By Stephen D. Bowling

September 13, 1949 – William Edward Moss Gatliff suffered a heart attack and died at his home in Williamsburg on September 13, 1949.  Widely respected and active in the politics of southern Kentucky, Gatliff was well-known for his effort to improve transportation and tourism in the Cumberland River Valley.

William Edward Moss Gatliff was born in Williamsburg, Whitley County, Kentucky, on September 12, 1886, to Dr. Ancil and Florida (Moss) Gatliff.  He attended the University of Virginia, Cumberland College, and Columbia University.  Gatliff practiced law and operated numerous businesses, including large lumber and coal operations.

From 1917 to 1921, Gatliff served as Assistant United States District Attorney for Eastern Kentucky before his resignation to accept other positions.  His fourteen years of service on the Executive Committee of the Kentucky Democratic Party allowed him to travel around the state in support of Kentucky Democrats for Governor and the United States Senate.

In appreciation for his support, Governor Ruby Laffoon appointed Gatliff in 1932 to the Kentucky Highway Commission to represent the Ninth District in southern Kentucky. 

While serving on the Commission, Gatliff advocated for improvement to the existing road in the mountain and argued that a bridge should be built to replace the “outdated and sporadic ferry” that connected Whitley and McCreary County near Cumberland Falls.  He supported other projects that he felt aided the people of eastern Kentucky.  Gatliff also envisioned the connection of existing roadways to create a network that would “bring the Commonwealth together as one community.”

After his time on the Road Commission, Gatliff served in several capacities, including several years on the Kentucky Unemployment Council beginning in 1949.

He served as the Vice President of the Gatliff Coal Company, a Director of the High Splint Coal Company, and was an active member of the Sons of the American Revolution.

The heart attack that took his life on September 13, 1949, ended a long and distinguished career in public service.  Large crowds attended his funeral, and he was laid to rest in the Highland Cemetery at Williamsburg, Kentucky.   He was survived by his widow, Beverly (Davidson) Gatliff.

In 1954, Beverly Gatliff joined Governor Lawrence Weatherby and other dignitaries to dedicate a new bridge named Commissioner Gatliff’s memory.  Spanning the Cumberland River just upstream from Cumberland Falls, the Edward M. Gatliff Bridge is a stone-faced span with four arches that permits the river to pass through as it makes its way to the falls.  

The bridge was constructed in 1953 at the location advocated by Gatliff.  Today, the bridge allows Highway 90 to cross the Cumberland River and connects Whitley City and Corbin, thanks primarily to the work of Edward M. Gatliff.

© 2024 Stephen D. Bowling