By universal consent, one of the most attractive views to be seen in “Dixie Land” is from Halls Gap, an elevation of 1,200 feet that commands a panoramic view of Lincoln, Mercer, Garrard, Boyle and Jessamine Counties.

The landscape rises ocean-like from the foot of the Gap until the horizon’s curtain precludes the billowing vista. Almost at the summit of this commanding point there are three springs within a short distance of each other and each spring the fountainhead of a well-known stream. The waters wind there through and aid in forming the Green, Cumberland and Kentucky Rivers. These waters blend in the Ohio. From this Gap the road leads to the Mills Springs Battlefield some 40 miles south.

Beginning at the intersection of U. S. High way 27 and U. S. Highway 150, travel south on U. S. Highway 27 for approximately six miles until you see a long, steep roadway up a hill known as Halls Gap. As you travel up this hill, look on both sides of the road to discover the season’s view. In the fall you will see the most beautiful colors. In the winter you will be amazed at the crystal, clear icicles hanging from its cliffs. We call this area of Lincoln County,” God’s Country”. We don’t believe there is such a view anywhere in Lincoln County that can compare to its beauty. There is a small pull-off for motorists to stop and view the surrounding counties located on the Old Highway 1247 that was used before the existing Highway 27 was created.

Bill and Ruth Yentsch owned Yentsch’s Grocery Store. This store also had hardware items and coal for our winter stoves. Just beyond the store was Fairview Baptist church. Jim and Evelyn Taylor owned the numerous businesses at Halls Gap. They operated Skytower Auto Station, Skytower Restaurant and Halls Gap Motel for many years. The restaurant building is gone and the Hotel has been sold but their son,  Jimmy Taylor still operates a Mechanic Shop. This family served and helped many of our community and travelers alike.

The businesses that you can still find in the Gap are Miracle’s Greenhouse.  Shirley Mullins Grocery, Hubbard’s Hardware, (now closed). Some of the businesses in the area were the Halls Gap Scenic restaurant and Hotel, the Watering Trough turned into a restaurant/break area, the Halls Gap Airport, a gas station/grocery operated by Chat Margaret King. The King’s Skating Rink operated for many years. The Kings entertained  many children as well as adults.

Some of the families in the Halls Gap area were: Brown, Carter, Caudill, Denhams, Farmer, Gutenson, Harris, Ingram, Mullins, Oaks, Phillips, Ray, Rice, Schuler, Stempfly, Yentsch, Young, and Zwalhen.

Halls Gap was such a perfect place to raise a family. The neighbors were more like family members and we were free from crime. The wooded areas provided us with natures beauty trees, plant life and small animals. The community was mostly agricultural with others traveling to the neighboring cities for factory work. The community was filled with good, decent, Christian people raising children and sharing the problems of each household.

HALL’S GAP BATTALION

No battles were fought in the southern part of Lincoln County during the Civil War, but the protection of the area was important. The Hall’s Gap Battalion was organized for that purpose. Company A had its purpose to scout the area.

Company A — Hall’s Gap Battalion had the following members:

James H. Bridgewater, Captain; John Bridgewater, Captain; John L. Ball, 1 Lt; John C.Cogle, 1st Lt; C. C. Coyle, 2 Lt; Preston Sluder. 1st Sgt: Sgts. Thomas Ball. Thomas Ellis. Allen Baugh, John L. Gooch, George W. Baugh; Cpls. George W. Ball, Andy Leach, John B. Mason, Silas Baugh, A. A. Bastin, James Gibson, William Dudderrar; Bugler C. C. Carson; Privates Boneparte Adams, Joel Adams, James Adams, A. T. Aikens, Buford Ashley, Harvey Brock, James Bobbett, Robert Beal, James Bastin, George Berry, Robert Brown,Wm. N. Cundiff, James L. Camden, John C. Camden, George Collins, William Campbell, Albert Camden, William Coffey, John T. Carter, Isaac Daniel, William Eads, H. B. Fortenberry, William T. Farmer, William N. Glenn, George A. Gooch, William P. Gooch, Isaiah Graham,  Elias Gooch, Richard Gibson, William Harris, John M. Heath, M. M. Hodge, William Jordan, J. A. Lay, Richard Lay, James McKinney, Wil liam Mason, H. J. Mills, Thomas Martin, B. r. Martin, A. M. Martin, David Noaks, Thomas Prather, Samuel T. Powers, Edmund Raborn, Daniel Swinney, Richard Southerland, James H. Spiers, William B. Smith, N. L. Stone, Nathaniel Tuttle, John C. Todd, Solomon Tuttle, Samuel Uptigre, Elijah White James J. White, P. B. Walters, Greenberry Walters, S. G. Ware.

The second one, Company B, Hall’s Gap Battalion consisted of the following volunteers:

Abraham Dawes. Captaim Andrew J. Norris. 1st Lt; Samuel D. Pollack, 2 Lt; Sgts. James Johnson, L. J. Daws, Joseph Baston, James Rogers, J. W. Dismukes; Cpls. B. F. Warner, Samuel Freeman, W. D. Gooch, John Routen, Henry Gooch, G. A. Adams, J. C. Leach, Joseph Thacker. Privates Wilson Adams, Hamilton Adams, Richard Adams, W. H. Adams, Wm. Blankenship, J. R. Bryant, Benjamin Ball, F. M. Burkhart, William Crim, Thomas Chappel, Pres. Camden, Reuben Delaney, Marion Delaney, Samuel Dawes, David Dishon, William  Daugherty, Alexander Elliott, James T. Edwards, Isaac Frazier, Robert Frazier, Alexander Frazier, Merida Francis, James Freeman, Henry Farmer, John Foltz, Alexander Fletcher, James Green, William Gulsbery, B. A. Hyatt, John Haslett, B. D Hyatt, James Haslett, G. W. Hiatt, Stephen M. Hiatt, G. W. Harris, Jackson Heppard, Taylor Hicks, Robert Jenkins, John 0’ Keefe, A. B. Lasly, William Leach, Mathew Leach, Boney Leach, Zachariah T. Laury, John Mobley, William A. Moore, Zachariah Padgett, Solomon Padgett, Marion Routen, Greenup Raney, P. 0. Reynolds, John Smith, John Simms, W. H. Smiley, John T.Taylor, Bird Taylor, J. F. Thompson, G. W. Tubbs, George C. Vanhook, Wm. O’B. Vanhook, Harvey Walls, Green Walls, Nathaniel Walls, William Walls, Robert Walls, John Walls, Ezekial Warren, Anderson Whit, G. W.  eddle, GreenYoung, Dis charge: Bryant Ballard.

TIP TOP TOWER AND HALL’S GAP AIRPORT

Albert Miles, claiming Miami, FL as his home, but who had been making his headquarter in Cincinnati, was killed at Hall’s Gap at about 6:00 Wednesday evening last. It is not known whether he was killed in the crash of his plane, which fell some 150 feet, or whether he was burned to death when the plane burned. His face was badly cut and bruised and his body was burned from head to foot, one of his feet being burned off. Mr. Miles had brought his plane from Cincinnati to carry passengers at a picnic at Hall’s Gap that was to have been given on July 4 by Messers. Johnson and Thompson. The picnic had been extensively advertised and it was expected that a great crowd would attend. But the news of the fearful accident caused so much sorrow that the picnic program was not carried out. His brother. Henry Miles. who had expected to make the flight with him but was prevented by some cause, accompanied Mr. Miles to Hall’s Gap. Miles, it is claimed, was connected with the airmail service and appeared to be a good flyer. His plane was a four passenger Hisso Standard and had been assembled on the Hall’s Gap hill. Previous to the fatal crash, Mr. Miles attempted to bring the new plane to the ground for its landing, but each time over shot the field. On his last attempt a wing struck a tree, disabling the plane, which then fell over the cliff. He made a perfect take off when the machine was introduced to the air, according to witness’, but a fringe of trees that bordered the field on a mountain tip limited the airport and was blamed for the unsuccessful attempts to land. Undertaker Beasley was called to care for the victim. He found his body in a fearful condition. The plane was burned beyond repair. Funeral services for young Miles were held Thursday afternoon and his body laid to rest in the cemetery close to Fairview church, almost in speaking distance of where the tragedy occurred.

*Owned now by Jim and Ann Doss

Interior Journal, Tuesday, July 9, 1929

TAN YARD AT HALL’S GAP

The old tan-yard at Hall’s Gap was on the farm of John Carter. J. D. Bastin operated it for many years. A large pond now stands where the old vats were originally. The hides were placed in the vats with tan bark and salt for a time, then removed to the tan-rock, the hair scraped away and then placed in the drying bar for curing.

Tanbark is obtained from the red oak tree and the tan-rock is a large flat, smooth rock. The tan-rock used in this operation is about six feet wide and two feet long and is now lying at the foot of the front steps leading to the front porch of the Carter house.

About 100 feet from this tan-yard operation, was a grocery store also owned and operated by Mr. Bastin and in the store was the Ewell post office, It is not known just when the post office was discontinued, but much later, in 1940 the Hall’s Gap Post Office was established, to eliminate mix-ups of mail on a rural route out of Waynesburg. It was housed in the general store of Robert J. Johnson, with Mr. Johnson as the postmaster.

In March 1950, he sold the store to Mr. Hodges who became acting postmaster and was appointed postmaster in September of that year. Mr. Hodges closed his store in June 1959, but continued as postmaster until the post office department placed all patrons on a rural route and formally closed the office at the end of June. This was the last rural post office in Lincoln County to be closed.