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Rockcastle 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 |
Rockcastle County Kentucky Map
Click HERE to see D.O.T. County Map

Rockcastle County was formed in 1810 from portions of Pulaski, Lincoln, Knox and Madison counties. The fifty-second county established in Kentucky, it has an area of 318 square miles. The county shares the name of the Rockcastle River, named by explorer Isaac Lindsey in 1767 for the towering rock formations along the stream, which resemble castles. The eastern portion of the county went into the formation of Laurel County in 1825, making the river a boundary. Legislative action in 1972 included the Rockcastle in the Wild Rivers System of Kentucky. Other waterways include the Dix River and Boone's Fork. The county seat is MT. VERNON.

The County is bordered by Garrard County (northwest), Madison County (northeast), Jackson County (east), Laurel County (southeast), Pulaski County (southwest), Lincoln County (west). Cities, Towns and Communities include Brodhead, Livingston, Mount Vernon

The population of the county was 12,305 in 1970; 13,973 in 1980; and 14,803 in 1990. The Official County Website is located at http://www.rockcastlecountyky.com/. A fire destroyed most early records in 1871. 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.

Rockcastle County Court Records

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

Rockcastle County Clerk has Marriage Records from 1852 and Land Records from 1865 and is located at 205 East Main Street #6, Mt. Vernon, KY 40456-2211; Phone: (606) 256-2831, FAX: (606) 256-4302 .

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. A fire destroyed most early records in 1871.

Rockcastle County Clerk of the Circuit Court has Probate Records from 1855 and Court Records from 1873 and is located at Courthouse Annex, 205 E. Main St., Room 102, Mt. Vernon, KY 40456; Phone: 606-256-2581 .

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 Rockcastle County Court Records. Email us with websites containing Rockcastle County Court Records by clicking the link below:

  • Rockcastle 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.

Rockcastle 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 Rockcastle 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 Rockcastle County Vital Records. Email us with websites containing Rockcastle 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
  • Rockcastle 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

Rockcastle County Census Records

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

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

  • Rockcastle County, Kentucky Census Books at Amazon.com
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Rockcastle 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 Rockcastle County Maps. Email us with websites containing Rockcastle County Maps by clicking the link below:

  • Rockcastle 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.

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

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

  • Rockcastle County, Kentucky Tax Books at Amazon.com
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Rockcastle 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 Rockcastle County Genealogical Addresses. Email us with websites containing Rockcastle 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.

Rockcastle County Church & Cemeteries

See Also Church & Cemetery Records in Kentucky

There are many churches and cemeteries in Rockcastle County. Some transcriptions are online. A great site is the Rockcastle 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 Rockcastle County Cemetery & Church Records. Email us with websites containing Rockcastle 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 Rockcastle County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information. Email us with websites containing Rockcastle County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information by clicking the link below:

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Extended History

 

About one-fourth of the county is a part of the DANIEL BOONE NATIONAL FOREST. The western edge of the Knobs region, a transitional area surrounding the Outer Bluegrass, covers about two-thirds of the county and the terrain is quite rugged. Narrow valleys, huge boulders, steep hillsides, and swift winding creeks make the county difficult to traverse; indeed, in the 1820 census, enumerators were unable to reach some sections of the county. The official census report included a note by Sheriff William Grisham, who explained that the "Mountainous and rugged county" made the census enumeration "as hard a task and perhaps more so than any county in the state." Confederate Gen. Felix Zollicoffer, in an October 1861 report to the adjutant general's office, referred to the Union's position on Rockcastle Hills as an "intrenched camp, a natural fortification, almost inaccessible."

Settlers from the east passed through what is now Rockcastle County along Boone's Trace, Skaggs's Trace or the Wilderness Road. Tradition holds that Stephen Langford led the first settlers into the county and founded Mt. Vernon, the county seat, in 1790. The original log courthouse burned in 1873, destroying official records. The other incorporated towns are Broadhead, since 1885 the site of the "Little World's Fair," in the western part of the county, and Livingston, on the Rockcastle River. Between Mt. Vernon and Livingston is Pine Hill, which in 1873, during its height as a coal and lumber town, had a population of six hundred, but the community now numbers only a handful of residents.

The earliest industry was the extraction of SALTPETER from Great Saltpeter Cave for manufacturing gunpowder. The cave lies in the southeastern section of the county, north of Livingston, and is most easily reached via KY 1004. The cave was a shelter for both Confederate and Union troops during the Civil War. The Battle of Camp Wildcat, or Battle of Rockcastle Hills, was fought in October 1861 across the Rockcastle River, in Laurel County.

Settlers in the county were sparse until the advent of the railroad in the latter part of the nineteenth century. The Louisville & Nashville Railroad reached Broadhead and Mt. Vernon in 1868. In 1870 Livingston became the terminus of the railroad and remained so until 1882, when the rails were extended to London, in Laurel County. The Kentucky Central Railroad reached Livingston two years later (1884). Coal in Livingston and Pine Hill was of exportable quality. Lime, building stone, barrel staves, and tannin bark were also shipped by rail. These developments pushed the population from 5,343 in 1860 to a peak of 17,165 in 1940.

The county's first newspaper, the Mountain Signal, was published in 1887. It later became the Mountain Eagle and is now published as the Mount Vernon Signal. The earliest compiler of historical notes about the county was Col. James Maret, founder and editor of the Mountain Signal; his material was published only in the newspaper. An engineer by training, Maret pushed for paved roads in the state to "open the mountains to civilization." Maret wrote his "Notes and Clips" column until his death in 1936.

Renfro Valley, probably the best-known area of Rockcastle County, was the home of John Lair, who started national radio broadcasts of the "Renfro Valley Barn Dance," a country music program, in November 1939. The county's only radio station is located in Renfro Valley. Lair also chronicled the county in his Mount Vernon Signal column, "Rockcastle Recollections," from 1972 to 1974.

From 1835 to the early 1900s, the Rockcastle Springs Hotel on the Rockcastle River, about five miles from its mouth, was a popular summer resort. Rockcastle County is the site of a large number of summer homes, including the community of Lake Linville, formed in the early 1970s along I-75 near Renfro Valley. Rafting along the Rockcastle and through the narrows, a mile and a half of white water, is popular. While tourism has been increasing, agriculture is the economic backbone of the county. There are some isolated industries in the county's three incorporated towns. Transportation routes include U.S. 25 and U.S. 150, and I-75 is the major traffic artery.

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