Floyd County, the fortieth in order of formation,
is located in eastern Kentucky. It covers an
area of 393 square miles. On December 13, 1799, the Kentucky
General Assembly enacted the bill creating Floyd County
from Fleming, Mason and Montgomery counties, to become
effective June 1, 1800. The county was named in honor of John Floyd, surveyor
and pioneer explorer. Preston's Station, designated the
county seat, was renamed PRESTONSBURG. The original 3,600-square-mile
tract comprised the whole of the Big Sandy Valley and some
adjacent territory, covering the entire eastern portion
of the state. From 1806 to 1884 all or parts of fifteen
other counties were formed from Floyd.
The County is bordered by Johnson County (north), Martin County (northeast), Pike County (east), Knott County (southwest), Magoffin County (northwest). Cities, Towns and Communities include Allen, Martin, Prestonsburg, Wayland, Wheelwright, David
Located in the coal, oil, and natural gas fields
of eastern Kentucky, Floyd County is part of the Cumberland
Plateau of the Appalachian Mountain range. It is drained
by the Levisa (Louisa) Fork of the Big Sandy River. The
county's elevation ranges from 641 feet above sea level
at Prestonsburg to more than 2,000. The other incorporated
towns in the county are Allen, Wayland, Martin, and Wheelwright.
There is archeological evidence that the Adena
culture, sometimes known as Mound Builders, once occupied
the Big Sandy Valley. In the eighteenth century when pioneers
pressed westward, the valley was defended by various tribes
of Indians as their hunting grounds.
The earliest permanent settlement was founded
on John's Creek in early 1790 by William Robert Leslie.
The Leslies were followed by many other pioneer families:
Damron, Auxier, Brown, Hammond, Weddington, Graham, Sellard,
Mayo, Lackey, Layne, Martin, Leake, May, Ferguson, Spurlock,
and others. Many early settlers have been honored in the
names of the towns and waterways of the area.
With the act creating Floyd County, Gov. James
Garrard (1796-1804) appointed John McIntire, James Young,
and Jesse Spurlock as justices of the court of quarterly
sessions. James Harris, Neely McGuire, Henry Stratton,
Goodwin Lycan, James Ewington, and Bernet Wording were
the first justices of the peace. The first courthouse burned
on April 16, 1808, and the earliest available records of
county activities date from September of 1808.
The first steamboat navigated the Levisa Fork
of the Big Sandy River in 1837, opening a market for virgin
timber in Catlettsburg at the mouth of the Big Sandy. After
the Civil War, timber barons made it profitable for landowners
to strip the area of hardwoods. Logging reached its peak
on the Big Sandy between 1890 and 1910.
In the Civil War, Prestonsburg was a Confederate
stronghold, but two battles fought in the area were Union
victories: the Battle of Ivy MOUNTAIN (November 8, 1861),
in which Union Gen. William Nelson defeated the Confederates
under Capt. Andrew Jackson May, and the Battle of Middle
Creek (January 10, 1862), when Union Col. James A. Garfield's
troops defeated a Confederate force under the command of
Brig. Gen. Humphrey Marshall. During the Civil War, engineers
recognized the signs of immense bituminous coal seams in
the area and took the information to northern industrialists.
With the penetration of the railroad in 1903,
coal soon became an important economic resource.
Some of the first companies to mine in Floyd
County were the Northeast Coal Company of Auxier, the Middle
Creek Coal Company, and the Colonial Coal and Coke Company
of Prestonsburg. Deep mining became unprofitable in the
late 1940s, and strip-mining took over. In the 1990s the
county has struggled to diversify its economic base by
adding wholesale and retail trade and service occupations.
Travelers arrived mostly on rutted wagon trails
until 1920, when the hard-surfaced Mayo Trail ended a century
and a half of isolation. The Mountain Parkway (completed
in 1962) together with U.S. 23/460 and KY 114, further
opened the area. Dewey Dam, completed on July 22, 1949,
provided flood control and formed Dewey Lake. The lake
is the focus of Jenny Wiley State Resort Park, completed
in 1954. An outdoor amphitheater opened on July 11, 1964.
Education in the county was first provided
by migratory teachers. The county received state money
for education for the first time in 1843, and not until
1848 did Floyd County tax its citizens for the service.
Today the Prestonsburg Community College of the University
of Kentucky provides higher education, and the David School
is a private, nonprofit alternative form of learning.
Among notable Floyd Countians are surgeon George
P Archer; Gov. Bert T Combs (1959-63); educators Henry
A. Campbell, Jr., and Danny Greene; historian Henry E Scalf;
newspaper publisher Norman Allen; merchant David Cooley;
and authors Robert Rennick, Leonard Roberts, and Blaine
Hall.
The population was 35,889 in 1970; 48,764 in
1980; and 43,586 in 1990. The Official County Website is located at http://www.floydcountykentucky.com/ .
Some records were destroyed by fire in Apr 1808.
PLEASE READ!! Please call the clerk's department to confirm hours, mailing address, fees and other specifics before visiting or requesting information because of sometimes changing contact information. Some records were destroyed by fire in Apr 1808.
Floyd County Clerk has Marriage Records from 1808 and Land Records from 1810 and is located at P.O.
Box 1089, Prestonsburg,
KY 41653-5089; Phone:
(606) 886-3816, FAX:
(606) 886-8089 . The duties of the county clerk are numerous and varied, falling into the general categories of clerical duties of the fiscal court, issuing and registering, recording and keeping records of various legal instruments, election duties, tax duties, transfers, and titling, and issuance of marriage licenses and much more. One of the most important responsibilities of the County Clerk's office is the recording of land records. The most common documents recorded are deeds, mortgages, and assignments and mortgage releases. The other is Marriage Liscenses
Floyd County Clerk of the Circuit Court has Probate Records from 1860 and Court Records from 1808 and is located at Courthouse, 127
S. Lake Dr.,
Prestonsburg, KY 41653;
Phone Number(s): 606-886-3090 . The Circuit Clerk's office is responsible for maintaining the records of the circuit court. Divorces, civil litigation, criminal crimes, probate, wills , estates and various other functions.
Below is a list of online resources for Floyd County Court Records. Email us with websites containing Floyd County Court Records by clicking the link below:
Kentucky Immigration & Emigration Records - Immigration records help the family historian to understand the movements of their ancestry as they relocated to different parts of the world.
Click Here to Search Kentucky Birth, Marriage & Death Records! - Birth, marriage, and death records are connected with central life events. They are prime sources for genealogical information. Look also for baptism, christening, and burial records in this collection.
Kentucky Office of Vital Statistics is located at State Dept of Human Resources, 275 E. Main St. 1EA, Frankfort, KY 40621; (502) 564-4212. They have the following records:
Birth & Death Certificates: The Vital Statistics Law of Kentucky, providing for and legalizing the registration of births and deaths, was enacted by the General Assembly of 1910 and became effective Jan. 1, 1911.
The Office of Vital Statistics has no records of births and deaths occurring prior to the above date except delayed records of births for those born before 1911, which have been established by affidavits and documentary evidence.Fees are listed below. You can download an application online for Birth Certificates or Death Certificates.
Marriage & Divorce Certificates: Central registration of marriages and divorces began in Kentucky in June 1958. The Office of Vital Statistics has no records of marriages and divorces prior to that date. Copies of marriage certificates prior to June 1958 may be obtained from the county clerk in the county where the license was issued. Records of divorce proceedings are available from the Floyd County clerk of the circuit court that granted the decree.You can download an application online for Marriage Certificates or Divorce Certificates.
Order Online: You can also order Order Electronically and get the certificates within 2-5 days by ordering below
Cost of certificates: Birth: $10 per certificate;
Death, Marriage and Divorce are $6 per certificate In Person: You can stop in the office at 275 E. Main St. in Frankfort and obtain a certified copy of a birth, death, marriage or divorce certificate by completing an application form between the hours of 8 a.m. - 3 p.m. EST, Monday-Friday. There is approximately a one-hour wait to receive the certificate. Directions to Vital Statistics Office By Mail: Mail a check or money order (no cash) payable to the "Kentucky State Treasurer" along with the necessary information to the following address: Office of Vital Statistics, 275 E. Main St. 1E-A, Frankfort, KY 40621. Please include return address on envelope and application form. Processing Time: Please allow up to approximately 30 working days for processing of all type of certificates when ordered through the mail. Birth Records: Expect longer delays during peak request periods from May through September. You should request certified copies of your birth certificate early enough to avoid delays if you are planning retirement, sporting events for the children, travel/passports, children entering school for the first time, etc. Death Records: There may be delays in issuing new certified death certificates if the original certificate is not promptly filed in Frankfort by the funeral homes. Phone, Fax, On-Line, or Credit Card: To obtain a certified copy of a vital record by phone, fax, on-line or purchase with a credit card, please link to VitalChek. There is an additional $10.50 fee for all credit card purchases. Discover, Visa, MasterCard and American Express are accepted. If faster delivery is required, you may wish to have the certified copy sent by Federal Express. Please state this when placing the order for the copy. There is an additional fee for this service.
Below is a list of online resources for Floyd County Vital Records. Email us with websites containing Floyd County Vital Records by clicking the link below:
Search the Social Security Death Index for FREE - Search over 82 million death records and get genealogical information crucial to your family research. New content added weekly! Most comprehensive SSDI site online!
Click Here to Search Kentucky Voter Lists & Census Records! - Few, if any, records reveal as many details about individuals and families as do government census records. Substitute records can be used when the official census is unavailable.
Countywide Records: Federal Population Schedules that exist for Floyd County, Kentucky are 1810, 1820, 1830, 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1890 (fragment, see below), 1900, 1910, 1920 and 1930. Earlier U.S. censuses for Kentucky were destroyed, but published tax lists serve as a replacements for the lost 1790 and 1800 censuses. Other Federal Schedules to look at when researching your family tree in Floyd County, Kentucky are Industry and Agriculture Schedules availible for the years 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880. Slave Schedules exist for 1850 & 1860. The Mortality Schedules for the years 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880. Union Veterans Schedules were conducted in 1890 but only returns for sixty-five Kentucky counties remain of the 1890 Union veterans and widows schedule of the federal census of Kentucky.
Statewide Records that exist for Kentucky are 1810, 1820, 1830, 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1890 (fragment, see below), 1900, 1910, 1920 and 1930. Earlier U.S. censuses for Kentucky were destroyed, but published tax lists serve as a replacements for the lost 1790 and 1800 censuses. Extracts and indexes for many of Kentucky's censuses have been compiled and published. Original or microfilm copies of the federal census returns are available at the Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives. Several Kentucky indexes to censuses predate those published by AISI.
State School Census for Kentucky infrequently enumerated public school students beginning in 1888. Scattered records are at the office of the respective county Board of Health or Board of Education. Some are maintained by the Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives and the Kentucky Historical Society.
Below is a list of online resources for Floyd County Census Records. Email us with websites containing Floyd County Census Records by clicking the link below:
Genealogy Atlas has images of old American atlases during the years 1795, 1814, 1822, 1823, 1836, 1838, 1845, 1856, 1866, 1879 and 1897 for Kentucky and other states.
You can view rotating animated maps for Kentucky showing all the county boundaries for each census year overlayed with past and present maps so you can see the changes in county boundaries. You can view a list of maps for other states at Census Maps
You can view rotating animated maps for Kentucky showing all the county boundary changes for each year overlayed with past and present maps so you can see the changes in county boundaries . You can view a list of maps for other states and State Department of Transportation Maps at County Maps. The Kentucky Department of Transportation has county maps the show the locations of churches, cemeteries, roads, ect...
Below is a list of online resources for Floyd County Maps. Email us with websites containing Floyd County Maps by clicking the link below:
Click Here to Search Kentucky Military Records! - Military and civil service records provide unique facts and insights into the lives of men and women who have served their country at home and abroad.
The uses and value of military records in genealogical research for ancestors who were veterans are obvious, but military records can also be important to re-searchers whose direct ancestors were not soldiers in any war. The fathers, grandfathers, brothers, and other close relatives of an ancestor may have served in a war, and their service or pension records could contain information that will assist in further identifying the family of primary interest. Due to the amount of genealogical information contained in some military pension files, they should never be overlooked during the research process. Those records not containing specific genealogical information are of historic value and should be included in any overall research design. A list of Wars fought on American.
Below is a list of online resources for Floyd County Military Records. Email us with websites containing Floyd County Military Records by clicking the link below:
Revolutionary War Rolls, 1775-1783 (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Documents in NARA publication M246 include muster rolls, payrolls, strength returns, and other miscellaneous personnel, pay, and supply records of American Army units, 1775-83.
Southern Claims Commission from the State of Kentucky (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Documents In the 1870s, southerners claimed compensation from the U.S. government for items used by the Union Army, ranging from corn and horses, to trees and church buildings.
One of the most valuable sources for early Kentucky until 1892 is its tax records. Most counties have yearly tax records from the date of organization. Some early tax schedules list watercourse, value and acreage of real estate, men over twenty-one, young men between sixteen and twenty-one, slaves, and horses. Extant county tax schedules from the date of organization of the county through 1892 have been microfilmed for most counties and are available from the Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives and the FHL.
Numerous original tax records from 1892 are available at the Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives. The Kentucky Historical Society has tax records to 1875.
Kentucky tax lists are arranged by county and date. Within the counties, residents within its districts are grouped together and names usually arranged under the beginning letter of the surname, although these are not in strict alphabetical order. Some early tax records have been published and are available in research libraries.
Below is a list of online resources for Floyd County Tax Records. Email us with websites containing Floyd County Tax Records by clicking the link below:
The Repositories
in this section are Archives, Libraries, Museums, Genealogical
and Historical Societies. Many County Historical and Genealogical
Societies publish magazines and/or news letters on a monthly,
quarterly, bi-annual or annual basis. Contacting the local societies
should not be over looked. State Archives and Societies are
usually much larger and better organized with much larger archived
materials than their smaller county cousins but they can be
more generalized and over look the smaller details that local
societies tend to have. Libraries can also be a good place to
look for local information. Some libraries have a genealogy
section and may have some resources that are not located at
archives or societies. Also, take a special look at any museums
in the area. They sometimes have photos and items from years
gone by as well as information of a genealogical interest. All
these places are vitally important to the family genealogist
and must not be passed over.
Below is a list of online resources for Floyd County Genealogical Addresses. Email us with websites containing Floyd County Genealogical Addresses by clicking the link below:
Kentucky Newspapers & Periodicals Records - Newspapers and periodicals are the diaries of local communities. They are excellent sources of family history details - often recorded nowhere else. Look for obituaries, marriages, legal notices, and more found in our Historical Newspaper Archives.
Click Here to Search Kentucky Obituary Records! - This database is a compilation of obituaries published in U.S. newspapers, collected from various online sources. Obituaries can vary in the amount of information they contain, but many of them are genealogical goldmines, including information such as names, dates, places of birth and death, marriage information, and family relationships.
Church membership of early Kentuckians include Baptist, Church of Christ, Episcopal, Lutheran, Methodist, Presbyterian, and Roman Catholic. Some church records were published, others were microfilmed, some are housed in church repositories, but many remain in the local church. Church records and histories may be found in periodicals pertaining to Kentucky. Repositories include the DAR Library, the FHL, Kentucky Historical Society, University of Kentucky Library, and Filson Club Library.
Many
collections of cemetery records are available for Kentucky.
In 1977 the Kentucky Historical Society began computerizing
extant cemetery records for the state. Cemetery tombstone transcriptions
are included in the Ardery collection.
Kentucky regional libraries and some other large genealogical
libraries outside the state have collections of Kentucky cemetery
transcriptions. In addition, publications pertaining to Kentucky
and Kentuckians frequently contain cemetery records for the
state.
Below is a list of online resources for Floyd County Cemetery & Church Records. Email us with websites containing Floyd County Cemetery & Church Records by clicking the link below:
Find Obituaries in The World's Largest Newspaper Archive at NewpaperArchive.com! - Find thousands of obituaries to help you research your family history. Search for a newspaper obituary about your ancestor or a celebrity. Begin your search today and find death notices and funeral announcements printed in newspapers throughout the world.
Click Here to Search Kentucky Family Tree Records! - The use of published genealogies, electronic files containing genealogical lineage, and other compiled sources can be of tremendous value to a researcher.
When view family trees online or not, be sure to only take the info at face value and always follow up with your own sources or verify the ones they provide. Below is a list of online resources for Floyd County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information . Email us with websites containing Floyd County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information by clicking the link below:
Genealogy Encyclopedia: General Abbreviations, Early Illnesses, Nickname Meanings, Worldwide Epidemics, Early Occupations, Common Terms, Censuses Explained, Free Genealogical Forms
Nichols and Related Families of Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Florida, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virgina.
