Whitley County, Kentucky Genealogy
Guide to Whitley 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]
Whitley County was named for William Whitley. The county is located in the south-central area of the state.[2]
County Courthouse[edit | edit source]
Whitley County Courthouse
Main Street
PO Box 8
Williamsburg, KY 40769
Phone: 606-549-6002[3]
Whitley County Website
Whitley 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 |
| 1915 | 1865 | 1852 | 1818 | 1818 | 1818 | 1810 |
Record Loss[edit | edit source]
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1930--A disaster destroyed most of the records.
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Boundary Changes[edit | edit source]
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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 | ||
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| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Census-designated places | ||
| Ghost towns | ||
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 Whitley county cemeteries.
- Interment.net, Kentucky cemetery records by county.
- Cemetery Junction, Links to cemetery transcriptions
- Naming the Forgotten, The Eastern State Hospital Project
Census Records[edit | edit source]
| Historical populations | ||
|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± |
| 1820 | 2,340 | — |
| 1830 | 3,806 | 62.6% |
| 1840 | 4,673 | 22.8% |
| 1850 | 7,447 | 59.4% |
| 1860 | 7,762 | 4.2% |
| 1870 | 8,278 | 6.6% |
| 1880 | 12,000 | 45.0% |
| 1890 | 17,590 | 46.6% |
| 1900 | 25,015 | 42.2% |
| 1910 | 31,982 | 27.9% |
| 1920 | 27,749 | −13.2% |
| 1930 | 29,730 | 7.1% |
| 1940 | 33,186 | 11.6% |
| 1950 | 31,940 | −3.8% |
| 1960 | 25,815 | −19.2% |
| 1970 | 24,145 | −6.5% |
| 1980 | 33,396 | 38.3% |
| 1990 | 33,326 | −0.2% |
| 2000 | 35,865 | 7.6% |
| 2010 | 35,637 | −0.6% |
| Source: "Wikipedia.org". | ||
1820, 1830, 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920, and 1930 federal population schedules of Whitley 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.
- 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]
- 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 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.
Local Histories[edit | edit source]
Local histories are available for Whitley 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)
- KYGenWeb compiled list of maps
- Click on the county to go to the KYGenWeb site
- FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places
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
- 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 - How to Use this Collection;index and images
World War I[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
- Corbin Times (Corbin, Kentucky) at Ancestry ($)
- Corbin Times Tribune (Corbin, Kentucky) at Ancestry ($)
Additional newspapers abstracts can sometimes be found using search phrases such as Whitley County, Kentucky Genealogy newspapers in online catalogs like:
- WorldCat (For instructions see WorldCat Online Catalog).
- Do a Whitley 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 Whitley County, Kentucky Genealogy Clerk of Court and are housed at the Whitley 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
- 1774-1999 Kentucky Wills and Probate Records 1774-1999 at Ancestry ($) — index and images
- 1798-1943 - Will Books 1 to 8 (1798-1943) at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
- 1818-1967 Will Books 1 to 7 (1818-1967)at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
- Search Tax, Criminal, Land and Wills Records, Ancestry ($)
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 ($) — index, click here for more information.
Tax Records[edit | edit source]
Taxes were levied on free white males over 21 and slaves aged 21 to 60. These persons are referred to as "polls." Tax listings, or digests, of a county generally list the taxable landowners and other polls and the amount of tax. The records for each county are divided by militia district. For more background information and state-wide resources see the wiki page Kentucky Taxation.
- Search Tax, Criminal, Land and Wills Records, Ancestry ($)
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 Whitley County Clerk, with divorce records 1849-1958 located with the Whitley 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
- 1852-1860 - Whitley County Birth Index 1852-1860. Batch C518071 at FamilySearch[7]
- 1874 - Whitley County Birth Index 1874. Batch C518072 at FamilySearch
- 1875 - Whitley County Birth Index 1875. Batch C518073 at FamilySearch
- 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- How to Use this Collection
- 1797-1954 - Kentucky, County Marriages, 1797-1954 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
- 1852-1860 - Whitley County Marriage Index 1852-1860. Batch M518071 at FamilySearch
- 1875 - Whitley County Marriage Index 1875. Batch M518074 at FamilySearch
- 1876-1877 - Whitley County Marriage Index 1876-1877. Batch M518075 aat FamilySearch
- 1973-2000 - Searchable KY Marriage Records
- 1973-2000 - Kentucky Marriage Records 1973-2000
- 1960-1993 Kentucky Marriages, 1960-1993 at MyHeritage ($) — index
Death[edit | edit source]
- 1843-1970 - Kentucky Deaths and Burials, 1843-1970 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
- 1900-1999 Kentucky Deaths, 1900-1999 at MyHeritage ($) — index
- 1911-1965 - Kentucky Death Records, 1911-1965 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index
- 1911-2000 - Searchable KY Death Index
- The Social Security Death Index - How to Use this Collection
- The Kentucky Vital Records Project, Transcriptions and Images of Kentucky Death Certificates
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 Whitley 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 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
- Corbin Kentucky Family History Center
- Whitley City Kentucky Family History Center
- Breathitt County Library - an affiliate library.
- Green County Public Library - an affiliate library.
Libraries[edit | edit source]
Listed below are libraries in Whitley County. For state-wide library facilities, see Kentucky Archives and Libraries.
Whitley County Public Library
285 S 3rd Street
Williamsburg, KY 40769
Phone: 606-549-0818
Website
Museums[edit | edit source]
Societies[edit | edit source]
Listed below are societies in Whitley County. For state-wide genealogical societies, see Kentucky Societies.
Whitley County Historical Genealogy Society and Museum
P.O. Box 536
Old Williamsburg Depot
529 Main Street
Williamsburg, KY 40769
Phone: 606-549-7089
Website
Corbin Genealogical Society
99 Boone Avenue
Corbin, KY 40701
Website
Websites[edit | edit source]
- Whitley County KYGenWeb
- KYGenWeb project. Has maps, name indexes, history or other information for each county. Select the county.
- State of Kentucky Website
- USGenWeb Kentucky Archives
- USGenWeb project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county. Select the state, then the county.
- Linkpendium
- Whitley 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, "Whitley County, Kentucky" in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whitley_County,_Kentucky."
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Whitley County, Kentucky page 276, At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Whitley 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, "Whitley County, Kentucky," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whitley_County%2C_Kentucky, accessed 17 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.
