The Noteworthy history of a small town called Nepton

Nepton Depot 1924

This 1910 view shows a prosperous Nepton. The depot, bank building, warehouse and Methodist Church can be seen from left to right in the center of the picture.

In its earliest days, the community of Nepton was known as Elizaville Station.

Then a man by the name of Patton received a land grant and came to Kentucky to farm and bought all the land that is now Nepton for $1.25 an acre.

According to the notes in A Bicentennial History of Fleming County in Pictures, in 1870 Sam Maddox, F.J. Dillon and A.G. Slicer settled in the little town and opened a mill, a store and a hotel.

A little later a brick kiln was built, and bricks burned there were used to build several houses and a Methodist Church.

The town was named for Slicer’s daughter who died. Her given name was Penelope, but she was called “Neppie”.

In 1880 the Nepton Seminary was started as a boarding school.

A Mr. Strother from a family of Methodist ministers was instrumental in establishing the school. However, the trustees failed to approve the site and the school was moved to Wilmore where it became Asbury College.

The building became a girl’s school, a bank, a hotel, a dwelling, an apartment house, the home of Judge Wallingford and the home of Raymond and Barbara Williams.

The Methodist Church was built in 1880 and was dedicated two years later with a celebration lasting three days.

The members held a bazaar to help pay for the church.

China and products from other countries were sold at the bazaar.

The women wore costumes representing the other countries. The church was well cared for and still in use in 1992.

The African American residents of the community worshiped at Nepton First Baptist Church which has a history going back over one-hundred years and was built around the area of land owned by a Mr. Timberleak who was a slave who bought his freedom.

Near the church is the old Timberleak cemetery.

In the early 1900’s, Nepton had a bank, (once the seminary) a four mill, two coal yards, a tobacco warehouse, a large shipping pen where cattle were loaded on trains to be shipped to Cincinnati and other places and a depot.

Eight trains ran daily. There was also a Millinery shop, post office and several stores.

There was even a women’s book club whose members included Oliver Palmer, Mrs. H.S. Howe, Mrs. Pope Abney, Mrs. J.W. Myall, Mrs. H.H. Smith, Mrs. J. Frank Dye, Mrs. Ware Darnall, Mrs. B.G. Early, Mrs. Lucy Hood, Mrs. John Shanklin, Mrs. Dr. Hood, Mrs. John Hood, Miss Lutie Stewart, Miss Jennie Slicer, Mrs. George Hurst, and Mrs. Richard Owens.

Below is a couple of articles that appeared in a Lexington newspaper.

On June 29, 1908 the loss in the great fire of Sunday morning was the most disastrous in the history of Nepton.

The fire originated in the boiler room of the Nepton Flouring Mill.

The mill had a capacity of 75 barrels and originally cost $28,000. The insurance was $12,000.

The Nepton Produce Company had no insurance and lost $475. The barber shop and blacksmith shop belonging to W.C. Norwood were not insured and his loss was $1,000. The general store of J.D. Sousley was damaged $1,300 covered by insurance. The lumber yard and warehouse of Harry Sousley was damaged $350. The Louisville and Nashville passenger and freight depot was not insured. The loss on freight was $275 and the new station, costing $2,500 was not insured. J.W. Myall’s loss is $400 with no insurance.

April 16, 1907- The Citizen’s Bank perfected an organization this morning at Nepton with J.W. Myall, President; W.Y. Williams, Vice President and R.G. Wilmot of Broadhead, Cashier. The directors are J.W. Myall, W.Y. Williams, E.E. Stone, W.D. Scott, William Garey, Sr., Dr. J.S. Hood, O. Mauser and W.D. Dorsey. The bank is capitalized at $15,000.

July 8, 1915-The Citizen’s Bank of Nepton closed its doors.

There will be no loss to the depositors. Scarcity of business was the cause of failure. T.H. Talbert, of Ewing, was appointed Special Commissioner to close the affairs of the bank.

Although a small community in Fleming County, Nepton is another one of those quaint little towns with a history and a story to tell.