From NKAA, Notable Kentucky African Americans Database (main entry)

Metcalfe County (KY) Enslaved, Free Blacks, and Free Mulattoes, 1860-1880

Metcalfe County, located in south-central Kentucky, was formed in 1860 from portions of Adair, Barren, Cumberland, Greene, Hart, and Monroe Counties. It is named for Kentucky Governor Thomas Metcalfe, who also served as a U.S. Representative and Senator. Edmonton was named the county seat in 1860. The town was named for Edmund Rogers (spelling variation), who owned the land where he laid out the town in 1818. Rogers was a veteran of the American Revolutionary War and a land surveyor.

The 1860 county population was 5,964, according to the U.S. Federal Census, increasing to 9,440 by 1880, excluding the enslaved. Below are the number of slave holders, enslaved, free Blacks, and free Mulattoes for 1860-1880.

1860 Slave Schedule
  • 181 slave owners
  • 557 Black slaves
  • 225 Mulatto slaves
  • 26 free Blacks
  • 24 free Mulattoes
1870 U.S. Federal Census
  • 480 Blacks
  • 447 Mulattoes
  • At least one U.S. Colored Troop listed Metcalfe County, KY as his birth location [Joseph Reed].
1880 U.S. Federal Census
  • 661 Blacks
  • 378 Mulattoes
For more see Metcalfe County in The Kentucky Encyclopedia, edited by J. E. Kleber; James H. Read's Tax Book for 1865, by J. H. Read; and Metcalfe Co. Kentucky Vital Statistics, by S. K. L. Gorin. See the "U.S., Colored Troops Military Service Records, 1863-1865" and other military service records in Ancestry for names and additonal information.

Kentucky County & Region

Read about Metcalfe County, Kentucky in Wikipedia.

Kentucky Place (Town or City)

Read about Edmonton, Kentucky in Wikipedia.

Item Relations

Cited in this Entry

NKAA Source: The Kentucky encyclopedia
NKAA Source: James H. Read's tax book for 1865 (Metcalfe County)
NKAA Source: Metcalfe Co Kentucky vital statistics
NKAA Source: Ancestry (online)

Related Entries Citing this Entry

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Cite This NKAA Entry:

“Metcalfe County (KY) Enslaved, Free Blacks, and Free Mulattoes, 1860-1880,” Notable Kentucky African Americans Database, accessed October 4, 2024, https://nkaa.uky.edu/nkaa/items/show/2472.

Last modified: 2024-06-22 14:19:02