KYBATH-L Archives

From: "Sharon Karns" <>
Subject: [KYBATH] y. counties
Date: Wed, 15 Jan 2003 22:35:14 -0800

A LOOK AT KENTUCKY

Trying to find one's early family in Kentucky can be a trying
experience! Knowing that Kentucky didn't form as a state until 1792, our
families could have been physically here, but "on paper" been listed in
many other locations. We normally turn to Virginia for our starting
point, but even that can be a wide area in which to look! If our
earliest families can be traced back to "Virginia", we must realize that
they could have been:

1. In any part of Illinois from 1781 until its statehood in 1818 -
2. In any part of Indiana from 1787 until its statehood in 1816 -
3. In any part of Kentucky from 1775 to its statehood in 1792 -
4. In any part of North Carolina from 1728 to 1799 -
5 In any part of Ohio from 1778 to its statehood in 1803 -
6. Any part of Pennsylvnia from 1752 to 1786 -
7. Any part of Tennessee from 1760 to 1803 -
8. Any part of West Virginia from 1769 to 1863!
(Fuqua Family Foundation Newsletter, Vol 2, #2).

Before KY reached statehood, and long before white man explored here,
Kentucky was part of Augusta County, VA. In 1584, it was included in
Virginia County. The first permanent settlement in KY was at Harrodsburg
in 1774, and Boonesboro was founded 1775 by Daniel Boone.

Along the line - Kentucky became part of Fincastle Co VA. It was also
called Kentucky County during the Boone expeditions (Dec 1776). Finally,
in 1780, Kentucky County was subdivided into three separate counties:
Fayette - Jefferson - Lincoln. By 1790, these three counties were
subdivided into Mason, Bourbon, Woodford, Fayette, Madison, Jefferson,
Mercer, Nelson and Lincoln Counties.

According to the Handy Book for Genealogists by Everton Publishers -
those original nine counties split over the years into the following:

Mason - the eastern 6/7ths of Pike, Floyd, Martin, Johnson, the
east half of Magoffin and Morgan, Lawrence, Elliott, Rown, Carter, Boyd,
Greenup, Lewis, Fleming, Mason, Robertson, Bracken, Campbell and the
eastern third of Pendleton Counties.

Bourbon - Eastern 4/5ths of Harlan, Letcher, the western 1/7th of
Pike, Knott, Perry, east of Leslie, Breathitt, western half of each of
Magoffin and Morgan, Wolfe, northern half of Lee, Estill, Bath, Powell,
Manifee, Montgomery, eastern half of Clark, Bourbon, Nicholas, eastern
3/4ths of Harrison and a triangular shaped south 1/5th of Pendleton.

Woodford Co has been split into - Woodford, Scott, eastern 1/2 of
Franklin, Owen, Grant, Boone, Gallatin and the eastern half of Carroll.

Fayette - Fayette, Jessamine and the western 1/2 of Clark.

Madison - Madison, eastern half of Garrarad, south half of Estill,
Jackson, NE 1/3rd of Rockcastle, Owsley, southern half of Lee and Clay
and the western half of Leslie and western 1/5th of Harlan.

Jefferson - Northern 1/2 of each of Spencer and Bullitt,
Jefferson, Shelby, Oldham, Henry, NW corner of Anderson, Trimble and the
western half of Carroll.

Mercer - Southern third of Franklin, eastern half of Anderson,
Mercer, northern 2/3rds of Boyle and the NW third of Garrard.

Nelson - Washington, Marion, Taylor, northern 1/2 of Green, Hart,
Edmonson, Butler, McLean; Ohio, Davies, Hancock, Breckinridge, Meade,
Hardin, southern 1/2 of Bullitt and Spencer; Nelson, Larue and Grayson.

Lincoln - Henderson, Webster, Hopkins, southern 1/2 of McLean,
Muhlenberg, southern 1/2 of Butler; Warren, southern half of each of
Edmonson, Hart, Green, Adair, Casey, Lincoln; west of Garrard; southwest
2/3rds of Rockcastle, Laurel, southern 1/3rd of Boyle, Knox, Bell,
Whitley, Pulaski, Wayne, Russell, Clinton, Cumberland, Metcalfe, Monroe,
Barren, Allen, Simpson, Logan, Todd, Christian, Trigg, Caldwell, Lyon,
Marshall, Calloway, Graves, Fulton, Hickman, Carlisle, Ballard,
McCracken, Livingston, Crittenden and Union.

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• [KYBATH] y. counties by "Sharon Karns" <>