Davis County

Davis County was named in honor of Garret Davis, a Congressman from Lexington, Kentucky. In its early days Davis County was referred to as “the Hairy Nation.” The name was given to the county because of the shaggy, rough, unkempt appearance and rude manner of the men that resided in the area.

There was an early dispute on the site of the county seat. One site was the area of Bloomfield, and the other site was the town of Richmond. Numerous petitions were filed on behalf of both towns at the Territorial Legislature. The matter was settled in an election, with Bloomfield gaining a majority.

The naming of the county seat was done by the county commissioners. Since the commissioners all favored different names, the matter was settled by the luck of the draw. The name Bloomfield was pulled out of a hat. The other choices were Jefferson and Davis.

The first courthouse was a two-story, hewed-log building that was finished in 1844. The construction cost was $164, and in November 1844, $175 was paid for lumber, glass and putty. This building underwent many repairs, and finally in 1851, the building was abandoned. For the next 27 years county offices were kept at various locations in Bloomfield.

Five different propositions for a courthouse went to the voters. All failed, except the last one in 1875. On August 22, 1877 the cornerstone for the present courthouse was laid. The cost of the building was $61,496.58, and an additional $2,500 was spent for an iron fence. The fence has since moved to Jay Cemetery in Lick Creek township in Davis County.

In June 2002, Davis County celebrated its 125^th anniversary (1877-2002) with festivities in the courtyard and courthouse tours. A courthouse cookbook was also created to remember the celebration.

Source:
Megan Clyman, Davis County Deputy Recorder, 2002

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