From http://www.uky.edu/KentuckyAtlas/21091.html [Hancock county was formed in 1829. It is located in the Western Coal Field region of the state. The elevation in the county ranges from 358 to 840 feet above sea level. In 2000 the county population was 8,392 in a land area of 188.80 square miles, an average of 44.4 people per square mile. The county seat is Hawesville.]
From http://www.uky.edu/KentuckyAtlas/ky-hawesville.html [Hawesville, Kentucky - Hawesville, the seat of Hancock county, is located on the Ohio River and US 60 in the northern part of the county. It was established in 1829 with the new county and named for Richard Hawes, who provided the land. The town was incorporated in 1836. The Hawesville post office opened in 1829. The population in 1990 was 998.]