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Thank you for your interest in LaRue County, a small community in central Kentucky that is the birthplace of Abraham Lincoln. In LaRue County, we gladly celebrate our past, appreciate our present, and anticipate a bright future!
In 1780, a group of pioneers ventured into what is now LaRue County, and established Phillip's Fort along the Nolin River. The fort served to protect a mill on the river built by Robert Hodgen in 1788. Among Hodgen's early customers were Thomas and Nancy Hanks Lincoln, parents of the future president. In 1818, Hodgen's widow, Sarah, petitioned the courts to establish a town near the area of the mill, to be called Hodgenville. The town officially incorporated as a city in 1839, and became the county seat of LaRue County when it was set off from nearby Hardin County in 1843.
Towards the end of the 19th century, national attention focused on Hodgenville as the place of Lincoln's birth. The Lincoln Farm Association composed of such noted people as Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain), Robert Collier, and William Howard Taft, purchased Lincoln's birthplace in 1906 "for the purpose of honoring and perpetuating the memory of Abraham Lincoln." The group eventually raised $350,000 to build an appropriate memorial to our nation's 16th President, which stands today on the Sinking Spring Farm as a testament to their respect for Lincoln. In 1909, during the Centennial or 100th year of Lincoln's birth, local, state and national leaders raised funds to place a statue of Lincoln by noted New York sculptor Adolph A. Weinman on Hodgenville's town square. Now, almost 100 years after the statue was dedicated, it remains a symbol of the town's pride in its most famous native son, and is a popular spot for souvenir photos.
Each year, LaRue County celebrates Lincoln Days, the second weekend of October, which brings thousands of visitors to our community. The festival is noted for its annual Lincoln and Mary Todd Lincoln Look-Alike contests, Little Abe and Sarah costume contest, rail splitting competitions, parade, pioneer games, arts, crafts, festival foods, antique tractor and engine show, classic cars, musical entertainment, clogging, and other activities.
For additional festival information, please visit the Lincoln Days website at www.lincolndays.com, or contact the LaRue County Chamber of Commerce.
LaRue County boasts an outstanding school system, with three area elementary schools, one intermediate school (5-6 grades), one middle school (7-8 grades) and one high school. In addition to a range of school athletic programs, there are active youth soccer, baseball, football and softball programs in the area. Our LaRue County Park provides swimming and tennis facilities, along with fields for youth baseball, softball and soccer games. The LaRue County Golf Course, situated conveniently between the Hodgenville and Buffalo communities, features 18 holes. Just one block away from historic downtown Hodgenville is Creekfront Park, a city-owned facility with walking trails that are handicapped accessible. Area streams, lakes and ponds provide prime bass and crappie fishing, and hunting for deer, wild turkey, doves, squirrels or rabbit are popular sports.
The LaRue County Environmental Education and Research facility opened in 2005, and is just 3 miles from downtown Hodgenville. The center serves as an outdoor classroom and recreation area for walking, jogging or non-motorized hiking along a 4, 400-foot chip seal trail.
The center is open and the public is welcome. For further information on visiting the center, call the LaRue County Office of Community & Economic Development, 270-358-9903.
Major employers in the county include the LaRue County Board of Education, Nationwide Uniform, Clayton Homes, and Sunrise Manor Nursing Home, an award-winning residential and adult day-care facility in Hodgenville. The LaRue County Industrial Foundation, LaRue County Office of Community and Economic Development and the LaRue County Chamber of Commerce work hand-in-hand to attract new businesses and industry to our county. Downtown Hodgenville boasts an active Hodgenville Main Street/Renaissance Association, and the town was recently chosen by First Lady Laura Bush as a Preserve America community. The historic town square features antiques and craft shops, restaurants, consignment stores, gifts, barber shops and beauty salons, The Sweet Shoppe, featuring homemade fudge, and several professional offices.
The Hodgenville Rotary Club, Lion's Clubs in Hodgenville, Magnolia, and Buffalo, and the LaRue County Genealogy Society are among the many active civic organizations in our community. LaRue County also supports a thriving religious community of many faiths, and there are several historic church buildings in the area, including the Hodgenville Christian Church, circa 1877, on Lincoln Square and the Nolin Baptist Church , which celebrated the 200th year of its founding in 2003.
As you can see, LaRue County is a great place to work, live, or just stop by for a visit! We are about an hour's drive from Louisville, Lexington, Bowling Green, and Mammoth Cave, and just minutes from Bardstown or Elizabethtown. In LaRue County, our history is never far away!
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