoffin County, Kentucky Cities in Kentucky County seats in Kentucky 1867 establishments in Kentucky