Morgan County, Kentucky Genealogy
Guide to Morgan County, Kentucky ancestry, genealogy and family history, birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.
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Contents
- 1 County Information
- 2 Resources
- 2.1 Bible Records
- 2.2 Biographies
- 2.3 Business, Commerce, and Occupations
- 2.4 Cemeteries
- 2.5 Census Records
- 2.6 Church Records
- 2.7 Court Records
- 2.8 Directories
- 2.9 Emigration and Immigration
- 2.10 Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups
- 2.11 Funeral Homes
- 2.12 Genealogies
- 2.13 Guardianship
- 2.14 Land and Property Records
- 2.15 Local Histories
- 2.16 Maps and Gazetteers
- 2.17 Migration
- 2.18 Military Records
- 2.19 Naturalization and Citizenship
- 2.20 Newspapers
- 2.21 Obituaries
- 2.22 Other Records
- 2.23 Periodicals
- 2.24 Probate Records
- 2.25 School Records
- 3 Social Security Records
- 4 Research Facilities
- 5 Societies
- 6 Websites
- 7 Research Guides
- 8 References
County Information[edit | edit source]
Description[edit | edit source]
The County was named for Daniel Morgan. The County is located in the east central area of the state.[2]
County Courthouse[edit | edit source]
Morgan County Courthouse
450 Prestonburg Street
PO Box 26
West Liberty, KY 41472-1162
Phone: 606-743-3949[3]
Morgan County Website
Morgan County, Kentucky Record Dates[edit | edit source]
Information for this chart was taken from various sources, often containing conflicting dates. This information should be taken as a guide and should be verified by contacting the county and/or the state government agency.
| Birth* | Marriage | Death* | Court | Land | Probate | Census |
| 1911 | 1823 | 1852 | 1823 | 1823 | 1823 | 1810 |
Record Loss[edit | edit source]
|
1862, 1925 - Disasters destroyed most records.
9 March 2012 - Tornadoes destroyed much of West Liberty.
|
Boundary Changes[edit | edit source]
For animated maps illustrating Kentucky county boundary changes, "Rotating Formation Kentucky County Boundary Maps" (1776-1939) may be viewed for free at the MapofUS.org website. |
Populated Places[edit | edit source]
For a complete list of populated places, including small neighborhoods and suburbs, visit Hometown Locator. The following are the most historically and genealogically relevant populated places in this county:[6]
| Cities | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
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| Census-designated places | ||
History Timeline[edit | edit source]
Resources[edit | edit source]
Bible Records[edit | edit source]
Biographies[edit | edit source]
- KY Biographies, Jeff Murphy's Kentucky Biographies Project
Business, Commerce, and Occupations[edit | edit source]
Cemeteries[edit | edit source]
The following web sites have additional information on Morgan county cemeteries.
- Interment.net, Kentucky cemetery records by county.
- Cemetery Junction, Links to cemetery transcriptions
- Naming the Forgotten, The Eastern State Hospital Project
- Random Acts of Genealogical Kindness, Local volunteers may take photographs of headstones found in county cemeteries.
Census Records[edit | edit source]
| Historical populations | ||
|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± |
| 1830 | 2,857 | — |
| 1840 | 4,603 | 61.1% |
| 1850 | 7,620 | 65.5% |
| 1860 | 9,237 | 21.2% |
| 1870 | 5,975 | −35.3% |
| 1880 | 8,455 | 41.5% |
| 1890 | 11,249 | 33.0% |
| 1900 | 12,792 | 13.7% |
| 1910 | 16,259 | 27.1% |
| 1920 | 16,518 | 1.6% |
| 1930 | 15,130 | −8.4% |
| 1940 | 16,827 | 11.2% |
| 1950 | 13,624 | −19.0% |
| 1960 | 11,056 | −18.8% |
| 1970 | 10,019 | −9.4% |
| 1980 | 12,103 | 20.8% |
| 1990 | 11,648 | −3.8% |
| 2000 | 13,948 | 19.7% |
| 2010 | 13,923 | −0.2% |
| Source: "Wikipedia.org". | ||
For tips on accessing Morgan County, Kentucky Genealogy census records online, see: Kentucky Census.
- Morgan County Census Records
- Kentucky Census Transcriptions 1850-1930, USGenWeb
- Census Images, USGenWeb
- KY Census Online, Links to online census records
Church Records[edit | edit source]
Church records and the information they provide vary significantly depending on the denomination and the record keeper. They may contain information about members of the congregation, such as age, date of baptism, christening, or birth; marriage information and maiden names; and death date. For general information about Kentucky denominations, view the Kentucky Church Records wiki page.
- Church Records
- Kentucky Christian Church Directory, ~ ChurchAngel
- Catholic Parishes in the Diocese of Lexington
- Catholic Parishes in the Archdiocese of Louisville
List of Churches and Church Parishes
Court Records[edit | edit source]
- Kentucky Court of Justice, Morgan County Office of the Circuit Court Clerk
- Morgan County Court Records
- Morgan County Court and Tax Records
- Abstracts of Early Kentucky Supreme Court Cases, KYGenWeb
- Kentucky Court of Justice Research & Reference
Directories[edit | edit source]
Emigration and Immigration[edit | edit source]
Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups[edit | edit source]
African Americans[edit | edit source]
More information about African American resources in Kentucky can be found on the Kentucky African Americans and the United States African Americans Wiki pages.
- African American Research (US) has more information about the kinds of records available
- The KY African American Griots Project
- Kentucky Minorities has information specific to Kentucky African Americans.
- Sandi Gorin's Tips, Hangings in Kentucky 1792-1900
Funeral Homes[edit | edit source]
Genealogies[edit | edit source]
Guardianship[edit | edit source]
Land and Property Records[edit | edit source]
Land and property records can place an ancestor in a particular location, provide economic information, and reveal family relationships. Land records include: deeds, abstracts and indexes, mortgages, leases, grants and land patents.
See Kentucky Land and Property for additional information about early Kentucky land grants. After land was transferred to private ownership, subsequent transactions were usually recorded at the county courthouse and where records are currently housed.
Local Histories[edit | edit source]
Local histories are available for Morgan County, Kentucky Genealogy. County histories may include biographies, church, school and government history, and military information. For more information about local histories see the wiki page section Kentucky Local Histories.
Maps and Gazetteers[edit | edit source]
for more resources
- Maps of Kentucky (1776-1939)
- Morgan County, Kentucky Map
- KYGenWeb compiled list of maps
- Click on the county to go to the KYGenWeb site
- FamilySearch Places:Cities and Towns- How to Use FS Places
Migration[edit | edit source]
Military Records[edit | edit source]
- Military Resources, Revolutionary War through Civil War
- Morgan County Genealogy Trails - Military
Revolutionary War[edit | edit source]
Civil War[edit | edit source]
Online Records
- 1861-1865 - Kentucky Civil War Service Records of Confederate Soldiers, 1861-1865 at FamilySearch — index
- 1861-1865 - Kentucky Civil War Service Records of Union Soldiers, 1861-1865 at FamilySearch — index
- 1861-1865 - U.S., Confederate Soldiers Compiled Service Records, 1861-1865 at Ancestry — index (free)
- 1861-1865 - U.S., Union Soldiers Compiled Service Records, 1861-1865 at Ancestry— index (free)
- 1912-1950 - Kentucky Confederate Pension Applications 1912-1950 at FamilySearch — index and images
Regiments. Men in Morgan County served in various regiments and companies. Those listed below were specifically formed in this county:
- - 2nd Battalion, Kentucky Mounted Rifles (Confederate). Company A.
- - 14th Regiment, Kentucky Cavalry (Confederate). Company B.
World War I[edit | edit source]
World War II[edit | edit source]
Korean War[edit | edit source]
- Korean War Memorial for Soldiers from KY, KYGenWeb
Naturalization and Citizenship[edit | edit source]
Newspapers[edit | edit source]
- USNPL, Kentucky, Kentucky newspaper index with links
- World-Newspapers, Kentucky, Kentucky newspaper index with links
- Kentucky Newspapers on Microfilm
- Licking Valley Courier
P. O. Box 187
West Liberty, KY 41472
Additional newspapers abstracts can sometimes be found using search phrases such as Morgan County, Kentucky Genealogy newspapers in online catalogs like:
- WorldCat (For instructions see WorldCat Online Catalog).
- Do a Morgan County, Kentucky Genealogy Place-name search for these and other records in the FamilySearch Catalog (For instructions see FamilySearch Catalog Place-name Search).
Obituaries[edit | edit source]
- Morgan County Obituaries
- Kentucky Footsteps Archives, KYGenWeb
- Kentucky Obituary Sources, KYGenWeb
- Links to research and locate obituaries
- Browning Genealogy Database, Compiled by Charles Browning.
- Kentucky Obituaries, USGenWeb
- Afrigeneas, African American death notices, obituaries and funeral programs compiled by users from current newspapers and historical sources
- Obituary Depot, Kentucky Newspaper Citations
- Obituary Daily Times, Citations to over 15,000,000 obituaries including interactive search function
- Nashville Christian Advocate Death Abstracts
- Herald & Stewart & Halsey Funeral
- Potter Funeral Home Inc.
Other Records[edit | edit source]
- Kentucky Postcards, USGenWeb
Periodicals[edit | edit source]
Probate Records[edit | edit source]
Probate records are held by the Morgan County, Kentucky Genealogy Clerk of Court and are housed at the Morgan County, Kentucky Genealogy Courthouse. Microfilmed records can be found online at Kentucky, Probate Records, 1792-1977 for Caldwell, Henry, Hickman, Russell and Trimble counties. See the wiki page Kentucky Probate Records for information about how to use probate records.
Content: Probate Records may give the decedent's date of death, names of his or her spouse, children, parents, siblings, in-laws, neighbors, associates, relatives, and their place of residence.
Record types: Wills, estates, guardianships, naturalizations, and adoptions.
- 1774-1999 Kentucky Wills and Probate Records 1774-1999 at Ancestry ($) — index and images
- 1866-1963 Will Book 2 (1866-1963) has been digitized by FamilySearch - free.
- 1796-1821 Montgomery County, Kentucky Wills: 1796-1821 at Ancestry ($)
- 1797-1812 Will Book A: 1797-1812
School Records[edit | edit source]
Social Security Records[edit | edit source]
- 1935-2014 United States Social Security Death Index at FamilySearch - How to use this collection; index. Also at Ancestry, findmypast, Fold3, GenealogyBank, MyHeritage, and Steve Morse. Click here for more information.
- 1936-2007 U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 at Ancestry ($) — index, click here for more information.
Tax Records[edit | edit source]
Taxes were levied on free white males over 21 and slaves aged 21 to 60. These persons are referred to as "polls." Tax listings, or digests, of a county generally list the taxable landowners and other polls and the amount of tax. The records for each county are divided by militia district. For more background information and state-wide resources see the wiki page Kentucky Taxation.
Vital Records[edit | edit source]
Vital records consist of birth, death, marriage and divorce records. Although Kentucky enacted a statute in 1852-1862 requiring registration of births and deaths,many counties did not comply. A second law was written in 1874-1879, and 1892-1910 but, again, was not always followed. By 1911, the law was more clearly defined and kept by 1920. Any existing births 1852-1960 and death records 1852-1953 can be accessed online. See How to Find Kentucky Birth Records and How to Find Kentucky Death Records for links to indexes and images.
Original marriage records are held at the office of the Morgan County Clerk, with divorce records 1849-1958 located with the Morgan County Circuit Court. For more information see How to Find Kentucky Marriage Records. For Kentucky divorce records see the wiki page Kentucky Vital Records.
Birth[edit | edit source]
- 1839-1960 – Kentucky Births and Christenings, 1839-1960 at FamilySearch
- 1852-1861 - Morgan County Birth Index 1852-1861. Batch C517791 at FamilySearch - free.[7]
- 1874 - Morgan County Birth Index 1874. Batch C517792 at FamilySearch - free
- 1875 - Morgan County Birth Index 1875. Batch C517793 at FamilySearch - free
- 1911-1912 - Searchable KY Birth Index
- 1911-1999 Kentucky Births, 1911-1999 at MyHeritage ($) — index
Marriage[edit | edit source]
- 1609-2016 - Kentucky, United States Marriages at FindMyPast — index $
- 1785-1979 – Kentucky Marriages, 1785-1979 at FamilySearch
- 1797-1954 - Kentucky, County Marriages, 1797-1954 at FamilySearch — index and images
- 1821-1882 - Kentucky Marriage Project, Morgan County, Marriage Records of Morgan County, Kentucky 1821-1882
- 1852-1861 - Morgan County Marriage Index 1852-1861. Batch M517791 at FamilySearch - free
- 1870 - Morgan County Genealogy Trails 1870 Mortality Schedule
- 1875 - Morgan County Marriage Index 1875. Batch M517794 at FamilySearch - free
- 1876-1878 - Morgan County Marriage Index 1876-1878. Batch M517795 at FamilySearch - free
- 1973-2000 - Searchable KY Marriage Records
- 1973-2000 - Kentucky Marriage Records 1973-2000
- Morgan County Marriages, Morgan County Vital Records
- USGenWeb Archives Project, Morgan County, Kentucky Marriage Index
- 1960-1993 Kentucky Marriages, 1960-1993 at MyHeritage ($) — index
Death[edit | edit source]
- 1843-1970 – Kentucky Deaths and Burials, 1843-1970 at FamilySearch
- 1900-1999 Kentucky Deaths, 1900-1999 at MyHeritage ($) — index
- 1911-1965 - Kentucky Death Records, 1911-1965 at FamilySearch — index
- 1911-2000 - Searchable KY Death Index
- The Social Security Death Index - Searchable
- The Kentucky Vital Records Project, Transcriptions and Images of Kentucky Death Certificates
- Morgan County Deaths
Divorce[edit | edit source]
- 1973-1993 - Kentucky Divorce Records 1973-1993, University of Kentucky Vital Records Databases
Research Facilities[edit | edit source]
Archives[edit | edit source]
Family History Centers[edit | edit source]
Family History Centers provide one-on-one assistance, free access to center-only databases, and to premium genealogical websites.
FamilySearch Affiliate Libraries have access to most center-only databases, but may not always have full services normally provided by a family history center.
Local Centers and Libraries
Libraries[edit | edit source]
Museums[edit | edit source]
Societies[edit | edit source]
- Morgan County Historical Society
PO Box 900
Route 1
West Liberty, KY 41472 - Links and addresses to Kentucky genealogical and historical societies
Websites[edit | edit source]
- Morgan County, KY History, Records, Facts and Genealogy
- Morgan County, Kentucky Genealogy, USGenWeb-KyGenWeb Site
- KYGenWeb project. Has maps, name indexes, history or other information for each county. Select the county.
- State of Kentucky Website
- USGenWeb Kentucky Archives
- The USGenWeb project May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county. Select the state, then the county.
- Morgan Co., Kentucky Genealogy Forum
- Morgan County, Kentucky Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
- Morgan County KY Genealogy (Kentucky Genealogy)
- FamilySearch Catalog . Free - The FamilySearch catalog contains descriptions and access information for all genealogical materials (including books, online materials, microfilm, microfiche, and publications) in their collection. Use Historical Records to search for specific individuals in genealogical records
Research Guides[edit | edit source]
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Kentucky. At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Morgan County, Kentucky" in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morgan_County,_Kentucky."
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Morgan County, Kentucky page 273, At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Morgan County, Kentucky. Page 268-276 At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002; Alice Eichholz, ed. Ancestry’s Red Book: American State, County, and Town Sources, Third ed. (Provo, Utah: Ancestry, 2004), 251-254.
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Kentucky. At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Morgan County, Kentucky," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morgan_County,_Kentucky, accessed 4 September 2018.
- ↑ Genealogical Society of Utah, Parish and Vital Records List (July 1998). Microfiche. Digital version at https://familysearch.org/wiki/en/images/7/75/Igikentuckymz.pdf.
