Elmendorf, Kentucky

Elmendorf is in Fayette county on the Paris Pike just northeast of Lexington. The name came from the well known Elmendorf Farm located there. There have been large farms in the area along North Elkhorn Creek since the late eighteenth century, with a number of owners, beginning probably with the Old Kenney Farm or Elk Hill. The farm became a prominent thoroughbred establishment under Milton Sanford in the 1870s when it was known as Preakness Stud. It was named Elmendorf by Daniel Swigert in 1881. It grew to over 8,000 acres under James Ben Ali Haggin in the early twentieth century.

During the early twentieth century there was a stop at Elmendorf on the Kentucky Traction company interurban railroad between Lexington and Paris. That line ended operation circa 1938.

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© 2024 David C. Elbon