Carlisle County is located in the northwest portion of the Jackson Purchase, bounded by Ballard, Graves, and Hickman counties, and the Mississippi River, having an area of 1910 square miles. It was the 119th in order of formation and the last formed in the Jackson Purchase and second youngest in the state. Its county seat is Bardwell, incorporated in 1879.
Carlisle County was created out of Ballard County on May 3, 1886. However, the Ballard County citizens south of Mayfield Creek had wanted a separate county at the time Ballard was created but were denied. Beginning with the very first selection of Ballard County officials in 1842, a dispute concerning “an equal division of justices” arose and remained a spirited contest between the two areas at election times and whenever county business was to be decided. After a 44 year “feud” Carlisle County was formed with the Mayfield Creek as the official northern boundary.
The county was named for John G. Carlisle (1835-1910), who was a U.S. Congressman, Senator, Secretary of the Treasury under President Grover Cleveland, and Lt. Governor under Governor Preston H. Leslie (1871-1875).
The Ballard-Carlisle Historical-Genealogical Society meets on the fourth Monday of each month at 6:00 p.m. in the Ballard-Carlisle-Livingston Library at 134 North 4th Street, Wickliffe, KY; mailing address Box 279, Wickliffe, KY 42087. Dues are $10.00 per year. “The Roots Digger,” the Society’s newsletter is published twice a year. The Society has many publications for sale and also maintains an historical/genealogical collection at the Ballard-Carlisle-Livingston Library.
(This posting was compiled with information from The Kentucky Encyclopedia (by John E. Kleber, Thomas D. Clark, Lowell H. Harrison, James C. Klotter), the Internet at www.carlislecounty.org, and adapted from articles in the Jackson Purchase Sesquicentennial Publication prepared by the Jackson Purchase Historical Society, 1969.)
