During the Civil War, the Union Army's 14th Kentucky Infantry operated in this area to scout and protect eastern Kentucky. On October 30, 1863, 160 of these troops under Lieutenant Colonel Orlando Brown, Jr. repulsed Confederates here and captured 50 prisoners. Another skirmish occurred on November 30, 1863, when Captain Peter Everett, in command of 200 Confederates, led a surprise attack and captured 25 men.