LEXINGTON

Transcribed by Laurie Selpien from Edwards County Sesquicentennial 1814 – 1864

On April 7^th, 1840 – One hundred twenty four years ago-Wiley Harris and James Ing recorded a document establishing the Village of Lexington at what is now known as Kitchens Bridge on Bon Pas. There were fifty lots, each 66 x 123 ft. with four spacious streets and two alleys. The two promoters probably thought that the spot between fairly high banks of the bon Pas, coupled with its access to flatboat transportation and the only road in the area made all the necessary requirements for a town. By the time the Edwards County Fair was begun in 1857, it was a thriving community, although the town was never legally incorporated as a village.

In its hey-day Lexington consisted of a general store, blacksmith shop, post office, doctor’s office and four log residences within its limits. In later years a Christian church was built. However, there were thirty homes with more than a hundred souls within a mile radius. Today there are four homes with ten people in the same area. The school was located on the Wabash side of Bon Pas and is now discontinued. All the buildings in Lexington were log except the combination general store, post office and doctor’s office. This was a box house of rough sawn lumber with the cracks stripped. The P. O. was listed with the Post Office department as New Hope, not Lexington, as was the school and later the church. Nothing remains of the town except a poplar door from the doctor’s office, now used as the door of the pump house of A. M. Walton, present Mayor, police chief and board of aldermen. He will also sell lots if offered the right price.

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