08/12/2026
🏡 How long have I been in real estate in Oldham County?
For generations.
Long before I became involved in real estate and the title business, my family was putting down roots in Oldham County. Historical records show that around 1840, my great-great-great grandfather, Abram Bottorff, acquired three farms in the Goshen area, properties that would be passed down through generations to come. Dad always told me Abram was the first Bottorff to cross the river into Oldham County, and that he arrived with only twenty dollars in his pocket.
Abram's son, my great-great grandfather John Plutarch Bottorff, acquired the Goshen Lane farm and lived in the old white two-story farmhouse we know as "Annewood," at the 90-degree bend on Goshen Lane. It's still standing today.
My great grandfather, John Robert Bottorff, Sr., acquired "The River Farm" on Buckeye Lane and built a wood-framed house that, as Dad put it, "wasn't exactly square, and Grandmother hated it." That house was later replaced with a Bedford stone house in the 1960s, which has since been torn down as well.
John Robert Sr.'s little brother, my uncle Albert Bottorff, owned the farm just up from the Goshen Store and lived in a white stucco house that's also still standing, on the bend of Highway 42 in Goshen. Albert's farm is where North Oldham Schools sit today.
My grandfather, John Robert Bottorff, Jr., born in 1917, and my uncle Charles E. Bottorff, born in 1919, inherited The River Farm and grew up in that old farmhouse. In a 2010 oral history interview with the Oldham County History Center, Uncle Charles talked about growing up on our family's 316-acre farm, farming the land, raising Angus cattle and hogs, and growing corn, wheat, and orchard grass. Like so many farm families of that era, everyone worked. The kids had chores, and the land wasn't an investment. It was a way of life.
Dad always said all the kids had to work, that he "had to work like a man even as a kid." He'd describe getting up early to work the farm, and then his grandmother, Sallie Wilhoyte Bottorff, would fix a huge lunch of ham and potatoes, so good, he said, it was hard to go back to work afterward.
Sallie died in 1972, and three years later my grandfather, John Robert, was killed in a farming accident. My family ended up paying estate taxes on the farm twice within three years. I don't remember who told me this, or even if it's true, but I was told it's the only time we ever had to take out a mortgage on the farm to cover the estate taxes the second time around.
The Oldham County History Center's research collection holds records on many members of the Bottorff family, John Plutarch Bottorff, John Robert Bottorff, Charles Edward Bottorff, Jane Shrader, Sallie Wilhoyte Bottorff, and others. It's a glimpse into just how deeply woven my family is into this county's history. For me, that history makes what I do today even more meaningful.
Real estate isn't just about houses and land.
It's about the families who built homes there.
The farms that fed generations.
The stories that happened behind those front doors.
The deeds and property lines that connect one generation to the next.
And sometimes, it's about coming full circle.
❤️ So, how long have I been in real estate in Oldham County?
For generations.
..And I'm proud to help you carry yours forward.
If you have a real estate need or an upcoming closing, I'd love to help. Reach out anytime at 502-907-0020. - Your Land & Title, LLC, Crestwood, KY
