Monroe County was established in 1820. It is the only county of the almost 3,000 counties in the United States named for a President where the county seat is named for his Vice-President. The county was named after James Monroe the fifth President and the author of the Monroe Doctrine. The county seat is Thompkinsville and it was named for Daniel Thompkins. They both served from 1817 to 1825. There have been three courthouse fires in the county, all for unknown causes and all after the death of Confederate Genereal, John Hunt Morgan. The county has a total area of 332 sqaure miles and is home to almost 11,000 residents.
Montgomery County was established in 1796 from land given by Clark County and became the 22nd county in Kentucky in order of formation. Montgomery County was named in honor of Richard Montgomery who was an Brigadier Genral in the American Revolutionary War and was killed in 1775 while attempting to capture Quebec City in Canada. However, in an alternative, there is a story told that the county was named for Thomas Montgomery from Virginia, who served in the Revolutionary War who settled in Mt. Sterling. At a total area of 199 sqaure miles, it is home 28,203 residents.
Morgan County was formed on December 7, 1822, from portions of Bath County and Floyd counties. It was named for Daniel Morgan who was a distinguished general in the American Revolutionary War. Morgan [county] is the county seat to the city of West Liberty, KY. It holds a current population of 13,345 residents while having a total area of 384 square miles.
Muhlenberg County was formed in 1798 from Logan and Christian counties. Muhlenberg was then the 34th county to be founded in Kentucky. The county was named after General Peter Muhlenburg, who was a colonial general during the American Revolutionary War. Though it is the county seat to Grennville, the counties largest city is Central City and has a population count over 30,000 while the total area is 479 square miles.
The fourth county created in what is now Kentucky, Nelson County was formed from Jefferson County in 1784, shortly after the Revolutonary War. The county was named after Thomas Nelson Jr, who signed the Declaration of Independence as the governor of Virginia. In 1807, shortly after Kentucky had become a state, a newly created coutny in Virginia was named in his honor. With Bardstown (the county seat) having a total area of 424 sqaure miles, it also has a population count of 45,851 residents.
Nicholas County was established in 1799 from the land that was given by Bourbon and Mason counties. Nicholas was then became 42nd county in the state in order of formation. The general region is noted for its scenic beauty, history, horse farms, and hospitality.Nicholas County is home to Blue Licks Battlefield State Resort Park is a park located near Mount Olivet, KY in Robertson and Nicholas counties. The park encompasses 148 acres and features a monument commemorating the Battle of Blue Licks that took place on August 19, 1782. The battle was regarded as the final battle of the American Revolutionary War. Now while there is no clear tale on how the county got its name, it does have a total area of 197 sqaure miles with almost 7,200 residents calling it home.
Ohio County was formed in 1798 from land taken from Hardin county. Ohio was the 35th county in the state of Kentucky in order of formation. It was named after the Ohio River, which originally formed its northern boundary, but it lost its northern portions in 1829 when the counties of Daviess and Hancock were formed. In January 1865, during the American Civil War, the courthouse in Hartford was burned. However, the county records were removed first and preserved. Ohio County has a total area of 596 square miles with a population count of just over 24, 000 residents.
Oldham County was established on December 15, 1823, from parts of Henry, Jefferson, and Shelby Counties. It then became the 74th Kentucky county and was named in honor of Col. William Oldham who was a resident of Jefferson County and a Revolutionary War officer. Upon the county’s establishment, it was mainly a small rural county that contained small and scattered developments in areas like Westport (which served as the original county seat). It wasn’t until the 1850s, with the rail lines from the Louisville and Frankfort railroad company’s that new towns began to rise. At a total area of 196 square miles, over 60,000 residents call the county home.
Owen County was formed as the 63rd county by the state of Kentucky and approved on February 6, 1819. It was formed Franklin, Scott, Gallatin, and Pendleton counties. The town of Hesler (Heslerville) was the first county seat. Owen County was named after Abraham Owen who was an Indian fighter and Kentucky legislator and was killed at the Battle of Tippecanoe. Colonel Owen also surveyed and mapped the region that is now Owen County. On November 16, 1820, the state legislature passed another act that was restored to Franklin County part or all of what was taken from the county from the act that took place in 1819. With the county having a total area of 354 square miles, there are just under 11,000 residents calling the county home.
Owsley County was formed in 1843 from portions of Clay, Breathitt, and Estill Counties and was named after former Governor William Owsley. Owsley County is Kentucky’s 96th county in order of formation. Owsley County used to have of a total area however, some of the county land was used to form Jackson County in 1858 and Lee County in 1870. That being said, according to the latest bereau report, the county has a total area of 198 square miles and has 4,755 residents calling the county home.
