MORGAN COUNTY, KY HISTORY AND LOOKUP

County History

*None Listed

Morgan County, Kentucky: A Genealogical Overview

Located in the mountainous Eastern Kentucky Coalfield region, Morgan County is a landscape of rugged hills and narrow valleys carved by the Licking River. Its identity is deeply rooted in Appalachian culture and history. The county’s story is one of hardy pioneers navigating a challenging terrain, an economy built on timber and agriculture, and a complex genealogical tapestry resulting from its role as a “mother county” to many of its neighbors.

I. County Formation and Evolution

Understanding Morgan County’s formation and its subsequent division into numerous other counties is absolutely essential for tracing ancestry in this part of Kentucky.

  • 1822: County Formed: Morgan County was established on December 7, 1822, by an act of the Kentucky General Assembly.
  • Parent County: It was created from the western portion of Floyd County and the eastern portion of Bath County. Records for ancestors living in the area prior to 1822 would be located in the records of those parent counties.
  • Subsequent County Formations: Morgan County was vast and was later partitioned to create all or parts of at least seven other counties. This is a critical fact for researchers.
    • Breathitt County (1839)
    • Johnson County (1843)
    • Rowan County (1856)
    • Magoffin County (1860)
    • Wolfe County (1860)
    • Elliott County (1869)
    • Menifee County (1869)
  • Name Origin: The county was named in honor of General Daniel Morgan, a distinguished American Revolutionary War officer who commanded the victorious American forces at the Battle of Cowpens.
  • County Seat History: The county seat has always been West Liberty, which was established in 1823. Crucially for genealogical research, the Morgan County courthouse suffered disastrous fires in 1863 (during a Civil War raid) and again in 1907, destroying the vast majority of early county records.

II. Settlement and Early History

  • Early Inhabitants: Prior to European settlement, the area was a hunting ground for Native American tribes, including the Shawnee and Cherokee. The rugged landscape discouraged large, permanent settlements, but it was a valued and often contested territory.
  • Pioneer Settlement and Economy: The first significant wave of non-native settlement began in the early 1800s. Settlers, primarily of Scots-Irish, English, and German descent, migrated from Virginia, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania. The economy was based on subsistence farming in the narrow creek bottoms, logging the dense forests, and later, small-scale coal mining. The Licking River served as the primary artery for transportation and commerce in the county’s early days.

III. Genealogical Records and Resources

This section provides practical information for locating ancestral records, keeping in mind the significant record loss due to courthouse fires.

  • Courthouse: Morgan County Clerk: Located at 450 Prestonsburg Street, West Liberty, KY 41472. This office holds the surviving county records. Due to the 1863 and 1907 fires, most records such as deeds, wills, court orders, and marriage bonds do not exist prior to 1907. Researchers must rely on alternative sources for the early period.
  • Vital Records:
    • Birth and Death Records: Statewide registration in Kentucky began in 1911. Records from that date forward are held by the Kentucky Office of Vital Statistics. For records prior to 1911, very little exists at the county level due to the fires. Researchers should consult federal census records, church records, Bible records, and cemetery inscriptions.
    • Marriage Records: Marriage records from 1823 to 1907 were destroyed. The existing marriage registers at the Morgan County Clerk’s office begin after the 1907 fire.
  • Libraries with Genealogy Collections:
    • Morgan County Public Library: Located at 151 University Drive, West Liberty, KY 41472. This is the best local resource for published family histories, local historical materials, and microfilm of available records.
    • Morgan County Historical Society: A key resource for local family information, cemetery records, and historical context.
    • Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives (KDLA): Located in Frankfort, KY. This is a primary repository for surviving state-level records, tax lists (which can substitute for census records), and microfilm of any available county records.
    • Kentucky Historical Society: Also in Frankfort, this society holds extensive collections of family histories, manuscripts, and historical materials relevant to the region.
  • Bordering Jurisdictions:
    • Rowan County, KY
    • Elliott County, KY
    • Lawrence County, KY
    • Johnson County, KY
    • Magoffin County, KY
    • Wolfe County, KY
    • Menifee County, KY

Please share any resources you have and will do lookups or links to resources you are aware of. Thanks