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

Todd County (KY) Enslaved, Free Blacks, and Free Mulattoes, 1850-1870

Todd County, formed in 1819 from portions of Logan and Christian Counties, is bordered by three Kentucky counties and the Tennessee state line. The county is named for John Todd, a colonel who was killed during the Battle of Blue Licks.

Elkton, the county seat, was incorporated in 1820 and is located on Elk Fork, which was a water source for herds of elk. Both the city and the fork are named for the elk. The 1820 county population was 575 [heads of households], the population increasing to 6,726 by 1860, excluding the enslaved. Below are the number of slave owners, enslaved, free Blacks, and free Mulattoes for 1850-1870.

1850 Slave Schedule
  • 635 slave owners
  • 4,600 Black slaves
  • 211 Mulatto slaves
  • 69 free Blacks
  • 28 free Mulattoes
1860 Slave Schedule
  • 583 slave owners
  • 4,336 Black slaves
  • 506 Mulatto slaves
  • 38 free Blacks
  • 7 free Mulattoes
1870 U.S. Federal Census
  • 4,421 Blacks
  • 412 Mulattoes
  • About 292 U.S. Colored Troops listed Todd County, KY as their birth location.
For more see the Todd County entry in The Kentucky Encyclopedia edited by J. E. Kleber; Marriage Bond Books, Todd County Clerk; Kinchlow, Gina Lloyce (FA4), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives; Lewis, Lisa Claire (FA 193), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives; and Todd County, Kentucky, Family History by Turner Publishing Company. 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 Todd County, Kentucky in Wikipedia.

Kentucky Place (Town or City)

Read about Elkton, Kentucky in Wikipedia.

Item Relations

Cited in this Entry

NKAA Source: The Kentucky encyclopedia
NKAA Source: Marriage bond books, (1857-1897, 1914-1918) [Todd County]
NKAA Source: Kinchlow, Gina Lloyce (FA 4)
NKAA Source: Lewis, Lisa Claire (FA 193)
NKAA Source: Todd County, Kentucky, family history
NKAA Source: Ancestry (online)

Related Entries Citing this Entry

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Cite This NKAA Entry:

“Todd County (KY) Enslaved, Free Blacks, and Free Mulattoes, 1850-1870,” Notable Kentucky African Americans Database, accessed July 27, 2024, https://nkaa.uky.edu/nkaa/items/show/2577.

Last modified: 2024-06-21 02:12:24