Caldwell County, Kentucky Genealogy
Guide to Caldwell County, Kentucky ancestry, genealogy and family history, birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.
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County Information[edit | edit source]
Description[edit | edit source]
The County was named for John Caldwell. The County is located in the west area of the state.[2]
County Courthouse[edit | edit source]
Caldwell County Courthouse
100 East Market Street, Room 3
Princeton, KY 42445-1675
Phone: 270-365-6754[3]
Caldwell County Website
Caldwell 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 |
| 1852 | 1809 | 1852 | 1809 | 1809 | 1809 | 1810 |
Record Loss[edit | edit source]
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1864 The courthouse fire on 15 Dec 1864 destroyed some records.
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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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History Timeline[edit | edit source]
Resources[edit | edit source]
Bible Records[edit | edit source]
Biographies[edit | edit source]
Business, Commerce, and Occupations[edit | edit source]
Cemeteries[edit | edit source]
The following web sites have additional information on Caldwell county cemeteries.
- Interment.net, Kentucky cemetery records by county.
- Caldwell Co., KY Cemeteries
- Ken Gilkey list of Caldwell Co., Cemeteries and their locations
- Cemetery Junction, Links to cemetery transcriptions
- Naming the Forgotten, The Eastern State Hospital Project
Census Records[edit | edit source]
| Historical populations | ||
|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± |
| 1810 | 4,268 | — |
| 1820 | 9,022 | 111.4% |
| 1830 | 8,324 | −7.7% |
| 1840 | 10,365 | 24.5% |
| 1850 | 13,048 | 25.9% |
| 1860 | 9,318 | −28.6% |
| 1870 | 10,826 | 16.2% |
| 1880 | 11,282 | 4.2% |
| 1890 | 13,186 | 16.9% |
| 1900 | 14,510 | 10.0% |
| 1910 | 14,063 | −3.1% |
| 1920 | 13,975 | −0.6% |
| 1930 | 13,781 | −1.4% |
| 1940 | 14,499 | 5.2% |
| 1950 | 13,199 | −9.0% |
| 1960 | 13,073 | −1.0% |
| 1970 | 13,179 | 0.8% |
| 1980 | 13,473 | 2.2% |
| 1990 | 13,232 | −1.8% |
| 2000 | 13,060 | −1.3% |
| 2010 | 12,984 | −0.6% |
| Source: "Wikipedia.org". | ||
For tips on accessing Caldwell County, Kentucky Genealogy census records online, see: Kentucky Census.
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
Court Records[edit | edit source]
- Fiscal Court
- Caldwell Co. KY County Court Clerk
- Caldwell Co. KY County Clerk records search, some images available
- US GenWeb Archives 1810 Court Records
- 1835 Court Minutes
- Caldwell Co., KyGenWeb Archives
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.
- Caldwell Co. KY African American Griots
- 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]
- [Baker] Chapman, Peggy Brown. Bakers of Logan, Christian, Muhlenberg, Livingston, Henderson, Hopkins, Caldwell, Union, Todd, Trigg, Crittenden, Lyon, McLean and Webster Counties & Jackson Purchase, Kentucky. Lubbock, Texas: P.B. Chapman, 1995. FHL Book 929.273 B171cp.
- [Flournoy] Rivers, Flournoy. "The Flournoy Family," The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 2, No. 1 (Jul. 1894):81-90; Vol. 2, No. 2 (Oct. 1894):190-213; Vol. 2, No. 3 (Jan. 1895):318-327; Vol. 2, No. 4 (Apr. 1895):437-447; Vol. 3, No. 1 (Jul. 1895):67-79; Vol. 3, No. 4 (Apr. 1896):414-416; Vol. 4, No. 1 (Jul. 1896):97-101. Digitized by JSTOR - free.
- [Gilkey] Gilkey, Kenneth Edward. Gilkeys of Early Kentucky 1780-2000: This Book Focuses Primarily on William Gilkey of Caldwell Co., Ky. and His Descendants and His Brothers, David Gilkey of Union County, Ky. and John Gilkey of Nelson Co. Ky. and Their Descendants. Newburgh, Ind.: K.E. Gilkey, 2000. FHL Book 929.273 G397g
- [Sassin] Allen, Cameron. "Francois Sasin/Sassin of Manakin Town: The First Six Generations of the Sassin/Sasseen Family in America," The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 37, No. 1 (Jan.-Mar. 1993):3-17; Vol. 37, No. 2 (Apr.-Jun. 1993):99-116; Vol. 37, No. 3 (Jul.-Sep. 1993):193-205; Vol. 37, No. 4 (Oct.-Dec. 1993):259-271. Digital version at American Ancestors ($). FHL Book 975.5 B2vg v. 37 (1993).
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 Caldwell 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
- United States Digital Map Library
- FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places
Migration[edit | edit source]
Military Records[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 - How to Use this Collection
- 1861-1865 - Kentucky Civil War Service Records of Union Soldiers, 1861-1865 at FamilySearch — index - How to Use this Collection
- 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 - How to Use this Collection
Regiments. Men in Caldwell County served in various regiments and companies. Those listed below were specifically formed in this county:
- - 48th Regiment, Kentucky Infantry (Union), Companies A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I and K.
World War II[edit | edit source]
Naturalization and Citizenship[edit | edit source]
Newspapers[edit | edit source]
Additional newspapers abstracts can sometimes be found using search phrases such as Caldwell County, Kentucky Genealogy newspapers in online catalogs like:
- WorldCat (For instructions see WorldCat Online Catalog).
- Do a Caldwell 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]
Other Records[edit | edit source]
Periodicals[edit | edit source]
Probate Records[edit | edit source]
Probate records are held by the Caldwell County, Kentucky Genealogy Clerk of Court and are housed at the Caldwell 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
- 1727–1990 Kentucky Probate Records 1727-1990 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; images
- 1774–1999 Kentucky Wills and Probate Records 1774-1999 at Ancestry ($) — index and images
- 1809-1834 Will Books at the Family History Library, Salt Lake City, Utah, Caldwell County, Kentucky wills and estate records, will book A (1809-1834) : inventory, appraisal and settlement book 1 and miscellaneous probate records, 976.9815 P28ja, Compiled by Brenda Joyce Jerome, Newburgh, Indiana : B.J. Jerome, 2006, Caldwell County, Kentucky will book B, 1835-1889, 976.9815 P28j, Compiled by Brenda Joyce Jerome
Newburgh, Indiana : J.J. Jerome, c1995 - 1809-1968 - Will Books A to G (1809-1968) at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection;
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 ($) — index, click here for more information.
Tax Records[edit | edit source]
Taxes were levied on free white males over 21 and slaves aged 21 to 60. These persons are referred to as "polls." Tax listings, or digests, of a county generally list the taxable landowners and other polls and the amount of tax. The records for each county are divided by militia district. For more background information and state-wide resources see the wiki page Kentucky Taxation.
- US GenWeb Archives Tax Lists
- 1857-58 Delinquent Tax List
- Search Tax, Criminal, Land and Wills Records, Ancestry ($)
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 Caldwell County Clerk, with divorce records 1849-1958 located with the Caldwell 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 - How to Use this Collection
- 1852-1861 - Caldwell County Birth Index 1852-1861. Batch C517161 at FamilySearch[7]
- 1874-1875 - Caldwell County Birth Index 1874-1875. Batch C517162 at FamilySearch
- 1911-1912 - Searchable KY Birth Index
- 1911-1930 - Caldwell Co., KyGenWeb Birth Records 1911-1930
- 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- How to Use this Collection
- 1797-1954 - Kentucky, County Marriages, 1797-1954 at FamilySearch — index and images - How to Use this Collection
- 1809-1828 - Caldwell County, Kentucky Marriage Records, 1809-1828 at Ancestry ($)
- 1852-1861 - Caldwell County Marriage Index 1852-1861. Batch M517161 at FamilySearch
- 1878 - Caldwell County Marriage Index 1878. Batch M517163 at FamilySearch
- 1973-2000 - Searchable KY Marriage Records
- 1973-2000 - Kentucky Marriage Records 1973-2000
- Caldwell Co. KY County Clerk records search
- Ky Vital records Index
- 1960-1993 Kentucky Marriages, 1960-1993 at MyHeritage ($) — index
Death[edit | edit source]
- 1843-1970 - Kentucky Deaths and Burials 1843-1970 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
- 1911-1965 - Kentucky Death Records, 1911-1965 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; — index
- 1911-2000 - Searchable KY Death Index
- 1900-1999 Kentucky Deaths, 1900-1999 at MyHeritage ($) — index
- United States Social Security Death Index - How to Use this Collection
- Caldwell Co. KY Unmarked Burials
- KY Death 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 Caldwell County. For state-wide archival repositories, see Kentucky Archives and Libraries.
Family History Centers[edit | edit source]
Family History Center and Affiliate Library Locator map - search for local Family History Centers or Affiliate Libraries
- 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 Affiliate Libraries
- Hopkinsville Kentucky Family History Center
- Madisonville Kentucky Family History Center
- Graves County Public Library - an affiliate library.
- Henderson County Kentucky Public Library - an affiliate library.
Libraries[edit | edit source]
Listed below are libraries in Caldwell County. For state-wide library facilities, see Kentucky Archives and Libraries.
George Coon Public Library
114 South Harrison Street
P.O. Box 230
Princeton, KY 42445
Phone: 270-365-2884
Email: nfaughn@gcplibrary.org
Website
Glenn Martin Genealogy Research Library
Corner of Main and Harrison Streets
Princeton, KY
Website
Museums[edit | edit source]
Societies[edit | edit source]
Listed below are societies in Caldwell County. For state-wide genealogical societies, see Kentucky Societies.
Caldwell County Genealogy Society
P.O. Box 51
Princeton, KY 42445
Email: Colbob52@yahoo.com
Website
Caldwell County, KY Historical Society
P.O. Box 1
Princeton, KY 42445
Website
Fredonia Valley Heritage Society
Website
Websites[edit | edit source]
- Caldwell Co., KYGenWeb
- USGenWeb project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county. Select the state, then the county.
- Caldwell 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, "Caldwell County, Kentucky" in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caldwell_County,_Kentucky."
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Caldway County, Kentucky page 269, At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Caldwell 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, "Caldwell County, Kentucky," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caldwell_County,_Kentucky, accessed 5 August 2018.
- ↑ Genealogical Society of Utah, Parish and Vital Records List (July 1998). Microfiche. Digital version at https://familysearch.org/wiki/en/images/f/f1/Igikentuckyaf.pdf.
