Rowan County, the 104th county in order of
formation, is located in the mountains of northeastern
Kentucky. The County is bordered by Lewis County (north), Carter County (northeast), Elliott County (east), Morgan County (south), Menifee County (southwest), Bath County (west), Fleming County (northwest). Cities, Towns and Communities include Lakeview Heights, Morehead, Clearfield, Farmers, Elliotville, Haldeman, Sharkey. Rowan County was formed from sections of Fleming and Morgan counties on May 1, 1856. The county was named
for John ROWAN, who represented Kentucky in the U.S. House
of Representatives (1807-09) and the U.S. Senate (1825-31).
The county seat is MOREHEAD, the largest city in the county.
The topography of the county is hilly to mountainous.
Most of the county is part of the Daniel Boone National
Forest and has extensive hardwood forests. Only 32 percent
of the county land is farmland; 35 percent is government-owned.
Natural resources include timber, limestone, clay, and
some coal. The principal water source is the Licking River
and its impoundment, Cave Run Lake, which together form
the county's southwestern border. Triplett Creek is the
major tributary in the county.
It is believed that a party of surveyors from
Pennsylvania, led by George William Thompson, first explored
the area around Triplett Creek in the summer of 1773. The
first settlers of the area came mostly from Virginia to
claim land grants for service in the Revolutionary War.
Many of these people settled in fertile valleys along the
Licking River and Triplett Creek. One of the first communities
to develop was Farmers, located in the western part of
the county on the Licking River. It was settled by Maj.
Jim Brain, who established a hotel at the junction of two
roads. Clearfield, located just south of Morehead, was
settled by Dixon Clack in the early nineteenth century
and grew around his water-powered sawmill and store. Morehead
was probably the third community to be established in the
county and likewise grew around a sawmill, which was operated
by Jake Wilson. It became the county seat when Rowan County
was founded in 1856.
By the 1860s Rowan County was made up of a
scattering of small communities. Corn was the dominant
crop and timbering the major industry, with logs floated
down Triplett Creek and the Licking River. During the Civil
War, the residents of the county were often threatened
with attack by guerrillas who, on March 21, 1864, burned
the new county courthouse. On June 12, 1864, Gen. John
Hunt Morgan's Confederate cavalry camped near Farmers.
Although stone, coal, and timber
were the county's main resources, they were not exploited
in great quantities until the Elizabethtown, Lexington & Big
Sandy Railroad arrived in the county in the early 1880s.
The town of Farmers expanded quickly and was the largest
city in the county until most of the timber was depleted
around 1900. Rodburn, Eadston, and Brady also grew as
lumber towns situated on the railroad. Rockville and
Bluestone developed as rock quarry centers.
To serve the mining and logging
operations, several small railroads were built in Rowan
County. The largest was the Morehead & North Fork Railroad (later
abandoned), which by 1908 connected the Chesapeake & Ohio
Railroad at Morehead with Redwine in Morgan County. Numerous
tributary spur lines extending from it moved products of
the mills and mines to Morehead. Two other short lines
in the county were the Kentucky Northern Railroad, which
hauled logs from 1896 until its abandonment in 1900, and
the Christy Creek Railroad, built by the General Refractories
Company to haul clay from 1920 until 1948, when it was
abandoned.
The Martin-Tolliver feud, known as the ROWAN
COUNTY WAR, focused national attention on the county. After
three years it ended in a bloody gun battle in Morehead
on June 22, 1887. In an unsuccessful attempt to stop the
fighting, the General Assembly took the unusual measure
of proposing to dissolve Rowan County unless the feud stopped.
Prompted by donations from a former Confederate
soldier, Morehead Normal School was founded in 1887 by
Phoebe Button. In 1922 the school gained state support
and in 1966 became known as Morehead State University.
MOONLIGHT SCHOOLS were first established in Rowan County
in 1911 to give night instruction to pupils of all ages.
The founder, Cora Wilson Stewart, was credited with making
great strides in the fight against illiteracy in the area.
As the timber resources in the county were
exhausted, clay deposits were mined on a large scale. The
town of Haldeman was founded five miles northeast of Morehead
by L.P. Haldeman to accommodate workers of his Kentucky
Firebrick Co., which opened before 1907. The plant closed
during the Great Depression. Lee Clay Products, which purchased
the assets of the Clearfield Lumber Company in 1925, produced
clay sewer and chimney pipe until the 1970s.
By the 1950s, tobacco had replaced corn as
the county's leading farm crop. Corn, hay, poultry, and
cattle are also raised. When I-64 was completed through
the somewhat isolated area in 1969, some industrial growth
was experienced. In 1990 the leading employer in the county
was Morehead State University. A boost to tourism was the
1974 impoundment of Cave Run Lake. The 8,200-acre lake
is the largest in eastern Kentucky.
The population of Rowan County was 17,010 in
1970; 19,049 in 1980; and 20,353 in 1990. The Official County Website is located at ? .
Courthouse fires on 21 Mar 1864 and in the 1890s destroyed many records.
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. Courthouse fires on 21 Mar 1864 and in the 1890s destroyed many records.
Rowan County Clerk has Marriage Records from 1881 and Land Records from 1880 and is located at 627
East Main Street, Morehead,
KY 40351-1390; Phone:
(606) 784-5212, FAX:
(606) 784-2923 . 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
Rowan County Clerk of the Circuit Court has Probate Records from 1853 and Court Records from 1880 and is located at 626 East
Main Street,
Morehead, KY 40351 Phone: 606-784-4574,
606-784-4210,
FAX: 606-784-1899 . 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 Rowan County Court Records. Email us with websites containing Rowan 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 Rowan 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 Rowan County Vital Records. Email us with websites containing Rowan 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 Rowan County, Kentucky are 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 Rowan 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 Recordsthat 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 Rowan County Census Records. Email us with websites containing Rowan 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 Rowan County Maps. Email us with websites containing Rowan 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 Rowan County Military Records. Email us with websites containing Rowan 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 Rowan County Tax Records. Email us with websites containing Rowan 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 Rowan County Genealogical Addresses. Email us with websites containing Rowan County Genealogical Addresses by clicking the link below:
Rowan County
Historical Society,
P.O. Box 60, Morehead, KY 40351
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 Rowan County Cemetery & Church Records. Email us with websites containing Rowan 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 Rowan County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information . Email us with websites containing Rowan 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.
