Nobob, Kentucky

Shortly before we moved here to South-Central Kentucky a friend, whose grandmother was born and reared in this part of the state, told me a story about a nearby community called Nobob, Kentucky. I have since seen various versions of this story which tells of how the community got it’s name.

One story, which gives more details than some of the others, states that, “Little remains of a once thriving 19th century village on the present KY 839, 10 and 1/2 miles S.E. of Glasgow. The name was first applied to the creek on which it is located, a branch of Skaggs Creek. The creek may have been named for one Robert (or Bob) Todd, a hunter for a party of Virginia military land grant surveyors that had made camp near the site of the future settlement. According to tradition, Todd failed to return to camp one night, and for days his companions searched for him only to return each night to report ‘No Bob!’ " All of the stories indicate that Bob was never found.

Nobob is located in Barren County, just a few miles from the Metcalfe County community of Summer Shade. “As the crow flies” we live only 6 or 8 miles from Summer Shade, so Nobob is almost “right next door.”