County of the Month: Lyon

Lyon County, 102nd in order of formation, is located in western Kentucky. The county is named for congressman Chittenden Lyon. The county's seat is Eddyville, named for the large eddies that swirled in the streams.

The Lyon family was very influential in Lyon County's history.

• Matthew Lyon, a congressman from Vermont known as "The Wild Lyon" for his lack of diplomacy in describing the Administration, settled at the mouth of the Cumberland River in the late 1790's. He established a shipyard there, and constructed hulls of several ships for the U.S. navy during the War of 1812. He also was one of the first printers in Western Kentucky, having brought a printing press and typesetter at the time of settlement.
• Chittenden Lyon represented Caldwell County in the Kentucky House of Representatives during 1822-1824, and as a Jacksonian Democrat was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, 1827-1835.
• Hylan B. Lyon was a general in the Confederate army, who led a band of guerrillas throughout western Kentucky. He was known as "The Courthouse Burn'est General" because he and his men burned so many courthouses during raids. However, the Lyon County courthouse was never burned by Lyon and his men, due its being located across the street from his home. (At the time, his daughter was seriously ill, and he did not want the fire to upset her.)

Other Prominent Citizens in early Lyon County's history include:

• George W. Crumbaugh - a Methodist Minister and member of the Methodist Conference for 50 years. He bought the Lyon County Democrat in the 1870's but later started the Lyon County Gazette and consolidated it with the Democrat. In 1884, he began publishing the Saturday Evening Echo and later published the Dawson Ripplings.
• James Lester - Postmaster at Eddyville, and also practiced the stone cutting trade in St. Louis. He had the privilege of finishing the portico at the state capitol in Frankfort. He also ran a liquor and dry good business in Eddyville for four years.
• Louis Vougal - a farmer who began a limestone quarry on his land. His quarry furnished the lime rock used in building the Kentucky Dam.
• W.J. Stone - recruited soldiers for the Civil War, and served under General Forest at Shiloh and Missionary Ridge, and was made a captain by John Morgan. In 1875, he was elected to the state legislature, and used his influence to get the prison located at Eddyville. He was also elected to serve in Congress.
• R.L. Cobb - furnished plans for the first court house in Lyon County in 1854 and loaned the money with which it was built.
• Honorable N.W. Utley - When Senator William Goebel was wounded by an assassin, he appointed Senator Utley President pro tempore of the Kentucky Senate and ex-officio Chairman of the Democratic Steering Committee. Senator Utley's discretion caused Senator Goebel to be administered the oath of office as Governor of Kentucky during his dying hours, thus putting the Democrats into power.

Source: The Kentucky Encyclopedia and One Century of Lyon County History, by Seniors '64, Lyon County High School

Lyon County Trivia

The Oath of Allegiance

From One Century of Lyon County History, by Seniors '64, Lyon County High School

The following oath, taken from the records of the Lyon County Court Clerk's office, is the oath that all teachers and trustees were required to take showing their allegiance to the United States before they were allowed to serve or teach in the County.

"I do Solemnly Swear that I will Support the Constitution of the United States, and the Constitution of Kentucky and be true and faithful to the Commonwealth So long as I remain a citizen thereof. That I, recognize the binding obligations of the Constitution of the United States, and the duty of every citizen to Submit thereto as the Supreme law of the land. That I will not give aid to the rebellion against the Government of the United States, nor give aid to So Called Provisional government of Kentucky, either directly or indirectly, So long as I remain a citizen of, or reside in Kentucky, and that this oath is taken by me without any mental reservation. So help me God , G.W. Holcomb. Given to Before me by G.W. Holcomb this 9th day of July, 1864. - J.W. Clark, Clk."

Courthouse Graffiti

From the Associated Press, Lexington Herald Leader, 12/25/1996.

The Eddyville courthouse burned in 1917, but someone had saved the paper the graffiti found on the courthouse's walls, called "The Strangest Records in Existence."

• "First Railroad Locomotive in Lyin (sic) County March 17, 1872 -- and how that whistle did blow!"
• "General jail delivery 4 prisoners escaped but old man Burns too honest to leave again Oct. 16, 1876"
• "Ed James had his hair cut September 5th 1878."
• "Judge Fred Skinner drove horse and buggy through streets Aug. 2nd, 1879."
• "A.B. Lewis shot and killed Edward Riley at the home of Riley who was making a coffin for his grand-child 7/12/81."
• "Beautiful spring day March 3rd 1882."
• "W.J. Cotton 57 years old said he never served on a jury in his life sheriff must summons him December term of court 1885."
• "Cale Warfield the champion liar of Lyon County 8/12/89."
• "Victims of the J.R. Withers grocery store explosion caused by a match head alighting in a keg of gun powder, the following injured W.R. Gracey, Frank Evans Jr., J.K. Gatewood, George Champion, Jim Minnehan and Dan Love, November 11th, 1887."

Family History and Lyon County Research Resources

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

County Clerk records

• Agency history
• Articles of incorporation - 1939-1953
• Administrator's bonds books (indexed) - 1854-1978
• Administrator's and executor's bonds book (indexed) - 1923-1961
• Executor's bonds book (indexed) - 1854-1919
• List of executors and administrators book - 1867-1875
• Guardian's bonds books (indexed) - 1854-1977
• List of guardians books - 1854-1880
• Guardian report books (indexed) - 1871-1915
• Coffee house bonds book (indexed) - 1868-1894
• Minster's bonds book (indexed) - 1919-1984
• Miscellaneous bonds books (indexed) - 1865-1917 and 1930-1982
• Public official's bonds books (indexed) - 1854-1946
• Register of redeemed county bonds - 1963-1964
• School superintendent bonds book - 1918-1926
• Tavern keepers bonds book (indexed) - 1854-1893
• Certificate of business operating under an assumed name - 1917-1984
• General cross indexes to deeds - 1854-1995
• Deed books - 1854-2001
• List of unrecorded deeds - 1869-1918
• Commissioner's deed books (indexed) - 1882-1970
• Reports of commissioners' of division of land - 1854-1939
• Nonresident lands register - 1875-1910
• Certificates of election book - 1929-1949
• Record of the board of election commissioners (indexed) - 1898-1986
• Register of candidates for nomination in primary election - 1912-1958
• Funding Board minute book (indexed) - 1878-1900
• Indenture of apprenticeship book (indexed) - 1866-1908
• Inventory, appraisement and sale bill books (indexed) - 1854-1983
• Lunatic inquest books (indexed) - 1887-1918
• Marriage bond book (indexed) - 1866-1877
• Marriage books (indexed) - 1854-1862 and 1869-2000
• Marriage registers - 1854-1878
• Freedmen's declaration of marriage (indexed) - 1866-1873
• Medical registers (indexed) - 1888-1981
• Militia book (indexed) - 1874-1875
• Miscellaneous books (indexed) - 1911-2000
• General cross indexes to mortgages - 1906-1997
• Mortgage books - 1865-2001
• Order books (indexed) - 1854-1944 and 1961-1983
• County Judge/Executive order books (indexed) - 1983-2000
• Minute/order books - 1854-1883, 1889-1894, 1907-1927, and 1939-1961
• Road orders books (indexed) - 1867-1936
• Boundaries of roads book - 1862-1894
• Administrator's and executor's settlement books (indexed) - 1865-1983
• Guardian's settlement books (indexed) - 1875-1978
• Records pertaining to slavery - 1856-1859
• Soldiers application for pension - 1912-1933
• Tax assessment books - 1863-1875, 1879-1882, 1884-1892, 1896, 1899, 1900, 1904, 1907, 1909, and 1911
• Omitted tax assessment book - 1894-1913
• Board of supervisor's revised assessments book - 1920-1924
• Board of tax supervisor's minute book - 1878-1895
• Will books (indexed) - 1854-2001

Circuit Court records

• Agency history
• General index to civil and criminal cases - 1893-1953
• General indexes to civil and criminal cases - defendant - 1853-1953
• General indexes to civil and criminal cases - plaintiff - 1853-1953
• Civil case files - 1853-1977
• Criminal case files - 1855-1977
• Order books (indexed) - 1854-1880
• Civil order books (indexed) - 1880-1978
• Criminal order books (indexed) - 1876-1978
• Quarterly Court records
• Judgment books - 1910-1913
• Judgment by default book - 1891-1916
• Order books - 1877-1915
• Criminal order book - 1876-1914

Fiscal Court records

• Order books (indexed) - 1906-1983 and 1994-2001
• Minute books - 1893-1902, 1928-1942, and 1950-1993

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