From Scotland, England, Plymoth and Main Our Ancestors Headed For Kentucky

COLESBURG: " It appears that the area was settled at least by 1800. Most of the records form the early part of the nineteeth century are from St. Clare Catholic church which was established in the first decade of the nineteenth century. It is not known when the name of Colesburg was first applied to the settlement but it was in use for the station on the Louisville and Nashville railroad's main line by 1858-59. As one of the early settlers of the area was William Cole, it has been assumed that the town was named for him. The 1860 U.S. Census of Hardin County identifies the Colesburg area as Elizabethtown district No. 3. The Post office was renamed Colesburg in 1893."



"Colesburg gained prominence during the 1850's because of its geographic location at the foot of Muldraugh Hill. In August 1851, the Louisville and Nashville Railroad placed two surveying parties into the field to find the best route for a railroad from Louisville, Kentucky, to Nashville, Tennessee. The route was completed prior to October 1859 as that was when the first through timetable for the L & N route was published".



"The construction of the tunnels and trestles for the L & N railroad in the mid 1850's brought an influx of Irish Catholic immigrants to Colesburg. The Civil War, with its three nearby Union forts, also added to the growing population. There were three Union Army forts in the vicinity of Colesburg"