Addison, Kentucky Explained

Official Name:Addison, Kentucky
Settlement Type:Unincorporated community
Pushpin Map:Kentucky#USA
Pushpin Label:Addison
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Name:United States
Subdivision Type1:State
Subdivision Name1:Kentucky
Subdivision Type2:County
Subdivision Name2:Breckinridge
Timezone:Central (CST)
Utc Offset:-6
Timezone Dst:CDT
Utc Offset Dst:-5
Elevation Ft:420
Coordinates:37.9161°N -86.565°W
Area Codes:270 & 364
Blank Name:GNIS feature ID
Blank Info:510220

Addison is an unincorporated community in Breckinridge County, Kentucky, United States. Addison is located on the Ohio River and Kentucky Route 144, 6.8miles north-northeast of Cloverport.[1]

History

The Holt post office opened at the site in 1880. The town of Holt (also known as Holt's Bottom) was named after the family of Judge Joseph Holt. Joseph Holt was appointed Commissioner of Patents in 1857, Postmaster General in 1859, and Secretary of War in 1860 during the Buchanan administration. He was appointed Judge Advocate General by President Abraham Lincoln and was the judge during the trial of the conspirators in the Lincoln assassination trial. Judge Holt's home, which is on the National Register of Historical Places, still stands in Addison and Judge Holt is buried in a private cemetery next to the home. There was also a school near the Holt home known as Holt School as well as a church known as Holt Chapel. Part of the town of Holt was renamed Addison in 1889 for the local postmaster, L. D. Addison. L. D. Addison not only ran the Addison post office and a store but he also opened a distillery in 1895 in Addison known as Old Breckinridge Whiskey. The Holt post office continued to operate from 1880 until 1958. The Addison post office, operated by postmistress Mae Harpe, closed in 1965.[2]

Addison was also the location of Lock and Dam #45 on the Ohio river. The dam operated from 1927 until 1971 at which time it was demolished due to the construction of the Cannelton (Indiana) Lock and Dam that replaced it. Ten homes were built on a hill in Addison known as "The Reservation". They overlook the Ohio river and were homes to employees who worked at Lock and Dam #45 during the years it was in operation. Those homes still stand today and are occupied by private residents who enjoy the panoramic view of the Ohio river. The L & N railroad also runs between the riverside base of The Reservation and the Ohio river.

Notable people

Notes and References

  1. . State Primary Road System: Breckinridge County . PDF . 2013 . April 30, 2013 .
  2. Web site: Postal history – Postmaster Finder. United States Postal Service. January 8, 2024.