HISTORY: Summary of Pike Co., Kentucky ************************************************************************ USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. http://www.usgwarchives.net Submitted by Gloria Rose Apr 1998 ********************************************************************* Pike county was formed in 1822. It is located in the Eastern Coal Field region of the state. The elevation in the county ranges from 610 to 3149 feet above sea level. In 1990 the county population was 72,583 in a land area of 787 square miles, an average of 92.2 people per square mile. The county seat is Pikeville. It is the largest county in the state. The eastern Kentucky coal field covers the eastern end of the state, stretching from the Appalachian mountains westward across the Cumberland Plateau to the Pottsville Escarpment. Coal mining is the major industry. The eastern Kentucky coal field covers the eastern end of the state, stretching from the Appalachian Mountains westward across the Cumberland Plateau to the Pottsville Escarpment. Coal mining is the major industry. Pike County, Kentucky, is one of the world's top producers of bituminous coal. Over 35 million tons of coal is mined in Pike County each year, or approximately 20 percent of Kentucky's production. Pike County is Kentucky's third largest financial center, behind only Louisville and Lexington in banking assets. "Hillbilly Days" was founded by local Shriners in 1976 as a fundraiser for the Shriners Crippled Children's Hospital. It has grown to become Kentucky's second largest annual event - second only to the Kentucky Derby. Held each April in Pikeville, "Hillbilly Days" is a unique satirical spoof of the Hillbilly stereotype. "Hillbilly Days" attracts over 130,000 people from as far away as Canada and Florida into the 6,000-population town over a three-day period, including approximately 50,000 for the Saturday parade. Hillbillies in jalopies, great food, mountain crafts and Bluegrass music are trademarks of the fun event. The Pikeville Cut-Through is one of the largest earth-moving projects in history. Over 12 million cubic yards of rock and dirt was moved to divert the Big Sandy River, the railroad and major highways U.S. 23, U.S. 119, U.S. 460 and KY 80. The 1,300-foot wide, 500-foot deep, one-and-one-half mile long cut through Peach Orchard Mountain provided enough material to fill most of the old riverbed, thereby eliminating frequent flooding in downtown Pikeville. The $78 million project took 14 years to finish and opened up hundreds of acres of property in and around Pikeville for development. The Breaks Interstate Park, located in Pike County and neighboring Virginia, is called "The Grand Canyon of the South." The Russell Fork of the Big Sandy River has carved a huge canyon in the mountains over the years, forming a breathtaking sight and providing some of the nation's most exhilarating white-water rafting and recreational opportunities. Fishtrap Lake is a 16.5-mile long lake which was dedicated by President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1968. In addition to flood control, the lake and surrounding wildlife management area provides excellent boating, fishing, camping, picnicking, hunting and other recreational activities. James A. Garfield of the Union army, later to become the 20th president of the United States, was sworn in as Brigadier General in Pike County in 1862 by Squire Charles. Pike County was home to he world's most infamous feud, the Hatfield-McCoy Feud, in the late 1800s. The Hatfield-McCoy Feud is still frequently referenced in the national media, although the references are often inaccurate due to false information published by yellow journalists of the late 19th Century. Several sites of historical significance from the feud are open for public viewing.