Caney, Kentucky

Caney is a Morgan county community at the mouth of Brushy Fork of Caney Creek about seven miles south of West Liberty. Settlement began in the early nineteenth century and the area was initially known as Walnut Grove, for a local church, and Pinhook. Logging was the most important early industry. Coal was mined by the end of the nineteenth century and oil was found soon after. It is said to be named Caney for Elcaney Lykins, a resident of the area, but there isn't much documentation for that and it could be named for the creek, which was probably named for the cane that grew along it. Logging declined in the early twentieth century and the coal mines closed circa 1931. The railroad stopped running in 1933. It was once a thriving community with numerous businesses.

The Caney post office opened in 1854 and closed in 1994.

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© 2025 David C. Elbon