Powell County

The 101st county in order of formation, Powell County is located in eastern Kentucky and is bordered by Lee, Menifee, and Wolfe counties; it has an area of 180 square miles. The county was formed on January 7, 1852, out of portions of Clark, Estill, and Montgomery counties. It was named in honor of Gov. Lazarus Whitehead Powell (1851-55). Stanton is the county seat.

With rich, fertile bottomlands giving way to steep mountainous terrain, the topography of Powell County is quite varied. The eastern and southern sections of the county are covered by the Daniel Boone National Forest, with its vast stands of hardwoods. This section of the county, which also includes Natural Bridge State Resort Park and the Red River Gorge, is the heart of the natural bridge region of the state. Within the park and gorge region are numerous natural stone arches, or bridges, as well as sandstone-capped ridges, steep valley walls, and rocky pinnacles. In contrast, the western portion contains the county's principal flatlands. It is here that the majority of the county's farms, which in 1987 made up about 35 percent of the land, are located. Hay, corn (for grain and seed), and tobacco, as well as hogs and cattle, are raised on these farms.

Before white settlement, Powell County was a prime hunting ground for both the Shawnee and Cherokee because of its abundance of wildlife. Agricultural potential also drew Indians to settle in this area. One of the last Indian villages in Kentucky was located in the northeastern section of the county. In 1769, Daniel Boone and John F. Finley were among the earliest pioneers to explore the Powell County region. Camping at Oil Springs, Boone climbed nearby Pilot Knob (the highest point in Powell County) and viewed the great expanse of Kentucky.

During the early years of the nineteenth century, the county was the scene of early Kentucky iron works. In 1786 iron pyrite was discovered near the present town of Clay City; shortly thereafter, one of the first forges west of the Alleghenies was built there. By 1805, a furnace was established on the site. Borrowing its name from the nearby Red River, the iron furnace operation soon became known as the Red River Iron Works. Producing domestic items such as pots and nails, as well as cannonballs used in the War of 1812, the Red River Iron Works manufactured items of superior quality. The logging industry was also significant to the development of Powell County in the 1800s, when the Red River turned many lumber mills.

Powell County, especially Stanton, received its share of hardships during the Civil War. Most of the depredations came at the hands of Confederate guerrilla forces. In the spring of 1863, Stanton was raided by a guerrilla force that burned the courthouse. About a year later, on June 1, 1864, the county seat was invaded for a second time and the jail was destroyed.

Powell County rebounded quickly from the adverse effects of the war. Though by 1870 the lumber industry was operating on a large scale, the Kentucky Union Railway (in 1894 the Lexington & Eastern), which came to the county in 1886, brought even greater trading opportunities. By 1889, one of the largest sawmills in the county was operating at Clay City. Tourism also gained importance at this time. The Louisville & Nashville Railroad (L&N; now CSX Transportation) bought the land that is now Natural Bridge State Park, built a hotel, and after buying out the Lexington & Eastern line in 1909, began to offer excursions to the natural wonder. When the Great Depression hit, the county's economic progress ground to a halt. As the timber industry declined, the railroads were abandoned. In 1941, the L&N disassembled its road, ending all railroad activity in the county.

In the 1960s, Powell County witnessed a resurgence. With the construction of the four-lane Mountain Parkway under the administration of Gov. Bert Combs (1959-63), the county recouped some of the losses it had suffered when the railroad left. The easier access provided by the highway also revived logging. Controversy as well as prosperity surfaced during this period. Following the 1962 flood of Clay City by the Red River, many Powell Countians advocated the construction of a dam to guard against floods, attract industry, and make a large recreational lake. Opponents of the project contended that damming the river and filling the gorge would destroy the delicate ecosystem of the area. After a legal battle that lasted well into the 1970s, the dam proposal was defeated.

In the late twentieth century, Powell County has developed along three lines-agricultural, industrial, and residential. Agriculture remains important, and industry has grown around Clay City and Stanton. Metal fabrication and uniform shirt manufacturing were the largest industries in 1990. Most significant, however, was the development of the county as a residential community. In 1987 46 percent of the labor force worked outside Powell County, in communities such as Winchester and Lexington.

The population of Powell County was 7,704 in 1970; 11,101 in 1980; 11,686 in 1990; and 13,237 in 2000.