County of the Month: Jefferson County, Kentucky

Jefferson County was one of the three original counties created by the Virginia General Assembly when Kentucky County was divided into three parts in order to facilitate local goverments which could protect settlers from Indian raids. Jefferson County, from its exposed position on the Ohio River, as well as having several springs and creeks, was vulnerable to Indian attacks until the 1800's.

The county was named for Thomas Jefferson, then Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Louisville, named for French King Louis XVI for his help of the colonists against the English, was designated the county seat.

Mainly known as a prosperous farming community and shipping port, the county's population expanded exponentially when the salt-making industry took hold in the area. Many of these early settlers were Scotch-Irish, English, German and Dutch. Slaves also constituted a large portion of the county's population.

Between 1784-1823, twenty-eight counties were created from sections of the original Jefferson County.

Source: Kentucky Encyclopedia

Jefferson County Trivia

Louisville, the county seat of Jefferson County, is said to owe its existence to the Falls of the Ohio, which interrupt the navigation of the Ohio River at that point. In 1833, a canal cut through two and a half miles of limestone was opened around these rapids. The project cost one million dollars. Funding was partially provided by the federal government, and the remainder was covered by private stockholders.

Trade in the rural county increased dramatically. In 1850, the entire trade of Louisville was estimated at 55 million dollars. Industries in the area included 21 iron foundries, 108 tobacco factories, 45 clothing manufacturers, 36 furniture manufacturers, 14 rope-walks (rope makers), 11 soap and candle factories, 11 flour and feeds mills, 12 tanneries, four cotton and woolen factories, four oil factories, and numerous other establishments.

Source: Kentucky Explorer, March 2001 Kentucky Files: KY Cities and Towns --Louisville-History

 

Family History and Jefferson County Research Resources Available at KDLA

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

County Clerk records

• General cross indexes to deeds 1783-1932
• General indexes to deeds - grantee 1783-1892
• General indexes to deeds - grantor 1783-1869
• Deeds (loose) 1783-1867
• Deed books 1783-1965
• Reports of commissioners' of division of land 1797-1916
• Record of the board of election commissioners 1921-1984
• General index to inventories and settlements 1800-1910

Circuit Court records

• Civil case files 1795-1949
• Marriage books 1780-1931
• Marriage licenses 1930-1984
• Marriage registers 1784-1911
• Order books 1780-1901
• General indexes to wills 1784-1972
• Wills (loose) 1901-1977
• Will books 1784-1966

 

For Your Research --
Jefferson County Cities That are Now Part of Louisville

Anchorage	Audubon Park	Bancroft
Barbourmeade	Beechwood Village	Bellemeade
Bellewood	Blue Ridge Manor	Briarwood
Broad Fields	Broeck Pointe	Brownsboro Farm
Brownsboro Village	Buechel	Cambridge
Cherrywood Village	Coldstream	Creekside
Crossgate	Douglass Hills	Druid Hills
Fairdale	Fairmeade	Fern Creek
Fincastle	Forest Hills	Glenview Hills
Glenview Manor	Glenview	Goose Creek
Graymoor-Devondale	Green Spring	Hickory Hill
Highview	Hills and Dales	Hollow Creek
Hollyvilla	Houston Acres	Hurstbourne Acres
Hurstbourne	Indian Hills	Jeffersontown
Keeneland	Kingsley	Langdon Place
Lincolnshire	Lyndon	Lynnview
Manor Creek	Maryhill Estates	Meadow Vale
Meadowbrook Farm	Meadowview Estates	Middletown
Minor Lane Heights	Mockingbird Valley	Moorland
Murray Hill	Newburg	Norbourne Estates
Northfield	Norwood	Okolona
Old Brownsboro Place	Parkway Village	Plantation
Pleasure Ridge Park	Plymouth Village	Poplar Hills
Prospect	Richlawn	Riverwood
Rolling Fields	Rolling Hills	Seneca Gardens
Shively	South Park View	Spring Mill
Spring Valley	Springlee	St. Dennis
St. Matthews	St. Regis Park	Strathmoor Manor
Strathmoor Village	Sycamore	Ten Broeck
Thornhill	Valley Station	Watterson Park
Wellington	West Buechel	Westwood
Whipps Millgate	Wildwood	Windy Hills
Woodland Hills	Woodlawn Park	Worthington Hills