Breckinridge County is a county located in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. As of the 2020 census, the population was 20,432. Its county seat is Hardinsburg, Kentucky. The county was named for John Breckinridge (1760–1806), a Kentucky Attorney General, state legislator, United States Senator, and United States Attorney General. It was the 38th Kentucky county in order of formation. Breckinridge County is now a wet county, following a local-option election on January 29, 2013, but it had been a dry county for the previous 105 years.
History
The area presently bounded by Kentucky state lines was a part of the U.S. State of Virginia, known as Kentucky County when the British colonies separated themselves in the American Revolutionary War. In 1780, the Virginia legislature divided the previous Kentucky County into three smaller units: Fayette, Jefferson, and Lincoln. In 1791, this area was separated into the State of Kentucky; it became effective on June 1, 1792. From that time, the original three counties were divided several times. A portion of Jefferson County was split off as Nelson County in 1784; a portion of Nelson was split off as Hardin County in 1792; the present Breckinridge County was split off from Hardin in 1799.
In August 1779, Sinclair Hardin (first cousin of Captain William Hardin, the founder of Hardin's Fort), was killed by Shawnee Indians while taking a drink at Big Springs. He was the first white settler in Breckinridge County to be killed by Native Americans.Jolly, Henry C. April 25, 1902. "Interesting History of Indian Bill Hardin". The Breckinridge Democrat.Perrin, W.H. 1885. A History of the State of Kentucky. pp. 1039–1042; 1081, 1082. Retrieved from and The Indian threat continued for several years. However, the only sizable expedition against the Native Americans that Breckinridge County settlers took part in culminated in the Battle of Saline Creek in August 1786, in Illinois. The battle only lasted a few minutes, with fierce hand-to-hand combat. Between 18 and 30 Shawnee warriors were killed, with six more wounded. The remainder of the Shawnee fled. Captain William Hardin had commanded the Kentucky volunteers, many of whom also were killed or wounded. Hardin's militia brought home 16 Shawnee scalps, nine captured horses, 17 muskets, and "a mighty nice sword".
The bloodiest slave rebellion in Kentucky before the American Civil War took place in Breckinridge County on the Ohio River in September 1826. Enslaved people in transit to the Natchez slave market killed their captors and attempted to travel north to freedom, but were apprehended. Five of the leaders of the rebellion were executed by hanging, while the survivors were re-enslaved in Bourbon County, Kentucky and the Deep South.
The Judge-Executive of Breckinridge County from 1801 to 1805 was William Comstock. Jo Allen was the county clerk, and Ben Huff was the sheriff.Breckinridge Bicentennial Committee Program. Accessed from Breckinridge Historical Archives.
During the American Civil War, raiding Kentucky Confederate cavalry burned the courthouse, as it was being used by Union troops as a barracks, though most of the records were saved. On March 12, 1865, Jerome Clarke, a well known Confederate guerrilla, claimed by some to have been Sue Munday, was captured near the Breckinridge–Meade County line.Kentucky Historical Marker No. 536. He was hanged three days later in Louisville.Kentucky Historical Marker No. 540. Afterward, his trial drew heavy criticism.
During the nineteenth century, the Victoria Coal Mines, named in honor of British Queen Victoria, were the first to produce coal oil, and Cloverport exported it to Great Britain, where it was used to light Buckingham Palace.
United States Supreme Court Justice Wiley Blount Rutledge Jr., who served on the High Court from 1943 to 1949, was born at Tar Springs in 1894, when his father was pastor of Cloverport Baptist Church.
On June 6, 1932, at Hardinsburg, Sam Jennings became the penultimate person to be publicly executed in the United States.
In the 1950s, Rough River Dam State Resort Park was developed at the southern border of the county.
A third courthouse fire nearly destroyed county records in 1958.
Breckinridge County High School won the 1965 and 1995 Kentucky High School Athletic Association's Boys' Basketball tournaments.
The Breckinridge County Archives, formed in 1984, was the first state-funded archival repository in the history of the United States and is known across the nation as an excellent resource for genealogical and historical research.
Geography According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (3.2%) is water.
Adjacent counties Perry County, Indiana (northwest) Meade County (northeast/EST Border) Hardin County (east/EST Border) Grayson County (south) Ohio County (southwest) Hancock County (west)
Demographics
2020 census As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 20,432. The median age was 42.7 years. 23.1% of residents were under the age of 18 and 19.6% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 102.4 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 100.3 males age 18 and over.
The racial makeup of the county was 92.2% White, 2.1% Black or African American, 0.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% Asian, 0.0% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 0.6% from some other race, and 4.7% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 1.4% of the population.
0.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 100.0% lived in rural areas.
There were 8,003 households in the county, of which 29.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 23.4% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 26.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
There were 10,704 housing units, of which 25.2% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 77.3% were owner-occupied and 22.7% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.8% and the rental vacancy rate was 7.3%.
2000 census As of the census of 2000, there were 18,648 people, 7,324 households, and 5,309 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 9,890 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 95.84% White, 2.86% Black or African American, 0.23% Native American, 0.08% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.09% from other races, and 0.90% from two or more races. 0.72% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 7,324 households, out of which 31.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.60% were married couples living together, 8.90% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.50% were non-families. 24.60% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 2.97.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 24.90% under the age of 18, 8.20% from 18 to 24, 26.70% from 25 to 44, 26.00% from 45 to 64, and 14.20% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 98.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.30 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $30,554, and the median income for a family was $36,575. Males had a median income of $31,004 versus $19,371 for females. The per capita income for the county was $15,402. About 11.80% of families and 15.80% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.60% of those under age 18 and 19.00% of those age 65 or over. Education K-12 education School districts include: - Text list - For more detailed boundaries of the independent school districts see: Breckinridge County School District Cloverport Independent School District
It also has a private school: Saint Romuald Interparochial School
Library Breckinridge County Public Library is located at 308 Old Highway 60 in Hardinsburg, Kentucky.
Higher education A Roman Catholic seminary school operated in the Mount Merino community from 1838 to 1843. Founded by brothers Drs. Benedict and Richard Wathen, Mount Merino Seminary would today be considered a high school. It closed when its director, Fr. B.J. Spalding, was transferred.
A Methodist college operated in the Kingswood community from 1906 to 1934. Founded by John Wesley Hughes, Kingswood College closed during the Great Depression.
Communities Cities
Cloverport Hardinsburg (county seat) Irvington
Unincorporated Communities A–L
Addison Axtel Bewleyville Big Spring (partially in Hardin County and Meade County in the Eastern Time Zone) Cannons Point Clifton Mills Constantine Custer Dyer Fairfield Falls of Rough (mostly in Grayson County) Fisher Frymire Garfield Glen Dean Harned Hinton Hills Holt Hudson Kingswood Kirk Locust Hill Lodiburg
Unincorporated Communities M–Z
Madrid Mattingly McCoy McDaniels McQuady Mook Mooleyville Mount Merino Mystic Raymond Roff Sample Se Ree Stephensport Tar Fork Union Star Vanzant Webster Westview
Notable natives NameAchievementsAlfred "Butch" Beardprofessional basketball player and coachDavid "Big Dave" DeJernettprofessional basketball playerPhilip Leget EdwardsAmerican educatorJoseph HoltJudge Advocate General of the United States ArmyAttorney GeneralSecretary of WarCommissioner of PatentsPostmaster GeneralBobbi JordanAmerican actressJohn Alexander McClernandUnion General during the American Civil WarCharles Harwood MoormanJudge of the Kentucky Court of AppealsJudge of the United States District Court for the Western District of KentuckyJudge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth CircuitWiley Blount RutledgeJustice of the Supreme Court of the United StatesGeorge W. SwinkbusinessmanJoe WrightMajority floor leader in the Kentucky State Senate
Politics
Elected officials Elected officials as of January 3, 2025U.S. HouseBrett Guthrie (R)Ky. SenateStephen Meredith (R)5Ky. HouseJosh Calloway (R)10
See also
National Register of Historic Places listings in Breckinridge County, Kentucky
References