Woodford County

Located in the heart of the famed Bluegrass Region, Woodford County is one of the oldest counties in Kentucky.Prominent citizens met in 1788 to create a new county government before Kentucky was a state and the area was still part of Virginia. These individuals included attorney and minister Caleb Wallace, who would be the founder of several colleges, and Thomas Marshall, the father of US Supreme Court chief justice John Marshall. With some of the finest pastureland in the world, the nearby Kentucky River for transportation, and an enterprising and industrious population, Woodford soon became one of the more prosperous counties in the state. Today, Woodford County is a community of the 21st century, but it is still known for its Thoroughbred horses, bourbon distilleries, rolling landscapes, and stone fences.The Woodford County Historical Society, Inc., has searched its collections to present a pictorial history of the county from the mid-1800s through 1950. Woodford County Historical Society, Inc., was founded in 1966 with the mission "to engage people in the discovery, interpretation, and excitement of Woodford County's past." To carry out its mission, it operates a research and genealogy library and a small museum in downtown Versailles, Kentucky.