Moseleyville, Kentucky

Moseleyville, Kentucky
Type	Former community
County	Daviess County
State	Kentucky
Former names	Narrowville, Narrows, Narrows Bridge
Mill built	c. 1830, by Johnathan Barnett
Post office	1842–1909 (under several names)
Coal mines	Seven within a mile by 1902
Location	Lower Panther Creek bottoms

Moseleyville was a community in the lower Panther Creek bottoms of Daviess County, Kentucky, which grew up around a grist mill and passed through four names before settling on Moseleyville in 1886.

The Mill

Settlement came slowly to the lower Panther Creek bottoms, but there were enough farmers working the rich lands of the area to justify a mill. Sometime about 1830, Johnathan Barnett built a water-powered grist mill on the creek near a spot called Narrows. Around 1860, the mill was fully equipped to grind wheat into flour and to saw lumber. The mill was later bought by the Vanover family and was afterward known as Vanover's Mill. The mill was destroyed by fire in 1900, but by then a little settlement had grown up around the site.

Names and Post Office

It was first called Narrowville, and a post office was established there in 1842. The office was discontinued in 1845, then re-established as Narrows in 1850. In 1852 the office was again closed, reopening as Narrows Bridge in 1867. It closed again in 1870, and reopened as Moseleyville in 1886. Postal service ended in 1909, but the name remained. At various times Jesse B. Moseley, Presley T. Moseley and John P. Moseley all served as postmasters.

Tile Factory

The Clark Manufacturing Company built a factory in Moseleyville in 1895 to manufacture field drainage tiles, bricks, and blocks. Products were shipped by barge down Panther Creek to Green River and on to markets as far away as Illinois. The facility was torn down in 1973.

Coal Mining

Coal seams were found in the hillsides, and by 1902 there were seven mines operating within a mile of the town. Among the mines were the Bramer, English, Nation, Rafferty, Wood, Vanover, Miller, Vowels and Church.

Schools

The tile plant and coal mines meant jobs, and as the population grew there came the need for a school. About 1900 the first school was built in the home of Jack Moseley, with "about" thirty-five students.

The modern school building was built in 1927 and named for County Superintendent J.W. Snyder, and in 1930 a house was built next door for the principal, J.R. Martin.

Miller Lakes

In 1939, T.P. Miller constructed Miller Lakes, which had a swimming lake, a fishing lake, a small zoo and other attractions. Miller's sons, Hal and Tom, later developed Windy Hollow Lake and Restaurant, and the Windy Hollow Racetrack. The Miller Mines Company Store was located at the site of the race track.

With reference to Roger Berry article