Neatsville

Neatsville, unincorporated community in Adair county, Kentucky, United States. Neatsville is located near the Green River and is approximately 14 miles northeast of Columbia, Kentucky.

The community of Neatsville was named for the Neat family, who were early settlers in the region. The family’s patriarch, Rudolph Neat, Sr., (or Neet) a German immigrant, arrived in the United States in 1741 and initially settled in what is now Rowan county, North Carolina. The Neat family later moved to Adair county in Kentucky. According to historians, Rudolph Neat, Jr., received a 100-acre land grant in 1800, and in 1811 he sold some of that land to Jacob and John Neat. Jacob Neat later sold part of the land, which was established as Neatsville in 1847. The community gradually attracted other residents, and by the mid-1800s, Neatsville had developed several small businesses, including a general store, a blacksmith shop, two mills, distilleries, and a salt works. A post office was established in 1833. In 1847 the Kentucky General Assembly incorporated Neatsville as a town, although the town is no longer incorporated.

Between 1900 and 1902 a flood caused major damage to Neatsville. During this time the flood disrupted the town’s layout and devastated the community’s infrastructure as the river cut a new channel through the main part of the town, which devastated much of the community. Prior to the flood, Neatsville had been a thriving community that supported a range of businesses, services, and residential communities. The town had a hotel, a grocery store, a dry goods store, and a doctor’s office, among other establishments. Neatsville moved locations for a second time in the mid-1960s, when the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers built the Green River dam, and Neatsville had to be moved to its current location.

In modern times, Neatsville is a small community. The town is located near Kentucky Route 206 and other local roads, providing access to Columbia and surrounding areas. Agriculture remains the primary driver of the local economy, though a small business sector has developed, including several local manufacturing operations.