Elko, Kentucky
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Elko | |
|---|---|
  Elko Location within the state of Kentucky  Elko Elko (the United States) | |
| Coordinates: 37°9′42.17″N 86°8′6.92″W / 37.1617139°N 86.1352556°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Kentucky |
| County | Edmonson |
| Settled | Early 1800s |
| Vacated | 1938 |
| Elevation | 738 ft (225 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| GNIS feature ID | 507924[1] |
Elko was an unincorporated community in eastern Edmonson County in south-central Kentucky, United States. It was one of a few settlements in eastern Edmonson County that were displaced for the area to become a portion of Mammoth Cave National Park.
The first settlers to have lived in the community, consisting of at least five families, arrived in the early 1800s. The first building was a log schoolhouse, which doubled as a church, that was completed in 1861; the original building was demolished to make way for its current building, which was completed in 1900. Prior to 1934, Elko was a thriving farming community that was home to several houses, a school, and a post office,[2] along with a few businesses such as a general store as well as a church, the Pleasant Union United Baptist Church (later renamed as the Joppa Missionary Baptist Church).[3] The community may have previously been known as Joppa because of the name of the church,[4] or because of its location within the area known as Joppa Ridge.
Between 1934 and 1936, the National Park Service (NPS) began purchasing the farmsteads in the areas using funds donated by the Mammoth Cave National Park Association, a private organization that was formed in Bowling Green by private wealthy citizens in 1925; other tracts were acquired by means of eminent domain.[5] All of Elko's residents were relocated by around 1938. The area officially became a portion of Mammoth Cave National Park upon its dedication on July 1, 1941.
