text:
McCreary County, Kentucky

McCreary County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of the 2020 census, the population was 16,888. Its county seat is Whitley City. The county is named for James B. McCreary, a Confederate war soldier and two-time Governor of Kentucky (1875–1879, 1911–1915). During his second term as governor, McCreary County was created by the Legislature and was named in his honor.

History
McCreary County is the only Kentucky county without an incorporated city. Because of this, county government is the sole local government agency for the entire county. Attractions in McCreary County include the Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area, Cumberland Falls State Park, and the Big South Fork Scenic Railway, which tours several former coal camps. In popular culture, McCreary County is mentioned in the FX drama Justified, for it is home to USP McCreary, near Pine Knot.

The majority of the county is controlled by the federal government. 43% is managed by the Daniel Boone National Forest, and 18% managed by the National Park Service as the Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area.

The area now encompassed by Kentucky's McCreary County was first bounded in 1772, when all of what is now the state of Kentucky was in the frontier county of Fincastle County, Virginia. Fincastle was divided in 1776, with the western portion named Kentucky County, Virginia. In 1780, the Virginia legislature set aside all land in Kentucky County for soldiers who had served in the Revolutionary War. In 1780, Kentucky County was divided into three counties: Jefferson, Fayette, and Lincoln. In 1784, a portion of Jefferson County was partitioned off to create Nelson County, and in 1792 a portion of Lincoln County was partitioned off to create Green County. In 1798, a further portion of Lincoln County was partitioned off, and combined with parts of Green County, to create Pulaski and Cumberland Counties. The following year yet another portion of Lincoln County was partitioned off to create Knox County, and in 1800 the new Cumberland County was sectioned off to create Wayne County. In 1818, Whitley County was created from a portion of Knox County.

In 1912, the Kentucky Legislature partitioned parts of Pulaski, Wayne, and Whitley Counties, to create McCreary County. Its boundaries have remained unchanged since that time. It is the 120th and final county in order of formation. The present county boundaries contain 427.7 sqmi of land area. The majority of the county was carved out of Wayne and Whitley Counties, with a large center strip following the rail line and roadway from Pulaski County. The early history of the area is that of those counties, and is related in the historic perspectives for them. The map to the left shows the network of roadways that had been established by the 1860s. A dotted blue line and settlement names have been added for reference.

The most significant early feature of the future county was the Jacksboro Road. Running from Jacksboro, Tennessee, to Point Isabel and Somerset, this pioneer road was simply an enlargement of the Tellico Trail, an Indian route that had been used for thousands of years. Several other trails intersected this road, and led to the settlement of villages such as Pine Knot, Dripping Springs/Coolidge, and Flat Rock. Other settlement occurred in sequestered hollows. The economy of the times was based upon small-scale subsistence agriculture, timber products such as railroad ties and barrel staves, and small coal mines.

Beginning in the early 19th century, Cumberland Falls gained attention as a tourism destination. Later development increased visitation, and the Brunsen Inn was a popular destination for seasonal visitors. Until a road was built from Whitley County in 1931, the primary access to the Falls was through McCreary. With a generous contribution from one of the DuPont family heirs, the Falls joined the state park system in 1930.

The completion of the Cincinnati Southern Railway line through the county in 1880 changed its economic characteristics. Access to distant markets for timber and coal caused the emergence of many small mining and logging companies. The greatest impact came from the Justus S. Stearns enterprises. From 1903 through the rest of the century, the territory of McCreary County was dominated and controlled by Stearns company interests.

Attempting to avoid financial losses during the Great Depression of the 1930s, the Stearns cluster of companies sold vast quantities of land to the U.S. Government, becoming part of what was to become the Cumberland National Forest in 1937. This forest reserve was subsequently renamed Daniel Boone National Forest. In the 1970s, legislative action acquired additional lands in southern McCreary and Tennessee, creating the Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area in the mid-1970s.

Government

 * Judge Executive — Hon. Jimmie "Bevo" Greene (R)
 * Deputy Judge Executive — Hon.Nathan Nevels (R)
 * County Magistrates:
 * Magistrate Dist. 1 — William "Bill" Hale Jr. (R)
 * Magistrate Dist. 2 — Roger Phillips (R)
 * Magistrate Dist. 3 — Bobbie Strunk (R)
 * Magistrate Dist. 4 — Vacant
 * County Clerk — Eric Haynes (R)
 * Sheriff — Randy Waters (D)
 * Jailer — Jesse Hatfield (R)
 * Coroner — Timothy L. Corder (R)
 * Tourism Director
 * Economic Development Director
 * Property Valuation Administrator — Dwight Ross
 * McCreary County Attorney — Austin Price

The Federal Bureau of Prisons U.S. Penitentiary, McCreary is in the county, near Pine Knot.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 431 sqmi, of which 427 sqmi is land and 4.1 sqmi (1.0%) is water.

Geology
McCreary County lies on the western edge of the Cumberland Plateau, which constitutes the East Kentucky Coal Field. It is located entirely within the proclamation boundary of the Daniel Boone National Forest. The county's bedrock is deeply incised by the Big South Fork of the Cumberland River and its tributaries, creating sheer cliffs, gorges, waterfalls, rock shelters, and natural stone arches. Most of the geological underpinning of this region is capped with thick sandstone, and formidable coal seams are common in this formation. Limited lands suitable for large-scale conventional agriculture exist, so the economy of the area has historically been centered upon extractive industries such as timber and mining.

Adjacent counties

 * Pulaski County (north)
 * Laurel County (northeast)
 * Whitley County (east)
 * Campbell County, Tennessee (southeast)
 * Scott County, Tennessee (south)
 * Wayne County (west)

National protected areas

 * Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area (part)
 * Daniel Boone National Forest (part)

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 17,080 people, 6,520 households, and 4,753 families residing in the county. The population density was 40 /sqmi. There were 7,405 housing units at an average density of 17 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the county was 97.99% White, 0.63% Black or African American, 0.42% Native American, 0.02% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.20% from other races, and 0.73% from two or more races. 0.62% of the population were Hispanics or Latinos of any race.

There were 6,520 households, out of which 35.70% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.50% were married couples living together, 13.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.10% were non-families. 24.70% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.40% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.55 and the average family size was 3.03.

The age distribution was 27.70% under the age of 18, 9.80% from 18 to 24, 28.20% from 25 to 44, 23.70% from 45 to 64, and 10.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 96.90 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.80 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $19,348, and the median income for a family was $22,261. Males had a median income of $20,823 versus $15,575 for females. The per capita income for the county was $9,896. About 26.10% of families and 32.20% of the population were below the poverty line, including 40.50% of those under age 18 and 27.30% of those age 65 or over. The county's per-capita income makes it one of the poorest counties in the United States, and second in poverty only to another county in the same Kentucky region, Clay County, among counties with a majority non-Hispanic white population.

Politics
McCreary County has only once voted for a non-Republican for president, in the year of its formation, when it voted for Theodore Roosevelt of the Progressive Party, with President William Howard Taft second and Democrat Woodrow Wilson a distant third at 18.1%. This trend has only strengthened in recent elections, with Republican Donald Trump winning 88.0% of the vote in 2020, the highest vote share for a Republican in the county since Herbert Hoover in 1928.

Economy
The economic history of McCreary County has been one of boom and bust, based upon the extractive resources of coal mining and timber. The Stearns interests sold the last of their mining operations to Blue Diamond Coal in the 1980s, and the county's last operating mine closed in 1994. A resurgence of the coal industry does not seem possible, as the local coal is high in sulfur, and drainage from coal mining would adversely affect a number of outstanding and special waters in the county.

The county is poor. McCreary is one of the U.S. counties most dependent upon federal government assistance programs such as SNAP, SSI, SSDI, Social Security, Medicare/Medicaid, and other government assistance programs. 52.46 percent of the income of the residents of the county is derived from government assistance. The average resident received $11,022 in government assistance in 2009.

Industrial development began in the 1970s, with new manufacturing concerns in the sewing industry. Changes in the global economy have shifted a substantial percentage of the consumer garment market to production facilities outside the United States. Those that remain in the county draw their work from military contracts, and the production of high-end consumer goods. Timber remains a factor in the economy, with logging and cut hardwood production. Since the 1970s, the county has attempted to develop three industrial parks with little success. The latest venture, on Kentucky Route 92 in Pine Knot, is building a "spec" building as a means of attracting new industry to the county.

Agriculture has never played a significant role in the county's economy. In 2002, 5% of the county was in farmland. Top products were livestock, hay and forage. Together this represented a total market value of $566,000, down 1% from 1997. These low numbers indicate that the county has never had a substantial agricultural industry, and that over 80% of the county lands are held by the federal government. McCreary County is ranked number 112 out of 120 counties in overall agricultural production.

The tourism industry in the county may trace its beginnings to the restoration of Historic Stearns, the development of the scenic railway, the interpretive work at Blue Heron, and the reconstruction of Barthell, the site of Stearns Company's first coal mine and town in 1903. Those resources may represent the largest interpretive collection of historic coal mining in America. The Big South Fork Scenic Railway is presently in a major development project to add a steam locomotive and to extend the line.

The Big South Fork NRRA represents 196 sqmi of land, of which approximately one-third is located in McCreary County. The largest section of the park and its main Bandy Creek visitor center are located in Tennessee. In 2004, the park received 901,425 visitors, down 23% from 2002. Due to a lack of organized activities, events, and recreational tourism opportunities, visitation on the Kentucky side does not fare well. Similar issues exist for visitation in the Stearns district of the Daniel Boone National Forest.

Transportation
McCreary County Airport is near Pine Knot.

US 27 splits the county north and south, and KY 92 runs east and west. US 27 and KY 92 run concurrent from Pine Knot to the traffic light at Stearns, where KY 92 splits off and heads west towards Wayne County. McCreary is also served by Norfolk Southern Railway, which has several industrial sidings in the area. NS also interchanges traffic with the Kentucky and Tennessee Railway in Stearns.

Communities
McCreary is the last remaining county in the Commonwealth of Kentucky that does not have any incorporated city or township. The following McCreary County communities are census-designated places:
 * Pine Knot
 * Stearns
 * Whitley City (county seat)

Notable people

 * Wilburn K. Ross
 * Allie Leggett
 * Will Lavender

title: McCreary County, Kentucky


text:
Mason County, Kentucky

Mason County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of the 2020 census, the population was 17,120. Its county seat is Maysville. The county was created from Bourbon County, Virginia in 1788 and named for George Mason, a Virginia delegate to the U.S. Constitutional Convention known as the "Father of the Bill of Rights". Mason County comprises the Maysville, KY Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is included in the Cincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville, OH-KY-IN Combined Statistical Area.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 246 sqmi, of which 240 sqmi is land and 6.3 sqmi (2.6%) is water. The county's northern border with Ohio is formed by the Ohio River.

Adjacent counties

 * Brown County, Ohio (north)
 * Adams County, Ohio (northeast)
 * Lewis County (east)
 * Fleming County (south)
 * Robertson County (southwest)
 * Bracken County (west)

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 16,800 people, 6,847 households, and 4,697 families residing in the county. The population density was 70 /sqmi. There were 7,754 housing units at an average density of 32 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the county was 90.88% White, 7.16% Black or African American, 0.15% Native American, 0.37% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.57% from other races, and 0.85% from two or more races. 0.95% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 6,847 households, out of which 31.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.20% were married couples living together, 11.10% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.40% were non-families. 27.60% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.80% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.41 and the average family size was 2.92.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 24.10% under the age of 18, 8.00% from 18 to 24, 28.50% from 25 to 44, 23.90% from 45 to 64, and 15.50% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.50 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $30,195, and the median income for a family was $37,257. Males had a median income of $30,718 versus $21,216 for females. The per capita income for the county was $16,589. About 12.90% of families and 16.80% of the population were below the poverty line, including 23.60% of those under age 18 and 13.70% of those age 65 or over.

Cities

 * Dover
 * Germantown
 * Maysville
 * Sardis

Census-designated place

 * Mays Lick

Other unincorporated places

 * Fernleaf
 * Helena
 * Lewisburg
 * Minerva
 * Old Washington
 * Orangeburg
 * Shannon
 * Somo
 * Weedonia

Politics
Mason County was at the time of the Civil War the easternmost of the strongly secessionist Bluegrass bloc. Mason was in fact the most easterly Kentucky county to be represented at the Russellville Convention of 1861 to discuss the secession of Kentucky from the Union.

Mason County's secessionist sentiment meant that it voted Democratic consistently up until the 1950s, with the exception of the 1928 election when strong local anti-Catholic sentiment against Al Smith allowed Herbert Hoover to carry the county. Since 1996 the county has shifted more strongly Republican in US presidential elections.

Education
Mason County Schools operates public schools.

Schools:
 * Mason County High School
 * Mason County Middle School
 * Mason County Intermediate School
 * Straub Elementary School

In 1990 the Maysville Independent School District merged into the Mason County school district.

Notable residents

 * Joshua Bean, first Mayor of San Diego (1850–1851).
 * Albert Sidney Johnston, Commander of the Army of the Republic of Texas, Secretary of War for Texas, Commander of the Western Department for the Confederacy. Died at the Battle of Shiloh.
 * Judge Roy Bean, Famous "Hanging Judge" of Texas (Law West of the Pecos).
 * Deron Feldhaus, member of "The Unforgettables".
 * Chris Lofton, Played basketball for the University of Tennessee. 2003 Ky. "Mr. Basketball".
 * Darius Miller, Played basketball for University of Kentucky. 2012 NCAA Champion, 2008 Ky. "Mr. Basketball." Currently plays basketball for the New Orleans Pelicans.

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Mason County, Kentucky


text:
Martin County, Kentucky

Martin County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of the 2020 census, the population was 11,287. Its county seat is Inez. The county was founded in 1870 and is named for Congressman John Preston Martin. Warfield, Kentucky, is the only non-dry city in the county.

History
Martin County was formed in 1870, and named for congressman John Preston Martin. The county seat was initially located in Warfield, but was moved to Inez due to its more central location in the county.

The county has long been reliant on the coal industry. In 1964, President Lyndon Johnson visited Inez, where he announced the launch of the War on Poverty.

Administration
The current officials of Martin County
 * County Judge/Executive: Lon Lafferty MD
 * Magistrate District 1 : Cody Slone
 * Constable District 1 : ''' Homer "Pickle" Mills
 * Magistrate District 2 : Kermit Howell
 * Constable District 2 :  Randy Lafferty
 * Magistrate District 3 : Tracy Spence
 * Constable District 3 :  Alex Fannin
 * Magistrate District 4 : Junior Hunt
 * Constable District 4 :  Bradford Preece
 * Magistrate District 5 : Ronald Workman
 * Constable District 5 :  Mitchell Bowen
 * County Attorney: Melissa Fannin Phelps
 * County Coroner: Chris Todd
 * County Jailer: Bill Preece
 * County Sheriff: John Kirk
 * Property Valuation Administrator: Bobby Hale
 * County Clerk: Susie Skyles
 * Circuit Court Clerk: Denise Gauze

Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 231 sqmi, of which 230 sqmi is land and 1.0 sqmi (0.4%) is water. The county's eastern border is formed by the Tug Fork of the Big Sandy River.

Adjacent counties

 * Lawrence County (northwest)
 * Wayne County, West Virginia (northeast)
 * Mingo County, West Virginia (southeast)
 * Pike County (south)
 * Floyd County (southwest)
 * Johnson County (west)

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 12,578 people, 4,776 households, and 3,620 families residing in the county. The population density was 54 /sqmi. There were 5,551 housing units at an average density of 24 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the county was 99.25% White, 0.03% Black or African American, 0.06% Native American, 0.07% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 0.01% from other races, and 0.52% from two or more races. 0.62% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 4,776 households, out of which 39.20% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.50% were married couples living together, 12.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.20% were non-families. 21.80% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.30% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.62 and the average family size was 3.05.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 28.10% under the age of 18; 9.50% from 18 to 24; 29.30% from 25 to 44; 23.30% from 45 to 64,; and 9.70% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 98.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.10 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $18,279, and the median income for a family was $21,574. Males had a median income of $31,994 versus $18,011 for females. The per capita income for the county was $10,650. About 33.30% of families and 37.00% of the population were below the poverty line, including 45.10% of those under age 18 and 26.90% of those age 65 or over.

Economy
The Federal Bureau of Prisons U.S. Penitentiary, Big Sandy is located in unincorporated Martin County, near Inez.

They are 3 industrial parks located in Martin County. They are the Honey Branch Industrial Park, The Calloway Industrial Park and the John Callahan Industrial Park

 * Honey Branch Industrial Park is an industrial park that is run by 4 different counties in the region. The major tenants are the Big Sandy Regional Airport. The Federal Bureau of Prisons U.S. Penitentiary, Big Sandy. Core Energy Corporation, Consolidated Pipe and Supply, Boxvayna, Appleatcha Apple Orchard, CZAR Coal and Offices for Booth Energy and subsidies
 * Calloway Industrial Park is pretty much abandoned. There was a Dirt Race Track and a Machine Shop. Mostly just houses and 1 water tank
 * John B Callahan Industrial Park is home to C&S Vaults and the Martin County Board of Education Transportation Garage and Maintenance Department.

Coal companies in Martin County

 * Alliance Resource Partners
 * Excel Coal Corporation
 * Booth Energy
 * CZAR Energy

Education
The Martin County School System operates public schools.
 * Martin County High School
 * Martin County Area Technology Center
 * Martin County Middle School
 * Eden Elementary School
 * Inez Elementary School
 * Warfield Elementary School
 * Martin County Head Start

There is one private Christian school located in Martin County

 * Sure Foundations Christian Academy

There is one Private Vocational School located in Martin County

 * TEK Center

Cities

 * Inez (county seat)
 * Warfield

Unincorporated communities

 * Beauty
 * Job
 * Lovely
 * Laura
 * Pilgrim
 * Tomahawk

title: Martin County, Kentucky


text:
Manna

Manna (מָן, μάννα; اَلْمَنُّ; sometimes or archaically spelled mana), according to the Bible and the Quran, is an edible substance which God provided for the Israelites during their travels in the desert during the 40-year period following the Exodus and prior to the conquest of Canaan.

In the Hebrew Bible
In the Hebrew Bible, manna is described twice: once in Exodus 16:1–36 with the full narrative surrounding it, and once again in Numbers 11:1–9 as a part of a separate narrative. In the description in the Book of Exodus, manna is described as being "a fine, flake-like thing" like the frost on the ground. It is described in the Book of Numbers as arriving with the dew during the night. Exodus adds that it had to be collected before it was melted by the heat of the sun, and that it was like a coriander seed in size but white in color.

Numbers describes it as having the appearance of bdellium, adding that the Israelites ground it and pounded it into cakes, which were then baked, resulting in something that tasted like cakes baked with oil. Exodus states that raw manna tasted like wafers that had been made with honey. The Israelites were instructed to eat only the manna they had gathered for each day. Stored manna "bred worms and stank", the exception being that stored the day before the Sabbath (Preparation Day), when twice the amount of manna was gathered. This manna did not spoil overnight. Exodus 16:23–24 states:"This is what the Lord commanded: 'Tomorrow is to be a day of rest, a holy Sabbath to the Lord. So bake what you want to bake and boil what you want to boil. Save whatever is left and keep it until morning'. So they saved it until morning, as Moses commanded, and it did not stink or get maggots in it."

In the Quran
The word mana appears three times in the Quran, at 2:57, 7:160, and 20:80. It is narrated in the Sahih Muslim that Muhammad said: "Truffles are part of the 'manna' which God sent to the people of Israel through Moses, and its juice is a medicine for the eye."

Identification
In the biblical account, the name manna is said to derive from the "question" man hu, seemingly meaning "What is it?", which is perhaps derived from Aramaic, not Hebrew. Man is possibly cognate with the Arabic term man, meaning aphids, with man hu thus meaning "this is aphids", which fits one widespread modern identification of manna, the crystallized honeydew of certain scale insects. In the environment of a desert, such honeydew rapidly dries due to evaporation of its water content, becoming a sticky solid, and later turning whitish, yellowish, or brownish.

In particular, there is a scale insect that feeds on tamarisk, the Tamarisk manna scale (Trabutina mannipara), the secretions of which are often considered to be the prime candidate for biblical manna. At the turn of the twentieth century, Arabs of the Sinai Peninsula were selling this substance as man es-simma, roughly meaning "heavenly manna". Tamarisk trees (particularly Tamarix gallica) were once comparatively extensive throughout the southern Sinai, and the honeydew produced by the Tamarisk manna scale is similar to wax, melts in the sun, is sweet and aromatic (like honey), and has a dirty-yellow color, fitting somewhat with the biblical descriptions of manna. However, being mostly composed of sugar, it would be unlikely to provide sufficient nutrition for a population to survive over long periods of time, and it would be very difficult for it to have been compacted into cakes.

Another type of honeydew is turkey oak manna, also called Persian gezengevi-gezo, men, Turkish Kudret helvasi, man-es-simma, also Diarbekir manna, or Kurdish manna. It is formed by aphids and appears white. It was common in western Iran, northern Iraq and eastern Turkey. When dried it forms into crystalline lumps which are hard and look like stone. They are pounded before inclusion in breads.

Some scholars have proposed that manna is cognate with the Egyptian term mennu, which designated a substance that figured in offerings.

Other researchers have believed manna to be a form of lichen – a plant-like colony that often has a low mass per unit volume density and a large "sail area". In particular, Lecanora esculenta has been postulated. Known natural aerial falls of various lichens have been described as occurring in accounts separate from that in the Bible. "In some parts of Asia Lecanora esculenta covers the soil to such a degree that, according to Parrot, it forms beds 15 to 20 centimetres thick."

In 1921, the American consul in Jerusalem reported to the American government that he had identified manna as a "form of dew" that "hardens and assumes the form of a grain" when it falls on the leaves of oak trees.

Differences
Some form critics posit conflicting descriptions of manna as derived from different lore, with the description in Numbers being from the Jahwist tradition, and the description in Exodus being from the later Priestly tradition. The Babylonian Talmud states that the differences in description were due to the taste varying depending on who ate it, with it tasting like honey for small children, like bread for youths, and like oil for the elderly. Similarly, classical rabbinical literature rectifies the question of whether manna came before or after dew, by holding that the manna was sandwiched between two layers of dew, one falling before the manna, and the other after.

Origin
Manna is from Heaven, according to the Hebrew Bible and to Jesus in the New Testament, but the various identifications of manna are naturalistic. In the Mishnah, manna is treated as a natural but unique substance, "created during the twilight of the sixth day of Creation", and ensured to be clean, before it arrives, by the sweeping of the ground by a northern wind and subsequent rains. According to classical rabbinical literature, manna was ground in a heavenly mill for the use of the righteous, but some of it was allocated to the wicked and left for them to grind themselves.

Use and function
Until they reached Canaan, the Israelites are implied by some passages in the Bible to have eaten only manna during their desert sojourn, despite the availability of milk and meat from the livestock with which they traveled, and the references to provisions of fine flour, oil, and meat, in parts of the journey's narrative.

As a natural food substance, manna would produce waste products; but in classical rabbinical literature, as a supernatural substance, it was held that manna produced no waste, resulting in no defecation among the Israelites until several decades later, when the manna had ceased to fall. Modern medical science suggests the lack of defecation over such a long period of time would cause severe bowel problems, especially when other food later began to be consumed again. Classical rabbinical writers say that the Israelites complained about the lack of defecation, and were concerned about potential bowel problems.

Many Christian vegetarians say that God had originally intended that man would not eat meat, because plants cannot move and killing them would not be sinful: manna, a nonmeat substance, is used to support this theory. Further, when the people complained and wished for quail, God gave it to them, but they apparently still complained and some greedily gathered the quail. "While the meat was still between their teeth, before it was chewed, the anger of the Lord was kindled against the people."

Food was not manna's only use; one classical rabbinical source states that the fragrant odor of manna was used in a Jewish perfume.

Gathering
Exodus says each day one omer of manna was gathered per family member (about 3.64 litres), and may imply this was regardless of how much effort was put into gathering it. A midrash attributed to Rabbi Tanhuma remarks that although some were diligent enough to go into the fields to gather manna, others just lay down lazily and caught it with their outstretched hands. The Talmud states that this factor was used to solve disputes about the ownership of slaves, since the number of omers of manna each household could gather would indicate how many people were legitimately part of the household. The omers of manna for stolen slaves could be gathered only by legitimate owners, and therefore legitimate owners would have spare omers of manna.

According to the Talmud, manna was found near the homes of those with strong belief in God, and far from the homes of those with doubts; indeed, one classical midrash says that manna was intangible to Gentiles, as it would inevitably slip from their hands. The Midrash Tanhuma holds that manna melted, formed liquid streams, was drunk by animals, flavored the animal flesh, and was thus indirectly eaten by Gentiles, this being the only way that Gentiles could taste manna.

Despite these hints of uneven distribution, classical rabbinical literature expresses the view that manna fell in very large quantities each day. It holds that manna was layered out over 2,000 cubits square, between 50 and 60 cubits in height, enough to nourish the Israelites for 2,000 years and to be seen from the palaces of every king in the East and West.

Sabbath
According to Exodus, Shabbat (Sabbath) was reinstituted the first week manna appeared. It states that twice as much manna as usual was available on the sixth morning of the week, and none at all could be found on the seventh day; although manna usually rotted and became maggot-infested after a single night, that which had been collected on the sixth day remained fresh until the second night. Moses stated that the double portion of Preparation Day was to be consumed on Shabbat; and that God instructed him that no one should leave his place on Shabbat, so that the people could rest during it.

Form critics regard this part of the manna narrative to be spliced together from the Yahwist and Priestly traditions, with the Yahwist tradition emphasizing rest during Shabbat, while the Priestly tradition merely states that Shabbat exists, implying that the meaning of "Shabbat" was already known. These critics regard this part of the manna narrative as an etiological supernature story designed to explain the origin of Shabbat observance, which in reality was probably pre-Mosaic.

Duration of supply
Exodus states that the Israelites consumed the manna for 40 years, starting from the fifteenth day of the second month (Iyar 15), but that it then ceased to appear once they had reached a settled land, and once they had reached the borders of Canaan (inhabited by the Canaanites). Form critics attribute this variation to the view that each expression of the manna ceasing derives from different lore; the "settled land" is attributed to the Priestly tradition, and "Canaan's borders" to the Yahwist tradition, or to a hypothetical later redaction to synchronize the account with that of the Book of Joshua, which states that the manna ceased to appear on the day after the annual Passover festival (Nisan 14), when the Israelites had reached Gilgal. The duration from Iyar 15 to Nisan 14, taken literally, is forty years less one month.

There is also a disagreement among classical rabbinical writers as to when the manna ceased, particularly in regard to whether it remained after the death of Moses for a further 40 days, 70 days, or 14 years; indeed, according to Joshua ben Levi, the manna ceased to appear at the moment that Moses died.

Despite the eventual termination of the supply of manna, Exodus states that a small amount of it survived within an omer-sized pot or jar, which was kept facing the Testimony (possibly, adjacent to the Ark of the Covenant); it indicates that God instructed this of Moses, who delegated it to Aaron. The Epistle to the Hebrews states that the pot was stored inside the Ark. Classical rabbinical sources believe the pot was made of gold; some say it was only there for the generation following Moses, and others that it survived at least until the time of Jeremiah. However, the First Book of Kings states that it was absent earlier than Jeremiah, during Solomon's reign in the tenth century B.C. Form critics attribute the mention of the pot to the Priestly tradition, concluding that the pot existed in the early sixth century B.C.

Later cultural references
By extension, "manna" has been used to refer to any divine or spiritual nourishment.

At the Basilica di San Nicola in Bari, Italy, there is an annual ceremony of collecting a clear liquid from the tomb of Saint Nicholas; legend credits the pleasant perfume of this liquid with warding off evil, and it is sold to pilgrims as "the Manna of Saint Nicholas". The liquid gradually seeps out of the tomb, but it is unclear whether it originates from the body within the tomb, or from the marble itself; since the town of Bari is a harbor, and the tomb is below sea level, there are several natural explanations for the manna fluid, including the transfer of seawater to the tomb by capillary action.

In the 17th century, a woman marketed a clear, tasteless product as a cosmetic, "the Manna of Saint Nicholas of Bari". After the deaths of some 600 men, Italian authorities discovered that the alleged cosmetic was a preparation of arsenic, used by their wives.

Robert Nozick references "manna from heaven" in a thought experiment about distributive justice.

In a modern botanical context, manna is often used to refer to the secretions of various plants, especially of certain shrubs and trees, and in particular the sugars obtained by evaporating the sap of the manna ash, extracted by making small cuts in the bark. The manna ash, native to Southern Europe and Southwest Asia, produces a blue-green sap, which has medicinal value as a mild laxative, demulcent, and weak expectorant.

The names of both the sugar mannose and its hydrogenated sugar alcohol, mannitol, are derived from manna.

Manna in medicine

Greek and Latin physicians and encyclopedists of the 1st century AD (Dioskurides and Plinius) held manna for crumbs of Frankincense, fallen from Boswellia sacra.

Starting with Avicenna, the physicians of the Arabian and Latin Middle Ages held that manna was a dew (ros) falling on stones and trees, and that it was sweet like honey. This manna was believed to incorporate the nature of whatever it fell upon. Its virtues were to soften the abdomen, eradicate acute fever, and to be useful to the chest and lungs as well as to the choleric and hot natures.

References of the Arabic middle-age concerning manna

 * Avicenna 10th–11th Century
 * Constantine the African 11th Century
 * Circa instans 12th Century
 * Pseudo-Serapion 13th Century
 * Ibn al-Baitar 13th Century

References of the Latin Middle Ages concerning manna

 * Conrad of Megenberg 14th Century
 * Herbarius moguntinus 1484
 * Gart der Gesundheit 1485
 * Hortus sanitatis 1491

In 1586 the German physician Joachim Camerarius the Younger wrote in his herbal, that manna, that was used to purge humours, was collected in Welschland from species of Fraxinus. In the same article he showed a woodcut of Fraxinus excelsior. A woodcut of Fraxinus ornus had been published earlier in 1554 and in 1562 by Pietro Andrea Mattioli.

Until the end of the 19th century, manna was brought to Northern Europe from Calabria (manna calabrina) and from Sicilia. It was collected as a secrete from species of Fraxinus, mainly of Fraxinus ornus and of Fraxinus excelsior. Following the rules of Humorisme, physicians in Northern Europe prescribed this manna as a mild laxative.

References of the 17th and 18th Century concerning manna

 * Pierre Pomet. Histoire générale des drogues … 1694. – Nicolas Lemery. Dictionnaire universel des drogues simples … 1699. – Joseph Pitton de Tournefort 1717 – Pomet – Lémery – Tournefort
 * Lettere del signor abate Domenico Sestini … 1780. – Jean-Pierre Houël. Voyage pittoresque des isles de Sicile … 1782.
 * Johann Andreas Murray. Apparatus Medicaminum … 1784.
 * William Cullen. A treatise of the materia medica … 1789.

title: Manna


text:
Marshall County, Kentucky

Marshall County is a county located in far western portion of the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of the 2020 census, the population was 31,659. Its county seat is Benton.

It is the only Purchase Area county that does not border another state; a narrow strip of land in neighboring Livingston County separates Marshall County from the Ohio River and the Illinois border. Until July 28, 2015, it was a dry county. On that date residents approved alcohol sales for off-premises consumption, making it a "wet" county.

History
Following population increase in the area, Marshall County was created by the Kentucky legislature in 1842 from the northern half of Calloway County. The first European-American settlers had arrived in about 1818, shortly after the area was bought from the Chickasaw Indians as part of the Jackson Purchase by Gen. Andrew Jackson and Kentucky Gov. Isaac Shelby. The Chickasaw were forced under Indian Removal to move to what became known as Indian Territory, new and much less fertile lands west of the Mississippi River.

Marshall County was named in honor of Chief Justice John Marshall of the United States Supreme Court, who had died in 1835.

Like most of the Jackson Purchase, and reflecting its geographic and family connections to the South, during the American Civil War, Marshall County was strongly pro-Confederate, although the state was neutral. Many local men served in the famous Kentucky Orphan Brigade. On March 23, 1864, detachments of Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest's Confederate cavalry clashed with Union cavalry near Benton, when each side was scouring the countryside for needed cavalry remounts. A state historical marker stands at the site.

From its settlement until the 1930s, Marshall County was developed primarily for agriculture. In the 1940s, however, the Tennessee Valley Authority created Kentucky Lake as part of its flood control and rural electrification projects initiated by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The lake established tourism as part of the county's economy, and lakeshore resorts were developed to exploit sports fishing.

Kentucky Dam's cheap and plentiful electricity also attracted chemical and manufacturing plants, mainly in the Calvert City area.

The lake's impoundment resulted in flooding two historic Marshall County towns: Birmingham, six miles north of Fairdealing, and Gilbertsville, at the dam's site, both of which were evacuated. Gilbertsville was relocated west of its original location, but Birmingham residents had to find new homes elsewhere. Gilbertsville was an incorporated town until the 1970s, when its charter was dissolved by public vote. Kentucky Lake (created on the Tennessee River) and Lake Barkley (created on the Cumberland River) were connected by a canal. Together they make up one of the largest man-made bodies of water in the world.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 340 sqmi, of which 301 sqmi is land and 39 sqmi (11%) is water. The county's northeastern border is formed by the Tennessee River and Kentucky Lake.

Adjacent counties

 * Livingston County (north)
 * Lyon County (east)
 * Trigg County (east)
 * Calloway County (south)
 * Graves County (west)
 * McCracken County (west)

National protected area

 * Clarks River National Wildlife Refuge (part)

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 30,125 people, 12,412 households, and 8,998 families residing in the county. The population density was 99 /sqmi. There were 14,730 housing units at an average density of 48 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the county was 98.57% White, 0.2% Black or African American, 0.17% Native American, 0.15% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.22% from other races, and 0.76% from two or more races. 0.76% of the population were Hispanics or Latinos of any race.

There were 12,412 households, out of which 29.20% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.40% were married couples living together, 7.90% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.50% were non-families. 25.00% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.90% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 2.83.

The age distribution was 21.80% under the age of 18, 7.50% from 18 to 24, 27.00% from 25 to 44, 26.20% from 45 to 64, and 17.50% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 96.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.50 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $35,573, and the median income for a family was $43,670. Males had a median income of $36,673 versus $21,941 for females. The per capita income for the county was $18,069. About 6.60% of families and 9.50% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.60% of those under age 18 and 10.90% of those age 65 or over.

Cities

 * Benton (county seat)
 * Calvert City
 * Hardin

Census-designated place

 * Gilbertsville

Other unincorporated communities

 * Aurora
 * Big Bear Area
 * Brewers
 * Briensburg
 * Draffenville
 * Fairdealing
 * Harvey
 * Moors Camp Area
 * Oak Level
 * Olive
 * Palma
 * Possum Trot
 * Sharpe
 * Tatumsville

Ghost town

 * Birmingham

Annual events
On the first Monday of April, Benton holds its Tater Day. Originating in 1842 as a day for farmers to gather at the county seat to trade their agricultural goods, today Tater Day is a celebration that includes a festival and parade. Tater Day derives its name from the main item traded—sweet potatoes for seed, i.e., for bedding in prepared "seedbeds" to produce slips for growers to transplant to gardens or fields.

On the fourth Sunday of each May, The Big Singing, an all-day sing-along program of Southern Harmony shape note gospel music is held at the county courthouse. The Big Singing, begun in 1884, has a special claim to fame: in 1933 George Pullen Jackson drew attention to the fact that this is the only regular event that sings from William Walker's Southern Harmony; this remains a living tradition to the present day.

Attractions and other information
Marshall County is the home of Calvert Drive In Theater, the only one in the Purchase area and one of three within an 85-mile radius in far western Kentucky.

Marshall County is also home to the Silver Trail Distillery, where a family legend was revitalized to produce LBL Moonshine, named for the illegal liquor distilled in the "Land Between the Rivers," now the Land Between the Lakes. The distillery and museum are in Hardin and Aurora. The original moonshiner, Cilous, was known to have a sipping ritual when it came time to drink his 'shine: "Take a small sip, don't shoot it, and keep your lips closed. With your lips still closed, swish gently then let it ease down. When it is down to the navel level, open your lips slowly while exhaling. There will be a fresh corn taste on both sides of the mouth and no bitter aftertaste."

Before Interstate 24 rerouted much of US 68 traffic northward, generations spent summer days and nights at The Forgotten Past Amusement Park with its gift shop, go carts, bumper cars, mini golf, museum, and arcade. For many years it hosted an Antique (steel wheeled) Tractor Show.

Marshall County is home to one of the largest and most complete parks in the Purchase area. It has lighted baseball fields, two basketball courts, four soccer fields, two tennis courts, a large fishing pond, large playground, spray park, and multiple picnic pavilions as well as a conference center. It is built upon land donated from a private family in memory of their son who was killed in action in the Vietnam War. In September 2000 the park was dedicated as the Marshall County Park. Later that year the local judge executive Mike Miller appointed the new park board. Upon the Grand Opening the park board had named it Mike Miller Park. Several people protested and the park board renamed it Mike Miller County Park. The original statute dedication as Marshall County Park remains at the entrance of the park. The original park didn't have any mention of veterans in its mission; in response the fiscal court commissioned a large veteran's park adjacent to the main conference center.

Marshall County is home to the FLW Bass Tournament organization, named for founder of Ranger Boats, Forrest L. Wood. Wood is the purveyor of America's largest and most prestigious fishing tournaments, including the FLW Tour, FLW Series, Bass Fishing League, College Fishing and High School Fishing.

Politics
Until the 2018 election, Marshall County's local politics had been a stronghold of the Democratic party. In 2015, all elected county officials were Democrats, except for one: Republican Kevin Neal defeated Melonie Watkins Chambers to finish the unexpired term of longtime County Judge-Executive Mike Miller, who died in office the previous December. In the 2018 election, things changed considerably in the county with the re-election of Kevin Neal as the County Judge-Executive along with several fellow Republicans: Danny Carroll as Kentucky Senator of the 1st District; Chris Freeland as the Kentucky House of Representative of the 6th District; Kevin Spraggs as 2nd District County Commissioner; Monti Collins as 3rd District County Commissioner; Eddie McGuire as County Sheriff' and Michael Gordon as County Coroner. Therefore, as of 2018, the local offices of Marshall County have 5 Republicans, 5 Democrats and 1 Independent.

County voters have preferred the Republican candidate for US president in 1972 and in all elections since 2000.

Notable people

 * Joe Creason – Longtime reporter and columnist for the Louisville Courier Journal
 * Robert H. Grubbs - Winner of the 2005 Nobel Prize in Chemistry
 * Terrina Chrishell Stause - American actress; known for her role on the Netflix reality show Selling Sunset, along with previous television roles as Amanda Dillon on All My Children and Jordan Ridgeway on Days of Our Lives.

Books

 * Big Singing Day in Benton, Kentucky: A Study of the History, Ethnic Identity and Musical Style of Southern Harmony Singers, by Deborah Carlton Loftis, Ph.D. dissertation, University of Kentucky, 1987. Review

title: Marshall County, Kentucky


text:
Marion County, Kentucky

Marion County is a county in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of the 2020 census, the total population was 19,581. Its county seat is Lebanon. The county was founded in 1834 and named for Francis Marion, the American Revolutionary War hero known as the "Swamp Fox".

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 347 sqmi, of which 343 sqmi is land and 3.9 sqmi (1.1%) is water.

Marion County was formed in 1834 from part of Washington County. Marion County is Kentucky's most Catholic county. The first Catholic settlers in Kentucky came to Holy Cross in the western part of the county circa 1790. According to planar projection maps of Kentucky, Marion County includes the center of the state of Kentucky located 3 miles NNW of Lebanon just off KY 429. The actual physical center of Kentucky is disputed by surrounding counties and due to use of planar methods and projections used when the geographic centers of the United States were initially determined.

Adjacent counties

 * Washington County (north)
 * Boyle County (northeast)
 * Casey County (southeast)
 * Taylor County (south)
 * LaRue County (southwest)
 * Nelson County (northwest)

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 18,212 people, 6,613 households, and 4,754 families residing in the county. The population density was 53 /sqmi. There were 7,277 housing units at an average density of 21 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the county was 89.17% White, 9.12% Black or African American, 0.09% Native American, 0.43% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.35% from other races, and 0.82% from two or more races. 0.79% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 6,613 households, out of which 35.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.80% were married couples living together, 13.70% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.10% were non-families. 24.40% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.58 and the average family size was 3.06.

By age, 25.20% of the population was under 18, 9.90% from 18 to 24, 30.30% from 25 to 44, 21.70% from 45 to 64, and 12.80%were 65 years or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 102.30 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 101.60 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $30,387, and the median income for a family was $35,648. Males had a median income of $27,826 versus $20,699 for females. The per capita income for the county was $14,472. About 15.80% of families and 18.60% of the population were below the poverty line, including 21.80% of those under age 18 and 17.90% of those age 65 or over.

Cities

 * Bradfordsville
 * Lebanon (county seat)
 * Loretto
 * Raywick

Unincorporated communities

 * Gravel Switch
 * Nerinx

Education
All areas in Marion County are in the Marion County School District. The district's comprehensive high school is Marion County High School.

Lebanon has a lending library, the Marion County Public Library.

title: Marion County, Kentucky


text:
Magoffin County, Kentucky

Magoffin County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of the 2020 census, the population was 11,637. Its county seat is Salyersville. The county was formed in 1860 from adjacent portions of Floyd, Johnson, and Morgan Counties. It was named for Beriah Magoffin who was Governor of Kentucky (1859–62).

History
The area now encompassed by Kentucky's Magoffin County was first bounded in 1772, when all of what is now the state of Kentucky was in the frontier county of Fincastle County, Virginia. Fincastle was divided in 1776, with the western portion named Kentucky County, Virginia. In 1780, the Virginia legislature set aside all land in Kentucky County for soldiers who had served in the Revolutionary War. In 1780, Kentucky County was divided into 3 counties, Jefferson, Fayette, and Lincoln. Fayette County was divided in 1785, with part becoming Bourbon County. In 1792, the lower part of Bourbon County was partitioned off to form Clark County The area was further divided in 1796 to form Montgomery County, with Fleming County being partitioned from the area in 1798. In 1800, Floyd County was created from portions of Fleming, Mason, and Montgomery Counties. In 1843, Johnson County was carved out of the previous Bath County area, which was created in 1811 from Montgomery County, and which lost a portion of its territory in 1843 for the creation of Johnson County.

In 1860, the Kentucky Legislature partitioned parts of Johnson, Floyd, and Morgan Counties, to create Magoffin County. Its boundaries have remained unchanged since that time.

During the Civil War, Magoffin County was a border county, with a moderate unionist majority existing in the area, albeit with highly divided sentiment. While approximately 123 men enlisted in the Confederate Army, approximately 292 men served in the Union Army.

As the late 19th century progressed, Magoffin County became a leading supplier in oil and gas production in the area, with some of the first oil wells in Eastern Kentucky being built in the county.

Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 309 sqmi, of which 308 sqmi is land and 0.7 sqmi (0.2%) is water. It is watered by Licking River.

Adjacent counties

 * Morgan County (northwest)
 * Johnson County (northeast)
 * Floyd County (southeast)
 * Knott County (south)
 * Breathitt County (southwest)
 * Wolfe County (west)

Demographics
As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 13,333 people living in the county. 98.6% were White, 0.3% Native American, 0.1% Black or African American, 0.1% Asian, 0.2% of some other race and 0.7% of two or more races. 0.7% were Hispanic or Latino (of any race).

As of the census of 2000, there were 13,332 people, 5,024 households, and 3,858 families living in the county. The population density was 43 /sqmi. There were 5,447 housing units at an average density of 18 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the county was 99.29% White, 0.15% Black or African American, 0.20% Native American, 0.08% Asian, 0.02% from other races, and 0.27% from two or more races. 0.42% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. There is a significant Melungeon or mixed race group of Carmel Indians in Magoffin County. In a 2007 study by the U.S. Census Bureau, Magoffin County, along with Mitchell County in Iowa, was cited as the U.S. county having the largest percentage of individuals in the demographic category of "Non-Hispanic white alone."

There were 5,024 households, out of which 37.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.90% were married couples living together, 11.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.20% were non-families. 21.40% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.20% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.62 and the average family size was 3.04.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 26.80% under the age of 18, 10.10% from 18 to 24, 30.20% from 25 to 44, 22.40% from 45 to 64, and 10.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 97.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.40 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $19,421, and the median income for a family was $24,031. Males had a median income of $27,745 versus $18,354 for females. The per capita income for the county was $10,685. About 31.20% of families and 36.60% of the population were below the poverty line, including 45.90% of those under age 18 and 29.10% of those age 65 or over.

Politics
Between 1932 and 2004, Magoffin County generally voted Democratic in presidential elections, however it has voted Republican since then. It voted for Democrat Andy Beshear for Governor in both the 2019 and 2023 gubernatorial elections, but Republican for all other statewide offices.

Economy
The last active coal mine in Magoffin County closed in 2015. In 2022, the TipTop Coal Mine in Magoffin County reopened, making the total number of coal mines in the county one. Major employers now include several coal truck businesses.

City

 * Salyersville (county seat)

Unincorporated communities

 * Elsie
 * Falcon
 * Foraker
 * Fredville
 * Gunlock
 * Hendricks
 * Ivyton
 * Logville
 * Royalton
 * Sublett
 * Swampton
 * Wheelersburg
 * Wonnie

Notable people

 * Jimmy Flynt, co-founder of Hustler magazine
 * Larry Flynt, publisher of Hustler magazine
 * Samuel Wilber Hager, Kentucky State Treasurer from 1900 to 1904, Kentucky State Auditor from 1904 to 1908, and Democratic nominee for governor of Kentucky in 1907

title: Magoffin County, Kentucky


text:
Madison County, Kentucky

Madison County is a county located in the central part of the U.S. state of Kentucky. At the 2020 census, its population was 92,701. Its county seat is Richmond. The county is named for Virginia statesman James Madison, who later became the fourth President of the United States.

The county is part of the Richmond-Berea, KY Micropolitan Statistical Area which is also included in the Lexington-Fayette–Richmond–Frankfort, KY combined statistical area.

Madison County is considered a moist county, meaning that although the county prohibits the sale of alcoholic beverages (and is thus a dry county), it contains a city where retail alcohol sales are allowed. Nevertheless, two of the county's 19 precincts are completely dry. Alcohol can also be sold by the drink in Berea, Richmond, and at Arlington and The Bull golf clubs. In 2023, the county voted to become wet.

Madison County is home to Eastern Kentucky University, Berea College, and historic Boone Tavern. Famous pioneer Daniel Boone lived in Madison County and built Fort Boonesborough, now a state historic site.

History
Indian trader John Findley, Daniel Boone, and four others first came into the area that is now Madison County in 1769 on a hunting and exploring expedition. In 1774, the Transylvania Company, led by Judge Richard Henderson of North Carolina, purchased 20000000 acres of land west of the Appalachians (including present-day Madison County) from the Cherokee Nation. Daniel Boone was hired to cut a trail through the Cumberland Gap and establish a settlement on the Kentucky River. The settlement at Fort Boonesborough began in April 1775.

In 1785, Madison County was established from a portion of Lincoln County, Virginia.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 443 sqmi, of which 437 sqmi is land and 6.0 sqmi (1.3%) is water.

Major highways

 * Interstate 75
 * U.S. 25
 * U.S. 421
 * KY 52

Adjacent counties

 * Fayette County (north)
 * Clark County (northeast)
 * Estill County (east)
 * Jackson County (southeast)
 * Rockcastle County (south)
 * Garrard County (southwest)
 * Jessamine County (northwest)

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 70,872 people, 27,152 households, and 18,218 families residing in the county. The population density was 161 /sqmi. There were 29,595 housing units at an average density of 67 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the county was 93.01% White, 4.44% Black or African American, 0.28% Native American, 0.72% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.34% from other races, and 1.19% from two or more races. 0.97% of the population were Hispanics or Latinos of any race.

There were 27,152 households, out of which 31.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.10% were married couples living together, 10.70% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.90% were non-families. 25.20% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 2.90.

By age, 21.90% were under 18, 18.80% from 18 to 24, 29.40% from 25 to 44, 20.10% from 45 to 64, and 9.80% 65 or older. The median age was 31 years. Both the relatively large 18-to-24 population and the relatively low median age can be explained by the presence of Eastern Kentucky University, and to a considerably lesser extent Berea College. For every 100 females, there were 93.30 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.20 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $32,861, and the median income for a family was $41,383. Males had a median income of $31,974 versus $22,487 for females. The per capita income for the county was $16,790. About 12.00% of families and 16.80% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.80% of those under age 18 and 17.10% of those age 65 or over.

Government
The Madison County courthouse is located at 135 W Irvine Street in Richmond.

County Judge-Executive: Reagan Taylor County Clerk: Kenny Barger Sheriff: Mike Coyle Coroner: Jimmy Cornelison Jailer: Steve Tussey County Attorney: Jennie Haymond Circuit Clerk: David M. Fernandez County Property Valuation Administrator (PVA): Billy Ackerman County Surveyor: Stuart W. Spencer

Schools
Madison County is served by two school districts: The county is also served by Model Laboratory School which is part of Eastern Kentucky University.
 * Madison County Schools, currently consisting of 10 elementary, 5 middle, and 2 high schools.
 * Berea Independent Schools, currently consisting of 1 elementary, 1 middle, and 1 high school.

Colleges and universities

 * Eastern Kentucky University, located in Richmond
 * Berea College, located in Berea
 * National College of Business & Technology, located in Richmond

Cities

 * Berea
 * Richmond (county seat)

Unincorporated communities

 * Baldwin
 * Bighill
 * Bobtown
 * Boonesborough
 * Buggytown
 * Bybee
 * College Hill
 * Dreyfus
 * Kingston
 * Kirksville
 * Million
 * Moberly
 * Newby
 * Redhouse
 * Round Hill
 * Ruthton
 * Speedwell
 * Union City, Kentucky, where vaudevillian Andrew Tribble was born A historical marker commemorates his life at Union City Park.
 * Valley View
 * Waco

Military
The Blue Grass Army Depot is located just south of Richmond.

Notable people

 * Frances Estill Beauchamp (1860–1923), temperance activist, social reformer, lecturer
 * Daniel S. Bentley (1850–1916), American minister, writer, newspaper founder
 * Daniel Boone - American frontiersman and explorer of Kentucky.
 * Kit Carson - Christopher Houston Carson (December 24, 1809 – May 23, 1868), better known as Kit Carson, was an American frontiersman.
 * Mary Kavanaugh Eagle (1854–1903), American activist, clubwoman, book editor.
 * Lonnie Napier (1940–2023) – former representative for House District 36 in the Kentucky House of Representatives.

Sister communities

 * Flag of Japan (bordered).svg Hokuto City, Yamanashi, Japan (since 1990)

title: Madison County, Kentucky


text:
Lyon County, Kentucky

Lyon County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of the 2020 census, the population was 8,680. Its county seat is Eddyville. The county was formed from Caldwell County, Kentucky in 1854 and named for former Congressman Chittenden Lyon.

Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 257 sqmi, of which 214 sqmi is land and 43 sqmi (17%) is water.

Adjacent counties

 * Crittenden County (north)
 * Caldwell County (east)
 * Trigg County (south)
 * Marshall County (southwest)
 * Livingston County (northwest)

National protected area

 * Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area (part)

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 8,080 people, 2,898 households, and 2,043 families living in the county. The population density was 38 /sqmi. There were 4,189 housing units at an average density of 19 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the county was 91.86% White, 6.72% Black or African American, 0.30% Native American, 0.17% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.40% from other races, and 0.54% from two or more races. 0.73% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

The largest ancestry groups in Lyon County, Kentucky according to the census of 2000 are:
 * English - 21%
 * Irish - 15%
 * German - 12%
 * African - 7%
 * French - 4%
 * Scottish - 2%
 * Scots-Irish - 20%
 * Dutch - 2%

There were 2,898 households, out of which 25.10% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.80% were married couples living together, 8.10% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.50% were non-families. 26.80% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.20% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.26 and the average family size was 2.70.

The age distribution was 15.80% under the age of 18, 7.50% from 18 to 24, 32.90% from 25 to 44, 27.00% from 45 to 64, and 16.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 133.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 138.10 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $31,694, and the median income for a family was $39,940. Males had a median income of $36,034 versus $21,806 for females. The per capita income for the county was $16,016. About 10.20% of families and 12.70% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.30% of those under age 18 and 13.30% of those age 65 or over.

Cities

 * Eddyville (county seat)
 * Kuttawa

Unincorporated communities

 * Carmack
 * Confederate
 * Commerce Landing
 * Eddy Bay
 * Eden Bay
 * Confederate
 * Greenacres
 * Indian Hills
 * Lamasco
 * Palisades
 * Paradise Hills
 * Saratoga
 * Suwanee
 * Twin Lakes
 * Wildhood Hills

Notable residents

 * Keen Johnson, publisher and Kentucky governor, born in Lyon County, 1896
 * Hylan Benton Lyon, Confederate general and Kentucky political figure
 * Forrest Pogue, World War II Historian, born in Lyon County, 1912

title: Lyon County, Kentucky


text:
Logan County, Kentucky

Logan County is a county in the southwest Pennyroyal Plateau area of Kentucky, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 27,432. Its county seat is Russellville.

History
The county is named for Benjamin Logan, who had been second in command of the Kentucky militia during the American Revolutionary War and was a leader in bringing statehood to the area. Created from Lincoln County on September 1, 1792, Logan was the 13th Kentucky county in order of formation. Its original territory stretched from the Mississippi in the west to the Little Barren River in the east, and from the Green and Ohio Rivers in the north to the Tennessee border on the south; since then, 28 other counties have been formed within that area. The settlement of Logan Court House was made the county seat at its incorporation under the name Russellville.

Future President Andrew Jackson fought a pistol duel against Charles Dickinson at Harrison's Mill in Logan County on May 30, 1806. Jackson was seriously wounded and Dickinson was killed.

During the post-Reconstruction period, there was considerable racial violence by white mobs against black citizens in Logan County. Racist mobs lynched 12 African Americans in the county during the years between 1877 and 1908; most were killed around the turn of the 20th century. This is a higher total than in all but one other county in the state. Four men were killed in a mass lynching on August 1, 1908, in Russellville, during the civil unrest associated with the Black Patch Tobacco Wars. Sharecroppers Joseph Riley, and Virgil, Robert, and Thomas Jones, the last three members of the same family, were all hanged from the same cedar tree. They were the last persons lynched in Logan county.

Logan was a major tobacco-growing county, with Dark Fired Tobacco produced by a special smoke processing. From 1906 some of its farmers became involved in the violent Black Patch Tobacco Wars, joining the Dark Tobacco District Planters' Protective Association of Kentucky and Tennessee to mobilize against the monopoly power of the American Tobacco Company, which had driven down prices to where farmers could barely make a living. Paramilitary Night Riders threatened other tobacco planters to "persuade" them to join the PPA. In late 1907 and early 1908, hundreds of Night Riders conducted raids against tobacco warehouses in some Kentucky towns. They struck Russellville on January 3, 1908, taking over the city and dynamiting two tobacco factories.

21st century
In 2009, the Logan County/Russellville Little League Baseball team won the Little League World Series Great Lakes Regional Tournament as the 4th team from Kentucky to do so (as of 2017, Kentucky has had seven teams win the Great Lakes Tournament) to represent the Great Lakes Region in the Little League World Series.

Geography
Logan County is on the south border of Kentucky; its south line abuts the north line of Tennessee. Its low hills are completely devoted to agriculture or urban development. Its highest point (868 ft ASL) is Rainbow Rock Knob WSW, located 3.6 mi ESE from Russellville. The Red River flows northwestward through the central and west part of the county, discharging into Todd County on the west.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 557 sqmi, of which 552 sqmi is land and 4.9 sqmi (0.9%) is water.

Adjacent counties

 * Muhlenberg County - northwest
 * Butler County - north
 * Warren County - northeast
 * Simpson County - southeast
 * Robertson County, Tennessee - south
 * Todd County - west

Lakes

 * Briggs Lake
 * Boy Scout Lake
 * Lake Herndon
 * Spa Lake
 * Lake Malone (part)

2000 Census
As of the census of 2000, there were 26,573 people, 10,506 households, and 7,574 families in the county. The population density was 48 /sqmi. There were 11,875 housing units at an average density of 21 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the county was 90.70% White, 7.62% Black or African American, 0.21% Native American, 0.17% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.33% from other races, and 0.96% from two or more races. 1.08% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 10,506 households, out of which 33.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.20% were married couples living together, 11.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.90% were non-families. 25.00% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.40% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 2.96.

The county population contained 25.70% under the age of 18, 8.40% from 18 to 24, 28.50% from 25 to 44, 23.60% from 45 to 64, and 13.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 93.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.40 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $32,474, and the median income for a family was $39,307. Males had a median income of $29,750 versus $20,265 for females. The per capita income for the county was $15,962. About 10.80% of families and 15.50% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.50% of those under age 18 and 18.60% of those age 65 or over.

Cities

 * Adairville
 * Auburn
 * Lewisburg
 * Russellville (county seat)

Census-designated place

 * Dunmor (mostly in Muhlenberg County)

Unincorporated places

 * Chandlers Chapel
 * Corinth
 * Dot
 * Epleys
 * Gasper
 * Gordonsville
 * Hilltop
 * Hollow Bill
 * Keysburg
 * Lickskillet
 * Olmstead
 * Richelieu
 * Schochoh
 * South Union
 * Whipporwill

Attractions

 * Lake Malone State Park
 * Red River Meeting House
 * Shaker Museum at South Union

Notable people

 * Peter Cartwright — 2nd Great Awakening preacher
 * Alice Allison Dunnigan — African American journalist and activist
 * Philip Alston — counterfeiter and early settler near Russellville
 * Jim Bowie
 * Green Pinckney Russell (1861–1939) — American school administrator and teacher
 * Mark Thompson (baseball) — MLB pitcher

title: Logan County, Kentucky


text:
Livingston County, Kentucky

Livingston County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of the 2020 census, the population was 8,888. Its county seat is Smithland and its largest community is Ledbetter. The county was established in 1798 from land taken from Christian County and is named for Robert R. Livingston, a member of the Committee of Five that drafted the U.S. Declaration of Independence. The county was strongly pro-Confederate during the American Civil War and many men volunteered for the Confederate Army. Livingston County is part of the Paducah, KY-IL Metropolitan Statistical Area. It is a prohibition or dry county with the exception of Grand Rivers which voted to allow alcohol sales in 2016.

Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 342 sqmi, of which 313 sqmi is land and 29 sqmi (8.5%) is water. The western border with Illinois is formed by the Ohio River.

Adjacent counties

 * Hardin County, Illinois (north)
 * Crittenden County (northeast)
 * Lyon County (southeast)
 * Marshall County (south)
 * McCracken County (southwest)
 * Massac County, Illinois (west)
 * Pope County, Illinois (northwest)

Major highways

 * U.S. Route 60
 * U.S. Route 62
 * Interstate 24
 * Interstate 69
 * Kentucky Route 453

Demographics
As of the census of 2010, there were 9,519 people living in the county. The population density was 31 /sqmi. There were 4,772 housing units at an average density of 15 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the county was 98.49% White, 0.14% Black or African American, 0.42% Native American, 0.03% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.28% from other races, and 0.63% from two or more races. 0.75% of the population were Hispanics or Latinos of any race.

There were 3,996 households, out of which 29.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.40% were married couples living together, 7.90% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.60% were non-families. 24.40% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.00% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 2.86.

The age distribution was 22.30% under the age of 18, 7.50% from 18 to 24, 28.20% from 25 to 44, 27.00% from 45 to 64, and 14.90% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.80 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.70 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $31,776, and the median income for a family was $39,486. Males had a median income of $33,633 versus $19,617 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,072. About 7.60% of families and 10.30% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.70% of those under age 18 and 15.80% of those age 65 or over.

Cities

 * Carrsville
 * Grand Rivers
 * Salem
 * Smithland (county seat)

Census-designated places

 * Burna
 * Ledbetter (largest community)

North Livingston

 * Bayou
 * Birdsville
 * Hampton
 * Joy
 * Lola
 * Mullikan Junction

South Livingston

 * Cooper Landing
 * Heater
 * Iuka
 * Lake City
 * Newbern
 * Pinckneyville
 * Stanley Landing
 * Tiline
 * Vicksburg

Ghost Town

 * Berry Ferry

Notable people

 * Andrew Jackson Smith (September 3, 1843 – March 4, 1932) was a runaway slave, Union Army soldier during the American Civil War. He was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions at the Battle of Honey Hill.
 * James Ford (1775–1833), was a civic leader and businessman who was later discovered to be the secret criminal leader of a gang of Ohio River pirates and highwaymen in the early 19th century.

title: Livingston County, Kentucky


text:
Lincoln County, Kentucky

Lincoln County is a county located in south-central Kentucky. As of the 2020 census, the population was 24,275. Its county seat is Stanford. Lincoln County is part of the Danville, KY Micropolitan Statistical Area.

History
Lincoln County—originally Lincoln County, Virginia—was established by the Virginia General Assembly in June 1780, and named in honor of Revolutionary War general Benjamin Lincoln. It was one of three counties formed out of Virginia's Kentucky County (The other two were Fayette and Jefferson), and is one of Kentucky's nine original counties.

The county's original seat was at Harrodsburg; but in 1785, Lincoln County was partitioned, and Harrodsburg became the seat of the new Mercer County. Afterward, Stanford became Lincoln County's permanent seat.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 337 sqmi, of which 334 sqmi is land and 2.5 sqmi (0.7%) is water.

Lincoln County is located in south-central Kentucky astride the southern part of the ring of Knobs, which separate the Bluegrass region from the Eastern Pennyroyal Plateau, the Lincoln County part of which includes the source and headwaters of the Green River. Lincoln County is part of Appalachia.

Adjacent counties

 * Boyle County (northwest)
 * Garrard County (northeast)
 * Rockcastle County (east)
 * Pulaski County (south)
 * Casey County (west)

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 23,361 people, 9,206 households, and 6,729 families residing in the county. The population density was 70 /sqmi. There were 10,127 housing units at an average density of 30 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the county was 94.2% White, 2.53% Black or African American, 0.15% Native American, 0.10% Asian, 0.38% from other races, and 0.72% from two or more races. 0.89% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 9,206 households, out of which 33.70% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.60% were married couples living together, 10.30% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.90% were non-families. 23.60% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 2.95.

By age, 25.70% of the population was under 18, 8.40% from 18 to 24, 29.80% from 25 to 44, 23.10% from 45 to 64, and 13.10% were 65 or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.30 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.10 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $39,833, and the median income for a family was $32,284. Males had a median income of $26,395 versus $20,517 for females. The per capita income for the county was $13,602. About 16.40% of families and 21.10% of the population were below the poverty line, including 27.10% of those under age 18 and 22.90% of those age 65 or over.

Cities

 * Crab Orchard
 * Eubank (shared with Pulaski County)
 * Hustonville
 * Junction City (mostly in Boyle County)
 * Stanford (county seat)

Census-designated place

 * McKinney

Other unincorporated places

 * Blue Lick
 * Chicken Bristle
 * Dog Walk
 * Halls Gap
 * Highland
 * Hubble
 * Jumbo
 * Kings Mountain
 * Miracle
 * Moreland
 * Ottenheim
 * Preachersville
 * Rowland
 * Turkeytown
 * Walnut Flat
 * Waynesburg

Politics
Lincoln County has been reliably Republican for several decades now, last voting for a Democratic candidate for president in 1976.

title: Lincoln County, Kentucky


text:
Lewis County, Kentucky

Lewis County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of the 2020 census, the population was 13,080. Its county seat is Vanceburg.

History
The area presently bounded by Kentucky state lines was a part of the U.S. State of Virginia, known as Kentucky County when the British colonies separated themselves in the American Revolutionary War. In 1780, the Virginia legislature divided the previous Kentucky County into three smaller units: Fayette, Jefferson, and Lincoln. In 1791, this area was separated into the State of Kentucky; it became effective on June 1, 1792. From that time, the original three counties were divided several times. A portion of Fayette County was split off as Bourbon County in 1785; a portion of Bourbon was split off as Mason County in 1788; in 1806 the present Lewis County was split off from Mason. The new county was named for Meriwether Lewis.

The county's hilly country, heavily forested, has produced some of the nation's best oak lumber. Lumbering has been the county's principal economic activity from the start.

The county's elevation ranges from 485 to 1400 feet above sea level.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 495 sqmi, of which 483 sqmi is land and 13 sqmi (2.5%) is water. The county's northern border with Ohio is formed by the Ohio River. Its border with the river is the longest of all the Kentucky counties.

Adjacent counties

 * Adams County, Ohio (north)
 * Scioto County, Ohio (northeast)
 * Greenup County (east)
 * Carter County (southeast)
 * Rowan County (south)
 * Fleming County (southwest)
 * Mason County (west)

National protected area

 * Ohio River Islands National Wildlife Refuge (part)

2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 14,092 people, 5,422 households, and 4,050 families residing in the county. The population density was 29 /sqmi. There were 6,173 housing units at an average density of 13 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the county was 98.92% White, 0.21% Black or African American, 0.21% Native American, 0.03% Asian, 0.09% from other races, and 0.55% from two or more races. 0.44% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 5,422 households, out of which 35.10% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.40% were married couples living together, 9.70% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.30% were non-families. 22.50% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.00% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 2.98.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 25.30% under the age of 18, 9.10% from 18 to 24, 29.40% from 25 to 44, 23.70% from 45 to 64, and 12.50% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.00 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $22,208, and the median income for a family was $26,109. Males had a median income of $25,522 versus $18,764 for females. The per capita income for the county was $12,031. About 23.50% of families and 28.50% of the population were below the poverty line, including 36.40% of those under age 18 and 21.30% of those age 65 or over. Over forty percent of this county gets some kind of government benefit.

Education

The residents of Lewis County are served by the Lewis County Schools school district. There are 4 elementary schools within the county, 1 middle school, and 1 high school. The elementary schools are as follows: Lewis County Central Elementary, located in Vanceburg, Garrison Elementary, located east of Vanceburg in the town of Garrison, Tollesboro Elementary, located west of Vanceburg in the town of Tollesboro, and Laurel Elementary, located south east of Vanceburg in the Laurel area of Lewis County. Upon entering 7th grade all 7th grade students attend Lewis County Middle School located west of Vanceburg on KY 10. LCMS hosts two grade levels, 7th and 8th. Upon completing 8th grade students attend Lewis County High School, which sets adjacent to the middle school. LCHS hosts grades 9-12 and was a nationally distinguished school in 2015, 2016, and 2018. Lewis County Middle School and Lewis County High School are located west of Vanceburg on KY 10, the AA Highway.

Elementary Schools:
 * Lewis County Central Elementary School, Vanceburg. Mascot-Lions, Colors-Royal blue, red, and white.
 * Garrison Elementary School, Garrison. Mascot-Patriots, Colors-Red, black, and white.
 * Tollesboro Elementary School, Tollesboro. Mascot-Wildcats, Colors-Royal blue, yellow, and white.
 * Laurel Elementary School, Laurel. Mascot-Bombers, Colors-Kelly green and white.

Middle Schools:
 * Lewis County Middle School, Vanceburg. Mascot-Lions, Colors-Royal blue, red, and white.

High Schools: Closed Schools:
 * Lewis County High School, Vanceburg. Mascot-Lions, Colors-Royal blue, red, and white.
 * Tollesboro High School, Tollesboro. Closed in 1994 due to low enrollment numbers and loss of state funding. Tollesboro High students then had to attend Lewis County High School. This was an issue that caused controversy within the county as Tollesboro High School and Lewis County High School had a long-standing, bitter rivalry with one another. Tollesboro officials and residents claimed that the closure of the school by the Lewis County Board of Education was not justified. Some residents went as far as to send their children to the schools of surrounding counties, such as Mason Co. and Fleming Co. However, with time the controversy died down and is now non-existent. The main school building which housed offices, class rooms, etc. as well as the Field Hall, which contained the gymnasium for the school still stand today. They set just off of KY Route 57 near the intersection with old highway 10. The building was later used as the Tollesboro Christian Academy, however that organization was short lived and is now defunct.
 * Laurel High School, Laurel. The building which housed the Laurel High School burned in the late 1930s. The building was made of local stone which was largely undamaged by the fire, so the exterior of the building could have been reused. However, the interior was burnt beyond repair. High School students of the Laurel area then had to attend Lewis County High School, where they still go to this day. The building sat just off of the intersection of KY Route 59 and highway 1068 (near Laurel Point). The remnants of the building are still visible today.

Politics
Lewis County is one of the most Republican leaning counties in Kentucky. The last Democrat to win the county in a presidential election was Samuel J. Tilden in 1876.

Cities

 * Concord
 * Vanceburg (County Seat)

Census-designated place

 * Garrison

Other unincorporated places

 * Alburn
 * Awe
 * Black Oak
 * Beechy Creek
 * Buena Vista
 * Burtonville
 * Cabin Creek
 * Camp Dix
 * Carrs
 * Charters
 * Clarksburg (County Seat 1809–1863)
 * Cottageville
 * Covedale
 * Crum
 * Emerson
 * Epworth
 * Esculapia Springs
 * Fearis
 * Firebrick
 * Fruit
 * Glenn
 * Glenn Springs (Earlier known as McCormick's Spring)
 * Gun Powder Gap
 * Harris
 * Head of Grassy
 * Heselton
 * Irwin
 * Jacktown
 * Kinniconick
 * Kirkville
 * Laurel
 * Libbie
 * Martin
 * McDowell Creek
 * McKenzie
 * Montgomery Creek
 * Nashtown
 * Noah
 * Oak Ridge
 * Pence
 * Petersville
 * Poplar Flat (County Seat 1806–1809)
 * Quicks Run
 * Randville
 * Records
 * Rexton
 * Ribolt
 * Rugless
 * Saint Paul
 * Salt Lick
 * Sand Hill
 * Stricklett
 * Sullivan
 * Tannery
 * Teutonia
 * Thor
 * Tollesboro
 * Trinity (Trinity Station)
 * Upper Bruce
 * Valley
 * Wadsworth

Notable people

 * James Baird (1873–1953) - Quarterback at the University of Michigan 1892–1895. After graduation served as an Assistant Coach for the football program from 1897 to 1898. Later as a Civil Engineer, his construction company executed the building of prominent buildings such as the Lincoln Memorial and Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
 * Charles A. Baird (1870–1944) - University of Michigan's first Athletic Director from 1898 to 1909. Hired legendary coach Fielding H. Yost. Oversaw construction of Ferry Field. Older brother of James Baird.
 * Thomas Marshall (1793–1853) – United States Army general of the Mexican–American War.
 * The founder of "Pillar of Fire Church" and KKK advocate Alma Bridwell White was born there.
 * Thomas Massie, Current Congressman, Kentucky's 4th Congressional District
 * Ralph Davis, (Ralph E. Davis Jr.) University of Cincinnati Basketball. Started on two NCAA Final Four teams for the Bearcats. Went on to play professional basketball in the American Basketball Association (ABA) for the Cincinnati Royals, a Pre-NBA merger franchise which is now the Sacramento Kings.
 * Faith Esham, (b. 1948) Famous opera performer and recitalist. Voice Professor at Westminster Choir College of Rider University since 2000.
 * Thomas H. Paynter, United States Senator 1907–1913
 * George M. Thomas (American politician), (November 23, 1828 – January 7, 1914) Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Kentucky's 9th district: In office March 4, 1887 – March 3, 1889. Member of the Kentucky House of Representatives: In office 1859–1863, 1872–1873. Commonwealth's Attorney for the tenth judicial district 1862–1868. Was elected Lewis county judge in 1868. Republican candidate for Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky in 1871. Circuit Judge of the fourteenth judicial district from 1874 to 1880 and United States District Attorney from 1881 to 1885. Elected as a Republican to the Fiftieth Congress (March 4, 1887 – March 3, 1889). Was appointed Solicitor of Internal Revenue by President William McKinley on May 20, 1897, and served until May 31, 1901.

title: Lewis County, Kentucky