Neal, Kentucky facts for kids

Neal, Kentucky, was once a small community located in southeastern Boyd County, Kentucky. It was near the city of Catlettsburg, Kentucky. Today, very little of Neal remains. It is mostly a "ghost town" because a large oil refinery bought most of the land.

The oil refinery was first owned by Ashland Oil. Now, it belongs to Marathon Petroleum. As the refinery grew, it needed more space. This led to many homes and businesses in Neal being bought by the company.

A Town That Disappeared

At its busiest time, Neal had about 200 people living there. But as the oil company bought more and more property, people moved away. This made the town shrink until almost nothing was left.

Roads Through Neal

A major road, U.S. Route 23, used to go right through Neal. In 1987, a new, wider four-lane road was built. This new road bypassed Neal. The old part of U.S. Route 23 was then renamed KY 757 by the Kentucky Department of Highways.

Later, in 1999, Marathon Petroleum bought this section of the road from the state. Now, KY 757 ends just south of Neal at a security gate. This shows how much the area changed because of the refinery.

Neal on Both Sides of the River

There is also a place called Neal, West Virginia. It is located right across the Big Sandy River from Neal, Kentucky. This is not a coincidence! Both communities were once part of the same settlement. They were named after a family who owned land on both sides of the river.

Before Kentucky became a state, it was part of Virginia. This meant both sides of the river were in the same state. Also, long ago, before the river was made deeper for boats, people could often walk across it when the water was low. This made it easy for people to travel between both sides.

Like Neal, Kentucky, Neal, West Virginia, has also changed a lot. It is now home to many industries, and not much of the original community remains there either.