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Wolfe County History and Information |
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Wolfe County, the 110th county in order of
formation, is located in eastern Kentucky. It is bounded
by Powell, Menifee, Morgan, Magoffin, Breathitt, and Lee
counties and has an area of 223 square miles. The county
was formed in 1860 from portions of Owsley, Breathitt, Powell and Morgan counties, and was named for Nathaniel Wolfe,
an eloquent criminal lawyer who represented Jefferson County
in the Kentucky legislature (1853-55, 1859-63). The seat
of Wolfe County is CAMPTON.
The County is bordered by Menifee County (north), Morgan County (northeast), Magoffin County (east), Breathitt County (southeast), Lee County (southwest), Powell County (northwest). Cities, Towns and Communities include Campton, Lee City, Hazel Green
The topography of Wolfe County is hilly and
broken terrain. About 14,317 acres in the northwestern
part are included in the Daniel Boone National Forest,
an area known for its natural sandstone arches and precipitous
cliffs. Farms and commercial timberlands make up most of
the county. Major products are tobacco, hay, corn, and
livestock. Natural resources include timber, oil, and small
amounts of coal. Waterways include the Red River and its
tributaries and the tributaries of the North Fork of the
Kentucky River, which touches Wolfe County's southern boundary
in several locations.
Abundant prehistoric remains
found under rock ledges give evidence that aboriginal
people occupied the area in great numbers. The legendary
Jonathan Swift and his "lost silver mine" in the 1760s
gave the name to Swift Camp Creek, which flows south
to north through the county. Early settlers, many from
Lee and Tazewell counties in Virginia, included the Elkins,
Days, Richmonds, Cecils, Camples, and Roses. Around 1800
Michael O'Hair and his large family settled at what later
became Hazel Green. At about the same time John Lacy
settled on Lacy Creek in the same vicinity. In 1810,
the county's first water mill, three miles below Hazel
Green, was operated by the Cox brothers. Campton was
settled at an unknown date by Nim Wills, who named it
after an old camp found there.
Hazel Green was incorporated in 1856 as the
first city in Wolfe County. When the county was established
in 1860, the more centrally located community of Campton
was made county seat. During the Civil War, the provisional
Confederate government of Kentucky tried unsuccessfully
to change Wolfe County's name to honor the late Gen. Felix
K. Zollicoffer, who died in battle at Mill Springs on January
19, 1862. The retreating army of Union Gen. George Morgan
camped in Hazel Green on September 23, 1862. On June 7,
1864, Gen. John Hunt Morgan's Confederate cavalry passed
near Hazel Green.
Wolfe County remained an isolated
scattering of agricultural communities for most of the
nineteenth century. Pine Ridge, established in 1856,
later became a logging center. The pace of timbering
picked up in 1898 after the Swan-Day Lumber Company acquired
territory in Wolfe and Powell counties. To work the forests
in the Red River region, the Mountain Central, a narrow-gauge
railroad, was built in 1907 from the Lexington & Eastern
in Powell County eastward along Pine Ridge to Campton.
With the depletion of the timber, the railroad lingered
as a freight and passenger hauler, then ceased operations
in 1928. The town of Eastin was established by Swan-Day
five miles west of Campton. Eastin flourished as a logging
town and by 1900 had thirty-five homes and two hundred
people, but when the timber gave out it rapidly became
a ghost town.
Wolfe County was known for its resort hotels
in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The
El Park Hotel was built between 1890 and 1896 at Torrent,
six miles west of Campton. It flourished until the Great
Depression and was destroyed by fire in 1935. At Swango
Springs near Hazel Green, three hotels and several boardinghouses
were in operation by 1895 for those who came to take the
mineral waters. Fire destroyed the largest hotel in 1910,
but mineral water was bottled and shipped from there until
1943.
Because of Wolfe County's isolation and apparent
poverty, several Christian mission societies founded schools
there. Hazel Green Academy was founded in 1880 by J.H.
Day, G.B. Swango, and W.O. Mize as a college preparatory
school. In 1888 the school was taken over by the National
Christian Board of Missions. In 1896 Kentucky Wesleyan
Academy established a branch of its Winchester campus in
Campton, but the school was discontinued in 1912. The Alvan
Drew school was started as a Methodist institution in 1913
at Pine Ridge by missionary Mrs. M.O. Everett. The school
closed after a 1947 fire, and the property was taken over
in 1950 by the Dessie Scott Children's Home.
The U.S. Forest Service acquired 14,178 acres
of Wolfe County between 1933 and 1948 for what is now the
Daniel Boone National Forest. Small amounts of mining and
logging continued there, but by the early 1960s the isolated
county was one of Kentucky's poorest. The May 1963 completion
of the Mountain Parkway helped to attract some new industry
to Campton, and tourists to the Red River Gorge area. Since
1969 the county's largest manufacturing employer has been
Campton Electronic, and in 1989 Whiting Manufacturing announced
plans to build a bedding supply plant in eastern Wolfe
County.
The population of the rural county was 5,669
in 1970; 6,698 in 1980; and 6,503 in 1990. The Official County Website is located at http://www.wolfecounty.com .
Records were lost in courthouse fires in 1886 and 1913.
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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. Records were lost in courthouse fires in 1886 and 1913. |
Wolfe County Clerk has Marriage Records from 1861 and Land Records from 1887 and is located at PO
Box 400, Campton, KY
41301-0400; Phone: (606)
668-3515, FAX: (606)
668-3367 .
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
Wolfe County Clerk of the Circuit Court has Probate Records from 1887 and Court Records from 1818 and is located at Courthouse, Court & Washington
Streets,
P O Box 296,
Campton KY 41301; Phone
606-668-3092, [EMAIL] .
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 Wolfe County Court Records. Email us with websites containing Wolfe 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 Wolfe 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 Wolfe County Vital Records. Email us with websites containing Wolfe 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 Wolfe County, Kentucky are 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 Wolfe 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.
Other Federal Schedules to look at when researching your family tree in this 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. Wolfe Veterans Schedules were conducted in 1890 but only returns for sixty-five Kentucky counties remain of the 1890 Wolfe veterans and widows schedule of the federal census of Kentucky.
Below is a list of online resources for Wolfe County Census Records. Email us with websites containing Wolfe 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 Wolfe County Maps. Email us with websites containing Wolfe 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 Wolfe County Military Records. Email us with websites containing Wolfe 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
- Wolfe 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 Wolfe County Tax Records. Email us with websites containing Wolfe 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 Wolfe County Genealogical Addresses. Email us with websites containing Wolfe County Genealogical Addresses by clicking the link below:
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- 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 Wolfe County. Some transcriptions are online. A great site is the Wolfe 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 Wolfe County Cemetery & Church Records. Email us with websites containing Wolfe 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 Wolfe County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information . Email us with websites containing Wolfe 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: [ Wolfe 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.
- Wolfe County, Kentucky Family Books at Amazon.com
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