Garrard County, Kentucky

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Garrard County, Kentucky
Garrard County Kentucky Courthouse.jpg
Garrard County courthouse in Lancaster, Kentucky
Map of Kentucky highlighting Garrard County
Location in the state of Kentucky
Map of the U.S. highlighting Kentucky
Kentucky's location in the U.S.
Founded 1797
Named for James Garrard, Governor of Kentucky (1796–1804).
Seat Lancaster
Area
 - Total
 - Land
 - Water

233.88 sq mi (606 km²)
231.21 sq mi (599 km²)
2.67 sq mi (7 km²), 1.14%
Population
 - (2010)
 - Density

16,912
64/sq mi (25/km²)
Time zone Eastern: UTC-5/-4
Website www.garrardcounty.ky.gov
Footnotes: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l9TIEGvz164

Garrard County (pron.: /ˈɡærɪd/ GAIR-id;) is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. It was formed in 1797 and was named for James Garrard, Governor of Kentucky from 1796 to 1804. Its county seat is Lancaster.[1] The population was 16,912 in the 2010 Census. It is a prohibition or dry county but Lancaster is wet.

Contents

Geography [edit]

According to the 2000 census, the county has a total area of 233.88 square miles (605.7 km2), of which 231.21 square miles (598.8 km2) (or 98.86%) is land and 2.67 square miles (6.9 km2) (or 1.14%) is water.[2]

Adjacent counties [edit]

History [edit]

Garrard County was formed in 1797 from parts of Lincoln County, Madison County and Mercer County.[3] Harriet Beecher Stowe, author of Uncle Tom's Cabin, visited the Kennedy home in Garrard County in ger only visit to the South while gathering material for the book. The cabin of the inspiration for Uncle Tom stood behind the plantation house.[4] County officials hope to recreate the slave cabin on the grounds of the Governor William Owsley House.[5]

Law and Government [edit]

In the United States Senate, Garrard County is represented by US Senator Mitch McConnell and US Senator Rand Paul. Garrard County is in the 6th Congressional District, represented by US Rep. Andy Barr; in the 22nd State Senatorial District represented by State Senator Tom Buford and in the 36th State Legislative District represented by State Representative Jonathan Shell.

Garrard County is governed by the Garrard County Fiscal Court, composed of the [County Judge Executive], who is elected county wide, and five Magistrates who are elected in magisterial districts representing different geographic areas of the county. Each member of the Fiscal Court is elected to a four-year term, pursuant to the Kentucky Constitution.

  • Judge Executive Hon. John Wilson(R)
  • Deputy Judge Executive Hon. James Bushnell(R)
  • County Magistrates:
    • Magistrate Dist. 1 Joe Leavell(R)
    • Magistrate Dist. 2 Doan Adkison(R)
    • Magistrate Dist. 3 Ronald Lane(R)
    • Magistrate Dist. 4 Fred Simpson(R)
    • Magistrate Dist. 5 Betty Von Gruenigen(R)
  • County Clerk Stacy May(R)
  • Sheriff Ronald Wardrip(R)
  • Circuit Clerk Dana Hensley(R)
  • PVA Kay Hall(R)
  • Jailer Kevin Middleton(R)
  • Coroner Daryl Hodge(R)[6]
  • Constable Dist. 2 Daniel Napier (R)

Notable residents [edit]

  • Simeon H. Anderson (1802–1840) was a United States Representative from Kentucky.
  • John Boyle (1774–1834) was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives and Chief Justice of Kentucky Court of Appeals. Boyle County was named for him.
  • William O. Bradley (1847–1914) was an American politician and the thirty-second Governor of Kentucky, and later served as a U.S. senator from Kentucky.
  • Kenny Davis (1949-) American basketball player.
  • Bradley Kincaid (1895–1989) "The Kentucky Mountain Boy," was radio's pioneer singer of folk songs and ballads in the 1920s-40s.
  • Robert P. Letcher(1788–1861) was an American politician who served as a U.S. Representative, diplomat and governor of Kentucky.
  • Eddie Montgomery (1963 - ) is a member of American country music duo Montgomery Gentry and brother of John Micheal Montgomery was raised in Garrard County.
  • John Michael Montgomery (1965- ) is an American country music artist raised in Garrard County
  • Carrie Nation (1846–1911) was a member of the temperance movement—which opposed alcohol in pre-Prohibition America.
  • Jody Payne Guitarist who played with American country music star Willie Nelson for 34 years and retired in 2008.[7]
  • Cicero Price (1805-1888) was a United States Navy commodore who fought in the American Civil War and was commander of the East India Squadron.
  • William Owsley (1782–1862) was an American politician and jurist who became the sixteenth Governor of Kentucky.
  • Eugenia Dunlap Potts (1840–1912) Local Authoress. The first of her nine works was "Song of Lancaster," a metrical history in style of Longfellow's "Hiawatha." [8]
  • Henry Smith (1788–1851) was known as the first provisional governor of the Republic of Texas.

Popular culture [edit]

  • John Micheal Montgomery's 1995 hit "Sold (The Grundy County Auction Incident)" was filmed at the Garrard County Stockyards.[9]
  • Portions of John Micheal Montgomery's 1997 hit "I miss you a little" were filmed in Garrard County.[10]
  • Portions of the 1957 movie "Raintree County" were filmed in Garrard County.
  • In 2009, Garrard Economic Development Director Nathan Mick and local filmmaker Parker Young produced a short video titled: "It's Garrard County" a community effort to introduce the county to the world using new media.

Demographics [edit]

Historical populations
Census Pop.
1800 6,186
1810 9,186 48.5%
1820 10,851 18.1%
1830 11,871 9.4%
1840 10,480 −11.7%
1850 10,237 −2.3%
1860 10,531 2.9%
1870 10,376 −1.5%
1880 11,704 12.8%
1890 11,138 −4.8%
1900 12,042 8.1%
1910 11,894 −1.2%
1920 12,503 5.1%
1930 11,562 −7.5%
1940 11,910 3.0%
1950 11,029 −7.4%
1960 9,747 −11.6%
1970 9,457 −3.0%
1980 10,853 14.8%
1990 11,579 6.7%
2000 14,792 27.7%
2010 16,912 14.3%
http://ukcc.uky.edu/~census/21079.txt

As of the census[11] of 2000, there were 14,792 people, 5,741 households, and 4,334 families residing in the county. The population density was 64 per square mile (25 /km2). There were 6,414 housing units at an average density of 28 per square mile (11 /km2). The racial makeup of the county was 95.75% White, 3.06% Black or African American, 0.13% Native American, 0.04% Asian, 0.43% from other races, and 0.59% from two or more races. 1.32% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 5,741 households out of which 33.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.60% were married couples living together, 9.40% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.50% were non-families. 21.10% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 2.95.

By age, 24.40% of the population was under 18, 8.10% from 18 to 24, 30.90% from 25 to 44, 23.60% from 45 to 64, and 13.00% were 65 or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 96.80 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.00 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $34,284, and the median income for a family was $41,250. Males had a median income of $30,989 versus $21,856 for females. The per capita income for the county was $16,915. About 11.60% of families and 14.70% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.10% of those under age 18 and 17.00% of those age 65 or over.

Cities and towns [edit]

See also [edit]

References [edit]

  1. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved 2011-06-07. 
  2. ^ "Census 2000 U.S. Gazetteer Files: Counties". United States Census. Retrieved 2011-02-13. 
  3. ^ Rennick, Robert M. (1987). "Kentucky Place Names". University Press of Kentucky. p. 114. Retrieved 2013-04-28. 
  4. ^ "Highway Marker: Birthplace of Carry A. Nation". Kentucky Historical Society. Retrieved 2009-05-07. 
  5. ^ Cox, Charlie (2008-05-29). "Garrard proceeds with Uncle Tom's Cabin". The Advocate Messenger. Retrieved 2009-10-07. 
  6. ^ http://garrardcounty.ky.gov/elected/
  7. ^ http://www.courier-journal.com/article/20110322/SCENE04/303220032/1031/SPORTS05/Mickey-Raphael-loves-being-part-Willie-Nelson-s-Family?odyssey=nav%7Chead
  8. ^ "Garrard County Kentucky : Roadside Historical Markers". Kentucky Highlands. 2009-03-10. Retrieved 2009-05-07. 
  9. ^ Stephenson, David (2007-06-13). "Garrard Stockyards Prepares to Close". Lexington Herald Leader. Retrieved 2009-10-07. 
  10. ^ "Barbara Montgomery v John Michael Montgomery, Atlantic Records Corporation, and Maureen Ryan". Supreme Court of Kentucky. 2001-11-21. Retrieved 2009-10-07. 
  11. ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31. 

External links [edit]

Coordinates: 37°39′N 84°32′W / 37.65°N 84.54°W / 37.65; -84.54