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Owen County, Kentucky

46 topographic sheets and 7 fire insurance atlases across 1 place.

Research this county

From the record

17 National Register listings published here.

Sources: the National Register database, National Park Service

Kentucky within the United States
Owen County within Kentucky

What the record shows

  • 1 place in this county was surveyed for fire insurance: Owenton, between 1885 and 1935.
  • 7 fire insurance atlases survive for the county. Topographic coverage is national; fire insurance survey reached only incorporated places with something worth insuring.
  • 308 topographic sheet readings cover the county's settlements.
  • 17 properties here are on the National Register of Historic Places: 10 buildings, 6 districts and 1 site.
  • 2 of the 17 listings were added during the 1970s.
  • The Geographic Names Information System records 33 populated places in this county; 33 are covered by at least one topographic sheet.

Places on the National Register

17

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
Mason Brown Housebuilding199898000325
Byrns Landingdistrict199797000865
Central Owenton Historic Districtdistrict198484001893
Cox, L. 0., Housebuilding198484001895
Ford Housebuilding198484001897
Enos Hardin Farmdistrict199797000868
Highfieldbuilding197777000640
Jacob Hunter Housesite198787000204
William Linsey Housebuilding198484001900
McKay Housebuilding198484001902
Monterey Grade Schoolbuilding199797000869
Monterey Historic Districtdistrict199797000867
New Liberty Historic Districtdistrict200100001601
North Main-North Adams Historic Districtdistrict198484001905
Old Cedar Baptist Churchbuilding199797000870
Owen County Courthouse and Jailbuilding197676000937
E. E. Settle Housebuilding198484001910

The county from the air

22 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 1,044 frames inside the rectangle that bounds this county; the 22 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, 1949-05-03, scale 1:14000
1949-05-03, scale 1:14000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1949-05-03, scale 1:14000
1949-05-03, scale 1:14000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1949-05-03, scale 1:14000
1949-05-03, scale 1:14000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1949-05-03, scale 1:14000
1949-05-03, scale 1:14000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1950-06-01, scale 1:14200
1950-06-01, scale 1:14200. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1950-06-01, scale 1:14200
1950-06-01, scale 1:14200. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1950-06-01, scale 1:14200
1950-06-01, scale 1:14200. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1950-06-01, scale 1:14200
1950-06-01, scale 1:14200. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1952-03-01, scale 1:18000
1952-03-01, scale 1:18000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1952-03-01, scale 1:18000
1952-03-01, scale 1:18000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1952-03-01, scale 1:18000
1952-03-01, scale 1:18000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1952-03-01, scale 1:18000
1952-03-01, scale 1:18000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1960-04-20, scale 1:24000
1960-04-20, scale 1:24000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1960-04-20, scale 1:24000
1960-04-20, scale 1:24000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1965-02-15, scale 1:24000
1965-02-15, scale 1:24000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1967-01-19, scale 1:24000
1967-01-19, scale 1:24000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1967-01-19, scale 1:24000
1967-01-19, scale 1:24000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1969-04-06, scale 1:24000
1969-04-06, scale 1:24000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1969-04-06, scale 1:24000
1969-04-06, scale 1:24000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1969-04-06, scale 1:24000
1969-04-06, scale 1:24000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1969-04-06, scale 1:24000
1969-04-06, scale 1:24000. 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

7 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

18 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.

  • 94-1Magisterial District 1: Sparta town - That part in Owen County comprising part of Magisterial District 1 (Remainder of Sparta town is in Magisterial District 4, Sparta, Gallatin County)
  • 94-2Magisterial District 1 - That part east of Brush Creek
  • 94-3Magisterial District 1 - That part west of Brush Creek and east of State Hwy. 35, and U.S. Hwy. 227, outside Sparta town
  • 94-4Magisterial District 1 - That part west of State Hwy. 35 and north of State Hwy. 36 and U.S. Hwy. 227, outside Sparta town
  • 94-5Magisterial District 1 - That part south of State Hwy. 36 and U.S. Hwy. 227
  • 94-6Magisterial District 2: Owenton city: Owenton city - That part Bounded by City limits; City limits; City limits; U.S. Hwy. 227, Adams, Perry, Roland Ave.
  • 94-7Owenton city - That part Bounded by City limits; Roland Ave., Perry, Adams, U.S. Hwy. 227; City limits; City limits
  • 94-8Magisterial District 2 - That part east of Eagle and Elk Creeks
  • 94-9Magisterial District 2 - That part west of Eagle and Elk Creeks, east of State Hwy. 22 and U.S. Hwy. 227
  • 94-10Magisterial District 2 - That part northwest of State Hwy. 22 and east of U.S. Hwy. 227, outside Owenton city
  • 94-11Magisterial District 2 - That part west of U.S. Hwy. 227, outside Owenton city
  • 94-12Magisterial District 3: Magisterial District 3- That part east of Eagle Creek
  • 94-13Magisterial District 3 - That part west of Eagle Creek, east of Caney Creek, northwest of Dickeys Fork, northeast of Hesler - Fairbanks Rd. and U.S. 227
  • 94-14Magisterial District 3 - That part west of U.S. Hwy. 227, southwest of Hesler - Fairbanks Rd., southeast of Dickeys Fork and west of Caney Creek
  • 94-15Magisterial District 4: Magisterial District 4 - That part northwest of State Hwy. 22
  • 94-16Magisterial District 4 - That part southeast of State Hwy. 22 and northwest of North Severn Creek
  • 94-17Magisterial District 4 - That part southeast of North Severn Creek and west of State Hwy. 35
  • 94-18Migisterial District 4 - That part east of State Hwy. 35

Wildfire, 1998 to 2020

20 fires

Every wildfire the federal occurrence database records inside this county: 20 of them, burning about 149 acres. None started naturally and 1 was recorded as arson. Each settlement page carries the fires within five miles of it.

Reported cause Fires
Debris and open burning7
Missing data/not specified/undetermined6
Recreation and ceremony4
Smoking1
Arson/incendiarism1
Railroad operations and maintenance1

The five largest, by the area the report gives. None of them was recorded as arson.

DateCause SizeReported by Name on the report
2 April 2013Railroad operations and maintenance45 acresKentucky Division of ForestryBETHEL FIRE
28 March 2004Missing data/not specified/undetermined18 acresKentucky Division of Forestrynot named
24 September 2010Debris and open burning15 acresKentucky Division of ForestryROSE FIRE
21 March 2011Recreation and ceremony15 acresKentucky Division of ForestryELK CREEK FIRE
19 May 1998Debris and open burning8.0 acresKentucky Division of Forestrynot named
16 February 2002Recreation and ceremony7.0 acresKentucky Division of Forestrynot named
17 March 2005Missing data/not specified/undetermined6.0 acresKentucky Division of Forestrynot named
28 February 2004Missing data/not specified/undetermined5.0 acresKentucky Division of Forestrynot named

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

Storms, 1965 to 2025

60 of 238 shown

The NOAA Storm Events Database holds 238 reports for this county, causing 4 deaths, 6 injuries and about $3,368,700 in recorded property damage. Each settlement page carries the reports that name it.

Kind of event Reports
Thunderstorm Wind146
Flash Flood37
Hail31
Flood18
Tornado4
Lightning1
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
March 1997Flash FloodCountywide2 killed, $2,100,000no account filed
May 2016Flash FloodTeresita1 killed, $50,000Heavy rain fell over parts of southern Owen County with measured rainfall rates as high as 2 inches in 45 minutes. Flash flooding occurred along Indian and Sawdridge Creeks. A 53 year old man was swept away and killed by the rapidly rising water along Indian Creek near the intersection of Teresita Road and Old Walnut Grove Road. Three other people needed to be rescued from a porch at a nearby residence due to the rising water.
March 2021FloodPerry Park1 killedModerate flooding occurred along the Kentucky River due to heavy rain earlier in the week. A man drowned in the flood waters near Perry Park.
March 2012Tornado (EF2)New Liberty3 hurt, $320,000The tornado touched down north of Owenton initially near a farm south of Highway 227, where minor damage to a barn and house were observed. The tornado continued east to near the intersection of Todd Road and Highways 127, 36, and 227 where the EF2 damage occurred. This damage included a house that had complete removal of the roof and partial exterior wall collapse. Numerous barns in the area were also completely destroyed. Power poles and trees were snapped, as well as a semi trailer overturned. The tornado then continued east across Kemper Lane where more barns were destroyed and numerous groves of trees were uprooted and snapped. The tornado lifted just east of Jonesville Road. This location is approximate due to inaccessible terrain. Damage in the area of Jonesville Road consisted of minor damage to outbuildings, tree damage, and minor removal of roofing material. Based on the damage survey, the maximum wind speed of this tornado was estimated to be 125 miles per hour.
May 1996Thunderstorm WindWheatley2 hurt, $5,000no account filed
April 2002LightningNew Liberty1 hurtA person received minor injuries from a lightning strike. Time is estimated.
November 2000Thunderstorm WindHesler$50,000Thunderstorm winds blew the roof off a barn in New Columbus and knocked down large limbs in Hesler.
October 2014Tornado (EF1)Natlee$45,000In Owen County, a storm survey revealed that a weak tornado touched down west of Kentucky State Route 1883 with damage to some trees. More tree damage was found along Paynes Run Road, in addition to an outbuilding that was destroyed with debris lofted into an adjacent valley. Where Paynes Run Road intersects with New Columbus Road, several homes sustained minor roof damage with windows blown out, as well as significant tree damage. The tornado continued along New Columbus Road where a porch was lifted from a home (its final resting place still is unknown) and roof damage occurred to the home itself. From here the tornado damage became intermittent along the south side of New Columbus Road and Dudley Pike, with instances of tree damage, outbuildings destroyed and minor roof damage to several homes. The last instances of tornado damage in Owen County were found along portions of Leaning Oak Road where damage consisted of peeled back roofing material on barns, many trees snapped or uprooted and roof damage to homes. ||According to the survey from NWS Louisville, the storm quickly crossed into Scott County and struck North Rays Fork Road where it snapped and uprooted trees. Moving to the east-southeast, tree damage was found along South Rays Fork Road east of Stonewall. The tornado lifted just west of the Harrison County line. The only structural damage along the path was to a home near the top of a small hill close to the end of the path. The porch roof was ripped from the home and thrown over the building, with significant roof damage. Also, an above ground pool was destroyed. The damage in Scott County supports an estimated maximum wind speed of 107 mph (EF1).
January 2023Flash FloodGratz$40,000A bridge was washed out near Browns Bottom Road and State Route 355.
June 2021Flash FloodNew$30,000A portion of Claxon Ridge Road was washed out along Elk Lick Creek.
November 1992Tornado (F1)not stated$25,000no account filed
March 2024Thunderstorm WindPleasant Home$20,000A building roof was damaged and a few power poles were downed on State Route 22.
April 2018Thunderstorm WindOwenton$20,000A barn was partially destroyed and blown onto Highway 22 East.
March 2017Thunderstorm WindOwenton$20,000The garage doors of a wrecker service station were blown in. Numerous trees were also downed.
April 2014Thunderstorm WindPleasant Home$20,000Roof damage occurred to three barns and one tree was downed due to thunderstorm winds.
April 1999Thunderstorm WindCountywide$20,000Trees were knocked down. Scattered power outages were reported across the county.
August 1996Flash FloodOwenton$20,000no account filed
April 2011Thunderstorm WindNew Liberty$15,000Trees were across the highway and roofs were off outbuildings due to damaging thunderstorm winds.
June 2002Thunderstorm WindOwenton$15,000Trees were knocked down and a roof was blown off a barn on Slippery Rock Road.
May 1996Thunderstorm WindHesler$15,000no account filed
April 2006Thunderstorm WindCountywide$12,000A few barns sustained major structural damage. Trees were also downed.
September 2024Thunderstorm WindPerry Park$10,000Several trees and power lines were downed.
April 2022Thunderstorm WindLusbys Mill$10,000A pole barn was blown over and numerous trees were downed along State Route 330.
May 2017Thunderstorm WindLusbys Mill$10,000Several trees were downed near Dogwalk Road with one falling onto a car port. A barn was also damaged.
June 2016Thunderstorm WindNew Columbus$10,000A house was damaged by straight line winds along Mountain Island Road.
August 2009Flash FloodNew Liberty$10,000Two people were rescued from their vehicle trapped on a flooded bridge on Big Twin Creek Road.
August 2009Flash FloodOwenton$10,000Flooding forced the evacuation of a trailer on Teresita Road.
August 2006Thunderstorm WindCountywide$10,000More than twenty trees were downed throughout the county.
February 2002Thunderstorm WindNew Liberty$10,000A barn sustained severe roof damage in the northern part of the county.
February 2000Flash FloodCountywide$10,000Roads were closed due to heavy rainfall.
January 2000Flash FloodCountywide$10,000Persistent heavy rainfall caused State Route 355 to be closed due to high water.
July 2000Thunderstorm WindOwenton$10,000Strong winds knocked down numerous trees and destroyed a metal shed.
August 2000Thunderstorm WindCountywide$10,000Numerous trees were knocked down across the county.
May 1998Thunderstorm WindPoplar Grove$10,000Thunderstorm winds caused a roof to blown off a house.
May 2003HailHesler$10,000no account filed
January 2020Thunderstorm WindOwenton$8,000Several trees were downed across the county.
May 2004Thunderstorm WindCountywide$8,000Trees were downed.
July 2024Thunderstorm WindPoplar Grove$5,000Part of a metal roof was torn off of a barn.
June 2023Thunderstorm WindTeresita$5,000Several trees were snapped off along Harmony Road.
June 2019Thunderstorm WindBeechwood$5,000Several trees were knocked down across the southern third of Owen County.
March 2016Thunderstorm WindNew Liberty$5,000An estimated 10 to 15 large ash trees were downed in and around the New Liberty area.
June 2016Thunderstorm WindHarmony$5,000Trees were reported down between Harmony and Teresita Roads, west of Georgetown Road. They were noted by an aerial survey by NWS Louisville.
June 2015Thunderstorm WindOwenton$5,000Numerous 6 to 7 inch diameter trees downed on Highway 22, 227 and 330.
July 2015Thunderstorm WindBeechwood$5,000Several trees were downed along State Route 227 and elsewhere across Owen County.
June 2014Thunderstorm WindPerry Park$5,000Numerous trees were downed near Perry Park due to thunderstorm winds.
June 2014Thunderstorm WindPerry Park$5,000Numerous trees were downed across the county due to thunderstorm winds.
May 2011Thunderstorm WindOwenton$5,000A barn was damaged due to thunderstorm winds.
August 2009Flash FloodGratz$5,000Water was crossing Highway 355 due to flash flooding caused by heavy rainfall.
March 2008FloodWheatley$5,000Numerous roads flooded and closed throughout the county.
September 2006Flash FloodCountywide$5,000Several roads were flooded across the county.
May 2004Thunderstorm WindMonterey$5,000Numerous trees and limbs were downed.
May 2004Thunderstorm WindOwenton$5,000Trees were downed.
April 2001Thunderstorm WindPerry Park$5,000A thunderstorm produced strong winds which lifted up a police cruiser. Dime size hail also occurred.
June 2001Flash FloodOwenton$5,000Thunderstorms produced heavy rain which caused high water on roads as well as a couple of culverts washed out along Twin Creek.
June 2001Flash FloodSouth Portion$5,000Heavy rainfall forced the closing of roads in the southern part of the county.
July 2001Thunderstorm WindNew Liberty$5,000Numerous trees knocked down.
July 2001Thunderstorm WindOwenton$5,000Power poles were knocked down just south of Owenton and trees and large limbs were knocked down in Gratz.
October 2001Thunderstorm WindCountywide$5,000Several trees and limbs were blown down across the county.
February 2000Flash FloodCountywide$5,000Heavy rain flooded some county roads, mainly across the northern half of the county.
April 2000Thunderstorm WindNew Liberty$5,000Trees knocked down.

Mines and quarries

3 recorded

The Survey's mineral resources record lists 3 workings inside this county. 1 still produces and 2 are closed or unrecorded. Each settlement page carries the workings within five miles of it.

Commodity Workings
Barium-Barite2
Lead, Zinc2
Zinc1
Lead1

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

Where SiteCommodity StatusRecorded
K.T.Dome MineZinc, LeadPast Producer
Gratz MineBarium-Barite, Lead, ZincPast Producer1904
Twin Valley Mine & MillBarium-Barite, Lead, ZincPlant

Every populated place in the county

33

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 1 place that was also surveyed for fire insurance comes first, with the number of atlases and photographs held for them.

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

Recorded here

Owenton, Kentucky

9 topographic sheets and 7 fire insurance atlases, 1885 to 1935

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.