Harlan County, was formed in 1819 out of a portion of Knox County. It is named after Major Silas Harlan, who was among the 60 men killed by the Indians at the battle of Blue Licks (Aug. 19, 1782). It is located in the southeastern portion of the state on the border of Virginia. The elevation in the county ranges from 1070 to 4145 feet above sea level, the highest in the state. The county population in 1990 was 36,574, in 2000 the population was 33,202, a decrease of -9.2%. Harlan has several mountain systems. Black Mountain runs along the Kentucky - Virginia border. Big Black Mountain is the highest point in the state of Kentucky at 4,145 feet above sea level, near Lynch. Another system in Harlan is Pine Mountain which runs toward Cumberland. Stone Mountain is another mountain that isn't talked about much but has very beautiful views many times of the year. This mountain is located on the Harlan-Bell-Virginia borders. Another one of natures heavenly sites is Blanton Forest. This is by far the largest old-growth forest in Kentucky and one of the oldest in the United States. It covers 2,350 acres of Pine Mountain's south slope.

Harlan,Kentucky is the seat of Harlan county in southeastern Kentucky. It lies in the Cumberland Mountains, on the Clover Fork of the Cumberland River. It was settled in 1819 by Virginians led by Samuel Hoard and was known as Mount Pleasant until renamed for Major Silas Harlan. After the railroad arrived in 1911, the town developed as a shipping point for lumber and coal. Between 1900 and 1938, and again in 1974, Harlan was the scene of violent labour disputes between the miners and the operators of the local coal mines; this continual unrest played an important role in the development of organized labour. Coal and hardwood timber remain the city's economic mainstays. Kingdom Come State Park and the Redbird Purchase Unit of the Daniel Boone National Forest are nearby.

Harlan County Vital Records Office Harlan County Clerk 205 Central Street Harlan, KY 40831 (606) 573-3636