Corbin is
located along I-75 in the Southeastern
part of
Kentucky.
Corbin was called
Lynn Camp Territory before its three co-founders established it in the
late 1800's. Cofounders Nelson Cummins (owner of the land), James Eaton
(named Corbin) and David T. Chestnut (built houses) established the town
in 1884; Corbin was incorporated in 1902.
Eaton named the town
Cummins for the owner of the land, but later renamed it the following
year in honor of his friend Reverend James Corbin
Floyd.
Industrialized Corbin
in 1897, aside from the railroad shops and yards, consisted of two
sawmills, a shingle mill, two planning mills, a lumber company, a
cabinet shop, a brickyard, a tin shop and about 25 stores. The town
also had a bank, four doctors, three lawyers and 150 railroad men.
By 1900, the
population had grown to 1,500 and presently, the population is nearly
9,000 in the city of Corbin. Most of the
Corbin area lies in Whitley County, leaving the remaining area in Knox
and Laurel counties. It is also in the
center of the eastern half of the United States. City limits
include about 80 percent falling in Whitley County with remaining 20
percent in Knox County. |
|
The
population of the Corbin area is estimated at nearly 40,000.
Corbin is the home of Cumberland Falls
located at Cumberland Falls State Resort Park - part of the Daniel Boone
National Forest.
The Falls itself is 125 feet wide and
60 feet tall. It is known as the little Niagara. The mist of
Cumberland Falls creates the only Moonbow in the Western Hemisphere and
can be viewed at certain times each month during clear weather.
Corbin is also the birthplace of the
Original Colonel Sanders Cafe and Museum (Kentucky Fried Chicken). The
restaurant has been restored as a replica of the original and is now a
museum and dining room serving traditional Kentucky Fried Chicken
foods. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Corbin also boasts Laurel River
Lake - a 6,000 acre clear lake located within ten minutes of the city.
The lake is open for fishing, boating, swimming, picnicking, as well as
other lake activities. Laurel River Lake is a protected lake,
prohibiting the development of any housing or businesses on the lake
property. |
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