Start Your Anderson County Research

Anderson County was created in 1827 from portions of Franklin County. Early families settled around fertile farmland, mills, and along the Kentucky River. Lawrenceburg became the county seat and remains the center of local records.

Research Highlights

This site brings together core materials useful to family researchers. You’ll find marriage records, cemetery transcriptions, obituaries, census abstracts, military information, local history notes, and contributed family files. Researchers should also check records in Franklin, Woodford, Mercer, and Shelby Counties.

History Snapshot

County seat: Lawrenceburg
Established: 1827
Early settlements: Kaufman’s (Coffman’s) Station, Kentucky River Settlement Area, Benson Creek Settlements, Hammond Creek Settlements, Old Wash Farm / Wash Family Settlement, Salt River & Tributary Settlements, and Frontier Cluster (Multiple Small Claims)
Later settlements: Alton aka Rough and Ready, Beaver Creek, Camdenville, Van Buren, Peanickle
Key roads: Buffalo Trace, King's Highway, Salt River Route, Anderson Turnpike, Lawrenceburg-Frankfort Road, Lawrenceburg-Versailles Road, and Mill Road
Early industries: Agricultural Foundations, Distilling, Milling, Timber, Merchant & Trade
Nearby landmarks: T.P. Ripy House, Old Wash House, Wild Turkey Distillery

Repositories & Records

The Anderson County Courthouse in Lawrenceburg holds deeds, marriages, probate files, and circuit court orders. Microfilm copies of many volumes are available through the Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives (KDLA). The local public library and Kentucky History Center provide additional collections.

Counties Surrounding Anderson County

Map of Anderson County and surrounding counties

Early Anderson County research often overlaps with these surrounding counties, especially Franklin, Mercer, Shelby, and Washington.

Common Anderson County Surnames

Some names that appear frequently in early records include: Kaufmann/Coffman, Lawrence, McBrayer, Benson, Hammond, Taylor, Catlett, Thacker, Shouse, Petty, Brown, Davis, Craig, Driskell, Johnson, Moore, Ripy, Coke, Orr, McCall, and Spencer. More surname material will be added as collections grow.