Salyersville, Kentucky

After an attempt at the first settlement in 1794,[9] the hill overlooking the bend of the Licking River just downriver from the present town was fortified and settled c. 1800 by Archibald Prater, Ebenezer Hanna, and others. Originally known as "Prater's Fort", the community had become "Licking Station" by the time of its first post office in 1839.[3]

In 1849, the post office was moved to the community at site of the present city and renamed "Adamsville" after local landowner Uncle William Adams. In addition to his farmland, Adams operated a hotel, a gristmill, a tannery and a blacksmith at the new location.[3]

In 1860, Magoffin County was formed from parts of the surrounding Floyd, Johnson, and Morgan counties. Billy Adams donated land for the platting and establishment of a new county seat, and the community was renamed "Salyersville" in gratitude to State Rep. Samuel Salyer, who sponsored the bill creating the new county.[10] The post office changed the following year.[3]

During the Civil War, Salyersville fell on hard times. Because of its location in the Upper South and its history of settlement by migrants and farmers from Virginia, some residents sided with the Confederacy, despite the general lack of slaves in the area. In 1864, Union forces defeated a Confederate raiding force in the Battle of Salyersville.

Adams gave more land to the city in 1871 for the construction of a proper courthouse. It was completed in 1890 and stood for 67 years before burning to the ground in 1957.

Salyersville's first high school, the Magoffin County Institute, was founded in 1908 by A.C. Harlowe.

The Great Depression hit Salyersville hard, since such a high percentage of Salyersville's citizens were laborers or farmers, who saw prices for crops fall from 40 to 60%. Nearby mining and logging operations also closed or limited production when demand for their products fell sharply. In 1939, the Licking River crested over 25 feet (7.6 m), flooding most of downtown Salyersville and causing extensive property damage.

On March 2, 2012, a mile-wide EF3 tornado caused significant damage in Salyersville.

In 1963, the Bert T. Combs Mountain Parkway was completed, stretching west 76 miles (122 km) from Salyersville to intersect with Interstate 64 at a point just east of Winchester. It enabled more tourists to visit the area, and heritage tourism began to help Salyersville develop a changed economy. The first annual Magoffin County Founder's Day Festival was held in 1978.

In the winter of 1997, as part of Kentucky's elk restoration project, Salyersville became one of the locations selected for the release of elk into the wilderness area of its mountains.

In 2002, the second Magoffin County court house (erected in 1960) was demolished. In its place, a new Justice Center was constructed, which opened in spring 2004. The new Justice Center's architecture pays tribute to Magoffin County's original courthouse.

On March 2, 2012, Salyersville was hit by a tornado which caused extensive damage to many businesses and many homes. There were no deaths reported. The tornado was reported an EF3. Kentucky governor Steve Beshear visited Salyersville on March 3 and toured the eastern part of the state after the tornado outbreak.

The climate in this area is characterized by relatively high temperatures and evenly distributed precipitation throughout the year. The Köppen Climate System describes the weather as humid subtropical, and uses the abbreviation Cfa.[12]

• Founder's Day - an annual county festival for the people of Magoffin County. It attracts those who have roots in eastern Kentucky and others who are interested in the genealogy and history of the area. A different family surname is celebrated each year as part of the festival. The festival offers young people opportunities to enter contests and win prize money for excelling in academic subjects such as math, spelling, essay writing, and art. Pageants are held for young people from age 1-day to age 14 for boys and girls and for young women from age 17 to age 26. A parade, drama & fashion shows, pet shows, clogging, other dance exhibitions, and specialty acts are just a few of the festivities that are part of Founder's Day.[17]

• Street Dance - a public square dance held each year in downtown Salyersville. The intersection surrounding the downtown courthouse is blocked off for the event which lasts well into the night.
• Independence Day Festival - Independence Day celebration with a parade and pageants.

Pioneer Village - a complex of 15 original log cabins located near downtown Salyersville that have been restored and preserved through the efforts of the Magoffin County Historical Society.[19] Together the cabins form a living history museum, where staff create displays and demonstrations of early crafts. The cabins in Pioneer Village often date back to the early 19th century. Donated cabins are disassembled with care, the logs numbered and cleaned, and they are transported and reassembled in the Pioneer Village.

Several marble monuments are located downtown near the Pioneer Village cabins, including the "Founder's Pyramid", a surname marker, a county marker, a Civil War memorial, and a memorial soldier's bell. The George "Golden Hawk Sizemore" grave and monument[20] sits at the Mouth of Oakly Cemetery, and the Tip Top coal camp marker sits at the head of the creek.[21]

• Civil War Action - This marker, located near Puncheon Creek in Salyersville, states: "On mission to clear area of CSA forces, Col. Geo. W. Gallup with USA troops repulsed Confederate attack led by Lt. Colonel E. F. Clay at Paintsville April 13, 1864, and pursued enemy to this point. Union men attacked next day. Clay was mortally wounded: CSA suffered 60 casualties and 60 men, 200 horses, 400 saddles, 300 small-arms taken. USA sustained only slight losses."
• County Named, 1860 - This marker, located in downtown Salyersville, describes the biography of Gov. Beriah Magoffin, the county namesake.
• First Settlement - This marker at the eastern Salyersville city limits describes the founding of the town by European Americans.
• Ivy Point Skirmishes - This marker on Ivy Point Hill tells of skirmishes during the Civil War.
• Reuben Patrick Grave - This marker notes a Civil War action by Patrick, who also served as a Kentucky state legislator, 1863–1867.
• Wm. "Uncle Billie" Adams - This marker in the downtown tells a short biography of one of the founders.

Ramey Memorial Park - offers picnic shelters, picnic tables, a playground, a walking track, basketball courts, tennis courts, and baseball fields as well as a swimming pool (open during the summer). The park has access to a steel bridge that crosses the Licking River, connecting the park to the historic Pioneer Village and a monument commemorating veterans of war from Magoffin County.[22]