Lamb, Kentucky facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Lamb, Kentucky
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 Lamb, Kentucky
Location in Kentucky
Lamb, Kentucky
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Kentucky |
| County | Monroe |
| Elevation | 919 ft (280 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP codes |
42167, 42133
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| GNIS feature ID | 508421 |
Lamb is a small, unincorporated community in Monroe County, Kentucky, United States. This means it's a place where people live, but it doesn't have its own local government like a city or town. It's located close to the border between Monroe and Barren counties, specifically about half a mile south of that boundary. You can find it where Kentucky Route 249 meets New Design Road and Jack Hunt Road.
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History of Lamb
Lamb has an interesting history, especially concerning its post office and general stores.
Early Post Offices
The community of Lamb had a post office for the first time on November 18, 1892. Joseph F. Turner was the first person in charge, known as the postmaster. However, this first post office closed less than a year later, on September 15, 1893.
A second post office opened on January 22, 1900. Cornelius W. Jones, who was a merchant selling everyday goods, became its first postmaster. This second post office stayed open for about 15 years, closing in 1915.
The General Stores and Later Post Offices
A third post office for Lamb was set up on November 19, 1925. This one was located inside Lamb general store #1. Robert Fred Johnston was both the storekeeper and the postmaster. This first general store was a wooden building that faced New Design Road.
Around 1958, Lamb general store #1 was replaced by a new building called Lamb general store #2. This new store was made of concrete blocks and faced Kentucky Route 249. Erskine Johnson built this new store. The post office then moved into this second store.
Several people served as postmasters at Lamb post office (which had the ZIP code 42155). These included Della Johnson, Erskine Johnson, Pearl Johnson, and Oleta Wheeler. They worked there one after another until June 1, 1989. After that, Janet Bewley managed a postal station in Lamb for a short time. Postal service was stopped on November 30, 1990, and officially ended on December 12, 1994. Lamb general store #2 also closed around the same time and later burned down. Today, only the concrete floor of the store remains.
How Lamb Got Its Name
According to Charlie D. Wheeler, who was a storekeeper in Lamb and married to Oleta Ruth (Johnson) Wheeler (the last postmaster), the community got its name from Oleta's grandfather, John Newton Johnson (1852–1922). He had many sheep on his farm, and sheep are often called "lambs."
John Newton Johnson was the father of two other Lamb postmasters, Della Mae Johnson and David Erskine Johnson. He was also the father-in-law of Annie Pearl (Arterburn) Johnson. The first known landowner in this area was Joel Flowers (1797–1862), who was John Newton Johnson's grandfather on his mother's side.
