A Brief History
Dry Ridge
The community of Dry Ridge was started in 1863, a time at which African Americans — enslaved but knowing freedom was coming, and free – wanted land. The 120 acres of Dry Ridge were bought under the terms of Moses Robinson’s will for his three children.
Today, two cemeteries, the rough foundation of a school, and at least three cisterns for house sites are the starting point for preservation of the settlement. Most of the land is in heirship, with 5.3 generations extant since the three Robinson siblings, Permilia, Alexander and Jane, lived here. An incomplete family tree is on this website. If you can fill in some of the blanks, or if you are one of the heirs, please contact us!
Friends of Dry Ridge and related researchers seek heirs, photographs and oral histories. Berea College is involved with the project, and the oral histories are housed in their collection.
In the Area
While the Dry Ridge area appears to be a separate, geographically-defined community, there were numerous abandoned African-American home sites and lots in the surrounding neighborhood. We are reaching out to find descendants of the former residents in an effort to preserve this area for its historical significance
Corinth CME Church
Some surnames included in our search are: McClure, Lewis, Haggard, Conkwright ,Quisenberry, Beatty, Nelson, Davis, Chorn, Wilson, Pruitt, Beasley, Alexander, Jackson, Ringo, Coleman, Smith, Hughley,
We expect there will be many more names as we move forward into the history of the Corinth CME Church, as the location of this church signifies a vibrant community of color in the area. The Church was added to the National Register in 2007. It is attached to KAES Tabernacle in Mt. Sterling, KY.
