| Mays Lick, Kentucky | |
| Settlement Type: | Census-designated place |
| Pushpin Map: | Kentucky#USA |
| Pushpin Label: | Mays Lick |
| Pushpin Label Position: | bottom |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: | United States |
| Subdivision Type1: | State |
| Subdivision Name1: | Kentucky |
| Subdivision Type2: | County |
| Subdivision Name2: | Mason |
| Established Title: | Established |
| Established Date: | 1788 |
| Unit Pref: | Imperial |
| Area Footnotes: | [1] |
| Area Total Km2: | 1.66 |
| Area Land Km2: | 1.65 |
| Area Water Km2: | 0.01 |
| Area Total Sq Mi: | 0.64 |
| Area Land Sq Mi: | 0.64 |
| Area Water Sq Mi: | 0.00 |
| Population As Of: | 2020 |
| Population Footnotes: | [2] |
| Population Total: | 252 |
| Population Density Km2: | 152.42 |
| Population Density Sq Mi: | 394.98 |
| Timezone: | Eastern (EST) |
| Utc Offset: | -5 |
| Timezone Dst: | EDT |
| Utc Offset Dst: | -4 |
| Elevation Ft: | 869 |
| Coordinates: | 38.5169°N -83.845°W |
| Postal Code Type: | ZIP code |
| Postal Code: | 41055 |
| Area Code: | 606 |
| Blank Name: | FIPS code |
| Blank Info: | 21-51006 |
| Blank1 Name: | GNIS feature ID |
| Blank1 Info: | 2629649 |
| Blank2 Name: | Other names |
| Blank2 Info: | Mayslick Mays Spring New Jersey Colony William Mays Settlement |
Mays Lick ( Mayslick, originally known as May's Lick) is a census-designated place and unincorporated community in Mason County, Kentucky, United States. As of the 2020 census, it had a population of 252.[2]
May's Lick was founded in 1788 by six families from Scotch Plains, New Jersey:
Abraham, Cornelius, and Isaac Drake were brothers, and John and Mary Shotwell were siblings.
The group purchased of land from William May (for whom the community was named) near the salt lick in southern Mason County and began to build a community. The Mays Lick Post Office opened in 1800. Kentucky's first consolidated school and first school transportation – consisting of a horse and wagon – was founded in Mays Lick.
When May's Lick was founded (1788), Kentucky was part of the Commonwealth of Virginia. That same year, the Commonwealth of Virginia established Mason County. May's Lick became the name of the town after first being called May's Spring.
Mays Lick is in southern Mason County, southwest of downtown Maysville. U.S. Route 68 runs along the eastern edge of the community, leading north to Maysville and to Ohio, and southwest to Lexington.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the Mays Lick CDP has a total area of 0.64sqmi, of which 0.002sqmi, or 0.31%, are water.[1] The community is drained by several small streams that flow north to Lees Creek, a north-flowing tributary of the North Fork of the Licking River, which joins the Ohio River at Covington.
The Mays Lick Consolidated School was constructed in 1909–1910 for $32,500 The building was the first high school in Mason County and until 1960, was the only public high school to serve the Mays Lick District. In 1982, the building was added to the National Register of Historic Places.
Also see: May's Lick Negro School
The same May family for whom the Mason County Seat (Maysville) is named is also the namesake for May's Lick.