Founded by Billy Johnson in 1998, the Knott County, KY, personal injury lawyers at the Johnson Law Firm have helped individuals in Eastern Kentucky and across the state whose lives have been affected by the negligent actions of others.
Founded in 1884 from parts of Breathitt, Floyd, Letcher and Perry counties, Knott County lies in the Southeast region of Kentucky, nestled in the midst of the Appalachian Mountains, and is home to overwhelming natural beauty, stunning landscapes, abundant wildlife and outdoor activities. A part of Kentucky’s fabled coal region, as of the 2010 Census, Knott County is home to 16,346 people.
Named for James Proctor Knott, the governor of Kentucky from 1883-1887, with 5,700 free-range elk, Knott County is home to the largest herd east of the Mississippi River. The county seat is Hindman, and Knott County boasts both the Hindman Settlement School, founded in 1902 as the first rural settlement school in the United States, and Alice Lloyd College, a small private college in Pippa Passes, whose choir, The Voices of Appalachia, formed in 1962, tour annually in spring and have performed on NBC’s Today and CBS News’ Sunday Morning.
The college, originally founded in 1923 as Caney Junior College, was first established to educate leaders for Appalachia. Since then it has grown, and in the early 1980s became a four-year liberal arts work college with 18 major degree programs and eight pre-professional programs. Still focusing on educating residents of the Appalachian region, 75 percent of graduates are the first in their families to obtain an undergraduate degree, and an impressive 95 percent of graduates are accepted into graduate and professional schools.
Knott County is also home to parts of the Robinson Forest, owned by the University of Kentucky and covering nearly 15,000 acres in Knott, Breathitt and Perry counties. Originally purchased in 1908 as timber land, a railroad was constructed, connecting isolated parts of Kentucky to sawmills and the Louisville and Nashville railroad. In 1922, E.O. Robinson, who along with Fredrick W. Mobrey had purchased the land for lumber, donated the land to UK for agricultural research. In 1947 the land became a wildlife restoration area. Still operated by UK, the forest continues to serve the state as an agricultural research facility.
The county hosts its signature tourism event on the first weekends in October and May with its annual spring and fall trail rides. The county has created looping horse trails on more than 43,000 acres of reclaimed coal land just outside the towns of Hindman and Leburn and hosts a three-day event with different trails to ride each day. Camping and entertainment are available at Mine Made Paradise Park.
Other draws for the county include a sportsplex which includes indoor basketball courts, a fitness center, baseball fields and a soccer field, as well as a nationally-recognized ATV training center. The training center includes training area and skills test for riders, as well as trails for beginner, intermediate and advanced riders.
The next time you have a question about car accidents, truck accidents, motorcycle accidents, bike accidents, nursing home negligence, workplace injury, premises liability, wrongful death or any personal injury, contact us for a free, confidential consultation. Call us at 606-437-4488, fill out our online form, or stop by to find out why the Johnson Law Firm is known as the “nicest place in town.”
Attorney Billy Johnson
William “Billy” Johnson grew up in the Dorton area of Pike County, Kentucky, and early on decided to stay in the beautiful Appalachian mountains. Like many others in Eastern Kentucky, Billy’s dad worked as a coal miner, a hard job but one that taught his son how to meet challenges head on and persevere. Attorney Billy Johnson has years of experience helping injured clients with claims such as car, truck, and motorcycle accidents, wrongful deaths, work injuries, and more. [ Attorney Bio ]
