Ballard County, Kentucky Genealogy

United States   Kentucky    Ballard County

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

*Many years between 1852 and 1911 are missing

County Courthouse


Ballard County Courthouse 424 Court Street PO Box 145 Wickliffe, KY 42087-0145 Phone: 270.335.5168 Courthouse burned in 1880 County Clerk has marriage and land records from 1880. Clerk Circuit Court has divorce and probate records.

Parent County
1842--Ballard County was created 15 February 1842 from Hickman and McCracken Counties. Ballard County lies in the Jackson Purchase region of far western Kentucky. County seat: Wickliffe

Boundary Changes
Carlisle County was created entirely from Ballard County on May 3, 1886,

Record Loss
1880--A fire destroyed most records, but many land documents were re-entered into the court files in the next several years. See extracts from many of those files on land records at KYGenWeb Project, Ballard County, Kentucky

Neighboring Counties

 * Alexander County, Illinois
 * Carlisle
 * Graves
 * Massac County, Illinois
 * McCracken
 * Mississippi County, Missouri
 * Pulaski County, Illinois

African Americans
United States African Americans Kentucky African Americans


 * Kentucky African American Griotshas more information about the kinds of records

Cemeteries
Kentucky cemetery records often identify birth, death, relationship, and military information, as well as religious affiliation. Lookup volunteers who own books listing cemetery burials through Ballard County KYGenWeb will look up information.


 * Ballard Co. KYGenWeb Cemeteries Page has a list of the county cemeteries and recent photos of many, as well as some grave listings.
 * 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.
 * 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
 * Ballard 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 Ballard 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.

Census
1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920, and 1930 federal population schedules of Ballard 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.

Church
♦ Ballard Co. KYGenweb Church Recordsincludes Bible records and some church histories.

♦ Baptist Roots at Rootsweb has many records.

♦ Ballard Co., KY Genweb "A Few Ballard County Churches" contains numbers on church affiliations and some photos of Ballard County churches.

♦ Baptist History Homepage - lots of transcribed Baptist documents

♦ Southern Baptist Historical Library and Archives - a fine research resource

♦ Access Genealogy "Kentucky Bible Records"

Court - contact the County Clerk for actual records
Ballard County Court Clerk

Ballard County Courthouse 132 North 4th Street Wickliffe, KY 42087 (270) 335-5168

Land
♦  Ballard Co., KYGenWeb Indexes to Deeds: After the courthouse fire in 1880, many land transactions were re-recorded. Many are indexed and extracted here.

Local Histories
♦ Ballard County, KY: medical account book of Dr. W.A. Moffitt of Kevil, KY     Author Don Simmons    Publisher Simmons Historical Publications, 1993    Length 87 pages

♦ Ballard/Carlisle Counties Genealogical Society (see link below)

♦ Ballard County KYGenWeb Lookupsin local history books

Maps
♦  Ballard County KYGenWeb 1880 Map with post offices (includes Carlisle Co.)

Military
♦ Ballard County KYGenWeb Military Records &amp; Sources - list of sources

♦ Kentucky Casualties in Korean Conflict NARA - see what National Archives holds

♦ Kentucky Casualty/MIA/POW Vietnam NARA - see what National Archives holds

Newspapers
♦ The Advance Yeoman -

♦ Ballard Weekly

Probate
♦ Ballard County KYGenWeb Extraction of Wills(1880 - 1918 complete)

♦ 1879-1924 -  has been digitized by FamilySearch - free.

♦ - listings of books and microfilm

Taxation
♦ Ballard County KYGenWebOngoing transcription of tax records (1843 &amp; 1848 complete)

Vital Records
♦ KY Death Records - Index to Kentucky deaths from years 1911 to 2000 (free)

♦ KY Deaths from 1852-1953- actual copies of death certs or records (pay site)

♦ Social Security Death Index - modern death record dates (free)

Societies and Libraries
♦ Ballard/Carlisle Counties Genealogical Society

Family History Library

 * Introduction to LDS Family History Centers

Paducah Kentucky 320 Birch St Paducah, McCracken, Kentucky, United States Phone: 270-443-8381 (call first, hours may change) Hours: T 10am-3pm; Th 9:30am-2pm; Sat: 10am-4pm

♦ Ballard County Library

Ballard/Carlisle/Livingston Public Library System 132 North Fourth Street Wickliffe, KY 42087 Phone: 270-335-5059 Contact: Mainord, Sonya Mailing Address P.O. Box 428 Bardwell, KY 42023-0428

Web Sites

 * Ballard County KYGenWeb project. Pages of photos, maps, family research, links.
 * Ballard County KY Kindred Trails. No information but lots of links
 * BallardCounty, Kentucky Genealogy and Family History(Linkpendium)
 * BallardCounty, Kentucky Genealogy and Family History(Linkpendium)