Taylor County (KY) Enslaved, Free Blacks, and Free Mulattoes, 1850-1870
Taylor County, located in south-central Kentucky, was formed in 1848 from a portion of Green County and is named for U.S. President Zachary Taylor. It is bordered by five counties. The county seat, Campbellsville, was established in 1817. The town was laid out by Andrew Campbell, a gristmill owner. The county population was 5,695 in 1850, according to the U.S. Federal Census, and the population increased to 5,887 by 1860, excluding the enslaved. Below are the number of slave holders, enslaved, free Blacks, and free Mulattoes for 1850-1870.
1850 Slave Schedule
- 303 slave owners
- 1,466 Black slaves
- 154 Mulatto slaves
- 88 free Blacks
- 60 free Mulattoes
1860 Slave Schedule
- 287 slave owners
- 1,305 Black slaves
- 288 Mulatto slaves
- 57 free Blacks
- 72 free Mulattoes
1870 U.S. Federal Census
- 1,673 Blacks
- 190 Mulattoes
- About 45 U.S. Colored Troops listed Taylor County, KY as their birth location.
For more see Taylor County in The Kentucky Encyclopedia, edited by J. E. Kleber; Campbellsville-Taylor County, Kentucky Oral History Project (FA202) Manuscripts and Folklife Archives; and Campbellsville - Taylor County, Kentucky Oral History Project (FA 202), at Western Kentucky University, Manuscripts and Folklife Archives. See the "U.S., Colored Troops Military Service Records, 1863-1865" and other military service records in Ancestry for names and additonal information.