Cogswell

Cogswell, Kentucky

An Article by Cindy Leach

The Cogswell community was Cogswells.

A lot of the families that settled in the 1850’s in the Scotts Creek area were Cogswells, many were probably descended from Jedadiah Cogswell (1765-after 1850). The Postmaster William P. Cogswell was one of his descendants.

Cogswell was a farming community and was five miles south of Farmers, KY. There were two general stores – S. Alfrey and Brother and McKinney Brothers, a post office, a one room school and several mills.

The post office was established July 22, 1881 by Fielding Alfrey. The post office was moved several times and all the locations are now under Cave Run Lake. In 1906 William P. Cogswell was Postmaster and Bert McKinney was the last postmaster when it closed in 1951.

The school was between Scott Creek and Clay Lick and the location is now under the waters of Cave Run Lake. The old Cogswell Cemetery was moved to the New Alfrey Cemetery by the Corps of Engineers when the lake was being built.

Sources

Place Names Robert Rennick

Centennial Edition Rowan County News