In Virginia, the Indians used wampum to trade and white settlers used tobacco as their first currecy. However, Kentuckians used the skins of wild animals as their first currency. As immigrants came into the region, Spanish silver dollars were circulated. Still there was no small change. Thus, our forefathers actually made change by cutting the dollar into four equal parts, each worth twenty-five cents. These were again divided, each part worth twelve and one half cents, called bits. But people were sometimes careless in the work of making change and often cut the dollar into five "quarters,quot; and these wedge-shaped pieces of cut-money were referred to as "sharp shins." Because of this type of cut, silver gradually found its way back to the mint for recoinage, usually at a loss of the last owner. As late as 1806, a business house in Philadelphia received over one hundred pounds of cut silver, brought on by a Kentucky merchant, which was sent on a dray to the United States Mint for recoinage. Find your Kentucky Ancestors
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Bracken County was organized in 1796 from parts of Mason and Campbell Counties. Originally, the county extended to southern Nicholas County (north of the Ohio River and west of the Licking River). It has two creeks (named for William Bracken), the Big and Little Bracken. William Bracken was a surveyor by trade and visited the area in 1773. He was later killed by Indians during the Northwest Indian War. The first county seat was Augusta, Kentucky but was moved to Woodward Crossing (Brooksville).
Boyle County was formed on February 15, 1842 from sections of Lincoln and Mercer Counties and was named after John Boyle, Congressman, Chief Justice of the Kentucky Court of Appeals and U. S. District Judge. The courthouse fire in 1860 resulted in the loss of some county records and the earliest surviving records began in 1842. The county seat is Danville, Kentucky.
Boone County was founded in 1798 and named after Daniel Boone. The county seat is Burlington, Kentucky. The court house records begin in 1800 and contain a complete record of old wills, estates, inventories, guardianships and other miscellaneous estate items all bundled together in the same book. In other words, when you research these books, detailed account of the estate usually follows the last will and testament up until the time that it was settled.
Bell County was formed in 1867 from parts of Knox and Harlan Counties and was annexed from Knox County in 1872. It was named after Joshua Fry Bell ("Josh Bell"). The Wilderness Road was built through Bell County during the 1790s.There were court house fires in 1914 and again in 1918 and a flood in 1976 during which occurrences the records were destroyed. The records listed below are those which survived.
Barren County was established in 1798 from land provided by Green County and Warren Counties. Six courthouses have served the county throughout its history, the first built of logs. It was settled by the Scotch-Irish and the county seat is named Glasgow (after Glasgow, Scotland).
