County of the Month: Morgan County, Kentucky

Established in 1822, Morgan County was the 73rd in order of formation, coming from parent counties Bath and Floyd. Later, during the years 1843-1869, outlying sections of the original county were annexed to form six surrounding counties: Rowan, Elliott, Menifee, Wolfe, Magoffin and Johnson. The county was named for General Daniel Morgan, a veteran of the Revolutionary War. West Liberty is the county seat.

When Kentucky was still a county of Virginia, and much of the area wilderness, surveyors traveled via the Licking River to ascertain the area's settlement possibilities. Because of its fertile valleys, pioneers soon followed, drawn there by land teeming with game and virgin timber. The fertile valleys were good pasture land: Morgan County soon became called "the Bluegrass county of the mountains." Cattle, burley tobacco, and lumber mills would become the area's main industries.

Captain John T. Williams (Image: The Civil War in Morgan County)

It is thought that the first log cabin built in West Liberty, was that built by Baptist preacher Daniel Williams. Williams, an uncle of Confederate President Jefferson Davis, had come to Kentucky from North Carolina with Daniel Boone in 1775. He was married at Boonesborough by Daniel Boone's brother Squire Boone, and later established a church near Mt. Sterling. It was the first of many throughout the mountains. Approximately 60% of Morgan County's population can be traced back the to Williams family.

During the Civil War, most families claimed allegiance with the Union, although many were Southern sympathizers. Confederate leaders from Morgan County include Captain John T. Williams and Major William Mynheir. Besides one minor skirmish at McClanahan Hill, most fighting occured at West Liberty. The earliest, in 1861, was one of the first important battles that occured in eastern Kentucky.

Source: Kentucky Encyclopedia

Morgan County Trivia

East Liberty?

Despite its name, West Liberty lies some one hundred miles northeast of Liberty in nearby Casey County.

When Morgan County's Wells Mill settlement was to be officially established as the county seat, Pike County was in the process of creating its own county seat, rumored to be called "Liberty." To honor their eastern neighbor, Morgan County officials chose to rename Wells Mill to "West Liberty."

In 1881, Pike County decided to retain the name "Pikeville" for its county seat, in honor of the western explorer and U.S. Army officer Zebulon Montgomery Pike. Thus, leaving "West Liberty" with no eastern namesake.

Source: Kentucky Encyclopedia; Kentucky Explorer, February 1996; Kentucky Files: Counties-Morgan.

Family History and Morgan County Research Resources

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

County Clerk records

• Agency history
• Articles of incorporation books (indexed) - 1874-1989
• Administrator's bonds books (indexed) - 1910-1977
• Committee's bonds book (indexed) - 1948-1979
• Executor's bonds book (indexed) - 1869-1908
• Guardian's bonds books (indexed) - 1866-1927 and 1938-1977
• Guardian's and committee's bonds book (indexed) - 1927-1948
• Trustee's bonds books - 1891-1921
• County and circuit clerk bonds book (indexed) - 1890-1961
• Justice of the peace and police judge bonds book (indexed) - 1867-1914
• Minister's bonds book (indexed) - 1895-1959
• Poorhouse keepers bonds book (indexed) - 1895-1941
• Public official's bonds books (indexed) - 1891-1991
• Sheriff's bonds books (indexed) - 1889-1969
• General cross indexes to deeds - 1846-1977
• Deed books - 1846-1901 and 1956-2000
• Commissioner's deed books (indexed) - 1879-1911
• Record of the board of election commissioners - 1935-1980
• Certificates of election book (indexed) - 1889-1897
• Register of candidates for nomination in primary election - 1965-1969
• Marriage books (indexed) - 1914-1996
• Marriage registers - 1823-1916
• Medical registers (indexed) - 1889-1981
• Mineral lease books (indexed) - 1889-1991 and 1993-2001
• Miscellaneous books - 1894-2000
• Mortgage books - 1867-2001
• Order books (indexed) - 1823-1830 and 1856-1977
• County Judge/Executive order book (indexed) - 1975-1977
• Road orders books - 1872-1928
• Settlement books - 1867-1888 and 1891-1977
• Veteran's discharge books (indexed) - 1898-1985
• Tax assessment books - 1823-1892
• Will books (indexed) - 1867-1999
• Wills (loose) - 1866-1963

Circuit Court records

• Agency history
• General indexes to civil and criminal cases - 1852-1906
• General indexes to civil cases - 1916-1972
• General indexes to civil cases - plaintiff - 1823-1915
• General indexes to criminal cases - 1955-1977
• Civil case files - 1825-1977
• Criminal case files - 1848-1963
• Reports of Grand Jury - 1850-1920
• Idiot inquest books (indexed) - 1913-1918 and 1925-1968
• Idiot order books - 1882-1915
• Lunacy inquest books (indexed) - 1919-1968
• Criminal judgment books (indexed) - 1916-1940
• Judgment by default book (indexed) - 1867-1880
• Master commissioner's report of land sales (indexed) - 1867-1909 and 1924-1950
• Order books (indexed) - 1852-1889
• Civil order books (indexed) - 1889-1977
• Criminal order books (indexed) - 1889-1977
• Court of Common Pleas records
• Order book (indexed) - 1890-1892