Editing Morehead, Kentucky (section)

===Initial settlement===
[[File:Moreheadky1890.jpg|thumb|upright=1.15|left|Morehead in 1890]]
The first European settlers came to Rowan County from [[Virginia]] following the end of the [[American Revolutionary War]] in 1783. In 1854, Morehead became the third community to be settled in the county. Colonel John Hargis founded the city after purchasing land in the area.<ref name="pearce">{{cite book|last=Pearce|first=John Ed|title=Days of Darkness: The Feuds of Eastern Kentucky|publisher=The University Press of Kentucky|year=2010|isbn=978-0813126579}}</ref> The city was named after [[James Turner Morehead (Kentucky politician)|James T Morehead]], a politician who served as governor of Kentucky from 1834 to 1836.<ref>{{cite book|last=Rennick|first=Robert|title=Kentucky Place Names|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=azPttlmsv24C|publisher=The University Press of Kentucky|year=1988|isbn=978-0813101798}}</ref> Rowan County came into existence in May 1856, seceding from parts of [[Morgan County, Kentucky|Morgan County]] and [[Fleming County, Kentucky|Fleming County]]. It was divided into four districts with Morehead being declared the county seat.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.kentuckystewarts.com/RowanCounty/RowanCountyHistory.htm|title=Early history of Rowan County as taken from the records of the first established {{as written|wom|ens [sic]}} club here|publisher=The Rowan County News|date=30 April 1936|access-date=26 February 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150227053423/http://www.kentuckystewarts.com/RowanCounty/RowanCountyHistory.htm|archive-date=27 February 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref> The formation of Rowan County was a political ploy to prevent Flemingsburg from moving its seat to Poplar Plains, and Morehead was selected as Rowan's seat because of its centrality.<ref name="blair">{{cite book|last1=Blair|first1=Juanita|last2=Brown|first2=Fred|title=The Story of Two Kentucky Feuds|url=http://www.kentuckystewarts.com/RowanCounty/RowanCountyHistory.htm|year=2000|access-date=2015-02-27|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150227053423/http://www.kentuckystewarts.com/RowanCounty/RowanCountyHistory.htm|archive-date=2015-02-27|url-status=dead}}</ref> Although it was smaller and less developed than the neighboring town of Farmers, it remained a significant city in the county due its status as county seat.<ref name="pearce"/> It was officially incorporated in 1869.<ref name="blair"/>