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Hancock County, Kentucky

48 topographic sheets and 7 fire insurance atlases across 2 places.

Research this county

From the record

11 National Register listings published here.

Sources: the National Register database, National Park Service

Kentucky within the United States
Hancock County within Kentucky

What the record shows

  • 2 places in this county were surveyed for fire insurance: Hawesville, Lewisport, between 1886 and 1927.
  • 7 fire insurance atlases survive for the county. Topographic coverage is national; fire insurance survey reached only incorporated places with something worth insuring.
  • 346 topographic sheet readings cover the county's settlements.
  • 11 properties here are on the National Register of Historic Places: 10 buildings and 1 district.
  • 4 of the 11 listings were added during the 1970s.
  • The Geographic Names Information System records 22 populated places in this county; 22 are covered by at least one topographic sheet.

Places on the National Register

11

Every property in this county listed on the National Register of Historic Places, with the year it was listed and the federal nomination document.

Photograph PropertyType ListedReference
Robert C. Beauchamp Housebuilding197676000894
Hancock County Courthousebuilding197575000765
Hawesville Historic Districtdistrict198484001536
Isaac R. Hayden Housebuilding198484001539
Tom Henderson Housebuilding198484001540
Immaculate Conception Churchbuilding197575000766
Lewisport Masonic Lodgebuilding198484001541
Samuel Pate Housebuilding197878001335
Horace Patterson Housebuilding198484001543
Joe Pell Buildingbuilding198484001544
Taylor, J. B., and Son Feed Storebuilding198484001546

Bird's-eye views and land ownership maps

1

Drawn when these were printed as single large sheets: the town seen from the air, and the county divided into its farms with every owner named. Each opens the original at the Library of Congress.

Land ownership map, 1887 - Map of Hancock County and parts of Ohio, Grayson and Breckinridge : showing eastern outline of the western coal field
Land ownership map (1887) - Map of Hancock County and parts of Ohio, Grayson and Breckinridge : showing eastern outline of the western coal field. Library of Congress.

The county from the air

34 shown

Flown by the U.S. Geological Survey between 1937 and 1989, the Aerial Photo Single Frames collection is the definitive mid-century view of the land: fields, roads and rivers as the camera saw them. The Survey holds 886 frames inside the rectangle that bounds this county; the 34 frames below were taken over the county itself, chosen across the decades of flights (at most four a year from that rectangle), so one flight cannot crowd out the rest. The full set is free to browse and download at EarthExplorer under the dataset Aerial Photo Single Frames.

U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1950-04-01, scale 1:32770
1950-04-01, scale 1:32770. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1950-04-01, scale 1:32770
1950-04-01, scale 1:32770. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1950-04-01, scale 1:32770
1950-04-01, scale 1:32770. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1950-04-01, scale 1:32770
1950-04-01, scale 1:32770. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1951-04-23, scale 1:17000
1951-04-23, scale 1:17000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1951-04-23, scale 1:17000
1951-04-23, scale 1:17000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1951-04-23, scale 1:17000
1951-04-23, scale 1:17000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1951-04-23, scale 1:17000
1951-04-23, scale 1:17000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1952-10-20, scale 1:60000
1952-10-20, scale 1:60000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1955-10-22, scale 1:86026
1955-10-22, scale 1:86026. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1958-04-12, scale 1:18000
1958-04-12, scale 1:18000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1958-04-12, scale 1:18000
1958-04-12, scale 1:18000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1958-04-12, scale 1:18000
1958-04-12, scale 1:18000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1958-04-16, scale 1:18000
1958-04-16, scale 1:18000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1962-03-28, scale 1:24000
1962-03-28, scale 1:24000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1962-03-28, scale 1:24000
1962-03-28, scale 1:24000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1962-03-28, scale 1:24000
1962-03-28, scale 1:24000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1962-03-28, scale 1:24000
1962-03-28, scale 1:24000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1967-03-02, scale 1:24000
1967-03-02, scale 1:24000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1967-03-02, scale 1:24000
1967-03-02, scale 1:24000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1967-03-02, scale 1:24000
1967-03-02, scale 1:24000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1967-03-02, scale 1:24000
1967-03-02, scale 1:24000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1969-06-17, scale 1:24000
1969-06-17, scale 1:24000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1969-06-17, scale 1:24000
1969-06-17, scale 1:24000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1969-06-17, scale 1:24000
1969-06-17, scale 1:24000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1969-06-17, scale 1:24000
1969-06-17, scale 1:24000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1971-05-14, scale 1:119470
1971-05-14, scale 1:119470. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1971-06-17, scale 1:122011
1971-06-17, scale 1:122011. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1971-07-12, scale 1:119596
1971-07-12, scale 1:119596. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1971-07-12, scale 1:122316
1971-07-12, scale 1:122316. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1978-04-01, scale 1:80000
1978-04-01, scale 1:80000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1978-04-01, scale 1:80000
1978-04-01, scale 1:80000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1978-04-01, scale 1:80000
1978-04-01, scale 1:80000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1978-04-01, scale 1:80000
1978-04-01, scale 1:80000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.

Weather records

5 stations

The thermometers that kept this county's weather, as the federal records hold them. The extremes below are measured values from those records, not estimates.

The 1950 census, district by district

10 districts

Who lived here in 1950, one enumeration district at a time, as the Census Bureau described each district. Each row opens its official National Archives result, with Population Schedules and ED Maps available there.

  • 46-1Magisterial District 1, Hawesville: Hawesville city
  • 46-2Magisterial District 1, Hawesville - That part east of State Hwy. 69 and U.S. Hwy. 60, outside Hawesville city
  • 46-3Magisterial District 1, Hawesville - That part west of State Hwy. 69 and U.S. Hwy. 60, outside Hawesville city
  • 46-4Magisterial District 2, Lewisport: Lewisport town
  • 46-5Magisterial District 2, Lewisport - That part north and northeast of U.S. Hwy. 60, outside Lewisport town
  • 46-6Magisterial District 2, Lewisport - That part south and southwest of U.S. Hwy. 60, outside Lewisport town
  • 46-7Magisterial District 3, Patesville: Magisterial District 3, Patesville - That part north of Weberstowm - Hardinsburg Rd. via Patesville
  • 46-8Magisterial District 3, Patesville - That part south of Weberstown - Hardinsburg Rd. via Patesville and east of Patesville - Fordsville Rd.
  • 46-9Magisterial District 3, Patesville - That part south of Weberstown - Hardinsburg Rd. via Patesville, and west of Patesville - Fordsville Rd.
  • 46-10Magisterial District 4, Pellville

Wildfire, 1999 to 2019

29 fires

Every wildfire the federal occurrence database records inside this county: 29 of them, burning about 746 acres. None started naturally and 1 was recorded as arson. Each settlement page carries the fires within five miles of it.

Reported cause Fires
Missing data/not specified/undetermined10
Recreation and ceremony9
Debris and open burning5
Railroad operations and maintenance2
Smoking2
Arson/incendiarism1

The five largest, by the area the report gives. One of them was set deliberately.

DateCause SizeReported by Name on the report
13 November 1999Arson/incendiarism300 acresKentucky Division of Forestrynot named
23 March 2016Recreation and ceremony100 acresKentucky Division of ForestryTRUKEY NEST
27 February 2006Missing data/not specified/undetermined98 acresKentucky Division of Forestrynot named
27 March 2007Recreation and ceremony50 acresKentucky Division of Forestrynot named
14 February 2006Missing data/not specified/undetermined40 acresKentucky Division of Forestrynot named
3 March 2006Missing data/not specified/undetermined30 acresKentucky Division of Forestrynot named
29 February 2004Missing data/not specified/undetermined30 acresKentucky Division of Forestrynot named
28 February 2004Missing data/not specified/undetermined25 acresKentucky Division of Forestrynot named

Every settlement page carries the fires within five miles of it - see the settlement index below.

Storms, 1952 to 2026

60 of 182 shown

The NOAA Storm Events Database holds 182 reports for this county, causing no deaths, 1 injury and about $562,500 in recorded property damage. Each settlement page carries the reports that name it.

Kind of event Reports
Thunderstorm Wind122
Hail26
Flash Flood21
Tornado8
Flood4
Heavy Rain1

The most serious of them, by death, then injury, then recorded damage. The accounts are quoted exactly as the forecast office filed them.

WhenEvent Place namedHarm What the report says
June 1987Thunderstorm Windnot stated1 hurtno account filed
October 2007Tornado (EF1)Utility$150,000The tornado crossed into Hancock County from Daviess County, KY, near Highway 1389. It continued northeast, with intermittent touchdowns, until it lifted in the southwest outskirts of Hawesville. A mobile home was destroyed along Highway 1389. Several barns and sheds were blown down near the intersection of highways 271 and 1389. Most of the damage, however, was in the form of large trees being uprooted or snapped. The parent thunderstorm crossed into Perry County, IN, where it later produced another tornado to the northeast of Cannelton.
June 2011Thunderstorm WindWaitman$100,000Numerous trees were downed and several barns and other industrial buildings were damaged in a 1 1/2 mile wide swath that stretched for about 6 miles just west-southwest of Lockport. Evidence of both cyclonic and anti-cyclonic rotation of downed trees and debris was observed by the NWS damage surveyor at the eastern end of the area, where the greatest damage occurred, including the destruction of a large, well-built metal barn and another, smaller industrial outbuilding. Interior damage of walls occurred to living quarters attached to the metal barn. Farther west, a wooden barn was pushed eastward 3 feet off its foundation.
March 2012Tornado (EF1)Chambers$40,000This tornado had intermittent touchdowns along a long track that began 7 miles west of Cloverport. It traveled in Hancock County for 6 miles before entering Breckinridge County 1 mile west of Cloverport. The tornado first touched down along Route 2181. Vinyl siding was removed from a home and small outbuildings were damaged. It then continued eastward, intermittently touching down and crossing Route 69. Four miles west of Cloverport, additional minor damage was surveyed to a group of homes along Route 2169. This tornado brought EF-1 damage to Hancock County.
April 2016Thunderstorm WindLewisport$30,000A Hancock County official reported several trees down in the area, one of which fell on a truck. The majority of the storm damage was reported in the Lewisport area.
July 2017Thunderstorm WindLewisport$25,000State officials reported several trees down in the area due to severe thunderstorm winds. One tree fell onto a house.
July 2006Thunderstorm WindHawesville$25,000Shingles were blown off of roofs. A trained spotter estimated an 80 mph wind gust.
June 1990Tornado (F0)not stated$25,000no account filed
January 1999Thunderstorm WindHawesville$22,000Four trees down on a house, mobile home blown off foundation
July 2017Thunderstorm WindUtility$20,000A 3 foot diameter tree fell onto a mobile home.
December 2013Thunderstorm WindGoering$20,000A reporter from the Hawesville newspaper provided information about a home on Goering Road that was badly damaged by winds estimated at 70 mph. The home lost its front porch and a section of an attached roof. A nearby barn was destroyed. The house's attached garage had its door blown in, with a section of the garage's back wall bowed out.
July 2016Thunderstorm WindLewisport$15,000Local law enforcement reported a tree fell on a vehicle due to severe thunderstorm winds.
September 2012Thunderstorm WindUtility$10,000A 9000 square foot metal building at a saw mill was damaged.
April 2006Thunderstorm WindHawesville$10,000Area homes suffered unspecified roof damage.
May 1995Thunderstorm WindHawesville$10,000Several trees and large limbs were blown down in Hawesville.
July 1995Thunderstorm WindCountywide$10,000Numerous trees and power lines were blown down across the county.
July 1995Thunderstorm WindHawesville$10,000A garage and greenhouse was damaged three miles south of Hawesville.
September 2018Tornado (EF0)Lewisport$6,000This tree-top level tornado did all of its damage 20 to 30 feet above ground. Never more than 50 yards wide, the first evidence of the tornado touching down was one mile south of the water tower on Thomas Lane, where it downed several large branches that blocked the road. Moving northeast over forested land, the next evidence was more tree trunks and branches snapped on Poplar Grove Rd just north of the intersection with Hilldale Rd. The tornado then continued to skip northeast, snapping branches and trunks to the west of Frank Luttrell Rd, before crossing the road and causing minor roof damage to the metal roof of a barn and snapping more tree limbs a third of a mile southeast of North Hancock Elementary School. The tornado dropped small branches and leaves along its path as it continued northeast. The last major tree damage was observed around a home on Adair Rd, where trees were uprooted and trunks snapped in a cyclonic pattern around the home. The only damage to the home, however, was minor roof damage from a branch falling on it. The storm then crossed Adair Rd, lifting somewhere in a wooded area west of a large pond near Beauchamp Lane, where residents witnessed its dissipation.
July 2017Thunderstorm WindLewisport$5,000Severe thunderstorm winds peeled the roof off a home on Lake Street in Lewisport.
January 2012Thunderstorm WindLewisport$5,000Local law enforcement reported that a storage building was destroyed. Roof damage was noted with a few nearby homes.
January 2012Thunderstorm WindLewisport$5,000An amateur radio operator reported that a barn was destroyed along State Highway 334.
January 2008Thunderstorm WindHawesville$5,000Thunderstorm winds downed several trees, and blew over an outbuilding.
May 2003Thunderstorm WindPatesville$5,000Several outbuildings were destroyed. Trees were uprooted.
June 1987Tornado (F0)not stated$2,500no account filed
June 1970Tornado (F1)not stated$2,500no account filed
July 2016Thunderstorm WindLewisport$2,000Local law enforcement reported trees down on a power line blocking Sand Hill Road.
April 1996Thunderstorm WindWeberstown$2,000no account filed
November 1993Thunderstorm Windnot stated$500Thunderstorms blew down numerous trees around Roseville.
April 2026Thunderstorm WindPetrie-A tree fell across State Road 271 South.
March 2025Thunderstorm WindChambers-A tree was down on power lines.
March 2025HailHawesville-Quarter sized hail was reported in Hawesville.
March 2025Thunderstorm WindUtility-Trees were blown across Kentucky Route 1389 just south of the intersection with Kentucky Route 1403.
March 2025Thunderstorm WindSunny Corner-A tree was down on Squirrel Tail Hollow Road.
March 2025Thunderstorm WindUtility-A tree fell on Lambert Schoolhouse Road and Scifres Ridge Road.
May 2025Thunderstorm WindPetrie-A tree was blown down onto power lines on Kentucky Route 271 west of Hawesville.
May 2025Thunderstorm WindWeberstown-A large tree was blown down across Kentucky Route 69 near Weberstown.
May 2025Thunderstorm WindWeberstown-Several trees were blown down by strong winds along Kentucky Route 144 between Weberstown and Arrington Corner. Some downed trees fell onto power lines.
May 2025Thunderstorm WindGoering-Multiple trees were downed by strong winds near the intersection of Pellville-Hawesville Road and Joe Powers Road.
May 2025Thunderstorm WindGoering-A tree was blown down on the 7200 block of Kentucky Route 69.
May 2025Thunderstorm WindVictoria Xrds-A tree was blown down along Hawesville Easton Road between Lamastus Road and Boling Hill.
May 2025Thunderstorm WindChambers-A tree was blown down near the intersection of Middle Knottsville Road and Storm Road.
April 2025Thunderstorm WindCabot-A tree fell down over the 800 block of Paul Baker Road.
April 2025Thunderstorm WindWaitman-There was a tree down on US 60.
April 2025Thunderstorm WindLewisport-A tree was blocking the driveway of Heartland Villa.
February 2024HailEaston-There was a report of quarter size hail in Easton.
February 2024Thunderstorm WindDukes-There was a large tree down on a garage.
February 2024Thunderstorm WindUtility-There was a tree down on a garage.
May 2024Thunderstorm WindCabot-A tree was downed by strong winds on Easton Cabot Road.
May 2024Thunderstorm WindHawesville-A tree was downed by strong winds on Tick Ridge Road south of Hawesville.
July 2024Thunderstorm WindLewisport-Power lines were downed along McGill Lane in Lewisport.
July 2024Thunderstorm WindHawesville-A tree was blown down over Indian Lake Drive.
June 2023Thunderstorm WindLewisport-Scattered trees were down county wide. Some were impacting power lines.
June 2023Thunderstorm WindChambers-Trees and power lines blew down.
June 2023Thunderstorm WindWeberstown-Trees and power lines were down.
June 2023Flash FloodLewisport-Flash flooding was identified around Riverview Drive and Holland Avenue. There were also flooding issues on US 60 about 1 mile east of Lewisport.
July 2023HailWeberstown-This report was from mPing.
July 2023Thunderstorm WindRoseville-There was a tree down on Bates Hollow Road.
July 2023Thunderstorm WindChambers-A tree was blown down by strong thunderstorm winds.
July 2023Thunderstorm WindHawesville-Strong thunderstorm winds resulted in multiple instances of wind damage across Hancock County.
September 2023HailRoseville-Golf ball size or larger hail fell in southern Hancock County.

Mines and quarries

12 recorded

The Survey's mineral resources record lists 12 workings inside this county. 8 still produce and 4 are closed or unrecorded. Each settlement page carries the workings within five miles of it.

Commodity Workings
Clay9
Silica1
Sand and Gravel, Construction1
Aluminum, Contained or Metal1

The least common of them first, because a county's hundredth gravel pit says nothing its first ten did not.

Where SiteCommodity StatusRecorded
HawesvilleAluminum, Contained or MetalProducer
Indian Lake Sandstone BluffSilicaProspect
No. 8 DredgeSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
American Olean Tile Tract No. 1ClayProducer
American Olean Tile Tract No. 1ClayProducer
American Olean Tile Tract No. 2ClayProducer
Can-Tex PitClayProducer
Cannelton MineClayUnknown
Lewisport Mine No. 3ClayUnknown
Lewisport Shale PlantClayProducer
Newton Springs Church ClayClayProspect
Owensboro Brick PlantClayProducer

Every populated place in the county

22

Named settlements recorded in the Geographic Names Information System, each with the topographic sheets covering it. Villages, hamlets and abandoned places alike. Each is shown with the nearest named watercourse or landform and the survey quadrangle it falls on. The 2 places that were also surveyed for fire insurance come first, with the number of atlases and photographs held for them.

The vanished settlements of Hancock County: the places named above that are no longer on the map.

Recorded here

Hawesville, Kentucky

22 topographic sheets and 5 fire insurance atlases, 1886 to 1925

Lewisport, Kentucky

18 topographic sheets and 2 fire insurance atlases, 1927

Provenance

  • Topographic sheets. USGS Historical Topographic Map Collection, county index, measured from the bulk metadata.
  • Fire insurance maps. Library of Congress Sanborn collection, faceted to this county.
  • Photographs. Each place queried individually against the Library of Congress Prints and Photographs search.
  • Wildfire. Short, Karen C. 2022. Spatial wildfire occurrence data for the United States, 1992-2020 [FPA_FOD_20221014]. 6th Edition. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2013-0009.6 Collected with United States Government funding and usable without additional permissions or fees.
  • Mines and quarries. USGS Mineral Resources Data System (MRDS) https://mrdata.usgs.gov/mrds/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.
  • Storms. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/stormevents/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105. Narratives are quoted verbatim from the National Weather Service report and are not edited or summarised.