Blackey, Kentucky
Blackey, Kentucky is a small, unincorporated community in western Letcher County. It lies in the North Fork of the Kentucky River valley along Kentucky Route 7. As of 2020, about 109 people lived there.
History: Blackey grew after a post office opened in 1908 and was named for Joseph “Blackey” Brown. The coal boom arrived when the Lexington and Eastern Railroad went through in 1912. The town was chartered in 1912 and incorporated on January 27, 1915. The Stuart Robinson School opened in 1913 and ran until 1957. The Blackey Coal Company started in 1917 and built housing for miners.
Disasters: In May 1927 a flash flood on the North Fork of the Kentucky River killed 26 people. Later that year a fire destroyed most of the business district; another fire in February 1928 finished the town’s destruction. The Great Depression and a bank failure ended the boom years.
Today: Blackey is a quiet community with a few remaining buildings. It has seen some revival, including a Head Start program, a new city water system, and a public library (a branch of the Letcher County Library). The nearby C. B. Caudill Store & History Center preserves local history.
Status: Blackey dissolved as a town in 2022.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 20:32 (CET).