Created in 1823, Graves County was named for Benjamin Franklin Graves. Born in Virginia in 1771, Graves is presumed to have died in Indian captivity as he was wounded and captured during the Battle of the River Raisin in the War of 1812. Formed out of Hickman County, Graves is the second largest county (in land mass) in Kentucky. Its county seat is Mayfield. A perhaps forgotten citizen of Mayfield is George Bingham. Although born near Cadiz in Trigg County Kentucky, his family moved to Mayfield when George was 11 (1891). George was a journalist and humorist who created the…

Created in 1824 and named in honor of Capt. Virgil McCracken, it was the 78th formed in the state. It is bounded on the north by the Ohio River, N.E. by the Tennessee River, south east by Marshall County, south by Graves County and west by Ballard County. First county seat was established in 1827 at Wilmington (about 8 miles west of Paducah and 3 miles south of the Ohio River). The county seat was moved to Paducah in 1832 because of flooding; the records were moved in skiff. The county was named for Captain Virgil McCracken, a native of…