Owsley County, Kentucky Genealogy

Historical populations
	Source: "Wikipedia.org".

Guide to Owsley County, Kentucky ancestry, genealogy and family history, birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.

Kentucky Online Genealogy Records

County Facts

County seat:

Booneville

Organized:

January 23, 1843

Parent County(s):

Clay, Estill, Breathitt ^[1]

Neighboring Counties

Breathitt • Clay • Jackson • Lee • Perry
See County Maps

Courthouse

Location Map

Adoption

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County Information[edit | edit source]

Description[edit | edit source]

Owsley County was named for William Owsley. The county is located in the southeast-central area of the state.^[2]

County Courthouse[edit | edit source]

Owsley County Courthouse
154 Main Street
Booneville, KY 41314
Phone: 606-593-5735^[3]
Owsley County Website

Owsley 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.

Known Beginning Dates for Major County Records^[4]
Birth*	Marriage	Death*	Court	Land	Probate	Census
1843	1929	1852	1923	1929	1929	1810
*Statewide registration for births and deaths started in 1911. General compliance by 1917.

Record Loss[edit | edit source]

1929, 1967--Disasters destroyed most of the records.

For suggestions about research in places that suffered historic record losses, see:

Burned Counties. By Michael John Neill at 24-7 Family History Circle.
When the Records are Gone. By Arlene Eakle at Arlene Eakle's Tennessee Blog.
Burned Counties Research in the FamilySearch Research Wiki.

Boundary Changes[edit | edit source]

1843--Owsley County was created 23 January 1843 from Clay, Estill and Breathitt Counties.
County seat: Booneville^[5]

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
Booneville (county seat)
Unincorporated communities
Arnett Blake Big Springs Blake Chestnut Gap Conkling Couch Fork Couch Town Cowcreek Elk Lick Endee Eversole Fish Creek Hall	Hogg Indian Creek Island City Lerose Levi Lucky Fork Major Mistletoe Moors Needmore Pebworth Pleasant Ricetown Rock Spring	Rockhouse Scoville Sebastian Shephard Southfork Stacey Stay Sturgeon Sugar Camp Taft Travellers Rest Vincent Whoopflarea

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]

Cemeteries of Owsley, Kentucky online and in print
Tombstone Transcriptions Online	Findagrave.com KYGenWeb KYGenWeb Archives Tombstone Project Kentucky Gravestones Billion Graves
TombstoneTranscriptions in Print (Often more complete)	WorldCat
List of Cemeteries in the County	Findagrave.com Billion Graves Kentucky Cemeteries FamilySearch Places
See Kentucky Cemeteries for more information

The following web sites have additional information on Owsley county cemeteries.

Interment.net, Kentucky cemetery records by county.
Cemetery Junction, Links to cemetery transcriptions
Naming the Forgotten, The Eastern State Hospital Project
Lerose Cemetery, Owsley County Kentucky.
Owsley County, Kentucky Cemeteries.
Cemeteries of Owsley County, Kentucky.
The Political Graveyard.

Census Records[edit | edit source]

1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920, and 1930 federal population schedules of Owsley County are available online. For tips on accessing census records online, see Kentucky Census. If you're having trouble finding your ancestors in online indexes, try checking printed indexes. Created by local experts familiar with the area's families, these indexes are often transcribed more accurately than online nationwide indexes.

See Kentucky Population Schedule Indexes: Fiche, Film, or Book for more information about statewide printed indexes.

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.

List of Churches and Church Parishes

FamilySearch Places

Court Records[edit | edit source]

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 African American Resources for Kentucky and the United States African Americans Wiki pages.

African American Genealogy (US) has more information about the kinds of records available
The KY African American Griots Project
Kentucky Cultural Groups 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.

The KY Land Office
Many Land records for Owsley County have been microfilmed or abstracted. Some of those copies are available at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City. For a listing of their holdings, see the topic details from their catalog.

Local Histories[edit | edit source]

Local histories are available for Owsley 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]

Click a neighboring county
for more resources

Migration[edit | edit source]

Military Records[edit | edit source]

Military Resources, Revolutionary War through Civil War

Civil War[edit | edit source]

Online Records

1861-1865 - Kentucky Civil War Service Records of Confederate Soldiers, 1861-1865 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index
1861-1865 - Kentucky Civil War Service Records of Union Soldiers, 1861-1865 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index
1912-1950 - Kentucky Confederate Pension Applications 1912-1950 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
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)
1861-1865 - U. S. Civil War Soldiers, 1861-1865. $
Civil War Soldiers & Sailors System.
Owsley County Pensioners on the Roll in 1883.

World War I[edit | edit source]

World War II[edit | edit source]

Owsley County, Kentucky World War II Casualties Army and Air Force
World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942, Ancestry ($)
U. S. World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938-1946, Ancestry ($)

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

Additional newspapers abstracts can sometimes be found using search phrases such as Owsley County, Kentucky Genealogy newspapers in online catalogs like:

WorldCat (For instructions see WorldCat Online Catalog).
Do a Owsley County, Kentucky Genealogy Place-name search for these and other records in the FamilySearch Catalog (For instructions see FamilySearch Catalog Places Search).

Obituaries[edit | edit source]

Kentucky Footsteps Archives, KYGenWeb
Kentucky Obituary Sources, KYGenWeb

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

Other Records[edit | edit source]

Kentucky Postcards, USGenWeb

Periodicals[edit | edit source]

Probate Records[edit | edit source]

Probate records are held by the Owsley County, Kentucky Genealogy Clerk of Court and are housed at the Owsley 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.

Online Probate Records

1798-1943 - Will Books 1 to 8 (1798-1943) FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection

School Records[edit | edit source]

Schools. Anglin, Bee Branch, Bethelehem, Bradshaw, Cortland, Fish Creek, Highland, Indian Creek, Lerose, Leroy, Moores, Riverside, Rockhouse, Royal Oak, Walnut Grove.

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.

Search Tax, Criminal, Land and Wills Records, Ancestry ($)

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 Owsley County Clerk, with divorce records 1849-1958 located with the Owsley County Circuit Court. For more information see How to Find Kentucky Marriage Records. For Kentucky divorce records see the wiki page Kentucky Vital Records.

Divorce[edit | edit source]

1973-1993 - Kentucky Divorces 1973-1993, University of Kentucky Vital Records Databases

Research Facilities[edit | edit source]

Archives[edit | edit source]

Listed below are archives in Owsley County. For state-wide archival repositories, see Kentucky Archives and Libraries.

Archives of Appalachia
East Tennessee State University
Website

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.

Family History Center and Affiliate Library Locator

Local Centers and Libraries

Libraries[edit | edit source]

Listed below are libraries in Owsley County. For state-wide library facilities, see Kentucky Archives and Libraries.

Museums[edit | edit source]

Societies[edit | edit source]

Listed below are societies in Owsley County. For state-wide genealogical societies, see Kentucky Societies.

The Owsley County History and Genealogy Society
PO Box 976
Booneville, KY 41314
Website
The Owsley County Historical Society
PO Box 1166
Booneville, KY 41314
Telephone: 606-593-6755
Website
Links and addresses to Kentucky genealogical and historical societies

Websites[edit | edit source]

Owsley County, KY History, Records, Facts and Genealogy
Owsley County KYGenWeb
Owsley County USGenWeb Archives/
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.
Owsley County, Kentucky Genealogy.
Tim & Valorie's Owsley County Kentucky Archives.
Owsley County, Kentucky Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
Owsley 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]

↑ The Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America,10th ed. (Draper, UT:Everton Publishers, 2002).
↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Owsley County, Kentucky" in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Owsley_County,_Kentucky."
↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Owsley County, Kentucky page 274, At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Owsley 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, "Owsley County, Kentucky," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Owsley_County,_Kentucky, accessed 7 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.

[1] The Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America,10th ed. (Draper, UT:Everton Publishers, 2002).

[2] Wikipedia contributors, "Owsley County, Kentucky" in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Owsley_County,_Kentucky."

[3] Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Owsley County, Kentucky page 274, At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.

[4] Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Owsley 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.

[5] Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Kentucky. At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.

[6] Wikipedia contributors, "Owsley County, Kentucky," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Owsley_County,_Kentucky, accessed 7 September 2018.

[7] 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.

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Historical populations
Census	Pop.	%±
1850	3,774	—
1860	5,335	41.4%
1870	3,889	−27.1%
1880	4,942	27.1%
1890	5,975	20.9%
1900	6,874	15.0%
1910	7,979	16.1%
1920	7,820	−2.0%
1930	7,223	−7.6%
1940	8,957	24.0%
1950	7,324	−18.2%
1960	5,369	−26.7%
1970	5,023	−6.4%
1980	5,709	13.7%
1990	5,036	−11.8%
2000	4,858	−3.5%
2010	4,755	−2.1%
Source: "Wikipedia.org".