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Office: Wolfe County Emergency Management – Campton, KY 41301 | (606) 668-3040 | Email: [email protected]; Director Marcus Stephens, Deputy Director Kelli Ratliff Evans.
Notes: For an active emergency, call 911. Wolfe County has no separate city police force in Campton, placing primary law enforcement responsibility on the Sheriff’s Office.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: KY-15 and the Mountain Parkway serve Campton, the county seat, in eastern Kentucky. Campton was reportedly named from “camp town.”
Notes: Wolfe County was formed March 5, 1860 from parts of Breathitt, Morgan, Owsley, and Powell counties, named for Nathaniel Wolfe, an attorney and Unionist member of the Kentucky legislature.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Wolfe County Courthouse – Campton, KY.
Notes: Wolfe County is the genuine heart of the legend of John (or Jonathan) Swift’s lost silver mine – widely considered the oldest recorded folklore legend in Kentucky, predating even Daniel Boone’s arrival. As the story goes, Swift and companions discovered rich silver veins in the Kentucky wilderness in the 1760s, smelted the ore into bars and counterfeit coins, then lost the location after going blind – leaving behind two centuries of treasure hunters still searching today. Local landmarks bear his name directly: Swift Camp Creek and Silvermine Arch in the Red River Gorge, both in Wolfe County. Campton hosts the annual Swift Silver Mine Festival every Labor Day weekend, anchoring the legend as part of the region’s cultural identity.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Wolfe County Veterans Affairs – confirm current contact via wolfecountyky.com.
Libraries
LIBRARIES
Wolfe County Public Library (Campton) – confirm current address/phone via the county library system.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Swift Camp Creek, Silvermine Arch, and the portion of the Red River Gorge within Wolfe County are the county’s premier outdoor and folklore-heritage attractions.
Notes: The genuine “oldest recorded legend in Kentucky” distinction for Swift’s silver mine is a remarkable piece of Appalachian folklore covered in this project.
Wolfe County Animal Shelter – 202 Pet Lane, Hazel Green, KY 41332 | (606) 662-9330 | Email: [email protected]. Small rural nonprofit shelter; dogs only (no cats); offers a spay/neuter program; drop-offs by appointment only.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Office: Wolfe County Solid Waste – Coordinator Bryan Faulkner; confirm current contact via wolfecountyky.com.
NOTES: Wolfe County is the third county in Kentucky’s seventeenth (and final) batch under the Round 3 A+ sourced standard. The genuine “oldest recorded legend in Kentucky” distinction for Swift’s silver mine is a remarkable piece of Appalachian folklore covered in this project. 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 Wolfe County County
Wolfe County is Kentucky’s Red River Gorge county – the most spectacular sandstone arch and canyon landscape in the eastern United States, with over 100 natural arches and the climbing routes that have made the gorge a national destination, define a small eastern Kentucky Appalachian community whose natural assets give it a recreational profile far exceeding its modest population.
Campton (the county seat, population ~400) is Wolfe County’s governmental hub on the Red River, a small eastern Kentucky community on KY-15 serving as the gateway community to the Red River Gorge’s extraordinary landscape and the Daniel Boone National Forest.
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Wolfe County Property Valuation Administrator at 10 Court Street, Campton, KY 41301, phone 606-668-3810. KY assessed at 100% fair cash value.
Courts & Legal
Wolfe County Circuit Court at 10 Court Street, Campton, KY 41301, phone 606-668-3810, 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)
10 Court St., Campton, KY 41301
(606) 668-3512
CIRCUIT COURT CLERK (Court Records)
10 Court St., Campton, KY 41301
(606) 668-6004
ELECTIONS (County Clerk)
10 Court St., Campton, KY 41301
(606) 668-3512
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Wolfe County District Court (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
Wolfe County’s proximity to the Red River Gorge Geological Area is a significant local natural landmark.
Local societies
No dedicated Wolfe 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
Wolfe County District Court Wolfe County Judicial Center, 133 Main Street, P.O. Box 296, Campton, KY 41301 (606) 668-3736
Wolfe County was established 1860, named for the Wolfe family of western North Carolina, in eastern Kentucky near the Red River Gorge. Its seat, Campton, is also its largest city.
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
10 Court St., Campton, KY 41301
(606) 668-3711
SHERIFF / TAX COLLECTOR
10 Court St., Campton, KY 41301
(606) 668-3711
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK (Records, Elections, Marriage Licenses)
10 Court St., Campton, KY 41301
(606) 668-3512
ELECTIONS (County Clerk)
10 Court St., Campton, KY 41301
(606) 668-3512
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Wolfe County Health Dept
(606) 668-6214
KY CHFS — Kentucky River Region
(606) 439-3557
KY Medicaid
(855) 306-8959
Morgan County ARH Hospital
arh.org/morgan (West Liberty — nearest significant hospital)
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Wolfe County Health Department – confirm current contact via wolfecountyky.com.
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Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Campton
Population: 7,100
Area: 223 sq mi
Established: 1860
Public Records
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