Bourbon County, the fifth county in order of
formation, is located in the central Bluegrass region,
and has an area of 292 square miles. Its boundaries originally
extended northward to the Ohio River and eastward to
the Big Sandy, taking in land that has since been split
into more than thirty counties. Virginia subdivided Fayette County in 1785 and honored the French royal family by
naming the fifth western county Bourbon. It was rich
in timber, cane, pasture grass, fertile soil, and limestone
and had many creeks and springs. Early Bourbon settlers
claimed choice farmland and built homes, mills, taverns,
warehouses, businesses, churches, and a courthouse on
the hill near the confluence of Houston and Stoner creeks.
The county seat, Hopewell (renamed PARIS in 1790), became
an economic center as the population grew in the early
1800s. Millersburg, North Middletown, Little Rock, Ruddles
Mills, and Clintonville remained small villages.The County is bordered by Harrison County (northwest), Nicholas County (northeast), Bath County (east), Montgomery County (southeast), Clark County (south), Fayette County (southwest), Scott County (west). Cities, Towns and Communities include Millersburg, North Middletown, Paris
Mainstays
of the agrarian economy were corn, whiskey, hemp, tobacco,
sheep, and horses. The Bourbon Agricultural Society dominated
economics and politics into the twentieth century. The
unique BOURBON whiskey, aged in charred barrels, led
to the proliferation of distilleries and taverns in the
antebellum era. Religion provided the primary social
and cultural life into the Civil War. Rural churches,
especially the CANE RIDGE Meeting House (1791), held
frequent religious revivals. For decades before the Civil
War, the Cane Ridge area endorsed emancipation. Slaves
and citizens enjoyed harmonious relations and shared
religious experiences in integrated churches until the
1870s.
By
the 1830s the county court devoted most of its attention
to local improvements. The powerful courthouse leadership
sponsored turnpikes, bridges, macadamized county roads,
and even railroad bonds in the antebellum period. Bourbon
County adhered to the Virginia tradition of a natural
aristocracy, and Gov. James Garrard (1796-1804) and his
family dominated the early era. Planters and lawyers
controlled local politics into the 1860s. Leaders were
conservative, educated, and wealthy. The Civil War splintered
families as brothers fought brothers. In the post-Civil
War years, Bourbon County residents, who had generally
been Unionists, joined the Democratic party and began
electing former Confederates as leaders. Conflict between
the county and city governments accelerated as blacks
and businessmen developed a Republican alternative in
Paris. The Western Citizen, founded in 1808, became the
voice of the Democratic party but provided balance and
moderation on most political and social issues. Although
the war was the catalyst for a new society, the economy
remained agrarian. Bourbon County continued to rank near
the top in Kentucky in production of corn, tobacco, hemp,
sheep, cattle, and horses, giving the wealthy citizens
a high standard of living.
Political
patterns remained constant into the twentieth century.
Four generations of Patons served as county clerk for
some seventy years. George Batterton was elected to a
record eight terms as county judge (1917-49), John T.
Hinton served five mayoral terms in Paris at the turn
of the century, and George Doyle was elected Paris mayor
six times (1929-53). New leaders emerged at mid-century
as bitter political divisions reflected state politics.
The Kentuckian-Citizen, successor to the Western Citizen,
supported the regular Democratic machine, while the new
Paris Daily Enterprise of the Republican Alverson family
represented the A.B. Chandler faction. The death in 1965
of Paul Brannon, the wily Citizen editor, ended the most
controversial newspaper war in county history.
Public
education gained momentum when William Garth bequeathed
to the county his estate, which became the base for one
of the largest educational funds for disadvantaged children
in the state. The Garth Fund still pays students' secondary
and college expenses. The county's higher education institutions
included North Middletown Classical and Business College,
MILLERSBURG Female COLLEGE, Millersburg Male Methodist
College (Wesleyan), and Bourbon Female College in Paris.
Professor George Chapman promoted night school programs,
bond issues, and a quality black high school (Paris Western).
World War I and the 1920s ushered in the golden age of
education in Bourbon County. Lee Kirkpatrick, superintendent
of the Paris schools (1918-53), created a renowned educational
system with his strong academic background, ethical emphasis,
and administrative leadership. He hired high-quality
faculty and attracted citizen participation. At Paris
Western, black educator FM. Wood tested policies and
reforms put into effect when he became president of Kentucky
State University. MILLERSBURG MILITARY INSTITUTE and
the newly consolidated Bourbon County High School underscored
the county's reputation for educational excellence.
Citizens
repeatedly approved railroad expansion and bond issues
in the postwar era. The Louisville & Nashville Railroad
(now CSX Transportation) expansion of 1905 is estimated
to have increased the local population by a thousand.
The new wealth explained the success of eight local banks,
five with half-million-dollar assets. In 1914 the old
aristocratic Alexander Bank failed amid embezzlement
charges, and thirty indictments ruined directors, depositors,
and family names. This scandal forced banking reforms,
and two leading million-dollar banks were formed by mergers:
People's Deposit and Bourbon Agricultural.
The
agrarian economy changed slowly in the 1900s, when horse
breeding and burley tobacco became dominant. Arthur B.
Hancock, Sr., of Claiborne Farm, became America's top
horse breeder, having won many honors in the 1930s. Virgil
Chapman, of Paris, was Kentucky's leading spokesman for
tobacco interests while serving as a congressman (1925-29,
1931-49) and U.S. senator (1949-51). By the 1950s, however,
industry began to challenge agriculture as a source of
jobs in the rural county. School integration, a small
industrial boom, the decline of both newspapers, agricultural
problems, and new leadership seemed to point to dramatic
change as Bourbon County celebrated its 1986 bicentennial.
The
population was 18,476 in 1970; 19,405 in 1980; and 19,236
in 1990..The Official County Website is located at ? .
Some records were lost in a fire on 8 May 1872.
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. Some records were lost in a fire on 8 May 1872.
Bourbon County Clerk has Marriage Records from 1786 and Land Records from 1786 and is located at PO
Box 312, Paris, KY 40361-0312;
Phone: (859) 987-2142
FAX: (859) 987-5660,
[EMAIL] . 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
Bourbon County Clerk of the Circuit Court has Probate Records from 1786 and Court Records from 1786 and is located at Courthouse, 310
Main Street,
Paris, KY 40361; Telephone:
(859) 987-2624 . 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 Bourbon County Court Records. Email us with websites containing Bourbon County Court Records by clicking the link below:
Kentucky Immigration & Emigration Records - Immigration records help the family historian to understand the movements of their ancestry as they relocated to different parts of the world.
Click Here to Search Kentucky Birth, Marriage & Death Records! - Birth, marriage, and death records are connected with central life events. They are prime sources for genealogical information. Look also for baptism, christening, and burial records in this collection.
Kentucky Office of Vital Statistics is located at State Dept of Human Resources, 275 E. Main St. 1EA, Frankfort, KY 40621; (502) 564-4212. They have the following records:
Birth & Death Certificates: The Vital Statistics Law of Kentucky, providing for and legalizing the registration of births and deaths, was enacted by the General Assembly of 1910 and became effective Jan. 1, 1911.
The Office of Vital Statistics has no records of births and deaths occurring prior to the above date except delayed records of births for those born before 1911, which have been established by affidavits and documentary evidence.Fees are listed below. You can download an application online for Birth Certificates or Death Certificates.
Marriage & Divorce Certificates: Central registration of marriages and divorces began in Kentucky in June 1958. The Office of Vital Statistics has no records of marriages and divorces prior to that date. Copies of marriage certificates prior to June 1958 may be obtained from the county clerk in the county where the license was issued. Records of divorce proceedings are available from the Bourbon County clerk of the circuit court that granted the decree.You can download an application online for Marriage Certificates or Divorce Certificates.
Order Online: You can also order Order Electronically and get the certificates within 2-5 days by ordering below
Cost of certificates: Birth: $10 per certificate;
Death, Marriage and Divorce are $6 per certificate In Person: You can stop in the office at 275 E. Main St. in Frankfort and obtain a certified copy of a birth, death, marriage or divorce certificate by completing an application form between the hours of 8 a.m. - 3 p.m. EST, Monday-Friday. There is approximately a one-hour wait to receive the certificate. Directions to Vital Statistics Office By Mail: Mail a check or money order (no cash) payable to the "Kentucky State Treasurer" along with the necessary information to the following address: Office of Vital Statistics, 275 E. Main St. 1E-A, Frankfort, KY 40621. Please include return address on envelope and application form. Processing Time: Please allow up to approximately 30 working days for processing of all type of certificates when ordered through the mail. Birth Records: Expect longer delays during peak request periods from May through September. You should request certified copies of your birth certificate early enough to avoid delays if you are planning retirement, sporting events for the children, travel/passports, children entering school for the first time, etc. Death Records: There may be delays in issuing new certified death certificates if the original certificate is not promptly filed in Frankfort by the funeral homes. Phone, Fax, On-Line, or Credit Card: To obtain a certified copy of a vital record by phone, fax, on-line or purchase with a credit card, please link to VitalChek. There is an additional $10.50 fee for all credit card purchases. Discover, Visa, MasterCard and American Express are accepted. If faster delivery is required, you may wish to have the certified copy sent by Federal Express. Please state this when placing the order for the copy. There is an additional fee for this service.
Below is a list of online resources for Bourbon County Vital Records. Email us with websites containing Bourbon County Vital Records by clicking the link below:
Search the Social Security Death Index for FREE - Search over 82 million death records and get genealogical information crucial to your family research. New content added weekly! Most comprehensive SSDI site online!
Click Here to Search Kentucky Voter Lists & Census Records! - Few, if any, records reveal as many details about individuals and families as do government census records. Substitute records can be used when the official census is unavailable.
Countywide Records: Federal Population Schedules that exist for Bourbon 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 Bourbon 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 Bourbon County Census Records. Email us with websites containing Bourbon 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 Bourbon County Maps. Email us with websites containing Bourbon 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 Bourbon County Military Records. Email us with websites containing Bourbon 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 Bourbon County Tax Records. Email us with websites containing Bourbon 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 Bourbon County Genealogical Addresses. Email us with websites containing Bourbon 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 Bourbon County Cemetery & Church Records. Email us with websites containing Bourbon County Cemetery & Church Records by clicking the link below:
Find Obituaries in The World's Largest Newspaper Archive at NewpaperArchive.com! - Find thousands of obituaries to help you research your family history. Search for a newspaper obituary about your ancestor or a celebrity. Begin your search today and find death notices and funeral announcements printed in newspapers throughout the world.
Click Here to Search Kentucky Family Tree Records! - The use of published genealogies, electronic files containing genealogical lineage, and other compiled sources can be of tremendous value to a researcher.
When view family trees online or not, be sure to only take the info at face value and always follow up with your own sources or verify the ones they provide. Below is a list of online resources for Bourbon County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information . Email us with websites containing Bourbon 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.
