Editing Morehead, Kentucky (section)

==History==
===Initial settlement===
[[File:Moreheadky1890.jpg|thumb|upright=1.15|left|Morehead in 1890]]
The first European settlers came to Rowan County from [[Virginia]] following the end of the [[American Revolutionary War]] in 1783. In 1854, Morehead became the third community to be settled in the county. Colonel John Hargis founded the city after purchasing land in the area.<ref name="pearce">{{cite book|last=Pearce|first=John Ed|title=Days of Darkness: The Feuds of Eastern Kentucky|publisher=The University Press of Kentucky|year=2010|isbn=978-0813126579}}</ref> The city was named after [[James Turner Morehead (Kentucky politician)|James T Morehead]], a politician who served as governor of Kentucky from 1834 to 1836.<ref>{{cite book|last=Rennick|first=Robert|title=Kentucky Place Names|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=azPttlmsv24C|publisher=The University Press of Kentucky|year=1988|isbn=978-0813101798}}</ref> Rowan County came into existence in May 1856, seceding from parts of [[Morgan County, Kentucky|Morgan County]] and [[Fleming County, Kentucky|Fleming County]]. It was divided into four districts with Morehead being declared the county seat.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.kentuckystewarts.com/RowanCounty/RowanCountyHistory.htm|title=Early history of Rowan County as taken from the records of the first established {{as written|wom|ens [sic]}} club here|publisher=The Rowan County News|date=30 April 1936|access-date=26 February 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150227053423/http://www.kentuckystewarts.com/RowanCounty/RowanCountyHistory.htm|archive-date=27 February 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref> The formation of Rowan County was a political ploy to prevent Flemingsburg from moving its seat to Poplar Plains, and Morehead was selected as Rowan's seat because of its centrality.<ref name="blair">{{cite book|last1=Blair|first1=Juanita|last2=Brown|first2=Fred|title=The Story of Two Kentucky Feuds|url=http://www.kentuckystewarts.com/RowanCounty/RowanCountyHistory.htm|year=2000|access-date=2015-02-27|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150227053423/http://www.kentuckystewarts.com/RowanCounty/RowanCountyHistory.htm|archive-date=2015-02-27|url-status=dead}}</ref> Although it was smaller and less developed than the neighboring town of Farmers, it remained a significant city in the county due its status as county seat.<ref name="pearce"/> It was officially incorporated in 1869.<ref name="blair"/>

===Rowan County War===
{{Main|Rowan County War}}
[[File:LoganBooneforces.jpg|thumb|left|D.B. Logan's forces outside American Hotel]]
In the 1880s, Morehead became the central stage for a notorious conflict known as the [[Rowan County War]] or the Martin&ndash;Tolliver&ndash;Logan Feud.  During a number of skirmishes for the next few years, at least 20 people were killed and possibly 100 were wounded.  Beginning with an election-day barroom brawl, several gunfights took place in Morehead and the surrounding countryside. Eventually, a group led by Craig Tolliver seized political control of the town and installed allies in the county sheriff's and county attorney's offices as well as at the office of the town marshal. Several members of the opposing faction were arrested on trumped-up charges, and some were killed when the faction in power falsely claimed they had resisted arrest. The conflict gained national attention and on two occasions the governor sent troops to maintain order with little effect. Eventually a posse of as many as 100 individuals were organized and armed by Daniel Boone Logan with the tacit consent of [[list of Kentucky governors|Gov]]. [[J. Proctor Knott]] and Governor-elect [[Simon Bolivar Buckner, Sr.|Simon Buckner]].  In a dramatic two-hour gun battle through the center of Morehead, several Tollivers (including Craig) were killed and the Tollivers' control of the county was broken.  Two men were later acquitted for the murder of Craig Tolliver.<ref>''Kentucky Stuarts''. "[http://www.kentuckystewarts.com/RowanCounty/AFeuding.htm Feud In Rowan County] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060822143420/http://www.kentuckystewarts.com/RowanCounty/AFeuding.htm |date=2006-08-22 }}"</ref><ref>McConkey, James. ''Rowan's Progress''. Pantheon Books, 1992.</ref> [[Morehead State University]] was established as an indirect result of the feud. After the state militia came to settle the feud, the [[Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)|Disciples of Christ]] established a church and school which served as the forerunner to the university.<ref name="courier"/>

===20th century===
[[File:Hope Pregnancy Care Center on Main Street in Morehead.jpg|thumb|Main Street in Morehead]]
The industry improved in the early 20th century. It was considered an important shipping center in the region, and the city of [[Chesapeake, Ohio]] even carried out developments on the road system of Morehead. Its abundance of lumber, [[fire clay]], farm products and gas made it an active center of industry, of which was mainly oriented towards agriculture. The close proximity of the [[Licking River (Kentucky)|Licking River]] helped ensure the population would flourish.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn86069675/1910-07-20/ed-1/seq-14/#date1=1836&index=0&rows=20|title=Home of colleges, churches and culture--is a flourishing little city of 1800 and the county seat of Rowan County--rapidly advancing in commerce and industry.|publisher=The Mt. Sterling advocate|date=20 July 1910|access-date=27 February 2015}}</ref> In the 1920s, the city refocused its efforts towards fire clay extraction amidst the dwindling prices of timber. One of the first transcontinental auto trails in the US, the [[Midland Trail]], was connected to Morehead in 1929.<ref name="kenc">{{cite book|author1=John E. Kleber |author2=Thomas D. Clark |author3=Lowell H. Harrison |author4=James C. Klotter |title=The Kentucky Encyclopedia|location=Lexington|publisher=University Press of Kentucky|chapter=Morehead|year=1992|isbn=9780813159010}}</ref>

In July 1939, a number of business and hotels located on Mainstreet were caught in a raging fire following [[Independence Day (United States)|Independence Day]] celebrations which went awry.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/13535119/|title=Hotel at Morehead is Razed by Flames|date=5 July 1939|work=Portsmouth Daily Times|access-date=3 September 2017|via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> The town's [[Pack Horse Library Project|pack horse library]] center was burned down as well.<ref name=":0" /> Only 24 hours afterwards, the town was badly affected by flash flooding.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.kyforward.com/morehead-remembers-kentuckys-worst-flash-flood-on-75th-anniversary-of-deadly-event/|title=Morehead remembers 'Kentucky's worst flash flood' on 75th anniversary of deadly event|publisher=kyforward.com|date=26 June 2014|access-date=27 February 2015}}</ref> At least 25 people died, and thousands had to receive vaccinations for [[Typhoid fever]]. The property costs incurred by the flooding were estimated at $1,000,000, while the damage inflicted on crops and farms caused an economic loss of about $500,000.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.gendisasters.com/kentucky/19647/morehead-ky-other-areas-flash-flooding-july-1939|title=Morehead, KY (Other Areas), Flash Flooding, July 1939|publisher=gendisasters.com|access-date=27 February 2015}}</ref>

[[File:Morehead State parking lot view.jpg|thumb|View of [[Morehead State University]]]]
In the early 1960s, efforts were underway to establish a local hospital. An agreement was eventually reached with the Sisters of Notre Dame in [[Covington, Kentucky]] in which the sisters would assume responsibility for operating the proposed hospital. In July 1963, St Claire's Medical Center was opened with a 41-bed capacity.<ref>{{cite journal|vauthors=Jeanette M, Bolt D |title=A success story in rural Kentucky|journal=Health Progress|date=September 1988|volume=69|issue=7|pages=53–9|pmid=10288937}}</ref> Transport in and out of the city was greatly improved in 1969 after the completion of [[Interstate 64]] to the north.<ref name="kenc"/>

After the logging and extraction industries lost momentum in eastern Kentucky during the mid-1900s, the city invested heavily in developing Morehead State University as a means to secure economic growth.<ref name="kenc"/> Morehead also sought to capitalize on tourism by ameliorating its natural attractions. Hiking trails were created through [[Cave Run Lake]] in the 1960s and 1970s,<ref name="hikingt">{{cite web|url=http://www.themoreheadnews.com/sports/local_sports/forest-service-seeks-comments-hosts-open-house-on-cave-run/article_7dcff2af-2e6f-5cc1-bcba-6dab5058ac68.html|title=Forest Service seeks comments, hosts open house on Cave Run Trails project|publisher=The Morehead News|date=13 November 2009|access-date=28 January 2016}}</ref> and in 1974, tourism was further boosted when Cave Run Lake was impounded by the city.<ref name="courier"/> By 1990, Morehead State University had become the largest employer in the city.<ref name="kenc"/>

===21st century===
In 2015, [[Kim Davis]] of Morehead gained international attention after she defied a federal court order requiring that as Clerk of Rowan County she issue a marriage license to a same-sex couple.<ref>{{cite news | last = Jones | first = Clair | title = Why Kim Davis Should Not Be the Poster Child for Morehead, Kentucky Beliefs | work = Huffington Post | date = September 13, 2015 | url = http://www.huffingtonpost.com/clair-jones/why-kim-davis-should-not-_b_8125252.html}}</ref>

The [[Downtown Morehead Historic District]] was listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]] in 2022.