▁Pad uc ah , ▁K Y - IL ▁Mic ropol itan ▁Statist ical ▁Area . ▁ ▁History ▁Ball ard ▁County ▁was ▁formed ▁from ▁port ions ▁of ▁H ick man ▁County ▁and ▁McC ra cken ▁County . ▁It ▁was ▁named ▁for ▁B land ▁Ball ard ▁( 1 7 6 1 – 1 8 5 3 ), ▁a ▁Kentucky ▁pione er ▁and ▁soldier ▁who ▁served ▁as ▁a ▁sc out ▁for ▁General ▁George ▁Rog ers ▁Clark ▁during ▁the ▁American ▁Revolution ary ▁War , ▁and ▁later ▁commanded ▁a ▁company ▁during ▁the ▁War ▁of ▁ 1 8 1 2 . ▁On ▁February ▁ 1 7 , ▁ 1 8 8 0 , ▁the ▁cour th ouse ▁was ▁destroyed ▁by ▁a ▁fire , ▁which ▁also ▁destroyed ▁most ▁of ▁the ▁county ' s ▁early ▁records . ▁The ▁county ▁seat ▁was ▁transferred ▁from ▁B land ville ▁to ▁W ick l iffe ▁in ▁ 1 8 8 2 . ▁ ▁Geography ▁ ▁According ▁to ▁the ▁U . S . ▁Census ▁Bureau , ▁the ▁county ▁has ▁a ▁total ▁area ▁of ▁, ▁of ▁which ▁ ▁is ▁land ▁and ▁ ▁( 9 . 9 %) ▁is ▁water . ▁ ▁State ▁protected ▁area ▁A xe ▁Lake ▁Sw amp ▁State ▁Nature ▁Pres erve ▁is ▁a ▁ ▁nature ▁preserve ▁located ▁in ▁Ball ard ▁County , ▁in ▁the ▁Bar low ▁B ottom s . ▁The ▁preserve ▁is ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁ ▁A xe ▁Lake ▁Sw amp ▁wet lands ▁complex ▁which ▁supports ▁at ▁least ▁eight ▁rare ▁plant ▁and ▁animal ▁species . ▁The ▁site ▁has ▁been ▁recognized ▁as ▁a ▁priority ▁wet