Pulaski County, Kentucky Genealogy

United States   Kentucky    Pulaski County

Quick Dates
Pulaski County's civil records start the following years:

*Many years between 1852 and 1911 are missing

Parent County
1798--Pulaski County was created 10 December 1798 from Lincoln and Green Counties. County seat: Somerset

Boundary Changes
John H Long, editor, Kentucky Atlas of Historical County Boundaries

Kentucky County Formation Maps (click on 1799 to see Pulaski when it was created)

Record Loss
1871--A disaster destroyed some records.

Neighboring Counties

 * Casey
 * Laurel
 * Lincoln
 * McCreary
 * Rockcastle
 * Russell
 * Wayne

African American
The following have information concerning African American research. Both should be used:


 * African American Research (US) has more information about the kinds of records


 * Kentucky Minorities has information specific to Kentucky African Americans.
 * African Am./Marriages, 1919-20 (sel.). See Pulaski County Historical Society Newsletter May 1998.
 * There is a picture of the Somerset Negro School in the Goodman-Paxton Photographic Collection, 1934-1942. See Kentuckiana Digital Library.
 * In 2008, Wanda Harper, a Pulaski County Historical Society staff member, was collecting material on the Black Families of Pulaski county.

Bible Records

 * [Beatty] "The Beaty Bible of Pulaski co., KY," Kentucky Ancestors Vol 4, No. 4 (April 1969).
 * [Gastineau] Bible Record for the Sowder, Sutton and Gastineau Famlies, 1802-1914. Available at New England Historic Genealogical Society.

Business Records

 * Girdler Brothers. Girdler Brother Ledger, 1898-1900. See WorldCat.
 * Pulaski County (Ky) County Clerk. Account Ledger Books of Mercantile Establishments, 1849-1897. Available at Kentucky State Archives.
 * Pulaski County (Ky), County Clerk. General Ledger No 1. (Somerset Deposit Bank), 1866-1869. Available at Kentucky State Archives.
 * Wilson, John Truesdell. History of Banking in Pulaski County, 1818-1970. Somerset, Ky. : First and Farmers National Bank, 1970. Available at Filson Club Library in Louisville, Ky. Call No. 332.1 W749.

Cemeteries
Kentucky cemetery records often identify birth, death, relationship, and military information, as well as religious affiliation.


 * Kentucky Historical Society Cemetery Search can be searched by name, place and/or date. This database has hundreds of thousands of names transcribed from gravestones across Kentucky.


 * Find A Grave can be searched by the name of a person or family to find where a person is buried. Usually gives birth and death dates often with a picture of the tombstone.  May give obituaries, names of family members and links to their information in Find A Grave.


 * Find A Grave also gives a list of cemeteries in Pulaski County and links to the information for the individuals buried there,


 * Kentucky Cemeteries lists the national cemeteries in Kentucky with links to their web sites. The first link under Online Kentucky Cemeteries goes to the Kentucky section of Interment.net
 * Pulaski Co. KY USGenWeb Tombstone Project usually gives the names of the deceased in alphabetical order by last name with birth and death dates plus any remarks.


 * The Family History Library Catalog lists . Some of the books or others may be on Google Books or available at public libraries.


 * ePodunk list of Pulaski County cemeteries gives the names of the cemeteries in the county with a link to more information such as address, phone number, and web site.
 * Pulaski County, Kentucky: A Part of KYGenWeb has list of Pulaski County cemeteries with some linked to data.


 * Bobbitt Cemetery. See Our Family Heritage Vol 2, No. 3 (Sept 1974).


 * Caustill Road Cemetery. See Our Family Heritage Vol 2, No. 2 (June 1974).


 * Eden Cemetery. See Our Family Heritage Vol 2, No. 1 (March 1974).


 * Fishing Creek Baptist Cemetery. See American Monthly Magazine Vol 108, No. 7 (Aug 1974).
 * Flat Lick Baptist Cemetery. See Our Family Heritage Vol 2, No. 4 (Dec 1974).
 * Lane Family Cemetery/Spaw Cemetery. See American Monthly Magazine Vol 108, No. 7 (Aug 1974).
 * Sinking Creek Cemetery. See Pulaski County Historical Society Newsletter Nov 1992.
 * Young, Asher Leon. Relocated Cemeteries of Russell, Clinton, Wayne and Pulaski Counties, Kentucky. [s.l.] : A. L. Young, 1989. Available at Filson Club Library in Louisville, Ky. Call No. 929.3 Y68r.
 * "Cemeteries Not in Our Books," Pulaski County Historical Society newletter, ca 2008, no vol number given.

Mill Springs National Cemetery

 * Pompey, Sherman Lee. New Hampshire Union Soldiers Buried at Mill Springs National Cemetery, Pulaski County, Kentucky. Eugene. Oregon : Western Oregon Genealogical Research Library, 1978. Available at Library of Congress.

Somerset Cemeteries
Sinking Creek Baptist Church Cemetery (First church in Somerset). Another transcription of the Sinking Creek Cemetery, showing different data, and including a grave location map is found in FHL US/CAN Book 976.963 H25P Pulaski County, KY Historical Society Newsletter. Nov 1992.

Census
1810, 1820, 1830, 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920, and 1930 federal population schedules of Pulaski County are available online. For tips on accessing census records online, see Kentucky Census. If you're having trouble finding your ancestors in online indexes, try checking printed indexes. Created by local experts familiar with the area's families, these indexes are often transcribed more accurately than online nationwide indexes.

See Kentucky Population Schedule Indexes: Fiche, Film, or Book for more information about statewide printed indexes.

For a 1890 census substitute see 1890 Pulaski Co, Kentucky Taxpayers and Surviving Soldiers, Sailors and Marines and Widow, etc.

Church
The most comprehensive collection of Pulaski County Church Records is found at the Pulaski County Historical Society. Upon arriving at the Pulaski County Historical Society, request a current "Church" list which will contain a listing of church records and histories and their call numbers. Not all their listings have dates of coverage or location within Pulaski county stated so the reader will do well to be prepared with the known specific locality and dates of the ancestor being researched--and then approach the staff as to which church records on the list might be more likely to serve the ancestors area.

Some, but not all of the Pulaski County Historical Society's collection is referenced on the wiki.

BAPTISTS
 Associations 


 * Tates Creek Association 1783-1993. Pulaski County Historical Society Call No. 2-R.
 * Cumberland River Association 1809-2009. Available at the Pulaski County Historical Society.
 * "Cumberland River Association Church Minutes and Notes, 1860s-1880s," Pulaski County Historical Society Newsletter May 2005.
 * Pulaski County Baptist Association. Minutes of the .. Annual Session, 1904-1958. Somerset, Ky. : S. M. Boone, 1904-1958. Pub no. 884 Historical Commission, Southern Baptist Covention. Available at James P. Boyce Centennial Library in Louisville, Ky.

 Churches 

Beacon Hill Baptist Church


 * 1967-1983 records

First Baptist Church (Somerset)


 * First Baptist Church. A History of First Baptist Church: Somerset, Kentucky, 1799 to 1975. Wolfe City, Texas : Southern Baptist Press, 1974. Available at Filson Club Library in Louisville, Ky. Call No 286 F527.

Fishing Creek Baptist Church


 * 1813-1949 records
 * See Verticle File for Pulaski county - Baptist Churches - Fishing Creek at the Kentucky Historical Society in Frankfort.This material contains abstracts done in 1942 of records covering 1813-1882. Also stated is the holder of the original records.
 * Fishing Creek 1813-1881. Pulaski County Historical Society Call No. 2-B. (This is pretty much the same thing as what is found in the vertical file at the Kentucky Historical Society in Frankfort.)

Flat Lick Baptist Church


 * A Short History of Flat Lick Baptist Church, Pulaski County, Kentucky. FHL US/CAN Book 976.9 A1 no. 70.
 * Murrell P. Stewart, Flat Lick Baptist Church: Its Place in History, 1799-1999. Available from Pulaski County Historical Society.

Freedom Church


 * Created Mar 14, 1841 with 45 members. List of members available at Pulaski County Historical Society.
 * See vertical file material: Pulaski county. Baptist Churchs, located at Kentucky Historical Society in Frankfort. Material cites holder of original records as of 1973. Material also states church located 10 miles north of Somerset on Hwy 452.

Mount Pleasant Baptist Church


 * 1821-1882 Southern Baptist Historical Library and Archives Publication No. 6919.

Sinking Creek Baptist Church

Woodstock Baptist Church/Pleasant Hill Baptist Church


 * 1869-1979 records

Line Creek Baptist Church

Zion Baptist Church of Pumpkin Hollow


 * See vertical file material: Pulaski county. Baptist Churchs, located at Kentucky Historical Society in Frankfort. Records for 1843+.

CATHOLIC

 * Irish Catholic Church in Somerset from about 1878.

CHRISTIAN

 * "Antioch Christian Church Membership, 1842-44," Pulaski County Historical Society Newsletter Nov 2001.
 * Antioch Christian Church Rosters 1842-1896. Available at the Pulaski County Historical Society.
 * Kentucky Historical Society also has Antioch church membership records. See vertical file material "Pulaski co, - Christian Churches".
 * Boyd, Carl B. Somerset Christian Church History, 1828-1969. Mt. Sterling, Ky. : Carl B. Boyd, 1969. Available at Filson Club Library in Louisville, Ky. Pamphlet 286.6 B789. (Contains first membership list.) This church appears to have changed names and locations several times and has ties to Pulaski and Montgomery counties. And for a few decades was known as the Caney Fork Church.
 * Caney Fork Church. 1840-ca 1865. See vertical file, "Pulaski co. - Christian Churches", at Kentucky State Historical Society.
 * "Soules Chapel Church notes, 1858-2003," Pulaski County Historical Society Newsletter May 2004.
 * Church of Christ called Freedom

CHURCH OF CHRIST

 * Union Church 1826-1989. Pulaski Couunty Historical Society Call No. 4-A.

METHODIST

 * "The Center Post Methodist Church," Pulaski County Historical Society Newsletter May 1993.
 * Methodist Episcopal Church of Somerset, 1830+.

PRESBYTERIAN

 * Tibbals, Alma Owens. Alma Owens Tibbals Papers, 1806-1840. [History of Somerset Presbyterian Church]. Available at Univeristy of Kentucky Library.
 * Pisgah 1806-2006. Available at the Pulaski County Historical Society, Call Nos. 11 &amp; 11-A.

 Misc &amp; Regional 


 *  Cawthorn, C. P. Pioneer Baptist Church Recors of South-Central Kentucky and the Upper Cumberland of Tennessee, 1799-1899. United States : s.n., c1985. Available at Filson Club Library in Louisville, Ky. Call No. 286 C383. And also at FHL US/CAN Book 976 K2c.

City Directories

 * [1903] "Somerset telephone directory, 1903," Pulaski County Historical Society Newsletter May 2005.
 * [1934] "Southern Continental Telephone Company new subscribers list, Oct 11, 1934," Pulaski County Historical Society Newsletter Nov 2006.
 * [1958, 1965, 1972-1977] Somerset City Directory (incl some surrounding areas). Available at the University of Kentucky Library in Lexington.
 * [1979-1997] Somerset City Directory (incl some surrounding areas). Available at the University of Kentucky Library in Lexington.
 * [1995-1998] Somerset City Directory (incl some surrounding areas). See Pulaski County Public Library catalog.
 * [1999-2001] Somerset City Directory (incl some surrounding areas). Available at the University of Kentucky Library in Lexington.
 * [2001-2005] Somerset City Directory (incl some surrounding areas). See Pulaski County Public Library catalog.
 * [2010] Somerset City Directory (incl some surrounding areas). See Pulaski County Public Library catalog.

Collections: Manuscripts/Papers/Misc

 * Mitchell, Bernice. Bernice Mitchell Papers, 1941-1988. See Filson Library.
 * Jillson, Willard Rouse. Willard Rouse Jillson Papers, 1918-1963.See University of Kentucky Library.
 * John Brazillia Lewis Papers, 1927-1978. Farm life in 1880s. See University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Court
A variety of courts serve Pulaski county, Kentucky. Court types include: Chauncery Court, Circuit Court, County Court, Court of Common Pleas, and Quarterly Court. Each of these courts have some common record types such as Order Books and Judgements; but some have records unique to their court such as the Deeds and Wills found in the County Court.

Circuit Court

The Pulaski county, Kentucky Circuit Court has generated a variety of records. Record types that exist include: Judgement Books (1860-1927), loose judgement papers in off docket bundles (1800+ some dates and surname letter off docket bundles wanting), case files (1800-1920), Executions (1803-1928), Order Books (1(1804-1901), Commonwealth Judgements (1820-1926), Commissioners Reports of Sales (1838-1919), Commonwealth Cases (1939-1912), Indictments (1860-1920), Judgements by Default (1863-1885), Miscellaneous Bonds (1870-1893), Criminal Order Books (1876-1906), Orders De Idiota Inquirendo (1876-1917), Commissioner Bond Books (1877-1889), Attachment Bond Book (1877-1884), Civil/Ordinary and Equity Case Files (1880-1927), Injunction Bond Book (1905-1936), Inquests of Deaths (1924-1925), and Cvil Case Files (1926-1954). Some are still at the courthouse---others are at the Kentucky State Archives. In many cases these records have been microfilmed and are available through your local Family History Center.

Circuit Court Orders

The Court Orders found in the Circuit Court Clerks Office in the courthouse at Somerset, Pulaski County, Kentucky in 1969 contain orders about debt, slander, stealing, assault, and battery. Occasionally there are references to a probate record. There are a few land certificate orders. Orders often say "In case" or "In Chancery", but no case numbers are given. Vol 4, p 5 mentions the publishing of one particular case's information in the August [Argus?] Western America newspaper. If you see an order that says "upon Indictment", also check the COUNTY court order books to see if there isn't an order regarding your case there that pre-dates the circuit court order you found. If an order says "in case" be sure and order the entire case file (not just the final judgement) from the Kentucky State Archives in Frankfort.

Orders of the Circuit Court 1804-1809

This volume contains an index at the front however it has limited scope. For example, given two randomly picked pages, p. 40 and p. 180, along with an entry containing a plaintiff and defendant from each page for a total of 4 different people and surnames; none of the 4 individuals were found in the index! (FHL US/CAN Film 800,722. This is presently (2011) cataloged as Orders of the Circuit Court, Vol 1 1804-1805; but an examination of the microfilm reveals that the spine cover of this volume reads "1804-1809" and the last few pages of this volume are carrying 1809 dates. It should also be noted that the spine cover at the time of this 1969 filming did not refer to this volume as "Vol 1" nor "Book 1")

Orders of the Circuit Court 1810-1815

This volume has 565 pages in it, with no index at the beginning or end of the volume. (FHL US/CAN Film 800,722. This is presently (2011) cataloged as "Vol 3" but there is no "Vol 3" on the spine cover in this 1969 filming.)

This volume also contains Tellico land certificate orders. Although scattered, the Telico land certificate orders are easy to spot because the have numbers by them (ie: no. 1, no. 2, etc) in the left margin. The Telico land certificate orders often have a half page to a full page description of the land. And the descriptions often referenced the south side of the Cumberland River and “near the county line”.

Orders of the Circuit Court Vol 4, 1816-1820

This volume has 504 pages in it, with no index at the beginning nor end of the volume. (FHL US/CAN Film 800,723 item 1. The spine of the book cover reads "Order Circuit Court No. 4 1816-1820"). The entries make no mention of case numbers.

Orders of the Circuit Court Vol 5, 1820-1823

This volume has 437 pages in it, with no index at the beginning nor end of the volume. (FHL US/CAN Film 800, 723 item 2)

Judgement Books and papers

No Judgement Books appear to be extant prior to the 1860s. However, some of the loose judgement papers from 1800+ are in off-docket bundles at the Kentucky State Archive in Frankfort. These bundles have bundle wrappers with a 1874 wrapper print date on them. The bundles were assembled by the first letter of the plantiffs surname and this letter appears on the outside "1874" wrapper, along with the dates covered in the bundle which vary, but some start as early as 1800. The collection is small compared to what would have originally exsisted, with only around 12 bundles exant. However, inside the ones that exist, one will often find summons and subpoenas for defendents and witnesses, along with other sundry items. As sometimes a witnesses will be a female, these can be a source of a female ancestors given name, although there is often not a direct way to even know the plantiffs name under which such a record might be found. (Note: the Kentucky State Archives, as of June 2011, catalogs the Judgement Books and papers just as "Judgement Books 1800-..." )

 County Court  The Pulaski county, Kentucky County Court has generated a variety of records. Record types that exist include: Survey Entries, Deeds, Wills, Order Books, Commissioners Deeds, Probate records, Inventory/Appraisement/Settlement Books, Guardian Bonds, Mortgage books, and Mineral lease books. Some are still at the courthouse---others are at the Kentucky State Archives. In many cases these records have been microfilmed and are available through your local Family History Center.

County Court Orders

There is a General Index to the County Court Orders, 1799-1940 (FHL US/CAN Film 804,645). This is a rather unique typed index that has several sections to it. The first section is an alphabetically arranged subject index. Then their are several alphabetically arranged sections of plaintiffs vs defendants, but even then subject indexing is intermingled. The subject indexing is quite interesting to read through as it contains subjects such as Bastardy, Purchase of Record Books, Pulaski county in an Act of the General Assembly, Stray Pen and Stocks, Jail, Small pox, etc.

There are several types or categories of Kentucky grants but when some grants were issued for land in Pulaski county, the grants contained a grant number and a certificate number. The certificate number is a reference to the numerically ordered "No."s in the County Court Order books.

A published resource for early County Court minutes is O'Leary M Meece's Condensed Minutes of the Pulaski County Court. Time periods covered are 1799-1803, 1806-1808, Jan 23, 1809 to Feb 27, 1815. Available at the Pulaski County Public Library.

County Court Order Books 1-2, 1799-1855 (FHL US/CAN Film 804,646 items 1 and 2. In this filming the spine of vol 1 reads: "Orders No. 1 1779-1803"; however the volume starts with 1799. The spine of vol 2 reads: "County Court Orders No 2 1804-1815 Pulaski County".) Vol 1 contain no volume index at the front nor back. Volume 1 contains land certificate number No. 1 to No. 613.

County Court Order Books 3-5, 1815-1835 (FHL US/CAN Film 804,647. In this filming the spine of vol 3 reads "Orders No. 3 1815-1822 Pulaski County". Page 1 reads "March Court 1815 At a County Court held for Pulaski County")

Road

Prior to 1818 Road Orders were kept in the County Order Books.


 * [1866-1934] Pulaski County. County Clerk. Road Ordres. See Kentucky State Archive.
 * [ca 1900-1904] Pulaski County. County Clerk. County Road Commissioners' Record Book. See Kentucky State Archives.

Minutes

Minutes From Inferior Court, No. 1, June 1853-Dec 1885 This volume has no index at the front or back of the book. These minutes are mostly about debt (less than $50 appears to be the protocol, although there were exceptions) and are often found ending with the plaintiff being unable to recover because the defendant has no property found by the constable to make the residue of the debt. These minutes often include copies of the judgement, execution and return of the debt action. See FHL US/CAN Film 969,926 for a 1975 filming by the Genealogical Society of Utah.The researcher should not be satisfied with just the copies of judgments found in the Minutes, but should also consult Judgements from Inferior Courts, 1854-1966 housed at the Kentucky State Archives.

Divorces

 

The Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives has some Pulaski county court records, including:

Executions 1803-1928, Circuit Court

Commissioners Reports of Sales, 1838-1919

Commonwealth Cases, 1839-1912

Cases, 1800-1920, Pulaski County (Ky) Circuit Court

Commissioners' Deeds 1816-1956, Pulaski County (Ky) County Clerk

Pulaski county, Circuit Court. Transcripts, 1931-1942.

Genealogy
It is anticipated that this bibliography will eventually identify all known family histories published about residents of this county. Use this list to:


 * Locate publications about direct ancestors
 * Find the most updated accounts of an ancestor's family
 * Identify publications, to quote Elizabeth Shown Mills, about an ancestor's "FAN Club" [Friends, Associates, and Neighbors]

Land
FHL has acquired copies of Pulaski County's Real Estate Conveyances Indexes, 1799-1936 (4 microfilms), which was produced by E &amp; K Microfilming (Morgantown, Ky., 1993). The FHL Catalog states: "This is an index to deeds, commissioner's deeds, mortgages, chattel mortgages and divisions of land":.

Deeds

The original Pulaski County Deed Books are held at the County Couthouse. In 1969, the Genealogical Society of Utah microfilmed Deed Books 1 to 50 (1799-1901) and Indexes (1799-1934): ff. Deeds, mortgages, bills of sale, and apprenticeships are included in the index.

The organization Strictly By Name provides free online indexes to early Pulaski County land records. They offer a record retrieval service to photocopy and transcribe microfilm copies of the original documents for a small fee. Available indexes:


 * 1) Deed Book 1: 1799-1805
 * 2) Deed Book 2: 1806-1814
 * 3) Deed Book 3: 1815-1819
 * 4) Deed Book 4: 1819-1822
 * 5) Deed Book 5: 1822-1825

Abstracts of some early Pulaski County deeds were published in the periodical Kentucky Genealogist (Louisville, Ky.):


 * 1799-1803 (Vol. 6, Iss. 2 and 3)
 * 1803-1806 (Vol. 8, Iss. 4; Vol. 9, Iss. 1) ff.

For an index to the above consult Glenda K. Trapp and Michael L. Cook's Kentucky Genealogical Index: An Every Name Index to Kentucky Ancestors, Kentucky Genealogist, Kentucky Pioneer Genealogy &amp; Records, The East Kentuckian, All Issues through 1980 [].

Commissioners Deeds

Prior to 1816 Commissioners Deeds are found in the Deed books. Starting in ? Commissioners Deeds had their own separate books.


 * 1816-1956 See Kentucky State Archives
 * 1886-1905 See FHL catalog

Land Grants

There is an article on the early Kentucky/Virginia land grants as it pertains to Pulaski County in the Oct 1990 edition of the Pulaski County, Kentucky Historical Society's Newsletter.

For Tellico Land Grants in Pulaski county, see content under Circuit Court Orders, 1810-1815.

For Kentucky Grants South of the Green River see content under County Court Orders.

County Court Order Land Patents for Pulaski county, Kentucky. Search by: "county". Search for: "Pulaski". Sort by: "Survey Date". Then browse or use your browser's find command along with your ancestors surname.

Mortgages


 * [1936-1962] Pulaski County, County Clerk. Real Estate Mortgages. See Kentucky State Arcives.

Surveys

The surveys books which start with the county formation in 1799 are found (as of Jun 2011) in the county clerks office in the courthouse in Somerset, Kentucky. When you enter the clerks office, the clerk at the desk may not know where the early survey books are, but to your left is a room where you will find all the survey, deed, and marriage books. They will let you get the books and digitally photograph them yourself. And there is an elbow height counter there that you can use. The index to the survey books is across the aisle the survey books. The early survey books all have little maps drawn in next to the entry. The entries tend to be very good about detailing the pattern of assignation if the land was assigned to one or more people prior to being entered in the books. These entries also contain the chain carriers. The early entries appear to be copies of the originals as the handwritting is very well done and by about book 2 we see blue and red detailing/highlighting of key items.

If your ancestor shows up in a tax list with surnames (or given names) other than his own in the entry, survey and grant columns; consider looking those names up in the survey book index and then pulling the associated surveys.

Local Histories

 * Ramey, Clarice Payne. History of Pulaski County. (Lexington, Ky. : s.n., 1935). This thesis is available at University of Kentucky Library.
 * Tibbals, Alma. A History of Pulaski County Kentucky. Bagdad, Ky. : G. O. Moore, 1952. FHL US/CAN Book 976.963 H2t. Also at Filson Club Library.
 * Jillson, Willard Rouse, A Bibliography of Pulaski County, Kentucky: Citations of Printed and Manuscript Sources Touching upon its History. Frankfort, Ky. : Roberts Print. Co., 1954. Available at Filson Historical Society in Louiseville, Ky.
 * Davenport, Lawrence C. Local Historical Research by a Class in Local Historical Research. Somerset, Ky. : Somerset Community College, 1966. Available at Filson Historical Society in Louiseville, Ky. Call No. 976.973 D247.

Maps
See http://kdl.kyvl.org for Sanborn Maps of Burnside and Somerset.

Kentucky Atlas &amp; Gazetteer - Pulaski co.

Native American
"Resource list, Cherokee research," Pulaski County HIstorical Society Newsletter May 2002.

Newspapers
See also obituaries.

The best starting point for a catalog list of Pulaski county newspapers and the repositories that have them is the Library of Congress' website Chronicling America. Chronicling America also has the digitalized Kentucky newspapers done by the University of Kentucky for the NEH United States Newspaper Project cataloged in it, but at the time of this writing the US Newspaper Program for Kentuckyhas not yet digitalized the Pulaski county newspapers.

The following is a list of extant Pulaski county newspapers:


 * [Nov 21, 1855] Somerset Democrat. See Library of Congress.
 * [1876 no. 3] Somerset Repulican. Available at Western Kentucky University Helm-Cravens Library, Bowling Green, Ky.
 * [Nov 3, 1876] Somerset Repulican. Available University of Kentucky Library. Note that the University of Kentucky does not have any Pulaski county newspapers, save those on their on-line catalog.
 * [Feb 4, 1891] Reporter. See periodical Kentucky Ancestors 
 * [1886] "Pulaski Co. Banner Newspaper Items,1886," Pulaski County Historical Society Newsletter.
 * [1886+] The Pulaski County Public Library also has a variety of Pulaski county newspapers on microfilm that start with the Oct 14, 1920 issue of the Commonwealth Journal. They also have a variety of scattered original issues of Pulaski county newspapers that are dated prior to the dates of the microfilm collection. On top of the microfilm drawers in the Pulaski Public Library is a small booklet that has a list of the specific issues in their collection---which is helpful for many years have issues wanting. The earliest original issue is the Feb. 25, 1886 issue of The Somerset Reporter.
 * [Apr 2, 1896] The Somerset Paragon. See University of Kentucky Library.
 * [1899] . Available at Western Kentucky University Helm-Craven Library in Bowling Green, Ky.
 * [Jan 29, 1908] The Burnside Item. University of Kentucky Library, Lexington, Ky.
 * [Jun 18, 1909] Available University of Kentucky Library.
 * [Oct 28, 1910] The Somerset Times. See University of Kentucky Library.
 * [1919] The Commonwealth. See Pulaski County Publick Library and University of Kentucky LIbrary.
 * [Aug 1, 1919 - May 20, 1932; Jan 1934 - Dec 1965. Scattered issues wanting] The Somerset Journal. University of Kentucky Library.
 * [Mar 4, 1942] "Newspaper excerpts, Mar 4, 1942," Pulaski County Historical Society Newsletter 'The Somerset Journal. Available at Univeristy of Texas Library.
 * [1971?] The Republic. See University of Kentucky Library and Western Kentucky University Helm-Craven Library (Bowling Green, Ky).
 * [1971-?-1983] The Observer. See University of Kentucky Library.
 * [1983-?-1987] The Somerset Observer. See University of Kentucky Library.
 * [1972?] The Sprite &amp; Bugle. See University of Kentucky Library and Western Kentucky University Helm-Craven Library (Bowling Green, Ky).
 * [1987] . See University of Kentucky Library (Lexington).
 * [1997] See Pulaski County Public LIbrary or University of Kentucky Library.
 * [8/5/2008 - current] The Commonwealth-Journal (8/5/2008-current) is available through GenealogyBank.

A list of newspapers known to be published in Pulaski County is found in the Nov 1998 edition of the Newsletter of the Pulaski County Kentucky Historical Society. This list was compiled by compiled by the late Don Orwin, a communications professor at Somerset Community College. (FHL US/CAN Book 976.963 H25P) This same list is also found in one of the 2008 editions of the Pulaski County Historical Society newsletter.

Obituaries
The Pulaski County Historical Society has several excellent collections of obituaries from the earlier Pulaski County newspapers, and is the most comprehensive place to start.

The 2008 issues of the Pulaski County Newsletter have death notices/obit from the Pulaski county newspapers in the late 1800s.

Probate
As there is variation among counties in how probate records are organized, the reader will find it helpful to know that in Pulaski county the early will books include wills, administrations, inventories, bills of sale, and settlements; but by 1864 these things started being kept in separate books.

Index and Abstract Resources

There are several sources available to make your search of Pulaski County probate records easier. No single source is all inclusive. Each offers it own help that the others don't.

The organization Strictly By Name provides free online indexes to early Pulaski County probate records. They offer a record retrieval service to photocopy and transcribe microfilm copies of the original documents for a small fee. Available indexes:


 * Will Book 1: 1801-1816
 * Will Book 2: 1817-1829
 * Will Book 3: 1829-1838

Pulaski County Kentucky Index to Wills 1800 to 1950 (FHL US/CAN Book 976.963 P22p) was published by the Pulaski County Historical Society in 1991 and replaces it 1977 edition (FHL US/CAN Book 976.963 P22pu). In creating the index, the compilers searched the original will books at the Somerset Courthouse, the courthouse's 1935 typed index and microfilms. The powerful index found in the 1991 edition contains two sections. The first is an index to the wills, inventories and appraisements, settlements, sale of land, dower allotment, etc. The second is an index to "original copies of all the early Pulaski County wills" (see title page). Page 79 states, "the Pulaski County Historical Society has zerox [sic] copied all early original documents from the will files at the Pulaski County Courthouse. These documents are in the actual hand writing of the person who prepared the document. This list also includes some wills that were rejected by the court and were not recorded in the will books."

Abstracts of wills in Pulaski County, Kentucky, vol. 1 (FHL US/CAN Book 976.963 P2b) compiled by Annie Walker Burns doesn't give the will book volume and page number of the wills abstacted, but it's index does include executors and witnesses, which is something Pulaski County Kentucky Index to Wills 1800 to 1950 does not. Abstracts of wills in Pulaski County, Kentucky, vol. 1 only covers 1803-1850.

Abstract of will book one of Pulaski County, Kentucky prepared by Margaret Dunn Frye is available at the Martin F Schmidt Research Library in Frankfort. (976.902 P981f) This work created a devisee index to Will Book 1 in addition to the abstracts, thus making it one of the most powerful resources to be found for early Pulaski county research.

Pulaski County, Kentucky Will Book Number Two (1817-1829) compiled by Margaret Dunn Frye includes an index to "deceased persons and their heirs". So she has created a devisee index for us, which again is something "Pulaski County Kentucky Index to Wills" didn't do. Additionally, in her typescript abstracts she includes the names of buyers, executors, commr, etc. Although these buyers are not indexed, her book (FHL US/CAN Film 855,033 item 4) is only 37 pages of typescript and so it is a relatively easy read if you want to know if your ancestor was a buyer in an estate sale during this time period.

 

The General Index made by the county court is also available. (FHL US/CAN FILM 1,912,828)

Will Books

The original will books have been microfilmed. See FHL catalog.

Adm Bonds, Inventories, Appraisements, Settlement


 * [1864-1902] Administrators bonds. See FHL catalog.
 * [1864-1871] Inventory, Appraisement and Settlement Book at Kentucky State Archives.
 * [1870-1909] Inventories, Appraisements and Sale Bills on microform at Kentucky State Archives.
 * [1871-1909] Inventories, appraisements. See FHL catalog.
 * [1870-1907] Settlements, v 8-12. See FHL catalog.
 * Guardian Bonds
 * [1865-1901] See FHL catalog.

Probate Files [aka Estate Packets]


 * [1800-1850] Are not extant according to the Pulaski County Historical Society. County Clerk says these records would be found in the Circuit Clerks Office. Clerk of the Circuit Court does not think they exist. Loose original wills do exist. See content under wills.
 * [1993-present] Contact Pulaski County Clerk of the Circuit Court, 100 N Main St #302, PO Box 664, Somerset, KY 42502
 * Misc
 * [1922-1925] Pulaski County, County Clerk. Probate Order Stub Book. Available at Kentucky State Archive.

Taxation
Tax records for Pulaski exist for most years from 1799-1966. See FHL catalog or Kentucky Historical Society. FHL films can be rented from FHL for local Family History Center viewing. Tax List films can be purchased from the Kentucky Department for Libraries &amp; Archives. Go to the Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives, click KDLA catalog, type in pulaski and tax.

Kandie Adkinson's "Researching Early Kentucky Tax Lists: 1792-1840" is a must read. The beginning tax list researcher will find the second half of her article especially helpful and for the serious researcher she covers the legislation envolved in the tax process in the first part of her article. She continues her work to 1880 in the 2011 editions of the periodical Kentucky Ancestors.

Pulaski County Historical Society. ''Pulaski County, Kentucky Tax List Index 1799-1829. ''(Somerset, Ky. : Pulaski County Historical Society, 1982). See WorldCat.

Pulaski County, County Clerk. List of Non-Residents' Land, 1888-1916. See Kentucky State Archives.

Pulaski County, County Clerk. Record of Land Sold for Taxes, 1888-1934. See Kentucky State Archives.

Kentucky Treasury Dept. Withdrawl Reports: Tax Bills, 1882-1884. Description of this archival material located at the Kentucky Historical Society in Frankfort can be found on WorldCat. Taxation for whiskey.

1900-1934. Pulaski County, County Clerk. Supervisors' Revised Tax Assessment Lists. See Kentucky State Archives.

Vital Records
Start your vital record search with the following free FamilySearch on-line collections:


 * Kentucky Births and Christenings, 1839-1960
 * Kentucky Deaths and Burials, 1843-1970
 * Kentucky Marriages, 1785-1979
 * Kentucky, Death Records, 1911-1955

Then consider other sources for images not available or unclear. Likewise, if you can't find your ancestor in the FamilySearch collection, consider locating, from the list below, abstracted sources created prior to the microfilming or digitalizing dates of the FamilySearch collection. Sometimes original records were lost between the time of an early abstractor's compilaton and the date of the first microfilming of the original records. Other times there is just a wide variation in indexing.

BIRTHS


 * Gayle Triller, coordinator, KYGenWeb Team, "Birth Index in Pulaski County", Pulaski County, Kentucky: A part of KYGenWeb.
 * [1852-1859, 1861,1874-1878] Pulaski County Historical Society. Pulaski County, Kentucky Vital Statistics: Births 1852-1859, 1861, 1874-1878; Deaths 1852-1859, 1861, 1874-1875-1876-1878 (Somerset, Ky. : Pulaski County Historical Society, 1983). See WorldCat.
 * [1852-1859] Birth, marriages, deaths, 1852-1859 (FHL US/CAN Film 216838 item 5)

MARRIAGES


 * Gayle Triller, coordinator, KYGenWeb Team, "Pulaski County Marriages," Pulaski County, Kentucky: A part of KYGenWeb. Information from a variety of sources.
 * Bell, Annie Walker Burns. Marriage Records of Pulaski County, Kentucky Typescript written in 1936. Filmed in 1973. FHL US/CAN Film 928,021 items 3-4. See also WorldCat.
 * [1787-1860] Slevin, Ruth M. and Barbara Jordan. Marriage Bonds of Pulaski County, Kentucky, 1787-1860: with additional notes as obtained from the "consents". (Indianapolis, Ind., 1956). See Indiana State Library.
 * [1799-1850] Masley, Betty, et al. Pulaski County, Kentucky Records #1: Marriages, 1799-1850. (Indianpolis, IN : Researchers, 1997). See WorldCat.
 * [1798-1910] Kaurish, Mary Weddle. Pulaski County, Kentucky Marriage Records (Somerset, Kentucky : Pulaski County Historical Society, 1974). FHL US/CAN Book 976.963 V2p bk 1-4.
 * [1799-1848] "Minister returns, marriages, 1799-1848," Pulaski County Historical Society Newsletter May 2007.
 * [1799-1850] Gloe, Joan Gilbert. Pulaski County, Kentucky Marriages, 1799-1850. (Indianapolis, Ind. : Researchers, 1991). See WorldCat.
 * [1852-1859] Birth, marriages, deaths, 1852-1859. Microfilm of original records. (FHL US/CAN Film 216838 item 5)

DEATHS


 * [1852-1859, 1861, 1874-1876, 1878] Pulaski County Historical Society. Pulaski County, Kentucky Vital Statistics: Births 1852-1859, 1861, 1874-1878; Deaths 1852-1859, 1861, 1874-1875-1876-1878 (Somerset, Ky. : Pulaski County Historical Society, 1983). See WorldCat.
 * [1852-1859] Birth, marriages, deaths, 1852-1859 (FHL US/CAN Film 216838 item 5)
 * [1854+] Gayle Triller, coordinator, KYGenWeb Team, "Death Certificates and Notices" Pulaski County, Kentucky: A part of KYGenWeb. Includes some Pulaski county related deaths published in the Nashville Christian Advocate.
 * [1875] Deaths, 1875. Microfilm of original records. (FHL US/CAN Film 974666 item 8)
 * Kentucky Vital Records Projecthas death certificates.

Societies and Libraries
Pulaski County Historical Society

PO Box 36

Somerset, KY 42502-0036

606 679-8401

Hours: M-Sat 10:00 am to 4:00 pm

Offices are in basement of Pulaski County Public Library

304 South Main St

Somerset, KY 42502-0036

Websites
USGenWeb project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county. Select the state, then the county.


 * Pulaski County, Kentucky: A Part of KYGenWeb
 * Pulaski County, Kentucky Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
 * Pulaski County, Kentucky Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)