Kentucky Genealogy

Kentucky Genealogy is being developed as a genealogical and historical resource for your personal use. It contains information and records for Kentucky ancestry, family history, and genealogy. Specifically, it provides sources for birth records, death records, marriage records, census records, tax records, court records, and military records. It also provides some historical details about different times and people in Kentucky history.

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The State of Kentucky is situated between 36 degrees 30 minutes, and 39 degrees 10 minutes, north latitude; and between 81 degrees 50 minutes, and 89 degrees 26 minutes, west longitude — and includes all that portion of territory which lies south and westward of a line, beginning on the Ohio river, at the mouth of the Great Sandy river, and running up the same, and the main and north-easterly branch thereof, to the great Laurel ridge or Cumberland mountains; thence south-west along said mountains, to a line of North Carolina. It is bounded north by Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio; east by Virginia; south by Tennessee; and west by the Mississippi river and State of Missouri. It is three hundred miles in length from east to west, and one hundred and fifty miles in mean breadth; and contains 42,600 square miles, or about twenty-seven million acres.

Kentucky County Genealogy

Neighboring States

New Kentucky Genealogy

Historical Sketch of Meade County, Kentucky

Historical Sketch of Meade County, Kentucky, provides a detailed historical overview of Meade County, Kentucky, established in 1823 from Hardin and Breckinridge counties. It describes the geographical boundaries and the unique shape imparted by the Ohio River, while also painting a picture of the county’s rich natural resources that attracted early settlers such as the Shackletts and Ashcrafts from various states. The narrative highlights the socio-political dynamics of the early community, including the organization of the county court in 1824 and the intense “fist and skull” battles that characterized local elections. This sketch effectively captures the early challenges and developments…

Gerard Alexander Family of Meade County, Kentucky

Brief genealogy of the family of Gerard Alexander of Meade County Kentucky as appeared in Hardy’s Colonial Families of the Southern States of America: A History and Genealogy of Colonial Families who Settled in the Colonies Prior to the Revolution.

Stations and Early Settlements in Kentucky

In a meticulous endeavor to enrich the historical narrative of early Kentucky, the authors, father and son, embarked on a thorough journey of discovery. Lewis Collins, the father, devoted two years to an exhaustive study, anchored in the belief that an intimate knowledge of the topography of early Kentucky is indispensable for understanding its history. His efforts resulted in a compilation that surpassed even his own optimistic expectations in both completeness and accuracy. This remarkable feat is especially noteworthy considering it was largely informed by the contributions of Dr. Christopher C. Graham of Louisville, who, at the ripe age of…

Vital Records Legislation by the Commonwealth of Kentucky up to 1942

Since 1851, laws mandating the recording of births and deaths in Kentucky have evolved considerably. Prior to 1911, however, these records were not systematically maintained. The current statewide system, overseen by the State Bureau of Vital Statistics within the State Board of Health, was established that year, significantly improving record-keeping. Earlier laws required health professionals and county officials to register these events annually, with varying levels of detail and enforcement. Key legislative changes over the years included establishing and then abolishing the role of State Registrar, appointment of local registrars, and standardized forms for certificates. Failure to comply with these…

Origin and Early History of Record Keeping in the State

Kentucky, mirroring parent state Virginia, adhered to Anglican Church practices for vital statistics record-keeping until independence, when the county clerk assumed this role with minimal attention to detail. The pursuit of scientific vital statistics began earnestly with the Seventh Decennial Census in 1850, but faced underfunding and public apathy. Kentucky responded with the Sutton Law in 1852, mandating local record-keeping, but with limited success. Only in 1910 did genuine reform occur with a new registration law and the foundation of the Bureau of Vital Statistics. Despite earlier neglect, some records persevered, aiding future genealogical and public health research. Today, Kentucky’s…

History of Frankfort Kentucky

This article provides a brief history of Frankfort, Kentucky, including its exploration and settlement by various individuals, the acquisition of land grants, the establishment of the town by General James Wilkinson, and the construction of notable residences such as the John Bibb House, the Vreeland House, the Crittenden House, Liberty Hall, the Orlando Brown House, and the Sigmund Luscher House.

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Kentucky County Genealogy