Timeline story
Harry Innes
Virginia lawyer Harry Innes reached Kentucky in 1783 after Virginia elected him an assistant judge of the District of Kentucky’s supreme court; he was sworn in at Crow’s Station, Virginia (near present-day Danville, Kentucky), in November 1782.
He served as attorney general for the Kentucky District (1784–1789), sat in eight of the ten statehood conventions that separated Kentucky from Virginia, and on September 26, 1789, became the first U.S. district judge for Kentucky—appointed by George Washington—holding that seat until his death in Frankfort in 1816.
He practiced law, farmed, and speculated in land, served as a Transylvania University trustee, and built a distinguished library; as a federal judge he presided over the first treason trial of Aaron Burr, and he later endured bitter Spanish-conspiracy libel fights with Humphrey Marshall. Frankfort Cemetery holds his grave.
Cite this story
Published . Last revised .
Chicago
Snowden, Shannon. "Harry Innes." Kentucky History Drive. Published October 2, 2026. Last revised October 12, 2026. https://kyhistorydrive.com/stories/harry-innes/.
MLA
Snowden, Shannon. "Harry Innes." Kentucky History Drive, published 2 Oct. 2026, last revised 12 Oct. 2026, https://kyhistorydrive.com/stories/harry-innes/.
