History of Corbin

In 1895 a village on the banks of Lynn Camp Creek was incorporated and became the town of Corbin. Prior to incorporation, Corbin had been called Lynn Camp after William Lynn, a Virginian, who was lost in the area around 1800. After the Civil War, about six or eight farms were located between London and Williamsburg. Just north of where Corbin now stands, was a mill owned by the McHargues, and a post office, “Whip-poor-will”. There was a post office nearby in Woodbine, kept in the home of Liberty Sutton. A tavern was operated by Mrs. Rosa Graves at Rockholds, and there was another operated by H.C. Gillis. The Old Barton Mill on Laurel River, about five miles from Corbin was there during the Civil War.

The area of Corbin was sparsely settled and some of the earliest settlers, in the 1870’s consisted of the Nelson Cummins family and the John Moore family. Mrs. Moore, Armelda and Mrs. Cummins, Emaline were sisters and the daughters of George Y. Sears, a large landowner in the area. After the end of the Civil War, the railroad was built as far as Livingston, Kentucky. The tracks were extended to Corbin and Jellico in 1883.

The town which is now Corbin was originally named “Cummins” by James Eaton, the first postmaster, after his good friend Nelson Cummins. He received a letter from the U.S, Postal Department advising him to find another name for the town as there was already a post office by that name in Rockcastle County. Mr. Eaton named if after a minister, the Rev. James Corbin Floyd, who happened to be there at that time. This occurred in 1885.

Corbin Mayors

  • 1904 – W. L Heath
  • 1906 – W. C. Bryant
  • 1906 – F. J. Trammel, Acting Mayor
  • 1910 – J. W. Wyrick
  • 1914 – J. T. Nelson
  • 1918 – J. A. Gilliam
  • 1919 – G. M. Smith
  • 1922 – J. A. Gilliam
  • 1925 – Ed Shotwell
  • 1926 – B. H. Goodin
  • 1930 – J. A. Sproles
  • 1934 – S. B. Marcum
  • 1936 – C. Eagle, Mayor Pro Tem
  • 1937 – William Cox
  • 1938 – Wade H. Chandler
  • 1939 – J. A. Hood, Mayor Pro Tem
  • 1939 Wade H. Chandler
  • 1942 – Bert Rowland
  • 1946 – E. W. Williams
  • 1948 – John C. Rose, Mayor Pro Tem
  • 1948 – J. H. Meredith
  • 1954 – Robert Daniel
  • 1958 – Steely Terrell
  • 1960 – Dick Vermillion
  • 1962 – Ed Peace
  • 1966 – Robert Vanbeber
  • 1969 – Matt Eagle, Mayor Pro Tem
  • 1970 – John Mabry
  • 1974 – R. C. Miller
  • 1981 – Eric Burgan, Mayor Pro Tem
  • 1981 – F. D. “Jack” Heath
  • 1986 – Tom Thurston
  • 1994 – Scott Williamson
  • 2004 – Amos Miller, Mayor Pro Tem
  • 2007 – Willard McBurney
  • 2019 – Suzie Razmus