Walking Tour of Catlettsburg, Kentucky

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Alexander Catlett came to the mouth of the Big Sandy to operate a trading post for the area, which was the beginning of the town of Catlettsburg. Beechmoor was his residence that was first built in 1812, with materials shipped down from Pittsburgh. It was later purchased by Col. Laban Moore who lived there with his family. Beechmoor was named after Moore and the large beech tree that resided on the property.

2. Neal-Kilgore Collier Funeral Home

In 1866, 28-year-old carpenter Robert Henderson Kilgore moved from Pikeville, Kentucky to the bustling river port town of Catlettsburg. Kilgore opened a cabinet and furniture shop on Front Street overlooking the mouth of the Big Sandy River. After being asked by many residents to build coffins, he responded to the needs of his customers by serving as an undertaker starting in 1868. Kilgore rebuilt his shop following an 1875 fire and increasingly focused his efforts on providing mortuary services for the residents of Catlettsburg. From its origins as a subsidiary business, Kilgore created this funeral home on Panola Street in 1888. The funeral home has changed hands over the years but has served the residents of Boyd County for over 140 years and is the county's oldest continuously operated business.

3. First United Methodist Church

Constructed in 1867, First United Methodist Church is one of the oldest structures in Cattlesburg. The congregation was first introduced to the community of Catlettsburg as the Methodist Episcopal Church, South in the years prior to the Civil War. The early movement of Methodism in Boyd County was conducted at this time by traveling ministers on horseback. After the Great Revival led to a surge in interest throughout states such as Kentucky, membership within Methodist congregations increased and Methodism became the largest denomination in many southern and western communities in the 1830s. During the 1844 General Conference, where the debate over whether bishops could own slaves caused a split in the church, the Methodist Episcopal Church, South was created. Like many other churches in Kentucky and the South, this congregation dates back to this branch of the Methodist Church.

4. "Civil War Army Base" - Kentucky Historical Marker

This historical marker commemorates a Union Civil War Army encampment that protected vessels traveling along the Ohio River from potential attack by Confederate troops or bushwhackers. This post also served as a supply base and communication center for Union forces. This marker was placed by the Kentucky Historical Society and Kentucky Department of Highways in 1964.

5. Catlettsburg National Bank (1885-2014)

The late Victorian-era bank building in downtown Catlettsburg was built in 1885 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. After it was founded, it spent thirty-five years printing money, printing $978,800 in that time period. At its height of business in 1900, it was clearing one million dollars daily. In 1916, the building was sold to the Farmers and Merchants Bank, and the bank closed in 1931 in a wave of bank closures in the early years of the Great Depression. The building was used as offices for area businesses and physicians in the coming decades but suffered neglect that made it largely vacant by the 1980s. The building was later abandoned and condemned in 2011. Demolition crews began to tear down the building in 2014 despite efforts to save the historic structure, which had survived the great Ohio River floods of 1913 and 1937.

This Tour is a Walking Tour.

Walking Tour of Catlettsburg, Kentucky

Created by Clio Admin on May 2nd 2018, 7:17:56 pm.

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Description

This tour begins at the site that was home to Catlettsburg National Bank and includes a Civil War marker, the former railroad depot, one of the oldest churches in the region, and the historic home of Alexander Catlett. The final stop is on the west side of the railroad tracks. Similar to other communities in the region, the railroad provided an essential link between Catlettsburg and national markets but also dissected the small community.

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Walking Tour of Catlettsburg, Kentucky

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