Editing Salyersville, Kentucky (section)

==History==

===Early history===
The hill overlooking the bend of the Licking River just downriver from the present town was fortified and settled {{circa|lk=no|1800}} by Archibald Prater, Ebenezer Hanna, and others. Originally known as "Prater's&nbsp;Fort", the community had become "Licking&nbsp;Station" by the time of its first post office in 1839.<ref name="ren" />

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 [[Tanning (leather)|tannery]], and a [[blacksmith]]y at the new location.<ref name=ren/>

In 1860, Magoffin County was formed from parts of the surrounding [[Floyd County, Kentucky|Floyd]], [[Johnson County, Kentucky|Johnson]], and [[Morgan County, Kentucky|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 [[Kentucky House of Representatives|State Rep]]. [[Samuel Salyer]], who sponsored the bill creating the new county.<ref>{{cite book|last=Collins|first=Lewis|title=History of Kentucky|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=F5FQAQAAIAAJ&pg=PA536|year=1877|page=536|isbn=9780722249208}}</ref> The post office changed the following year.<ref name=ren/>

During the [[American Civil War|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 [[Confederate States of America|Confederacy]], despite the general lack of [[slavery in the United States|slaves]] in the area. In 1864, [[Union Army|Union]] forces defeated a Confederate raiding force in the [[Battle of Salyersville]].{{Citation needed|date=January 2025|reason=No source for statements about Civil War in connection to Salyersville}}

Adams gave more land to the city in 1871 for the construction of a proper courthouse.{{citation needed|date=October 2013}} It was completed in 1890 and stood for 67 years before burning to the ground in 1957.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Magoffin County |url=https://courthouses.co/us-states/h-l/kentucky/magoffin-county/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220630141806/https://courthouses.co/us-states/h-l/kentucky/magoffin-county/ |archive-date=2022-06-30 |access-date=2025-01-28 |website=American Courthouses |language=en-US}}</ref>

===20th century===
Salyersville's first high school, the [[Magoffin County High School|Magoffin County Institute]], was founded in 1908 by A.C. Harlowe.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Preston |first=Todd |date=2017-02-02 |title=Feb 2, 2017 |url=https://sites.rootsweb.com/~kymhs/columns/2017/020217.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250114044740/https://sites.rootsweb.com/~kymhs/columns/2017/020217.htm |archive-date=2025-01-14 |access-date=2025-01-28 |website=The Salyersville Independent}}</ref>

The [[Great Depression in the United States|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. {{Citation needed|date=January 2025|reason=Cannot locate sources for impact of Great Depression on Salyersville}} 

In 1939, floods in February and July caused extensive property damage.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Marks |first=E. H. |url=https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/SERIALSET-10600_00_00-021-0261-0000/pdf/SERIALSET-10600_00_00-021-0261-0000.pdf |title=LICKING RIVER AT SALYERSVILLE, KY |date=1941-06-09 |publisher=U.S. House of Representatives |year=1941 |series=Document No. 261}}</ref> During the July event, the Licking River crested over {{convert|25|ft|abbr=on}}.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Schrader |first=Floyd |url=https://scholarworks.moreheadstate.edu/oh_flood_1939/26 |title=Notable Local Floods of 1939: Part 2. Flood of July 5, 1939 in Eastern Kentucky |date=1945 |publisher=Morehead State University ScholarWorks |year=1945}}</ref>

The [[Mountain Parkway]] opened in 1963, stretching west {{convert|76|mi|abbr=on}} from Salyersville to intersect with [[Interstate 64]] at a point just east of [[Winchester, Kentucky|Winchester]]. It enabled more tourists to visit the area, and [[heritage tourism]] began to help Salyersville develop a changed economy.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Mudd |first=Aaron |date=2023-07-28 |title=Kentucky has one of the most-feared (and scenic) routes in the US, driver survey shows |url=https://www.kentucky.com/news/state/kentucky/article277459788.html |url-status=live |access-date=2025-01-27 |website=Lexington Herald Leader}}</ref> 

The first Magoffin County Founder's Day Festival was held in 1979; the annual event continued until 2015.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Founders Days |url=https://sites.rootsweb.com/~kymhs/foundersday.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240906211131/https://sites.rootsweb.com/~kymhs/foundersday.htm |archive-date=2024-09-06 |access-date=2025-01-28 |website=sites.rootsweb.com}}</ref>

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.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Platt |first=Rachel |date=2024-12-16 |title=Christmas Song’s Covington Roots, Magoffin County Wild Elk, Finding Common Ground on Guns, and More |url=https://www.fraziermuseum.org/weekly/12-16-2024 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250128061825/https://www.fraziermuseum.org/weekly/12-16-2024 |archive-date=2025-01-28 |access-date=2025-01-28 |website=Frazier History Museum |language=en-US}}</ref>

===21st century===
{{see also|Tornado outbreak of March 2–3, 2012}}
Between 2002 and 2006, the third Magoffin County courthouse (erected in 1959 <ref>{{Cite web |last=Preston |first=Todd |date=2011-06-23 |title=Jun 23, 2011 |url=https://sites.rootsweb.com/~kymhs/columns/2011/062311.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250114044722/https://sites.rootsweb.com/~kymhs/columns/2011/062311.htm |archive-date=2025-01-14 |access-date=2025-01-28 |website=The Salyersville Independent}}</ref>) was demolished and replaced with a new Magoffin County Justice Center.<ref name=":0" />

On March 2, 2012, Salyersville was hit by a tornado, which caused extensive damage to many businesses and homes. No deaths were reported in Salyersville.<ref>{{Cite web |last=James |first=Connor |date=2020-03-02 |title=8 years later, many in Salyersville consider it a miracle no one died on March 2, 2012 |url=https://www.wymt.com/content/news/8-years-later-many-in-Salyersville-consider-it-a-miracle-no-one-died-on-March-2-2012--568413661.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200317073306/https://www.wymt.com/content/news/8-years-later-many-in-Salyersville-consider-it-a-miracle-no-one-died-on-March-2-2012--568413661.html |archive-date=2020-03-17 |access-date=2025-01-28 |website=WYMT |language=en}}</ref> The tornado was reported to be an EF3.<ref>{{Cite web |last=US Department of Commerce |first=NOAA |title=Summary of the March 2, 2012 Tornadoes |url=https://www.weather.gov/jkl/20120302_tornadoes |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150906061514/https://www.weather.gov/jkl/20120302_tornadoes |archive-date=2015-09-06 |access-date=2025-01-28 |website=www.weather.gov |language=EN-US}}</ref> Kentucky Governor [[Steve Beshear]] visited Salyersville and toured the eastern part of the state after the tornado outbreak.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2012-03-19 |title=Gov. Beshear makes another trip to West Liberty, Salyersville, Ky. |url=https://www.wdrb.com/news/gov-beshear-makes-another-trip-to-west-liberty-salyersville-ky/article_3d9ccc15-3b40-53a1-bf4d-d6f1f755703c.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250128055704/https://www.wdrb.com/news/gov-beshear-makes-another-trip-to-west-liberty-salyersville-ky/article_3d9ccc15-3b40-53a1-bf4d-d6f1f755703c.html |archive-date=2025-01-28 |access-date=2025-01-28 |website=WDRB |language=en}}</ref>