This Kentucky Mountain Town Sits Higher Than Any Other in the State and Claims a World Record

I've spent a lot of time in Silver City, New Mexico, because my mother's two siblings moved out there in the 1950s and 1960s. Native Kentuckians though they are and were (my aunt passed away in 2023), the lure of the West was too great. And that just meant lots of fun vacations in the southern Rockies.

At nearly 6,000 feet above sea level, Silver City still never felt like its elevation was that high, but you can't argue with geography.

The Incorporated Kentucky Town With the Highest Elevation

So what's the incorporated city with the highest elevation in the Commonwealth? Well, that would be Lynch, Kentucky, in Harlan County with an elevation of 1,716 feet above sea level.

Its population of 658 might belie its rich industry in the coal industry, but it shouldn't. Nor should the DECLINE in population Lynch has experienced over the last 100-plus years. You see, Lynch was once the largest coal camp in the world, whose population peaked in the 1940s at 15 times the size it is now.

Lynch, Kentucky

The following pictorial history gives us a fascinating and surprising look at what was once a thriving eastern Kentucky community.

Small Kentucky Town a Training Ground for Filmed Westerns

Lynch was once the "training ground" for future B-movie western star Ken Maynard, who learned how to ride a horse on the backs of the mine company's mules. It was also the setting for a world record 100 years ago.

On February 12, 1923, the world record for coal production in a single nine-hour shift was set here when 12,820 tons were mined by men operating forty shortwall cutting machines and loading them into 256 cars in six-unit trains.

Lynch, Kentucky in 2025

Today, Lynch's fascinating history is reflected in the various abandoned structures that dot the town's and county's landscape. Lynch's Mine #31 is a good example:

A few years ago, KET's Kentucky Life series aired a feature focusing on the diverse number of people who moved to Lynch to work in the coal mines and now make their home there.

Read More: 'Heaven' and 'Hell' Are in Kentucky and They’re 90 Minutes Apart

Kingdom Come State Park

And then there's the amazing scenery. After all, this IS eastern Kentucky we're talking about. And Lynch is just minutes from beautiful Kingdom Come State Park.

Every town has history, even the smallest ones...and the ones that tower over the rest.

DISCLAIMER: Townsquare Media strongly discourages exploration of abandoned properties without the express permission of the property owner.