On April 1, 1820, Todd officially became the sixty-fourth county of Kentucky.  The name was chosen to honor Col. John Todd, who fell in the Battle of Blue Lick. Nestled between its parent counties of Christian and Logan, Todd County is 30 miles long, 12 miles wide, with a total area of 367 square miles. Elkton was chosen as the County Seat.

Act of Legislature.---December 30, 1819
The text of the act is as follows:

          SECTION  1.     Be it Enacted by the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Kentucky, That from and after the first day of April next, all that part of said counties of Logan and Christian, contained in the following boundary, to wit: Beginning on the Tennessee State line, at the present corner of the counties of Logan and Christian, on said State line; thence on a straight line to the Muhlenberg County line, two miles east of the present corner of said counties of Logan and Christian, on said Muhlenberg County line; then westwardly with said Muhlenberg County line, until a due south line will strike a point ten miles due east of the most eastwardly boundary of the town of Hopkinsville, and continue south to the said State line, and eastwardly with it to the place of beginning, shall be one distinct county, called and known by the name of Todd, in honor of the memory of Col. John Todd, who gallantly fell in the service of his country on the [19th] day of August, 1782, at the battle of the Blue Licks.

                    SEC. 2.   The said county of Todd shall be entitled to thirteen Justices of the Peace, who shall be appointed and commissioned as in other cases, who shall meet at the dwelling house of James Kendall in said county, on the second Monday in May next, and after taking the necessary oaths of office, and qualifying their Sheriff agreeably to the Constitution of the United States, and of this State as required by law, they shall proceed to elect and qualify a Clerk, to whose permanent appointment it shall be necessary for a majority of all the Justices in commission for said county to concur; but if such majority cannot be obtained in favor of any one, then said court shall appoint a Clerk pro tempore.

                  SEC. 3.   The County Court for said county shall hold their first term on the second Monday in May next, and on the second Monday in each month thereafter, except the months in which the circuits for said county shall be holden; and the Circuit Courts for said county shall commence on the fourth Monday in April, July and October in each year, and may, if necessary, continue six judicial days: and said county shall form a part of the seventh judicial district.

                  SEC. 4.   The Circuit and County Courts, and Justices of the Peace in Christian and Logan Counties, shall have jurisdiction over all matters instituted prior to the commencement of this act; and it shall be lawful for all Sheriffs, Collectors and Constables, in said Christian and Logan Counties, to collect all fines and moneys, and to execute all writs, executions and other process, as the law directs, which were put into their hands precious to the commencement of this act, and shall account for and return the same as if this act had not passed.

                SEC. 5.   The County Court of said county of Todd shall appoint Commissioners of the Tax in said county for the year 1820, who shall perform the duties, and be governed by the laws regulating Commissioners of Tax in this State; and the Clerk and other officers of said county, shall in the like manner perform their duties in relation thereto; and said county court shall also, as soon as practicable, after the place for the permanent seat of justice for said county shall have been fixed upon by Commissioners, as hereinafter mentioned, proceed to cause the erection of all necessary public buildings thereupon, for said county of Todd, and may lay off and establish a town there, and do and perform every other matter in relation thereto, that county courts are by law authorized to do in this State.

                SEC. 6.   The place for the permanent seat of justice for said county of Todd shall be fixed upon by five Commissioners,  to wit: Thomas Champion, of Caldwell County; William Thompson and Dickson Given, of Livingston County; and Benjamin Vance and Leander J. Sharp, of Warren County; who shall meet at the house of James Kendall, in said county of Todd, on the second Monday in May next, and thence proceed to select and point out an eligible place for the permanent seat of justice for said county; and said Commissioners are hereby enjoined to pay a just regard to the most central, convenient and eligible site for that purpose, and make report thereof to the County Court of said county of Todd; but should said Commissioners, or a majority of them, fail to meet on the day herein mentioned for that purpose, they are hereby authorized and requested still to meet at said place herein appointed, and proceed to perform all the duties herein required of them, as soon as practicable thereafter, a majority or any three of whom are hereby authorized to act and perform all the duties herein required, provided no more attend for that purpose; and each of said Commissioners attending on the performance of their said duties herein mentioned, shall receive for their services $3 per day, while necessarily absent from home attending on said business, to be levied and paid out of the first county levy laid for said county.

             SEC. 7.   The Surveyors of the counties of Logan and Christian are authorized and required to meet at the beginning corner of said county of Todd, on the said State line, on the first day of April next; thence proceed to lay off, run and plainly mark all lines of the said county of Todd, which have not heretofore been run and marked, and return a report thereof to the County Court of Todd; for which services said Surveyors shall receive $3 per day each while they are necessarily engaged therein, besides a reasonable allowance for the employment of chain carriers and markers, to be allowed and paid out of the first levy to be laid for said county.

Our thanks to Jo ROE Carpenter, our wonderful typist for transcribing this document.