Beauty, Kentucky facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Beauty, Kentucky
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Beauty post office
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 Beauty, Kentucky
Location in Kentucky
Beauty, Kentucky
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Kentucky |
| County | Martin |
| Elevation | 653 ft (199 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP code |
41203
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| Area code(s) | 606 |
| GNIS feature ID | 486602 |
Beauty (which used to be called Himlerville) is a small community in Martin County, Kentucky, United States. It's not a city with its own government, but rather an unincorporated community where people live. In the early 1920s, this area was home to the Himler Coal Company. This was a special coal mining business started by a group of Hungarian immigrants who worked together.
Contents
A Look Back: The Story of Himlerville
How Himlerville Started
Deep in the Appalachian Mountains of Eastern Kentucky, there was once a very special community called Himlerville. It was unique because it was mainly made up of people from Hungary. A man named Martin Himler moved from Hungary to New York, and then to Martin County. He had a big dream to start his own coal company, the Himler Coal Company. He also wanted to create a town just for Hungarian immigrants.
He reached out to other Hungarians to share his idea. His dream was to build a community where they could all live and work together.
Building a New Home
Himlerville quickly became a busy and active place. It was filled with hard-working Hungarian immigrants. More than 200 homes were built for the residents. Many businesses also opened to support the coal mine and the people living in the town.
To help transport supplies and coal, a railroad was built. A bridge was also constructed over the Tug River. This made it easier to move things in and out of Himlerville. The town even had its own bank, schools, and churches. There was also a town hall where people could gather for community events.
Himlerville was quite advanced for its time. It had its own water reservoir and a power station. This station provided electricity, bringing light and life to the town. They even had their own newspaper, which was printed in both English and Hungarian. In the 1920s, Himlerville was a very modern town. It had many successful businesses that served its unique population. The company even encouraged its Hungarian stockholders to become American citizens.
The End of a Dream
In 1928, the Himlerville Coal Company faced a big problem. A terrible flood hit the area, causing the company to go bankrupt. After the flood, Martin Himler left the town. He left behind his large house on the hill and his dream of an all-Hungarian community.
Most of the people who lived there soon followed him. They left Himlerville and never returned. Later, the name of the town was changed to Beauty. Today, very little remains of this once special Hungarian community in the mountains of Eastern Kentucky.
The Martin Himler House, which was Martin Himler's home, was recognized as an important historical place in 1991. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places.
Famous People From Beauty
Beauty was the childhood home of country music singer Angaleena Presley.
