Lewis County

Lewis County, located in far northeastern Kentucky, was formed in 1806 and named for explorer Meriwether Lewis. The county was once teeming with industry as a supplier of finished goods and agricultural products. Historically, the county's proximity to the Ohio River allowed the export of
timber and salt, and in the 1800s, railroad transportation made Lewis County an influential source of railroad ties, boat-building materials, and barrels. In later years, the area was most popular for its health resorts, spas, and sulfur waters, which attracted visitors from as far as New York and Chicago. The images in this volume depict the county's military influence, as Lewis Countians had strong allegiance to the Union during the Civil War. The photographs featured in Images of America: Lewis County have been drawn from the archive of the Vanceburg Depot
Museum and from various private collections.

Dr. William M. Talley is a retired university professor who taught and supervised graduate students at McGill University (Montreal) for 30 years. His lifelong interest has been the genealogy and history of northeastern Kentucky. Since 1997, Talley has written a weekly history column for the Lewis County Herald. Paula Franke is also a retired university professor and currently serves as production editor and webmaster for the Lewis County Herald.