Utica, Kentucky: Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 21:21, 20 August 2026

Utica, Kentucky
Type	Unincorporated community
County	Daviess County
State	Kentucky
Settled	1795
Former name	Lewis Station (1869)
Named for	Uriah “Ute” McKay, postmaster
Post office	Established c. 1871
Railroad	Owensboro & Russellville Railroad, 1871–1984
Location	About 12 miles from Owensboro on U.S. 431

Utica is an unincorporated community in Daviess County, Kentucky, about twelve miles from Owensboro on U.S. Highway 431. Settled in 1795 and known for a time as Lewis Station, the village took the name Utica when a post office was established shortly after the railroad reached it in 1871. Milling, timber, coal, and oil sustained the town through its most prosperous years, and it remains a small residential community today.

Settlement

In 1795 Capt. Benjamin Field, who fought in the Revolutionary War, and his wife settled about twelve miles from what is now Owensboro. They chose the site because of abundant timber, rich soil, and plenty of wild game.

By 1805 there were four houses in the settlement when Robert McFarland bought 200 acres in the area and supposedly made the first whiskey and brandy ever made in Daviess County.

The area became a village with the arrival of R.M. Lewis, who bought a large farm and began raising thoroughbred horses.

Lewis Station and the Railroad

Lewis gave the ground for the first railroad and station in Daviess County in 1869, and the name of the community was changed to Lewis Station. In 1871 the Owensboro & Russellville Railroad was opened from Owensboro through Lewis Station.

Passenger service on the line was discontinued in 1941, and freight service ended in 1984.

The name was changed to Utica in honor of the postmaster, Uriah “Ute” McKay, when the post office was established shortly after the railroad was built.

Business and Industry

By the 1880s the town had a blacksmith shop, undertaking establishment, millinery shop, barber shop, feather renovator, flour and grist mill, livery stable, canning factory, wagon maker, drug store, bank, hotel, and shoe shop — and aspirations to be a metropolitan area.

Two millers, Henry Wilhite and Aaron Leet, merged their businesses in 1882 to create the largest mill in the area. People came from miles away and spent the night to have their grain milled. Mill Street is the only remembrance of that thriving business today.

An interesting business was the “feather renovator.” Wagons would gather up soiled feather beds and pillows and take them to the renovator to be cleaned, then deliver them back to the owners.

In 1912 Nestor Howard operated a canning factory briefly.

Oil and coal were important resources. Many abandoned coal mines can still be seen around Utica. The oil boom of the 1920s and 1930s brought prosperity to the village and surrounding areas.

Physicians

The earliest doctors were H.O. Ayer and E.A. Lackland. By the late 1880s Drs. Hardwick, C.T. Thomas, and W.E. Holmes were practicing in Utica.

Transportation

In 1900 Bert Haley drove his “Utica Stagecoach” all around to pick up and deliver items on trips to Owensboro. Homer O’Flynn ran a similar business, carrying everything from passengers to chickens.

Not until 1927 was a new graveled road, following the present U.S. 431, built between Utica and Owensboro.

Churches

The first church building in Utica was opened in 1857. Enslaved people made up a significant part of the congregation, numbering from 11 in 1861 to 28 in 1864. After the Civil War a new church was established for the Black members, and Bethlehem Church was organized about 1867.

Schools

There was a one-room school located two miles southwest of Utica. Another one-room school was built in the village and later enlarged, becoming the Utica Normal School in 1899.

A new school was built from 1939 to 1941 as a W.P.A. project. It closed in 2008 and was replaced with a new school, Southern Oaks at Sutherland.

Utica Today

As of 2015, Utica had two grocery stores, two churches, a fire department, a Dollar General store, and a post office.

Reference to an article by Shirley Trunnell and Alice Hicks

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-In 1795 Capt. Benjamin Field,who fought in the Revolutionary
+<div style="float:right; clear:right; margin:0 0 1em 1em;">
-War, and his wife settled about twelve miles from what is
+{| style="width:260px; font-size:90%; border:1px solid #aaa; border-collapse:collapse; background:#ffffff; color:#222222;"
-now Owensboro. They chose the site because of abundant timber,
+|-
-rich soil, and plenty of wild game. By 1805, there were 4 houses
+! colspan="2" style="background:#2b4162; color:#ffffff; text-align:center; font-size:115%;" | Utica, Kentucky
-in the settlement when Robert McFarland bought 200 acres in
+|-
-the area and supposedly made the first whiskey and brandy ever
+| '''Type''' || Unincorporated community
-made in Daviess County. The area became a village with the arrival
+|-
-of R.M. Lewis who bought a large farm and began raising
+| '''County''' || [[Daviess County, Kentucky|Daviess County]]
-thoroughbred horses. He gave the ground for the first railroad and
+|-
-station in Daviess County in 1869 and the name was changed to
+| '''State''' || Kentucky
-Lewis Station. In 1871 the Owensboro & Russellville Railroad
+|-
-was opened from Owensboro through Lewis Station. Passenger
+| '''Settled''' || 1795
-service on the line was discontinued in 1941, and freight service
+|-
-ended in 1984.
+| '''Former name''' || Lewis Station (1869)
+|-
+| '''Named for''' || Uriah “Ute” McKay, postmaster
+|-
+| '''Post office''' || Established c. 1871
+|-
+| '''Railroad''' || Owensboro &amp; Russellville Railroad, 1871–1984
+|-
+| '''Location''' || About 12 miles from Owensboro on U.S. 431
+|}
+</div>
-The name was changed to Utica in honor of the post master
+'''Utica''' is an unincorporated community in [[Daviess County, Kentucky|Daviess County]], Kentucky, about twelve miles from [[Owensboro, KY|Owensboro]] on U.S. Highway 431. Settled in 1795 and known for a time as Lewis Station, the village took the name Utica when a post office was established shortly after the railroad reached it in 1871. Milling, timber, coal, and oil sustained the town through its most prosperous years, and it remains a small residential community today.
-Uriah “Ute” McKay when the post office was established shortly
-after the railroad was built. By the 1880’s, the town had a blacksmith
-shop, undertaking establishment, millinery shop, barber
-shop, feather renovator, flour and grist mill, livery stable, canning
-factory, wagon maker, drug store, bank, hotel and shoe shop and
-aspirations to be a metropolitan area. Two millers, Henry Wilhite
-and Aaron Leet merged their businesses in 1882 to create
-the largest mill in the area. People came from miles away and
-spent the night to have their grain milled. Mill Street is the only
-remembrance of that thriving business today.
-The earliest doctors were H.O. Ayer and E.A. Lackland, by
+==Settlement==
-the late 1880’s Drs. Hardwick, C.T. Thomas, and W.E. Holmes
+In 1795 Capt. Benjamin Field, who fought in the Revolutionary War, and his wife settled about twelve miles from what is now Owensboro. They chose the site because of abundant timber, rich soil, and plenty of wild game.
-were practicing in Utica.
-In 1900 Bert Haley drove his “Utica Stagecoach” all around
+By 1805 there were four houses in the settlement when Robert McFarland bought 200 acres in the area and supposedly made the first whiskey and brandy ever made in Daviess County.
-to pick up and deliver items on trips to Owensboro. Homer
-O’Flynn ran a similar business, carrying everything from passengers
-to chickens.
-Not until 1927 was a new graveled road, following the present
+The area became a village with the arrival of R.M. Lewis, who bought a large farm and began raising thoroughbred horses.
-U.S. 431, built between Utica and Owensboro.
-An interesting business was the “Feather Renovator”. Wagons
-would gather up soiled feather beds and pillows and take
-them to the “renovator” to be cleaned, then they would be delivered
-back to the owners.
-In 1912, Nestor Howard operated a canning factory briefly.
+==Lewis Station and the Railroad==
-Oil and coal were important resources. Many abandoned coal
+Lewis gave the ground for the first railroad and station in Daviess County in 1869, and the name of the community was changed to Lewis Station. In 1871 the Owensboro &amp; Russellville Railroad was opened from Owensboro through Lewis Station.
-mines can still be seen around Utica. The oil boom of the ‘20’s
-and ‘30’s brought prosperity to the village and surrounding areas.
-The first church building in Utica was opened in 1857. There
+Passenger service on the line was discontinued in 1941, and freight service ended in 1984.
-were many slaves attending the church, ranging from 11 in 1861
-to 28 in 1864. After the Civil War, a new church was established
-for the black members. Bethlehem Church was organized about
-. There was a one-room school located two miles southwest
-of Utica; another one room school was built in the village, later
-enlarged, it became the Utica Normal School in 1899. Later a
-new school would be built from 1939 to 1941, as a W.P.A. Project.
-The school closed in 2008 and was replaced with a new
-school, Southern Oaks at Sutherland.
-In 2015, Utica has two grocery stores, two churches, a fire
+The name was changed to Utica in honor of the postmaster, Uriah “Ute” McKay, when the post office was established shortly after the railroad was built.
-department, a Dollar General Store and post office.
+==Business and Industry==
+[[File:1886-Utica.jpg|thumb|385x385px|1886 Directory Listing for Utica]]
+By the 1880s the town had a blacksmith shop, undertaking establishment, millinery shop, barber shop, feather renovator, flour and grist mill, livery stable, canning factory, wagon maker, drug store, bank, hotel, and shoe shop — and aspirations to be a metropolitan area.
+Two millers, Henry Wilhite and Aaron Leet, merged their businesses in 1882 to create the largest mill in the area. People came from miles away and spent the night to have their grain milled. Mill Street is the only remembrance of that thriving business today.
+An interesting business was the “feather renovator.” Wagons would gather up soiled feather beds and pillows and take them to the renovator to be cleaned, then deliver them back to the owners.
+In 1912 Nestor Howard operated a canning factory briefly.
+Oil and coal were important resources. Many abandoned coal mines can still be seen around Utica. The oil boom of the 1920s and 1930s brought prosperity to the village and surrounding areas.
+==Physicians==
+The earliest doctors were H.O. Ayer and E.A. Lackland. By the late 1880s Drs. Hardwick, C.T. Thomas, and W.E. Holmes were practicing in Utica.
+==Transportation==
+In 1900 Bert Haley drove his “Utica Stagecoach” all around to pick up and deliver items on trips to Owensboro. Homer O’Flynn ran a similar business, carrying everything from passengers to chickens.
+Not until 1927 was a new graveled road, following the present U.S. 431, built between Utica and Owensboro.
+==Churches==
+The first church building in Utica was opened in 1857. Enslaved people made up a significant part of the congregation, numbering from 11 in 1861 to 28 in 1864. After the Civil War a new church was established for the Black members, and Bethlehem Church was organized about 1867.
+==Schools==
+There was a one-room school located two miles southwest of Utica. Another one-room school was built in the village and later enlarged, becoming the Utica Normal School in 1899.
+A new school was built from 1939 to 1941 as a W.P.A. project. It closed in 2008 and was replaced with a new school, Southern Oaks at [[Sutherland, Kentucky|Sutherland]].
+==Utica Today==
+As of 2015, Utica had two grocery stores, two churches, a fire department, a Dollar General store, and a post office.
 ''Reference to an article by Shirley Trunnell and Alice Hicks''
 [[Category:Towns]]
+[[Category:Daviess County, Kentucky]]

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