This obelisk along US-23 / US-460 points out a Civil War battle that took place here. As a border…read morestate. quite a few groups of Union and Confederate soldiers passed through the area. This is one of those conflicts. The obelisk is about ten feet tall and has engravings on the front and back. There are also two caption markers but they have faded to the point of illegibility. The front of the monument reads, "Here, on Nov. 8, 1861, 300 men from Companies A & C, 5th Kentucky Infantry, C.S.A. and Companies B, C, & D, 1st Battalion Kentucky Mounted Rifles, C.S.A., commanded by Captain Andrew J. May, fought a delaying action against four Federal regiments; the 2nd Ohio Infantry, the 21st Ohio Infantry, the 59th Ohio Infantry, the 16th Kentucky Infantry, and a section of Battery D, 1st Ohio Light Artillery, commanded by General William "Bull" Nelson." And on the reverse, "Mustered into service just two weeks earlier and armed only with shotguns and squirrel rifles, May's Confederate mountaineers were outnumbered eight to one. Nevertheless, they detained Nelson's progress long enough to allow Colonel John S. Williams to vacate Piketon (Pikeville) and move the main body of Confederate troops to Pound Gap. Union losses were eight killed and twenty-four wounded. Confederate losses were ten killed and fifteen wounded." [Review 628 of 2025 - 319 in Kentucky - 24189 overall]

Would be a great history moment, but some of the plaques have weathered to the point they are…read moreunreadable. Hopefully state of Kentucky will fix it? Go to the nearby middle creek park for good civil war history!

Pike County is named for Zebulon Pike, who discovered Pikes Peak (Colorado). The courthouse…read morebuilding was completed in 1889 and was designed by the McDonald Brothers. It was remodeled extensively in the 1930s and still retains is Classical Revival design. The building has a symmetrical façade and a clock tower and a small square cupola. The first story has horizontal lined brickwork and the second and third stories have a light colored brick construction. The historical marker in front was erected in 1990 and points out some history, reading "Courthouse erected 1888-89 by McDonald Bros.; later renovated 1932-33. Here was scene of Hatfield clan trials for murders of Tolbert, Randolph, Jr., Pharmer, Alifair, and Calvin McCoy. The defendants lodged in adjacent jail; found guilty and sentenced to life in prison except Ellison Mounts, hanged February 18, 1890. Courthouse and jail part of Hatfield-McCoy Feud Historic Dist." It is marker number 1866 and was erected by the Kentucky Historical Society and the Kentucky Department of Highways. The grounds have a number of monuments and such. There is street parking and a parking deck nearby which also serves the adjacent Appalachian Wireless Arena. [Review 630 of 2025 - 321 in Kentucky - 24191 overall]

The historic Floyd County Courthouse in Prestonsburg was built in 1950 to replace an earlier…read morecourthouse that had stood on the same downtown site. It was designed in a restrained mid‑century interpretation of Classical Revival civic architecture, using pale brick, stone trim, and a symmetrical front elevation that reflected the courthouse traditions of the era. The building served as the center of county government for decades, housing the main courtroom, county offices, and record‑keeping functions. When the modern Floyd County Justice Center opened nearby, most judicial activity moved out, but the 1950 courthouse remained an important public building and a long‑standing landmark anchoring Prestonsburg's courthouse square. [Review 70 of 2026 - 332 in Kentucky - 25260 overall] [Note: This was a review of the historic Floyd County Courthouse but the Yelp machine renamed it to Floyd County Sheriff's.]

Officially the "Spirit of the American Doughboy", this serves as the war memorial for the citizens…read moreof Pikeville who fought for their country. This is a more modern one and does not mention the Civil War. Instead, it lists the names of those who served and died in more recent conflicts. This was originally just a World War I memorial, depicting an infantryman ("doughboy") advancing through barbed wire and battlefield debris, holding a rifle in his left hand and a grenade raised in his right. It was sculpted by E.M. Viquesney and is part of a series that were installed across the United States in the 1920s and 1930s. It stands in front of the Pike County Courthouse. On one side, "1917-1918. They gave their all in their country's service" followed by a list of names, trailing with "Lest We Forget" Again with "1941-1946" and "1950-1953" and "1961-1973". As they are listed in alphabetical order by last name, it's easy to see some families that lost more than one. Nine from the "Blackburn" family in the WWII list. Sad. [Review 629 of 2025 - 320 in Kentucky - 24190 overall]

The marker in front of the county courthouse points out the history of how the county got its name…read more It has the same text on both sides and reads, "For Col. John Floyd. Born Amherst County, Va., 1750. Led party to survey land now Kentucky, 1774. With George Rogers Clark's Indian expeditions. Back in Va., joined Colonial navy. Captured, taken to England. Escaped. Built Floyd's Station, 1779 or 80, near-by what is now Louisville. Named Lieut. of Jefferson Co., part of Va., 1781. Killed in Indian ambush, 1783." It is marker number 817 and it was erected in 1968 by the by Kentucky Historical Society and the Kentucky Department of Highways. Floyd County was created in 1800 from parts of Fleming, Montgomery, and Mason counties as settlement pushed up the Big Sandy Valley and the state looked to organize its eastern frontier. Prestonsburg became the county seat almost immediately, growing around the river trade and the courthouse that anchored the young community. Through the nineteenth century the county's history followed the familiar eastern Kentucky pattern of river commerce, timber, and coal, all layered onto the older frontier networks that the Floyd family helped establish. [Review 71 of 2026 - 333 in Kentucky - 25261 overall]

Magoffin County is steeped in the history of this country for over 150 years. Many of America's…read morefamilies traveled to or through this area. Forty years ago, several members of the Magoffin County community started marking cemeteries, many which have been abandoned. This developed into honoring founding families of this area. Eventually, the Magoffin County Historical Society was born. Their library is has an extensive collection of books with the information of local families. To help with expenses, the society began compiling and selling books with the genealogies of local surnames, as well as transcriptions of census records, marriage records, and cemeteries. These publications are available on the website. At one time in the Historical Society's history they had over 1,000 members. Today, Dorothy Shepherd mans the helm as the lead researcher. She is there most days, but if you plan a trip, it would be best to call her and set up an appointment. If you are researching surnames in eastern Kentucky, a stop at the Magoffin County Historical Society is a must.

We were staying in the area and someone told us about this battlefield. So we took a short drive…read moreout from Prestonsburg to see it. It is a very small area off the side of the road. There are interpretative signs that give the details of the battle. The Battle of Middle Creek was an engagement fought January 10, 1862, in Eastern Kentucky during the American Civil War. The battle, along with the Battle of Mill Springs, positioned the Union armies to invade Middle Tennessee. There are also small paths that you can take and walk out onto the field.

Well preserved piece of ground but beware the total battlefield is not part of this area. My own gr…read moregr gr grandfather and three of his sons, including my gr gr grandfather fought here with the 5th Kentucky CSA.

This is not an official State of Kentucky historical marker, it appears to be sponsored by Tour…read moreSouthern and Eastern Kentucky .com who no longer own http://tourseky.com/.It is at the intersection of South Lake Drive and West Court Street, on the right when traveling south on South Lake Drive and across from the courthouse. The marker reads, "The Battle of Middlecreek, Jan. 10, 1862, was the largest Civil War engagement in Eastern Kentucky. Northerner Col. James A. Garfield led his army into the entrenched forces of CSA General Humphrey Marshall. Control of the Pound Gap gateway into Virginia was vital. Garfield's cunning military leadership eventually propelled him to the Presidency of the U.S. Col Andrew J. May used his home on the Samuel May Farm as a recruiting station." Both sides struggled through steep terrain and winter conditions, turning the fight into a series of sharp, close‑range engagements along the creek and ridgelines. Garfield's men eventually pushed Marshall's outnumbered force into retreat, giving the Union control of the Big Sandy Valley. The victory helped secure eastern Kentucky for the Union. There is a small park adjacent and there is parking to stop and read the marker. [Review 68 of 2026 - 330 in Kentucky - 25258 overall]