Martin County, KY Community

Founded by Billy Johnson in 1998, the Martin 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.

Martin County, Kentucky is home to lovely landscapes and to Lovely, a town with a post office in operation since 1931. The eastern portion of the county is separated from West Virginia by the Tug Fork of the Big Sandy River. Named after Congressman John Preston Martin, the county was founded in 1870 and its current population, hovering around 13,000, believes in the motto “New Commitments for a New Century.”

Featuring plenty of access to fresh air and beautiful scenery, locals often head to Milo Lake or Martin County Lake to catch some bluegill, largemouth bass, white and red crappie, and more. Family-friendly parks and trails are scattered throughout the area. The Inez River Walking Trail can be found off highway 908 in the county seat of Inez, which is also home to several energy companies, local favorite Miss Ida’s Tea Room, and the Federal Bureau of Prisons U.S. Penitentiary, Big Sandy.

At the fork of Stafford and Rockcastle Creeks near Highway 40 and 1224, you’ll find Tomahawk, site of an infamous “ritual sacrifice” in 1933. The community of Job is up the creek a little further off Highway 3, and includes a one-half mile trail, a shelter and a children’s playground. Over in the county’s first seat of Warfield, there is a popular walking trial located at the Warfield Riverfront Park off Highway 2033. Enjoy a picnic lunch, then launch your boat there for a relaxing afternoon. Or, simply sit and admire the view of the historic Warfield Railroad Bridge. The Himler Coal Company built the bridge in the early 1900s to span the Tug Fork in its exercise in cooperative mining. Himlerville was once a coal-mining, Hungarian utopia in Appalachia and its downfall was so dramatic, it was deemed necessary to completely disassociate its past by renaming the town Beauty.

The newest walking trail in this part of town is the Kingfisher Branch Trail. The one-mile loop starts at the Roy R. Collier Community Center, leads you to a tennis court, across a small bridge, and continues on a challenging path of steep grades and workout activity centers. A few benches have been added to give users the option of catching their breath or simply admiring the scenery. A serene creek flows in the spring on the lower portion of the trail and turns into a small, quaint waterfall.

If you park at the Community Center, you have the choice to walk the Promise Trail, rather than the Kingfisher Branch Trail. If you’re looking for place to visit for some quiet meditation and spiritual connection, this trail is just the ticket. Also known as God’s Promise Trail, there is a small, church-style gazebo and bible verses along the one-mile trek. The path leads to an altar, where you can take time to reflect on the passages and admire the beauty of the earth. It’s truly one of Kentucky’s hidden treasures.

Another one of the county’s hidden gems exists where you’d least expect it. Highways 3 and 645 have 8- to 10-foot shoulders so that you have the option of getting on your bicycle and taking in nature’s portrait. Fall is one of the most popular times for this, but regardless of what color the leaves are, one part of this highway section features a particularly fascinating bit of earth science. Imbedded in the wall of rock on the west side of Highway 645, across from where the two highways intersect, are two petrified trees. Permineralization has transitioned the wood to stone, making the trees kind of like living fossils.

Its highways aren’t the only places to take in Martin County’s unique features. You can also view them alongside the airport runway. Martin County was actually the first county to have a wayside exhibit devoted to information about the population of elk in Kentucky. Elk are a common sight around the airport, and to help protect them from the dangers that lurk around human progress, there is fencing to keep wildlife off the runway. Viewing stations with informational plaques are located on a trail that roughly parallels the runway.

These are just a few of the many treasures to love about Martin County. Whether you are a resident or are just passing through, it’s our goal at the Johnson Law Firm to help you enjoy the area safely and to protect your rights if someone has harmed you.

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.”