Bell County, Kentucky: History
Bell County is considered a "Moist" county, a classification between dry and wet in terms of alcohol sales. The County changed to moist by a vote in September 2015, that approved alcohol-by-the-drink sales in Middlesboro, Kentucky. On June 23, 2020, Middlesboro voters approved a "wet" status by 1,215 to 653 votes. In a standard dry county, all sales of alcoholic beverages are prohibited. Under ABC terminology, a limited county is an otherwise dry county in which at least one city has approved the sale of alcohol by the drink at restaurants that both seat a state-mandated number of diners and derive no more than 30% of their revenue from alcoholic beverages. In the case of Bell County, Pineville had voted to allow alcohol by the drink in restaurants that seat at least 100 diners. This terminology was used to describe the area until the Middlesboro vote allowed retail sale of alcohol.
The Middlesborough, KY Micropolitan Statistical Area includes all of Bell County.
The Wilderness Road was constructed in 1775 through what is now Bell County.
Bell County was formed in 1867, from portions of Harlan and Knox counties. It was named for Joshua Fry Bell, an attorney and member of Congress. The county courthouse has been thrice destroyed. In 1914 and 1918, it was destroyed by fire and in 1977 nearly destroyed by flooding. The documents stored there were destroyed as well. The flood occurred in April 1977 and although it caused extensive damage, the historical courthouse survived with substantial water damage to the interior.
The community of "South America", now called Frakes, was established in the 1930s. Although some local traditions suggest older origins, there is no historical evidence of Spanish-era settlements or Spanish land grants in what became Kentucky. The area was claimed by France until 1763, when it passed to British control following the Treaty of Paris, and it later became part of Virginia and then the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Like many communities in the Appalachian region, this southeast Kentucky community has a documented history of herbal harvesting and trade in plants such as ginseng and goldenseal; a practice dating back to the late 18th century during the Daniel Boone era.
Bell County has one of the highest ratios of local peace officer deaths of any KY or U.S. county per capita, with 28 deputy sheriffs and 4 county sheriff's K-9 having been killed in the county's history. There has been considerable violence related to the prohibition of alcohol and production of moonshine.
Bell County is the only Kentucky county hosting both a State Park (Pine Mountain State Resort Park) and a National Monument (Cumberland Gap National Historical Park).