Anderson County, the eighty-second county in
order of formation, is located in the Bluegrass region
of central Kentucky. The county is bounded by Spencer,
Shelby, Franklin, Woodford, Nelson, Mercer, and Washington
counties and covers 204 square miles. LAWRENCEBURG, incorporated
in 1820 as Lawrence, is the county seat. Most of the
area is rolling hills. The most rugged terrain is near
the Kentucky River, which borders the county on the east.
The other major waterway is the Salt River, which flows
north and then west through the county's center. There
are deposits of limestone, clay, sand, and gravel in
the county. A variety of agricultural commodities are
produced, including burley tobacco and livestock. The
county was established on January 16, 1827, from parts
of Franklin, Mercer and Washington counties. It was
named for Richard Clough Anderson, Jr., a Kentucky legislator.
U.S. congressman, and minister to Colombia.
What
later became Anderson County was settled in the late
1770s and early 1780s. Many of the early settlers had
spent time at James Harrod's Fort (now Harrodsburg) and
had come north to take up land claims. Among them were
Richard Benson, Nathan Hammond, William Brayer, and Thomas
Baker. Jacob Kaufman (or Coffman), a German immigrant,
established Kaufman's Station around 1780. He owned 1,400
acres on the future site of Lawrenceburg. Another early
settlement was John Arnold's Station, built around 1783
on the Kentucky River just above the mouth of the Little
Benson Creek. In 1798 the Salt River Baptist Church was
built two miles south of Lawrenceburg. Its first pastor
was John Penney, great-grandfather of J.C. Penney, who
founded the chain of retail stores.
A
network of trails connecting the pioneer settlements,
which came together at Kaufman's Station, later developed
into a road system that made Lawrenceburg the dominant
city in the county. Trails led northward to settlements
that became Frankfort and Shelbyville, southward to Harrodsburg,
west to Bardstown, and east to where the Woodford Road
forded the Kentucky River and connected with Lexington.
Beginning in the 1830s, some of the county's roads were
improved to turnpikes. Hemp, tobacco, and corn were important
early crops, and distilling became a major local industry.
Bond's Mill was erected in 1831 on Salt River and operated
on that site until well into the twentieth century. In
1833 a cholera epidemic killed eighty-nine residents
of the county.
During
the Mexican War (1846-48), Anderson County furnished
Company C, 2d Kentucky Infantry Regiment, known as the
Salt River Tigers. Led by Capt. John H. McBrayer, it
fought at the Battle of Buena Vista. During the Civil
War, approximately four hundred county residents fought
for the Confederacy, and two hundred entered the Union
army. On October 8, 1862, while the Battle of Perryville
was being fought to the south, some of Maj. Jones M.
Withers's Confederates skirmished with a rear-guard Union
force under the command of Gen. J. W. Sill near Fox Creek,
five miles west of Lawrenceburg. The next day, the battle-weary
Confederate army of Maj. Gen. Edmund Kirby-Smith encamped
at McCall's Spring near the Mercer County line before
withdrawing from Kentucky. In the later years of the
war, there were numerous skirmishes in the county between
partisan guerrillas and local Union Home Guard units.
A
boon to the county's prosperity was the coming of the
Southern Railway (now Norfolk Southern) to Anderson County
in 1888. With the completion of Young's High Bridge over
the Kentucky River at Tyrone, Anderson County was connected
by rail with Louisville and Lexington. The cantilever
bridge was named for Col. Bennett H. Young, a former
Confederate officer and Louisville railroad promoter.
The bridge and the railroad helped to speed Anderson
County's best known product, bourbon whiskey, to market.
Among the larger distilleries was one operated at Tyrone
by the Ripy family (now Boulevard Distillers) and one
on Salt River at Bond's Mill (now Joseph E. Seagram's
and Son).
The
Eighteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which
prohibited the production and sale of distilled spirits,
had a drastic effect upon the local economy. Tyrone,
especially hard-hit, declined from an incorporated town
of more than nine hundred to a quiet unincorporated village
along the river. Although the distillery reopened after
the end of prohibition in 1933, the town never regained
its size.
The
economy of Anderson County is based on industry centered
around Lawrenceburg and on agriculture. Many county residents
commute north to state government jobs in Frankfort.
The Bluegrass Parkway, which provides rapid access to
Versailles and Lexington, made the county one of the
fastest-growing areas in the Bluegrass region during
the 1980s.
The
population of the county was 9,358 in 1970; 12,567 in
1980; and 14,571 in 1990. The Official County Website is located at http://www.lawrenceburgky.org/ . Two courthouse disasters, on 26 Oct 1859 and on 13 Jan 1915, resulted in some record loss. However, only Order Book D and Mortgage Book B were lost.
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. Two courthouse disasters, on 26 Oct 1859 and on 13 Jan 1915, resulted in some record loss. However, only Order Book D and Mortgage Book B were lost.
Anderson County Clerk has Marriage Records from 1831 and Land Records from 1827 and is located at 151 South Main Street, Lawrenceburg, KY 40342-1192; Phone: (502) 839-3041, FAX:
(502) 839-8151 . 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
Anderson County Clerk of the Circuit Court has Probate Records from 1827 and Court Records from 1827 and is located at Courthouse, 151
South Main Street,
Lawrenceburg, KY 40342-1175; (502)
839-3508 . 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 Anderson County Court Records. Email us with websites containing Anderson 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 . 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 Anderson 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 Anderson County Vital Records. Email us with websites containing Anderson County Vital Records by clicking the link below:
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 Anderson 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 Anderson 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.
Statewide Recordssthat 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.
There 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.
Below is a list of online resources for Anderson County Census Records. Email us with websites containing Anderson 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 Anderson County Maps. Email us with websites containing Anderson 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 Anderson County Military Records. Email us with websites containing Anderson 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 Anderson County Tax Records. Email us with websites containing Anderson 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 Anderson County Genealogical Addresses. Email us with websites containing Anderson County Genealogical Addresses by clicking the link below:
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 Anderson County Cemetery & Church Records. Email us with websites containing Anderson County Cemetery & Church Records by clicking the link below:
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 Anderson County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information . Email us with websites containing Anderson 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.
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