Thortek is glad to be in Irvine. We love the community, and although we are not a public business, we hope to stay very involved with the community we call home.
Irvine is on the Kentucky River at Station Camp Creek and at the intersection of KY 52 and KY 89. It was founded in 1812 and named for Colonel William Irvine, an early settler. An Irvine or Estill Court House post office opened in 1813. The city of Irvine population in 2000 was 2,843, a minor increase from 1990's population of 2,836. In 2000, the county population was 15,307, an increase of 4.7% from 1990's population of 14,614.
Irvine is home to the annual Mountain Mushroom Festival, which is held in the last week of April, and the Red Lick Bluegrass Festival, held annually in July.
Estill County is located in East-Central Kentucky. The Daniel Boone National Forest cuts through a large portion of Estill County, and provides a scenic view all year round. Due to its geographic location, Estill County shares the beauty of the Outer Blue Grass and the majesty of the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains.
Estill County has many historical attractions. The Fitchburg and Cottage Furnaces were important production sites of iron ore through the late 1800's. The iron industry declined after 1865 when iron deposits and timber to fire the furnaces were depleted, and innovations in the iron industry made charcoal furnaces obsolete. Fitchburg Furnace is the largest iron ore furnace of its kind in the world. Below is a recent photograph of Fitchburg Furnace.
 |
Estill County also has its share of Civil War history and heroes. In that crucial battle of the Chattanooga campaign, Nov. 25, 1863, Capt. John C. Wilson and 5 others from Estill Co., of 8th Ky. Inf., answered call for volunteers to plant U.S. flag on Lookout Mountain. Reaching summit in sight of both armies, they planted their colors, made by Estill County women. His grave is located at Station Camp Cemetery, 4 miles from Irvine. During the Civil War, Kentucky declared status of neutral; however after invasion by Confederate forces on more than one occasion, Kentucky sided with Union forces to repel the invaders.
