Habit, Kentucky

1886 Directory Listing for Habit

Officially incorporated July 30th, 1884, the post office at Habit was established and named for the English born blacksmith, Frederick Habit. Habit was known as a thriving farm community and its focal point was Bethabara Baptist Church, one of the oldest churches in Daviess County. It was organized October 5th, 1825 by members from surrounding churches such as Yelvington and Panther Creek Baptist Churches. The Habit area was first settled by 1815, the year Daviess County was established. Until the late 1800s, the community was known as Bethabara, and some of the area’s earliest settlers were Kirks, Millers, Bristows, Barnhills, and Harrisons, just to name a few.

First School

The first school near Habit was Tribbel’s School House, named for Jack Tribbel, its first teacher. The school was organized in 1825, and located on the present site of the Bethabara Church Cemetery.

War Soldiers

During the Mexican and Civil Wars, Habit produced many soldiers, some of whom are buried in Bethabara Church Cemetery. Some of the most noteworthy Civil War Veterans include Squire Adams Camp and James H. Bozarth.

After the War

After the Civil War, Habit experienced rapid growth and by 1876, a general store had opened up across from the church. In 1886, the community of Habit had a physician, Dr. L.G. Armendt; Glass & Becker’s wagon maker’s shop; a post office; Habit & Coots blacksmith shop; Miller’s general merchandise store; school and a school teacher, Miss Mamie Miller; and, of course, Bethabara Baptist Church. Habit also at one time had a Masonic Lodge, a railroad station, a grist mill, and in 1889, a “summer hotel” ran by Hiram Bristow. The first post master of Habit was James C. Miller (1884-1891), followed by Henry C. Miller Jr. (1891-1903), and the last was James W. Harrison (1903-1906), and on September 29th, 1906 the post office closed, and the mail was then sent to Philpot.

Reference to an article by Isaac Settle