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Pulaski County History and Information |
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Pulaski County, the twenty-seventh county in
order of formation, is located in south-central Kentucky.
The County is bordered by Lincoln County (north), Rockcastle County (northeast), Laurel County (east), McCreary County (southeast), Wayne County (southwest), Russell County (west), Casey County (northwest). Cities, Towns and Communities include Burnside, Eubank, Ferguson, Nancy, Science Hill, Shopville, Somerset. It is roughly diamond shaped and contains
a wide variety of terrains, including rugged hills to the
east and south and rolling farmland to the west. The dominant
geographical feature is the Cumberland River, which meanders
across the southern part of the county. The river is impounded
by the Tennessee Valley Authority's Wolf Creek Dam, which
created Lake Cumberland in 1952 and helped to make tourism
an important local industry. Despite the rapid growth of
Somerset in the 1970s and 1980s, the county is mostly rural
and has little fertile soil. SOMERSET is the county seat.
Permanent settlement of the area north of the
Cumberland River and west of the Rockcastle River occurred
after the end of the Revolutionary War, when around 3,000
people located in the area between 1782 and 1798. Led by
several Revolutionary War veterans, these citizens petitioned
for the creation of a county to serve their needs. Kentucky's
legislature responded favorably to the request and proposed
to divide Green and Lincoln counties to form the new county.
Gov. James Garrard (1796-1804) signed the act into law
on December 10, 1798.
Since many of the early settlers were veterans,
they chose to name the county after a famous Revolutionary
War figure. Nicholas Jasper suggested that the county bear
the name of the Polish-American patriot Casimir Pulaski,
who was killed at Savannah in 1779. On June 24, 1801, the
commissioners directed that the county seat be called Somerset,
located on forty acres donated by William Dodson for that
purpose.
Because of the lack of good roads, Pulaski
County was isolated and grew slowly. In spite of slow population
growth-from 3,000 in 1800 to just over 17,000 in 1860-numerous
businesses and industries developed in the antebellum period.
Pioneer merchant Cyrenius Wait moved to Pulaski County
from New England and developed a saltworks, operated a
wharf on the river at Waitsboro, and planted mulberry trees
in hopes of creating a silk industry. Along with Tunstall
Quarles, a local politician and U.S. congressman (1817-20),
he helped pioneer both the banking and insurance industries
in the county.
By the mid-nineteenth century, the county's
economic mainstays included farming, cattle, and coal.
In 1870 Pulaski ranked sixth among livestock-producing
counties in the state. During the years before and after
the Civil War, twelve mines in eastern Pulaski County produced
coal that was transported to Nashville by barge. In 1878
eighteen of these barges carrying 100,000 bushels of coal
sank in the treacherous waters of Smith's Shoals above
Burnside. The industry never fully recovered.
At the beginning of the Civil War, fewer than
10 percent of Pulaski County's population consisted of
black slaves. Many county residents were Southern sympathizers,
but the majority of the population supported the Union.
Two important Civil War battles, Mill Springs and Dutton's
Hill, took place within the county's boundaries. Neither
was especially destructive to life or property. Somerset
was occupied by a Union garrison for a portion of the war
and was raided by Confederate Gen. John Hunt Morgan and
his cavalry. Toward the end of the war, engineers and surveyors
from the Union army visited Pulaski to map out a roadbed
for a military railroad, and their survey reached as far
as Point Isabel on the Cumberland River. Point Isabel was
renamed Burnside in honor of the Union general. In 1866
the U.S. War Department established a permanent national
cemetery in western Pulaski County near the site of the
Civil War engagement of Mill Springs, where over six hundred
Union dead were buried. Less than a mile to the south is
a Confederate cemetery, near where Confederate Gen. Felix
Zollicoffer fell during the Battle of Mill Springs.
In the years after the Civil War, Pulaski County
became a political bastion of the Republican party. Thomas
Z. Morrow, of Somerset, was one of the founders of Kentucky's
Grand Old Party. In its history, only three Democrats-Andrew
Jackson, James Buchanan, and Woodrow Wilson-have carried
Pulaski County in a presidential contest. From Lincoln's
second election in 1864, the Republican majority for president
has exceeded 60 percent in almost every election. County
residents in the twentieth century have also voted Republican
in state and local elections.
In 1877 the Cincinnati & Southern (now
Norfolk Southern) Railway came to Pulaski County, which
led to rapid growth in Somerset, Ferguson, Burnside, and
other towns along the right-of-way, and to virtual abandonment
of many of the county's smaller hamlets. Afterward came
large logging and sawmill operations. The period of industrial
activity peaked when the Cincinnati & Southern ("Queen
and Crescent") opened its Ferguson repair yard. For over
a generation, the railroad and the shops were an economic
mainstay. A sleepy county seat with only 587 people in
1870, Somerset swelled to be a regional metropolis by 1900
with almost 6,000 people.
At the turn of the century, Pulaski County's
Edwin Porch Morrow, future governor (1919-23), began his
political rise. A familiar figure at numerous Republican
national conventions, Morrow was a formidable orator, and
after losing by only 471 votes in the 1915 governor's race,
Morrow returned to the political wars in 1919 to upset
the incumbent governor, James D. Black (1919). After his
election, an estimated 10,000 people gathered around the
Pulaski County Courthouse to congratulate the only governor
the county has produced.
Pulaski County's population
reached its peak in 1920 and thereafter began a slow
decline which was not reversed until the 1960s. Despite
a relatively high county birth rate, young residents
of Pulaski and other rural counties emigrated for jobs
offered by Cincinnati's Procter & Gamble
and Detroit's booming automobile industry.
John Sherman Cooper began his long career of
service to the county, state, and nation as the Great Depression
worsened. In the 1930s, Cooper served as county judge and
watched as Pulaski tax receipts fell from $95,000 in 1930
to $57,000 by 1936. In the depression's bleakest days,
2,000 county families received federal food commodities.
In 1933 the Pulaski County sheriff sold 460 farms for nonpayment
of taxes. Before the Great Depression ended, Franklin D.
Roosevelt's New Deal poured $800,000 in aid into the county.
After World War II, the Southern Railroad closed
the Ferguson shops, but the completion of Wolf Creek Dam
and the creation of the vast Lake Cumberland opened new
possibilities for fishing, recreation, and tourism. By
the 1960s the county's economy became more diversified
with several small industries producing clothing, charcoal,
houseboats, and automobile parts. In the 1980s, Pulaski
County evolved into a regional business, medical, and educational
center. Most of the county, however, remained rural and
as of 1985 contained 2,400 farms which produced large quantities
of pork, beef, poultry, milk, corn, soybeans, and tobacco.
Many Pulaski Countians who have city jobs live in rural
areas. Ever since 1798, most residents have been Baptist
and the Flat Lick congregation in eastern Pulaski County
is as old as the county itself. In 1990 about ninety of
the county's 140 churches were Baptist.
Burnside's Harriette Simpson Arnow dealt in
her novels with Kentuckians confronting the early twentieth
century. The Dollmaker (1954), her most famous work, examined
the human cost of the migration of Kentuckians to the factories
of the north. Her novels and historical works, Seedtime
on the Cumberland (1960) and Flowering of the Cumberland
(1963), gave Pulaski County a place in American literature.
The population of Pulaski County was 35,234
in 1970; 45,803 in 1980; and 49,489 in 1990. The Official County Website is located at http://www.pcgovt.com/ .
Fires in 1838 and on 7 Dec 1871 destroyed some records.
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See Also Kentucky Land Records, Marriage Records, Court & Probate Records
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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. Fires in 1838 and on 7 Dec 1871 destroyed some records. |
Pulaski County Clerk has Marriage Records from 1799 and Land Records from 1799 and is located at PO
Box 724, Somerset, KY
42501-0724; Phone: (606)
679-2042, FAX: (606)
678-0073 .
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
Pulaski County Clerk of the Circuit Court has Probate Records from 1801 and Court Records from 1799 and is located at Courthouse, 100
Main St,
Somerset Ky 42501; Phone Number(s): 606-677-4029,
606 677-4033 .
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 Pulaski County Court Records. Email us with websites containing Pulaski County Court Records by clicking the link below:
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See Also Vital Records in Kentucky
Some documents are just too important to wait six weeks for. With VitalChek Express Certificate Service you won’t have to. Birth, Marriage, Divorce & Death Certificates Signed. Sealed. Delivered. Often in as few as three business days!
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 . You can also order Order Electronically and get the certificates much quicker by ordering HERE
- 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 Pulaski County clerk of the circuit court that granted the decree.You can download an application online for Marriage Certificates or Divorce Certificates . You can also order Order Electronically and get the certificates much quicker by ordering HERE
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. Click Here to Search the Social Security Death Index for FREE
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 Pulaski County Vital Records. Email us with websites containing Pulaski County Vital Records by clicking the link below:
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See Also Research In Census Records
Countywide Records: Federal Population Schedules that exist for Pulaski 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 Pulaski 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.
See Also Statewide Records that exist for Kentucky
Below is a list of online resources for Pulaski County Census Records. Email us with websites containing Pulaski County Census Records by clicking the link below:
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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 Pulaski County Maps. Email us with websites containing Pulaski County Maps by clicking the link below:
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See Also Military Records in Kentucky
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 Pulaski County Military Records. Email us with websites containing Pulaski 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.
- Compiled Service Records of Soldiers Who Served in the American Army During the Revolutionary War (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.
- Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files, from NARA publication M804.
- 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.
- Organization Index to Pension Files of Veterans Who Served Between 1861 and 1900 from the State of Kentucky (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Pension applications for service in the U.S. Army between 1861 and 1917, grouped according to the units in which the veterans served.
- Compiled Service Records of Confederate Soldiers Who Served in Organizations from the CSA (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Compiled service records of Confederate soldiers from southern units, labeled with each soldier's name, rank, and unit, with links to revealing documents about each soldier.
- Kentucky Society of Daughters of the American Revolution, 323 High Str, Paris, Ky, 40361;(859) 987- 1788
- National Society of Daughters of the American Revolution,
- Kentucky Society of Sons of the American Revolution,
- National Society of Sons of the American Revolution, 1000 South Fourth Street, Louisville, Kentucky 40203; (502) 589-1776
- Pulaski County, Kentucky Military Books at Amazon.com
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See Also Research In Tax Records
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 Pulaski County Tax Records. Email us with websites containing Pulaski County Tax Records by clicking the link below:
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See Also Other Kentucky Genealogical Addresses
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 Pulaski County Genealogical Addresses. Email us with websites containing Pulaski County Genealogical Addresses by clicking the link below:
- Pulaski County
Historical Society, Public Library,
Somerset, KY 42501
- Local Kentucky Researchers, Find a local researcher or become a local researcher.
- The Kentucky Historical Society, 100 W. Broadway, Frankfort, KY 40601; 877-444-7867,[EMAIL]
- The Kentucky Genealogical Society, PO Box 153, Frankfort, KY 40602-0153 [EMAIL]
- 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.
- Kentucky Genealogical Society Books at Amazon.com
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See Also Church & Cemetery Records in Kentucky
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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. |
There are many churches and cemeteries in Pulaski County. Some transcriptions are online. A great site is the Pulaski County Tombstone Transcription Project.
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 Pulaski County Cemetery & Church Records. Email us with websites containing Pulaski County Cemetery & Church Records by clicking the link below:
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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 Pulaski County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information . Email us with websites containing Pulaski County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information by clicking the link below:
- Search 60 Years Of Everton Data: For the first time ever you can get access to more than 150,000 pedigree files and family group sheets from Evertons. Learn More
- Search the Family Tree DNA Project- Use DNA testing to break through your genealogical barriers!
- Sites on USGenweb: [ Pulaski County ] [ Kentucky ] [ Main Page ]
- [GenForum Message Boards] [Rootsweb Message Boards]
- 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.
- Meet your ancestors. Learn their stories. Start your FREE family tree.
- 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.
- Pulaski County, Kentucky Family Books at Amazon.com
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