The 101st county in order of formation, Powell
County is located in eastern Kentucky. The County is bordered by Montgomery County (north), Menifee County (northeast), Wolfe County (southeast), Lee County (south), Estill County (southwest), Clark County (northwest). Cities, Towns and Communities include Clay City, Stanton.
The county was formed on January 7, 1852,
out of portions of Clark, Estill and Montgomery counties.
It was named in honor of Gov. Lazarus Whitehead Powell
(1851-55). STANTON is the county seat.
With rich, fertile bottomlands giving way to
steep mountainous terrain, the topography of Powell County
is quite varied. The eastern and southern sections of the
county are covered by the Daniel Boone National Forest,
with its vast stands of hardwoods. This section of the
county, which also includes Natural Bridge State Resort
Park and the Red River Gorge, is the heart of the natural
bridge region of the state. Within the park and gorge region
are numerous natural stone arches, or bridges, as well
as sandstone-capped ridges, steep valley walls, and rocky
pinnacles. In contrast, the western portion contains the
county's principal flatlands. It is here that the majority
of the county's farms, which in 1987 made up about 35 percent
of the land, are located. Hay, corn (for grain and seed),
and tobacco, as well as hogs and cattle, are raised on
these farms.
Before white settlement, Powell County was
a prime hunting ground for both the Shawnee and Cherokee
because of its abundance of wildlife. Agricultural potential
also drew Indians to settle in this area. One of the last
Indian villages in Kentucky was located in the northeastern
section of the county. In 1769, Daniel Boone and John F.
Finley were among the earliest pioneers to explore the
Powell County region. Camping at Oil Springs, Boone climbed
nearby Pilot Knob (the highest point in Powell County)
and viewed the great expanse of Kentucky.
During the early years of the nineteenth century,
the county was the scene of early Kentucky iron works.
In 1786 iron pyrite was discovered near the present town
of Clay City; shortly thereafter, one of the first forges
west of the Alleghenies was built there. By 1805, a furnace
was established on the site. Borrowing its name from the
nearby Red River, the iron furnace operation soon became
known as the Red River Iron Works. Producing domestic items
such as pots and nails, as well as cannonballs used in
the War of 1812, the Red River Iron Works manufactured
items of superior quality. The logging industry was also
significant to the development of Powell County in the
1800s, when the Red River turned many lumber mills.
Powell County, especially Stanton, received
its share of hardships during the Civil War. Most of the
depredations came at the hands of Confederate guerrilla
forces. In the spring of 1863, Stanton was raided by a
guerrilla force that burned the courthouse. About a year
later, on June 1, 1864, the county seat was invaded for
a second time and the jail was destroyed.
Powell County rebounded quickly
from the adverse effects of the war. Though by 1870 the
lumber industry was operating on a large scale, the Kentucky
Union Railway (in 1894 the Lexington & Eastern), which came to the
county in 1886, brought even greater trading opportunities.
By 1889, one of the largest sawmills in the county was
operating at Clay City. Tourism also gained importance
at this time. The Louisville & Nashville Railroad (L&N;
now CSX Transportation) bought the land that is now Natural
Bridge State Park, built a hotel, and after buying out
the Lexington & Eastern line in 1909, began to offer
excursions to the natural wonder. When the Great Depression
hit, the county's economic progress ground to a halt. As
the timber industry declined, the railroads were abandoned.
In 1941, the L&N disassembled its road, ending all
railroad activity in the county.
In the 1960s, Powell County witnessed a resurgence.
With the construction of the four-lane Mountain Parkway
under the administration of Gov. Bert Combs (1959-63),
the county recouped some of the losses it had suffered
when the railroad left. The easier access provided by the
highway also revived logging. Controversy as well as prosperity
surfaced during this period. Following the 1962 flood of
Clay City by the Red River, many Powell Countians advocated
the construction of a dam to guard against floods, attract
industry, and make a large recreational lake. Opponents
of the project contended that damming the river and filling
the gorge would destroy the delicate ecosystem of the area.
After a legal battle that lasted well into the 1970s, the
dam proposal was defeated.
In the late twentieth century, Powell County has developed
along three lines-agricultural, industrial, and residential.
Agriculture remains important, and industry has grown around
Clay City and Stanton. Metal fabrication and uniform shirt
manufacturing were the largest industries in 1990. Most
significant, however, was the development of the county
as a residential community. In 1987 46 percent of the labor
force worked outside Powell County, in communities such
as Winchester and Lexington.
The population of Powell County was 7,704 in 1970; 11,101
in 1980; and 11,686 in 1990. The Official County Website is located at http://www.kyredriverchamber.com/ .
The courthouse was burned by guerrillas in the Spring of 1863, and the jail was burned in 1864. Records were lost in both fires.
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. The courthouse was burned by guerrillas in the Spring of 1863, and the jail was burned in 1864. Records were lost in both fires.
Powell County Clerk has Marriage Records from 1852 and Land Records from 1864 and is located at PO
Box 548, Stanton, KY
40380-0548; Phone: (606)
663-6444, FAX: (606)
663-6406 . 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
Powell County Clerk of the Circuit Court has Probate Records from 1864 and Court Records from 1864 and is located at Courthouse, Court
Street,
Stanton, KY 40380;
Phone Numbers: 606-663-4141,
606-663-4142 . 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 Powell County Court Records. Email us with websites containing Powell 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 Powell 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 Powell County Vital Records. Email us with websites containing Powell 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 Powell County, Kentucky are 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 Powell 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 Recordsthat 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 Powell County Census Records. Email us with websites containing Powell 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 Powell County Maps. Email us with websites containing Powell 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 Powell County Military Records. Email us with websites containing Powell 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 Powell County Tax Records. Email us with websites containing Powell 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 Powell County Genealogical Addresses. Email us with websites containing Powell 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 Powell County Cemetery & Church Records. Email us with websites containing Powell 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 Powell County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information . Email us with websites containing Powell 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.
