Warren County, Kentucky Genealogy

United States

Kentucky

Warren County

Guide to Warren County, Kentucky ancestry, genealogy and family history, birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.

Kentucky Online Genealogy Records

County Facts County seat: Bowling Green Organized: December 14, 1796 Parent County(s): Logan Neighboring Counties Allen  • Barren  • Butler  • Edmonson  • Logan  • Simpson See County Maps Courthouse Location Map Adoption Adopt-a-wiki page This page adopted by: KYGenWeb Project who welcome you to contribute. Adopt a page today

County Information

Description

Warren County was named for General Joseph Warren. The county is located in the southwestern area of the state.

County Courthouse

Warren County Courthouse
429 E 10th Street
Bowling Green, KY 42101-2250
Phone: 270-842-9416
Warren County Website

Warren County, Kentucky Record Dates

Information for this chart was taken from various sources, often containing conflicting dates. This information should be taken as a guide and should be verified by contacting the county and/or the state government agency.

Known Beginning Dates for Major County Records
Birth*	Marriage	Death*	Court	Land	Probate	Census
1797	1797	1852	1796	1797	1797	1810
*Statewide registration for births and deaths started in 1911. General compliance by 1917.

Record Loss

1864--A disaster destroyed most of the records. For suggestions about research in places that suffered historic record losses, see: Burned Counties. By Michael John Neill at 24-7 Family History Circle. When the Records are Gone. By Arlene Eakle at Arlene Eakle's Tennessee Blog. Burned Counties Research in the FamilySearch Research Wiki.

Boundary Changes

1796--Warren County was created 14 December 1796 from Logan County. County seat: Bowling Green For animated maps illustrating Kentucky county boundary changes, "Rotating Formation Kentucky County Boundary Maps" (1776-1939) may be viewed for free at the MapofUS.org website.

Populated Places

For a complete list of populated places, including small neighborhoods and suburbs, visit Hometown Locator. The following are the most historically and genealogically relevant populated places in this county:

Cities
Bowling Green Oakland	Plum Springs Smiths Grove	Woodburn
Unincorporated communities
Alvaton Anna Barren River Benleo Blue Level Boyce Bristow Browning Clark Landing Claypool Crestmoor Delafield Drake Eastland Park Girkin Glenmore Gotts	Greencastle Greenhill Greenwood Guy Hadley Hardcastle Hays Hydro Indian Hills Kepler Lost River Loving Martinsville Matlock Memphis Junction Middle Bridge	Motley Mount Victor Petros Polkville Pondsville Rich Pond Richardsville Riverside Rockfield Rockland Sand Hill Springhill Sunnyside Three Forks Three Springs Tuckertown
Census-designated places
Plano

Resources

Biographies

• KY Biographies, Jeff Murphy's Kentucky Biographies Project

Cemeteries

Cemeteries of Warren, Kentucky online and in print
Tombstone Transcriptions Online	Findagrave.com KYGenWeb KYGenWeb Archives Tombstone Project Kentucky Gravestones Billion Graves
TombstoneTranscriptions in Print (Often more complete)	Family History Library WorldCat
List of Cemeteries in the County	Findagrave.com Billion Graves Kentucky Cemeteries FamilySearch Places
See Kentucky Cemeteries for more information

The following web sites have additional information on Warren county cemeteries.

• Interment.net,Kentucky cemetery records by county.
• Cemetery Junction, Links to cemetery transcriptions
• Naming the Forgotten, The Eastern State Hospital Project

Census Records

Historical populations
Census	Pop.	%±
1800	4,686	—
1810	11,937	154.7%
1820	11,776	−1.3%
1830	10,949	−7.0%
1840	15,446	41.1%
1850	15,123	−2.1%
1860	17,320	14.5%
1870	21,742	25.5%
1880	27,531	26.6%
1890	30,158	9.5%
1900	29,970	−0.6%
1910	30,579	2.0%
1920	30,858	0.9%
1930	33,676	9.1%
1940	36,631	8.8%
1950	42,758	16.7%
1960	45,491	6.4%
1970	57,432	26.2%
1980	71,828	25.1%
1990	76,673	6.7%
2000	92,522	20.7%
2010	113,792	23.0%
Source: "Wikipedia.org".

1810, 1820, 1830, 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920, and 1930 federal population schedules of Warren County are available online. For tips on accessing census records online, see Kentucky Census. If you're having trouble finding your ancestors in online indexes, try checking printed indexes. Created by local experts familiar with the area's families, these indexes are often transcribed more accurately than online nationwide indexes.

See Kentucky Population Schedule Indexes: Fiche, Film, or Book for more information about statewide printed indexes.

• Kentucky Census Transcriptions 1850-1930, USGenWeb
• Census Images, USGenWeb
• KY Census Online, Links to online census records

Church Records

Church records and the information they provide vary significantly depending on the denomination and the record keeper. They may contain information about members of the congregation, such as age, date of baptism, christening, or birth; marriage information and maiden names; and death date. For general information about Kentucky denominations, view the Kentucky Church Records wiki page.

• Kentucky Christian Church Directory, ChurchAngel
• Catholic Parishes in the Diocese of Lexington
• Catholic Parishes in the Archdiocese of Louisville

Baptist

• Beaver Dam. Church minutes (1817-1847) have been published: FHL Book 976.9752 K29g.

List of Churches and Church Parishes

• FamilySearch Places
  

Court Records

• Abstracts of Early Kentucky Supreme Court Cases, KYGenWeb
• Kentucky Court of Justice Research & Reference

Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups

African Americans

More information about African American resources in Kentucky can be found on the African American Resources for Kentucky and the United States African Americans Wiki pages.

• African American Genealogy (US) has more information about the kinds of records available
• The KY African American Griots Project
• Kentucky Cultural Groups has information specific to Kentucky African Americans.
• Sandi Gorin's Tips, Hangings in Kentucky 1792-1900

Genealogies

• [Long] Buchanan, Paul C. and Susie M. Owens. "Henry Long and Some Descendants of Colonial Virginia," The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 38, No. 2 (Apr.-Jun. 1994):115-126; Vol. 38, No. 3 (Jul.-Sep. 1994):190-200; Vol. 38, No. 4 (Oct.-Dec. 1994):263-273; Vol. 39, No. 1 (Jan.-Mar. 1995):27-31. Digital version at American Ancestors ($). FHL Book 975.5 B2vg v. 38 (1994)-v. 39 (1995).
• [Moss] Moss, T.C. The David Moss Family: Green, Adair, Boyle, Barren, Hart, and Warren Co., Ky.; Williamson and Maury Co., Tenn.; Mississippi. Memphis, Tenn.: T.C. Moss, 1968. FHL Book 929.273 M855mo

Land and Property Records

Land and property records can place an ancestor in a particular location, provide economic information, and reveal family relationships. Land records include: deeds, abstracts and indexes, mortgages, leases, grants and land patents.

See Kentucky Land and Property for additional information about early Kentucky land grants. After land was transferred to private ownership, subsequent transactions were usually recorded at the county courthouse and where records are currently housed.

• The KY Land Office

Local Histories

Local histories are available for Warren County, Kentucky Genealogy. County histories may include biographies, church, school and government history, and military information. For more information about local histories see the wiki page section Kentucky Local Histories.

Maps and Gazetteers

Click a neighboring county
for more resources

• Maps of Kentucky (1776-1939)
• KYGenWeb compiled list of maps
• Click on the county to go to the KYGenWeb site
• FamilySearch Places:Cities and Towns- How to Use FS Places

Military Records

• Military Resources, Revolutionary War through Civil War

Civil War

Online Records

• 1861-1865 - Kentucky Civil War Service Records of Confederate Soldiers, 1861-1865 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index
• 1861-1865 - Kentucky Civil War Service Records of Union Soldiers, 1861-1865 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index
• 1861-1865 - U.S., Confederate Soldiers Compiled Service Records, 1861-1865 at Ancestry — index (free)
• 1861-1865 - U.S., Union Soldiers Compiled Service Records, 1861-1865 at Ancestry— index (free)
• 1912-1950 - Kentucky Confederate Pension Applications 1912-1950 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images

Regiments. Men in Warren County served in various regiments and companies. Those listed below were specifically formed in this county:
Confederate soldiers

- 6th Regiment, Kentucky Cavalry, Company E

- 9th Regiment, Kentucky Cavalry, Company E

Union soldiers

- 2nd Regiment, Kentucky Cavalry, Company B.

- 2nd Regiment, Kentucky Infantry, Company B.

- 2nd Regiment, Kentucky Veteran Cavalry, Company H.

- 3rd Regiment, Kentucky Cavalry, Company I.

- 4th Regiment, Kentucky Cavalry, Companies A, B, C, D, F and G.

- 8th Regiment, Kentucky Cavalry, Company I

- 17th Regiment, Kentucky Cavalry, Companies A, B, E, F, G, H, I, K, L and M.

- 26th Regiment, Kentucky Infantry, Companies F and H.

World War I

• Fallen Soldiers in WWI from KY

Korean War

• Korean War Memorial for Soldiers from KY, KYGenWeb

Newspapers

• USNPL, Kentucky, Kentucky newspaper index with links
• World-Newspapers, Kentucky, Kentucky newspaper index with links
• Kentucky Newspapers on Microfilm

Additional newspapers abstracts can sometimes be found using search phrases such as Warren County, Kentucky Genealogy newspapers in online catalogs like:

• WorldCat (For instructions see WorldCat Online Catalog).
• Do a Warren County, Kentucky Genealogy Place-name search for these and other records in the FamilySearch Catalog (For instructions see FamilySearch Catalog Places Search).

Obituaries

• Kentucky Footsteps Archives, KYGenWeb
• Kentucky Obituary Sources, KYGenWeb
• Links to research and locate obituaries
• Browning Genealogy Database, Compiled by Charles Browning.
• Kentucky Obituaries, USGenWeb
• Afrigeneas, African American death notices, obituaries and funeral programs compiled by users from current newspapers and historical sources
• Obituary Depot, Kentucky Newspaper Citations
• Obituary Daily Times, Citations to over 15,000,000 obituaries including interactive search function
• Nashville Christian Advocate Death Abstracts

Other Records

• Kentucky Postcards, USGenWeb

Probate Records

Probate records are held by the Warren County, Kentucky Genealogy Clerk of Court and are housed at the Warren County, Kentucky Genealogy Courthouse. Microfilmed records can be found online at Kentucky, Probate Records, 1792-1977 for Caldwell, Henry, Hickman, Russell and Trimble counties. See the wiki page Kentucky Probate Records for information about how to use probate records.

Content: Probate Records may give the decedent's date of death, names of his or her spouse, children, parents, siblings, in-laws, neighbors, associates, relatives, and their place of residence.

Record types: Wills, estates, guardianships, naturalizations, and adoptions.

Online Probate Records

• 1774-1999 Kentucky Wills and Probate Records 1774-1999 at Ancestry ($) — index and images
• 1798-1943 - Will Books 1 to 8 (1798-1943) at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
• 1799-1927 - Will Books (1799-1927) at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
• Search Tax, Criminal, Land and Wills Records, Ancestry ($)

Social Security Records

• 1935-2014 United States Social Security Death Index at FamilySearch - How to use this collection; index. Also at Ancestry, findmypast, Fold3, GenealogyBank, MyHeritage, and Steve Morse. Click here for more information.
• 1936-2007 U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 at Ancestry ($) — index, click here for more information.

Tax Records

Taxes were levied on free white males over 21 and slaves aged 21 to 60. These persons are referred to as "polls." Tax listings, or digests, of a county generally list the taxable landowners and other polls and the amount of tax. The records for each county are divided by militia district. For more background information and state-wide resources see the wiki page Kentucky Taxation.

• 1800-1801 - 1800-1801 Tax Lists of Warren County, Kentucky Genealogy is included in Clift's Second Census of Kentucky 1800, digitized by Ancestry ($).
• Search Tax, Criminal, Land and Wills Records, Ancestry ($)

Vital Records

Vital records consist of birth, death, marriage and divorce records. Although Kentucky enacted a statute in 1852-1862 requiring registration of births and deaths,many counties did not comply. A second law was written in 1874-1879, and 1892-1910 but, again, was not always followed. By 1911, the law was more clearly defined and kept by 1920. Any existing births 1852-1960 and death records 1852-1953 can be accessed online. See How to Find Kentucky Birth Records and How to Find Kentucky Death Records for links to indexes and images.

Original marriage records are held at the office of the Warren County Clerk, with divorce records 1849-1958 located with the Warren County Circuit Court. For more information see How to Find Kentucky Marriage Records. For Kentucky divorce records see the wiki page Kentucky Vital Records.

Birth

• 1839-1960 - Kentucky Births and Christenings, 1839-1960 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
• 1852-1860 - Warren County Birth Index 1852-1860. Batch C518041 at FamilySearch
• 1874 - Warren County Birth Index 1874. Batch C518042 at FamilySearch
• 1875 - Warren County Birth Index 1875. Batch C518043 at FamilySearch
• 1911-1912 - Searchable KY Birth Index
• 1911-1999 Kentucky Births, 1911-1999 at MyHeritage ($) — index

Marriage

• 1609-2016 - Kentucky, United States Marriages at FindMyPast — index $
• 1785-1979 - Kentucky Marriages, 1785-1979 at FamilySearch- How to Use this Collection
• 1797-1954 - Kentucky, County Marriages, 1797-1954 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
• 1852-1862 - Warren County Marriage Index 1852-1862. Batch M518041 at FamilySearch
• 1876-1878 - Warren County Marriage Index 1876-1878. Batch M518044 at FamilySearch
• 1973-2000 - Searchable KY Marriage Records
• 1973-2000 - Kentucky Marriage Records 1973-2000
• 1960-1993 Kentucky Marriages, 1960-1993 at MyHeritage ($) — index

Death

• 1843-1970 - Kentucky Deaths and Burials, 1843-1970 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection- index
• 1900-1999 Kentucky Deaths, 1900-1999 at MyHeritage ($) — index
• 1911-1965 - Kentucky Death Records, 1911-1965 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index
• 1911-2000 - Searchable KY Death Index
• The Social Security Death Index - How to Use this Collection
• The Kentucky Vital Records Project, Transcriptions and Images of Kentucky Death Certificates

Divorce

• 1973-1993 - Kentucky Divorce Records 1973-1993, University of Kentucky Vital Records Databases

Research Facilities

Archives

Listed below are archives in Warren County. For state-wide archival repositories, see Kentucky Archives and Libraries.

• Archives of Appalachia
  East Tennessee State University
  Website

Family History Centers

Family History Centers provide one-on-one assistance, free access to center-only databases, and to premium genealogical websites.
FamilySearch Affiliate Libraries have access to most center-only databases, but may not always have full services normally provided by a family history center.

• Family History Center and Affiliate Library Locator

Local Centers and Affiliate Libraries

• Bowling Green Kentucky Family History Center

Libraries

Listed below are libraries in Warren County. For state-wide library facilities, see Kentucky Archives and Libraries.

Societies

Listed below are societies in Warren County. For state-wide genealogical societies, see Kentucky Societies.

• Southern Kentucky Genealogical Society
  PO Box 1782
  Bowling Green, KY 42102-1782
• Links and addresses to Kentucky genealogical and historical societies

Websites

• Warren County, KY History, Records, Facts and Genealogy
• Warren County KYGenWeb
• KYGenWeb project. Has maps, name indexes, history or other information for each county. Select the county.
• State of Kentucky Website
• USGenWeb Kentucky Archives
• Warren County, Kentucky Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
• Warren County KY Genealogy (Kentucky Genealogy)
• FamilySearch Catalog . Free - The FamilySearch catalog contains descriptions and access information for all genealogical materials (including books, online materials, microfilm, microfiche, and publications) in their collection.  Use Historical Records to search for specific individuals in genealogical records

This website requires a paid subscription for full access.