KYGenWeb: County Collection: Marion
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Start Your Marion County Research

Marion County was the 84th Kentucky county, formed on 25 Jan 1834 from Washington County and named for Gen. Francis Marion, the Swamp Fox of the American Revolution. The county seat is Lebanon.

The area was first explored by surveyors James and Jacob Sandusky, with settlement beginning in 1779 along Hardin's Creek by Charles and Edward Beavin. Marion County later became a major settlement center for Roman Catholic migrants from Charles, Prince George's, and St. Mary's Counties in Maryland.

By 1785, Basil Hayden Sr. had led a group of twenty-five Catholic families to the headwaters of Pottinger's Creek. The first Roman Catholic church in Kentucky, established in 1792, was founded in this community.

Kentucky map with Marion County highlighted
Marion County within Kentucky

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. Because many families moved across nearby counties, researchers should also check those records.

County at a Glance

  • County Seat: Lebanon
  • Founded: 25 Jan 1834 (from Washington County)
  • Named For: Gen. Francis Marion, “The Swamp Fox”
  • Communities: Bradfordsville, Calvary, Gravel Switch, Loretto, Nerinx, Raywick, Saint Francis, Saint Mary
  • Geography: Rolling Bluegrass terrain with narrow valleys and ridges; part of the “Kentucky Holy Land” Catholic settlement region
  • Key Roads: US Hwy 68; KY-55; KY-49; KY-52; KY-84
  • Nearby Landmarks: Maker's Mark Distillery; Holy Cross Church; St. Mary's College historic site; Rolling Fork & Hardin Creek corridors

Record Loss:

  • No known courthouse fires or disasters listed for Marion County.
  • As with any county, expect occasional gaps or missing volumes; cross-check with state archives, church records, newspapers, or private papers when locals settled from Maryland or other states.

Adjacent Counties

Map showing adjacent counties

The Marion County Courthouse in Wickliffe holds deeds, marriage records, probate files, and circuit court orders dating back to the county's early years. Microfilm copies of many volumes are available through the Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives (KDLA). Additional regional resources for researchers can be found at the Kentucky History Center in Frankfort.

Other local resources include the public libraries and the Marion County Historical Society.

Notes

Formed in 1834 from Washington County; earlier records may be found in Washington County collections.

A major center of early Roman Catholic migration into Kentucky, especially families from Maryland. The first Roman Catholic church in Kentucky (1792) was established here, offering valuable early parish records. Multiple Catholic parishes and cemeteries provide extensive sacramental and burial records for researchers.

Settlement began as early as 1779 along Hardin's Creek; early land and survey records may include Beavin and Sandusky entries.

Lebanon became a regional hub for trade, education, and Civil War activity, generating strong newspaper coverage.

Map is from the 1874 Adams Asher Map of Kentucky. Found in the David Rumsey Map Collection.