End of historic U.S. Highway 123 [I]

Note: since I don't have access to a comprehensive collection of historical road atlases, much of the info below is based on the research of Robert Droz; click here to view his site. Photo credits: H.B. Elkins

This page deals with the original (historic) US 123. If you're looking for the endpoints of the existing US 123, please click here.

Today's US 119 between Jenkins and Pineville KY first received US route status in 1929, when the US 23 designation was extended southward along that corridor. But the next year, US 23 was re-routed south from Jenkins (essentially along its current path), so the former US 23 from Jenkins to Pineville was renumbered as US 123. However, this only lasted for four years; in 1934 the entirety of US 123 was swallowed up by US 119, which had been extended south from Morgantown WV.

You can view photos from Pineville on this page. The historic endpoint in Jenkins was at what is now the junction of Kentucky state highways 805 and 3086. The photo below was taken looking southwest on KY 805, or Main Street:

Elkins, Jan. 2008

At one time, that was southbound US 23, which continued to the left on 3086. To the right on KY 805 was originally the north beginning of US 123. The shot below is looking the opposite direction (east on KY 805):

Elkins, Jan. 2008

This was US 123, which ended at this junction: to the right was southbound US 23, while northbound was to the left on Main. As I said, this US 123 became superfluous in 1934 when US 119 was extended, but the number was picked up again about three years later: today's US 123 was commissioned in 1937.