Lincoln
County is one of three counties created by Virginia in
1780. As settlements in Kentucky County of Virginia became
increasingly numerous during the late 1770s, the need
for seats of government within the vast territory led
to the formation of Jefferson, Lincoln, and Fayette counties
to replace Kentucky County. The law creating these counties
was enacted by the Virginia General Assembly on June
30, 1780, and became effective November 1, 1780. Lincoln
County was named for Gen. Benjamin Lincoln, a military
commander in the Revolutionary War who was a prisoner
of war in British hands when the county was formed.
Two
more counties, Mercer and Madison, were formed by Virginia
in 1786 from parts of Lincoln County. After Kentucky
became a state in 1792, the Kentucky legislature continued
to subdivide Lincoln County into smaller counties. Lincoln
County assumed its present boundary in February 1843.
The County is bordered by Boyle County (northwest), Garrard County (northeast), Rockcastle County (east), Pulaski County (south), Casey County (west). Cities, Towns and Communities include Crab Orchard, Eubank, Hustonville, Stanford.
The first
county court session for Lincoln County was held at Fort
Harrod (now Harrodsburg) in January 1781. The county
seat was moved to Fort Logan (now STANFORD) in 1787.
Lincoln
County is divided into three distinct topographical areas.
The northern half of the county, lying within the southern
edge of the Bluegrass region, is known for its excellent
farmland and is drained by the Dix River and its smaller
tributaries. This area was a prime hunting territory
for prehistoric Native Americans, as witnessed by a few
scattered Indian mounds and the small artifacts that
occasionally turn up in the soil. Stretched from west
to east across Lincoln County is the Knobs region of
Kentucky; its hills range from one to two hundred feet
in height and are mostly covered in woodland, which supported
a lumbering industry throughout the middle to late 1800s.
The rest of the county lies in the Pennyroyal region,
dominated by broad plateau-like areas and ridges separated
by deep fertile valleys and streams.
Throughout
its history, Lincoln County's economy has been primarily
agricultural. Gristmills and steam mills were common
in the middle to late 1800s for grinding meal and producing
woolens. The fertile land in the Dick's (now Dix) River
valley drew the earliest pioneers. Among the first settlements
established within the county's present boundary were
Isaac Shelby's Knob Lick Station, Logan's Fort (Stanford),
Montgomery's Station, Pettit's Station, Spear's Station,
McCormack's Station, McKinney's Station, Whitley's Station,
Owsley's Station, Barnett's Station, Briggs Station,
and Helm's Station. Through the nineteenth century, towns
and villages emerged at the major crossroads in the county.
The towns included Stanford, Hustonville, Crab Orchard,
and Waynesburg. The smaller villages included McKinney,
Kings Mountain, Preachersville, Walnut Flat, Milledgeville,
Turnersville, Hubble, Turkeytown, Broughtontown, and
Dog Walk.
The
first railroad built through Lincoln County was the Louisville & Nashville
(now CSX Transportation), which entered the county near
Knob Lick Creek and passed through Stanford and Crab
Orchard. Between 1860 and 1920, thousands of visitors
to the Crab Orchard Springs resort patronized this railroad.
Passenger service ended in the 1940s. The Cincinnati & Southern
Railroad (now Norfolk Southern) was built through Lincoln
County in the late 1870s; this railroad became the major
north-south line through central Kentucky.
During
the Civil War, sympathies in Lincoln County were fairly
evenly split between the Union and the Confederacy. The
northern half of the county, having many slaveholders,
was sympathetic to the Confederates; the south end of
the county was strongly Unionist. Three black communities
in Lincoln County developed in the post-Civil War era:
Bonneyville, Chicken Bristle, and Logantown. During the
1880s and 1890s, the Lincoln Land Company, a private
enterprise, encouraged the development of a German-Swiss
community, Ottenheim, in south-central Lincoln County.
The German, Austrian, and Swiss immigrants were sold
rough knobs land, which they quickly turned into some
of the best farmland in the county.
In
the 1820s, the Restoration movement of Barton STONE and
Alexander CAMPBELL was a strong influence in Lincoln
County. McCormack's Meetinghouse, initially a mixed congregation
of Baptists and Presbyterians, became a member of the
Disciples of Christ denomination in 1829 and later a
member of the Christian Church denomination. McCormack's
Meetinghouse, a brick structure built in 1819-20, is
the oldest church building standing in Lincoln County.
Catholicism had no major impact in Lincoln County until
the 1880s, when the German and Swiss settlements at Ottenheim
and Blue Lick were developed.
The
county's best secondary education facility was the Christian
Church College at Hustonville, established in the 1850s
by a joint effort of the Hanging Fork Presbyterian Church
and the Hustonville Christian Church. It was a college
preparatory institution and like the old Hanging Fork
Presbyterian Parochial School it replaced, it had close
ties with CENTRE College at Danville.
The
streams of Lincoln County and the Indian and buffalo
trails were the first pathways into central Kentucky.
A western extension of the Wilderness Road passed from
the Hazel Patch to Fort Logan (Stanford) and on to Harrodsburg.
(U.S. 150 roughly follows the original Wilderness Road
through the county.) Another old trail left Fort Logan
and went southwest to near Turnersville, where one fork
went south to the Green River settlements and the other
went west to the Carpenter's Station area. (KY 78 parallels
this trace.) By the late 1860s most of the major county
roads were maintained as private turnpikes that travelers
paid a fee to use. A few tollgate houses still stand
in the county.
Among
the influential residents of Lincoln County, Isaac Shelby,
Kentucky's first governor (179296, 1812-16), settled
on Knob Lick Creek in 1779 and called his home Travelers
Rest (now a state shrine). It became the center of a
vast farming enterprise. Benjamin LOGAN's FORT, established
in 1775, was one of few in Kentucky that did not fall
to the Indian attacks of 1777. William Whitley located
in the county and built Sportsman's Hill, one of the
first brick houses in Kentucky. His home is preserved
as a state shrine on U.S. 150 near Crab Orchard and is
an excellent example of Kentucky frontier architecture.
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.
Lincoln County Clerk has Marriage Records from 1781 and Land Records from 1780 and is located at 102
East Main Street, Suite
3, Stanford, KY 40484-1279;
Phone: (606) 365-4570,
FAX: (606) 365-4572 . 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
Lincoln County Clerk of the Circuit Court has Probate Records from 1781 and Court Records from 1781 and is located at 101
East Main Street,
Stanford, Kentucky 40484; Phone
Numbers: 606-365-4570 . 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 Lincoln County Court Records. Email us with websites containing Lincoln 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 Lincoln 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 Lincoln County Vital Records. Email us with websites containing Lincoln 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 Lincoln 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 Lincoln 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 Lincoln County Census Records. Email us with websites containing Lincoln 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 Lincoln County Maps. Email us with websites containing Lincoln 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 Lincoln County Military Records. Email us with websites containing Lincoln 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 Lincoln County Tax Records. Email us with websites containing Lincoln 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 Lincoln County Genealogical Addresses. Email us with websites containing Lincoln 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 Lincoln County Cemetery & Church Records. Email us with websites containing Lincoln 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 Lincoln County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information . Email us with websites containing Lincoln 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.
Kentucky Family & Local History Records - The Family & Local Histories Collection lets you read journals, memoirs, and other first-hand historical narratives right on your computer. Gathered from some of the world's finest libraries, these materials may provide hard-to-find town, county, and state information; tax records and wills; military, church, and court records; as well as photographs, stories, and maps.
Stanford got its name after Benjamin Logan, who along with other early settlers, repeatedly and successfully fought off Indian attacks. Logan’s Fort, which was located near the existing Stanford downtown district, was the final jewel of the “triple crown” of forts in Kentucky. Cumberland Trace which goes to Nashville and turns into the Natchez Trace, began at Logan’s Fort. Court was held within the walls of the fort from 1781 to 1783, the original beginnings of many Kentucky counties south of the Kentucky River. The settlement, which evolved into the present day town of Stanford is the second oldest permanent settlement in the state. Historic downtown Stanford is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Wilderness Trail, originally called the “Great Road,” passes through Lincoln County. The trail, which was the gateway to the west, runs along St. Asaph’s Creek of present-day Stanford.
Formed in 1780, Lincoln County is one of Kentucky’s three original territories. Named in honor of Revolutionary Army Officer Benjamin Lincoln who was asked by Congress to conduct the war in the southern states. The original territory of Lincoln comprised about one-third of the state but was reduced by cutting off sections to form other counties until its present area of 450 square miles. Lincoln County is “The Land of Firsts.” It’s home of Kentucky’s first governor, Isaac Shelby; first chartered school in the state; first brick house in Kentucky; first courthouse west of the Alleghenies; first bank west of the Alleghenies; as well as America’s first circular race track.
Lincoln County’s rich heritage is revealed in its vast array of communities. Preachersville is the only community so named in the United States. The first settlers were part of a traveling church, Gospel Christian Church (also known as Halls Gap Christian Church). The church bell is 203 years old. Carrie Nation and U. S. Ambassador to Russia, Carlos Brittain, once lived in the area. The old Waynesburg Bank and Post Office stands in the center of two cross streets which entirely surround it. Waynesburg Masonic Lodge holds the oldest continuous charter in Lincoln County. Hubble was settled by the Irish and Scotch. The McKendree Methodist Church, built in 1886, is one of the oldest in the county. Eubank is home of the 1944 Miss America.
Lt. Richard Caswell Saufley was born and reared in Stanford. This pioneer aviator was the first man to fly an American plane over enemy territory, the first to be filmed in action in a war plane, the first to fly a plane off the deck of a ship, and he set world endurance and altitude records. Named in his honor are NAS Saufley Field in Pensacola, Florida and U. S. Navy Destroyer, U.S.S. Saufley, DD-465.
Come see where the past meets the present in historic Lincoln County. Kentucky’s rich heritage awaits you in “The Land of Firsts.”
