A Brief History of Pikeville

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <script type="text/javascript"> //OwnerIQ var __oiq_pct = 50; if( __oiq_pct>=100 || Math.floor(Math.random()*100/(100-__oiq_pct)) > 0 ) { var _oiqq = _oiqq || []; _oiqq.push(['oiq_addPageBrand','Lycos']); _oiqq.push(['oiq_addPageCat','Internet > Websites']); _oiqq.push(['oiq_addPageLifecycle','Intend']); _oiqq.push(['oiq_doTag']); (function() { var oiq = document.createElement('script'); oiq.type = 'text/javascript'; oiq.async = true; oiq.src = document.location.protocol + '//px.owneriq.net/stas/s/lycosn.js'; var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(oiq, s); })(); } //Google Analytics var _gaq = _gaq || []; _gaq.push(['_setAccount','UA-21402695-19']); _gaq.push(['_setDomainName','tripod.com']); _gaq.push(['_setCustomVar',1,'member_name','cornelius_carroll',3]); _gaq.push(['_trackPageview']); (function() { var ga = document.createElement('script'); ga.type = 'text/javascript'; ga.async = true; ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? 'https://ssl' : 'http://www') + '.google-analytics.com/ga.js'; var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(ga, s); })(); //Lycos Init function getReferrer() { var all= this.document.cookie; if (all== '') return false; var cookie_name = 'REFERRER='; var start = all.lastIndexOf(cookie_name); if (start == -1) return false; start += cookie_name.length; var end = all.indexOf(';', start); if (end == -1) end = all.length; return all.substring(start, end); } function getQuery() { var rfr = getReferrer(); if (rfr == '') return false; var q = extractQuery(rfr, 'yahoo.com', 'p='); if (q) return q; q = extractQuery(rfr, '', 'q='); return q ? q : ""; } function extractQuery(full, site, q_param) { var start = full.lastIndexOf(site); if (start == -1) return false; start = full.lastIndexOf(q_param); if (start == -1) return false; start += q_param.length; var end = full.indexOf('&', start); if (end == -1) end = full.length; return unescape(full.substring(start, end)).split(" ").join("+"); } function generateHref(atag, template){ atag.href=template.replace('_MYURL_', window.location.href.replace('http://', '')).replace('_MYTITLE_','Check%20out%20this%20Tripod%20Member%20site!'); } var lycos_ad = Array(); var lycos_onload_timer; var cm_role = "live"; var cm_host = "tripod.lycos.com"; var cm_taxid = "/memberembedded"; var tripod_member_name = "cornelius_carroll"; var tripod_member_page = "cornelius_carroll/Welcome/id24.htm"; var tripod_ratings_hash = "1760755502:450c1e6b656080d7783afda9e7284957"; var lycos_ad_category = {"dmoz":"reference\/archives","ontarget":"&CAT=education&L2CAT=reference","find_what":"about trust"}; var lycos_ad_remote_addr = "209.202.244.9"; var lycos_ad_www_server = "www.tripod.lycos.com"; var lycos_ad_track_small = ""; var lycos_ad_track_served = ""; var lycos_search_query = getQuery(); </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="https://scripts.lycos.com/catman/init.js"></script> <script type='text/javascript'> var googletag = googletag || {}; googletag.cmd = googletag.cmd || []; (function() { var gads = document.createElement('script'); gads.async = true; gads.type = 'text/javascript'; var useSSL = 'https:' == document.location.protocol; gads.src = (useSSL ? 'https:' : 'http:') + '//www.googletagservices.com/tag/js/gpt.js'; var node = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; node.parentNode.insertBefore(gads, node); })(); </script> <script type='text/javascript'> googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.defineSlot('/95963596/TRI_300X250_dfp', [300, 250], 'div-gpt-ad-1450204159126-0').addService(googletag.pubads()); googletag.defineSlot('/95963596/TRI_above_728x90_dfp', [728, 90], 'div-gpt-ad-1450204159126-1').addService(googletag.pubads()); googletag.defineSlot('/95963596/TRI_below_728x90_dfp', [728, 90], 'div-gpt-ad-1450204159126-2').addService(googletag.pubads()); googletag.pubads().enableSingleRequest(); googletag.enableServices(); }); </script> <script type="text/javascript"> (function(isV) { if( !isV ) { return; } var adMgr = new AdManager(); var lycos_prod_set = adMgr.chooseProductSet(); var slots = ["leaderboard", "leaderboard2", "toolbar_image", "toolbar_text", "smallbox", "top_promo", "footer2", "slider"]; var adCat = this.lycos_ad_category; adMgr.setForcedParam('page', (adCat && adCat.dmoz) ? adCat.dmoz : 'member'); if (this.lycos_search_query) { adMgr.setForcedParam("keyword", this.lycos_search_query); } else if(adCat && adCat.find_what) { adMgr.setForcedParam('keyword', adCat.find_what); } for (var s in slots) { var slot = slots[s]; if (adMgr.isSlotAvailable(slot)) { this.lycos_ad[slot] = adMgr.getSlot(slot); } } adMgr.renderHeader(); adMgr.renderFooter(); }((function() { var w = 0, h = 0, minimumThreshold = 300; if (top == self) { return true; } if (typeof(window.innerWidth) == 'number' ) { w = window.innerWidth; h = window.innerHeight; } else if (document.documentElement && (document.documentElement.clientWidth || document.documentElement.clientHeight)) { w = document.documentElement.clientWidth; h = document.documentElement.clientHeight; } else if (document.body && (document.body.clientWidth || document.body.clientHeight)) { w = document.body.clientWidth; h = document.body.clientHeight; } return ((w > minimumThreshold) && (h > minimumThreshold)); }()))); window.onload = function() { var f = document.getElementById("FooterAd"); var b = document.getElementsByTagName("body")[0]; b.appendChild(f); f.style.display = "block"; document.getElementById('lycosFooterAdiFrame').src = '/adm/ad/footerAd.iframe.html'; // DOM Inj Ad (function(isTrellix) { var e = document.createElement('iframe'); e.style.border = '0'; e.style.margin = 0; e.style.display = 'block'; e.style.cssFloat = 'right'; e.style.height = '254px'; e.style.overflow = 'hidden'; e.style.padding = 0; e.style.width = '300px'; var isBlokedByDomain = function( href ) { var blockedDomains = [ "ananyaporn13000.tripod.com", "xxxpornxxx.tripod.com" ]; var flag = false; for( var i=0; i<blockedDomains.length; i++ ) { if( href.search( blockedDomains[ i ] ) >= 0 ) { flag = true; } } return flag; } var getMetaContent = function( metaName ) { var metas = document.getElementsByTagName('meta'); for (i=0; i<metas.length; i++) { if( metas[i].getAttribute("name") == metaName ) { return metas[i].getAttribute("content"); } } return false; } var getCommentNodes = function(regexPattern) { var nodes = {}; var nodesA = []; var preferredNodesList = ['a', 'c', 'b']; (function getNodesThatHaveComments(n, pattern) { if (n.hasChildNodes()) { if (n.tagName === 'IFRAME') { return false; } for (var i = 0; i < n.childNodes.length; i++) { if ((n.childNodes[i].nodeType === 8) && (pattern.test(n.childNodes[i].nodeValue))) { var areaName = pattern.exec(n.childNodes[i].nodeValue)[1]; nodes[areaName] = n; } else if (n.childNodes[i].nodeType === 1) { getNodesThatHaveComments(n.childNodes[i], pattern); } } } }(document.body, regexPattern)); for (var i in preferredNodesList) { if (nodes[preferredNodesList[i]]) { if( isTrellix && nodes[preferredNodesList[i]].parentNode.parentNode.parentNode.parentNode ) { nodesA.push(nodes[preferredNodesList[i]].parentNode.parentNode.parentNode.parentNode); } else { nodesA.push( nodes[preferredNodesList[i]] ); } } } return nodesA; } var properNode = null; var areaNodes = getCommentNodes( new RegExp( '^area Type="area_(\\w+)"' ) ); for (var i = 0; i < areaNodes.length; i++) { var a = parseInt(getComputedStyle(areaNodes[i]).width); if ((a >= 300) && (a <= 400)) { properNode = areaNodes[i]; break; } } var propertyName = getMetaContent("property") || false; if( isTrellix && (properNode) ) { e.src = '/adm/ad/injectAd.iframe.html'; properNode.insertBefore(e, properNode.firstChild); } else if( isTrellix && !( properNode ) ) // Slap the ad eventhought there is no alocated slot { e.src = '/adm/ad/injectAd.iframe.html'; e.style.cssFloat = 'none'; var cdiv = document.createElement('div'); cdiv.style = "width:300px;margin:10px auto;"; cdiv.appendChild( e ); b.insertBefore(cdiv, b.lastChild); } else if( !isBlokedByDomain( location.href ) ) { var injF = document.createElement('iframe'); injF.style.border = '0'; injF.style.margin = 0; injF.style.display = 'block'; injF.style.cssFloat = 'none'; injF.style.height = '254px'; injF.style.overflow = 'hidden'; injF.style.padding = 0; injF.style.width = '300px'; injF.src = '/adm/ad/injectAd.iframe.html'; if( b && ( !isTrellix || ( typeof isTrellix == "undefined" ) ) ) // All other tripod props { var cdiv = document.createElement('div'); cdiv.style = "width:300px;margin:10px auto;"; cdiv.appendChild( injF ); b.insertBefore(cdiv, b.lastChild); } } }( document.isTrellix )); } </script> <div id="tb_container" style="background:#DFDCCF; border-bottom:1px solid #393939; position:relative; z-index:999999999!important">  <style> .adCenterClass{margin:0 auto} </style> <div id="tb_ad" class="adCenterClass" style="display:block!important; overflow:hidden; width:916px;"> <div id="ad_container" style="display:block!important; float:left; width:728px "> <script type="text/javascript"> if (typeof lycos_ad !== "undefined" && "leaderboard" in lycos_ad) { document.write(lycos_ad['leaderboard']); } </script> </div> </div> </div> <script type="text/javascript"> if (typeof lycos_ad !== "undefined" && "slider" in lycos_ad) { document.write(lycos_ad['slider']); } </script>  <div id="FooterAd" style="background:#DFDCCF; border-top:1px solid #393939; clear:both; display:none; width:100%!important; position:relative; z-index:999999!important; height:90px!important"> <div class="adCenterClass" style="display:block!important; overflow:hidden; width:916px;"> <div id="footerAd_container" style="display:block!important; float:left; width:728px"> <iframe id="lycosFooterAdiFrame" style="border:0; display:block; float:left; height:96px; overflow:hidden; padding:0; width:750px"></iframe> </div> </div> </div> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" rowspan="3" width=20 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="04460603.gif"> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" height=30 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="04460603.gif"> <div> </div> </td> <td valign="top" rowspan="3" width=20 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000" background="04460603.gif"> <bR> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" height=440 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000" background="0bea0403.jpg"> <div> <B>Welcome To PIKEVILLE, PIKE COUNTY, KENTUCKY</b><FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#663399" FACE="Times New Roman" >  </FONT></div> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Goudy Old Style" ><B>"Pikeville Moves Mountains"</b></FONT><FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#6666FF" FACE="Arial" ><B>  </b></FONT> |    <B> </b><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#0000BF" FACE="Times New Roman" ><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Pikeville, Kentucky Website"><U><B>home</b></U></A></FONT></div> <bR> <div> <B>A Brief History of Pikeville, Pike County, Kentucky</b></div> <bR> <div> The earliest white explorer to step into what is now known as Pike County, Kentucky probably crossed from Virginia through Pound Gap at Jenkins and down into the headwaters of Elkhorn Creek during the middle 1700's.  In this portion of the country, the westernmost area of settlement of the early pioneers at that time was in Powell Valley, near Norton, Virginia.  The human urge to explore the unknown and the quest for new lands to hunt and explore, created the curiosity of those early settlers which beckoned them to make incursions into the beautiful, but unexplored and unknown territory of rugged and mountainous eastern Kentucky.  At David, Kentucky in Floyd County, ther is a plaque which marks the location where Daniel Boone spent the winter of 1767.  His route to reach that location took him through the area of the Breaks Interstate Park, down the Russell Park, to the Levisa Fork and along the Big Sandy River, past the very same location where you now stand in the Pikeville City Park.</div> <bR> <div> In 1792, the state of Kentucky was created from the western portion of Virginia.  The lands that are now known as Pike County were originally part of Mason County, Kentucky. Seven years later, the area now known as Pike County was part of the newly formed Floyd County.  In 1799, Floyd County was created by an act of Legislature of the Commonwealth of Kentucky from parts of Fleming, Montgomery, and Mason Counties.  Twenty-two years later, by Act of the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Kentucky, Floyd County was divided, and on December 19, 1821, Pike County was created.  The county was named in honor of General Zebulon Montgomery Pike, who was killed at the age of 34 at the Battle of Yorktown in Upper Canada.  The Pike County community of Zebulon and the famous Pike's peak in central Colorado, were named in honor of General Pike.</div> <bR> <div> The very first entry in Order Book # 1 of the Pike County Clerk's Office is dated March 4, 1822 and officially records the first Pike County Court meeting.  This meeting was held at the home of Spencer Adkins along the Big Sandy River near Millard.  There was an immediate controvesy over the site selected for the county seat, originally to have been on the farm of Peyton Justice in a long-gone settlement then known as Liberty, near the mouth of Peyton's creek, several miles upriver from Pikeville.  On December 24, 1823, the Pike County Commissioners met and agreed upon a site for the new Courthouse to be located on an acre of land donated by Elijah Adkins opposite the mouth of Chloe Creek.  This is the site of the present Pike County Courthouse.  The following year, by official act of the Commonwealth of Kentucky, the Town of Pikeville, originally known as Piketon, was established in 1824.</div> <bR> <div> Even though Pikeville was now officially a town, there was no rush to build there. Perhaps there was an early store or two, and over the years someone, a doctor or lawyer perhaps would build a log house in town.  But even as late as 1860, there were only a dozen homes and buildings around the public square constituting the town.  As the years passed, stores opened and goods were brought in on the backs of horses overland or on push boats up the Big Sandy.  Early stores were located in Pikeville, Millard, and Pond Creek.  For many years, these would represent the only progress and indications of development in the greater part of the mountains of eastern Kentucky.  The wealth of the people of this time was measured not in money, but in land, cattle, beehives, horses, fruit trees, chickens, sheep, rifles, hogs, hunting dogs, slaves, crops, tobacco, and the number of productive members of the family.</div> <bR> <div> In the presidential election of 1860, out of a total of 1,431 Pike County voters, only one voted for Abraham Lincoln.  Statewide, Lincoln received less than 1% of the vote.  However, in the Civil War, Kentucky attempted to remain neutral.  Within the state there were a limited number of individuals who would openly and publicly announce their affiliation with either the North or the South.  Most of the citizens of the mountains of eastern Kentucky did not consider the Civil War to be their war.</div> <bR> <div> In early October 1861, the war was brought to Pikeville.  The Confederate Infantry, under Colonel John S. Williams took control of Pikeville and established an encampment.  The first military occupation of Pikeville was under way.  The Confederate flag was raised over the Pike County Courthouse.  The Confederate Army was well received by certain local officials including Pike County Judge William Cecil, David May, and Dr. John Emmert, who assisted the Confederate military government.  Other citizens remained loyal to the Union including Clinton Van Buskirk and John Dils, Jr., who were arrested at the order of Colonel Williams and shipped as prisoners of war to the infamous Libby Prison at Richmond, Virginia.</div> <bR> <div> The Confederate occupancy of Pikeville was short-lived.  Under the directive of General William T. Sherman, General William O. "Bull" Nelson was sent into the Big Sandy Valley with 3,500 well-armed men to drive out the Confederates.  On November 8, 1861, the battle of Ivy Creek took place in Floyd County, where according to the report of General Nelson, 32 Confederates were killed with the loss of 6 Union soldiers.  The Union troops occupied Pikeville on November 10, 1862 and routed the hastily retreating Confederates, who fled in the directions of Pound Gap and into the safety of the Confederate state of Virginia.  In late December, 1861, Humphrey Marshall led 3,000 Confederate troops back out of Virginia, through Pound Gap, through Letcher and Floyd Counties and established an encampment about 35 mile downstream from Pikeville, at Hager Hill in Johnson County.</div> <bR> <div> With the orders to oust Marshall and the Confederates out of the Big Sandy Valley, Union Army colonel James A. Garfield assembled troops at Catlettsburg and began moving them upstream.  Garfield's forces encountered Marshall's Confederates on January 10, 1862, at the Battle of Middle Creek in Floyd County.  The location of this wintertime is marked with a Historical Highway Marker.  Marshall and his 3,000 men fled up Beaver Creek, through Letcher County and back into Virginia.</div> <bR> <div> Garfield then sent a detachment of 110 mounted Union soldiers to Pikeville to chase out a roving and marauding band of Confederates.  On January 24, 1862, Pike County Judge William Cecil, a Confederate sympathizer, was shot and killed by a Union soldier, who was a member of this detachment.  There are no written accounts which give details of this incident.</div> <bR> <div> About a month later, on February 22, 1862, Garfield moved into Pikeville and established an encampment of 3,000 men in the present city park.  The Big Sandy River was flooding at the time and the soldiers were forced to move their tents to the hillside overlooking Pikevile in the present location of the Pikeville College Campus.  Garfield's campaign in the Big Sandy Valley was wrapped up approximately 3 weeks later, when on March 16, 1862, he began moving a portion of his troops up the Big Sandy to engage Confederate General Humphrey Marshall at Pound Gap.  While in Pikeville, Garfield originally used a structure known as the Ratliff's Tavern, located here in the City Park, as his headquarters.  Soon after the Battle of Middle Creek, Garfield was appointed Brigadier General by President Lincoln.  His oath of office as Brigadier General was administered by the Pike County Squire John Charles in this location.  Garfield later became President of the United States, but was assassinated shortly after his inauguration.  Although the historical marker indicates Garfield was sworn as General in January, 1862, it actually occurred in March 1862.  In the early 1930's, the Bowles House, the grand house where Garfield lived while in Pikeville, was torn down.</div> <bR> <div> During the 1800's, the concept of "roads" could not be applied to the routes of travel. The terrain dictated that routes of travels were routes of "least resistance" between any two points.  This meant along streams and rivers, crossing back and forth many times; along the side of the mountain on a bench; and through low gaps in the heads of hollows. In bad weather, travel was impossible.  Wagons were not practical, and virtually indestructible heavy wooden sleds, pulled by stout horses or mules for short hauls, were the chosen method for transporting goods.  In Pikeville, all of the streets were dirt until 1913, at which time brick manufactured by the Peebles Brick Company of Portsmouth, Ohio, were begun to be laid over a bed of river sand.  In certain isolated sections of the city streets, these brick are still visible.  The first automobile in Pikeville was a Saxon, delivered to G.W. Greer in 1910.</div> <bR> <div> Out of the necessity, Pike County was a self-sufficient, isolated place to be.  The earliest system for the construction of roads in Pike County was through the county government.  If an individual wished to have a road constructed, he would present himself to the County Judge, with a request that the county surveyor lay out the road.  If approved by the county, all of the able-bodied men who lived in that section would be required to work on the road constructing and maintaining it for a certain number of days out of the year.  Often many days of work would be destroyed by rain and water in a few minutes.  Incredibly, the locally operated system of road construction and maintenance remained in effect until the mid-1930's, when a state highway department was initiated in Pike County.</div> <bR> <div> The virtual isolation of Pikeville from the outside world dictated that the early structures were built of locally available materials, mainly wood.  Accordingly, most of the early examples of Pikeville's indigenous architecture have fallen to the ravages of time, termites, and decay.  There were a limited number of building constructed of brick, which was fired on site, using clay from the riverbank.  The most notable of these are the Academy Building, built in 1889, and the Bowles Building at 331 Main Street which was constructed during the Civil War between 1862 and 1865.  It is interesting to note that the Bowles Building is still occupied by Chrisman Insurance, which is owned by one of the Bowles heirs.  Only a few of the buildings erected in Pikeville prior to the construction of the railroad in 1905 remain.  Those remaining buildings constructed prior to the completion of railroad must be especially appreciated by virtue of the difficulty in transporting such building materials as glass windows from the outside world.  The bulk of the building materials imported into Pikeville from the outside world before 1905, were transported by means of steamboats, which could only travel as far upstream as Pikeville during the limited times of sufficient water depth in the river.  Early photographs depict the main Pikeville steamboat landing location behind the present Courthouse.</div> <bR> <div> The Pikeville Collegiate Institute was constructed in 1889.  Six years prior to its construction, the Reverend Paul Hendricks established a Presbyterian mission church in the village of Pikeville.  In his travels through the mountainous counties in and around Pike County, he observed that the many Common Schools taught younger children basic reading, writing, and arithmetic, but there were no high schools for those who wished to continue their education beyond the rudimentary basics.  When Reverend Hendricks reported this condition to the Ebenezer Presbytery in Ashland, he present his vision for improving the continuing educational opportunities for the mountain children.  A committee was appointed to assess the situation and the Reverend W.C. Condit was sent to tour the mountains to locate a place for an outreach school.  Reverend Condit determined that Pikeville, the county seat of the largest county in Kentucky was the best site for the new institute.  He reported back to the Presbytery in Ashland that Pikeville was not only a village of over 300 inhabitants, it was the largest and most prosperous in the region and strategically located with access from the mountain counties of Virginia and West Virginia where the same paucity of educational facilities existed.</div> <bR> <div> Ground for the school's building was purchased on November 1, 1888.  The first classes were taught on September 16, 1889.  The brick for the building was fired on site, and the building incorporates an incredible amount of intricate brick detailing which challenges that of any building in the state.  The brick, utilizing clay from the riverbank, was much softer than commercially fired brick made from clay from select deposits.  The mortar joints of the brick portion of the exterior walls were originally struck flush with the brick for the same reason that a beaded joint was utilized for the sandstone foundation.</div> <bR> <div> The school years was divided into three terms of 12 weeks each.  Tuition was $8.00 per school term to be paid in advance, with an addition $1.00 per term being requested for coat and janitorial services.  The first years, classes consisted of Kindergarten, C Grade, B Grade, A Grade, and Freshman Class.  The Freshman Class consisted of those students who had successfully graduated from the Common School Program which had been provided by the Commonwealth of Kentucky.  The total enrollment for the 1889 class years was 135 students.  The first class graduated in 1891 consisting of 3 members:  Mary Elizabeth Syck, Nona? Connolly, and Sidney Grey.  Through the years, Pikeville Collegiate Institute evolved into Pikeville College, a four year Presbyterian College serving over 1,000 students per year.</div> <bR> <div> Governor John Young Brown granted Pikeville its offical city charter on May 6, 1893.  The city's governing body was a board of trustees whose members consisted of a police judge, a treasurer, a clerk and a marshall.  This form of government continued until 1904, when the citizens of Pikeville approved the city council form of government.  J.M. Roberson served as Pikeville's first mayor.  Through referendum, the voters changed the form of government to the present city manger form  in 1954.  The legislative body consists of the mayor and four commissioners, the mayor serving four-year terms and the commissioners two-year terms. </div> <bR> <div> The first steam locomotive arrived at Pikeville on July 5, 1905, pulling a string of glistening steel cars loaded with local public officials and dignitaries, who had journeyed to Ashland and rode the first train to Pikeville to celebrate the occasion.  That red letter day for Pikeville marked the beginning of the end to the colorful, but unreliable steamboat traffic, upon which Pikeville had depended for over 60 years.  The last steamboat traveling as far upstream as Pikeville, made the trip in 1929.  And because of the railroad, disappeared forever.</div> <bR> <div> Soon after the completion of the railroad from Ashland to Pikeville in 1905, the eastern end of downtown Pikeville became somewhat of a warehouse district.  In 1912, R.T. Greer built the three story, flat iron shaped brick warehouse on an odd-shaped triangular piece of land.  It was here that Greer purchased and stored roots and herbs to be shipped initially by rail and ultimately by oceangoing vessels to the far corners of the globe.  Pike County has favorable soil and climate for growing medicinal roots and herbs, most notably ginseng and bloodroot.  These  natural botanicals are highly valued in the orient, and for many years provided a dependable source of income for Pike Countians.  The 1930 journal of G.C. Ratliff observed that Mr. Greer's business flourished best when the coal mines were slow or down and the miners had time on their hands.  They would go to the woods and dig ginseng primarily because it brought the best money.  Ratliff's journal describes driving through Pike County and seeing the roofs of houses covered with roots and herbs drying in preparation for sale to R.T. Greer.  It is not uncommon still today to see people in the woods digging ginseng, or as the practice is known, "sengin".</div> <bR> <div> Passenger use of railroad between Pikeville and Ashland steadily increased to the point that a passenger terminal became necessity.  Construction of the Chesapeake and Ohio Passenger Terminal was completed in 1923.  For decades, the train station was of the greatest local importance.  It was here that all the significant arrivals and departures occurred during that long stretch of time, when the railroad was the main link with the rest of the world.  This was a busy place, with high powered industrialists traveling from the north to conduct coal-related business.  It was the point of arrival and departure of common folks and dignitaries alike, including First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt in 1934.  It was her that not only thousands of unknown travelers, but also the famous, arrived and departed, including Sweet Georgia Brown, the celebrated socialite who spent her final years in Pikeville.  It was from here that Pike County's young men left to fight on foreign soils, and it was here that they returned.  Many of those return arrivals were an occasion for jubilation, and likewise, many were an occasion for sorrow.</div> <bR> <div> The first moving picture theater was built in Pikeville in 1905 and was called the Nicholodium.  The price of admission was 5 cents.  The first moving picture shown in Pikeville was entitled, "Second Train Robbery".  For many years, the moving pictures theater featured silent movies and employed talented piano players and violinists to lend spirit and drama to the production.  The 1910 Sandborn Insurance Map of Pikeville indicates "2 Moving Pictures" written on the building which was then located just across the alley from the current location of the Weddington Theater.  Considering that the moving picture industry was in its infancy at that point in time, it is a remarkable feat that Pikeville already had it own "twin cinema".  In 1913, the existing theater was built.</div> <bR> <div> Construction of the Hatcher Hotel was begun in the late 1920's by James Hatcher, but due to difficult economic times, was not completed until August, 1931.  The hotel had 106 guest rooms and was visited by First Lady, Eleanor Roosevelt on July 3, 1934.  The building was completely constructed of fireproof brick, structural clay tile, and concrete floors.  It was the "social capitol" of the local community during its hay-day.</div> <bR> <div> During the Great Depression, following the collapse of the stock market in 1929, and the subsequent failure of the United States banking system and economy in general, the United States Government began a vigorous campaign of constructing public buildings under the WPA Program.  This was for the purpose of creating jobs as well as for the purpose of pumping money back into the economy.  The Pikeville Post Office was one of many examples of public works projects undertaken in eastern Kentucky during this bleak economic period.  Another outstanding example of depression-era WPA public works is the Pauley "swinging" bridge located just north of town.</div> <bR> <div> The Pikeville downtown became a vibrant center of economic and social exhange.  On the weekends, the streets were crowded. However, this started to change in the late 1960s and was accelerated by the construction of the Pikeville Cut-Through. In the 1970s the coal industry boomed, but was then followed by a sharp decline.</div> <bR> <div> One of the forces of nature that has had an impact upon the structures of Pikeville, and upon the very configuration of the city itself, is the propensity of the Big Sandy River to periodically flood.  Downtown Pikeville has experienced significant floods in 1862, 1913, 1917, 1948, 1957, 1963, 1967, and 1977.  With the rerouting of the river through the cut-through, flooding of the downtown was averted in 1984, and hopefully for the rest of Pikeville's future.  When viewed from the air, the majority of the built-up area of Pikeville is seen as a crescent-shaped development built upon the inside radius of the former riverbed.  Prior to the completion of the cut-through project, the Big Sandy River flowed in a horse shore path around Peach Orchard Mountain.  Since the length of travel of waters on the outside radius of the river was greater than the length of travel of the inside radius, the water at the outside radius traveled at a higher velocity than the waters at the inside radius.  </div> <bR> <div> Pikeville, is perhaps best known for the Pikeville Cut-Through Project. The Project offically began in November 1973 and was completed 14 years later at a cost of $80 million dollars.  A total of 18 million cubic yards of earth were moved during the project which filled part of the empty riverbed, creating 400 acres of usable land for the city's expansion. The project created a 3/4 mile long channel through Peach Orchard Mountain, in order to provide a path for the railroad tracks, the Levisa Fork of the Big Sandy River, and U.S. Highways 23, 119, and KY 80. The cut itself is over 1300 feet wide, 3700 feet long and 523 feet deep.</div> <bR> <div> Pikeville has been one of the world's top producers of bituminous coal, but the economy is supplemented by manufacturing, wholesale, retail and service sector. The labor market includes the Kentucky counties of Floyd, Knott, Letcher, and Martin and is supplemented by Mingo County, in West Virginia and Buchanan and Dickenson counties in Virginia.  US 23, US 119, KY 80 and US 460 highway network of four-lane and controlled access roads connect the county with interstate systems.  </div> <bR> <div> Population statistics highlight Pikeville and Pike County's changing economic patterns.    Following are the United States Census Bureau's statistics from 1900-2000.</div> <bR> <div> 1900 - 22,868</div> <div> 1910 - 31,679</div> <div> 1920 - 49,477</div> <div> 1930 - 63,267</div> <div> 1940 - 71,122</div> <div> 1950 - 81,154</div> <div> 1960 - 68,264</div> <div> 1970 - 61,059</div> <div> 1980 - 81,123</div> <div> 1990 - 72,583</div> <div> 2000 - 68,736</div> <div>   </div> <bR> <bR> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" height=10 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="04460603.gif"> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>