|
Mercer County Tourism
Mercer
County was formed in 1786. It is located in the Bluegrass
region of the state. The elevation in the county ranges
from 483 to 1000 feet above sea level. The Bluegrass
region of Kentucky is located near the center of the
state and is bordered by the Ohio River in the north
and west and a ring of hills known as the Knobs in the
west, south, and east. The underlying limestone is often
visible at the surface in road cuts and where eroded
by streams, most dramatically in the Kentucky River
Palisades.
The
region is named for Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis),
which has been extensively used in pasture lands in
this sector. The Bluegrass region was the most quickly
settled part of the state and now is home to more than
half the state's population. The largest cities, including
Louisville, Lexington, and the urban area of northern
Kentucky are located here.
Harrodsburg,
the seat of Mercer County, is located south of the center
of the county at the junction of US 68 and US 127. It
was founded by James Harrod in 1774 as Harrod's Town
(or Harrodstown). It was the seat of Kentucky county,
Virginia when it was formed in 1776, then the seat of
Lincoln county, formed in 1780, and remained the county
seat when Mercer county was formed in 1786.
|
