Estill County, Kentucky
Timeline compiled by Norwood Thorpe
Originally published in the ECHGS newsletter and used with their permission
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1782 | Captain James Estill killed in battle by Indians at "Big Mountain", now called Mt. Sterling. [pursuit began at Fort Boonesborough] |
| 1785 | Madison County formed from Lincoln County |
| 1792 | Kentucky established as a State |
| 1792 | Clark Co. formed from Fayette and Bourbon counties |
| 1800 | Green Clay buys "Sweet Springs" [Estill Springs] |
| 1808 | Estill Co. formed from Madison & Clark Counties [50th] |
| 1808 | Estill Co. erects its first courthouse of logs |
| 1809 | Estill Co. erects a jail made of logs |
| 1810 | Estill Co. shows a population of 2,082 |
| 1812 | The town of Irvine established [town plat included] |
| 1812 | Estill County men enlist for the War of 1812. [under Green Clay] |
| 1820 | Estill Co. shows a population of 3,507 |
| 1830 | Estill Steam Iron Ore Furnace erected |
| 1830 | Estill County's first brick Court House erected |
| 1830 | Estill Co. shows a population of 4,618 |
| 1835 | Revolutionary Vet. Elisha Witt dies |
| 1840 | Estill Co. shows a population of 5,535 |
| 1843 | Owsley County formed from a part of Estill County |
| 1844 | The Rev. Joseph Proctor dies |
| 1844 | Irvine Lodge #137 is chartered |
| 1847 | Estill Co. men enlist for the Mexican-American War |
| 1850 | Estill Co. shows a population of 5,985 |
| 1851 | Kentucky's new constitution requires that all county offices be elected by the people |
| 1852 | Powell County formed from part of Estill County |
| 1854 | Cottage Furnace erected |
| 1857 | Ed Hawkins 1st Estill County man hanged for his crimes |
| 1859 | Bibb Lodge #368 is chartered |
| 1860 | Estill Co. shows a population of 6,886. [includes 600 slaves] |
| 1861 | The 8th Kentucky Vol. Inf. Reg. [Federal] organized at Estill Springs |
| 1863 | Jesse Crowe hanged by a mob |
| 1863 | Estill County soldiers [8th KY] place flag on Lookout Mountain |
| 1864 | Joe Finnell hanged for his crimes |
| 1865 | Estill County court held at the Methodist Church on Main St. in Irvine |
| 1865 | Old courthouse taken down |
| 1868 | Estill County's third courthouse erected [completed in 1870] |
| 1868 | Estill Lodge #469 is chartered at Spout Springs |
| 1869 | Fitchburg Furnace [twin stack] erected |
| 1870 | W.W. Pigg begins stage coach service between Richmond and Irvine [scheduled 4 hours running time] |
| 1870 | Lee County is formed from part of Estill County |
| 1870 | Court held in new courthouse |
| 1875 | Stafford Lodge #562 is chartered |
| 1890 | First train arrives in Irvine |
| 1890 | State coach passenger service is discontinued between Richmond and Irvine |
| 1890 | New jail built for Estill County |
| 1890 | The "Estill Eagle" newspaper begins publication |
| 1892 | William Puckett hanged for his crimes |
| 1894 | Elic Richardson hanged by a mob |
| 1896 | The "Spout Springs Times" newspaper begins publication |
| 1898 | Estill County men enlist for the Spanish-American War |
| 1900 | The Mowbry-Robinson Lumber Company built at West Irvine |
| 1905 | Estill Collegiate Institute incorporated |
| 1906 | The "Spout Springs Times" is moved to Clay City in Powell County and becomes the "Clay City Times" |
| 1907 | The Irvine Telephone Company incorporated |
| 1909 | Irvine Toll Bridge incorporated |
| 1913 | The "Irvine Sun" newspaper begins publication |
| 1913 | The "Estill Tribune" newspaper begins publication |
| 1915 | The L&N RR Company builds East Kentucky Headquarters in Ravenna |
| 1916 | Estill County Board of Education buys the Estill Collegiate Institute for $7,500 |
| 1917 | Oil boom in Estill County |
| 1917 | Estill County men enlist for World War I |
| 1921 | The town of Ravenna is incorporated |
| 1924 | Estill Springs Hotel burns down and not rebuilt |
| 1927 | The "Estill Herald" newspaper begins publication |
| 1930 | Estill County shows a population of 17,000 plus |
| 1932 | Carhartts starts sewing factory in Irvine |
| 1932 | The Estill Herald, the Irvine Times, & the Estill Tribune published weekly |
| 1938 | Work is started to take down the old courthouse |
| 1939 | Work is started by the WPA to build a new courthouse |
| 1939 | Arnold Powell and Bonnie Griffin sent to the electric chair |
| 1940 | Old railroad bridge at Irvine demolished for war purposes |
| 1940 | New bridge built across the Kentucky River at Irvine |
| 1945 | Estill County had 66 soldiers killed during WWII |
| 1958 | Estill County celebrated its 150th birthday |
| 1961 | Tornado rips through Ravenna, injuring several people |
| 1990-1990 | Estill County census shows a population of over 14,000 |
| 1998 | Irvine, Ravenna & Hargett schools closed |
| 1999 | Work commences on new By-Pass for Irvine |