A Kentucky Kind of Place: Allen County
Allen County - Scottsville, Kentucky
đź“ŤCounty Feature: Allen County!đź“Ť
Allen County was established in 1815 and named for Colonel John Allen, a Kentucky soldier who died in the War of 1812 at the Battle of River Raisin.
Located on the Tennessee border, Allen County is home to just over 20,000 people. Scottsville has been the county seat since the beginning, surrounded by rolling farmland that still shapes the local economy today.
Barren River Lake borders the western edge of the county. Popular for boating and fishing, the lake draws visitors year-round. Early mornings are the quietest, when fog hangs low over the water before clearing to a bright, glassy blue.
Scottsville’s Old Cemetery holds some of the area’s oldest graves…dating back to the late 1700s, when the land was still part of Virginia on paper.
In the 1960s, mammoth bones were uncovered near the small town of Holland, providing evidence that Ice Age giants once roamed this part of Kentucky.
Water worth finding: Drake’s Creek cuts through limestone bluffs on the county’s eastern side, carving out clear, cold pools that hold their chill even in the heat of summer.
What should we do on our next visit?
Photo: @heartofscottsville
