Knox Historical Museum

The Barbourville Utility Company is providing 1977 flood photos and current river levels at the following web address: http://barbourville.com/flood-wall-management. See Flood Wall and River Level link at bottom of website page.

The city's floodwall was raised approximately 10 feet following the devastating 1977 flood. Torrential rain fell from April 2-5 that year, causing devastating floods across southeast Kentucky that killed 10 people.

The Knox Historical Museum houses a copy of an anthology focusing on Appalachia that was compiled through the cooperative efforts of Union College instructor Linda Oxendine and the members of The History of Appalachia Class in the fall semester of 1988.

Items pertaining to Frances Jones Mills, a native of Gray in Knox County, Kentucky, were donated to the Knox Historical Museum on December 11, 2017.

Mrs. Mills was a state official in Kentucky for a large portion of the 1970s and 1980s. According to Wikipedia, "she was the first woman and first Democrat in the 20th century to win the office of State Representative for the Knox County, Kentucky district. She was also the first woman to serve three (non-successive) terms as Kentucky State Treasurer."

Two new issues of The Knox Countian magazine, under the guidance of editor Charles Reed Mitchell, were published this summer.

Both issues are available for purchase in the Knox Historical Museum's online Museum Store, which is found under the "Support Us" tab..

The following lists the contents of both issues.

William M. Dishman, Jr., a member of one of Knox County’s most distinguished families and longtime friend of the Knox Historical Museum, passed away 29 November 2016 at the age of 80. Whenever business occasioned a return to Barbourville from his home in Danville, Kentucky, where he practiced law for some 48 years, Bill made it a point to visit the museum. As museum staff member David Cole recently observed, former residents who return to find downtown Barbourville changed and adjusted to the times can find the Barbourville of their memories at the museum. Bill often would spend several hours talking and reminiscing with the editor and museum staff about his family and his earlier years in town.

Barbourville businessman Curtis Deweese Congleton Sr. died on May 8, 2017 and was cremated in accordance with his wishes. A graveside service was to be scheduled for a later date.

Mr. Congleton was the husband of the late Marty Viall Congleton. Their children are Curtis Congleton Jr. and Sally Congleton King.

Curtis Congleton was born in 1934 in the coal camp of Tway, Kentucky, in Knox County. His love for those days and his interest in the coal and lumber industry brought him to the Knox Historical Museum on several occasions, during which he would peruse old photos and documents and discuss bygone days.

Submitted by Carol Golden

Golden Family Reunion, April 28-30, 2017. Please come!

Date: Friday, April 28, 2017, we will be at the Cumberland Inn, in Williamsburg, KY meeting in their Patriot meeting room from 5:00 - 9:30 PM. Plan to arrive on schedule. The hotel does offer a restaurant called the Patriot Steakhouse where everyone can dine and also food can be brought from the restaurant to the event rooms. No food from outside can be brought into the event rooms; it must be purchased from the hotel. A beverage service will be set up including coffee, tea, water and sodas. A copy machine will be available to share copies of your history with others. Bring your family history, pictures, stories and plan to have some fun with your BIG Family! We have the rooms until 9:30PM.

A memorial service was held Wed., April 26, 2017 for a Civil War soldier from Knox County, Kentucky who was buried in an unknown grave in the Nashville National Cemetery in 1862.

The new issue of the Museum's quarterly magazine, The Knox Countian, features a businessman, civic leader, and "magician at heart," Archie West, who lived 1917-1996, mostly in Knox County, Kentucky. The articles and photos were submitted primarily by his son, Archie B. West. Featured are Archie West's Standard Oil Stations in Barbourville and several stories about his practical jokes and pranks.

The Museum has located yet another photo of Knox County officials in the 1960's.