Explore Daviess County, Kentucky

Daviess County, located between Hancock and Henderson counties and along the Ohio River in the western half of the state, was founded in 1815. The fifty-eighth county to be formed, it was named for local landowner and lawyer, Col. Joseph Hamilton Daveiss, who was killed at the Battle of Tippecanoe in 1811. Although named for Daveiss, when the county was officially enrolled the clerk misspelled the name. Therefore, today it is spelled Daviess. The city of Owensboro serves as the county seat.

Much of the history explored on Daviess County's highway markers are the people, places, and events of its early settlement. Before Daviess County was formally established, its location along the Ohio River made it an attractive location for early settlers seeking an accessible landing place. In addition, the county's fertile farmland encouraged its rapid agricultural development in the mid-nineteenth century.

Daviess County is also noted for its military heritage. During the Civil War, the county—like most of Kentucky—was split in its sympathy. Highway markers note the service of Confederate soldiers, and U.S. Medal of Honor winners in the Western Indian Wars and Vietnam. Honored on the markers, too, are the local men who served in World War I.

Daviess County's highway makers cover a wide range of topics. Here, one can learn about an individual who served as Harriet Beecher Stowe's model for the character of Uncle Tom in her famous book; an Owensboro man who won the Pulitzer Prize for photography; a man who went on to become a Tennessee governor; and founding fathers who owned land in what would become Daviess County.

We hope you will use this app to better understand the important part that Daviess County has played in Kentucky’s rich history.