text:
Fulton County, Kentucky

Fulton County is the westernmost county in the U.S. state of Kentucky, with the Mississippi River forming its western boundary. As of the 2020 census, the population was 6,515. Its county seat is Hickman and its largest city is Fulton. The county was formed in 1845 from Hickman County, Kentucky and named for Robert Fulton, the inventor of the steamboat.

Allied with Tennessee by trade and culture, white Fulton County residents were largely pro-Confederate during the American Civil War. Forces from both armies passed through the county during different periods of the conflict. Because of imprecise early surveying of Kentucky's southern border, Fulton County is divided into two non-contiguous parts. An exclave on the peninsula in the Kentucky Bend of the Mississippi River can be reached only by road through Tennessee.

History
The rural county was not organized until 1845, from a portion of Hickman County. It was named for Robert Fulton, inventor of the steamboat. Hickman, Kentucky was designated as the county seat. The county was developed for agriculture, which was originally dependent on slave labor. Area farmers had ties to Tennessee planters, and shipped produce down the Mississippi River, which formed the county's western border. They supported the Confederacy, while Kentucky maintained official neutrality as a Border State.

During the post-Reconstruction period, there was considerable racial violence by whites against blacks in Fulton County; they exercised terrorism to re-establish and maintain white supremacy. Whites lynched 20 African Americans here from 1877 to 1950; most were killed around the turn of the 20th century. This was by far the highest total of any county in the state, more than ten times the total in many other counties. Five men were lynched from 1883 to 1917, for alleged rape, assault, barn burning, and robbery and murder.

After the Civil War, some African Americans became landowners in the county. A notably egregious lynching was that on October 3, 1908, in Hickman of David Walker and his entire family by 50 Night Riders. This may have been part of anarchic violence that was directed at blacks arising from the "Reelfoot Lake Uprising", but it also appeared that whites coveted Walker's land. Walker and his wife, an infant in arms, and three children were shot multiple times; the eldest son burned to death in their farmhouse; seven in total were killed on the night of October 3, 1908, in Hickman. Walker owned a 21 1/2 acre farm; his white neighbor took it over after the killings, and later sold it to another white man. One of the latter's descendants continues to own the rural land.

On December 16, 1918, Private Charles Lewis, a veteran of World War I, was lynched at Tyler Station. Private Lewis was accused of robbery and while he was held in the local jail, a group of masked men forced their way into the jail, smashed the locks with a sledgehammer, then took him outside and hanged him from a tree.

Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 231 sqmi, of which 206 sqmi is land and 25 sqmi (11%) is water.

About 11 sqmi of the county is separated in a peninsula from the rest of the state by an oxbow of the Mississippi River, known as the Kentucky Bend or New Madrid Bend, after the city in Missouri on the north side of the river. Travelers going there have to pass into Tennessee by road (there is no bridge from Missouri) and then go north to reach the Kentucky Bend exclave. The lowest point in the state of Kentucky is located on the Mississippi River in Kentucky Bend in Fulton County, where it flows past Kentucky and between Tennessee and Missouri. It is expected that over time, the river will cut across the short neck of the peninsula, cutting it off entirely from Kentucky, with land gradually filling in behind it to connect it to Missouri.

Adjacent counties

 * Mississippi County, Missouri (northwest)
 * Hickman County (northeast)
 * Obion County, Tennessee (south)
 * Lake County, Tennessee (southwest)
 * New Madrid County, Missouri (west)

National protected area

 * Reelfoot National Wildlife Refuge (part)

2020 census
As of the 2020 United States Census, there were 6,515 people, 2,441 households, and 1,425 families residing in the county.

2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 7,752 people, 3,237 households, and 2,113 families residing in the county. The population density was 37 /sqmi. There were 3,697 housing units at an average density of 18 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the county was 75.12% White, 23.19% Black or African American, 0.12% Native American, 0.31% Asian, 0.32% from other races, and 0.94% from two or more races. 0.72% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 3,237 households, out of which 29.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.40% were married couples living together, 18.00% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.70% were non-families. 32.30% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.20% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.32 and the average family size was 2.92.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 24.90% under the age of 18, 8.90% from 18 to 24, 25.50% from 25 to 44, 23.20% from 45 to 64, and 17.50% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 87.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.00 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $24,382, and the median income for a family was $30,788. Males had a median income of $26,401 versus $19,549 for females. The per capita income for the county was $14,309. About 20.10% of families and 23.10% of the population were below the poverty line, including 32.30% of those under age 18 and 16.00% of those age 65 or over.

Politics
Fulton County was a Democratic stronghold for most of its history and was one of the few Kentucky counties carried by Al Gore in 2000. Since then, however, it has swung sharply towards the Republican Party.

Education

 * Fulton County School District
 * Fulton Independent Schools

Media

 * WENK-AM 1240 "The Greatest Hits of All Time"
 * WWGY 99.3 "Today's Best Music with Ace & TJ in the Morning"

Cities

 * Fulton
 * Hickman (county seat)

Census-designated place

 * Cayce

Other unincorporated communities

 * Bondurant
 * Brownsville
 * Crutchfield
 * Jordan
 * Kentucky Bend
 * Mabel
 * Miller
 * Riceville
 * Sassafras Ridge
 * State Line
 * Tyler

title: Fulton County, Kentucky


text:
Franklin County, Kentucky

Franklin County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of the 2020 census, the population was 51,541, making it the 2nd least populous capital county in the United States after Hughes County, South Dakota. Its county seat is Frankfort, the state capital. The county was formed in 1795 from parts of Woodford, Mercer and Shelby counties, and was named after the American inventor and statesman Benjamin Franklin. Franklin County is part of the Frankfort, Kentucky Micropolitan Statistical Area. It shares a name with Franklin County in Ohio, where Columbus is located. This makes it one of two pairs of capital cities in counties of the same name, along with Marion Counties in Oregon and Indiana.

History
The three original counties of Kentucky (Jefferson, Fayette and Lincoln counties) intersected in what is today Franklin County. Franklin County was established in 1795 from land given by Mercer, Shelby, and Woodford counties. Franklin was the 18th Kentucky county in order of formation.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 212 sqmi, of which 208 sqmi is land and 4.3 sqmi (2.0%) is water.

Transit

 * Frankfort Transit

Major highways

 * Interstate 64
 * US 127
 * US 60
 * US 421
 * US 460
 * KY 676

Adjacent counties

 * Owen County (north)
 * Scott County (east)
 * Woodford County (southeast)
 * Anderson County (south)
 * Shelby County (west)
 * Henry County (northwest)

Government and politics
In recent presidential elections the county has supported both Democrats and Republicans. In 2000 Democrat Al Gore won 50% of the vote to Republican George W. Bush's 47%. In 2004, Bush won 50% of the vote to Democrat John Kerry's 48%. In 2008 Republican John McCain defeated Democrat Barack Obama 49.47% to 48.87%, a difference of only 144 votes, only for Obama to narrowly edge out Mitt Romney in 2012. However, Donald Trump won the county in 2016. He won it again in 2020, but only by a slim margin of 248 votes. In 2023, incumbent-Democratic governor Andy Beshear won it by a large margin over Republican attorney general Daniel Cameron, getting 68% of the vote.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 47,687 people, 19,907 households, and 12,840 families residing in the county. The population density was 227 /sqmi. There were 21,409 housing units at an average density of 102 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the county was 87.98% White, 9.36% Black or African American, 0.13% Native American, 0.72% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.55% from other races, and 1.24% from two or more races. 1.11% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 19,907 households, out of which 29.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.70% were married couples living together, 12.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.50% were non-families. 30.40% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.30 and the average family size was 2.86.

22.60% of the population was under the age of 18, 9.70% from 18 to 24, 30.50% from 25 to 44, 24.90% from 45 to 64, and 12.30% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.70 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $40,011, and the median income for a family was $51,052. Males had a median income of $32,826 versus $26,201 for females. The per capita income for the county was $21,229. About 6.90% of families and 10.70% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.80% of those under age 18 and 12.20% of those age 65 or over.

Education
The county is served by two public school districts: Franklin County Public Schools and Frankfort Independent Schools.

Franklin County Public Schools
This district takes in almost all of the county, including the majority of the city of Frankfort. It operates the following schools:
 * Bridgeport Elementary School (grades K-5)
 * Collins Lane Elementary School (grades K-5)
 * Early Childhood Education Center (grades K-1)
 * Elkhorn Elementary School (grades 2–5)
 * Hearn Elementary School (grades 2–5)
 * Peaks Mill Elementary School (grades 2–5)
 * Westridge Elementary School (grades K-5)
 * Bondurant Middle School (grades 6–8)
 * Elkhorn Middle School (grades 6–8)
 * Franklin County High School (grades 9–12)
 * Western Hills High School (grades 9–12)
 * The Academy (grades 9–12) (For kids with problems/juveniles)
 * Franklin County Career and Technical Center (grades 9–12) (Career center for all public high schools in the county.)

Frankfort Independent Schools
This district serves an area roughly covering the Frankfort neighborhoods known as "downtown", South Frankfort (the vicinity of the state capitol building), and Bellepoint. It operates two schools:
 * Second Street School (grades K-6)
 * Frankfort High School (grades 7–12)

Private schools

 * Capital Day School (grades PreK-8)
 * Frankfort Christian Academy (grades K-12)
 * Good Shepherd Catholic School (grades PreK-8)

University

 * Kentucky State University

Parks

 * Capitol View Park
 * Cove Spring Park and Nature Preserve
 * Dolly Graham Park
 * East Frankfort Park
 * Josephine Sculpture Park
 * Juniper Hill Park and Golf Course
 * Lakeview Park and Golf Course
 * Leslie Morris Park on Fort Hill: 120 acre of woodland overlooking downtown Frankfort. It contains trails that guide visitors through the remains of earthwork forts that were the main defensive position for Union troops protecting the city during an 1864 Civil War skirmish.
 * Riverview Park and riverside walk
 * Todd Park

City

 * Frankfort (county seat)

Unincorporated communities

 * Bald Knob

 * Bridgeport
 * Forks of Elkhorn
 * Jett
 * Peaks Mill
 * Switzer

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

title: Franklin County, Kentucky


text:
Floyd County, Kentucky

Floyd County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of the 2020 census, the population was 35,942. Its county seat is Prestonsburg. The county, founded in 1800, is named for Colonel John Floyd (1750–1783).

History
On December 13, 1799, the Kentucky General Assembly passed legislation to form Floyd County as the 40th county of Kentucky. The county was made from parts of Fleming, Montgomery, and Mason County, Kentucky. The legislation became effective on June 1, 1800. The county was named for James John Floyd, a pioneer surveyor who helped lay out the city of Louisville. The county seat was Preston's Station, later renamed Prestonsburg. The first court house burned down on April 8, 1808, destroying all the early records, so the earliest records of government activity do not date prior to 1808. Prestonsburg was used as a Confederate stronghold during the Civil War and two battles took place nearby, the Battle of Ivy Mountain on November 8, 1861, and the Battle of Middle Creek on January 10, 1862. Both were Union victories. Since the early 1900s, coal mining has had a large presence in Floyd County. In 1900, the first commercial coal mine in eastern Kentucky was opened in the Floyd County community of Betsy Layne. Soon, coal would become the dominant industry in Floyd County. With the arrival of coal, coal towns began popping up all over the county. These coal towns included Wheelwright, Bypro, Emma, Garrett, Wayland, and many more. By 1950, the county had a population of over 50,000 people. With the decline of coal in eastern Kentucky, people began migrating away from the area in large numbers, in what's known as the Hillbilly Highway. As of 2016, the county had 23 coal mines in operation, and produced roughly around 640,000 tons of coal.

On February 28, 1958, the county was the site of one of the deadliest bus accidents in U.S. history, leaving 27 people dead.

On June 30, 2022, a mass shooting targeting police officers occurred in Allen, a city in Floyd County. Three police officers and a police dog were killed, and four other people were injured. The alleged shooter, 49-year-old Lance Storz, was arrested and charged with murder and attempted murder of a police officer.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 396 sqmi, of which 393 sqmi is land and 2.4 sqmi (0.6%) is water.

Adjacent counties

 * Johnson County (north)
 * Martin County (northeast)
 * Pike County (east)
 * Knott County (southwest)
 * Magoffin County (northwest)

Demographics

As of the census of 2010, there were 39,451 people living in the county. 98.2% were White, 0.7% Black or African American, 0.2% Asian, 0.1% Native American, 0.2% of some other race and 0.6% of two or more races. 0.6% were Hispanic or Latino (of any race).

As of the census of 2000, there were 42,441 people, 16,881 households, and 12,272 families living in the county. The population density was 108 /sqmi. There were 18,551 housing units at an average density of 47 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the county was 97.73% White, 1.29% Black or African American, 0.12% Native American, 0.24% Asian, 0.08% Pacific Islander, 0.12% from other races, and 0.42% from two or more races. 0.61% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. The Kentucky Melungeons live primarily in Floyd and Magoffin counties. These families once lived in certain pockets or clusters within Floyd County, some continue to do this. However, most of these Melungeon families have now spread out or moved away, and so they cannot be defined by one valley, ridge, hollow, watershed, area, etc. However, some of their known historic residences were: The upper waters of both the Right and Left Forks of Beaver Creek, as well as its smaller streams, branches, and forks; extending into Knott County as well.

There were 16,881 households, out of which 33.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.50% were married couples living together, 12.30% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.30% were non-families. 25.20% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.20% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 2.93.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 23.60% under the age of 18, 9.40% from 18 to 24, 30.30% from 25 to 44, 24.50% from 45 to 64, and 12.20% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 96.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.00 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $21,168, and the median income for a family was $25,717. Males had a median income of $30,242 versus $20,569 for females. The per capita income for the county was $12,442. About 26.90% of families and 30.30% of the population were below the poverty line, including 39.80% of those under age 18 and 20.50% of those age 65 or over.

Education
The county's public schools are operated by the Floyd County School District.

Coal companies in Floyd County

 * Blackhawk Mining
 * James River Coal Company
 * Frasure Creek Mining

Politics
Floyd County is traditionally a Democratic county. The county gave Bill Clinton over 65% in both 1992 and 1996 while George W. Bush never received more than 38% of the county's vote. Like the rest of the state outside of Jefferson County (Louisville) and Fayette County (Lexington), the county eventually shifted to the Republican Party, but became one of the last counties in Kentucky to make that transition. In 2008 its votes went to the Republican Party's presidential candidate for the first time in the county's history, and in 2016 Donald Trump won 72.5% of its vote. The county has trended strongly Republican since 2004, shifting from a 25% margin for the Democrat that year, to a 52% margin for the Republican in 2020.

Floyd County is part of Kentucky's 5th congressional district, which has been represented by Republican Hal Rogers since 1981.

Cities

 * Allen
 * Martin
 * Prestonsburg (county seat)
 * Wayland
 * Wheelwright

Census-designated places

 * Auxier
 * Betsy Layne
 * Dwale
 * Maytown
 * McDowell

Other unincorporated places

 * Alphoretta
 * Banner
 * Beaver
 * Blue Moon
 * Blue River
 * Bonanza
 * Burton
 * Bypro
 * Cliff
 * Dana
 * David
 * Dema (part)
 * Drift
 * Eastern
 * Emma
 * Estill
 * Garrett
 * Glo
 * Grethel
 * Halo
 * Harold
 * Hi Hat
 * Hippo
 * Hueysville
 * Ivel
 * Jacks Creek
 * Jump Station
 * Lackey
 * Langley
 * Ligon
 * Melvin
 * Midas
 * Minnie
 * Orkney
 * Printer
 * Pyramid
 * Risner
 * Stanville
 * Teaberry
 * Tram
 * Warco
 * Watergap
 * Weeksbury
 * Wonder
 * Woods

Notable natives

 * Willie Edward Taylor Carver Jr., educator and author, 2022 Kentucky Teacher of the Year.
 * Kelly Coleman Wayland, Kentucky. High school, collegiate and professional basketball player.
 * Bette Henritze, stage, film and TV actress, was born on May 23, 1924, at Betsy Layne.
 * Boyd Holbrook, actor and model, raised in Prestonsburg.
 * Kenny Rice, Sportscaster. Born in McDowell, raised in Eastern.

title: Floyd County, Kentucky


text:
Fleming County, Kentucky

Fleming County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of the 2020 census, the population was 15,082. Its county seat is Flemingsburg. The county was formed in 1798 and named for Colonel John Fleming, an Indian fighter and early settler. It is a moist county. In 1998, the Kentucky General Assembly designated Fleming County as the Covered Bridge Capital of Kentucky.

History
Fleming County was established in 1798 from land given by Mason County. The first courthouse, possibly built of logs, was replaced in 1830 and again in 1952.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 351 sqmi, of which 349 sqmi is land and 2.8 sqmi (0.8%) is water.

Adjacent counties

 * Mason County (north)
 * Lewis County (northeast)
 * Rowan County (southeast)
 * Bath County (south)
 * Nicholas County (west)
 * Robertson County (northwest)

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 13,792 people, 5,367 households, and 3,966 families residing in the county. The population density was 39 /mi2. There were 6,120 housing units at an average density of 17 /mi2. The racial makeup of the county was 97.33% White, 1.41% Black or African American, 0.14% Native American, 0.17% Asian, 0.28% from other races, and 0.67% from two or more races. 0.75% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 5,367 households, out of which 34.80% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.30% were married couples living together, 9.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.10% were non-families. 23.30% 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 2.55 and the average family size was 2.99.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 25.40% under the age of 18, 8.40% from 18 to 24, 29.00% from 25 to 44, 23.90% from 45 to 64, and 13.40% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 96.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.20 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $27,990, and the median income for a family was $33,300. Males had a median income of $26,463 versus $19,895 for females. The per capita income for the county was $14,214. About 14.80% of families and 18.60% of the population were below the poverty line, including 24.90% of those under age 18 and 20.10% of those age 65 or over.

Cities

 * Ewing
 * Flemingsburg

Census-designated place

 * Elizaville

Unincorporated communities

 * Bald Hill
 * Beechburg
 * Blue Bank
 * Colfax
 * Concord
 * Cowan
 * Craintown
 * Dalesburg
 * Fairview
 * Foxport
 * Fox Valley
 * Goddard
 * Grange City
 * Hillsboro
 * Hilltop
 * Johnson Junction
 * Mount Carmel
 * Muses Mills
 * Nepton
 * Pleasureville
 * Plummers Landing
 * Poplar Grove
 * Poplar Plains
 * Ringos Mills
 * Sherburne
 * Tilton
 * Wallingford

Notable residents

 * Herman Chittison, jazz pianist
 * Edward Alvin Clary, US Navy Medal Of Honor Recipient, March 23, 1910
 * Willis A. Gorman, Union Army general during the American Civil War, member of U.S. House of Representatives for Indiana, and territorial governor of Minnesota
 * Claiborne Fox Jackson, Pro-Confederate Missouri governor during the early part of the Civil War
 * Alvin Saunders, United States senator from Nebraska
 * Franklin Sousley, Iwo Jima flagraiser
 * Andrew T. Wood, lawyer and politician

title: Fleming County, Kentucky


text:
Fayette County, Kentucky

Fayette County is a county located in the central part of the U.S. state of Kentucky and is consolidated with the city of Lexington. As of the 2020 census, the population was 322,570, making it the second-most populous county in the commonwealth. Since 1974, its territory, population and government have been shared with Lexington. Fayette County is part of the Lexington-Fayette, KY Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History

Fayette County—originally Fayette County, Virginia—was established by the Virginia General Assembly in June 1780, when it abolished and subdivided Kentucky County into three counties: Fayette, Jefferson and Lincoln. Together, these counties and those set off from them later in that decade separated from Virginia in 1792 to become the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

Originally, Fayette County included land which makes up 37 present-day counties and parts of 7 others. It was reduced to its present boundaries in 1799. The county is named for the Marquis de LaFayette, who came to America to support the rebelling English colonies in the American Revolutionary War.

On January 1, 1974, Fayette County merged its government with that of its county seat of Lexington, creating a consolidated city-county governed by the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 286 sqmi, of which 284 sqmi is land and 1.9 sqmi (0.7%) is water.

Major highways

 * Interstate 75
 * Interstate 64
 * U.S. Route 25
 * U.S. Route 27
 * U.S. Route 60
 * U.S. Route 68
 * U.S. Route 421
 * Kentucky Route 4, a.k.a. New Circle Road

Adjacent counties

 * Scott County (north)
 * Bourbon County (northeast)
 * Clark County (east)
 * Madison County (south)
 * Jessamine County (south)
 * Woodford County (west)

Demographics
As of the census of 2010, there were 295,803 people, 123,043 households, and 69,661 families residing in the county. The population density was 1,034 PD/sqmi. There were 135,160 housing units at an average density of 473 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the county was 75.7% White, 14.5% Black or African American, 0.3% Native American, 3.2% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 3.7% from other races, and 2.5% from two or more races. 6.9% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 123,043 households, out of which 25.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.1% were married couples living together, 12.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 43.4% were non-families. 32.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.3 and the average family size was 2.94.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 21.2% under the age of 18, 5.9% from 18 to 21, and 62.4% from 21 to 65. 10.5% were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33.7 years. 50.8% of the population was female.

The median income for a household in the county was $47,469, and the median income for a family was $66,690. Males had a median income of $44,343 versus $35,716 for females. The per capita income for the county was $28,345. About 11.1% of families and 17.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 21.6% of those under age 18 and 8.6% of those age 65 or over.

Public high schools
Schools in the county are operated by Fayette County Public Schools.
 * Henry Clay High School
 * Paul Laurence Dunbar High School
 * Frederick Douglass High School
 * Bryan Station High School
 * Lafayette High School
 * Tates Creek High School
 * STEAM Academy

Private middle and elementary schools

 * The Lexington School
 * Sayre School
 * Lexington Christian Academy
 * Christ the King School
 * Mary Queen of the Holy Rosary School
 * Saints Peter and Paul School
 * Seton Catholic School
 * Blue Grass Baptist School
 * Redwood Cooperative School

Private high schools

 * Lexington Catholic High School
 * Lexington Christian Academy
 * Sayre School
 * Trinity Christian Academy
 * Blue Grass Baptist School

Colleges and universities

 * Bluegrass Community and Technical College
 * Indiana Wesleyan University (Lexington campus)
 * ITT Technical Institute
 * Lexington Theological Seminary
 * Midway College (Lexington campus)
 * National College of Business & Technology
 * Spencerian College
 * Sullivan University
 * Transylvania University
 * University of Kentucky

Politics
For much of the 20th century, Fayette County leaned more Republican than Kentucky as a whole. Between 1952 and 2004, it voted for the Republican nominee all but twice, for Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964 and Bill Clinton in 1996, with the latter only carrying the county by a narrow plurality. Even Southern Democrat Jimmy Carter lost the county by 11 points in 1976, despite winning Kentucky by a comfortable margin.

Until the mid-2000s, it did not swing as heavily to the Democrats as other urban counties. From 1992 to 2016, it was a swing county with close results between the two parties. In 2008, Barack Obama became the first Democrat to win the county since Bill Clinton in 1996, and the first Democrat to win a majority of its votes since Johnson. In 2016, Hillary Clinton won the county by the largest margin since Johnson, although it was one of only two counties in the entire Commonwealth to vote for her, the other being Jefferson County, home to the city of Louisville. In 2020, Joe Biden turned in the strongest showing for a Democrat in the county in over a century, bettering even Franklin D. Roosevelt. In that year, Fayette County was the most Democratic county in the Commonwealth, giving Biden a slightly larger margin than Jefferson County, marking the first time since 1948 that Fayette County voted to the left of Jefferson County in a presidential election. This marked the first time that Fayette County was the most Democratic county in the state in Kentucky history. With nearly 60% of the vote, Biden received the highest percentage of the vote in the county of any Democratic candidate in history.

Also in 2020, Donald Trump received the lowest portion of the vote for any Republican candidate in the county since William Howard Taft in 1912.

City

 * Lexington

Unincorporated communities

 * Andover
 * Athens
 * Clays Ferry
 * Colby (partly in Clark County)
 * Little Texas
 * South Elkhorn
 * Spears (partly in Jessamine County)
 * Todds Station

Historically black hamlets

 * Bracktown
 * Cadentown
 * Jimtown
 * Smithtown
 * Little Georgetown
 * Pralltown

title: Fayette County, Kentucky


text:
Estill County, Kentucky

Estill County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of the 2020 census, the population was 14,163. Its county seat is Irvine. The county was formed in 1808 and named for Captain James Estill, a Kentucky militia officer who was killed in the Battle of Little Mountain during the American Revolutionary War. Estill County is a moist county meaning that the county seat, the city of Irvine, allows the sale of alcohol after the October 9, 2013, vote, but not the rest of Estill County outside the Irvine city limits. Estill County has two adjacent towns, known as the twin cities, Irvine and Ravenna. Both cities sit along the Kentucky River in the central part of the county. Ravenna is home to a former CSX Transportation facility, now owned by Kentucky Steam Heritage Corporation for the restoration of Chesapeake and Ohio 2716. It conducts the Ravenna Railroad Festival annually in late summer, and the historic Fitchburg & Cottage Furnaces are located here. Irvine hosts the annual Mountain Mushroom Festival over the last weekend of April, which celebrates the abundant Morel Mushrooms found in the region.

History
Estill County was formed in 1808 from land given by Clark and Madison counties, it was Kentucky's 50th county. Originally settled by European settlers entering Kentucky via old buffalo and Indian trails and traveling through Boonesborough in what is today Madison County.

Estill County was one of the first areas in the United States to experience early industrialization, with iron mining and smelting beginning in 1810. The iron industry would go on to thrive in Estill County for decades, with the ruins of the Estill furnace, the Cottage furnace, and the Fitchburg Furnace still being visible today. The Fitchburg furnace was a particularly impressive engineering feat. Standing 81 feet tall, the furnace is the largest charcoal furnace in the world, and one of the largest 25 dry-stone masonry structures in the world. The iron industry declined after the Civil War when iron deposits and timber to fire the furnaces were depleted, and innovation made charcoal furnaces obsolete. During the Civil War Estill County was strongly pro-union, similar to surrounding counties, especially to the southeast.

Additionally, the county was historically known for the Estill Springs summer resort, situated near mineral springs in Irvine. This resort was a popular vacation site for many prominent Kentuckians in the 19th century, with men including Henry Clay, John Crittenden, and John C. Breckinridge vacationing there. The current courthouse, built in 1941, replaced a structure dating from the 1860s.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 256 sqmi, of which 253 sqmi is land and 2.5 sqmi (1.0%) is water. Estill County is located at the contact of two Kentucky regions: the Bluegrass and the Cumberland plateau, because of this the county is known as the location where the "Bluegrass kisses the Mountains." Estill County contains two important rivers. With the Red River, famous for its gorge in neighboring Powell County, forming the northern border. And the Kentucky River bisecting the county. Much of Estill County's development, including the towns of Irvine and Ravenna, is located in the fertile bottomlands of the Kentucky River. Additionally, due to the Kentucky River's deep valley and Estill County's location at the edge of the Cumberland plateau the county's topography is striking. The Pottsville Escarpment is prominent in the county, marking the divide between the Bluegrass and the mountains. Because of this topography total relief is nearly 1000 feet in the county, with the highest point being Zion Mountain, located about $6 1/2$ miles southwest of Irvine at 1,511 feet, and the lowest point being the confluence of the Kentucky River and the Red River at 566 feet. Other high points include Happy Top Mountain, 1,500 feet; Preacher Estes Mountain, 1,475 feet; Peter Mountain, 1,454 feet; Low Knob, 1,450 feet; and Big Round Mountain, Buzzard Roost, and McKinney Mountain, each at 1,420 feet.

Rivers and streams

 * Drowning Creek

Adjacent counties

 * Clark County (north)
 * Powell County (northeast)
 * Lee County (southeast)
 * Jackson County (south)
 * Madison County (west)

Protected areas

 * Daniel Boone National Forest (part)
 * Lilly Mountain Nature Preserve

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 15,307 people, 6,108 households, and 4,434 families residing in the county. The population density was 60 /sqmi. There were 6,824 housing units at an average density of 27 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the county was 99.07% White, 0.11% Black or African American, 0.24% Native American, 0.03% Asian, 0.06% from other races, and 0.49% from two or more races. 0.53% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 6,108 households, out of which 32.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.40% were married couples living together, 12.90% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.40% were non-families. 24.60% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.70% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 2.94.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 24.20% under the age of 18, 9.10% from 18 to 24, 29.20% from 25 to 44, 24.20% from 45 to 64, and 13.50% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 93.80 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.20 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $23,318, and the median income for a family was $27,284. Males had a median income of $29,254 versus $18,849 for females. The per capita income for the county was $12,285. About 22.50% of families and 26.40% of the population were below the poverty line, including 32.30% of those under age 18 and 21.50% of those age 65 or over.

Politics
Although it lies in the Bluegrass and Knobs regions, Estill County was more akin to the eastern Pennyroyal Plateau to its southwest in being strongly pro-Union during the Civil War. Indeed, a larger proportion of Estill County's population volunteered for the Union Army than the population of any free state, or of any Kentucky county except the famous Republican bastion of Owsley County. Consequently, Estill County has been strongly Republican ever since the end of Reconstruction – since 1888 the county has voted Democratic only for Woodrow Wilson in 1912, Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1932 and Lyndon Johnson in 1964, with the biggest of these three victories in 1932 being FDR's by a mere one hundred and eighty-seven votes out of over six thousand one hundred.

Cities

 * Irvine (county seat)
 * Ravenna

Other Communities

 * Barnes Mountain
 * Cobhill
 * Cressy
 * Crystal
 * Drip Rock
 * Fox
 * Furnace
 * Hargett
 * Leighton
 * Palmer
 * Patsey
 * Pryse
 * Red Lick
 * South Irvine
 * Spout Springs
 * Tipton Ridge
 * Wisemantown
 * Winston

title: Estill County, Kentucky


text:
Elliott County, Kentucky

Elliott County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. Its county seat is Sandy Hook. The county was formed in 1869 from parts of Morgan, Lawrence, and Carter counties, and is named for John Milton Elliott a judge, U.S. Congressman, and a member of the 1st Confederate States Congress from Kentucky; he was also involved in the formation of the Confederate government of Kentucky. Some historians, however, contend the county was named after John Milton Elliot's father, John Lyle Elliot a U.S. Congressman and Confederate Justice of the Kentucky Court of Appeals. In regard to alcohol sales, Elliott County is a dry county, meaning the sale of alcoholic beverages is prohibited everywhere in the county.

History
Elliott County was established in 1869 from land given by Carter, Lawrence, and Morgan counties. A fire at the courthouse in 1957 resulted in the destruction of many county records.

Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 235 sqmi, of which 234 sqmi is land and 1.0 sqmi (0.4%) is water.

Adjacent counties

 * Carter County (north)
 * Lawrence County (east)
 * Morgan County (south)
 * Rowan County (west)

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 6,748 people, 2,638 households, and 1,925 families residing in the county. The population density was 29 /sqmi. There were 3,107 housing units at an average density of 13 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the county was 99.04% White, 0.03% Black or African American, 0.07% Native American, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.01% from other races, and 0.83% from two or more races. 0.59% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 2,638 households, of which 33.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.00% were married couples living together, 9.70% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.00% were non-families. 24.70% 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 2.54 and the average family size was 3.02.

People of British ancestry form an overwhelming plurality in Elliott County.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 25.40% under the age of 18, 9.10% from 18 to 24, 27.50% from 25 to 44, 24.70% from 45 to 64, and 13.40% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 95.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.50 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $21,014, and the median income for a family was $27,125. Males had a median income of $29,593 versus $20,339 for females. The per capita income for the county was $12,067. About 20.80% of families and 25.90% of the population were below the poverty line, including 30.50% of those under age 18 and 26.40% of those age 65 or over.

Politics
Elliott County had voted for the Democratic Party's nominee in every presidential election since the county was formed in 1869, up until the 2016 presidential election when it voted 70.1–25.9% in favor of Donald Trump. This was the longest streak of any county voting Democratic in the United States. It was also the last Southern rural county never to have voted for a Republican in any Presidential election, until 2016. According to interviews from residents of the county, this overwhelming Democratic support was primarily due to love for tradition as well as an appreciation for big government following FDR's New Deal. Even in nationwide Republican landslides like 1972 and 1984, when Republican candidates won the state of Kentucky overall with over 60% of the vote, Elliott County voted 65.3% and 73.4% Democratic, respectively. Reagan, in particular, only performed 3% better in the county in 1984 than 1936 GOP nominee Alf Landon, despite the fact that Reagan won everywhere but Minnesota and Washington, D.C., and a national popular vote swing of 41%, while Landon lost every state but Maine and Vermont.

With white Americans making up 99.04% of its population, Elliott County was the second-whitest in the country to vote for Democrat Barack Obama in the 2008 presidential election, the whitest being Mitchell County, Iowa. Obama garnered 61.0% of the vote, while Republican John McCain received 35.9%. In fact, Elliott County provided Obama with the highest percentage of the vote in all of Kentucky, although this was nonetheless the worst Democratic performance in the county since its founding. This made it the most Democratic county in the state for the second election in a row, since it had also been Democrat John Kerry's strongest county in Kentucky in 2004. Obama would again win the county in 2012, his only such victory in the staunchly conservative region of rural Eastern Kentucky. However, he eked out only a narrow 49.4% plurality over Mitt Romney's 46.9%, thus ending an over century-long streak of Democratic landslides in Elliott County. Reflecting the increasing rural–urban divide of modern American politics, Obama's strongest county in the state was instead Jefferson County, home to Louisville—the most populous city in Kentucky—which he won by a comfortable 54.7–43.6% margin. The county is part of the Bible Belt, and according to interviews residents are socially conservative on issues such as LGBT rights.

Elliott County's hard swing towards the Republican Party continued in 2016, when it voted for Republican Donald Trump over Democrat Hillary Clinton by a 70.1–25.9% margin, decisively ending the Democratic Party's 140-year victory streak. Despite Trump's victory, Democratic candidates for down-ballot offices managed to carry the county. In the Senate race, Democratic nominee Jim Gray won 56.0% of the county's vote to Republican Senator Rand Paul’s 44.0%. In 2016 Democratic State Rep. Rocky Adkins, a Sandy Hook native whose state house district includes the entire county, was reelected and took 86% of the vote in Elliott. Trump won the county again in 2020 with an even larger share of the vote than he did 4 years prior.

Until 2020, Elliott was one of two counties in Kentucky (the other being nearby Wolfe County) that had voted against Senator Mitch McConnell in all of his elections (though this streak would also come to an end in 2020). It also had never voted for Representative Hal Rogers in any of his contested elections until 2018, when he won 54.6% of the county's vote over Democratic nominee Kenneth Stepp. Until the 2020s, the county remained reliably Democratic in state-level races, voting for the party's entire slate in the 2015 and 2019 statewide elections. However, in 2023, the county voted Republican in every state-level election on the ballot except governor.

On Election Day 2012, Elliott County had the lowest percentage of registered Republicans in Kentucky, with just 215 of 5,012 (4.2%) registered voters affiliating with the GOP. By October 2016, this proportion had increased to 429 out of 5,213 (8.2%). In April 2019, it stood at 562 of 5,318 (10.6%). By June 2022, this share had nearly doubled, with 1,007 registered Republicans out of 5,243 registered voters (19.2%). As of May 2024, 1136 out of 4947 (23%) of the county's voters are registered Republicans.

City

 * Sandy Hook (county seat)

Unincorporated communities

 * Ault
 * Bascom
 * Beartown
 * Bell City
 * Bigstone
 * Blaines Trace
 * Bruin
 * Brushy Fork
 * Burke
 * Clay Fork
 * Cliffside
 * Culver
 * Devil Fork
 * Dewdrop
 * Dobbins
 * Edsel
 * Eldridge
 * Fannin
 * Fannin Valley
 * Faye
 * Fielden
 * Forks of Newcombe
 * Gimlet
 * Gomez
 * Green
 * Halcom
 * Ibex
 * Isonville
 * Little Fork
 * Little Sandy
 * Lytten
 * Middle Fork
 * Neil Howard's Creek
 * Newcombe
 * Newfoundland
 * Ordinary
 * Roscoe
 * Shady Grove
 * Sarah
 * Sideway
 * Spanglin
 * Stark
 * Stephens
 * The Ridge
 * Wells Creek
 * Wyatt

title: Elliott County, Kentucky


text:
Edmonson County, Kentucky

Edmonson County is a county located in the south central portion of the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of the 2020 census, the population was 12,126. Its county seat and only municipality is Brownsville. The county was formed in 1825 and named for Captain John "Jack" Edmonson (1764–1813), who was killed at the Battle of Frenchtown during the War of 1812. This is a dry county where the sale of alcohol is prohibited. Edmonson County is included in the Bowling Green, Kentucky Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History
Edmonson County was established on January 12, 1825, from land given by Grayson, Hart and Warren counties. A courthouse built in 1873 replaced a former structure rendered unfit when its floor collapsed.

Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 308 sqmi, of which 303 sqmi is land and 5.1 sqmi (1.7%) is water.

Adjacent counties

 * Grayson County (north)
 * Hart County (east)
 * Barren County (southeast)
 * Warren County (southwest)
 * Butler County (west)

National protected area

 * Mammoth Cave National Park

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 11,644 people, 4,648 households, and 3,462 families residing in the county. The population density was 38 /sqmi. There were 6,104 housing units at an average density of 20 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the county was 98.39% White, 0.58% Black or African American, 0.44% Native American, 0.07% Asian, 0.06% from other races, and 0.46% from two or more races. 0.56% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 4,648 households, out of which 31.80% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.20% were married couples living together, 8.90% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.50% were non-families. 22.40% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 2.88.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 23.60% under the age of 18, 9.00% from 18 to 24, 27.80% from 25 to 44, 25.30% from 45 to 64, and 14.40% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 males there were 92.50 females. For every 100 males age 18 and over, there were 89.33 females.

The median income for a household in the county was $25,413, and the median income for a family was $31,843. Males had a median income of $26,770 versus $17,158 for females. The per capita income for the county was $14,480. About 14.20% of families and 18.40% of the population were below the poverty line, including 25.50% of those under age 18 and 21.00% of those age 65 or over.

Education

There are currently five public schools operating as part of the Edmonson County School System. They are Kyrock Elementary (in the Kyrock community in northern Edmonson County), South Edmonson Elementary (near the Chalybeate community in southern Edmonson County), the Edmonson County Fifth/Sixth Grade Center, Edmonson County Middle School, and Edmonson County High School (all in Brownsville).

Transportation

There are two main routes that form the major transportation corridors through Edmonson County.

KY 70 is the primary west to east route, traversing the width of the county.

KY 259 enters Edmonson County at the border with Grayson County, near the town of Bee Spring. The highway continues on, bridging the Green River (the only bridge over the river in Edmonson County), before intersecting with KY 101. KY 259 then branches off in a southeastern direction while KY 101 continues as the main north–south route through the county, exiting into Warren County just south of the community of Chalybeate.

Additionally, KY 185 is a north–south route connecting Bowling Green with locations in the western part of the county and points north into Grayson County. I-65 passes through the southeastern tip of the county, but has no interchanges allowing access to the freeway within the county. I-65 parallels the older US 31W, which runs through a small southeastern portion of the county.

Attractions

The biggest tourist attraction in Edmonson County is Mammoth Cave National Park, which usually draws almost 2 million visitors a year. The park includes in its area roughly a fourth of the county.

Located mostly in the northern part of Edmonson County, the Nolin Lake area was incorporated as a Kentucky State Park in 1996. The lake itself was created following the 1963 impounding of the Nolin River and construction of Nolin Dam. The lake offers fishing and other recreational opportunities.

Print media

Edmonson County is served by a weekly newspaper, the Edmonson News. The paper is sometimes referred to by its nickname, "the Gimlet", and carries the slogan "It Bores In". The paper has a circulation number of 3,704.

Radio and television
Edmonson County is part of the Bowling Green radio and television markets, and is served mainly by that city's radio and TV outlets. Mediacom is the local cable provider serving most of the county. In 2022, Glasgow-based South Central Rural Telephone Cooperative began servicing parts of Edmonson County and Warren County with cable, phone and internet service.

The unincorporated community of Wingfield, in southwestern Edmonson County, is home to the transmitting tower of adult hits-formatted radio station WKLX (100.7 FM, officially licensed in Brownsville) and low-powered television station WCZU-LD (channel 39). Both outlets operate outside of Edmonson County.

Online blogs
Additionally, Edmonson County is also served by an online news website, Edmonson Voice. It is a multimedia platform that operates as a combination of an online newspaper, a streaming broadcaster, and video report provider. The company serves as the main media outlet in the county with a weekly readership of over 23,000.

Online video archive
Volunteers have digitized and created a repository of video related to Edmonson County High School on YouTube. The archive contains a variety of media, including graduation ceremonies, proms, and athletic events.

Edmonson County on national television
Edmonson County has had national exposure on two occasions. On March 6, 2007, MTV wrote an article titled "Who's Joining The Army" in which they stated Edmonson County has the highest Army enlistment rate of any county in the United States. In January 2017, the Edmonson County Sheriff's Department has been featured on A&E Television's Live PD in the 14th and 15th episodes of that program's first season.

Movies filmed in Edmonson County
Edmonson County was one of two main locations where two faith-based films, The Prayer Box and Christmas Manger, were filmed in 2017 and 2018, respectively. Edmonson County is one of three other locations where the upcoming thriller film Horntak is being filmed.

Local Events
Source: Edmonson County Tourism Commission
 * Big Brownsville Bash (early June, since 2022)
 * Edmonson County Lions Club Fair - early September (including a parade that takes place in downtown Brownsville on the second Friday of September), one of the longest-running county fairs in the state.
 * Nolin Fest (July or August) - at Nolin Lake State Park, organized by the Friends of Nolin Lake.
 * Annual Saddle Club Horse Show - Edmonson County Fairgrounds
 * Freedom Fest (late June) at the Chalybeate Sports Complex

City

 * Brownsville (county seat)

Unincorporated communities

 * Asphalt
 * Bee Spring
 * Big Reedy
 * Black Gold
 * Cedar Spring
 * Chalybeate
 * Demunbruns Store
 * Huff
 * Lindseyville
 * Mammoth Cave
 * Ollie
 * Pig
 * Rhoda
 * Rocky Hill
 * Roundhill (partly in Butler County)
 * Straw
 * Sunfish
 * Sweeden
 * Windyville
 * Wingfield

Ghost towns

 * Chaumont (partly in Barren County)
 * Elko
 * Kyrock

Notable residents

 * Joe Blanton, Major League Baseball pitcher, was born in Nashville, Tennessee, but spent most of his childhood and young adult life in Edmonson County on Otter Gap Road.
 * Ben Helson, a guitarist for Dierks Bentley, is a native of the Chalybeate community.

title: Edmonson County, Kentucky


text:
Daviess County, Kentucky

Daviess County ( "Davis"), is a county in Kentucky. As of the 2020 census, the population was 103,312. Its county seat is Owensboro. The county was formed from part of Ohio County on January 14, 1815.

Daviess County is included in the Owensboro, KY Metropolitan Statistical Area. Daviess County also shares its namesake with another nearby Daviess County of Indiana. Both counties are in the Illinois-Indiana-Kentucky Tri-State Area.

History
Daviess County was established in 1815. The county is named for Major Joseph Hamilton Daveiss (a recording error in the State Clerk's office accounts for the error in spelling, which was never corrected), the United States Attorney who unsuccessfully prosecuted Aaron Burr. The county's borders were altered in 1829 to form Hancock County, in 1830 to absorb a small area surrounding Whitesville, in 1854 to cede land to McLean County, and finally in 1860 to annex 44 sqmi from Henderson County.

The courthouse was burned in January 1865 during the American Civil War, but the county records were spared destruction because they had been transferred to a church.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 477 sqmi, of which 458 sqmi is land and 18 sqmi (3.8%) is water. The northern half of the county along the Ohio River is relatively flat, with a few rolling hills dotting the landscape. The southern portion is mostly rolling hills mixed with flat valleys. The southern portion was mined for coal in the past, especially in the rolling hills along Panther Creek and other streams.

Adjacent counties

 * Warrick County, Indiana (northwest)
 * Spencer County, Indiana (northeast)
 * Hancock County (east)
 * Ohio County (southeast)
 * McLean County (southwest)
 * Henderson County (west)

Demographics
As of the census of 2010, there were 96,656 people, 36,033 households, and 24,826 families residing in the county. The population density was 198 /sqmi. There were 38,432 housing units at an average density of 83 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the county was 93.69% White, 4.35% Black or African American, 0.13% Native American, 0.43% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.44% from other races, and 0.94% from two or more races. 0.92% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 36,033 households, out of which 32.90% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.60% were married couples living together, 11.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.10% were non-families. 27.10% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 3.00.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 25.80% under the age of 18, 9.00% from 18 to 24, 28.40% from 25 to 44, 23.00% 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 92.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.30 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $36,813, and the median income for a family was $45,404. Males had a median income of $35,295 versus $21,971 for females. The per capita income for the county was $18,739. About 9.40% of families and 12.30% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.60% of those under age 18 and 11.40% of those age 65 or over.

Distilling
Daviess County has long had a reputation as the leading center of the production of distilled spirits, chiefly Kentucky bourbon. Walter McFarland, who moved here from North Carolina, began making whiskey and peach brandy in about 1804 on a 200 acre estate just south of Panther Creek, on today's U.S. 431. Cornelius Westerfield also began distilling corn whiskey in the early 1800s on his farm 3 mi southwest of Whitesville, Kentucky, on Deserter Creek. It finally closed in 1872, after more than 60 years of production.

By the 1880s, 18 large distilleries operated in Daviess County at the same time. Today only three remain. One dates back to 1869, the former Glenmore Distillery Company, which was originally the R. Monarch Distillery. Charles Medley Distillers Kentucky is at least the 59th distillery in the county's history.

Trinidad-based Angostura Limited bought the Medley Distillery in 2007 with plans to make its entrance into the world's bourbon market, but the severe global recession in 2008 ended those plans. The distillery was sold to the Terressentia Corporation in 2014. In 2020, the distillery was renamed as Green River Distilling Co.

The following is list of distilleries operating in 1883
 * Owensboro Distilling Company, founded 1880
 * Sour-Mash Distilling Company, founded 1868
 * Hill, Perkins and Company, founded 1880
 * Rock Spring Distillery, founded 1881
 * Hill and Perkins Distillery, founded 1866
 * R. Monarch Distillery, founded 1869, acquired and renamed in 1901 Glenmore Distillery Company
 * E.P. Millet and Company, founded 1880
 * John Thixton Distillery Company
 * John Hanning Distillery Company, founded 1869
 * Eagle Distillery Company, founded 1869
 * Daviess county Distilling Company, founded April 16, 1874
 * M.P. Mattingly's Distyillery, founded 1855
 * Daviess County Club Distillery, founded 1880
 * J.W.M. Field Distillery, founded February 3, 1873
 * J.T. Welch Distilling Company, founded March 1, 1881
 * Boulware and Wilhoute's Distillery, founded 1880
 * C.L. Appelgate and Company distillery, founded 1879 at Yelvington, Kentucky

Coal mining
The southwestern portion of the county around the Panther Creek area was heavily mined through the 1960s till the early 1990s. After 1998 large tracts of mined land were left unclaimed. Then after a lengthy search for contractors by the state government's Division of Abandoned Mine Lands, work commenced on the largest tract, a 42 acre tract once part of the now defunct Green Coal Company. The 42 acre of unclaimed land were part of Green Coal Company's mine once known as the "Panther Surface Mine". Green Coal Company was a staple mining company in Daviess County and was based nearby in Henderson.

Reclamation work commenced at the site on November 8, 1999, and was completed April 14, 2000. The licensed blaster employed by the contractor blasted the highwall into the pit, resulting in a reduced effort to grade and dress the final slope. Enough topsoil was gained from the area above the highwall to allow a growing medium for re-vegetation purposes. Through innovative field techniques and extraordinary cooperation from the contractor, this site has been returned to a very safe, stable and productive property. All 42 acre of this project was reclaimed expending $127,538.82 of the available bond. The land is now safe for the public and is considered prime farm property once again.

Cities

 * Owensboro (county seat)
 * Whitesville

Census-designated places

 * Curdsville
 * Knottsville
 * Maceo
 * Masonville
 * Moseleyville
 * Panther
 * Pleasant Ridge (partially in Ohio County)
 * Utica

Other unincorporated communities

 * Andersonville
 * Birk City
 * Boston
 * Browns Valley
 * Delaware
 * Dermont
 * Doyle
 * Ensor
 * Gatewood
 * Griffith
 * Habit
 * Handyville
 * Livia (partially in McLean County)
 * Maxwell
 * Newman
 * Oak Ridge
 * Oklahoma
 * Pettit
 * Philpot
 * Red Hill
 * Rome
 * Saint Joseph
 * Scythia
 * Sorgho
 * Spice Knob
 * Stanley
 * Sutherland
 * Thruston
 * Tuck
 * West Louisville
 * Yelvington

title: Daviess County, Kentucky


text:
Cumberland County, Kentucky

Cumberland County is a county located in the Pennyroyal Plateau region of the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of the 2020 census, the population was 5,888. Its county seat is Burkesville. The county was formed in 1798 and named for the Cumberland River, which in turn may have been named after the Duke of Cumberland or the English county of Cumberland.

History
Cumberland County was created in 1798 from land given by Green County. In 1829, the first commercial oil well in the United States was dug three miles north of Burkesville. It is usually not recognized as a commercial well because the drillers were looking for salt brine, but the oil was bottled and sold.

It was the first county in the United States to elect a female sheriff, Pearl Carter Pace.

Burkesville is the first town downstream from Wolf Creek Dam, so it is considered flood-proof, but there have been concerns about leaks at the dam. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers completed repairs in 2013.

Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 311 sqmi, of which 305 sqmi is land and 5.7 sqmi (1.8%) is water. Major waterways include the Cumberland River and a small branch of Dale Hollow Lake which covers the southern end of the county.

Adjacent counties

 * Adair County (north)
 * Russell County (northeast)
 * Clinton County (east)
 * Clay County, Tennessee (south)
 * Monroe County (west)
 * Metcalfe County (northwest)

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 7,147 people, 2,976 households, and 2,038 families residing in the county. The population density was 23 /sqmi. There were 3,567 housing units at an average density of 12 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the county was 95.28% White, 3.41% Black or African American, 0.14% Native American, 0.04% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 0.15% from other races, and 0.91% from two or more races. 0.60% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 2,976 households, out of which 29.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.00% were married couples living together, 11.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.50% were non-families. 28.90% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.37 and the average family size was 2.89.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 23.60% under the age of 18, 6.90% from 18 to 24, 26.80% from 25 to 44, 24.80% from 45 to 64, and 17.90% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 92.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.10 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $21,572, and the median income for a family was $28,701. Males had a median income of $21,313 versus $16,548 for females. The per capita income for the county was $12,643. About 16.40% of families and 23.80% of the population were below the poverty line, including 30.30% of those under age 18 and 33.00% of those age 65 or over.

Ancestry/ethnicity
As of 2017 the largest self-identified ancestry groups/ethnic groups in Cumberland County, Kentucky were:

City

 * Burkesville (county seat)

Census-designated place

 * Marrowbone

Other unincorporated places

 * Amandaville
 * Bakerton
 * Bow
 * Dubre
 * Green Grove
 * Grider
 * Judio
 * Kettle
 * Modoc
 * Peytonsburg
 * Waterview

Politics
Like all of the heavily Unionist eastern Pennyroyal, a region of largely small farms that did not rely heavily on slavery, Cumberland County provided an exceptionally large number of soldiers for the Union Army during the Civil War. Reflecting that, the county became and has remained overwhelmingly Republican following the end of the Reconstruction Era. As of 2012, Cumberland County had the fewest registered Democrats, 844, out of all of Kentucky's counties.

The last Democrat to carry Cumberland County at the Presidential level was Horatio Seymour in 1868. And since at least 1896, Lyndon Johnson in his 1964 landslide is the solitary Democrat to top forty percent of the county's vote.

Cumberland County was a dry county prior to a special election held June 28, 2016, where the measure passed 1,441 votes to 1,069 votes.

Notable people

 * William M. Branham, American Christian minister and faith healer who initiated the post–World War II healing revival.
 * Cumberland County was the birthplace of Joel Cheek who later made Maxwell House coffee.
 * Edwin L. Norris, fifth Governor of Montana
 * David L. Williams, judge of the Kentucky 40th Circuit Court, former President of the Kentucky Senate, 1992 Republican candidate for U.S. Senate, and the 2011 Republican gubernatorial nominee

title: Cumberland County, Kentucky


text:
Crittenden County, Kentucky

Crittenden County is a county in the U.S. state of Kentucky. At the 2020 census, the population was 8,990. Its county seat and only municipality is Marion. The county was formed in 1842 and named for John J. Crittenden, senator and future Governor of Kentucky.

History
Crittenden County, located on the Ohio and Tradewater Rivers in the Pennyroyal region of Kentucky, was created by the state legislature on April 1, 1842, from a portion of Livingston County. It became the state's 91st county, and was named for John J. Crittenden, a U.S. senator, attorney general, and governor of Kentucky. The first county seat was in Crooked Creek, but it was moved to Marion just two years later.

Crittenden County was once crossed by the Chickasaw Road, which was a part of the Old Saline Trace. This footpath was used by Native Americans when hunting game that crossed the Ohio River to the salt licks in Illinois. The first settler in the area was James Armstrong, who arrived from South Carolina in 1786 and built a log cabin. His family joined him five years later, along with other families who came to settle there. Early in the nineteenth century, Flynn's Ferry was established where the trail crossed the river.

Generally pro-Confederate during the American Civil War, the county saw little fighting, although both armies passed through it repeatedly. However, several skirmishes did place there, and the county courthouse was burned by Confederate Brigadier General Hylan B. Lyon during his raid across western Kentucky in December 1864. Lyon's men, all Kentuckians, burned a total of seven courthouses, since the Union Army was using them for barracks. The Confederates allowed the locals to remove the records before setting fire to the courthouses.

Crittenden County has valuable deposits of fluorspar, zinc, porcelain, coal, limestone, and sand for making glass. Marion was primarily an industrial town in the 1840s associated with the large fluorspar mining industry. This industry peaked in 1947 and has been in slow decline since. Iron production was also a prominent industry in the mid-19th century, with several furnaces being built in the county, one owned by Andrew Jackson. Other products produced in the county include lumber, glass, modular homes, and blue crystal that was made famous by Ball canning jars. Today the county has a strong agricultural economy. In 1992, 66 percent of the population lived on farms, with 45 percent of the population reporting farming as their primary occupation.

Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 371 sqmi, of which 360 sqmi is land and 11 sqmi (3.0%) is water. Its northwestern border with Illinois is formed by the Ohio River.

Major highways

 * [[Image:US 60.svg|20px]] U.S. Route 60
 * [[Image:US 641.svg|20px]] U.S. Route 641
 * [[Image:Elongated circle 70.svg|20px]] Kentucky Route 70
 * [[Image:Elongated circle 91.svg|20px]] Kentucky Route 91
 * [[Image:Elongated circle 120.svg|20px]] Kentucky Route 120
 * [[Image:Elongated circle 295.svg|20px]] Kentucky Route 295

Adjacent counties

 * Hardin County, Illinois (northwest)
 * Union County (north)
 * Webster County (northeast)
 * Caldwell County (southeast)
 * Lyon County (south)
 * Livingston County (west)

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 9,384 people, 3,829 households, and 2,707 families residing in the county. The population density was 26 /sqmi. There were 4,410 housing units at an average density of 12 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the county was 98.24% White, 0.65% Black or African American, 0.15% Native American, 0.09% Asian, 0.14% from other races, and 0.74% from two or more races. 0.51% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 3,829 households, out of which 29.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.80% were married couples living together, 8.90% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.30% were non-families. 27.00% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.80% 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 2.93.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 23.20% under the age of 18, 8.00% from 18 to 24, 26.10% from 25 to 44, 26.40% from 45 to 64, and 16.30% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 93.80 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.50 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $29,060, and the median income for a family was $36,462. Males had a median income of $30,509 versus $18,961 for females. The per capita income for the county was $15,262. About 14.70% of families and 19.10% of the population were below the poverty line, including 30.80% of those under age 18 and 15.70% of those age 65 or over.

City

 * Marion (county seat)

Census-designated places

 * Crayne
 * Tolu

Other unincorporated communities

 * Centerville
 * Dycusburg
 * Frances
 * Irma
 * Levias
 * Mattoon
 * Mexico
 * Midway
 * Nunn
 * Piney
 * Piney Fork
 * Repton
 * Shady Grove
 * Sheridan
 * Tribune
 * View
 * Weston

Ghost towns

 * Fords Ferry
 * Bells Mines

Politics
Although Crittenden County was by no means pro-Union during the Civil War – only 4.02 percent of its white male population served in the Union Army vis-à-vis over six percent for Kentucky as a whole – the county became strongly Republican in later years due to its deep ties to Illinois areas which came to support that party as a result of the war. Since 1884, the solitary Democrat to gain a majority in Crittenden County has been Jimmy Carter in 1976, although William Jennings Bryan won by two votes in 1896 and Bill Clinton obtained a plurality of 164 votes in 1992.

In gubernatorial elections, Crittenden was during the twentieth century likewise frequently the only county west of the Western Coalfield to support the Republican candidate – a scenario observed in 1979, and with one exception in 1995.

Education
Students in Crittenden County attend Crittenden County Schools located in Marion.

Notable people

 * Lee Cruce, attorney, second Governor of Oklahoma, Crittenden County native, Democratic Party (United States).
 * William J. Deboe (June 30, 1849 – June 15, 1927), a Republican, was a U.S. Senator representing Kentucky from 1897 to 1903.
 * Ollie M. James (July 27, 1871 – August 28, 1918), a Democrat, represented Kentucky in the United States House of Representatives from 1903 to 1913 and the United States Senate from 1913 to 1918.
 * Walter Walker (1883–1932), a Democrat, was a United States Senator representing Colorado in 1932, and a newspaperman in Grand Junction, Colorado.
 * Kenneth W. Winters, a Republican member of the Kentucky State Senate, was born in Crittenden County but resides in Murray, Kentucky.
 * Forrest Pogue (1912–1996), eminent military historian, a combat historian in the US Army during World War II, author of the biography of General George C. Marshall, and Director of the George C. Marshall Foundation and library in Lexington, VA.
 * Shelby Hearon (1931–2016), author, recipient of fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Ingram Merrill Foundation, winner of an American Academy of Arts and Letters Literature Award.

title: Crittenden County, Kentucky


text:
Clark County, Kentucky

Clark County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of the 2020 census, the population was 36,972. Its county seat is Winchester. The county was created in 1792 from Bourbon and Fayette counties and is named for Revolutionary War hero George Rogers Clark. Clark County is part of the Lexington-Fayette, KY Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History
White European settlement is known in this area as early as 1753. Many pioneers traveled through nearby Fort Boonesborough (alternatively known as Fort Boonesboro) in Madison County, Kentucky, before establishing permanent settlements in Clark County. At least nineteen pioneer stations (settlements) are believed to have been established in the area during the American Revolution. These included Strode's Station (1779), near Winchester; McGee's Station (ca. 1780), near Becknerville; Holder's Station (1781), on Lower Howard's Creek; and Boyle's Station (ca. 1785), one mile South of Strode's Station. Among the early settlers was a group of forty Baptist families led by Capt. William Bush, who settled on Lower Howard's Creek in 1775. In 1793 they erected the Old Stone Meeting House. Another early group founded the Tracy settlement, erecting a church building in the 1790s that survived into the early 20th century.

When the Indian threat ended, commercial and agricultural enterprises began. Wharfs for loading flatboats were located along the Kentucky River and its tributaries. In the early 19th century, Clark County farmers began importing European livestock. Industries such as distilleries and mills thrived all through the county until 1820, when they began to be concentrated around Winchester.

Clark County began in 1785 as Bourbon County, Virginia, when it was created from Fayette County, Kentucky (also then in Virginia). It was much larger area than present-day Bourbon County, as its original territory is now divided among Bracken, Boone, Campbell, Clark, Estill, Fleming, Floyd, Greenup, Harrison, Kenton, Mason, Montgomery, Lewis, Nicholas, Pendleton, Powell, and Robertson. Bourbon County is from which Bourbon whiskey evolved its name.

Notable residents of early Clark County were Gov. Charles Scott (1808–12), Gov. James Clark (1836–39), Jane Lampton, the mother of Mark Twain, and sculptor Joel T. Hart.

The Civil War divided the county, and about 1,000 of its men joined either the Confederate or Union forces. Confederate General John Hunt Morgan led his Confederate cavalry through the county on raids in both 1862 and 1864.

The Elizabethtown, Lexington & Big Sandy Railroad reached Clark County in 1873, followed by the Kentucky Central in 1881, and the Kentucky Union (later abandoned) in 1883. The railroads helped make Winchester a transportation, commercial, and educational center, and gave rise to small service communities such as Hedges Station, six miles east of Winchester, and Ford, a once-prosperous mill town on the Kentucky River.

A number of agricultural changes occurred in the postbellum years through World War II. When Clark County shorthorn cattle were not able to compete with the vast numbers of western cattle being hauled to market by the railroads, several county fortunes were lost and many farmers turned towards burley tobacco as a substitute. Hemp, which was grown to make rope, suffered from foreign competition and vanished as a cash crop around World War I. The crop was brought back during World War II and a processing plant was built in the county. When the war ended, so did the revival of hemp.

In the 1950s and 1960s, industry began moving to the county, mostly around Winchester, aided by the completion of I-64 and the Mountain Parkway, which by the mid-1960s formed a junction near Winchester. By 1986 manufacturing positions accounted for 25 percent of the employed labor force while another 25 percent was employed in other counties, many in nearby Fayette. The county remains a rich agricultural area, with farms occupying 95 percent of the land.

Clark County is the birthplace of Beer Cheese, a regional delicacy that is growing in popularity across the country. Winchester hosts the annual Beer Cheese Festival in celebration of this Kentucky original treat.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 255 sqmi, of which 252 sqmi is land and 2.7 sqmi (1.1%) is water. The topography of the county is gently rolling. Tobacco is a major farm crop, and livestock are also raised there. Water sources include the Kentucky River, Red River, Lulbegrud Creek, and Boone's Creek. Lulbegrud Creek is named for Lorbrulgrud, the capital city of Brobdingnag, the land of giant people in Jonathan Swift's Gulliver's Travels.

Adjacent counties

 * Bourbon County (north)
 * Montgomery County (northeast)
 * Powell County (southeast)
 * Estill County (southeast)
 * Madison County (southwest)
 * Fayette County (northwest)

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 33,144 people, 13,015 households, and 9,553 families residing in the county. The population density was 130 /sqmi. There were 13,749 housing units at an average density of 54 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the county was 93.60% White, 4.77% Black or African American, 0.17% Native American, 0.20% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.53% from other races, and 0.71% from two or more races. 1.19% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 13,015 households, out of which 33.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.90% were married couples living together, 12.10% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.60% were non-families. 22.80% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.40% 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.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 24.80% under the age of 18, 8.10% from 18 to 24, 30.30% from 25 to 44, 24.30% from 45 to 64, and 12.40% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.80 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $39,946, and the median income for a family was $45,647. Males had a median income of $35,774 versus $24,298 for females. The per capita income for the county was $19,170. About 8.40% of families and 10.60% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.60% of those under age 18 and 11.70% of those age 65 or over.

Government
The Clark County courthouse is located at 34 South Main Street in Winchester.

County Judge-Executive: Les Yates County Clerk: Michelle Turner Sheriff: Berl Perdue Jr.   Coroner: Neal Oliver Jailer: Frank Squatty Doyle County Attorney: William Elkins Circuit Clerk: Martha Miller County Property Valuation Administrator (PVA): Jada Brady County Surveyor: Vacant

Cities

 * Winchester (county seat)

Unincorporated communities

 * Becknerville
 * Bloomingdale
 * Colby
 * Combs Ferry
 * Ford
 * Goffs Corner
 * Lyndale
 * Pilot View
 * Trapp

title: Clark County, Kentucky


text:
Christian County, Kentucky

Christian County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of the 2020 census, the population was 72,748. Its county seat is Hopkinsville. The county was formed in 1797. Christian County is part of the Clarksville, Tennessee–Kentucky Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History
The county is named for Colonel William Christian, a native of Augusta County, Virginia, and a veteran of the Revolutionary War. He settled near Louisville, Kentucky in 1785, and was killed by Native Americans in southern Indiana in 1786.

Jefferson Davis, president of the Confederate States of America, was born in Fairview, Kentucky (in the small part that is now in Todd County) in 1808. United States Vice President Adlai Stevenson I was born in Christian County in 1835.

The present courthouse, built in 1869, replaced a structure burned by Confederate cavalry in 1864 because the Union Army was using it as their barracks.

The United States Supreme Court case Barker v. Wingo, 407 U.S. 514 (1972), arose out of a 1958 double-murder in Christian County, Kentucky.

In 2006 and 2008, tornadoes touched down across northern Christian County, damaging homes in the Crofton area.

In 2017, northwestern Christian County was the point of greatest eclipse for the solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 that crossed North America. The center was in the Bainbridge/Sinking Fork area of the county, on the Orchardale farm.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 724 sqmi, of which 718 sqmi is land and 6.5 sqmi (0.9%) is water. It is the second-largest county by area in Kentucky and the largest in Western Kentucky.

Adjacent counties

 * Hopkins County (north)
 * Muhlenberg County (northeast)
 * Todd County (east)
 * Montgomery County, Tennessee (southeast)
 * Stewart County, Tennessee (southwest)
 * Trigg County (west)
 * Caldwell County (northwest)

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 72,265 people, 24,857 households, and 18,344 families residing in the county. The population density was 100 /sqmi. There were 27,182 housing units at an average density of 38 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the county was 69.92% White, 23.73% Black or African American, 0.52% Native American, 0.91% Asian, 0.32% Pacific Islander, 2.23% from other races, and 2.37% from two or more races. 4.83% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 24,857 households, out of which 41.10% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.00% were married couples living together, 13.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.20% were non-families. 22.50% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.66 and the average family size was 3.12.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 28.30% under the age of 18, 15.80% from 18 to 24, 30.10% from 25 to 44, 16.00% from 45 to 64, and 9.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 28 years. For every 100 females, there were 106.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 107.60 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $31,177, and the median income for a family was $35,240. Males had a median income of $25,063 versus $20,748 for females. The per capita income for the county was $14,611. About 12.10% of families and 15.00% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.30% of those under age 18 and 13.50% of those age 65 or over.

Education
Most residents are zoned to Christian County Public Schools. However residents of Fort Campbell are zoned to Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) schools.

High schools

 * Christian County High School, established 1959
 * Hopkinsville High School
 * Fort Campbell High School — physically located in Tennessee, but serving the entire Fort Campbell base, and a member of Kentucky's governing body for high school athletics, the Kentucky High School Athletic Association
 * University Heights Academy (private K-12)
 * Heritage Christian Academy (private K-12)

Colleges

 * Hopkinsville Community College
 * Murray State University (regional campuses in Hopkinsville and Ft. Campbell)

Cities

 * Crofton
 * Hopkinsville
 * LaFayette
 * Oak Grove
 * Pembroke

Census-designated places

 * Cerulean (mostly in Trigg County)
 * Fairview (partially in Todd County)
 * Fort Campbell North
 * Gracey

Other unincorporated communities

 * Apex
 * Bainbridge
 * Bennettstown
 * Bluff Spring
 * Casky
 * Edgoten
 * Empire
 * Fearsville
 * Fruit Hill
 * Garrettsburg
 * Hensleytown
 * Herndon
 * Honey Grove
 * Howel
 * Julien
 * Kelly
 * Mannington
 * Newstead
 * Saint Elmo
 * Sinking Fork

Notable people

 * Gloria Jean Watkins, feminist author known by her pen name, bell hooks.
 * Terena Elizabeth Bell, author of Tell Me What You See
 * Greg Buckner, former NBA player
 * Edgar Cayce (1877–1945), mystic
 * Anthony Hickey (born 1992), basketball player for Hapoel Haifa in the Israeli Basketball Premier League
 * Adlai Stevenson I, 23rd Vice President of the United States (1893–1897), was born in Christian County.
 * Whitney Westerfield, politician
 * Chris Whitney, former NBA player
 * Ted Poston, born Theodore Roosevelt Augustus Major Poston in Hopkinsville, KY on 7/4/1906. Known as the Dean of Black Journalist and a member of President Franklin Roosevelt's Black Cabinet.

title: Christian County, Kentucky


text:
John Vincent Atanasoff

John Vincent Atanasoff (October 4, 1903 – June 15, 1995) was an American physicist and inventor credited with inventing the first electronic digital computer. Atanasoff invented the first electronic digital computer in the 1930s at Iowa State College (now known as Iowa State University). Challenges to his claim were resolved in 1973 when the Honeywell v. Sperry Rand lawsuit ruled that Atanasoff was the inventor of the computer. His special-purpose machine has come to be called the Atanasoff–Berry Computer.

Early life and education
Atanasoff was born on October 4, 1903, in Hamilton, New York to an electrical engineer and a school teacher. Atanasoff's father, Ivan Atanasov, was of Bulgarian origin, born in 1876 in the village of Boyadzhik, close to Yambol, then in the Ottoman Empire. While Ivan Atanasov was still an infant, his own father was killed by Ottoman soldiers after the Bulgarian April Uprising. In 1889, Ivan immigrated to the United States with his uncle. John's father later became an electrical engineer, whereas his mother, Iva Lucena Purdy (of mixed French and Irish ancestry), was a teacher of mathematics.

Atanasoff was raised in Brewster, Florida. Young Atanasoff's ambitions and intellectual pursuits were in part influenced by his parents, whose interests in the natural and applied sciences cultivated in him a sense of critical curiosity and confidence. At the age of nine, he learned to use a slide rule, followed shortly by the study of logarithms, and subsequently completed high school at Mulberry High School in two years. In 1925, Atanasoff received his Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering from the University of Florida.

He continued his education at Iowa State College and in 1926 earned a master's degree in mathematics. He completed his formal education in 1930 by earning a PhD in theoretical physics from the University of Wisconsin–Madison with his thesis, The Dielectric Constant of Helium. Upon completion of his doctorate, Atanasoff accepted an assistant professorship at Iowa State College in mathematics and physics.

Computer development
Partly due to the drudgery of using the mechanical Monroe calculator, which was the best tool available to him while he was writing his doctoral thesis, Atanasoff began to search for faster methods of computation. At Iowa State, Atanasoff researched the use of slaved Monroe calculators and IBM tabulators for scientific problems, with which controlled the Monroe using the output of an IBM. In 1936 he invented an analog calculator for analyzing surface geometry. At this point, he was pushing the boundaries of what gears could do and the fine mechanical tolerance required for good accuracy pushed him to consider digital solutions.

With a grant of $650 received in September 1939 and the assistance of his graduate student Clifford Berry, the Atanasoff–Berry Computer (ABC) was prototyped by November of that year. According to Atanasoff, several operative principles of the ABC were conceived by him during the winter of 1938 after a drive to Rock Island, Illinois.

The key ideas employed in the ABC included binary math and Boolean logic to solve up to 29 simultaneous linear equations. The ABC had no central processing unit (CPU), but was designed as an electronic device using vacuum tubes for digital computation. It also had regenerative capacitor memory that operated by a process similar to that used today in DRAM memory.

Patent dispute
Atanasoff first met John Mauchly at the December 1940 meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in Philadelphia, where Mauchly was demonstrating his "harmonic analyzer", an analog calculator for analysis of weather data. Atanasoff told Mauchly about his new digital device and invited him to see it.

In June 1941 Mauchly visited Atanasoff in Ames, Iowa for four days, staying as his houseguest. Atanasoff and Mauchly discussed the prototype ABC, examined it, and reviewed Atanasoff's design manuscript. In 1941 Atanasoff left Iowa State for a wartime assignment as Chief of the Acoustic Division with the Naval Ordnance Laboratory (NOL) in Washington, D.C. No patent application for the ABC was subsequently filed by Iowa State College.

Mauchly visited Atanasoff multiple times in Washington during 1943 and discussed computing theories, but did not mention that he was working on a computer project himself until early 1944.

By 1945 the U.S. Navy had decided to build a large-scale computer, on the advice of John von Neumann. Atanasoff was put in charge of the project, and he asked Mauchly to help with job descriptions for the necessary staff. However, Atanasoff was also given the responsibility of designing acoustic systems for monitoring atomic bomb tests. That job was made the priority, and he participated in the testing at Bikini Atoll in July 1946. By the time he returned from the testing the NOL computer project was shut down due to lack of progress, again on the advice of von Neumann.

In June 1954 IBM patent attorney A. J. Etienne sought Atanasoff's help in breaking an Eckert–Mauchly patent on a revolving magnetic memory drum, having been alerted by Clifford Berry that the ABC's revolving capacitor memory drum may have constituted prior art. Atanasoff agreed to assist the attorney, but IBM ultimately entered a patent-sharing agreement with Sperry Rand, the owners of the Eckert–Mauchly memory patent, and the case was dropped.

Atanasoff was deposed and testified at trial in the later action Honeywell v. Sperry Rand. In that case's decision, Judge Earl R. Larson found that "Eckert and Mauchly did not themselves first invent the automatic electronic digital computer, but instead derived that subject matter from one Dr. John Vincent Atanasoff".

Between 1954 and 1973, Atanasoff was a witness in the legal actions brought by various parties to invalidate electronic computing patents issued to Mauchly and J. Presper Eckert, which were owned by computer manufacturer Sperry Rand. In the 1973 decision of Honeywell v. Sperry Rand, a federal judge named Atanasoff the inventor of the electronic digital computer.

Postwar life
Following World War II Atanasoff remained with the government and developed specialized seismographs and microbarographs for long-range explosive detection. In 1952 he founded and led the Ordnance Engineering Corporation, selling the company to Aerojet General Corporation in 1956 and becoming Aerojet's Atlantic Division president. He retired from Aerojet in 1961.

In 1960 Atanasoff and his wife Alice moved to their hilltop farm in New Market, Maryland for their retirement. In 1961 he started another company, Cybernetics Incorporated, in Frederick, Maryland which he operated for 20 years. He developed a phonetic alphabet for computers during this period of his life. He was gradually drawn into the legal disputes being contested by the fast-growing computer companies Honeywell and Sperry Rand. Following the resolution of Honeywell v. Sperry Rand, Atanasoff was warmly honored by Iowa State College, which had since become Iowa State University, and more awards followed.

Atanasoff died at the age of 91 on June 15, 1995, of a stroke at his home after a lengthy illness. He is buried in Pine Grove Cemetery in Mount Airy, Maryland.

Heritage
Atanasoff visited Bulgaria twice, in 1975 and 1985. He visited Boyadzhik village, where his grandfather had been shot by the Ottoman Turks, and was warmly welcomed by the locals and his father's relatives. He was made an honorable citizen of the town of Yambol, and received the "Key of the Town". He was also given various titles by the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences. The John Atanasov prize is awarded every year in Bulgaria. The 3546 Atanasoff asteroid found at the Bulgarian astronomic observatory of Rozen, was named after him.

Honors and distinctions
Atanasoff's first national award for scientific achievements was the Order of Saints Cyril and Methodius, First Class, Bulgaria's highest scientific honor bestowed to him in 1970, before the 1973 court ruling.

In 1990, President George H. W. Bush awarded Atanasoff the United States National Medal of Technology, the highest U.S. honor conferred for achievements related to technological progress.

Other distinctions awarded to Atanasoff include:

 * Cosmos Club membership (1957)
 * Computer Pioneer Medal from the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) (1981)
 * Order of the People's Republic of Bulgaria, First Class (1985)
 * Computing Appreciation Award, EDUCOM (1985)
 * Foreign Member of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (1985)
 * Honorary citizen of the city of Yambol, Bulgaria (1985; Atanasoff's father was born in Yambol region)
 * Iowa Award (2001)

Named after Atanasoff

 * Atanasoff Nunatak (a peak) on Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica
 * The asteroid (3546) Atanasoff, discovered by the Rozhen Observatory
 * The John Atanasoff Award, established by Georgi Parvanov in 2003 and bestowed annually by the President of Bulgaria to a young Bulgarian for achievements in the field of computer and information technologies and the information society of Bulgaria
 * The John Atanasoff Technical College in the Bulgarian city of Plovdiv, a branch of the Technical University of Sofia
 * The John Atanasoff Bulgarian national tournament in informatics and information technologies, held in the city of Shumen annually since 2001
 * The John Atanasoff Professional High School of Electronics in the city of Stara Zagora, Bulgaria
 * The John Atanasoff Professional High School of Electronics in Sofia
 * The John Atanasoff Chitalishte (community cultural centre), Sofia
 * The John Atanasoff Chitalishte, Boyadzhik Village, Bulgaria (the birthplace of Atanasoff's father)
 * Prof. John Atanasoff 4th Primary School, Sofia
 * The John Atanasoff Private High School, Blagoevgrad, Bulgaria
 * The John Atanasoff Professional Technical High School, Kyustendil, Bulgaria
 * The John Atanasoff Bulgarian Language School, Chicago, Illinois,
 * The John Atanasoff Professional High School of Economic Informatics, Targovishte, Bulgaria
 * The John Atanasoff University Student Computer Club, Plovdiv University, Bulgaria
 * John Atanasoff Street, Yambol, Bulgaria
 * John Atanasoff Street, Sofia

Selected bibliography

 * (Bulgarian version of his 1984 paper).
 * (Bulgarian version of his 1984 paper).

title: John Vincent Atanasoff