The 1854 Gazetteer of the United States by Thomas Baldwin shows:

LETCHER, a county in the S. E. part of Kentucky, bordering on Virginia, contains an area estimated at 300 square miles. It is drained by the head waters of the Kentucky river, and has the Cumberland mountain on the S. E. border. The surface is occupied by valleys and mountains, which produce good pasture, and contain large bodies of coal. In 1850 this county produced 86,718 bushels of corn; 2054 of wheat; 8092 of oats; 8370 of wool, and 8856 of flax. It contained 8 churches, 298 pupils attending public schools. The chief articles of export are cattle, horses, pork, and wool. Organized in 1842, and named in honor of Robert P. Letcher, at that time governor of Kentucky. Capital, Whitesburg. Population, 2512, of whom 2450 were free, and 62, slaves.