On Main Street (U.S. 25), on the left when traveling north.
Born November 10, 1926, Livingston, Kentucky - Died September 1, 1950, Yongsan Village, Korea.
Drafted in the U.S. Army during the Korean War, PFC David M. Smith died in battle when he sacrificed his life to save his comrades-in-arms when he fell . . . — — Map (db m103715) WM
On Daniel Boone Trail (U.S. 25) near Upper River Road (Kentucky Route 490), on the right when traveling north.
Daniel Boone’s Trace
Pioneer trail marker by Daniel Boone in 1775 brought early settlers through the Cumberland Gap to Fort Boone (Boonesboro). This trace suitable for horses and walking, followed creeks, Indian hunting paths and buffalo . . . — — Map (db m218393) HM
On South Daniel Boone Trail (Kentucky Route 25), on the right when traveling north.
PFC David M. Smith Homesite of this Congressional Medal of Honor winner, born in Livingston, Ky., Nov. 10, 1926. Church built here, 1974. Smith served with the U.S. Army, Co. E, 9th Inf. Regt., 2d Inf. Div., during Korean Conflict. The honor . . . — — Map (db m103713) HM
On Main Street (Kentucky Route 25) at Short Street, on the right when traveling north on Main Street.
Originally the Livingston Hotel, this impressive structure was built near what was then the main road and wooden bridge that crossed over Roundstone Creek. The hotel had a dining room and offered packaged meals to travelers on the trains. It . . . — — Map (db m103711) HM
Side A
This trace was named for Henry
Skaggs, a Long Hunter. Many
famous pioneers, including John
Floyd, Benjamin Logan, and William
Whitely, traveled over it. On
Oct. 21, 1861, the first Kentucky
Civil War battle occurred near
here . . . — — Map (db m84454) HM
On Big Hill Road (U.S. 421) west of Big Hill Mountain Road, on the right when traveling north.
August 23, 1862, 650 cavalry of Gen. E. Kirby Smith's invading CSA army routed small Federal force under Col. Leonidas Metcalfe here on way to seize Ky., cooperating with CSA army under Gen. Braxton Bragg. Central Ky. captured, but plans to take . . . — — Map (db m230198) HM
On Main Street near Church Street, on the right when traveling east.
The 96-mile stretch of road from
Crab Orchard to Cumberland Gap was
known as Boone Way. Col. James
Maret, an early advocate of road
improvement, was responsible for
cutting of roadbed and it’s first
paving. As L&N railroad agent and
telegraph . . . — — Map (db m84508) HM
On East Main Street east of Richmond Street, on the left when traveling east.
Bryant Building
This two-story building, built in 1912, began as the Bryant building. Brothers Oscar, Emmitt and Logan Bryant were the original owners and they sold tractors and farm machinery from the rear garage. The front windows of the . . . — — Map (db m244578) HM
On Richmond Street (U.S. 25) at West Main Street, on the left when traveling north on Richmond Street.
Current residents remember the home of C.C. Williams that was lost in an unfortunate and devastating fire in 2005. Located on this parcel of land at the intersection of Main and Richmond, this prominent home with its wrap around porch, was the home . . . — — Map (db m244604) HM
On Richmond Street at West Main Street, on the left when traveling north on Richmond Street.
In 1810 a new county, Rockcastle, was created out of primarily Lincoln and Madison counties. The area's justices of the peace were told to "meet at the dwelling-house of Stephen Langford" on the first Monday in April to organize the county . . . — — Map (db m244588) HM
On Main Street at Church Street, on the right when traveling east on Main Street.
Born in Garrard Co., Maret came
here in 1877. He established this
county’s first telephone exchange
and newspaper; was town clerk for
25 years. Maret served as executive
secretary of Kentucky’s Good Roads
Association, and in 1929 published
a . . . — — Map (db m84509) HM
On East Main Street at Church Street when traveling east on East Main Street.
The Joplin Hotel, constructed on this site before 1862, was the second brick building in Rockcastle County, the first building to have a tin roof, and the home of the county’s first telegraph office at the beginning of the Civil War. By 1908 the . . . — — Map (db m87911) HM
On East Main Street at Church Street, on the left when traveling west on East Main Street.
The Elkin Hotel structure stood on this site from the time of its construction around 1820 until its demolition in 1905. Originally built by Rueben Elkin, it was a two-story wooden clapboard building with a wood shingled roof. This was Mt. Vernon’s . . . — — Map (db m103719) HM
On West Main Street east of CS-1009, on the left when traveling west.
Fritz Krueger and his family emigrated from Germany to America in 1885. The family settled
in Mt. Vernon in 1891 and quickly Fritz became a prominent businessman and contractor.
At this site. Krueger constructed a building with bricks from his Mt. . . . — — Map (db m244583) HM
On East Main Street at Church Street, on the left when traveling west on East Main Street.
A Rockcastle County post of the national GAR held meetings in this building for decades until the last of the local Union veterans became too old or died. It was a national fraternal organization composed of veterans of the Union’s army, navy, and . . . — — Map (db m103723) HM
On Richmond Street at West Main Street, on the left when traveling north on Richmond Street.
Pioneers referred to our area as Langford's Station or Langford's until city lots were laid out by Stephen in 1810. He donated the property that became known as Mount Vernon, county seat for Rockcastle. Americans were very patriotic and when the . . . — — Map (db m244585) HM
On West Main Street at Richmond Street, on the left when traveling north on West Main Street.
Longhunters
Prior to settlers entering Kentucky, there were men that came through the Cumberland Gap in search of hides / furs. These men became known as Longhunters because they would leave their homes and hunt for extended periods of time - . . . — — Map (db m244587) HM
On West Main Street at Richmond Street, on the left when traveling west on West Main Street.
The mountains of Rockcastle County were the last challenge for pioneers to face before reaching the level land of the bluegrass area. In the 1700's there were three routes in the county traveled by thousands of pioneers by 1790.
The first was . . . — — Map (db m244601) HM
On Main Street at Church Street, on the right when traveling east on Main Street.
Side A
Rockcastle Co.
War Memorial
Side B
World War I
(list of 19 names)
Side C
World War II
(list of 81 names)
Side D
Korean War
(list of 5 names)
Congressional Medal of Honor Winner
Viet Nam . . . — — Map (db m85410) WM
On Main Street at Church Street when traveling east on Main Street.
The 52nd Kentucky county. Created
out of Knox, Lincoln, Madison,
Pulaski counties. Isaac Lindsey,
who came here with a hunting party
in 1767, observed a lone rock which
resembled an ancient castle. From
this the river was named, later
the . . . — — Map (db m84512) HM
On Cs-1086 at Spring Street, on the left when traveling north on Cs-1086.
Spout Spring became an important gathering place for pioneers in the late 1700's because it furnished clean drinking water. The area was settled by founder Stephen Langford in 1790. Spout Spring which continues to run and two other springs no longer . . . — — Map (db m244577) HM
On Richmond Street at West Main Street, on the left when traveling north on Richmond Street.
Mount Vernon is unique - it's the only modern town in the "wilderness" that emerged from a frontier outpost. Originally called Langford's Station, it was the creation of Stephen Langford, his son Benjamin (with wife Nancy Peyton), Elizabeth Brown, . . . — — Map (db m244603) HM
On West Main Street at Richmond Street, on the right when traveling west on West Main Street.
Around 1870 the old section house, a frame shed that provided security and weather protection for track maintenance tools, stood on this property. It was owned by the L&N Railroad. During that time, the depot and retail businesses surrounded the . . . — — Map (db m244581) HM
