Category Archives: Old Towns & Villages

Old Towns & Villages

Dexter, Kentucky

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Dexter is an unincorporated community in northern Calloway County.  It is a “census-designated place” and has a population of 277 people as of 2010. The town features a few streets on a grid and was once incorporated.

History of Dexter

Similar to the nearby towns of Almo, Hardin and Hazel, Dexter was originally a railroad camp when the Paducah Tennessee and Alabama Railroad was building a line through Calloway County in 1890.  Sam M. Jones, the landowner at the future site of Dexter, donated the right of way for the tracks and the site for the station on condition that he name it Dexter.  He chose the name after Dexter, Mo, which at that time was a thriving railroad town.  Several of Jones’ friends and neighbors were given employment in the Missouri town, so he decided to honor it by naming the station Dexter.

A post office was established on December 19, 1890 with General Buford Williams the first postmaster.

The railroad was abandoned with the tracks pulled in August 2009 (see photo below).

At some point after 1960, Dexter became unincorporated.

This photo shows the Dexter station and railroad from the early 20th century.  Thanks to Michael Hale for sharing.

Location of Dexter

The community is located just to the east of US 641, about seven miles north of Murray.  This map from 1936 shows Dexter.

Present day Dexter, Kentucky on Google Maps:

Dexter Population

1900:  221
1910:  260
1920:  278
1930:  185
1940:  243
1950:  277
1960:  250

In 2010, the US Census Bureau shows Dexter, an “census-designated place”, having a population of 277.

Dexter Contributions

If you have any information or photos you’d like to share about Dexter, please contact us.  Some information was provided by the book Kentucky Place Names.

Abandoned, Old Towns & Villages

The Life & Death of Golden Pond, Kentucky

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Let’s face it – moving can be painful.  Chances are everyone reading this article has moved at least once in their lifetime.  Kids move out and get married.  Newlyweds move from apartment to apartment or to their first home.  Sometimes folks will upgrade homes and move to a bigger house to accommodate their expanding family.

Continue reading The Life & Death of Golden Pond, Kentucky →

Lost Roads & Railroads, Old Towns & Villages

Exploring The Ruins Of Old Kuttawa

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Kuttawa, KY
The breaker wall which lies on top of old US 62/641 and the Illinois Central Railroad

When Lake Barkley reaches winter pool each fall, the remains of Old Kuttawa, Kentucky emerge.  A thriving town of several hundred in the early part of the 20th century, a good part of the old city is now buried under the waters of Lake Barkley.

Old Kuttawa called the Cumberland River its home, fixed on its northern shores.   Founded right after the Civil War in 1866 by Ohio Governor Charles Anderson, who served a short five-month term as the head of the state, the origin of the town’s name is disputed.

Continue reading Exploring The Ruins Of Old Kuttawa →

Old Towns & Villages

All Roads Lead To… Wadesboro?

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Tucked away in far northern Calloway County, Ky. about a mile west of Dexter lies the old town of Wadesboro.   Chances are you’ve never driven through Wadesboro or perhaps have even heard of it.  However, the story of Wadesboro is fascinating, given the designation of the first town in far western Kentucky, the area known as the Jackson Purchase.  For a while, all roads in western Kentucky led to Wadesboro.

Continue reading All Roads Lead To… Wadesboro? →

Nature & Wonder, Off The Beaten Path, Old Towns & Villages

Ferguson Spring in Land Between The Lakes

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Ferguson Spring
The spring, located between the road and the hill.

Land Between The Lakes (LBL) has many well-kept secrets and hidden gems.  We all know about the main attractions at LBL. However, some places aren’t well-known.  One of those is Ferguson Spring, a beautiful and peaceful location that was once the former site of a farming community.

Continue reading Ferguson Spring in Land Between The Lakes →

Abandoned, Old Towns & Villages

Danville, Tennessee

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The creation of Kentucky Lake in the 1940s put a lot of things underwater.  Farms, homes, businesses, roads, railroads, cemeteries and entire communities.  Danville, Tennessee was one of the communities that permanently  flooded when the Tennessee River was impounded to create Kentucky Lake.

The former site of Danville is located near present-day McKinnon. The story of Danville is unique with the fact that two large structures of the former town still remain – the abandoned and partially removed L&N Railroad bridge and the transfer elevator.

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Old Towns & Villages

Canton, Kentucky

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Canton is located along US 68 on Lake Barkley in Trigg County, Kentucky.  It is an unincorporated community that contains some residences and a few businesses that cater to local tourists.

History of Canton

Canton’s modern-day roots can be traced back to 1799.  Abraham Boyd and his part were the first settlers.  This area was the first community in Trigg County.  From North Carolina, his people developed the town known as Boyd’s Landing.  A horse-powered mill, cotton gin, and warehouse became the center of a thriving shipping location due to its location – right on the banks of the Cumberland River.

A post office was established here on October 15, 1820 with George A. Gordon serving as postmaster.  In 1823, Boyd laid out the town he called Canton and the post office was renamed in August of that year.  The origin of the name Canton is unknown, although it has been suggested it is named for a seaport in China.

Native American Settlements

Canton is also the site of two different Native American settlements.  One to the north of US 68, known as the “Canton Site”, dates to the Mississippian period, or about 1,000 A.D.  Evidence of this site includes notched arrowheads, pieces of ceramic, and strong evidence of a permanent home-like structure.

Recently, a newly-discovered site was unearthed at the Lake Barkley bridge project, just a few feet south of the existing US 68 highway, right on the shores of Lake Barkley.  Sharp stone tools, spear points, scrapers and abundant stone flakes were found in the dig.  The shaping of the tools produced the stone flakes.  This site dates back to 8,000 to 6,000 B.C. during the Early Archaic period.

Location of Canton

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Canton is located on US 68 / KY 80 about nine miles west of Cadiz. The community is located on the eastern shores of Lake Barkley.

The GPS Coordinates are 36.7989568,-87.9696112

Canton Contributions

Four Rivers Explorer is always a work in progress, including this section.  If you have any information you would like to share about Canton, please contact us.

References
  • Kentucky Place Names, by Robert M. Rennick
  • Trigg County History Book
Old Towns & Villages

Tri City, Kentucky

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Tri City is an unincorporated community in southeastern Graves County.  It is marked by highway signs and contains several homes and a handful of small businesses.  If it were a town, its population would be around 100.

History of Tri City

Tri City developed sometime after HIghway 94 was built between Murray and Fulton around 1930.  This stretch of 94 was a new route and was not built on an existing road.  When it crossed Highway 97, the area became a crossroads of three communities – Mayfield, Fulton, and Murray.

Location of Tri City

Map of Graves County, Kentucky from 1937 showing Tri City.
Map of Graves County, Kentucky from 1937 showing Tri City.

Tri City is located at the intersection of Highway 94 and Highway 97.  It is about 12 miles west of Murray, 23 miles east of Fulton and 14 miles from Mayfield.

The GPS Coordinates are 36.589796,-88.5407457

Tri City Contributions

Four Rivers Explorer is always a work in progress, including this section.  If you have any information you would like to share about Tri City, please contact us.

Old Towns & Villages

Faxon, Kentucky

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Faxon is an unincorporated community in eastern Calloway County, Kentucky.  There is no signage or any cluster of businesses, roads or homes defining the community.

History of Faxon

At one time it was home to Faxon Elementary before consolidation took place in the early 1970s.

Location of Faxon

Section of Calloway County, KY map from 1937 showing Faxon.
Section of Calloway County, KY map from 1937 showing Faxon.

Different maps place Faxon in different places, but generally is located at the intersection of Faxon Road and Liberty Road.

The GPS Coordinates are 36.6786813,-88.1562866

Faxon Contributions

Four Rivers Explorer is always a work in progress, including this section.  If you have any information you would like to share about Faxon, please contact us.

Abandoned, Old Towns & Villages

Birmingham, Kentucky

Birmingham, Kentucky
Birmingham, Kentucky during the 1930s. Source: TVA

Overview of Birmingham, Ky.

Birmingham, Kentucky was the most notable community affected by the creation of Kentucky Lake.  The town of several hundred people was situated on the banks of the Tennessee River in Marshall County, Kentucky.

For reasons not known to us, the town didn’t relocate in the early 1940s when TVA (Tennessee Valley Authority) built a dam on the Tennessee River.  The town was flooded permanently under several feet of water.

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