Barbourville was the focus of settlers’s attention early on, primarily because the Middlesboro area was initially quite swampy, and the city was not officially founded until 1888. Also, although the settlement of Pineville was established early in 1781, it served primarily as a location for travelers to cross the Cumberland River, being known as the "Cumberland Ford.”
Barbourville also boasts of having one of the first battles of the Civil War. Union College also lies within the city limits of Barbourville and was incorporated in 1879 when it became the first non-denominational institution of higher education in the United States.
A visit should begin at the Visitor's Center located at 117 High Street and should be followed shortly thereafter by the Knox Historical Museum located at 196 Daniel Boone Drive (soon to be relocated at 202 North Main Street, Barbourville). The museum exhibits include a Native American and Pioneer Room featuring Boone Trace and has a significant genealogy collection.
At the museum can be found maps and videos of a Boone Trace auto tour as well as directions to actual segments of the original Boone Trace as it progressed through the county.
Finally, a must stop in Barbourville is the Dr. Thomas Walker Historic Site where a replica of the first cabin built in Kentucky can be visited. Barbourville hosts the Daniel Boone Festival annually.