(From the Foreword) The purpose of this book is to recognnize and honor an individual's history as well as the history of Edmonson County families. It is felt that this goal was met in the Family History of Edmonson County.

The edit and re-issue of this book is dedicated to James H. Simon, a dedicated genealogist. My sincere thanks go to him for the information he compiled before the age of computers. His work was compiled over many years of research using only 3x5 index cards, scribbled notes, and then transferred to paper on a typewriter. I can only imagine how difficult this task was to complete in 1987. Simon's research has been treasured by amateur genealogists, and used as the foundation of many family trees. This edit and re-issue of his book promotes James Simon's original stated goal for developing his book. "I hope I can influence others to get going on their family tree. The longer one puts it off, the harder it will be to find answers. Every day more and more of our past is lost, either through the loss of irreplaceable records or through the deaths of the people who "lived" the information genealogists seek." Thank you James Simon...

This copiously documented volume sheds new light on one of the earliest families to settle in Virginia, that of Captain William Tucker of London, and on a number of allied families whose progenitors figured in the early history of the Virginia and Maryland colonies.

"The foundation for this work is the Muster of Jan 1624/25 which had never before been printed in full."--Page xiii, volume 1.

The Kentucky Encyclopedia's 2,000-plus entries are the work of more than five hundred writers. Their subjects reflect all areas of the commonwealth and span the time from prehistoric settlement to today's headlines, recording Kentuckians' achievements in art, architecture, business, education, politics, religion, science, and sports. Biographical sketches portray all of Kentucky's governors and U.S. senators, as well as note congressmen and state and local politicians. Kentucky's impact on the national scene is registered in the lives of such figures as Carry Nation, Henry Clay, Louis Brandeis, and Alben Barkley. The commonwealth's high range from writers Harriette Arnow and Jesse Stuart, reformers Laura Clay and Mary Breckinridge, and civil rights leaders Whitney Young, Jr., and Georgia Powers, to sports figures Muhammad Ali and Adolph Rupp and entertainers Loretta Lynn, Merle Travis, and the Everly Brothers. Entries describe each county and county seat and each community with a population above 2,500. Broad overview articles examine such topics as agriculture, segregation, transportation, literature, and folklife. Frequently misunderstood aspects of Kentucky's history and culture are clarified and popular misconceptions corrected. The facts on such subjects as mint juleps, Fort Knox, Boone's coonskin cap, the Kentucky hot brown, and Morgan's Raiders will settle many an argument. For both the researcher and the more casual reader, this collection of facts and fancies about Kentucky and Kentuckians will be an invaluable resource.