Bengal, Kentucky facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Bengal
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 Bengal
Location in Kentucky
Bengal
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Kentucky |
| County | Taylor |
| Elevation | 722 ft (220 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| GNIS feature ID | 507494 |
Bengal is a small place in Taylor County, Kentucky, United States. It's called an "unincorporated community" because it doesn't have its own local government like a city or town.
Bengal is located west of Campbellsville, which is the main town and county seat of Taylor County. You can reach Bengal by taking Bengal Road from Campbellsville or by using Route 323. This community sits about 722 feet (220 meters) above sea level.
About Bengal, Kentucky
How Bengal Got Its Name
There are a couple of ideas about how Bengal got its name. One thought is that it was named after an old street in Shippingport, Kentucky. Shippingport is now a part of the city of Louisville.
Another idea is that the name came from a French settler. This settler might have traveled from Calcutta in India, which is near the Bengal region. He first settled in Paris, Kentucky, before possibly influencing the name of this community.
Early Settlers and History
The first people to settle in Campbellsville and this part of Taylor County arrived after the American Revolutionary War. Many of these early settlers traveled through the Appalachian Mountains using a famous path called the Cumberland Gap.
Around 1802, a school was started in the Bengal area by Elias Barbee and two veterans from the Revolutionary War, James and Jonathan Cowherd. Churches were also being founded around this time. Elias Barbee later became a general during the War of 1812. Many of the people who moved to what became Taylor County came from Pennsylvania. Others came from Virginia, North Carolina, and Maryland.
Modern Times
In 1911, the Bengal community received telephone service. This was provided by the Bengal Telephone Company, connecting the residents to the wider world.
