2000 Population:
35,865 County Seat: Williamsburg
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History from
Collins' History of Kentucky, 1877
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Whitley county, formed in 1818 out
of the W. part of Knox, and named in honor of the great Indian fighter,
Col.
Wm. Whitley, was the 59th in order of formation. Part of its
territory was taken, in 1825, to help form Laurel county. It is situated
on the southern border, in the S.E. section of the state; and is bounded
N. by Laurel, E. by Knox and Josh Bell, S. by the Tennessee state line
(and Scott and Campbell counties, Tenn.), and W. by Wayne and Pulaski counties.
It is about the 10th largest county in the sate, and embraces over 450
square miles. It is drained by the Cumberland and its tributaries - that
river winding through it for 45 miles, in a general western course, and
quite centrally, except that it enters on the N.E. and flows out on the
N.W. border; Laurel river, with 4 miles of the Cumberland, forms the N.
boundary line. The face of the country, except the river valleys, is hilly
and broken; two spurs of the Cumberland mountain penetrating the S.E. corner,
to within a short distance of Williamsburg, on the Cumberland river. Corn
is the staple product, and cattle and hogs the principal exports of the
county. |
