Cumberland County, Kentucky

Cumberland County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of the 2010 census, the population was 6,856. Its county seat is Burkesville. The county was formed in 1798 and named for the Cumberland River, which in turn may have been named after the Duke of Cumberland or the English county of Cumberland.Cumberland County was a dry county however now is a wet county as of June 28, 2016, which means that the sale of alcohol is now legal.HistoryCumberland County was created in 1798 from land given by Green County. In 1829, the first oil well in the United States was dug three miles north of Burkesville. However, it is usually not recognized as such because the drillers were looking for salt brine.It was the first county in the United States to elect a female sheriff, Pearl Carter Pace.Burkesville is the first city downstream from Wolf Creek Dam. There has been much recent concern about the dam's stability.GeographyAccording to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of, of which is land and (1.8%) is water. Major waterways include the Cumberland River and a small branch of Dale Hollow Lake which covers the southern end of the county.