History of Corbin

The town now known as Corbin was officially incorporated in 1895, situated along Lynn Camp Creek. Before incorporation, the area bore the name Lynn Camp, after William Lynn, a traveler from Virginia who disappeared in the region around 1800.

Following the American Civil War, the landscape between London and Williamsburg contained only about half a dozen farms. Just north of present-day Corbin stood a mill run by the McHargue family and a post office called "Whip-poor-will." Nearby communities included Woodbine, which had a post office in Liberty Sutton's residence, and Rockholds, where Rosa Graves managed a tavern. Another tavern was operated by H.C. Gillis. The 1870s saw few inhabitants in the area, with notable early settlers including the families of Nelson Cummins and John Moore.

Interestingly, the wives of these two families—Emaline Cummins and Armelda Moore—were sisters, daughters of George Y. Sears, who owned substantial land in the region. Railroad development played a crucial role in the town's growth. After the Civil War, tracks initially extended only as far as Livingston, Kentucky, but by 1883, they reached what would become Corbin and continued to Jellico.

The town's naming has an interesting history. James Eaton, serving as the first postmaster, initially named the settlement "Cummins" to honor his friend Nelson Cummins. However, the U.S. Postal Department informed him this name couldn't be used because another post office with the same name already existed in Rockcastle County. In 1885, Eaton renamed the town after Reverend James Corbin Floyd, a minister who happened to be visiting at that time. (Source: City of Corbin)