Bon Jellico, Kentucky was a tiny coal mining community in Whitley County near Williamsburg in the foothills of Kentucky. More than a collection of houses, a coal mine, a school, a few hundred coal miners, it was people who worked, studied, played, suffered, and lived together. Although Bon Jellico as a mining camp existed only about 25 years (ending with the closing of the mine in 1937), the kinship of those people and their descendents and the stories of “Bon” have survived. To those people and to future generations who will hear of Bon Jellico and wonder, this web site is dedicated.

   This information is a collage compiled from notes and interviews with former Bon Jellico residents, from Bon Jellico era documents, and from newspaper articles. Where possible, quotes from these interviews are included in an effort to preserve and convey the words of Bon residents. Also where applicable, the information source(s) are indicated.

   We recognize and are grateful for the contributions to this site of the many Bon residents including Lovitt, Pemberton, Fritts, Kirklin, and Brown family members. We especially recognize the interviews with Earl Lovitt by Williamsburg Grade School project, circa 1984 as well as his archives shared with this site by his family; for the ‘memories’ of Velma Pemberton Papineau Decker; and for the family member interviews of Alene Kirklin Horner.

   This site is a work-in-progress. We know many Bon Jellico stories and memories are “waiting to be shared and preserved.” We sincerely invite you to send comments, questions, and additional material. We anticipate and look forward to making updates and additions to the site semi-annually.

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Remembering Bon Jellico is proud to be a KYGenWeb Special Project site. Lynn Stenglein - Project Coordinator Sherri Bradley - Asst. Project Coordinator Problems? Contact the webmaster.

© 2007-present Remembering Bon Jellico. All files on this website are copyrighted by their submitter and creator. They may be linked to, but may not be reproduced on another website or in any other form, without specific permission of the submitter, owner, publisher and this site moderator. Although public records are as such not copyrightable, the manner in which they are presented, including the notes, comments, etc. are. The information on this site is provided free of charge, by volunteers, for your personal use only.