Owsley County, Kentucky
Genealogy, History & Facts

County Vital Records ∣ County Census Records ∣ County Courthouse and Government Records ∣
County Societies, Family History Resources and County Genealogy Links

Owsley County, Kentucky Facts

When was Owsley County, KY Created?
Owsley County was created on January 23, 1843 from Clay County, Estill County and Breathitt County.

What is the County Seat of Owsley County, KY?
The County Seat is located in Booneville additionally, the county government website is www.owsleycountykentucky.org

What counties are adjacent to Owsley County, KY?
Bordering Counties are Lee County, Breathitt County, Perry County, Clay County, Jackson County.

Owsley County, KY Vital Records

Where can find Owsley County Birth, marriage, Divorce and Death Records?
Owsley County vital records can be found at the Kentucky Department of Health (VDH) Office of Vital Records which has copies for of birth & deathe certificates (1911 – present), marriage licenses & divorce decrees (since June 1958). There is a fee for each copy requested. Please refer to the information to the Statewide Vital Records in Kentucky for current fees and application process.

You can search online for Owsley County Birth, Marriage, Divorce or Death Records. You can also Order Electronically Online or you can download an application for Birth Certificate, Marriage / Divorce Certificate or Death Certificates to mail.

The Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives contains birth and death records for the cities of Louisville, Lexington, Covington and Newport, which introduced records laws before 1911. The Archives also offers birth and death records before to 1911 and 1911-1957 death records for the entire state.

•  U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007
• Social Security Death Index
• Owsley County, Kentucky Marriage Project
• Kentucky Vital Records Index – The vital records index data was obtained from the Kentucky Office of Vital Statistics in 1994 for a research project.
• Kentucky Social Security Death Index
• Kentucky Vital Records Project
• Kentucky, Births and Christenings, 1839-1960
• Kentucky Birth Records, 1852-1910
• Kentucky Birth Index, 1911-1999
• Kentucky Marriages, 1785-1979
• Kentucky, County Marriages, 1797-1954
• Kentucky Marriage Index, 1973-1999
• Kentucky Marriage Records, 1852-1914
• Kentucky Marriages, 1851-1900
• Kentucky Marriages, 1802-1850
• Northern Kentucky Marriages, 1795-1850
• Kentucky Marriage Records
• Kentucky Marriages, 1797-1865
• Kentucky, Death Records, 1911-1955
• Kentucky Death Records, 1852-1953
• Kentucky Death Index, 1911-2000
• Kentucky Obituaries, 1787-1854
• Kentucky Deaths and Burials, 1843-1970

Owsley County, KY Census Records

What Owsley County, KY census records are available?
There are many types of census records for Owsley County guide you in researching your family tree. Federal Population Schedules are available for 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880 (free index), 1890 (fragment), 1900, 1910, 1920, 1930, 1940.

Owsley Co. Slave Schedules can be obtained for 1850 & 1860. Owsley Co. Mortality Schedules can be acquired for 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880. Owsley Co. Industry and Agriculture Schedules can be acquired for 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880. Owsley Co. Union Veterans Schedules can be obtained for 1890. One can find free down loadable and also printable census forms to help you with your research. See Also Kentucky Census Records Research Guide

• Search The U.S. Federal Census Collection
• Owsley County, KY Census Records Links
• Owsley County, KY Census QuickFacts

Owsley County, KY Courthouse and Government Records

Owsley County Courthouse

What genealogical records can I find in the Owsley County Courthouse?
Researchers frequently overlook the great importance of Owsley County court, probate, and land records data as a useful resource of ancestry and genealogy information. Buried away in Kentucky courthouses and archives everywhere are the ambitions and frustrations of countless Kentucky residents.

The possibilities are excellent that your forefathers have left a comprehensive document of at least a number of facets of their lives in the Owsley County court records. Even if your forebears is not referred to in a Court case, contemplate all of the other procedures that could have lead to him or her to appear in court records. See Also Kentucky Corthouse Records Research Guide.

• Owsleyd County Clerk
  • Address: Main St., Booneville, KY, 41314
  • Phone: (606) 593-5735
  • Marriage Records: 1852
  • Land Records: 1844
  • Probate Records: 1930
• Owsley County Clerk of the Circuit Court
  • Address: Owsley County Courthouse, 1 N. Court St., P.O. Box 130, Booneville, KY 41314-0130
  • Phone: (606) 593-6226
  • Court Records: 1923 (This is the date of the earliest existing record. Records are not on microfilm)
•  Kentucky, Wills and Probate Records, 1774-1989
• Owsley County Elected Officials (ky.gov)
• Will/Probate Record Request Form
• BLM Land Records
• Owsley County USGenWeb Archives Project

Owsley County, KY Societies and Family History Resources

What genealogical and historical societies, archives, museums, associations and libraries are available for Owsley County, KY?
A list of Owsley County Historical  and Genealogical Societies, Libraries, Archives. See also list of Statewide Kentucky Archives, Historical & Genealogical Societies.

• Kentucky Department for Libraries & Archives, 300 Coffee Tree Road, Frankfort, Kentucky 40601; (502) 564-8300;
• University of Kentucky Libraries, William T. Young Library, Lexington, KY 40506-0456
• The Kentucky Historical Society, 100 W. Broadway, Frankfort, KY 40601; 877-444-7867
• The Kentucky Genealogical Society, PO Box 153, Frankfort, KY 40602-0153
• The Owsley County History and Genealogy Society, P.O. Box 976, Booneville, Ky, 41314
• The Owsley County Historical Society, P.O. Box 1166, Booneville, Ky. 41314; phone 606-593-6755; Office Hours: 11-4 Thursday and Friday

Where can I connect with other Owsley County, KY Researchers through message boards and forums?

• Kentucky Genealogy Network Community (plus.google.com)
• Kentucky State Genealogy Network (facebook.com)
• Owsley County, Kentucky Message Boards (boards.ancestry.com) read and post messages about your ancestors in Owsley County
• Owsley County, Kentucky Genealogy Forum (genforum.genealogy.com)
• KYOWSLEY. A mailing list for anyone with a genealogical interest in Owsley County, Kentucky. To subscribe send “subscribe” to [email protected] (mail mode) or [email protected] (digest mode).
• EASTERNKENTUCKY. A mailing list for all researchers who’s ancestors settled in or traveled through the state of Kentucky. Some of the counties covered are Bell, Boyd, Breathitt, Carter, Clay, Elliot, Estill, Floyd, Greenup, Harlan, Jackson, Johnson, Knott, Knox, Laurel, Lawrence, Lee, Leslie, Letcher, Lewis, Magoffin, Morgan, Owsley, Perry, Pike, Powell, Rowan, Whitley, Wolfe, and adjacent counties that represent the East Kentucky Coalfields. Additional information can be found on the East Kentucky Genealogy website. To subscribe send “subscribe” to [email protected] (mail mode) or [email protected] (digest mode)

What other genealogical resources are available in Owsley County, KY?
The following are web links to Genealogy, Records and Resources pertaining to Owsley County. These genealogy links fall into 3 categories: Professional Sites, Private Sites or Organization Sites. Some have free access some have to have a payment. This is basically a collection that has been gathered or submitted. I do not endorse or promote one genealogy site over another.

Owsley Co. KY Books, Newspapers & Publications

• Kentucky Newspapers Books & Publications Research Guide
• Kentucky historical newspaper archives online (newspapers.com)
• Historical Newspapers from Kentucky (1794-1922) (genealogybank.com)
• Owsley County, Kentucky Books (amazon.com)
• Search Kentucky Obituaries (1984 to current) (genealogybank.com)
• Owsley County Genealogy Books (books.google.com)

Owsley Co. KY Church / Bible Records & Cemeteries / Graveyards

• Owsley Co., Kentucky Graves (findagrave.com)
• Owsley County Tombstone Transcription Project (usgwtombstones.org)
• Owsley Co., Kentucky Cemeteries (Internment.net)
• Owsley Co., Kentucky Cemetery Books (amazon.com)
• Owsley County, Kentucky Church Books (amazon.com)

Owsley Co. KY General and History Websites

• Owsley County Kentucky (genealogytrails.com)
• Owsley County History (owsleycountykentucky.org)
• Owsley County, KY History (kyenc.org) The Kentucky Encyclopedia
• Owsley County, Kentucky Wikipedia (wikipedia.org)
• Owsley County, Kentucky Wiki (familysearch.org)
• Owsley Co. KY Genealogy (kindredtrails.com)
• Family History Library (familysearch.org)
• Owsley County, Kentucky (linkpendium.com)
• Cyndi’s List – United States – Kentucky – Counties – Owsley (cyndislist.com)
• Owsley Co. KYGenweb (kykinfolk.com)
• Owsley County Genealogy Queries (cousinconnect.com)
• Owsley Co. Data Collections (search.ancestry.com)

Owsley Co. KY Maps, Atlases & Gazetteers

• See Also Map of Kentucky Links and Information
• Owsley Co. D.O.T. 2011 Highway Map (transportation.ky.gov)
• 1895 Owsley County Map (livgenmi.com)

Owsley Co. KY Military Records

• Kentucky Military Records Research Guide
• Kentucky Military Records (Fold3.com) delivers access to military records, stories, photos, and personal documents of the Pennsylvania individuals who served. Perfect for Owsley County genealogists, researchers, historians and a lot more.