FLEMINGSBURG | Fleming County is well known for its covered bridges, which are celebrated and highlighted each year at the annual Covered Bridge Festival.

Taking a look back at the county’s rich history as Kentucky celebrates its 220th year, we learn that another mode of transportation also shaped the towns and people of Fleming County.

Before examining the impact the railroad had in Fleming County, let us first look back at other interesting moments in time.

Did you know in 1840, there were 18 American Revolutionary War soldiers, or their widows still living in Fleming County?

Here is a list — along with their ages – in 1840 — according to Collins Historical Sketches of Kentucky; History of Kentucky by Lewis Collins:  Samuel Blackburn, 80; Moses Clark, 76; Zacheus Cord, 64; Jesse Davis, 76; William Davis, 83; Hugh Drennon, 80; Daniel terhune, 81; John Frazier, 78; Joseph Goddard, 79; Alexander Humphreys, 86; Pete Mauzy, 80; Patrick McCann, 80; John McKee, 88; John Page, 78; William Proctor, 82; Burtis Ringo, 78; Redman Smith, 80; Elizabeth Madden, 87.

Collins notes although in 1840 the war had taken place 60 years prior, some of the ages are too young to have seen battle, but the men may have been a drummer boy.

Also found in Collins’ History of Kentucky:  The 1838 Asiatic cholera epidemic, which began in Maysville and spread across the state, killed 66 people in Fleming County, 47 whites and 19 blacks; 21 in Elizaville and vicinity; and in the county, one family of 12 and another of 10 died within 48 hours.

Taken from the Fleming County Chamber of Commerce publication, A Bicentennial History of Fleming County in Pictures (1992) are more tidbits of history.

The Andrew’s Undertaking business was located at the present site of the People’s Bank; the oldest church in Flemingsburg is the Presbyterian Church, established in 1795 by John P. Campbell and Joseph P. Howe; Hillsboro had a brass band in the early 1900s; the Hutton Funeral Home was originally the Clark Hotel; in 1880, the Nepton Seminary was started as a boarding school and Methodist minister Rev. Strother was instrumental in establishing the school, which moved to Wilmore and became Asbury College; the town of Ewing once had three newspapers — The Ewing Clipper, The Ewing Inquirer, The Ewing Enquirer;  the only Civil War battle fought in Fleming County was in Elizaville in 1862, a Capt. Jackson was in charge, but few details are known; Blue Bank, located on Kentucky 32, was named for the bowl-shaped depression in the earth containing a blue substance.

Getting back to Fleming County’s railroad history.  The first railroad in Fleming County was built in 1869 and crossed the western part of the county. Johnson Junction, Nepton, Poplar Plains, Hillsboro, Ewing, and Cowan were all railroad towns.

In May 1871, Robert Ewing sold one acre of land to the Maysville-Lexington Railroad Company; the company built the depot at Johnson Junction.  The line connected with the L&N railroad, making transportation to Hillsboro possible.

The 17 mile railroad was chartered in 1876 as the Covington, Flemingsburg and Pound Gap Railway.  In the spring of 1877, trains ran between Johnson Junction and Flemingsburg. The train made its first trip from Johnson Junction to Hillsboro in 1878.

Seven different legal designations at one time or another were applied to the railroad between Flemingsburg, Johnson Junction and Hillsboro.

The railroad was built as a narrow gauge, 36 inch line.  In 1879, the Fleming County Circuit Court forced the sale of the railroad because contractors on the project had not been paid and presented their case to the court.  The new owners formed a new company in January 1880 named the Licking Valley Railway Company.  By September 1880, the company was reorganized as the Covington, Flemingsburg and Southeastern.  The railroad was again sold by a court decree in late 1880/early 1881 and was acquired by the newly organized Cincinnati and Southern Railway.

Financial trouble continued for the railroad and in May 1887, the line was sold under foreclosure and reorganized as the Covington, Flemingsburg and Ashland Railway.  The fifth reorganization, and the sixth name, occurred in May 1905, resulting in the Cincinnati, Flemingsburg and Southeastern Railroad.

On May 10, 1907, a train on the Cincinnati, Flemingsburg and Southeastern Railroad line was making its regular run from Johnson Junction to Hillsboro by way of Flemingsburg.  When the train reached a double bent trestle across Fleming Creek, two miles east of Flemingsburg at a point known as Weaver’s Ford, the trestle collapsed, taking with it the engine, freight car and coach of the train.  The trestle measured 38 feet above ground at it highest point spanning a ravine.

Four people died and other passengers received a wide variety of injuries.

Service on the segment between Johnson Junction and Flemingsburg was resumed the next morning but the accident spelled the doom of the Flemingsburg-Hillsboro section and it never operated again.

In December 1909, the six miles remaining in operation were widened to standard gauge line.  In January 1920, the line adopted its final name, the Flemingsburg and Northern Railroad. Financial loss continued and on Dec. 6, 1955, the last train made its trip to Johnson Junction, taking in tow the 13 freight cars remaining in Flemingsburg.

This map of Fleming County was published in 1884 as part of an Atlas of Bath and Fleming County published by D.J. Lake and Company.

George Stockton Sr., his step-brother John Fleming, and others established Stockton Station in 1776.  Stockton deeded 104 acres of land to the trustees of Flemingsburg to establish the town on March 10, 1800.

The Strawberry Methodist Episcopal Church began in 1886. The land purchased for the church site was once a strawberry patch, giving the church its name.