Home of the 17th largest city in the U.S., Jefferson County, KY was established in 1780. Jefferson County is not only one of Kentucky’s’ nine original counties, but it is also named after former president Thomas Jefferson. In a historical fact, the city of Louisville was established in 1779 off of Corn Island in the Ohio River. Jefferson County has a total area of 398 square miles and has 766,757 calling the county home.
Jessamine County was established in 1798 from land given by Fayette County and became the 36th county in the state in order of formation. The county was named after Jessamine Creek, which was named after the daughter of a pioneer settler Jessamine Douglass. Most of the early pioneers were from Virginia, who came through the mountains after theAmerican Revolutionary War. In the late 18th century, the Kentucky General Assembly passed a bill to establish a commercial vineyard and winery which is based based in Nicholasville and became the first in the United States which to this day is known as First Vineyard. While the county has a total area of 175 square miles, a total of 53,920 residents call Nicholasville home.
Johnson County was formed on February 24, 1843, by the Kentucky General Assembly from land given by Floyd, Lawrence, and Morgan counties. At that time, it’s the county seat of Paintsville has been a chartered city for nine years and homes were built as early as the 1810’s. Many of the families at the beginning of Johnson County’s formation were of Scottish, Irish, English, or German descent. Many of these settlers migrated from North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Virgina following their participation in the Revolutonary War. The county was named after the ninth vice president and Kentucky representative in the house, Richard Mentor Johnson. The county has a total area of 264 square miles (which is equivalent to 680 km sqaured) and has a current population of 22,386 residents.
Kenton County was established on January 29, 1840, from land given by Campbell County. It was named in honor of Simon Kenton, a pioneer of Kentucky. Now not only is the county after him but, there is also a highway named after him (Simon Kenton Highway). Some of those highways include US 25, KY 16, and (parts of) I-75 just to name a few. While the county has a total area of 164 square miles, it is also home to 166,998 residents.
Knott County was established in 1884 from land given by Breathitt, Floyd, Letcher, and Perry counties. The 1890s-era courthouse which was the second to serve the county burned in 1929 thus destroying the majority of the records that went involved in the county’s history. Knott County was named after the former 29th govenor of the state and homeboy, James Proctor Knott. With the county having a total area of an astounding 353 square miles, it is home to only just over 15,000 residents.
Knox County was formed on December 19, 1799, from portions of Lincoln County. It was named after Henry Knox who was a general and was also the first U.S. Secretary of War. Here is another piece of history about the county. The Civil War’s Battle of Barbourville, was fought on September 19, 1861, between 800 Confederate soldiers from General Felix Zollicoffer’s command and 300 Union troops who attempted to defend the Union’s Camp which was lead by Andrew Johnson. Now the county does have a total area of 388 square miles, It is home to under 32,000 residents.
The county was formed on March 4, 1843, from the southeast portion of Hardin County, and was named after former settler John P LaRue. It is the county seat to the town of Hodgenville. The county is surrounded by Nelson, Marion, Taylor, Green, Hart and, Hardin counties. According to the last bereau report, the county has a total are of 264 sq mi and has a population count of 14,193.
Laurel County became the 80th county to be organized in Kentucky after its establishment on December 21, 1825, from parts of Rockcastle, Clay, Knox and Whitley Counties. The county was named after the Laurel River which is noted for dense laurel thickets along its banks. Due to some other reseacrh and discovery, it was the location of the Battle of Wildcat Mountain which was a pivotal yet little known battle during the American Civil War which kept Confederate armies from advancing on Big Hill which a major stronghold during the war. After a fire damaged the courthouse in 1958, a new structure was completed in 1961. Now the county has a total area of 444 square miles and is also home to over 60,000 residents.
Lawrence County was established in 1821 from land given by Floyd and Greenup Counties. Four courthouses have served Lawrence County with the first being completed in 1823. The county is named after former naval officer James Lawrence and co-founded by Isaac Bolt, who served as a Lawrence County Commissioner and Justice of the Peace. Lawrence (which who the county is named after) is known for his dying battle cry on the USS Chesapeake, “Don’t give up the ship!” The county has a total area of 420 square miles (which was equivalent to 1,100 km sqaure) and has a population count of 15,860.
The county was formed in 1870 during the Reconstruction Era from parts of Breathitt, Estill, Owsley and, Wolfe counties. The county was named after the famed Confederate general Robert E Lee (and of course the name of the most recognizable muscle cars in all of televisional history) which probably indicated the politics of the time. Although the area of Kentucky where Lee County is located was a pro-union region of Kentucky, not to mention that it is the county seat to Beatyville. Note that the county has a total area of 211 square miles according to the last bereau report, it is also home almost 8,000 residents.
