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Harlan County History and Information

County History | Court Records | Vital Records | CENSUS Records | TAX Records | Military Records | Church & Cemetery |
Maps & Atlases | Genealogy Addresses | Genealogy Related Sites |
Harlan County Kentucky Map
Click HERE to see D.O.T. County Map

Harlan County, the sixtieth county in order of formation, is located in the southeastern corner of the state, on the Virginia border. It covers an area of 468 square miles. Harlan County was created in 1819 out of part of Knox County. Later, portions of its territory went to form Letcher, Bell, and Leslie counties. It was named for Silas Harlan, a hero of the Battle of the Blue Licks. HARLAN is the county seat.

The County is bordered by Perry County (north), Letcher County (northeast), Wise County, VA (east), Lee County, VA (southeast), Bell County (southwest), Leslie County (northwest). Cities, Towns and Communities include Benham, Cumberland, Dayhoit, Evarts, Harlan, Loyall, Lynch, South Wallins, Wallins Creek  

The population of Harlan County was 37,370 in 1970; 41,889 in 1980; and 36,574 in 1990. The Official County Website is located at http://www.harlancounty.com/. The courthouse burned in Oct 1863, but the county clerk's records were saved. See Extended History for More information.

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Click Here to Search Kentucky Court, Land, Wills & Financial Records!
Researchers often overlook the importance of court records, probate records, and land records as a source of family history information.

Harlan County Court Records

See Also Kentucky Land Records, Marriage Records, Court & Probate Records

Harlan County Clerk has Marriage Records from 1820 and Land Records from 1820 and is located at PO Box 670, 205 Central Street, Harlan, KY 40831-0670; Phone: (606) 573-3636, FAX: (606) 573-0064 .

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

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. The courthouse burned in Oct 1863, but the county clerk's records were saved.

Harlan County Clerk of the Circuit Court has Probate Records from 1820 and Court Records from 1820 and is located at Courthouse, 210 East Central Street, Suite 304, Harlan Ky 40831; Phone:606-573-2680, Fax: 606-573-5895 .

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.

There are a few online databases for Court, Land and Probate Records which include: Kentucky Marriages, 1802-1850; Kentucky Marriages, 1851-1900; Kentucky Marriage Index, 1973-1999; Kentucky Land Grants; Kentucky Will Index, vol. 1 & 2 and Kentucky Will Index, Vol. 2.

Below is a list of online resources for Harlan County Court Records. Email us with websites containing Harlan County Court Records by clicking the link below:

  • Harlan County, Kentucky Court Books at Amazon.com
  • 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.
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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.

Harlan County Vital Records

See Also Vital Records in Kentucky

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:

  • Ordering Vital Records Online- You can also order Order Electronically Online to obtain a certified copy of a birth, marriage, death or divorce record with a credit or debit card and get the certificates within 2-5 days by ordering from VitalChek Express Certificate Service.
  • 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 Harlan County clerk of the circuit court that granted the decree.You can download an application online for Marriage Certificates or Divorce Certificates.

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.

There are a few online marriage databases which include: Kentucky Birth Index, 1911-1999; Kentucky Marriages, 1802-1850; Kentucky Marriages, 1851-1900; Kentucky Marriage Index, 1973-1999; and Kentucky Death Index, 1911-2000

Below is a list of online resources for Harlan County Vital Records. Email us with websites containing Harlan County Vital Records by clicking the link below:

  • VitalChek Express Certificate Service - Some documents are just too important to wait six weeks for. With VitalChek Express Certificate Service you won’t have to. VitalChek is the fast and convenient way to order certified government-issued vital records online. They make it easy for you to purchase the documents to which you are legally entitled. Beware of other online services that do not have relationships directly with the agencies that store your vital records. VitalChek’s order process usually takes less than 10 minutes --And you can select express courier service for even faster delivery when time is running out.
  • 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!
  • Research Death records In The World's Largest Newspaper Archive at NewpaperArchive.com! - Find thousands of historical newspaper articles about deaths. Search for local articles about an old family friend that died many years ago or a celebrity that committed suicide. Historical newspapers contain a wealth of information about the deceased.
  • Kentucky Vital Records Project
  • Harlan County, Kentucky Birth, Marriage & Death Books at Amazon.com
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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

Harlan County Census Records

See Also Research In Census Records & Statewide Records that exist for Kentucky

Countywide Records: Federal Population Schedules that exist for Harlan County, Kentucky are1820, 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 Harlan 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 Harlan County Census Records. Email us with websites containing Harlan County Census Records by clicking the link below:

  • Harlan County, Kentucky Census Books at Amazon.com
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Harlan County Maps & Atlases

 

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 Harlan County Maps. Email us with websites containing Harlan County Maps by clicking the link below:

  • Harlan County, Kentucky Map Books at Amazon.com
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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.

Harlan County Military Records

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 Harlan County Military Records. Email us with websites containing Harlan County Military Records by clicking the link below:

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Harlan County Tax Records

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 Harlan County Tax Records. Email us with websites containing Harlan County Tax Records by clicking the link below:

  • Harlan County, Kentucky Tax Books at Amazon.com
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Harlan County Genealogical Addresses

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 Harlan County Genealogical Addresses. Email us with websites containing Harlan County Genealogical Addresses by clicking the link below:

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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.

Harlan County Church & Cemeteries

See Also Church & Cemetery Records in Kentucky

There are many churches and cemeteries in Harlan County. Some transcriptions are online. A great site is the Harlan 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 Harlan County Cemetery & Church Records. Email us with websites containing Harlan County Cemetery & Church Records by clicking the link below:

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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.

Family Trees & Genealogy Tidbits

 

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 Harlan County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information. Email us with websites containing Harlan County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information by clicking the link below:

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Extended History

 

Four mountain ranges run across the county­Pine, Black, Little Black, and Stone. A spur of Black Mountain near Lynch is the highest point in the state, at 4,145 feet. Except for its northernmost corner, the county lies in the Cumberland River wa­tershed; Martins Fork, Clover Fork, and Poor Fork converge at the county seat of HARLAN to form the Cumberland. Forests cover much of the county's 305,920 acres, but the coal that lies underneath is the county's most valuable resource.

There are seven incorporated cities in the county-Harlan, CUMBERLAND, Benham, LYNCH, Evarts, Loyall, and Wallins Creek. Principal high­ways are U.S. 119 and U.S. 421. CSX Transportation provides rail service; Tucker-Guthrie Memorial Airport near Harlan accommodates small planes.

Long Hunters and land speculators explored the county before settlement of the state began: Elisha and Tommy Walden, Joseph and Brice Martin, William Carr, and the McAfee brothers among oth­ers. Settlement had begun by 1782; one of the first families, the Cations, was decimated by an Indian raid. Permanent settlement occurred in the 1790s: Carr Bailey, William Turner, and Samuel Howard were among the first settlers.

During the nineteenth century. residents sup­ported themselves by subsistence farming and by bartering ginseng, produce, and hides. The coun­ty's hogs, mules, and cattle went for sale to buyers who drove them to markets outside the mountains.

The Civil War brought disruption to the county; fighting was limited to minor skirmishes, but forag­ing by both armies and raids by guerrillas occurred.

After the war, the logging industry sent walnut, cherry, poplar, oak, and chestnut logs floating down the Cumberland to mills at Wasioto and Williamsburg. In 1913, Harlan Countians formed the state's first forest fire protective association; in 1919 the county was the site of the first state forest, Kentenia, on Pine Mountain.

After T.J. Asher extended his Wasioto & Black Mountain Railroad into the county from Bell County in 1911, the coal industry grew rapidly. Spurred by World War I, the industry in the 1920s took advantage of nonunion labor and favorable freight differentials. Coal production in the county peaked in 1928, dropped sharply during the early 1930s. then rose to an all-time high of 14.7 million tons in 1942.

The population increased by 556 percent between 1900 and 1930. Though blacks and eastern Euro­pean immigrants were part of this rise, the majority were mountain whites from nearby counties. Most of the new arrivals were first-generation industrial workers unprepared for living in the close quarters of coal camps and unused to payment in cash. Min­ers' penchant for whiskey and guns erupted in this volatile environment. The homicide rate in Harlan County in the 1920s was the highest in the nation, but fell sharply as the industry matured. Successful unionization occurred in the 1930s; in the process both sides used violence, giving the county a noto­riety that lingers yet.

Since World War II, shifts in markets, techno­logical advances, increases in freight charges, increased state and federal regulation, and environ­mental concerns have kept the industry in a boom­bust cycle. The 1950s and 1960s were a time of low production and a depressed economy; both coal production and the population of the county were cut in half. The 1970s brought a resurgence; despite occasional setbacks, production climbed to postwar highs in 1980 and 1984. However, a greater degree of mechanization meant that fewer employees were needed, and the need for a diversified economy was the top issue confronting Harlan Countians as they entered the 1990s.

Kingdom Come State Park, Martins Fork and Cranks Creek lakes, the Little Shepherd Trail, and Sand Cave provide outdoor recreational opportuni­ties. Two festivals take place annually-the Poke Sallet Festival and Harlan County Homecoming in June and the Kingdom Come Swappin' Meetin' at Southeast Community College in October.

Floods along the Cumberland River have been a problem in Harlan County. the two most serious be­ing those of March 1963 and April 1977. Martins Fork Dam was built in the 1970s as a flood control measure, and channel diversion and floodwall projects for Harlan and Loyall were under way by 1990.

The county has produced a number of notable journalists, including Don Whitehead, Maxine Che­shire, Cawood LEDFORD, and Jim Hampton, as well children's authors Rebecca CAUDILL and George Ella Lyon. It has been portrayed in literature by John Fox, Jr., Charles Neville Buck, Perry Mac­Kaye, William A. Bradley, John Dos Passos, James Jones, Walter TEVIS, Gurney Norman, and James Sherburne. Its folk songs, dances, and tales have been collected by Cecil J. Sharp, Howard Brock­way and Loraine Wyman, Leonard ROBERTS, H.H. Fuson, and Evelyn Wells. Florence Reece, Aunt Molly JACKSON, and Merle TRAVIS have captured the plight of its miners in song; Barbara Kopple did likewise on film. S. McMaster Kerr got the Presby­terian Church, U.S.A. involved in the creation of the Appalachian Regional Hospital chain. Juanita KREPS served as secretary of commerce under Pres­ident Jimmy Carter. The HARLAN Boys CHOIR sang at the 1989 inauguration of President George Bush.

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