Rockcastle County
Mount Vernon, Rockcastle County, Kentucky
Marker Inscription
Rockcastle County, 1810. The 52nd Kentucky county created, out of Knox, Lincoln, Madison, Pulaski counties. Isaac Lindsey, who came here with a hunting party in 1767, observed a lone rock which resembled an ancient castle. From this the river was named, later the county. Dr. Thomas Walker and party, first white men to visit the interior of Kentucky, were at this rock as early as 1750.
Erected by Kentucky Historical Society
The Story
Rockcastle County, created in 1810, took its name from a lone rock that hunter Isaac Lindsey thought resembled an ancient castle when he passed through in 1767. Dr. Thomas Walker and his party, the first white men to explore Kentucky's interior, had reached this rock as early as 1750, and the river and later the county drew their names from it.
Why it matters
It marks the earliest European reconnaissance of Kentucky's interior, decades before permanent settlement pushed across the mountains.
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Related people
- · Isaac Lindsey
- · Thomas Walker
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
Daniel Boone's Trail
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