Eighty Eight, Kentucky

Eighty Eight is an unincorporated town in Barren County, Kentucky, United States. It is part of the Glasgow Micropolitan Statistical Area. The town's most recent claim to fame was the celebration of August 8, 1988 (08/08/88). People with an affinity for the number 8 descended upon the town from various parts of the nation, and the celebration was televised on national television.

Name

As reported in a New York Times article, the town was named in 1860 by Dabnie Nunnally, the community's first postmaster. He had little faith in the legibility of his handwriting, and thought that using numbers would solve the problem. He then reached into his pocket and came up with 88 cents. [cite web|url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=940DE5D9113DF936A3575BC0A96E948260|work=New York Times|title=Eighty Eight Journal; A Date That Will Live in Kentucky |first=Lonnie|last=Wheeler|date=1988-08-05|accessdate=2007-11-22]

The only store in this small town was opened and run by the Richardson Brothers. It was the main source for feed, grocery, hardware and farm needs. It was closed in the late 1980s. The building was restored in 2005 and reopened as the Eighty Eight General Store. The historic post office was kept intact and is now open to the public.

Culture

Eighty Eight is home to a congregation of the Church of Christ. Although sometimes mistakenly call Eighty Eight Church of Christ, the proper name is Refuge Church of Christ.

Places with similar name

* Eighty Four, Pennsylvania
* Ninety Six, South Carolina
* Sixes, Oregon

References