Lincoln County (KY) Slaves, Free Blacks, and Free Mulattoes, 1850-1870
Lincoln County was one of the original three counties established by Virginia in 1780 [Fayette and Jefferson were the other two counties]. The three counties were created in order to make it easier for the state of Virginia to govern the huge area previously known as Kentucky County. The present day boundaries of Lincoln County were established in 1843, and the cunty is surrounded by five other counties. Lincoln County was named for Benjamin Lincoln, a Revolutionary War general who was captured by the British. Stanford is the county seat, it was founded by Benjamin Logan in 1775; the exact origin of the city name is not known. It was first known as St. Asaph, then Fort Logan. In the First Census of Kentucky, 1970, there were 5,446 whites, 1,094 slaves, and 8 free persons. The 1800 Lincoln County population was 8,621, according to the Second Census of Kentucky; 6,822 whites, 1,776 slaves, and 23 free coloreds. The 1810 population was 8,676, according to the Third Census of the United States, Lincoln County, Kentucky: 6,297 whites, 2,341 slaves, and 38 free colored persons. The 1860 population was 7,177, according to the U.S. Federal Census, and excluding the slaves. Below are the numbers for the slave owners, slaves, free Blacks, and free Mulattoes from 1850-1870.
1850 Slave Schedule
- 515 slave owners
- 2,878 Black slaves
- 476 Mulatto slaves
- 65 free Blacks
- 41 free Mulattoes
1860 Slave Schedule
- 531 slave owners
- 2,270 Black slaves
- 1,159 Mulatto slaves
- 54 free Blacks
- 106 free Mulattoes
1870 U.S. Federal Census
- 2,072 Blacks
- 921 Mulattoes
- About 210 U.S. Colored Troops listed Lincoln County, KY, as their birth location.
For more see the Lincoln County entry in The Kentucky Encyclopedia edited by J. E. Kleber; Lincoln County, Kentucky by the Lincoln County Historical Society; Slave Records, 1781-1784 of Stephen Trigg; and the Anne Butler audio interview, Civil Rights Movement in Kentucky at the Kentucky Historical Society website. See photo image of Negro High School in Stanford, KY in Kentucky Digital Library - images.
