Stories
All Kentucky history stories
244 stories, grouped by era and oldest first within each era. Open the map or the timeline to explore them by place and year.
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Prehistoric (48)
- Carlston Annis Shell MoundButler County · 3000 BCE – 1000 BCE
- Chiggerville (15Oh1)Ohio County · 3000 BCE – 1000 BCE
Cloudsplitter Rockshelter (Menifee County)Menifee County · 3000 BCE – 1000 BCE- Indian Knoll on the Green RiverOhio County · 3000 BCE – 1000 BCE
- Read Shell Midden (15Bt10), Butler CountyButler County · 3000 BCE – 1000 BCE
- Hansen Site (15GP14)Greenup County · 2000 BCE
- Salts Cave (15Ht4)Hart, Edmonson counties · 1000 BCE – 200 BCE
Dover Mound, Mason CountyMason County · 800 BCE – 700 CE- Gaitskill Mound's engraved tabletsMontgomery County · 800 BCE – 700 CE
Ashland's Adena moundsBoyd County · 500 BCE – 250 CE
Mount Horeb EarthworksFayette County · 500 BCE – 250 CE
The C. and O. Mounds at PaintsvilleJohnson County · 500 BCE – 250 CE- Peter Village Enclosure (15Fa166): Early Woodland in Fayette CountyFayette County · 300 BCE – 200 BCE
Peter Village: Early Woodland Enclosure in Fayette CountyFayette County · 300 BCE – 200 BCE
Old Fort Earthworks: Hopewell’s square on the OhioGreenup County · 200 BCE – 500 CE- Robbins Mounds, Boone CountyBoone County · 150 BCE – 1 CE
- Indian Fort MountainMadison County · 39 BCE – 236 CE
Lost River CaveWarren County
Red Bird River Petroglyphs: the carved rock that fell onto KY 66Clay County
Tinsley Hill: Mississippian town under Lake BarkleyLyon County- Wright Mounds, Montgomery CountyMontgomery County · 1 – 250
- Muir Site: Early Fort Ancient in Jessamine CountyJessamine County · 1000 – 1200
- Page Site / “Lost City” (15LO1)Logan County · 1000
Sassafras Ridge (15Fu3): Mississippian town on the western borderFulton County · 1000 – 1500
Adams Site (15Fu4)Fulton County · 1100 – 1500
Rowlandton Mound Site (15McN3), PaducahMcCracken County · 1100 – 1350
Turk Site, Carlisle CountyCarlisle County · 1100 – 1300- Wickliffe Mounds Mississippian village Ballard CountyBallard County · 1100 – 1350
Andalex Village (15Hk22), Hopkins CountyHopkins County · 1175 – 1275
Buckner Site — Fort Ancient villages on Strodes CreekBourbon County · 1200 – 1550
Cleek-McCabe: A Circular Fort Ancient Village in Boone CountyBoone County · 1200 – 1300
Croley-Evans SiteKnox County · 1200 – 1450- Jonathan Creek Mississippian centerMarshall County · 1200 – 1300
Singer-Hieronymus: Fort Ancient villages on North ElkhornScott County · 1200 – 1550
Tolu Site — Mississippian mounds on the lower OhioCrittenden County · 1200 – 1300
Twin Mounds SiteBallard County · 1200 – 1450- Chambers Site (15Ml109): Mississippian Village in Marshall CountyMarshall County · 1250 – 1350
Annis Mound & VillageButler County · 1300 – 1350- Fox Farm (Mason County)Mason County · 1300
Slone Site (15Pi11), Pike CountyPike County · 1350 – 1400- Howard Site — Late Fort Ancient above Harts ForkMadison County · 1400 – 1750
Slack Farm (15Un28), Union CountyUnion County · 1400 – 1700
Sweet Lick Knob: Fort Ancient Gathering PlaceEstill County · 1400 – 1450- Paris from HopewellBourbon County · 1776 – 1790
Mount Sterling / Little Mountain TownMontgomery County · 1790 – 1845- Diamond Caverns' Decorated LimestoneBarren County · 1859
Natural Bridge sandstone archPowell County · 1926- Carter Caves & Cascade FallsCarter County · 1946 – 1959
Native nations (61)
- Ward Site (15McL11), McLean CountyMcLean County · 3000 BCE – 1000 BCE
- Big Bone Lick (older cycle)Boone County
Osage Memory of the Ohio Valley
Potawatomi fire-keepers and the Ohio Valley wars
Quapaw — the "downstream people" of the Ohio Valley
Susquehannock and the Ohio Valley Door
Wyandot Name: Kah-ten-tah-teh, Fair Land of Tomorrow- Yuchi on the Green River maps
- Hardin Village (15Gp22)Greenup County · 1550 – 1650
Iroquois Beaver Wars1640 – 1768
Erie, the Cat Nation1654 – 1657
Moneton1671 – 1674
Tutelo & the Totteroy1671 – 1779- Mosopelea (Ofo) & the Ohio Valley1673 – 1684
Athiamiowee: the Warriors’ Path through KentuckyJackson County · 1674 – 1769
Col. Richard Callaway of BoonesboroughMadison County · 1717 – 1780
Wea (Waayaahtanwa) on the Wabash1717 – 1818- Henry Skaggs, Green River long hunter1724 – 1810
- Capt. Nathaniel HartMadison County · 1734 – 1782
Capt. Abraham Lincoln on Long RunJefferson County · 1744 – 1786- Col. Stephen Trigg of Viney GroveMercer County · 1744 – 1820
- Michael Stoner, German long hunter1748 – 1814
- Christopher Gist, 1750–511750
Delaware Winter Camps on Kentucky Ground1750 – 1775- Miami Hunters Return North of the Ohio1750 – 1795
Nonhelema1750 – 1786- Lower Shawneetown at the Scioto mouthGreenup County · 1751 – 1758
John Finley, the Trader Who Put Kentucky on Boone’s MapClark County · 1752 – 1769- Odawa raid at Eskippakithiki, 1753Clark County · 1752 – 1754
Treaty of Logstown, 17521752
Bland W. Ballard of Tick CreekShelby County · 1761 – 1853- Treaties of Hard Labour and Lochaber1768 – 1771
Treaty of Fort Stanwix (1768)1768 – 1774- Capt. Will & the hunting ground1769
Hancock Taylor, Fincastle surveyorMadison County · 1769 – 1774
Mingo camps south of the Ohio1770 – 1776
McAfee Station on the Salt RiverMercer County · 1773 – 1785
Cornstalk (Hokoleskwa), from Point Pleasant to Fort Randolph1774 – 1777
Shawnee Chillicothe divisions1774 – 1780
Treaty of Camp Charlotte (1774)1774 – 1775
Richard Henderson1775
Chickamauga Cherokee1776 – 1794
Chickamauga Cherokee hold the southern flank1776 – 1794
Blackfish, Chillicothe war chiefMadison County · 1778 – 1779- Delaware (Lenape) in the 1780 Kentucky raids1778 – 1795
- Col. John Bowman at Old ChillicotheGreene, Ohio · 1779
Isaac Ruddell and the Guns at Ruddell’s StationHarrison County · 1779 – 1780
Egushawa and the Odawa in Kentucky’s War YearsBourbon County · 1780 – 1795- Ojibwe on Bird's War Road1780
- Wyandot on Kentucky’s northern frontier1782
John Filson / Kentucke 17841783 – 1788
Treaty of Fort McIntosh, 17851785
Moluntha and Logan’s Raid, 17861786
Blue Jacket (Weyapiersenwah)Mason County · 1787 – 1788
Jenny Wiley’s captivity and escapeJohnson County · 1789 – 1800
Little Turtle and Kentucky’s 1790 militia disaster1790 – 1795- Mascouten — “Fire Nation” on the Wabash1791
Wea towns at Ouiatenon and Scott's 1791 Kentucky raid1791
Treaty of Greenville, 1795: the line to the Kentucky River1795
Tellico cession, 1805, south of the Cumberland1805 – 1810
Mantle Rock and the Trail of Tears, 1838–39Livingston County · 1838 – 1839
Frontier (70)
Kentucky River Palisades- Col. John Todd of LexingtonFayette County · 1750 – 1819
Pine Mountain and Pound GapLetcher County · 1750 – 1864- Thomas Walker and Cumberland GapBell County · 1750
- Maj. Silas HarlanBoyle County · 1752 – 1819
- Evan Williams on the Louisville wharfJefferson County · 1755 – 1810
Mary Draper Ingles escapes through Kentucky, 1755Boone County · 1755
Shepherdsville on Salt RiverBullitt County · 1757 – 1796- Col. William Russell IIIFayette County · 1758 – 1783
Pilot Knob, Boone’s overlookPowell County · 1769
James KnoxGreen County · 1770 – 1771- Bullitt's Lick: Kentucky's first industryBullitt County · 1773 – 1830
- Drennon Springs Salt WorksHenry County · 1773 – 1785
- LeestownFranklin County · 1773 – 1827
Georgetown and Royal SpringScott County · 1774 – 1790
John FloydJefferson County · 1774 – 1783
Ann McGinty and Kentucky's first spinning wheelMercer County · 1775 – 1815
Benjamin LoganLincoln County · 1775 – 1802
Esther Whitley: over the Cumberlands in 1775Lincoln County · 1775 – 1833
Hugh McGary, the Blue Licks HotheadMercer County · 1775 – 1786
Levi Todd, Lexington Co-FounderFayette County · 1775 – 1807
Maj. Joseph BowmanMercer County · 1775 – 1779
Stanford from St. AsaphLincoln County · 1775 – 1786- William Calk’s 1775 journal1775
- Capt. John Strode of Strode's StationClark County · 1776 – 1805
Springfield Founding and Washington County SeatWashington County · 1776 – 1816
Daniel Trabue, the pioneer who wrote it all downAdair County · 1778 – 1840
Falls of the OhioJefferson, Ky. · Clark, Ind. · 1778
George Rogers ClarkJefferson County · 1778 – 1780- Illinois Confederation at Cahokia1778
Simon Girty, the frontier’s most hated interpreterFayette County · 1778 – 1795
Col. Robert Patterson builds LexingtonFayette County · 1779 – 1790
Edward Worthington at Worthington's FortBoyle County · 1779 – 1781- William Christian of BeargrassJefferson County · 1779 – 1786
BardstownNelson County · 1780 – 1788
Capt. Robert Johnson and Big Crossing StationScott County · 1780 – 1815
Elizabethtown from Severns ValleyHardin County · 1780 – 1797- Frankfort: Frank's Ford becomes the capitalFranklin County · 1780 – 1830
- Isaac Shelby, "Old Kings Mountain"Lincoln County · 1780 – 1812
Lawrenceburg: from Kaufman's Station to Anderson County seatAnderson County · 1780 – 1827
ShelbyvilleShelby County · 1780 – 1800
Squire Boone's Painted StoneShelby County · 1780 – 1781- Capt. Jack JouettWoodford County · 1781 – 1822
Jack Jouett, Kentucky’s midnight riderWoodford County · 1781 – 1822
The Travelling Church, 1781Garrard County · 1781
Walker Daniel, Danville’s namesakeBoyle County · 1781 – 1787
William Hoy and Hoy’s StationMadison County · 1781 – 1782
Battle of Blue LicksRobertson County · 1782
Bryan Station Siege, August 1782Fayette County · 1782- Capt. James Estill / Estill's DefeatMontgomery County · 1782
Col. John Holder at Lower Howard's CreekClark County · 1782 – 1799
Hartford: Fort Hartford on the Rough RiverOhio County · 1782 – 1808
Col. Thomas Marshall at Buck PondWoodford County · 1783 – 1802
Father David Rice and Kentucky’s first Presbyterian churchesGreen County · 1783 – 1816
Harry InnesFranklin County · 1783 – 1816
Danville and Constitution SquareBoyle County · 1784 – 1792
Gen. James Wilkinson, Kentucky’s “Agent 13”Franklin County · 1784 – 1792- Basil Hayden’s High-Rye TrailNelson County · 1785
Gen. Charles Scott and PetersburgClark County · 1785 – 1813- Henderson at Red BanksHenderson County · 1785 – 1798
Washington, Mason CountyMason County · 1785 – 1786
Col. John Hardin of Pleasant RunWashington County · 1786 – 1792
William Whitley / Sportsman's HillLincoln County · 1787 – 1794
Lebanon: Cedars, Meeting House, County SeatMarion County · 1789 – 1834
Covington at the PointKenton County · 1790 – 1830- Jacob Spears & early "Bourbon" whiskeyBourbon County · 1790
Capt. William Hubbell’s Ohio Flatboat Stand (1791)Mason County · 1791
Jacob Beam on Hardin CreekWashington County · 1795
River Raisin, 1813: Kentucky’s winter defeat in MichiganScott County · 1812 – 1813
La Grange: the Oldham County seat with trains on Main StreetOldham County · 1827 – 1840
Early commonwealth (46)
Mann’s Lick, Louisville’s forgotten salt townJefferson County · 1773 – 1830
Hodgenville: from Hodgen’s Mill to a county seatLaRue County · 1780 – 1843
Phosphatic limestone and horse countryFayette County · 1780 – 1820
Flemingsburg, Stockton’s townFleming County · 1787 – 1812
John Bradford and the Kentucke GazetteFayette County · 1787 – 1830
Russellville: from Big Boiling Spring to a county seatLogan County · 1790 – 1810
Cane Ridge Meeting House and the 1801 camp meetingBourbon County · 1791 – 1804
Carrollton from Port WilliamCarroll County · 1792 – 1838- Kickapoo on the Kentucky frontier1792
Nicholasville Takes ShapeJessamine County · 1792 – 1799- Versailles Takes ShapeWoodford County · 1792
Winchester / Clark County seatClark County · 1792 – 1794- Cynthiana — Cynthia & Anna on the LickingHarrison County · 1793
Falmouth at the Licking ForksPendleton County · 1793 – 1799
Newport at the Licking MouthCampbell County · 1793 – 1803
Simpsonville takes shape on the Louisville roadShelby County · 1794 – 1833
Jacob Beam sells Old Jake’s first barrelWashington County · 1795
Owingsville: a town named on a wagerBath County · 1795 – 1811
Lancaster at Wallace’s CrossroadsGarrard County · 1796 – 1799
Liberty Hall: John Brown’s house in the new capitalFranklin County · 1796 – 1837
Augusta on the Ohio (1797)Bracken County · 1797
HopkinsvilleChristian County · 1797 – 1804
Owensboro / Yellow BanksDaviess County · 1797 – 1817
Prestonsburg: first seat on the Big SandyFloyd County · 1797 – 1818
Yellow Banks becomes OwensboroDaviess County · 1797 – 1817
Bowling Green takes shape on the Barren, 1798Warren County · 1798- Glasgow & the BarrensBarren County · 1798 – 1809
New Castle, Henry County SeatHenry County · 1798- Richmond from Miller's BarnMadison County · 1798 – 1809
Burlington: from Craig’s Camp to Boone’s seatBoone County · 1799 – 1816
Carlisle: a county seat in Kincart’s peach orchardNicholas County · 1799 – 1816- Taylorsville on Brashears CreekSpencer County · 1799 – 1829
Campbellsville: from Andrew Campbell’s lots to a county seatTaylor County · 1800 – 1848
SomersetPulaski County · 1801
Old Mulkey Meetinghouse, 1804Monroe County · 1804 – 1856- Piankashaw Claims on the Ohio–Wabash1804
Shaker Village of Pleasant HillMercer County · 1805 – 1910
Ephraim McDowell & Jane Todd Crawford (1809)Boyle County · 1809
Great Saltpetre CaveRockcastle County · 1812 – 1815
Mammoth Cave saltpeterEdmonson County · 1812 – 1815
Saltpeter Cave at Carter CavesCarter County · 1812- Catherine Spears Carpenter 1818 Casey County sweet-mash and sour-mash recipesCasey County · 1818
- Chickasaw hunting grounds1818
Horse series: the Kentucky Association and Lexington’s race courseFayette County · 1826 – 1933
Louisville and Portland CanalJefferson County · 1826 – 1830
Paducah at the Tennessee mouthMcCracken County · 1827 – 1832
More Kentucky history (19)
Lexington namedFayette County- Newt Kash Hollow (15Mf1)Menifee County
McLean Drift Bank: Kentucky’s first commercial coal mine (1820)Muhlenberg County · 1820 – 1967
The Maysville Road and Jackson’s veto, 1830Mason County · 1829 – 1835- Lexington & Ohio RailroadFayette, Franklin counties · 1830 – 1835
James Crow on Glenn's CreekWoodford County · 1833 – 1840
Bagdad: How a Shelby County Rail Stop Took Over ConsolationShelby County · 1850 – 1861
Louisville & Nashville Railroad opens the interiorJefferson County · 1850 – 1859
Henry McKenna's Fairfield sour mashNelson County · 1855
Camp Nelson and Kentucky’s U.S. Colored TroopsJessamine County · 1863 – 1866
Camp Nelson, Jessamine CountyJessamine County · 1863 – 1865
George Garvin Brown and Old ForesterJefferson County · 1870 – 1917
Frederick Stitzel’s barrel racks, 1879Jefferson County · 1879 – 1935
Jeptha Knob, Shelby County’s buried craterShelby County · 1887 – 1925
Hidden River Cave under Horse CaveHart County · 1890 – 1943
E.H. Taylor Jr. and the Bottled-in-Bond Act, 1897Franklin County · 1897
Cumberland FallsMcCreary, Whitley counties · 1931
Yahoo Falls: Kentucky’s tallest waterfallMcCreary County · 1937 – 1987
Red River Gorge: sandstone arches and the dam fightMenifee County · 1962 – 1993