Wyoming, Bath County, Kentucky
Lost in History
Wyoming Precinct in 1884
Wyoming existed for a few decades in the late 1800's. It was located on the western bank of the
Licking River. The Licking River is one of the more historic waterways in our area, and in the area of old
Wyoming, formed the eastern boundary of Bath County where it abutts Fleming County.
There appears to have been a steam ford or a ferry crossing of the Licking River
at the northeasterly edge of the community.
Often small side streams entering a river wash out the bank of the river and create easy access points to
the river for horse and vehicular traffic. These sometimes evolve into formal fording places,
and if they are in a strategic location, the eventual site of a ferry operation. One may speculate
as to whether the development of the river crossing or the sighting of the town came first and later gave
gave rise to the other.
The hopeful community of Wyoming in 1884
Street and residence plat of Wyoming
Aerial view of where Wyoming once stood
Aerial view of where Wyoming once stood
Slate Creek enters the Licking River, just south of the Wyoming site. Note how silt carried down Slate
Creek has formed a sand bar. It's clear from this aerial photo that the formation of successive Slate Creek
sand bars has forced the channel of the Licking River to jog to the east as it flows north toward the Ohio River.
Old Wyoming Road passes over an unnamed buried creek where a bridge was marked on the 1884 plat,
just north of "Ferry Rd.". Note how this little creek has been straighten, when compared to the 1884 plat above,
so that it creates less of an obsticle to cultivating the fields. Virtually all creeks have been altered in
this way in this part of the country.
The old river access road is labeled "Ferry Rd" on current maps. "Wyoming Rd."
leads away from the eastern bank (Fleming County) of the river opposite "Ferry Rd".
Their relationship is not obvious at ground level.
Current parcel map of the same area. Note that the 1884 parcels have been largely consolidated
Deposits of silt on the Licking River flood plain no doubt account for the northerly
jog of Slate Creek that is apparent in this aerial photo.