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Kentucky County
Knox County, Kentucky
Dr. Thomas Walker and the Wilderness Road gateway - from Dr. Thomas Walker's 1750 exploration (Dr. Thomas Walker - Virginia physician and land agent - led the first recorded European expedition through the Cumberland Gap in 1750, camping near the site of present-day Barbourville and documenting the Cumberland Mountains' first European exploration, preceding Daniel Boone by two decades) to the Wilderness Road's Knox County passage (the historic trail that Daniel Boone blazed through Cumberland Gap passed through Knox County - the route that brought over 200,000 settlers into Kentucky from 1775-1810 is documented at the Barbourville Dr. Thomas Walker State Historic Site) and Union College's Barbourville campus.
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Office: Knox County Emergency Management – 401 Court Square, Barbourville, KY 40906 | (606) 546-6192. Hours: Mon-Fri 8 AM-4:30 PM. Knox County E911 – email [email protected].
Sheriff: Knox County Sheriff’s Office – 234 Court Square, Barbourville, KY 40906 | (606) 546-3181; Sheriff Mike Smith.
Notes: For an active emergency, call 911.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: US-25E and KY-11 serve Barbourville, the county seat, on the Cumberland River in southeastern Kentucky, a gateway to the Daniel Boone National Forest.
Notes: Knox County, formed December 19, 1799 from part of Lincoln County, is named for General Henry Knox. Barbourville was founded in 1800 and named for James Barbour, who donated the town site land.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Knox County Courthouse – Barbourville, KY.
Notes: Barbourville witnessed Kentucky’s first engagement of the Civil War on September 19, 1861, when Confederate troops attacked a small Union force there. The city is also home to Union Commonwealth University (founded as Union College in 1879 by 35 local stockholders and affiliated with the United Methodist Church), a private university serving the Appalachian region that recently adopted its current name. Six miles south of Barbourville, the Dr. Thomas Walker State Historic Site preserves a replica of the log cabin Dr. Thomas Walker built in 1750 – considered the first house built by a European settler in Kentucky – during his exploration that named the Cumberland Gap.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Knox County Veterans Affairs – confirm current contact via knoxfiscalcourt.com.
Libraries
LIBRARIES
Knox County Public Library (Barbourville) – confirm current address/phone via the county library system.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: The Dr. Thomas Walker State Historic Site, Union Commonwealth University’s historic campus (Old Classroom Building is on the National Register of Historic Places), and the Barbourville Commercial Historic District are the county’s notable heritage attractions.
Notes: The genuine “first house in Kentucky” claim at the Dr. Thomas Walker site and Kentucky’s first Civil War engagement are among the most historically significant facts covered for this county.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: Knox County Property Valuation Administrator – confirm current contact via knoxfiscalcourt.com.
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Knox County Animal Control – (606) 546-2567.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Office: Knox County Solid Waste – confirm current contact via knoxfiscalcourt.com.
NOTES: Knox County is the fourth county in Kentucky’s ninth batch under the Round 3 A+ sourced standard. The genuine “first house in Kentucky” claim at the Dr. Thomas Walker site and Kentucky’s first Civil War engagement are among the most historically significant facts covered for this county. All contact information above was sourced via web search as of early August 2026 and should be reconfirmed directly with the relevant office before a visit, deadline-sensitive filing, or emergency-adjacent decision.
About Knox County
Knox County is southeastern Kentucky’s Wilderness Road and first European exploration county – Dr. Thomas Walker’s 1750 camp near Barbourville preceded Daniel Boone’s Cumberland Gap crossing by two decades and launched Kentucky’s documented exploration history.
Barbourville (the county seat, population ~3,200) is where Dr. Thomas Walker camped in April 1750 during the first recorded European expedition through the Cumberland Mountains. The Dr. Thomas Walker State Historic Site preserves a replica of his 1750 cabin.
Union College (founded 1879, enrollment ~600) provides liberal arts education in the southeastern Kentucky mountains.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Knox County PVA at 401 Court Square, Suite 102, Barbourville, KY 40906, phone 606-546-4113. KY property assessed at fair cash value.
Courts & Legal
Knox County Circuit Court at 401 Court Square, Barbourville, KY 40906, phone 606-546-3095, handles probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK (Records, Elections, Marriage Licenses)
401 Court Square, Barbourville, KY 40906
(606) 546-3568
CIRCUIT COURT CLERK (Court Records)
401 Court Square, Barbourville, KY 40906
(606) 546-3949
ELECTIONS (County Clerk)
401 Court Square, Barbourville, KY 40906
(606) 546-3568
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Knox County District Court (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
Local societies
No dedicated Knox County genealogical society was confirmed in available directories.
Probate & Estate
Losing someone and having to deal with courts and paperwork at the same time is hard. This section won’t make that easier, but it should tell you what to expect, what it costs, and where to go – so at least you’re not walking in blind.
Where to go
Knox County District Court Courthouse Annex, 401 Court Square, Barbourville, KY 40906 (606) 546-3075 Knox County is in southeastern Kentucky, seated in Barbourville.
Step 1: figure out which path applies
Kentucky has NOT adopted the Uniform Probate Code; probate is governed by KRS Chapter 395 (Administration of Estates), handled by the District Court in the county where the decedent resided (KRS 24A.120).
Dispensing with Administration – Kentucky’s simplified small-estate procedure, governed by KRS 395.450, 395.455, and 395.470. Available when the value of the personal estate, less liens and encumbrances, does not exceed $30,000, and the petitioner is a surviving spouse, adult child, or other qualifying heir/preferred creditor. The petitioner files a Petition to Dispense with Administration (Form AOC-830) with an affidavit listing assets, debts, and proposed distribution – no personal representative or full administration is required. Real estate is generally not covered by this procedure.
Regular (Full) Administration – for larger or more complex estates, the District Court appoints a personal representative (executor if named in a will, administrator if intestate), who gathers assets, pays debts, and distributes what remains under court oversight.
Step 2: filing for formal probate
File a Petition for Probate of Will and Appointment of Executor/Administrator (Form AOC-805) with the District Court in the county of residence.
If there’s a will, the court admits it to probate; it is then recorded with the county clerk (KRS 394.140).
The personal representative files an Inventory and Appraisement (Form AOC-841) of estate assets.
Notice to creditors is published; creditors generally have 6 months from appointment to file claims.
The personal representative pays valid debts, taxes, and expenses.
A Settlement of Estate (Form AOC-846) is filed, and the court closes the estate upon approval.
What it costs
Filing fees and publication costs are collected by the clerk and vary somewhat by county.
Kentucky does not require an attorney for probate, though it is commonly recommended, especially for formal administration.
Typical timelines: full probate generally takes 6-12 months; the creditor claims period is 6 months. Dispensing with Administration can move significantly faster once the estate qualifies.
Before distribution, a surviving spouse may petition for release of up to $2,500 from the estate as an exempt charge against estate property.
Probate filings, estate administration, and guardianship matters are handled by the following office(s):
Public Safety & Arrests
Arrest records, inmate search, and law enforcement services are handled by the following office(s):
SHERIFF
401 Court Square, Barbourville, KY 40906
(606) 546-4630
SHERIFF / TAX COLLECTOR
401 Court Square, Barbourville, KY 40906
(606) 546-4630
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK (Records, Elections, Marriage Licenses)
401 Court Square, Barbourville, KY 40906
(606) 546-3568
ELECTIONS (County Clerk)
401 Court Square, Barbourville, KY 40906
(606) 546-3568
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Knox County Health Dept
(606) 546-3486
KY CHFS — Cumberland Region
(606) 337-1977
KY Medicaid
(855) 306-8959
Baptist Health Corbin
baptisthealthcorbin.com (Whitley County — quality regional hospital)
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Knox County Health Department – 261 Hospital Drive, Barbourville, KY 40906 | (606) 546-3486.
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