. PREFACE
 
A The Historical Records Survey was begun in January 1956, under the national
directorship of Dr. Luther H. Evans, as a part of the Federal Writers' Project
x of the Works Progress Administration. On March 1, 1940, Mr. Sargent B. Child
succeeded Dr. Evans as National Director. Dr. T. D. Clark was appointed super-
visor of the Kentucky project, under the administrative direction of Dr. U. R.
Bell, State Director of the Federal Writers' Project. In July 1956 Dr. Clark
was succeeded by O. B. Wilder, and in December 1956, Walter M. Hoefelman was
made State Director. Mr. Hoefelman directed the project until July 51, 1959,
when he was succeeded by Earl D. Hale, who fro  August 1, l959,until January
26, 1940, was in charge of the project. On the latter date, Mr. Hale was
succeeded by the present director.
In December 1956, the National Survey was separated from the Federal
Writers' Project, and became an independent unit of Federal Project Nu ber l.
On September 1, 1959, the Historical Records Survey was changed from one Nation-
wide WPA-sponsored Federal project, to a series of State-wide projects sponsored
by legally constituted public agencies. At present, the Kentucky Historical
Records Survey Project, sponsored by the State Librarian and Archivist, Emma
I Guy Cromwell, is under the administrative control of the Professional and
Service Division of the Work.Projects Administration. _
This project is preparing a key volume designed as an introduction to the
county archives inventories and as a general reference book on county goverm ent v
in Kentucky. Since this work will represent an exhaustive study of the organi-
zation, structure, and evolution of the various courts and county offices, the
el abbreviated essays used in the Hopkins County Inventory give only information
regarding the creation of each office, its primary function, its composition,
the present method of selection, and the length of term. " _