text:
Todd County, Kentucky

Todd County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of the 2020 census, the population was 12,243. Its county seat is Elkton. The county is named for Colonel John Todd, who was killed at the Battle of Blue Licks in 1782 during the American Revolution.

Early history
Todd County consists of two geographical regions known historically as the high country to the north and low country to the south. The northern highlands consist of steep-sloped sandstone terrain with forests of oak, walnut and poplar. The landscape contains steep bluffs and sharp rises and falls within the terrain. The southern lowlands consist of rolling limestone flatlands void of aquifer sinks and consist of dense but sparse forests of oak, walnut poplar and ash. The historic inhabitants of the region before European encounter were the Iroquoian language-speaking Cherokee, who had migrated centuries earlier from areas around the Great Lakes. They used the lands for hunting and gathering.

Todd County lies within what was originally considered the western portion of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Many of the original white settlers came when the area was still considered part of Virginia. This part of southern Kentucky was designated to be awarded to Virginia veterans of the American Revolutionary War as payment for their services.

Justinian Cartwright may have been the first settle in what is now Todd County. However, the first proven residents are Edward Shanklin Jr., Matthew and David Rolston, and John Huston and his sons James and Granville Huston. Samuel Davis, father of Jefferson Davis, and John Wilson were also early settlers of the county. Kentucky Governor Greenup made the first Kentucky land grants to veterans William Croghan, David Logan, Edward Shanklin Jr., and John Wilson, among others.

Todd County was created in response to a petition for "home government," since travel to the county seats of Logan and Christian was arduous. The petition had been written by the magisterial court, consisting of Edward Shanklin, John Gray, Robert Coleman, Henry Gorin, John Taylor, H. C. Ewing, John S Anderson, William Hopper, John Mann and Joseph Frazer, had made the request. The legislature of the Commonwealth of Kentucky accordingly passed an act creating of the county from portions of Christian and Logan counties on April 1, 1820. The new county was named for Colonel John Todd, who had been killed at the Battle of Blue Licks in 1782.

Development
Agriculture is a revered tradition in Todd County. The lowlands are of the finest rich soil types, including "Pembroke" soil. The lowlands are prized for their high growth yields. In the early 19th century, Major John Gray established a stagecoach hub in the county with travel routes radiating to larger American cities from the central point. His widely known Stagecoach Inn located in "Graysville," now Guthrie, Kentucky, was at the center of the travel routes. Major Gray's stagecoach empire was highly successful, and he soon became wealthy due to its popularity in the region. Major Gray built a house, a simple two-story shed-roofed, brick one-pile dwelling, now known as "Halcyon," or the John Gray House.

Gray wanted a town to be established near his home that would become the county seat. Gray designed the city, which included a town square from which hundreds of lots radiated. He called it "Elkton" after the elk herds that watered at a spring near the town center. Gray designed the town square as a trapezoid instead of a square, with the south side of the town square larger than the north so that as the sun traversed across the sky, the buildings on the east and west would benefit from prolonged periods of daily sunlight. Gray contributed funding for a county courthouse, which was erected at the center of the square. The brick building stood two stories with a cupola at the top.

After Major Gray died, the building was deemed in a state of ruin due to improper construction methods and torn down to erect a new courthouse. The new Todd County courthouse was erected by order of the Fiscal Court in 1834. R. Rowland designed the building in the Federal Style with an integration of Greek-Revival style motifs. The brick building, which is extant in the 21st century, stands two stories tall with tripartite windows and large Greek-Revival lintels. The building originally had a smaller federal style cupola, but this was later replaced with a late Victorian clock tower in the second Empire style, which remains today.

Civil War
Kentucky was a source of slaves for the cotton plantations in the lower South, and the slave trade was a profitable business for many Kentuckians. However, most Kentuckians did not own slaves. Those who did were wealthy plantation owners who stood to lose a lot if slavery were abolished. The major slave-owning areas in the state were the Bluegrass region, Henderson and Oldham counties on the Ohio River, and the western Kentucky counties of Trigg, Christian, Todd, and Warren. Many Kentuckians from these areas joined the Confederate army. Nevertheless, Kentucky's allegiance was divided during the Civil War. The state was officially neutral until September 1861, when it pledged its support to the Union. In response, a pro-Confederate Confederate government of Kentucky was formed by representatives from several Kentucky counties, with a second capital at Bowling Green.

Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 377 sqmi, of which 374 sqmi is land and 2.6 sqmi (0.7%) is water.

Adjacent counties

 * Muhlenberg County (north)
 * Logan County (east)
 * Robertson County, Tennessee (southeast)
 * Montgomery County, Tennessee (southwest)
 * Christian County (west)

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 11,971 people, 4,569 households, and 3,367 families residing in the county. The population density was 32 /sqmi. There were 5,121 housing units at an average density of 14 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the county was 89.32% White, 8.75% Black or African American, 0.15% Native American, 0.17% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.87% from other races, and 0.71% from two or more races. 1.66% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 4,569 households, out of which 33.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.70% were married couples living together, 11.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.30% were non-families. 23.00% 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 2.59 and the average family size was 3.05.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 26.60% under the age of 18, 8.70% from 18 to 24, 28.40% from 25 to 44, 22.40% from 45 to 64, and 14.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 94.80 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.70 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $29,718, and the median income for a family was $36,043. Males had a median income of $28,502 versus $20,340 for females. The per capita income for the county was $15,462. About 14.70% of families and 17.20% of the population were below the poverty line, including 21.90% of those under age 18 and 22.00% of those age 65 or over.

Attractions

 * Green River Female Academy
 * Milliken Memorial Community House
 * Old Oaks Farm
 * Old Todd County Courthouse
 * Jefferson Davis State Historic Site
 * Robert Penn Warren Birthplace
 * Glover's Cave
 * Liberty Hall
 * Edwards Hall
 * John Gray House, "Halcyon"
 * Northington
 * Sunny Side Acres
 * Pilot Rock
 * Holly Hills
 * Runnymede
 * Guthrie Transportation Museum

Cities

 * Elkton (county seat)
 * Guthrie
 * Trenton

Census-designated places

 * Allensville
 * Fairview (mostly in Christian County)

Other unincorporated communities

 * Allegre
 * Claymour
 * Clifty
 * Daysville
 * Hadensville
 * Kirkmansville
 * Pea Ridge
 * Penicktown
 * Pinchem
 * Sharon Grove
 * Tiny Town
 * Tress Shop
 * Tyewhoppety

Notable residents

 * George Street Boone, liberal constitutional scholar
 * Benjamin Bristow, first Solicitor General of the United States and a former U.S. Treasury Secretary
 * Mary Louise Milliken Childs, American philanthropist
 * Jefferson Davis, President of the Confederacy
 * Dorothy Dix (Elizabeth Merriwether Gilmer), columnist
 * Caroline Meriwether Goodlett, co-founder of the United Daughters of the Confederacy
 * Caroline Gordon, author of nine novels
 * Kent Greenfield, American major league baseball player
 * James Clark McReynolds, former Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court
 * Roger Q. Mills, former Texas U.S. Senator (1892–1899)
 * Paul Rudolph, architect
 * Edward Shanklin Sr., Revolutionary War soldier and county founding father
 * James Gordon Shanklin, FBI Agent
 * Jess Sweetser, first American-born golfer to win the British Amateur
 * David S. Terry, California jurist and politician
 * Robert Penn Warren, first poet laureate of the United States

title: Todd County, Kentucky


text:
Tongahiti

Tongahiti is one of Tāwhaki's enemies in a Māori tradition which White (1887-1891) attributes to the Ngati Hau iwi. In this tale, Tāwhaki blocks up all the chinks in the house of his enemies, a house of which his grandmother Whaitiri is the doorkeeper. Before sunset, the enemies - who are like small birds - flock into the house in great numbers. Tongahiti is among them. When morning comes, the enemies sleep on, because no light can enter the house. Tongahiti makes a remark about the length of the night, and suggests that Whaitiri may be deceiving them. Tāwhaki now lets the light in, and then kills all the creatures except Tongahiti, who manages to escape through a small hole he pierces through the base of one of the posts at the back of the house.

Tongahiti is called 'god of headaches' by White (1887-1891) in his English translation of the story. The reference to headaches does not appear in the Māori text. (Tongahiti is also mentioned by Tregear as 'the god of Headache', giving White I:101 as his source).

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

title: Tongahiti


text:
Taylor County, Kentucky

Taylor County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of the 2020 census, the population was 26,023. Its county seat is Campbellsville. Settled by people from Virginia, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and North Carolina after the American Revolutionary War, the county was organized in 1848 in the Highland Rim region. It is named for United States Army General Zachary Taylor, later President of the United States. Taylor County was the 100th of the 120 counties created by Kentucky. The Campbellsville Micropolitan Statistical Area includes all of Taylor County.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 277 sqmi, of which 266 sqmi is land and 10 sqmi (3.8%) is water.

Taylor County has a geographic boundary shaped like a heart, and also claims to be the geographic center of Kentucky. It includes a fabled center marker of Kentucky, a U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey magnetic station marker placed in Taylor County circa 1916 which in time since has been regarded by citizens as the geodetic center of the state. Information on this marker is currently not available in federal databases. The claim to the geographic center of Kentucky is disputed by surrounding counties in part due to the planar methods used to initially determine the geographic centers of the states.

Adjacent counties

 * Marion County (north)
 * Casey County (east)
 * Adair County (southeast/CST Border)
 * Green County (south & west/CST Border)
 * LaRue County (northwest)

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 22,927 people, 9,233 households, and 6,555 families residing in the county. The population density was 85 /sqmi. There were 10,180 housing units at an average density of 38 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the county was 93.62% White, 5.06% Black or African American, 0.10% Native American, 0.18% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.32% from other races, and 0.70% from two or more races. 0.82% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 9,233 households, out of which 30.90% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.40% were married couples living together, 11.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.00% were non-families. 26.00% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.20% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.41 and the average family size was 2.89.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 23.40% under the age of 18, 10.40% from 18 to 24, 26.90% from 25 to 44, 24.10% from 45 to 64, and 15.20% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.70 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $28,089, and the median income for a family was $33,854. Males had a median income of $26,633 versus $20,480 for females. The per capita income for the county was $15,162. About 14.20% of families and 17.50% of the population were below the poverty line, including 23.70% of those under age 18 and 18.30% of those age 65 or over.

City

 * Campbellsville (county seat)

Unincorporated Communities

 * Acton
 * Bengal
 * Black Gnat (partly in Green County in the Central Time Zone)
 * Elk Horn
 * Finley
 * Hatcher
 * Hobson
 * Mannsville
 * Merrimac
 * Saloma
 * Spurlington
 * Sweenyville
 * Yuma

Politics
Taylor County is represented in the Kentucky House of Representatives by Republican Sarge Pollock and in the state Senate by another Republican, Max Wise. In 2019, Republican Barry Smith took office as county judge. Smith unseated the Democrat Eddie Rogers in the general election held on November 6, 2018.

Education
School districts include:
 * Campbellsville Independent School District
 * Taylor County School District

title: Taylor County, Kentucky


text:
Spencer County, Kentucky

Spencer County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of the 2020 census, the total population was 19,490. Its county seat is Taylorsville. The county was founded in 1824 and named for Spier Spencer.

Spencer County is part of the Louisville/Jefferson County, KY—IN Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Taylorsville Lake, located primarily within Spencer County, serves as a major economic resource for the area. Spencer was a dry county until 2009 when the county's residents voted to overturn the ban on alcohol sales. From 2000 to 2005, Spencer County ranked 19th out of all U.S. counties in percent growth, with a 33% increase.

History
Spencer County was formed in January 1824, by the 32nd Kentucky General Assembly. The land that now makes up Spencer County was taken from Bullitt County, Shelby County, and Nelson County. Spencer County became Kentucky's 77th county. The county was named for Kentucky's Captain Spier Spencer, who fought and died in the Battle of Tippecanoe.

Later that year, in December 1824, Taylorsville was made the county seat. In 1829, the city was incorporated.

During the American Civil War, the courthouse at Taylorsville was burned by Confederate guerrillas in January 1865, but the county's records were saved.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 192 sqmi, of which 187 sqmi is land and 5.0 sqmi (2.6%) is water.

Adjacent counties

 * Shelby County (north)
 * Anderson County (east)
 * Nelson County (south)
 * Bullitt County (west)
 * Jefferson County (northwest)

Major highways

 * Kentucky Route 44
 * Kentucky Route 55

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 11,766 people, 4,251 households, and 3,358 families residing in the county. The population density was 63 /sqmi. There were 4,555 housing units at an average density of 24 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the county was 97.50% White, 1.13% Black or African American, 0.22% Native American, 0.08% Asian, 0.27% from other races, and 0.79% from two or more races. 1.12% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 4,251 households, out of which 38.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 67.90% were married couples living together, 7.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.00% were non-families. 17.10% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.00% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.74 and the average family size was 3.08.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 27.00% under the age of 18, 7.70% from 18 to 24, 33.50% from 25 to 44, 22.70% from 45 to 64, and 9.10% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 101.80 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.50 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $47,042, and the median income for a family was $52,038. Males had a median income of $36,638 versus $24,196 for females. The per capita income for the county was $19,848. About 7.70% of families and 8.80% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.90% of those under age 18 and 10.50% of those age 65 or over.

Education
The Spencer County Public Schools comprises six schools: Spencer County High School, Spencer County Middle School, Spencer County Elementary School, Taylorsville Elementary School, Hillview Academy, and Spencer County Preschool.

City

 * Taylorsville (county seat)

Census-designated place

 * Elk Creek

Other unincorporated places

 * Little Mount
 * Mount Eden
 * Rivals
 * Waterford
 * Yoder

title: Spencer County, Kentucky


text:
Simpson County, Kentucky

Simpson County is a county located in the south central portion of the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of the 2020 census, the total population was 19,594. Its county seat is Franklin.

History
Simpson County was established in 1819 from Allen, Logan, and Warren Counties. The county is named for Captain John Simpson, a Kentucky militia officer who fought in Battle of Fallen Timbers in the Northwest Indian War, and was killed during the War of 1812 in the Battle of River Raisin.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 236 sqmi, of which 234 sqmi is land and 2.3 sqmi (1.0%) is water. The county is located in the Pennyroyal Plateau region of the state.

Adjacent counties

 * Warren County (north)
 * Allen County (east)
 * Sumner County, Tennessee (southeast)
 * Robertson County, Tennessee (southwest)
 * Logan County (west)

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 16,405 people, 6,415 households, and 4,638 families residing in the county. The population density was 70 /sqmi. There were 7,016 housing units at an average density of 30 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the county was 87.84% White, 10.22% Black or African American, 0.17% Native American, 0.55% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 0.30% from other races, and 0.87% from two or more races. 0.91% of the population were Hispanics or Latinos of any race.

There were 6,415 households, out of which 33.80% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.80% were married couples living together, 11.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.70% were non-families. 24.20% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.40% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.52 and the average family size was 2.97.

The age distribution was 26.20% under the age of 18, 8.50% from 18 to 24, 29.20% from 25 to 44, 23.00% from 45 to 64, and 13.10% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 95.30 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.60 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $36,432, and the median income for a family was $42,525. Males had a median income of $32,160 versus $22,667 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,150. About 8.50% of families and 11.60% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.00% of those under age 18 and 15.90% of those age 65 or over.

City

 * Franklin (county seat)

Unincorporated communities

 * Gold City
 * Middleton
 * Neosheo
 * Prices Mill
 * Providence
 * Salmons

Politics
In contrast to the Western Coalfield and the eastern part of the Pennyroyal Plateau, Simpson County was not highly pro-Union during the Civil War. Consequently, Simpson was as reliably Democratic as the Jackson Purchase and Bluegrass during the following century: no Republican carried Simpson County until Richard Nixon’s 1972 landslide. As with all of rural Kentucky, the social liberalism of the Democratic Party – rejected by many southern whites – has led to an increase in registered Republicans, and many people registered as Democrats vote for Republican candidates, especially at the national level. In 2014, of a population of 17,800, there were 12,700 registered voters in Simpson County: 8,040 (63%) were Democrats, 3,587 (28%) were Republican, and 1073 (9%) were unaffiliated or registered with another party.

title: Simpson County, Kentucky


text:
Scott County, Kentucky

Scott County is a county located in the central part of the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of the 2020 census, the population was 57,155. Scott County is part of the Lexington-Fayette, Kentucky Metropolitan Statistical Area. Its county seat and largest city is Georgetown.

History
Native Americans inhabited the Scott County area from perhaps 15,000 years ago. Evidence has been identified that belongs the Adena culture (800 B.C. - 800 A.D.), including several significant Adena mounds.

The area was explored by American explorers as early as 1774. One of the earliest settlers was John McClelland from Pennsylvania, who built McLelland's Fort overlooking the Georgetown spring. During the American Revolution, pro-British Native Americans attacked McLelland's Fort in 1777, causing the settlement to be abandoned. Six years later, a new and permanent settlement was founded by Robert and Jemima Johnson, who built Johnson Station (later called Great Crossing), near the north fork of Elkhorn Creek, about five miles west of today's Georgetown.

All of Kentucky was originally part of Virginia's frontier. However, in 1776 Virginia reorganized it as Kentucky County. In 1780 this county was divided into the three large counties of Lincoln, Jefferson, and Fayette. In 1788, Fayette County was divided to create Woodford County.

On June 1, 1792, the state of Kentucky came into existence. An early act of the new state legislature divided Woodford County into two counties. One of these became Scott County, named for General Charles Scott, a Revolutionary War hero, who would serve as Kentucky's fourth governor (1808–1812). Its area was taken from the existing Woodford County. Other counties established before the end of 1792 were Clark, Shelby, Logan, and Green counties.

In 1784, Elijah Craig (1743–1808), a Virginia preacher, induced the Virginia legislature to incorporate the town of Lebanon, near the site of McLelland's Fort. In 1790 the town's name was changed to George Town, to honor then-President George Washington. Elijah Craig is also credited with founding the county's first classical school, the first sawmill, the first gristmill, the first fulling and paper mill, the first ropewalk, and (possibly) the area's first bourbon whiskey. On December 27, 1787, edition of the Kentucky Gazette, he solicited scholars to study at an academy that would open in January 1788 "in Lebanon town," and would offer courses in Latin, Greek, and "such branches of the sciences as are usually taught in public seminaries." Ten years later the school was absorbed by the Rittenhouse Academy, which was given by the state some 5,900 acres in Christian and Cumberland counties so that they might sell the land to benefit their endowment fund. The academy, in turn, was absorbed by Georgetown College in 1829.

The community went into a decline after the death of Elijah Craig in 1808. When Elder Barton Warren Stone (1772–1844), a founder of the Christian Churches movement during the Great Revival, moved to Georgetown in 1816 to become principal of Rittenhouse Academy, he found the community "notorious for its wickedness and irreligion."

In 1825, the Choctaw Nation established the Choctaw Academy at Blue Spring in Scott County. They operated the school for Choctaw boys until 1842, when it was closed. The staff and records moved to the Choctaw Nation, Indian Territory, where the Choctaw Nation had been relocated in the 1830s. In 1844 the Spencer Academy opened as the school for Choctaw boys, while a school was also opened for girls. Later in the century, they allowed Baptist missionaries to found the Armstrong Academy there.

During the American Civil War, Scott County furnished the Union Army with 118 soldiers, while about 1,000 enlisted in the Confederate Army. On November 18, 1861, Scott County native George W. Johnson was elected the provisional Confederate governor of Kentucky.

In 2019, voters in Scott County approved county-wide alcohol sales.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 285 sqmi, of which 282 sqmi is land and 3.7 sqmi (1.3%) is water.

Adjacent counties

 * Grant County (north)
 * Harrison County (northeast)
 * Bourbon County (east)
 * Fayette County (southeast)
 * Woodford County (southwest)
 * Franklin County (west)
 * Owen County (northwest)

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 33,061 people, 12,110 households, and 8,985 families residing in the county. The population density was 116 /sqmi. There were 12,977 housing units at an average density of 46 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the county was 91.94% White, 5.35% Black or African American, 0.26% Native American, 0.50% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.82% from other races, and 1.13% from two or more races. 1.61% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 12,110 households, out of which 38.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.80% were married couples living together, 11.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.80% were non-families. 21.00% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.00% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.61 and the average family size was 3.01.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 26.30% under the age of 18, 11.80% from 18 to 24, 32.60% from 25 to 44, 20.40% from 45 to 64, and 8.90% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.80 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.70 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $47,081, and the median income for a family was $54,117. Males had a median income of $40,604 versus $25,767 for females. The per capita income for the county was $21,490. About 7.30% of families and 8.80% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.00% of those under age 18 and 12.10% of those age 65 or over.

Cities

 * Georgetown (county seat)
 * Sadieville
 * Stamping Ground

Unincorporated Communities

 * Great Crossing

Notable people

 * James C. C. Black - U.S. Representative from Georgia. Born in Stamping Ground.
 * J. Campbell Cantrill - politician, U.S. Representative from Kentucky.
 * Julia Chinn - common-law wife of Vice President Richard M. Johnson.
 * Daniel Cook - First Attorney General of Illinois.
 * Basil Duke - Confederate General, took part in Morgan's Raid. Brother-in-law of John Hunt Morgan.
 * William H. Hatch - politician, U.S. Representative from Missouri.
 * Henry P. Haun - politician, U.S. Senator from California.
 * George W. Johnson - politician, 1st Confederate Governor of Kentucky, died at the Battle of Shiloh.
 * John T. Johnson - politician, U.S. Representative from Kentucky, brother of Richard M. Johnson.
 * Richard M. Johnson - politician, Vice President of the United States 1837–43.
 * Tom L. Johnson - U.S. Representative from Ohio 1891–95, Mayor of Cleveland 1901–1909.
 * John M. Palmer - Civil War general, Governor of Illinois 1869–1873, National Democratic Party presidential candidate 1896.
 * James F. Robinson - politician, 22nd Governor of Kentucky. Federal governor during the Civil War. Cardome in Georgetown was his family home.
 * John M. Robinson - politician, United States Senator from Illinois.
 * Robert Ward Johnson - U.S. and Confederate senator from Arkansas. Nephew of Richard M. Johnson.
 * Ryan Quarles - Kentucky Commissioner of Agriculture
 * Gustavus W. Smith - General in the Confederate Army during the Civil War, Confederate Secretary of War in 1862.
 * Junius Ward - 19th century horseman and plantation owner, founder of Ward Hall.
 * Edith Summers Kelley - Canadian author, wrote Weeds (1923), novel about "an artistic tomboy in the rural hills of Kentucky, who struggles unsuccessfully to overcome the oppressive roles assigned to her as a woman"

title: Scott County, Kentucky


text:
Russell County, Kentucky

Russell County is a county located in the U.S. Commonwealth of Kentucky. As of the 2020 census, the population was 17,991. Its county seat is Jamestown and its largest city is Russell Springs. The county was formed on December 14, 1825, from portions of Adair, Cumberland and Wayne Counties and is named for William Russell.

In 2015, the cities of Jamestown and Russell Springs became two of the first gigabit Internet communities in Kentucky with the completion of a state-of-the-art optical fiber network by the local telephone cooperative.

Wolf Creek Dam is located in southern Russell County. The dam impounds Cumberland River to form Lake Cumberland, a major tourism attraction for the county. Wolf Creek National Fish Hatchery is also located in Russell County just below the dam.

Until relatively recently Russell County was a dry county, meaning that the sale of alcohol was prohibited. It voted to go "wet" in a referendum held on January 19, 2016, by a margin of 3,833 to 3,423 votes.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 283 sqmi, of which 254 sqmi is land and 29 sqmi (10%) is water. The highest point is 1140 ft atop Dickerson Ridge in the extreme northern part of the county and the lowest point is 530 ft along the Cumberland River.

Major highways

 * Cumberland Parkway
 * U.S. Route 127 in Kentucky
 * Kentucky Route 80

Adjacent counties

 * Casey County (north/EST Border)
 * Pulaski County (northeast/EST Border)
 * Wayne County (southeast/EST Border)
 * Clinton County (south)
 * Cumberland County (southwest)
 * Adair County (west)

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 16,315 people, 6,941 households, and 4,796 families residing in the county. The population density was 64 /sqmi. There were 9,064 housing units at an average density of 36 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the county was 98.34% White, 0.58% Black or African American, 0.12% Native American, 0.14% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.21% from other races, and 0.59% from two or more races. 0.86% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 6,941 households, out of which 29.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.30% were married couples living together, 10.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.90% were non-families. 28.00% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.90% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.33 and the average family size was 2.82.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 22.50% under the age of 18, 7.50% from 18 to 24, 27.50% from 25 to 44, 25.90% from 45 to 64, and 16.50% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 93.90 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.00 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $22,042, and the median income for a family was $27,803. Males had a median income of $24,193 versus $18,289 for females. The per capita income for the county was $13,183. About 20.40% of families and 24.30% of the population were below the poverty line, including 30.80% of those under age 18 and 27.30% of those age 65 or over.

Politics
Russell County is part of the historically and currently rock-ribbed Republican bloc of southeastern Kentucky that also includes such counties as Clinton, Cumberland, Casey, Pulaski, Laurel, Rockcastle, Monroe, McCreary, Clay, Jackson, Owsley and Leslie. These counties were opposed to secession during the Civil War era, and consequently became and have remained intensely Republican ever since. The last Democrat to win Russell County was Grover Cleveland in 1884, and the last Republican to not gain a majority was William Howard Taft in 1912 when his party was divided.

Cities

 * Jamestown (county seat)
 * Russell Springs

Unincorporated communities

 * Bryan
 * Crocus (partially in Adair County)
 * Eli
 * Esto
 * Fonthill

Ghost Town

 * Creelsboro

Notable people

 * Tara Conner, Miss Kentucky USA 2006, Miss USA 2006
 * Vernie McGaha, Former Kentucky State Senator
 * Doug Moseley, later a Kentucky state senator, was pastor of the Russell Springs First United Methodist Church from 1958 to 1960
 * Steve Wariner, country music singer and songwriter. Kentucky State Route 80 is named in his honor.
 * Jeff Hoover, Republican member of the Kentucky House of Representatives, elected Speaker in late 2016.

title: Russell County, Kentucky


text:
Rowan County, Kentucky

Rowan County is a county located in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of Kentucky, in the Eastern Kentucky Coalfield region. As of the 2020 census, the population was 24,662. Its county seat is Morehead.

The county was created in 1856 from parts of Fleming and Morgan counties, and named after John Rowan, who represented Kentucky in the House of Representatives and the Senate.

With regard to the sale of alcohol, it is classified as a moist county in which alcohol sales are prohibited, but unlike a dry county, it contains a "wet" city, Morehead, where packaged alcohol sales are allowed.

History
It is believed that Rowan County was first explored by those of European descent in 1773 by a party of surveyors from Pennsylvania. The first settlement was established in Farmers, a town 10 miles west of Morehead. Its population rapidly increased due its fertile farming land and proximity to water sources. Additional settlers came to Rowan County from Virginia in the late 18th century after being awarded land grants at the end of the American Revolutionary War. Clearfield was the second settlement established in the county, being colonized by a Virginia aristocrat named Dixon Clack in the early 1800s. It accommodated the first sawmill in the county.

In 1854, Morehead became the third community to be settled in the area. Colonel John Hargis founded the city after purchasing land in the county, naming it after governor James Morehead. Rowan County came into existence in May 1856, seceding from Morgan County and Fleming County. It was divided into four districts with Morehead being declared the county seat. In 1896, a tax was levied on Morehead, sourcing it with the revenue needed to construct hard surface roads. The road system was extended to Farmers by 1920. in 1961 Rowan county senior high school was built

In summer 2015, Rowan County attracted national attention when County Clerk Kim Davis refused, on grounds of religion, to follow a court order requiring her to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 286 sqmi, of which 280 sqmi is land and 6.5 sqmi (2.3%) is water. Its highest point is "Limestone Knob" at about 1409 ft above mean sea level.

Adjacent counties

 * Lewis County (north)
 * Carter County (northeast)
 * Elliott County (east)
 * Morgan County (south)
 * Menifee County (southwest)
 * Bath County (west)
 * Fleming County (northwest)

National protected area

 * Daniel Boone National Forest (part)

Demographics
As of the census of 2010, there were 23,333 people and 7,956 households residing in the county. The population density was 83.4 /sqmi. There were 10,102 housing units at an average density of 34 /sqmi. The racial make-up was 96.1% White, 1.5% Black or African American, 0.1% Native American, 0.8% Asian, 0% Pacific Islander, and 1.0% from two or more races. 1.3% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 7,956 households, of which 19.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.40% were married couples living together, 10.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.20% were non-families. 27.00% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.20% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 2.91.

The age distribution was 20.30% under the age of 18, 23.50% from 18 to 24, 25.90% from 25 to 44, 20.00% from 45 to 64, and 10.40% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. Both the unusually large portion of the population in the 18-to-24 range and the relatively low median age are mainly because of the presence of Morehead State University. For every 100 females there were 94.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.10 males.

The median household income was $33,081. Males had a median income of $26,777 and females $20,104. The per capita income was $13,888. About 15.90% of families and 21.30% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.80% of those under age 18 and 16.20% of those age 65 or over.

In 2014, the county had 14,263 registered voters. Of these, 9,394 were Democrats, 3,929 were Republicans, and 626 listed themselves as members of other parties.

Politics
Rowan County is known as a swing county. It voted Republican in 2000, 2012, 2016, and 2020 and Democratic in 2004 and 2008, but in most of those elections the winning candidate won by small margins. This changed in 2016 when Republican Donald Trump won the county with nearly 59% of the vote to Democrat Hillary Clinton's 37%, the largest margin of victory since Jimmy Carter won the county in 1976. Rowan County was one of four counties in Eastern Kentucky to vote for Barack Obama in 2008. It is the only county in the eastern coalfields where the Republican nominee Donald Trump never won over 60% of the vote.

Legal compliance
In June and July 2015, the Rowan county clerk, Kim Davis, refused several residents their right to marry, a right guaranteed by the ruling of the Supreme Court on June 26, 2015, that same-sex marriages are legal across the entirety of the United States. Privately held religious belief was given as the reason for non-compliance with the Court's ruling and with the state governor's executive order of June 26 instructing all state agencies and clerks to comply with it.

Media

 * WMKY – Morehead State University radio
 * W10BM – TV
 * Rowan Review – local online news
 * The Trail Blazer – Morehead State University newspaper
 * News Center - Morehead State University Television

Cities

 * Lakeview Heights
 * Morehead (county seat)

Census-designated place

 * Farmers

Other unincorporated communities

 * Clearfield
 * Cranston
 * Elliottville
 * Gates
 * Haldeman
 * Hayes Crossing
 * Hilda
 * Paragon
 * Pelfrey
 * Rodburn
 * Sharkey
 * Smile
 * Triplett
 * Wagner Corner

Notable people

 * Kim Davis – former Rowan County Clerk, jailed for refusing to comply with a federal court order directing her to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples following the United States Supreme Court decision in Obergefell vs. Hodges
 * Cora Wilson Stewart (1875–1958) – first woman to be elected to the position of the president of the Kentucky Education Association; opened Moonlight School, a nationwide night education program for illiterate adults

title: Rowan County, Kentucky


text:
Rockcastle County, Kentucky

Rockcastle County is a county located in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of the 2020 census, the population was 16,037. Its county seat is Mt. Vernon. The county was founded in 1810 and named for the Rockcastle River, which runs through it. The river, in turn, is named for its majestic rock cliffs. Rockcastle County is part of the Richmond-Berea, KY Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the Lexington-Fayette–Richmond–Frankfort, KY combined statistical area.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 318 sqmi, of which 317 sqmi is land and 1.6 sqmi (0.5%) is water.

Adjacent counties

 * Northwest • Garrard County
 * North • Madison County
 * West • Lincoln County
 * East • Jackson County
 * Southwest • Pulaski County
 * Southeast • Laurel County

National protected area

 * Daniel Boone National Forest (part)

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 16,582 people, 6,544 households, and 4,764 families residing in the county. The population density was 52 /sqmi. There were 7,353 housing units at an average density of 23 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the county was 98.81% White, 0.14% Black or African American, 0.24% Native American, 0.13% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.04% from other races, and 0.63% from two or more races. 0.62% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 6,544 households, out of which 33.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.90% were married couples living together, 11.40% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.20% were non-families. 24.40% 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 2.49 and the average family size was 2.95.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 24.40% under the age of 18, 8.80% from 18 to 24, 30.00% from 25 to 44, 23.60% from 45 to 64, and 13.20% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 97.90 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over there were 94.60 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $23,475 and the median income for a family was $30,278. Males had a median income of $26,770 versus $18,388 for females. The per capita income for the county was $12,337. About 19.10% of families and 23.10% of the population were below the poverty line, including 28.30% of those under age 18 and 21.60% of those age 65 or over.

Politics
Rockcastle County has been a Republican stronghold since its founding. It has only voted for the Democratic presidential nominee four times, in 1868, 1872, 1876, and 1880. It has also never voted for a Democratic candidate from the county's founding in 1810 until 1868.

Communities

 * Brodhead
 * Livingston
 * Mount Vernon (county seat)

title: Rockcastle County, Kentucky


text:
Survivor (Palahniuk novel)

Survivor is a satirical novel by Chuck Palahniuk, first published in February 1999. The book tells the story of Tender Branson, a member of the Creedish Church, a death cult. The chapters and pages are numbered backwards in the book, beginning with Chapter 47 on page 289 and ending with page 1 of Chapter 1.

Plot overview
In the book, every member of the Creedish Cult learns how to be a servant for the human race—most of them are butlers and maids—and fear most human pleasures. They await a sign from a higher power to tell them to deliver themselves unto Them; that is, they must commit suicide.

The sign finally comes, and a good ten years later, Tender becomes the last surviving member of the cult. He is thrown into mainstream culture and becomes a personal icon for many people.

Plot summary
The novel opens in medias res to Tender Branson, who has just hijacked an airliner, released its passengers, and is now sitting in the cockpit telling his life story to the cockpit voice recorder. He explains the events leading up to the hijacking.

Tender is a member of the Creedish Church, a cult which engaged in a mass suicide ten years previously. Surviving members of the cult have been steadily killing themselves since the mass suicide, in keeping with their belief that deliverance is at hand. At his dingy apartment, Tender receives telephone calls from people who want to kill themselves—the result of a newspaper misprint which printed his phone number as the number for a crisis hotline. One of these callers is Trevor Hollis, a man who wants to kill himself because of his recurring nightmares about disasters. Tender tells Trevor to kill himself, and soon after, reads his obituary in the paper. One day, Tender visits Trevor's grave and meets his sister, Fertility. Later that night, Tender has a weekly meeting with his caseworker from a government agency that keeps tabs on the survivors of suicide cults.

After their meeting, Fertility calls Tender thinking she has called the crisis hotline. Realizing who she is, Tender talks to her in a fake voice. Eventually, Fertility asks Tender to have phone sex with her, but he hangs up after turning her down. He then stops answering his phone in fear that she will be on the other line, growing more attracted to him as a mysterious voice than as a person. Later, Tender receives a suspicious call from a man he recognizes as a member of the Creedish Church, and soon realizes that the murderer of Creedish survivors is actually Creedish himself. While Tender is on a date with Fertility, a stranger approaches them on a bus and tells them facile jokes about the mass suicide. Tender recognizes the man's pants as Creedish dress and realizes he is Adam, his fraternal twin brother. Tender speaks Adam's name aloud, but when Adam asks if they are brothers, he desperately denies it.

Tender soon learns that he and Adam are the last two survivors of the Creedish Church. He begins receiving phone calls from journalists and publicity agents wanting his story. Tender's caseworker suffocates on a chemical solution of ammonia and chlorine that she was using to clean his fireplace, which had been secretly mixed together by Adam and whose intended target was Tender. Adam steals the dead caseworker's files on the Creedish suicides. The police suspect Tender, but he claims innocence and slips away. Tender, meanwhile, calls an agent and takes a flight to New York City. There he approaches a publicity agent, whose company gives him an extensive makeover in order to turn him into a religious celebrity. Tender agrees to the procedure, as he has no will to live and desires fame only in order to have an enormous audience for when he commits suicide.

As Tender's fame grows, he is constantly waiting for the opportune moment to kill himself. Then, as his popularity starts to wane, his agent tells him that he needs to perform a miracle in order to stay famous. Fertility – who has psychic powers – tracks down Tender and gives him a prediction to make on TV that will seem like a miracle when it comes true. When it does, Tender's fame swells to even greater proportions. This cycle repeats with further predictions. Tender's agent plans an elaborate wedding for him that will take place during the Super Bowl halftime show, at which point he will make another miraculous prediction. However, when the moment comes and the police arrive to arrest him, Tender causes a riot in the stadium by predicting the outcome of the game. Tender escapes with Adam and Fertility to a Ronald McDonald House.

After traveling cross-country, Tender and Adam steal a car that Fertility foretold would be unlocked in a particular parking lot. During their journey north to Canada, Adam recounts how the leaders of the Creedish Church terrorized the children into fearing sex by forcing them to watch every time a woman went into labor. Adam believes the only way to cure Tender is for him to have sex—to reject the Church doctrine at its core. Tender resists, and as Adam recounts the details of the "mental castration", Tender loses control and crashes the car. Tender reluctantly acquiesces to Adam's demand that he disfigure him with a rock, as long as Adam will tell him when to stop, but Adam keeps telling him to swing again until he dies. Immediately afterwards, Fertility shows up in a taxicab and takes Tender away.

Tender and Fertility travel to Oregon, where she plans to go on a quick job assignment as a surrogate mother to make some money; however, Fertility is actually barren, so her job is, in essence, prostitution. The job she takes coincidentally happens to be the employers from Tender's former job as a housekeeper. After dark, Tender sneaks into the house and has sex with Fertility in the guest bedroom. She informs him the next morning that she is pregnant, then leaves to board a plane to Sydney. In her planner that she leaves behind, Tender reads that someone is going to hijack the plane and crash it into the Australian outback. Following Fertility to the airport, Tender finds her, takes a gun belonging to Adam, and uses it to board the plane. He then begins searching for the "real" hijacker until the joke dawns on him and he realizes that he is the hijacker. The plot thus returns to the beginning, with Tender explaining that Fertility told him there was a way for him to escape the plane before it crashes, but on the record, he can't seem to figure it out.

The book ends mid-sentence, but without any definitive answer as to whether Tender lives or dies. However, it has been stated by the author that Tender survives, and an explanation is available on Chuck Palahniuk's official website.

Characters

 * Tender Branson : The protagonist. By the end of the novel, he is the last surviving member of the Creedish Church/cult. At the beginning of the story, he works as a servant for a rich couple. He has been trained by the Creedish to be a menial laborer (i.e. a missionary of the Church), but he is bored with his existence and disillusioned with his faith. As the novel progresses, he becomes a religious celebrity and is credited for ideas and predictions that aren't really his. By the end of the story, he is wrongly believed to be a mass murderer. His story is recounted as an autobiography spoken into the black box of a plane he has hijacked and which is due to crash in just a few hours. Palahniuk has stated that he survives at the end of the novel by recording the last few minutes before the plane goes down and placing the recording beside the black box, all the while parachuting to safety, thus faking his own death.
 * Fertility Hollis : A friend of Tender's. She meets him at her dead brother Trevor's crypt. At first, Fertility says she is repulsed by him, but as the novel progresses the two grow close. "Fertility" is not her real name but a pseudonym she uses for her job, which is acting as a surrogate mother for couples who cannot conceive. Her job is fraudulent in that she is actually sterile and has never managed to carry a child for a client. Fertility has the psychic ability to predict the future; she knows when, where, how, and to whom everything is going to happen, which takes all the fun out of life for her. She strikes up a friendship with Tender and helps him throughout the novel because she believes he is the only person who can surprise her. It is Fertility who leads Tender to hijack the plane. She also tells him that there is a way for him to "survive", but her meaning is ambiguous.
 * The Caseworker : Tender's caseworker from the Suicide Retention Program. Her name is not given because Tender does not want to get her into trouble. She is assigned to him after the Creedish mass suicide, and generally leads a disappointing, unfulfilled life. Over the years, the caseworker diagnoses Tender with innumerable mental disorders from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (abbreviated "DSM"). One day, she helps Tender clean the house of his employers. She becomes obsessed with cleaning to the point that she virtually takes over Tender's job, even though she isn't very good at it. The caseworker eventually dies by inhaling chlorine gas created from an ammonia and bleach mixture made by Tender's brother Adam, who intended the gas for Tender.
 * The Agent : Tender's publicity agent. His name is also not given. The agent is the brains behind Tender's popularity. He comes up with the ideas that Tender is credited for, such as his autobiography, the "Book of Very Common Prayer", and the Tender Branson Sensitive Materials Sanitary Landfill. He is also responsible for Tender's physical transformation, claiming that no one wants to listen to a fat messiah.  He also believes that the key to Tender's success is to get as much publicity as possible.  The agent dies from inhaling the same poisonous gas that killed Tender's caseworker, also attributable to Adam.
 * Adam Branson : Adam is Tender's older twin brother. Because he was the firstborn, Adam got to stay in the Church community in Nebraska and marry, while Tender was among those sent to earn a living for the Church in the outside world. Adam is the person who leaked the community's illegal activities to the police ten years prior to the start of the novel, which was the event that instigated the community's mass suicide. Since then, Adam has been traveling the country, killing surviving members of the Church and masking the murders as suicides in order to motivate further suicides. His motivations are unclear. His goal seems to be to completely eradicate the Creedish beliefs and challenge the Church at its core. He also may see his actions as merciful to the victims of the cult brainwashing. In the course of the novel, he also kills the caseworker and the agent, making Tender the prime suspect in both murders. Adam and Fertility help Tender escape from the police as they come to arrest him, and as the brothers travel north in hiding, they return to the Creedish Church Compound, which is now the Sensitive Materials Sanitary Landfill. As they argue over their memories of the Creedish way of life, Tender crashes the car, which sends a dashboard figurine (of Tender) into Adam's eye. Adam forces Tender to beat him with a rock, thereby killing him.

Abandoned film adaptation
In 1999, 20th Century Fox optioned the novel. Jake Paltrow wrote a screenplay but the project was dropped after the September 11 attacks occurred. The project was in development at production company Thousand Words to be written by Albert Torres and directed by Francis Lawrence. In 2003, Palahniuk said Trent Reznor had asked to do the music for Survivor, adding "if it ever becomes a movie – which I doubt."

Editions

 * ISBN 0-393-04702-4 (hardcover, 1999)
 * ISBN 0-385-49872-1 (paperback, 2000)

title: Survivor (Palahniuk novel)


text:
Robertson County, Kentucky

Robertson County is a county located in the U.S. Commonwealth of Kentucky. As of the 2020 census, the population was 2,193. Its county seat is Mount Olivet. The county is named for George Robertson, a Kentucky Congressman from 1817 to 1821. It is Kentucky's smallest county by both total area and by population.

History
Robertson County was formed on February 11, 1867, from portions of Bracken County, Harrison County, Mason County and Nicholas County. It was named after George Robertson, a judge and member of Congress.

Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 100 sqmi, of which 100 sqmi is land and 0.2 sqmi (0.2%) is water. It is the smallest county by area in Kentucky.

Adjacent counties

 * Bracken County (north)
 * Mason County (northeast)
 * Fleming County (southeast)
 * Nicholas County (south)
 * Harrison County (west)

Demographics
At the 2000 census there were 2,266 people, 866 households, and 621 families in the county, making it the least populated county in the state. The population density was 23 /sqmi. There were 1,034 housing units at an average density of 10 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the county was 98.63% White, 0.04% Black or African American, 0.04% Native American, 0.22% from other races, and 1.06% from two or more races. 0.93% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. Of the 866 households 31.10% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.60% were married couples living together, 9.10% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.20% were non-families. 24.70% of households were one person and 11.10% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.54 and the average family size was 3.00.

The age distribution was 23.80% under the age of 18, 6.70% from 18 to 24, 27.10% from 25 to 44, 25.50% from 45 to 64, and 16.90% 65 or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 94.80 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.50 males.

The median household income was $30,581 and the median family income was $35,521. Males had a median income of $27,656 versus $20,476 for females. The per capita income for the county was $13,404. About 17.50% of families and 22.20% of the population were below the poverty line, including 30.30% of those under age 18 and 24.10% of those age 65 or over.

Cities

 * Mount Olivet (county seat)
 * Sardis (mostly in Mason County)

Unincorporated Communities

 * Kentontown
 * Piqua

title: Robertson County, Kentucky


text:
Pulaski County, Kentucky

Pulaski County is a county in the U.S. Commonwealth of Kentucky. As of the 2020 census, the population was 65,034. Its county seat is Somerset. The county was founded in December 1798 from land given by Lincoln and Green Counties and named for Polish patriot Count Casimir Pulaski. Pulaski County comprises the Somerset, KY Micropolitan Statistical Area. Somerset's population is just over 11,000, but the Micropolitan Area for Somerset/Pulaski County is over 65,000.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 677 sqmi, of which 658 sqmi is land and 19 sqmi (2.8%) is water. It is the third-largest county by area in Kentucky.

Adjacent counties

 * Lincoln County (north)
 * Rockcastle County (northeast)
 * Laurel County (east)
 * McCreary County (southeast)
 * Wayne County (southwest)
 * Russell County (west/CST Border)
 * Casey County (northwest)

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 56,217 people, 22,719 households, and 16,334 families residing in the county. The population density was 85 /sqmi. There were 27,181 housing units at an average density of 41 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the county was 97.48% White, 1.07% Black or African American, 0.22% Native American, 0.37% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.17% from other races, and 0.67% from two or more races. 0.81% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 22,719 households, out of which 31.20% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.50% were married couples living together, 10.10% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.10% were non-families. 24.90% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.80% 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 2.87.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 23.40% under the age of 18, 8.00% from 18 to 24, 28.60% from 25 to 44, 24.90% from 45 to 64, and 15.10% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 95.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.90 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $27,370, and the median income for a family was $32,350. Males had a median income of $27,398 versus $19,236 for females. The per capita income for the county was $15,352. About 14.80% of families and 19.10% of the population were below the poverty line, including 26.90% of those under age 18 and 16.60% of those age 65 or over.

Politics
As is typical of the Unionist bloc of south-central Kentucky comprising the eastern Pennyroyal Plateau and the western part of the Eastern Coalfield, Pulaski County has been deep red Republican ever since the Civil War. The solitary Democrat to carry Pulaski County since that time has been Woodrow Wilson in 1912 and Wilson did so only when the Republican Party was deadlocked between the conservative incumbent Taft and the progressive Theodore Roosevelt Wilson took just 34.68 percent of the county's vote and won Pulaski only by 195 votes over Roosevelt and 249 over Taft.

With the exception of the cities of Burnside and Somerset, Pulaski County is a dry county.

K-12
Three public school districts serve the county:
 * Pulaski County School District
 * The largest of the three districts, it serves the county outside the independent school districts of Somerset and Science Hill, with numerous elementary and middle schools feeding into Pulaski County High School and Southwestern Pulaski County High School.
 * Somerset Independent School District
 * Serves the city of Somerset with an elementary school (Hopkins Elementary), a middle school (Meece Middle) and a high school (Somerset High).
 * Science Hill Independent School District
 * Serves the city of Science Hill, with a single K-8 school. Students graduating from Science Hill can choose to attend either Pulaski County, Southwestern or Somerset High School.

There are also several private schools in the county, including Somerset Christian School.

Colleges and universities
Campbellsville University-Somerset, Noe Education Center is a regional center for Campbellsville University located in Campbellsville, KY. The Somerset Noe Education Center offers a variety of degree and certificate programs. CU-Somerset prides itself on being flexible and affordable for students from across the nation.

Somerset Community College is one of 16 two-year, open-admissions colleges of the Kentucky Community and Technical College System. The college offers academic, general education, and technical curricula leading to certificates, diplomas, and associate degrees. The college's Somerset Campus is located on Monticello Street in Somerset, across the street from the Center for Rural Development.

Transportation
Through Pulaski County run U.S. Highway South 27 from north to south and Highway East and West 80. Through the city limits of Somerset, Highway 27 stems into a three-lane road with u-turn and left turn options at each stoplight. Many food chains, local businesses and commerce centers are strewn along the highway, due to accessibility and consistent traffic throughout the area. Outside the Somerset city limits, the highway becomes a four-lane road until it becomes a two-lane highway through downtown Burnside just south of Somerset.

Intersecting these highways are many junctions and bypasses that have been paved in order to allow quick and easy traffic flow through the county, revolving around the circumscribed Kentucky Route 914 around the outskirts of Somerset, in which transporters can enter through or exit from the city from any direction easily. These series of roads mimic the infrastructure of larger cities such as Interstate 465 in Indianapolis, Indiana and New Circle Road in Lexington, Kentucky. Many of these roads were paved in the 2000s. Despite the grand area of the county, the accessibility from one end to the other is smooth and expedited.

Lake Cumberland Regional Airport is located in Pulaski County, on the southern end of Somerset's US 27 business district. The airport is owned by the city of Somerset and Pulaski County. It also serves the area around Lake Cumberland. It is mostly used for general aviation, and from late 2008 until February 2010, was served by one commercial airline, Locair. Currently, the $3 million federally funded passenger terminal is not in use.

The airport was renamed in 2008; it was formerly known as Somerset-Pulaski County Airport or J.T. Wilson Field.[3]

Cities

 * Burnside
 * Eubank
 * Ferguson
 * Science Hill
 * Somerset (county seat)

Unincorporated places

 * Acorn
 * Alcalde
 * Antioch
 * Bandy
 * Barnesburg
 * Bee Lick
 * Blue John
 * Bronston
 * Burnetta
 * Cains Store
 * Clarence
 * Coin
 * Dabney
 * Delmer
 * Elihu
 * Estesburg
 * Etna
 * Faubush
 * Goochtown
 * Hargis
 * Haynes Knob
 * Ingle
 * Jacksonville
 * Keno
 * King Bee
 * Mangum
 * Meece
 * Mount Victory
 * Nancy
 * Norfleet
 * Norwood
 * Oak Hill
 * Omega
 * Pointer
 * Public
 * Pulaski
 * Ringgold
 * Shafter
 * Shopville
 * Slate Branch
 * Sloans Valley
 * Squib
 * Stab
 * Tateville
 * Valley Oak
 * Welborn
 * White Lilly
 * Woodstock

Notable residents

 * Harriette Simpson Arnow (1908–1986), author of Eastern Kentucky novels and histories. She and her husband Harold Arnow farmed near Burnside in the late 1930s and early 1940s.
 * Silas Adams, (1839–1896), born in Pulaski County, lawyer and member of the United States House of Representatives
 * John Sherman Cooper, (1901–1991), born in Pulaski County. Lawyer, member Kentucky House of Representatives, Pulaski County Judge, United Nations delegate, member United States Senate, U.S. Ambassador to India and Nepal, first U.S. Ambassador to the German Democratic Republic (i.e. East Germany), member Warren Commission.
 * Jack Daws, (1970–), born in Pulaski County. Conceptual artist.
 * Daniel Dutton, (1959–), born in Pulaski County. Contemporary artist, musician, and story teller.
 * Vermont Garrison, (1915–1994), career United States Air Force officer and "triple ace"
 * Jack I. Gregory, (1931–) is a former general in the United States Air Force and the former commander in chief of the Pacific Air Forces.
 * Reggie Hanson, (1968–), former NBA player for the Boston Celtics
 * Free Frank McWorter, (1777–1854), enslaved resident of Pulaski country, managed a saltpeter mine so effectively that he bought freedom for himself and his family, and emigrated to Illinois.
 * Rose Will Monroe, or Rosie the Riveter, (1920–1997) born in Pulaski County and moved to Michigan during World War II, where she helped build B-24s and B-29s for the war effort.
 * Edwin P. Morrow, (1877–1935), Kentucky Governor, 1919–1923.
 * Venus Ramey, (1924–2017), Miss America, 1944
 * Lloyd B. Ramsey, (1918–2016), Major General United States Army, Commander 23rd Infantry Division (United States) (1969–1970), United States Army Provost Marshal General (1970–1974)
 * Hal Rogers, (1937–), U.S. Congressman from Kentucky
 * Brent Woods, (1855–1906), Sergeant, United States Army, Medal of Honor recipient.

title: Pulaski County, Kentucky


text:
Powell County, Kentucky

Powell County is a county located in the U.S. Commonwealth of Kentucky. As of the 2020 census, the population was 13,129. Its county seat is Stanton. The county was formed January 7, 1852, by Kentucky Governor Lazarus W. Powell from parts of Clark, Estill, and Montgomery counties. It is no longer a dry county as of 2018. Powell County is home to Natural Bridge State Resort Park and the Red River Gorge Geologic Area, two of Kentucky's most important natural areas and ecotourism destinations, as well as the Pilot Knob State Nature Preserve.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 180 sqmi, of which 179 sqmi is land and 1.1 sqmi (0.6%) is water.

Adjacent counties

 * Montgomery County (north)
 * Menifee County (northeast)
 * Wolfe County (southeast)
 * Lee County (south)
 * Estill County (southwest)
 * Clark County (northwest)

National protected area

 * Daniel Boone National Forest (part)

Government
The Powell County courthouse is located at 525 Washington St in Stanton.
 * County Judge-Executive: Eddie Barnes
 * County Clerk: Jackie Everman
 * Sheriff: Danny Rogers
 * Coroner: Megan Wells Curtis
 * Jailer: Teddy Lacy
 * County Attorney: Robert King
 * Circuit Clerk: Brian King
 * County Property Valuation Administrator (PVA): Carmen Rogers
 * County Surveyor: Vacant
 * EMS Director: Nathan Hall

2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 13,237 people, 5,044 households, and 3,783 families residing in the county. The population density was 74 /sqmi. There were 5,526 housing units at an average density of 31 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the county was 98.56% White, 0.62% Black or African American, 0.12% Native American, 0.05% Asian, 0.07% from other races, and 0.58% from two or more races. 0.66% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 5,044 households, out of which 36.10% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.20% were married couples living together, 12.40% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.00% were non-families. 21.80% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.30% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.60 and the average family size was 3.02.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 26.60% under the age of 18, 9.50% from 18 to 24, 30.00% from 25 to 44, 23.30% from 45 to 64, and 10.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 99.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.00 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $25,515, and the median income for a family was $30,483. Males had a median income of $26,962 versus $18,810 for females. The per capita income for the county was $13,060. About 18.90% of families and 23.50% of the population were below the poverty line, including 31.00% of those under age 18 and 20.00% of those age 65 or over.

Politics
In recent federal elections, Powell County has been reliably Republican.

Natural Bridge State Resort Park
Powell County is home to Natural Bridge State Resort Park. The park is abundant with Native American relics, shelters, and burial grounds. The main attraction is the bridge itself, a natural arch with more than 15 e6lb of rock in suspension. It is 30 ft wide at the top and 85 ft at the base; one of the more than 70 natural arches located in the area.

Cities

 * Clay City
 * Stanton (county seat)

Unincorporated community

 * Slade

title: Powell County, Kentucky


text:
Pike County, Kentucky

Pike County is a county in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of the 2020 Census, the population was 58,669. Its county seat is Pikeville. The county was founded in 1821. With regard to the sale of alcohol, it is classified as a moist county–– a county in which alcohol sales are prohibited (a dry county), but containing a "wet" city. There are three cities in the county, Pikeville, Elkhorn City, and Coal Run Village, where package alcohol sales are legal.

History
Pike is Kentucky's easternmost county and the commonwealth's largest county by land area. Pike County is the 11th most populous county in Kentucky, immediately preceded by Bullitt County and followed by Christian County. Pike County is Kentucky's third largest banking center, with financial institutions and holding companies with more than $1 billion in assets. In the five years spanning 1995–2000, personal income increased by 28%, and the county's per capita income exceeded the national and state average growth rates of the past decade. Pike County is the seventy-first Kentucky county in order of creation.

Pike County was founded on December 19, 1821, from a portion of Floyd County. The county was named for General Zebulon Pike, the explorer who discovered Pikes Peak, and who became a national hero and namesake after his death in the War of 1812. Between 1860 and 1891 the Hatfield-McCoy feud raged in Pike and in bordering Mingo County, West Virginia. On May 6, 1893, Pikeville officially became a city and the county seat.

Pike County is also home to Paul E. Patton, former governor of Kentucky.

The Appalachian News Express, published in Pikeville, is preserved on microfilm by the University of Kentucky Libraries. The microfilm holdings are listed in a master negative database on the university's Libraries Preservation and Digital Programs website.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 789 sqmi, of which 787 sqmi is land and 1.8 sqmi (0.2%) is water. It is the largest county by area in Kentucky.

The main population areas of the county include the city of Pikeville and surrounding suburbs, Elkhorn City, and the unincorporated town of South Williamson.

Major highways

Pike County has a total of 486.285 miles of classified roads.

Adjacent counties

 * Martin County (north)
 * Mingo County, West Virginia (east)
 * Buchanan County, Virginia (southeast)
 * Dickenson County, Virginia (south)
 * Wise County, Virginia (south)
 * Letcher County (southwest)
 * Knott County (southwest)
 * Floyd County (west)
 * McDowell County, West Virginia (far east) While not bordering the county directly it is only separated by a nearly 2-mile corridor of Buchanan County, Virginia

2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 68,736 people, 27,612 households, and 20,377 families residing in the county. The population density was 87 /sqmi. There were 30,923 housing units at an average density of 39 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the county was 98.35% White, 0.45% Black or African American, 0.11% Native American, 0.41% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.10% from other races, and 0.56% from two or more races. 0.65% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

The largest self-reported ancestry groups in Pike County, Kentucky are:
 * 18.2% "American"
 * 16.1% English
 * 13.1% Irish
 * 6.7% German
 * 2.3% Scots-Irish
 * 1.3% Italian

There were 27,612 households, out of which 33.70% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.80% were married couples living together, 11.40% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.20% were non-families. 24.10% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.80% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 2.90.

The age distribution was 23.70% under the age of 18, 9.20% from 18 to 24, 30.00% 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 95.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.20 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $23,930, and the median income for a family was $29,302. Males had a median income of $32,332 versus $19,229 for females. The per capita income for the county was $14,005. About 20.60% of families and 23.40% of the population were below the poverty line, including 30.20% of those under age 18 and 16.10% of those age 65 or over. The zip codes 41502 (Pikeville), 41503 (South Williamson), and 41527 (Forest Hills) are the wealthiest portions of the county. 41502 is the 50th wealthiest zip code in Kentucky, 41503 is the 61st wealthiest, and 41527 is the 63rd wealthiest. South Williamson and Forest Hills are located on the Northeast side of the county. These three areas combine to 2,129 residents and make up around 3% of the county's population. The average income for these areas are $51,962 (41502), $49,345 (41503), and $48,484 (41527).

Politics
Historically, Pike County was a solidly Republican county in presidential voting from 1896 to 1928 under the Fourth Party System, then a solidly Democratic county in presidential elections from 1932 until 2004. Since 2008, it has shifted back towards the Republican party in presidential voting.

Local politics have been dominated by the Democratic Party throughout its history, while the county has been carried by Republicans in presidential races since 2008, most local offices, including judge-executive, sheriff, and several representatives in the Kentucky House of Representatives remain Democratic – there were no Republicans running in the last races for judge-executive and sheriff. In the 2022 midterm elections Pike County saw a “red wave” in which every incumbent County Commissioner was ousted along with Democratic incumbent County Clerk Rhonda Taylor, Democratic Incumbent County Attorney Kevin Keene, along with Democratic incumbent State Representative Angie Hatton.

Economy

Pike County has vast fossil fuel, (coal and natural gas) reserves. Pike County is one of the nation's leading coal and natural gas producers. In April 2007, Pike County announced the first-in-the-nation comprehensive energy strategy which was developed in partnership with the Southern States Energy Board.

Pike County is the second-largest coal producing county as reported in 2013 next to Union County in the western part of the state. Adding that to the counties of Harlan County, Perry County, and Martin County, Eastern Kentucky produces nearly $3⁄4$ of all coal produced in the entire state. Over 150 million tons are produced annually throughout the state.

The poverty level of counties in the Appalachian region of Kentucky is 24.4% compared to the United States Poverty Level of 12.4%. Of the top eight coal-producing counties in eastern Kentucky, Pike County is the only county that does not have a higher poverty rate than Appalachian Kentucky as a whole.

Coal companies in Pike County

 * Alliance Resource Partners
 * Alpha Natural Resources
 * James River Coal Company
 * Rhino Resource Partners
 * TECO Coal

Economic growth

Over 1,400 businesses exist in Pikeville. From 2005 to 2011, downtown Pikeville experienced major growth. The Eastern Kentucky Exposition Center was constructed in 2005 and seats 7,000. It features numerous events including concerts and shows. The county is also home to the Pikeville Concert Association, which secures events that usually take place at Booth Auditorium on the campus of the University of Pikeville.

The Pikeville Medical Center received a $44 million loan from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development program in 2010 to construct an eleven-story office building and adjacent parking garage in downtown. Construction was completed in 2014.

The University of Pikeville broke ground on a nine-story building (the Coal Building) on Hambley Boulevard in downtown Pikeville in early 2011 to house the University of Pikeville's School of Osteopathic Medicine.

In the summer of 2011, Jenny Wiley Theatre group announced their collaboration with the city of Pikeville to construct a 200-seat indoor professional theater in downtown Pikeville. The theatre opened in May 2014.

Government
The office of Pike County Judge Executive served as a launching pad for the governorship of Paul E. Patton (1995–2003).

On November 8, 2016, Pike County voted to switch from a magisterial form of government to a commissioner form of government. As of 2019, the Pike County Fiscal Court is composed of three county commissioners and the county judge/executive. This effort was a bi-partisan effort led by a citizens' group, Pike Countians Against Government Waste, that garnered signature petitions in 2015–2016 to place the question on the ballot. The voters of the 2016 election supported changing to a commissioner form of government with nearly 12,000 votes in favor, which was nearly 70% of the popular vote. In March 2016, the fiscal court which is composed of six magistrates and a judge-executive voted unanimously to sue the judge-executive (who voted to sue himself) to overturn the results of the ballot question to change the form of government. The fiscal court, composed of magistrates Jeff Anderson, Vernon "Chick" Johnson, Leo Murphy, Hilman Dotson, and Bobby Varney; and, Judge Bill Deskins, was first represented by John Doug Hays, Assistant County Attorney, and then by County Attorney Howard Keith Hall. The citizens' group was represented by State Senator Ray S. Jones, II, who filed a motion to intervene on behalf of the citizens of Pike County. In October 2017, Special Judge Rebecca Phillips of Morgan County dismissed the fiscal court lawsuit in a 23-page decision, which effectively ended the effort to overturn the voters decision. The commissioner form of government replaced the prior magistrate form of government in 2019.

Hospitals

 * Pikeville Medical Center, Pikeville, Kentucky
 * Appalachian Regional Healthcare, South Williamson, Kentucky

Pike County colleges

 * University of Pikeville (UPike), Pikeville, Kentucky
 * Big Sandy Community and Technical College Pikeville Campus
 * Galen College of Nursing Pikeville Campus

Pike County Schools
The Pike County School System consists of 25 high, middle, and elementary schools.

High schools

 * Belfry High School, Belfry, Kentucky
 * East Ridge High School, Lick Creek, Kentucky
 * Phelps High School, Phelps, Kentucky
 * Pike County Central High School, Pikeville, Kentucky
 * Shelby Valley High School, Pikeville, Kentucky

Middle and elementary schools
The following lists of middle and elementary schools is categorized by the high school they feed:
 * Belfry High School System
 * Belfry Middle School
 * Bevins Elementary
 * Belfry Elementary
 * East Ridge High School System
 * Elkhorn City Elementary School
 * Feds Creek Elementary School
 * Millard Elementary School
 * Phelps High School System
 * Phelps Elementary School
 * Pike County Central High School System
 * Johns Creek Elementary School
 * Kimper Elementary School
 * Mullins School
 * Shelby Valley High School System
 * Dorton School
 * Valley Elementary School

Shelby Valley Day Treatment Center, Phelps Day Treatment Center, are all discipline facilities. Northpoint Academy is a high school drop out prevention program that focuses on the individual needs of the student. All students at Northpoint are there on a voluntary basis.

Pikeville Independent Schools

 * High School
 * Pikeville High School, Pikeville
 * Elementary School
 * Pikeville Elementary School

Private schools

 * St. Francis of Assisi Pikeville, Kentucky
 * Christ Central Pikeville, Kentucky

Baseball
Pike County has had several minor league teams based out of Pikeville. In 1982 the Pikeville Brewers were located in the city. They were part of the Appalachian League and affiliated with the Milwaukee Brewers. In 1983 the team changed to become affiliated with the Chicago Cubs, thus changing its name to the Pikeville Cubs. In 2010 Pikeville Independent's baseball team finished in the final four at the KHSAA Baseball State Tournament. In 2012 and in 2013 Pikeville Junior High baseball finished runner up in the Kentucky Middle School State Tournament both years.

Basketball
In 2007, the East Kentucky Miners came to Pike County after the opening of the Eastern Kentucky Exposition Center. The team played in Pikeville from 2007 to 2010. In 2010, the American Basketball Association opened an expansion franchise in Pikeville called the East Kentucky Energy. In 2010 Shelby Valley High School won the KHSAA Men's Basketball State Championship. In 2011, UPike Men's Basketball won the National Championship defeating Mountain State University.

Football
In 2010, the Pike County Crusaders, an Indoor Arena Football team, was announced as coming to the Eastern Kentucky Expo Center, but the initiative soon failed. In 2011, The East Kentucky Drillers, an Indoor Arena Football franchise came to the Eastern Kentucky Expo Center in Pikeville. In 2012, the team changed its name to the Kentucky Drillers.

Cities

 * Coal Run Village
 * Elkhorn City
 * Pikeville (county seat)

Census-designated places

 * Belfry
 * Freeburn
 * McCarr
 * Phelps
 * South Williamson
 * Virgie

Other unincorporated places

 * Ashcamp
 * Beefhide (partial)
 * Belcher
 * Broad Bottom
 * Canada
 * Cedarville
 * Dorton
 * Fedscreek
 * Fords Branch
 * Garden Village
 * Hellier
 * Jonancy
 * Kimper
 * Lick Creek
 * Mouthcard
 * Phyllis
 * Raccoon
 * Shelbiana
 * Sidney
 * Stone
 * Stopover
 * Varney

Notable people

 * Woody Blackburn – professional golfer
 * Stephen Cochran – country music singer and songwriter
 * Robert Damron – professional golfer
 * Patty Loveless, born Ramey – country music singer
 * Paul E. Patton – former Governor of Kentucky
 * Mark Reynolds – professional baseball player
 * Jonny Venters – professional baseball player
 * Warner Wolf – sports journalist
 * Dwight Yoakam – country music singer and songwriter
 * Randolph McCoy- leader involved in the Hatfield McCoy feud
 * Katherine G. Langley - first female member of Congress from Kentucky
 * Mary Elliott Flanery - first female member of KY House of Representative
 * Josh Osborne - country music songwriter
 * Ryan Hall Y’all - Ryan Hall, “The Internet’s Weatherman”
 * Pearl Frances Runyon - former Kentucky State Treasurer

title: Pike County, Kentucky


text:
Perry County, Kentucky

Perry County is a county in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of the 2020 census, the population was 28,473. Its county seat is Hazard. The county was founded in 1820. Both the county and county seat are named for Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry, a naval hero in the War of 1812.

History
The area presently bounded by Kentucky state lines was a part of the U.S. State of Virginia, known as Kentucky County when the British colonies separated themselves in the American Revolutionary War. In 1780, Kentucky County was divided into three counties: Fayette, Jefferson, and Lincoln. In 1791, this area was separated into the State of Kentucky; it became effective on June 1, 1792. From that time, the original three counties were divided several times. By 1820, the present Perry County was formed from portions of Floyd and Clay counties. In 1824 the first post office was built on the north fork of the Kentucky River, and was called the Perry Post Office. The first settlers around this area were Elijah Combs, his seven brothers and daughter Jade miller.

The county's economy has long been based on logging and mining coal.

Perry County is home to Hazard Community and Technical College. It is also home to the Hazard ARH Regional Medical Center, a not-for-profit health system operating 10 hospitals, multi-specialty physician practices, home health agencies, HomeCare Stores and retail pharmacies. It is the largest provider of care and single largest employer in southeastern Kentucky and the third largest private employer in southern West Virginia.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 343 sqmi, of which 340 sqmi is land and 2.9 sqmi (0.9%) is water.

Adjacent counties

 * Breathitt County (north)
 * Knott County (northeast)
 * Letcher County (southeast)
 * Harlan County (south)
 * Leslie County (west)
 * Clay County (northwest)
 * Owsley County (northwest)

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 29,390 people, 11,460 households, and 8,491 families residing in the county. The population density was 86 /sqmi. There were 12,741 housing units at an average density of 37 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the county was 97.34% White, 1.64% Black or African American, 0.05% Native American, 0.49% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.04% from other races, and 0.43% from two or more races. 0.52% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 11,460 households, out of which 34.20% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.70% were married couples living together, 13.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.90% were non-families. 23.30% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.30% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 2.98.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 24.40% under the age of 18, 9.10% from 18 to 24, 30.70% from 25 to 44, 24.60% from 45 to 64, and 11.20% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 94.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.30 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $22,089, and the median income for a family was $26,718. Males had a median income of $31,702 versus $20,502 for females. The per capita income for the county was $12,224. About 26.10% of families and 29.10% of the population were below the poverty line, including 36.00% of those under age 18 and 20.60% of those age 65 or over.

Life expectancy
Of 3,142 counties in the United States in 2013, Perry County ranked 3,140 in the life expectancy of both male and female residents. Males in Perry County lived an average of 66.5 years and females lived an average of 73.1 years compared to the national average for longevity of 76.5 for males and 81.2 for females. Moreover, the average longevity in Perry County declined by 0.1 years for males and 2.4 years for females between 1985 and 2013 compared to a national average for the same period of an increased life span of 5.5 years for men and 3.1 years for women. High rates of smoking and obesity and a low level of physical activity appear to be contributing factors to the lowered longevity for both sexes.

Public
The county has two school districts:

Perry County Schools
This district covers the entire county except for the city of Hazard.

 * Buckhorn Elementary School
 * Buckhorn High School
 * East Perry Elementary School
 * Perry County Central High School
 * Robinson Elementary School
 * R.W. Combs Elementary School
 * West Perry Elementary School
 * Viper Elementary School
 * West Perry Elementary School
 * Viper Elementary School

Hazard Independent Schools
This district essentially encompasses the city of Hazard. See this link for a more accurate map of the Hazard district boundary.
 * Hazard High School
 * Hazard Middle School
 * Roy G. Eversole Elementary School

Private

 * Hazard Christian Academy
 * Camden Baker Memorial Schools

Coal companies in Perry County

 * Arch Coal
 * James River Coal Company
 * TECO Coal

Television

 * WYMT-TV
 * WKHA-TV, a satellite station of Kentucky Educational Television

Radio

 * WSGS
 * WKIC
 * WJMD
 * WEKH, a satellite station of WEKU
 * WQXY
 * WLZD-LP

Newspapers

 * Hazard Herald

Transportation
Public transportation is provided by LKLP Community Action Partnership with demand-response service and scheduled service in Hazard, and connecting to Hindman, Hyden, and Whitesburg.

Cities

 * Buckhorn
 * Hazard (county seat)
 * Vicco (part)

Census-designated places

 * Combs
 * Diablock
 * Jeff

Other unincorporated places

 * Allais
 * Allock
 * Ary
 * Avawam
 * Beehive
 * Blue Diamond
 * Boat
 * Bonnyman
 * Bulan
 * Busy
 * Butterfly
 * Chavies
 * Christopher
 * Clemons
 * Combs
 * Cornettsville
 * Curly Fork
 * Daisy
 * Darfork
 * Defiance
 * Delphia
 * Dice
 * Doorway
 * Dow
 * Dunraven
 * Dwarf
 * Eversole
 * Farler
 * Fourseam
 * Fusonia
 * Gays Creek
 * Glomawr
 * Grigsby
 * Happy
 * Happy Valley
 * Hardburly
 * Harveyton
 * Hilton
 * Hiner
 * Hurricane
 * Johnson
 * Jones
 * Kodak
 * Krypton
 * Lamont
 * Leatherwood
 * Lead Branch
 * Lothair
 * Middle Fork
 * Miller
 * Mudlick
 * Napfor
 * Olivers
 * Otter Creek
 * Red Hill
 * Rock Fork
 * Saul
 * Scuddy
 * Sixteen
 * Slemp
 * Stacy
 * Tenmile
 * Tilford
 * Tribbey
 * Typo
 * Upper Pidgeonroost
 * Viper
 * Wentz
 * Whitaker
 * Whitsett
 * Woodland Park
 * Yerkes

Ghost Towns

 * Upper Squabble

Notable residents

 * Shelby Lee Adams - American photographer
 * Jean Ritchie - Folk singer

title: Perry County, Kentucky


text:
Pendleton County, Kentucky

Pendleton County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of the 2020 census, the population was 14,644. Its county seat is Falmouth. The county was founded December 13, 1798. Pendleton County is included in the Cincinnati-Middletown, OH-KY-IN Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History
Pendleton County was created from parts of Campbell and Bracken counties in 1798. The county was named after Edmund Pendleton, a longtime member of the Virginia House of Burgesses, the Continental Congress and chief justice of Virginia.

Falmouth, the future county seat, began as a settlement called Forks of Licking, c. 1776.

Falmouth was chartered in 1793. Its name originated from the Virginians who settled there from Falmouth, Virginia. It was also in 1793 that one of the first sawmills in Kentucky was built in Falmouth. Falmouth was designated the county seat in 1799. The county courthouse was erected in 1848.

During the American Civil War, the county sent men to both armies. A Union Army recruiting camp was established in Falmouth in September 1861. Two Confederate recruiters were captured and executed by the Union Army in the Peach Grove area of northern Pendleton County. In July 1862, a number of county citizens were rounded up by Union troops during a crackdown against suspected Confederate sympathizers. In June 1863, a number of women were arrested at Demossville because they were believed to be potential spies dangerous to the Federal government. Falmouth was the site of a small skirmish on September 18, 1862, between twenty-eight Confederates and eleven Home Guardsmen.

The city of Butler was established c. 1852 when the Kentucky Central Railroad was built through the area. The city was named for William O. Butler, U.S. congressman from the area, when it was incorporated on February 1, 1868.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 282 sqmi, of which 277 sqmi is land and 4.8 sqmi (1.7%) is water. The county's northeastern border with Ohio is formed by the Ohio River.

Adjacent counties

 * Kenton County (northwest)
 * Campbell County (north)
 * Clermont County, Ohio (northeast)
 * Bracken County (east)
 * Harrison County (south)
 * Grant County (west)

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 14,390 people, 5,170 households, and 3,970 families residing in the county. The population density was 51 /sqmi. There were 5,756 housing units at an average density of 20 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the county was 98.39% White, 0.49% Black or African American, 0.19% Native American, 0.11% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.35% from other races, and 0.44% from two or more races. 0.67% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 5,170 households, out of which 39.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.80% were married couples living together, 9.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.20% were non-families. 20.10% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.30% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.75 and the average family size was 3.14.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 28.40% under the age of 18, 8.50% from 18 to 24, 31.20% from 25 to 44, 21.50% from 45 to 64, and 10.40% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 100.30 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.90 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $38,125, and the median income for a family was $42,589. Males had a median income of $31,885 versus $23,234 for females. The per capita income for the county was $16,551. About 9.80% of families and 11.40% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.80% of those under age 18 and 11.60% of those age 65 or over.

Education
Pendleton County High School, just north of Falmouth, is the public high school. It currently is home to fewer than 1,000 students. The mascot for PCHS is the Wildcat, and the school colors are red, black and white. The school features two gyms and a 450-seat auditorium.

Other schools in the county are Sharp Middle School, named for Phillip Allen Sharp, American geneticist and molecular biologist and winner of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (1993) and National Medal of Science (2004), located between Falmouth and Butler, Northern Elementary in Butler, and Southern Elementary in Falmouth.

Library
Pendleton County Public Library is located at 801 Robbins Avenue, Falmouth. The library provides public access computers with high speed internet and free wifi. The library also offers copying, a fax service, and a public meeting room that can be reserved.

Culture
Pendleton County is home to The Kentucky Wool Festival, Griffin Center Amphitheater, and Kincaid Regional Theatre.

 * Phillip Allen Sharp, who earned the Nobel Prize for work that fundamentally changed scientists' understanding of the structure of genes, is a native of Falmouth.
 * J. M. Lelen was pastor of St. Francis Xavier Roman Catholic Church in Falmouth for many years in the first half of the 20th century.
 * Beth Broderick, actress on Sabrina, the Teenage Witch was born in Falmouth.
 * Nate Jones, was drafted in the 5th round, 179th overall, by the Chicago White Sox in the 2007 MLB Draft. He also played for the Cincinnati Reds, the Atlanta Braves, and the Los Angeles Dodgers before retiring.
 * Samuel Thomas Hauser, born in Falmouth, was the first resident to become territorial governor of Montana and the seventh territorial governor to that date
 * John Merritt coached at Jackson State University from 1953 to 1962 and then at Tennessee State from 1962 through the remainder of his coaching career.

Cities

 * Butler
 * Falmouth (county seat)

Unincorporated community

 * DeMossville

title: Pendleton County, Kentucky