KY History & Genealogy Resources

Genealogy Resources at the library are available in the following formats: BOOK, MICROFILM, MICROFICHE, CD-ROM (all of which are found at the Main Location), and online via the Library's webpage. See also Genealogy databases and Internet Genealogy Resources.

Census Records

The Library has:
All available Census schedules for Kentucky 1810-1930. MICROFILM (The U.S. 1890 census records were damaged in a fire; all that remains for Kentucky is an enumeration of Civil War Union veterans for some counties.)

Indexes to Kentucky census schedules 1810-1920
- The indexes for 1800-1870 are in books.
- The indexes for 1880, 1900, 1910 and 1920 are Soundex indexes on MICROFILM.
Virginia census records 1810-1910. MICROFILM.
Indexes to the Virginia census (except 1860.)
1850 and 1860 census of the river cities of Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, St. Louis, Memphis and New Orleans. MICROFILM.
Federal Census schedules are accessible online via the Library's HeritageQuest Database.
Heads of families of the first census of the United States taken in the year 1790.BOOK (KHR 317.3 U5715)

Cemetery Records

The Library has:

Burial Records of Cave Hill. (BOOK, KHR 929.5769 J356C)
Records of Eastern, Greenwood and Schardein Cemeteries. (BOOK, KHR 929.5769 J356E)
Miscellaneous cemetery records for some Kentucky counties. (BOOK, KHR 929.5769 - arranged alphabetical by County)
Roll of Honor: Names of Soldiers Who Died in Defense of the American Union. Interred in the National Cemeteries, Numbers 1-6.
Kentucky Cemetery Records compiled by the DAR.
More library resources on Kentucky cemeteries.

Civil War Official Records

Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies in the War of the Rebellion. BOOKS (KHR 973.7 W195)
Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion. BOOKS

Civil War Service Records

The Library has:

Compiled Service Records of Volunteer Union/Confederate Soldiers from Kentucky. MICROFILM (An index.is also available on MICROFILM)
More library resources on Civil War pensions, Confederate States of America registers, and Civil War registers.

City Directories

The Library has:

Louisville City Directories, 1832 to the present. MICROFILM AND/OR BOOK.
Louisville Suburban Directories, 1957 to the present. MICROFILM AND/OR BOOK.
1930 City Directories for the following Kentucky Cities: MICROFILM
- Ashland
- Bowling Green
- Covington
- Frankfort
- Hopkinsville
- Lexington
- Maysville
- Middlesboro
- Owensboro
- Paducah

County and State Records

The Library has:

Compilations of transcribed county records for some Kentucky counties. These include records of wills, marriages, court proceedings and cemeteries. BOOK (KHR 929.3769 - arranged alphabetical by County Name)
Sections of the published archives of
- Pennsylvania, BOOK (KHR 974.8 P416, 71 volumes)
- New Jersey, BOOK (KHR 974.9 D637, 47 volumes)
- Maryland, BOOK (KHR 975.2 M393, 72 volumes)
- Delaware, BOOK (KHR 975.1 D434, 5 volumes).
Compilations of county records for some other States, particularly Virginia, BOOK (KHR 929.3755)

Digital Collections

1937 Flood Collection

A collection of reports by various institutions including eyewitness accounts, personal experiences, and services rendered during the January 1937 Ohio River Valley flood.

Louisville Newspaper Obituary Index 1918–1987

Contains an index of obituaries published in various Louisville newspapers, most notably the Louisville Courier-Journal.

Draper Manuscripts

The Library has:

Series A, B, C, J, K, L, M, N, O, W, Y, BB, CC, NN and QQ which relate to Kentucky. MICROFILM
There is an index, Guide to the Draper Manuscripts. BOOK (KHR 016.97802 D791H)

Kentucky County Tax Lists

The Library has all available tax lists in MICROFILM for each County in Kentucky. Generally, these cover the period beginning with the creation of each County until approximately the middle of the 1800s. Tax lists are available for some Kentucky Counties up until 1875.

Local Histories

The Library has:

Histories of many but not all of Kentucky's major cities and 120 counties. Some include biographical sketches.
County and local histories for some other states

Maps and Atlases

The Library has:

A few Kentucky county atlases (inquire at Information Desk)
Maps of Kentucky and Louisville. (inquire at Information Desk)
All the topographical maps for Kentucky that are published by the U.S. Geological Survey.
Place names that appear on the topographical maps are indexed in a gazetteer that is keyed to the maps, "Guide to Kentucky Place Names."

Newspapers

The Library has the following Louisville newspapers on MICROFILM.

Louisville Public Advertiser July 1818-1832, 1834-Oct. 1841.
Louisville Daily Journal Nov. 1830-Jan. 1832, May 1836- Nov. 1868.
Catholic Advocate Feb. 1841-July 1849, June 1869-1899.
Louisville Morning Courier 1844-1861, 1866-1868.
Louisville Daily Democrat 1851-April 1869.
Louisville Daily Courier Jan. 1851 - June 1861 and Jan. 1866 - Oct. 1868
Courier-Journal Nov. 1868-present. (Note: The Courier-Journal is searchable via CD-ROM from 1988 - 2004 and online 1830-present).
Louisville Commercial Dec. 29, 1869 - Dec. 31, 1902.
Evening Post May 1878-Oct. 1925.
Record 1879-1973.
Louisville Times May 1884-Feb. 1987.
Kentucky Irish American 1898-1968.
Herald April 1903-Oct. 1925.
Louisville Leader Nov. 1917-Sept. 1950.
Herald-Post (evening) Nov. 1925-Oct. 1936.
Herald-Post (morning) Nov. 1925-Feb. 1927.
Louisville Defender 1951-present.
Other miscellaneous Louisville newspapers.

The Library also has these Lexington and Cincinnati newspapers on MICROFILM.

Kentucky Gazette 1787-1910.
Kentucky Evening Gazette 1907-1910.
Cincinnati Enquirer 1841-1863

Other Resources

The Library has:

Indexes to Kentucky land grants.
Genealogy and local history magazines.
State documents and Louisville city reports.
Proceedings of Kentucky religious and professional groups.
Internet links to genealogy resources online.

Probate Records

The library has:

Index of Jefferson County, Ky. probated will records, 1784 - 1977 MICROFICHE (ask at 2nd floor Reference Desk for this collection)

Reports of the Kentucky Adjutant General

These are rosters of volunteers or conscripts who served from Kentucky

War of 1812 BOOK (KHR 973.5 K37)
Mexican War BOOK (KHR 973.6 K37)
American Civil War BOOK (KHR 973.7469 K419R)
World War I Selective Service System draft registration cards, 1917-1918 for Kentucky - complete with index. MICROFILM

Revolutionary War Records

The Library has:

HeritageQuest contains Revolutionary War era pension records and bounty-land-warrant application files. online.
More library resources on Revolutionary War pensions and Revolutionary War registers.

Special Indexes and Vertical Files

The Library has:

Indexes to the Courier-Journal for the years 1901 to mid August 1902 and 1918 to the present.
Newspaper clipping files about Louisville and Kentucky subjects.
Index to family crests (coat of arms.).

Standard Indexes

The Library has:

American Genealogical Biographical Index, BOOK (KHR 016.9291 A512, 226 volumes)
Virginia Historical Index, BOOK (KHR 975.5016 Sw41v, 4 volumes)
Biography and Genealogy Master Index. - online
Periodical Source Index (PERSI) - available online via HeritageQuest database
Daughters of The American Revolution Lineage books. (KHR 929.1 N277, 166 volumes)
Passenger and Immigration Lists Index by William Filby, BOOK (KHR 929.3016 P266)
Germans to America - lists of passengers arriving in U.S. Ports BOOK (KHR 929.30893 Ger, 60 volumes.)
Index of Revolutionary War Pension Applications BOOK (KHR 929.1 N276)

Vital records

The Library has:

Kentucky Birth, Death and Marriage Records, 1852-1910. MICROFILM - These records are incomplete - Consult the Guide located with the microfilm first!
Directory of Births and Deaths Registered in Kentucky.
- Births and deaths: 1911-1954. MICROFILM
- Births: 1911-1959. BOOK (note: these are in very poor condition)
- Deaths: 1911-1969. BOOK (note: these are in very poor condition)
Kentucky Death Certificate Index, 1911-1995. MICROFICHE
- Kentucky Death Certificate Index, 1911-1999. CD-ROM
- Kentucky Death Certificate Index 2000-2013. CD-ROM
Kentucky Death Certificates 1911-1965. MICROFILM
Kentucky Death Certificates 1966-1967 - DIGITAL
Kentucky Marriages Indexes.
- Marriage index for brides, 1973-1995. MICROFICHE
- Marriage index for brides, 1973-1999. CD-ROM
- Marriage index for grooms, 1973-1995. MICROFICHE
- Marriage index for grooms, 1973-1999. CD-ROM
Kentucky Divorce Indexes.
- Divorce index for wife, 1974-1995. MICROFICHE
- Divorce index for husband, 1974-1995. MICROFICHE
Kentucky Birth Indexes
- Mother's Maiden Name. 1911-1995 MICROFICHE.
- Mother's Maiden Name. 1911-1999 CD-ROM
- Child's name. 1911-1995. MICROFICHE
- Child's name. 1911-1999 CD-ROM

World War I Selective Service Records

The library has:

World War I Selective Service draft registration cards, 1917-1918 for Kentucky (MICROFILM). This collection contains records for a total of 486,739 men born between 1886 and 1900 and who were registered in Kentucky. In searching these records for ancestors living in Louisville, Ky. it is necessary to consult a map of Registration, Draft & Exemption Boards - this is available in the map drawer labeled "Louisville Maps - History"

Last Updated: 03/23/2020