Founding of Morgan County
West Liberty, Morgan County, Kentucky
Marker Inscription
Founding of Morgan County. Edmund Wells (1777-1846) settled here (then Floyd Co.) about 1814, operating a mill, ferry, and tavern. First meeting of Morgan County Court held at his home March 10, 1823, as directed by Ky. legislature. He provided land for co. seat, West Liberty; built first jail and courthouse; and served as justice of peace, sheriff, and county's second state legislator. (Reverse) The Old Mill - Edmund Wells completed his grist mill here in 1816. Early roads connected Wells Mill (as first settlement was called) to Blaine in Lawrence County and other points in this county. The mill remained a central landmark beyond Wells' ownership (sold ca. 1838). Presented by Morgan County Historical Society.
Erected by Kentucky Historical Society
The Story
Edmund Wells settled this stretch of eastern Kentucky about 1814, running a mill, ferry, and tavern when it was still part of Floyd County. When Morgan County was created, its first court met at his home in 1823, and Wells gave the land for the county seat of West Liberty and built its first jail and courthouse. His grist mill, completed in 1816, anchored the settlement first known as Wells Mill and remained a landmark long after he sold it around 1838.
Why it matters
The story captures how a single frontier entrepreneur—miller, ferryman, and officeholder—could seed an entire county in the early-republic settlement of the Appalachian interior.
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Related people
- · Edmund Wells
Themes & tags
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