County of the Month: Fleming County, Kentucky

Fleming County was the 26th county formed in Kentucky, established in 1798 from Mason County; later, portions of Fleming County became Floyd and Rowan Counties.

The county and the county seat, Flemingsburg, are named for the early settler, John Fleming, who built a fort in the county in 1790.

During the Civil War, a few small skirmishes were located in Fleming County, including one in 1862 as General John Hunt Morgan's raiders retreated from their attack on central Kentucky towns.

Source: Kentucky Encyclopedia

 

Fleming County Trivia

In 1798 a town named Gath, after the hometown of the Biblical giant Goliath, was formed in the bottomlands near Locust Creek in Fleming County.

Although verified by various Fleming County local government records, the existence of Gath disappeared by the mid-1800's.

It is speculated that the town failed to grow once one of the original trustees and several parties interested in settling in the area died. Also, once the town of Sherburne, located in a more convenient setting for those wishing to do business with Mt. Sterling or Maysville, began to grow and prosper enthusiasm in the little town of Gath began to wane.

Currently the site of the "town" of Gath is used for farmland. It only exists in the court and deed records of Fleming County Clerk and in the State Archives.

Source: Kentucky Explorer, February 1996

 

Family History and Fleming County Research Resources

Below are some resources for genealogists and researchers interested in the Fleming County area.

County Clerk records

• Agency history
• Articles of incorporation books (indexed) 1875-1995
• General index to deeds – grantee 1798-1980
• General index to deeds – grantor 1798-1980
• Deed books 1798-1996
• Reports of commissioners’ of division of land (indexed) 1875-1934
• Record of the board of election commissioners 1951-1995
• Record of encumbrance on real estate books (indexed) 1896-1995
• General index to inventory, appraisement, and sale bill books 1798-1955
• Inventory, appraisement and sale bills books 1874-1979
• General cross index to marriages 1798-1986
• Marriage books (indexed) 1837-1984
• Marriage registers 1798-1914
• Freedmen’s declaration of marriage 1867-1871
• General index to mortgages – mortgagee 1798-1980
• General index to mortgages – mortgagor 1798-1980
• Mortgage books 1854-1945
• General index to real estate conveyances – grantee 1980-1994
• General index to real estate conveyances – grantor 1980-1994
• Order books 1798-1866
• Settlement books 1851-1977
• Tax assessment books 1798-1985
• Veteran’s discharge books (indexed) 1943-1971
• General index to wills 1798-1962
• Will books 1798-1995

Circuit Court records

• Agency history
• Order book 1798-1803
• Court of Quarter Sessions records
• Agency history
• Order book 1798-1803
• Quarterly Court records
• Agency history
• Order books 1851-1869