13 Tiny Towns In Kentucky Where HUGE Things Happened

There are plenty of big things happening in big cities. We see things like the Kentucky Derby on the news every year. The tiny towns in Kentucky have a lot of offer too, especially in the history department. There have been big battles, weird occurrences, and new beginnings at some these communities that have a fraction of the residents of Louisville or Lexington.

Here are 13 tiny towns in Kentucky with big stories to tell:

W marsh

In August 19, 1782 the Battle of Blue Licks was fought near this town. This was a time during the American Revolutionary War when the Kentucky militia took on Great Britain and the Natives. More than 79 individuals lost their lives in this battle not including the Natives.

J Stephen Conn

This community was the site of the third worst bus crash in the United States. The crash was caused by a drunk driver in the early morning on May 14th 1988. The incident caught nationwide attention and the tragic deaths are still mourned today.

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Paula Soler Moy

The Silver Trail Distillery in Hardin made national news when it exploded killing one person. The incident happened on April 24th in the am hours. After a lengthy investigation by local fire marshalls, a still was the cause. The equipment had built up far to much pressure and ended up exploding.

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DM

Residents reported ground shaking explosions that rattled their windows and doors. Emergency operators received multiple phone calls throughout the evening on November 26th 2015, but no evidence was found. Officers went as far as to contact NASA, who had no comment.

Dayton

This small town was the location of the renowned Girty’s Ambush in October 1779. Over 70 died in this passionate battle between the Natives fighting to keep their lands, and the Continental Army and citizen laborers who wanted to develop it.

Morgan

This was the location of the Long Run Massacre in September 1781. More than 60 died during this battle where pioneers wanting to develop in Kentucky were fighting the Kingdom of Britain and the Natives who preferred to keep it.

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J Stephen Conn

What big thing happened in Harrodsburg? Fort Harrod. It was the beginning of life here in Kentucky for many a pioneer. Today, you can still visit the fort preservation site and see what life use to be like in our state.

James

Back in 1955, a family farm was supposedly besieged by goblins or possible extra terrestrials. The incident happened in August and there were seven witnesses, including members of the Sutton family, who owned the property. The investigators found unexplainable evidence that something strange had occurred, and the people involved were traumatized. Questions regarding the area and the little green men arose again a few years back, but nothing was ever confirmed.

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OzinOH

The Battle of Richmond took place in August of 1862. There were more than 284 lives reported lost as the United States battled the Confederate States. It is relatively obvious the U.S. ended up winning, but it wasn’t due to lack of effort by the Confederacy.

Pawsitive Candie

It might be hard to believe this if you visited Newport in recent years, but it, along with several other river northern towns have a twisted history. Newport was once pretty the precursor to Las Vegas, and ruled by the Mob in the 1920s and 1930s. It was the original "Sin City", with bootlegging, gambling and other illegal activities at the time. The renowned Tommy Gun was even invented by John T. Thompson, who was born in Newport. Speakeasies were extremely popular in the area.

USDA

Pikeville is a little town that puts out enough coal to supply most everyone. It is the biggest coal provider in the U.S. and has been going strong for decades. Though it is known for coal, it is still a beautiful community to live in or visit.

Michael Noirot

The Battle of Perryville took more than 1,400 lives on October 8th, 1862. Some say it was one of the bloodiest battles ever fought in Kentucky. This was a brother against brother battle with the United States fighting for success over the Confederate States.

Not every tale told has a happy ending, but the history and unique happenings in the tiny towns of Kentucky should be heard. The history of our beautiful state needs to be passed down honestly, without picking and choosing what we remember. Little towns are the backbone of our country, and they all have a story to tell. What small town stories have you heard?