“I AM FROM LAUREL COUNTY”

Two Hundred years ago, on February 13, 1826, people could officially make that statement based on an Act of the Kentucky Legislature which was approved on December 12, 1825. Section one of that Act reads in part as follows: “Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Kentucky, That from and after the second Monday in February next, all that part of the counties of Rockcastle, Clay, Knox, and Whitley, contained in the following boundary, …… shall be one distinct county, called and known by the name of Laurel county.”

From the date February 13, 1826, forward, the people living in the proposed area would officially be Laurel County citizens. Who were these first Laurel County citizens? We don’t know entirely. By 1830 the Federal census reported the total population of the county was 2,206. There were 1,116 white males, 961 white females, 63 male slaves, 63 female slaves, and 3 free colored people. According to Court Order records Joanna Ping and a boy named Alexander Ping were two of the free blacks.

The 1826 tax list, though not a complete list of the inhabitants, provides names of some of the first settlers. Those family names include:

William Allen, Henry Avert, Edmond Allen, Robert Asher, John Ackman, John Bullock, William Bancher, Elisha Bancher, Benjamin Box, Thomas Buford, Willie Bunton, Benjamin Brown, Abraham Baugh, Elijah Burton, Thomas Buford, Jane Bryson, David Bastar (Boston), James Bunton, William Buford, William Bullock, Samuel Black, William Black, Jacob Boyer, Samuel Bunch, John Benge, George Boans, Richard Blake, Andrew Baker, Robert Barnes, David Bullock, Andrew Bunton, Samuel Box, Benjamine Campbell, David Cottingim, William Cottongim, Abraham Chesnutt, Edmond Chestnut, John Chesnutt, Jacob Chesnutt, John Cromer, Joseph Cromer, David Cromer, Jacob Caplenor, Edward Cathers, Peter Clark, William Clark, Benjamin Catching, Hugh Carryon, W. Dunwiddie, William Deweese, M.D. Daugherty, Joseph Daugherty, Mark Deas, John Deas, James Davis, Isaac Durham, William Durham, James Durham, William Durhans, Jessee Elliott, Clinton Edwards, John Hancock, Shadrick Hodge, John Holman, Dodson Hide, James Hodge, Thomas Holman, James Holman, John Hodge, James Hale, William Hale, John Hood, John Henry, Thomas Hayser, Morgan Harbin, Jediah Hibbard, Lemuel Hibbard, John Hazlewood, W.S. Hazlewood, Thomas, Hazlewood, Ephriam Jones, William Jones, Robert Jones Sr., Darling Jones, Robert Jones, John Jackson, Evan Jones, Jarvis Jackson, William Johnson, Joseph Johnson, Aron Johnson, Gabriel Isaccks, William Jackson, Reubin Jackson, John Jackson, James Jones, Sugar Jones, Charles Laurence, Robert Lewis, John Laurence, Jacob Laurence, Elijah Logan, James Logan, Worley Linville, Lambert Linville, William Linville, Isaac Lewis, James Logan, William Logan, Elias Loy, John Langley, James McFarlan, William Morris, David McCarty, Samuel McHargue, William McHargue, Benjamin McFarlan, John Morris, Jonathan McKneal, Jane McKneal, William McKee, James Moore, William McLin, John Miller, James McGoins, Aron More, Moses Moore, James McKneal, Thomas McKneal, William Mardis, John McKneal, John Malow, Afred Malow, John Morise, Moses Moore, Bartlett Moore, Mareny Moore Joseph McGinnis, William Mershon, Norris Metcalf, James Metcalf, Nathaniel Moore, James McCarty, Daniel Morgan, Jesse McFadden, William Nix, Lemuel Needham, Edward Norvell, William Nokas, Joshua Norris, Carvin Norvell, John Owens, John, Owens, Presley Owens, Isaac Oatt, Abraham Prewitt, Johnathan, Prewitt, Thomas Pearcifield, Samuel Pruitt, John Parker, Lawson Pearcifield, John Prints, W.G. Price, Fielding Pitman, Lawson Pitman, Lott Pitman, Lydia Pitman, Moses Prestin, Thomas Pope, Lewis Pitman, Alexander Parker, William Pitman, Ambrose Pitman, John Pearl, John Philips, Mary Porter, Harrison Porter, Pleasant Parker, William Pearl, William Farris, Moses Farris, Edward Parker, Joseph Parker, Thomas Pain, Moses Parris, James Ramsey, William Roe, Thomas Robinson, Daniel Ramsey, Henry Ren, George Rogers, Jesse Salmons, Daniel Sutherland, Samuel Stansbery, Jacob Stemon, Solomon Sancherry, William Sammons, William Stewart, John Stuart, William Smith, Jeremiah Smith, Samuel St. John, Frederick Staily, William Sturat, Thomas Spencer, Mitchell Smith, John Simpson, Jacob Seabourn, Edward Sellers, Lewis Sellers, Isaac Sellers, Robert Seabourn, Marbell Stow, John Stallien, Lacknigh Turpin, Edward Teyman, James Taylor, Barney Umpfleet, August Underwood, Sally Utt, William Whitkerson, Austin Wiggins, John Williams, Samuel Weaver, Hezekiah Weaver, David Weaver, Peter Weaver, James Weaver, John Wood Jr., August Wood, John Wood Sr., Howard Wood, Giles Whitace, Henry Wila (Wild), Philip Wild, George Wood, James Wiatt, John Wild, James Ward, James Whitacer, Henry Whitacker, Chapman Watkins, Solomon Wildason, Mathew Whitamore, David Wilkason, W. G. Woodson, Luke Watkins, John Young Sr, Pleasant Young, Hiram Young, and John Young Jr.