Barbourville was founded in the 1800s and named after James Barbour, who donated land for the townsite. The city was formally established by the State Assembly in 1812 and was incorporated in 1854.
The first documented explorers to survey this region were Dr. Thomas Walker and a party who built the first Kentucky house five miles from present-day Barbourville. It is now located at Dr. Thomas Walker State Park.
The city played a role in the Civil War, as Confederate forces attacked a small Union force there on September 19, 1861, at the intersection of Daniel Boone Drive and Cumberland Avenue was the first bloody battle of the Civil War.
In 1879, the Methodist church established Union College in Barbourville now known as Union Commonwealth University present day.
The Dr.Thomas Walker State Historic Site, a replica of the log cabin built in 1750 by Dr.Thomas Walker is located just south of the city.
Today, Barbourville is a gateway to the Daniel Boone National Forest and home to the Knox Historical Museum and the Civil War Interpretative Park.
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