County of the Month: Butler - Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives

Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives

Catalog| Visitor Information| Service Directory| Staff Directory

"Allie Monroe Mauzy and His Pets"
Ford Photo Album Collection, 1890-1904, Kentuckiana Digital Library

"Steamer Park City at Landing, Morgantown"
Ford Photo Album Collection, 1890-1904, Kentuckiana Digital Library

"Mack Penrod, One of Bulter County's Oldest Settlers"
Ford Photo Album Collection, 1890-1904, Kentuckiana Digital Library

"Morgantown Courthouse, 1942"
Goodman-Paxton Photographic Collection, 1934-1942, Kentuckiana Digital Library

"Morgantown 'Belles' Returning from a Picnic"
Ford Photo Album Collection, 1890-1904, Kentuckiana Digital Library

"Coal Opening on Lum Drake Farm"
Ford Photo Album Collection, 1890-1904, Kentuckiana Digital Library

For help with Butler County Research, use KDLA's Ask a Librarian email reference service.

View Past "County of the Month" Features:

County of the Month: Butler

Butler County was the 53^rd county formed in the Commonwealth on January 18^th, 1810. Taken from parts of Logan and Ohio Counties, Butler County was named after General Richard Butler, a Revolutionary War soldier from Pennsylvania, who was killed by Indians at St. Clair's Defeat in 1791.

Morgantown, located on the south bank of the Green River, was selected as the county seat. The town was originally known as Funkhouser Hill, after Christopher Funkhouser, donor of the land; however, Funkhouser changed the name in honor of the first child born there, Daniel Morgan Smith in December 1811. Other sources credit the name change to that honoring a local hunter with the surname of Morgan.

Butler County Websites

Family History and Butler County Research Resources

Below are some resources available at KDLA for genealogists and researchers interested in the Butler County area.

County Clerk records

Agency history
Articles of incorporation books (indexed) - 1883-1985
Administrator's bonds books (indexed) - 1856-1977
Assignee bonds book (indexed) - 1913-1936
Committee's bonds book (indexed) - 1911-1944
Executor's bonds books (indexed) - 1856-1909 and 1912-1977
List of executors and administrators book - 1862-1939
Guardian's bonds books (indexed) - 1856-1977
List of guardians book - 1862-1939
Coffee house bonds book (indexed) - 1890-1894
Druggist bonds book (indexed) - 1883-1889
Justice of the peace bonds book (indexed) - 1875-1922
Minister's bonds book (indexed) - 1912-1974
Miscellaneous bonds books - 1876-1934
Public official's bonds books (indexed) - 1872-1981
Tavern keepers bonds book (indexed) - 1856-1890
General cross index to deeds - 1795-1986
Deed books - 1809-2001
Commissioner's deed books - 1877-1945
Deeds of partition books - 1840-1846 and 1889-1924
Rights of way deed books - 1960-1999
Certificates of election - 1884-1890
Record of the board of election commissioners - 1898-1962
Inventory, appraisement and sale bill books (indexed) - 1812-1835, 1837-1918, and 1930-1978
Oil and gas lease books (indexed) - 1916-1995
General cross index to marriages - 1814-1989
Marriage books (indexed) - 1856-2000
Marriage certificate book (indexed) - 1894-1897
Marriage registers (indexed) - 1814-1865, 1873-1893, and 1897-1903
Freedmen's declaration of marriage - 1866-1876
Medical register (indexed) - 1888-1986
Militia book - 1860, 1863, and 1875
Miscellaneous books (indexed) - 1885-2001
General cross indexes to mortgages - 1886-1906 and 1917-1992
Mortgage books - 1846-2001
Order books (indexed) - 1810-1977
Minute/order books - 1864-1870, 1874-1879, 1883-1891, 1903-1947, and 1968-1986
Road orders books - 1872-1936
Surveyors/processioners books - 1811-1909
Processioners book - 1843-1884
General index to settlements - 1828-1949
Settlement books (indexed) - 1880-1967 and 1971-1988
Tax assessment books - 1811-1816, 1818-1823, 1825-1831, 1833-1835, 1837-1875, 1879-1892, and 1961-1964
Will books (indexed) - 1813-1999

Circuit Court records

Agency history
Roster of attorneys - 1892-1905
Committee bonds books (indexed) - 1879-1911 and 1921-1949
Bonds in liquor cases book (indexed) - 1924-1932
General indexes to civil cases - 1810-1897 and 1973-1977
General index to civil cases - defendant - 1955-1973
General index to civil cases - plaintiff - 1955-1973
General indexes to equity cases - defendant - 1810-1954
General indexes to equity cases - plaintiff - 1810-1954
General indexes to ordinary cases - defendant - 1840-1955
General indexes to ordinary cases - plaintiff - 1840-1955
General index to criminal cases - 1811-1948
General index to criminal cases - defendant - 1810-1981
Civil case files - 1953-1977
Common law case files - 1840-1886
Equity case files - 1810-1954
Ordinary case files - 1886-1955
Criminal case files - 1810-1983
Commissioner's deed book - 1839-1841
Master commissioner's report of land sales book - 1864-1874 and 1903
Pauper idiot order book (indexed) - 1894-1922
Judgment books (indexed) - 1851-1871 and 1879-1922
Judgment by default book - 1872
Judgment from inferior courts books (indexed) - 1855-1940
Minute books - 1848, 1868-1872, and 1879-189
Order books (indexed) - 1810-1881
Civil order books (indexed) - 1881-1977
Criminal order books (indexed) - 1881-1977

Quarterly Court records

Order books (indexed) - 1858-1931

Court of Common Pleas records

General index to civil and criminal cases - 1840-1908
Order book (indexed) - 1874-1880

Equity and Criminal Court records

Order books (indexed) - 1859-1864

Fiscal Court records

Order books - 1894-1914 and 1916-1989

Information Updated:11/29/2005