• Ancestry.com Free Trial
• Fold3.com Free Trial
• Archives.com Free Trial
• KY Ancestor Records
• Family Tree Maker 2012 - 25% Off

Harlan County, Kentucky Genealogy

∣ Societies and Family History Resources ∣ Government Records ∣ Genealogy Links ∣ Publications ∣ Census Records ∣
∣ Court, Probate, Land and Tax Records ∣ Birth Records, Marriage Records, Divorce Records and Death Records ∣
∣ Cemeteries & Graveyards ∣ Church & Bible Records ∣ County History ∣ Military Records ∣ Schools & Directories ∣

Harlan County, Kentucky family history and genealogy research page. Uncover links to record collections, history, and genealogy resources to assist you to you find your personal Harlan Co., ancestors. Learn how to start by putting together a Free Family Tree.

Harlan County was established on January 28, 1819 from Knox County (portions of its territory went to form Letcher, Bell, and Leslie counties). Currently the county was named in honor of Silas Harlan (1753–1782), army major in the Battle of Blue Licks.

Currently the Harlan County Seat is situated in Harlan additionally, the county government website is unknown

Locations adjacent to Harlan County happen to be Perry County (north), Letcher County (northeast), Wise County, Virginia (east), Lee County, Virginia (southeast), Bell County (southwest), Leslie County (northwest).

Cities and towns to be found in Harlan County comprise of Benham, Cumberland, Dayhoit, Evarts, Harlan, Loyall, Lynch, South Wallins, Wallins Creek.

Harlan County consists of Federal Census Schedules to guide in researching your family tree. Government Population Schedules are present for 1810, 1820, 1830, 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880 (free index), 1890 (fragment), 1900, 1910, 1920, 1930, 1940. Harlan Co. Slave Schedules can be obtained for 1850 & 1860. Harlan Co. Mortality Schedules can be acquired for 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880. Harlan Co. Industry and Agriculture Schedules can be acquired for 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880. Harlan Co. Union Veterans Schedules can be obtained for 1890. One can find free down loadable and also printable census forms that can help with your research.

Harlan County Genealogical & Historical Societies and Family History Resources

A list of Harlan County Historical and Genealogical Societies, Forums, Message Boards, Libraries, Archives. See Also Kentucky Archives, Genealogical and Historical Societies for statewide Addresses and links.

• Harlan County Genealogical Society, P.O. Box 1498, Harlan KY 40831
• Harlan Heritage Seekers, P.O. Box 853, Harlan KY 40831
• KYHARLAN. A mailing list for anyone with a genealogical interest in Harlan, Leslie, and Bell Counties, Kentucky. To subscribe send "subscribe" to kyharlan-l-request@rootsweb.com (mail mode) or kyharlan-d-request@rootsweb.com (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. To subscribe send "subscribe" to easternkentucky-l-request@rootsweb.com (mail mode) or easternkentucky-d-request@rootsweb.com (digest mode).
• EAST-KY-CEMETERIES. A mailing list for the posting of information on cemeteries in the eastern part of Kentucky (i.e., Harlan, Leslie, Letcher, Clay, Perry, and Bell Counties) including their location, timeframe, and monument descriptions. To subscribe send "subscribe" to east-ky-cemeteries-l-request@rootsweb.com (mail mode) or east-ky-cemeteries-d-request@rootsweb.com (digest mode).
• SE-KENTUCKY. A mailing list for anyone with a genealogical interest in the Kentucky counties that border Tennessee, West Virginia and Virginia, and surrounding south eastern Kentucky counties (i.e., Whitley, Knox, Bell, Harlan, Clay, Leslie, Perry, Letcher, Knott, Breathitt, Pike, Floyd, Martin, Johnson, Morgan, Lawrence). To subscribe send "subscribe" to se-kentucky-l-request@rootsweb.com (mail mode) or se-kentucky-d-request@rootsweb.com (digest mode).
• Kentucky State Genealogy Network (facebook.com)
• Harlan County USGenWeb Archives Project (usgwarchives.net)
• Harlan County, Kentucky Message Boards (boards.ancestry.com) read and post messages about your ancestors in Harlan County
• Harlan County, Kentucky Genealogy Forum (genforum.genealogy.com) read and post messages with other genealogy researchers for Harlan County

Harlan County Courthouse and Government Records

Genealogist frequently fail to notice the advantages of Harlan County court, probate, and land files as a useful resource of genealogical information and facts. Buried away in Kentucky courthouses and archives just about everywhere tend to be the dreams and frustrations of the many Kentucky citizens.

The odds are great that your chosen ancestors have left a detailed record of at least a number of facets of their lives in the Harlan County court records. Even if your forefathers is not brought up in a Court case, take into consideration all of the other methods which may have lead to her or him to appear in court records.

The following indicates what vital, land, probate, and court records are in Harlan county. The dates indicated below are the first known records for each county. The courthouse burned in Oct 1863, but the county clerk's records were saved.

• Harland County Clerk has three main responsibilities. One is the recording of Land records (the most common documents recorded are deeds, mortgage releases, entries, warrants, surveys, mortgages, assignments, and indexes), Probate records (may include such documents as wills, estates, letters of administration, administrators, executors, probate journals, probate packets, inventories, settlements, sales, accounts, guardianship, orphans, insolvent estates, bastardy, apprentices, insanity and adoptions) and Marriage Liscenses
  • Address: 210 E. Central St., Harlan, KY, 40831
  • Phone: (606) 573-3636
  • Marriage Records: 1820
  • Land Records: 1820
  • Probate Records: 1829
• Harlan County Clerk of the Circuit Court has countywide jurisdiction over major civil and criminal cases, divorces, and appeals from inferior courts.
  • Address: Harlan County Justice Center, 129 S. 1st St., P.O. Box 190, Harlan, KY 40831-0190
  • Phone: (606) 573-7114
  • Court Records: 1821
• Harlan County Tax Information and Contacts. Some early tax schedules list watercourse, value and acreage of real estate, men over age twenty-one, young men between the ages of sixteen and twenty-one, slaves, and horses.
• Harlan County Elected Officials (ky.gov)
• Kentucky Department of Health (VDH) Office of Vital Records 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 on Statewide Vital Records in Kentucky for current fees and application process.
  • Ordering Vital Records - You can also order Order Electronically Online or You can download an application for Birth Certificate, Marriage or Divorce Certificate, Death Certificate Application to mail.

Harlan County Genealogy Links

The following are links to Genealogy, Records and Resources pertaining to Harlan County. These genealogy links fall into 3 categories: Commercial Sites, Personal Sites or Organization Sites. Some have free access some require a payment. This is just a list that has been collected or submitted. I do not endorse or promote one genealogy site above another. Feel free to submit your own favorite genealogy or family history related sites.