Kentucky County, Former administrative territory in Virginia, United States.
Kentucky County was an administrative territory covering western Virginia, encompassing multiple settlements and frontier outposts during its existence from 1776 to 1780. The region served as the governmental seat for organized expansion into newly settled lands west of the established colonies.
The Virginia General Assembly created Kentucky County from Fincastle County in 1776, establishing organized territorial governance in the western frontier. The county was dissolved in 1780 and divided into three separate counties as population growth made division necessary.
Settlers in Kentucky County built new communities and government institutions while maintaining contact with Native American peoples on this frontier land. These early groups shaped the social patterns that would define the region for generations to come.
Harrodsburg, originally called Harrodstown, served as the administrative center during the four years this territory functioned as a Virginia county. Those interested in exploring historical sites from this frontier period should focus on locations around this central settlement.
The territory experienced remarkable population growth in just four years, transforming from a sparsely settled frontier zone into an established community requiring administrative division. This rapid expansion forced officials to split the growing region into three separate counties to better manage its affairs.
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