Leonard Knott

Knottsville, Kentucky

Knottsville was laid out in 1836 by William R. Griffith and James Millay. The first house was built by Leonard Knott in the fall of 1827, for which the town was named. The town was so named ‘Knottsville’ by Hon. Wm. R. Griffith while he was in the legislature. James Millay opened the first store. The first school-house was built in 1854. It was a log cabin but was replaced by a neat little frame building in 1857. The first School was taught by Powhattan Ellis. Two general stores, one drug store, one shoe shop, a blacksmith and wagon shop, two undertakers, one flouring mill, one saw and grist mill, and three tobacco factories were present in the town at the end of the 19th century.

Leonard Knott was born in Nelson Co., Ky., and was the son of James Knott. He first lived (one year) in a small cabin on the Whitesville Road, and built in Knottsville in 1827. He married Mary M. Drury, by whom he had four children, James I., Mary E., Margaret A., and Mary E. became Mrs. John Haynes and lived in this precinct. Margaret was married twice, first to John Melton, and the next time to J.M. Hayden. Mr. Knott was a life-long Catholic and died in 1854. (Some of the descendants of these pioneers are still living in the area.)