Morgan County, Kentucky, was established in 1822 from Floyd and Bath Counties.  Prior to and after the Civil War, four counties were created from it.  It was named for General Daniel Morgan, a hero in the Revolutionary War.  Wells Mill was the first settlement in the county and was named for Edmund Wells who began operating a water mill on the Licking River in 1816.  In 1823, the county seat of West Liberty was established.

Morgan County is located in the foothills of the Cumberland Mountain Range and is characterized by beautiful rolling hills and wide valleys along the Grassy, Blackwater, Elk Fork and Caney Creeks as well as the Licking River Valley.  In the spring, its hills are a mass of red and white colors produced by redbud and dogwood trees in full bloom.  In the fall, the hills display brilliant colors of red, orange and brown from the maples, sumac, gum oak and hickory trees.

The county is widely composed of conservative Scotch and Irish descendants who take pride in their county.  The residents of Morgan County, influenced by their churches and schools, have affection for God and country as well as education.  Morgan County has contributed many prominent citizens to various parts of the United States.

These people are deeply interested in their heritage as evidenced by monuments on the courthouse lawn honoring their Founding Fathers, World War II Veterans, and the veterans of all wars.

It is truly the “Jewel of Eastern Kentucky.”