Kentucky Area Development Districts Oral History Project

This collection documents the history of the Area Development Movement and the Area Development Districts (ADD) in the state of Kentucky, beginning around 1965. The history of the development of organizations that served as the building blocks of the Kentucky Area Development Districts is also discussed. The Kentucky ADD came about during a national movement of federal programs and state legislation which allowed for a national strategy and funding that started Area Development Districts in the late 1960s. There are 15 county groups in the Kentucky Area Development Districts. They are non-political partnerships of local units of government and public members working toward the ongoing economic development of the district areas and providing assistance to local communities. Seed money for the creation of districts came from the Economic Development Administration and the Appalachian Regional Commission.