PREPACE
The Historical Records Survey, under Dr. Luther H. Evans, National
Director, was begun in January 1936 as a part of the Federal Writers'
Project of the lorks Progress Administration. Dr. T. D. Clark was ap-
pointed Supervisor of the project under the administrative direction of
Dr. U. R. Bell, Director of the Federal Writers' Project. In July 1936
Dr. Clark resigned from the project to give his entire time to his pro-
fessorship in the University of Kentucky; he was succeeded by Mr. O. B.
Wilder, who had served as Assistant State Supervisor under Dr. Clark.
ln December 1936 Mr. Wilder resigned to become Executive Secretary of the
Fayette Community Council, Lexington, Kentucky. At that time the project
was separated from the Federal Writers' Project and became a state-wide
unit of the nation-wide Historical Records Survey, a unit of Federal
Project No. 1, under the supervision of the present State Director.
The Historical Records Survey began operation in Laurel County in
April 1936 under the direction of Lawrence Turner, District Supervisor.
Upon his resignation, Mr. David Keedy supervised the work until December
1936, when Miss Edna Wilder was appointed Assistant State Supervisor and
directed the completion of the field work.
In October 1938 the original listing was rechecked under the direc-
tion of Miss Wilder, assisted by John C. Simmons and J. H. Raymer, Assis-
tant State Supervisors, and Hrs. Lina Cherrington, Editor in the Lexing-
ton Office, Historical Records Survey.
The purpose of the Survey in Kentucky is the listing of the records
of each county in the state, of each municipality within the state, and
of the state itself; the publication of separate volumes for each county
and municipal unit; and the publication of an inventory for the state
archives.
Field workers used standard forms in their listing of the county's
· records; they also supplied the editing staff of the state office with
abstracts of important court meetings and actions, so that both the essays
and the entries would reflect the actual manner in which county officers
acted in obedience to the various legislative acts relative to county
government.
The historical sketch was prepared in original form by Harry P.
Hoskins, social scientist, from material found in the Filson Club, Louis-
ville, Kentucky, and from source material contained in the abstracts sup-
plied by field workers. This sketch was rewritten and edited in final
form by Mrs. E. Johnston, Assistant State Supervisor, who also, with the
aid of John.N. Allen, Assistant State Supervisor in charge of legal re-
search, wrote the essay on "Governmental Organization and Records System."
The article on "Housing, Care, and Accessibility of Records" was pre-
pared by Mrs. Johnston from material received from the field, with the
assistance of Miss Wilder.