Carter County, Kentucky Genealogy
Carter County was formed in 1838 and formed from parts of Greenup and Lawrence Counties.
The county was named
for Colonel William Grayson Carter,
a State Senator in the Kentucky legislature.
Grayson, the county seat, was incorporated in 1844.
Research sites:
Carter County Research Website
Podunk Website: Carter County research information
Carter County, Kentucky History Books at Amazon.com
Early Beginnings of Carter County
In 1785, surveyors first came to the area to survey and lay out large grants of land. Two of the grants were the Richard Graham Grant of 185,000 acres and the William Grayson Grant of 70,000 acres. Carter County was part of Fayette County, Virginia at this time.
On May 1, 1838, the county came into being through the efforts of Senator William G. Carter. The county was named for him. Senator Carter and his wife, Hebe Grayson, the only daughter of William Grayson offered land for the county seat, Grayson. The county seat was named for Mrs. Carter's family. The county courthouse was built there. The original courthouse was torn down and replaced in 1907. Additions to that building were added in 1950 and 1963. A new courthouse now sits downtown and offices have been divided between the two buildings.
Most county records are held at the old courthouse.
Origins of Carter County
1734 Orange County, Virginia
1738 Augusta County, Virginia
1769 Botetuort County, Virginia
1772 Finecastle County, Virginia
1776 Kentucky County, Virginia
1780 Fayette County, Virginia
1785 Bourbon County, Virginia
1788 Mason County, Virginia
1792 Clark County, Virginia
1796 Montgomery County, Kentucky
1798 Fleming County, Kentucky
1799 Floyd County, Kentucky
1803 Greenup County, Kentucky
1821 Lawrence County, Kentucky
1838 Carter County, Kentucky