Vanover Precinct

Early History

This precinct lies directly south of the Lower Town precinct and is separated from it by Panther Creek. The western and southeastern portion contains a vast amount of coal.

Early Settlers

The first settlers of Vanover Precinct were the Crabtrees. There were four brothers—Moses, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Moses was the oldest of the family, and was a young married man, the others being in their teens. They all came at the same time, and were from Virginia, but the exact date of their settlement is not certainly known. The Potts family came in an early day; also, Thomas Minton, Andrew Kelly, one Mr. Jones and Abner Lea, all of whom, including the Crabtrees, settled in the western part of the precinct. Moses Crabtree became the father of sixteen children.

This part of the County was for a long while thinly-settled, and it is only after the 1860's that it has begun to be improved to any great extent. Part of the precinct is hilly and broken, but the hills are covered with good soil, and well adapted to farming. Narrows Bridge(Moseleyville) on Panther Creek, twelve miles from Owensboro, is the only post-office. The precinct was named after the numerous families of Vanovers who settled there around 1860, coming to the County from East Tennessee.

Towns in this Precinct

Businesses in this Precinct

Vanover Mill

Source: History of Daviess County, Kentucky. Chicago: Interstate Publishing Co., 1883. Print. An Illustrated Historical Atlas Map Of Daviess County, Ky. Published by Leo McDonough & Co. 1876.