Boyle County, County, Kentucky ... part of Genealogy Trails

Kentucky Genealogy and History
Boyle County, Kentucky Genealogy Trails

County History

BOYLE COUNTY.
Boyle county, the ninety-fourth in order of organization, was formed in 1842 out of parts of Mercer, Lincoln and Casey counties. It is bounded on the north by Mercer county, on the east by Garrard, on the south by Casey and Lincoln counties and on the west by Washington and Marion counties and is near, if not the geographical center of the State; and while it is one of the smallest counties in area (having only a little over a 100,000 acres of land), its assessed valuation of property listed for taxable purposes is more than seven millions of dollars.

Situated on an average elevation of one thousand feet above the sea level its soil is rich and deep and easily cultivated, adapted to wheat, corn, tobacco, hemp, oats, millet, timothy, clover, orchard grass, bluegrass, and any and all other crops and grasses usually grown on bluegrass soil, all of which grow to a perfection and yield unsurpassed. The farmers of the county use the latest and most improved implements for the successful cultivation and improvement of their farms, and bring to their aid all the advantages of a liberal education of which the larger majority are the fortunate possessors. There is but little timber in the county, comparatively speaking, except the poplar, ash, walnut cherry and locust, scattered throughout the woodland pastures of the farms.

White and gray limestone furnish an abundance for building and road purposes. In the southern part of the county, near Junction City, are Linnietta Springs, a health resort, where hundreds of people from many other States and counties annually visit to drink of the many varieties of mineral waters to be had there. There are two lines of railroads, the Knoxville branch of the Louisville & Nashville running through the county from west to east, and the Cincinnati, New Orleans & Texas Pacific from north to south, crossing the L. & N. R. R. at Junction City, in the southern part of the county.

The county owns all her turnpikes and macadamized roads of about one hundred miles and maintains them free of cost to the traveling public. The county or dirt roads are maintained under the old military or warning in system, except persons as well as teams or paid for their labor and not compelled to work more than six days in any one year. The turnpikes and macadamized roads are divided into sections of five miles and let out annually by contract at so much per rod for stone and gravel and so much per mile for ditching and keeping in repair the bridges, culverts, etc Under this system the roads are improving very fast, and in a few years almost every mile of road in the county will be macadamized.

The county has a large negro population, from which a large proportion of the farm laborers are obtained. The average wage per month with board is about fifteen dollars, arid without board, about twenty dollars. The educational facilities of the county are all that could be desired, there being more than fifty public schools, academies and colleges distributed all over the county.

Danville, the county seat, is a city of about six thousand inhabitants, and the center of much wealth and intelligence, being one of the oldest towns in the State, being laid out in 1782 by Walker Daniel and incorporated by the Virginia Legislature in 1787.

Here, in 1823, the Kentucky Institution for Deaf Mutes was established, the fourth in order of time in the United States, and at present, with its splendid equipments, educates and learns trades to nearly five hundred of these unfortunate children, both white and colored, from all portions of the State.

Here is also located famous old Centre College, Caldwell Female Institute, Hogsett Military Academy, the City High School and many other public and private institutions of learning both for white and colored.

Here are to be found churches of all denominations, three national banks, gas and water works, the latter owned by the city, the Advocate Printing and Publishing Co., owners and publishers of the Kentucky Advocate, a tri-weekly paper of large circulation, a large ice factory, flour mills, and many other manufacturing establishments, together with handsome business houses and residences and a live and energetic set of merchants and business men generally.

Unfortunately Danville has but one line of railroad at present, but with a fair prospect of another and competing line in the near future.

Perryville, situated in the western part of the county, is a town of several hundred inhabitants, among them some of the most substantial citizens of the county. One banking institution, several mercantile establishments, churches, flour mills, and various institutions of learning go to make up the business little city. In and around the town was fought the battle between the armies of Generals Bragg and Buell in October, 1862.

Junction City, situated in the southern part of the county, at the crossing of the L. & N. and C. S. railroads, is an incorporated town of one mile square, with a population of about one thousand, five churches, several manufacturing establishments, public high grade school and the best transportation facilities in the county, together with wide awake, intelligent business men. The town is fast growing , into a city, and is perhaps unsurpassed as a point for any kind of manufacturing establishment.

Boyle county is situated in the Eighth Congressional, Fifth Appellate, Thirteenth Judicial, Eighteenth Senatorial, and Sixty-fifth Legislative Districts.
[Source: Handbook of Kentucky, Bureau of Agriculture, 1908 - contributed by: C. Horton 2008]