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Knox County, Kentucky

Coordinates: 36°53′N 83°51′W / 36.89°N 83.85°W / 36.89; -83.85
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Knox County
County
Knox County courthouse in Barbourville, Kentucky
Knox County courthouse in Barbourville, Kentucky
Map of Kentucky highlighting Knox County
Location within the U.S. state of Kentucky
Map of the United States highlighting Kentucky
Kentucky's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 36°53′26″N 83°51′15″W / 36.89067°N 83.85404°W / 36.89067; -83.85404
Country United States
State Kentucky
Founded1800
Named forHenry Knox, United States Secretary of War (1785–1794).
SeatBarbourville
Area
 • Total387.71 sq mi (1,004.2 km2)
 • Land387.66 sq mi (1,004.0 km2)
 • Water0.04 sq mi (0.1 km2)  0.01%
Population
 (2000)
 • Total31,795
 • Density82/sq mi (32/km2)
Time zoneUTC−5 (Eastern)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−4 (EDT)
Websitewww.knoxcountyky.com

Knox County is a county located near the southeastern corner of the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of 2000, the population was 31,795. Its county seat is BarbourvilleTemplate:GR. The county is named for General Henry Knox. It is a prohibition or dry county, with the limited exception recently of restaurants that seat at least 100, derive at least 70% of total sales from food, and are located in the portion of the city of Corbin that lies within Knox County. It is one of the few coal-producing counties in Kentucky not to experience massive population loss.

Geography

According to the 2000 census, the county has a total area of 387.71 square miles (1,004.2 km2), of which 387.66 square miles (1,004.0 km2) (or 99.99%) is land and 0.04 square miles (0.10 km2) (or 0.01%) is water.[1]

Adjacent counties

History

Knox County was formed on December 19, 1799 from portions of Lincoln County. It was named for Henry Knox, a general and United States Secretary of War. The Civil War Battle of Barbourville was fought on September 19, 1861 between 800 Confederate soldiers from General Felix Zollicoffer's command and 300 Union troops who attempted to defend the Union's Camp Dick Robinson. The Union men tore up the planks on the bridge in an attempt to keep the Confederates from crossing, but the more numerous Confderates succeeded anyway. They destroyed the camp and seized the arms and equipment it contained.

The original borders of Knox County included all or part of other counties in the southeastern portion of the state. See the references below, including the Decker manuscript.

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
18105,875—
18203,661−37.7%
18304,31517.9%
18405,72232.6%
18507,05023.2%
18607,7079.3%
18708,2947.6%
188010,58727.6%
189013,76230.0%
190017,37226.2%
191022,11627.3%
192024,1729.3%
193026,2668.7%
194031,02918.1%
195030,409−2.0%
196025,258−16.9%
197023,689−6.2%
198030,23927.6%
199029,676−1.9%
200031,7957.1%
2007 (est.)32,528
http://ukcc.uky.edu/~census/21121.txt

As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 31,795 people, 12,416 households, and 8,939 families residing in the county. The population density was 82 per square mile (32/km2). There were 13,999 housing units at an average density of 36 per square mile (14/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 97.84% White, 0.82% Black or African American, 0.25% Native American, 0.17% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.08% from other races, and 0.82% from two or more races. 0.57% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 12,416 households out of which 34.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.30% were married couples living together, 13.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.00% were non-families. 25.70% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 3.01.

In the county the population was spread out with 26.20% under the age of 18, 9.70% from 18 to 24, 28.10% from 25 to 44, 23.20% from 45 to 64, and 12.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 92.90 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.70 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $18,294, and the median income for a family was $23,136. Males had a median income of $24,833 versus $18,390 for females. The per capita income for the county was $10,660. About 29.60% of families and 34.80% of the population were below the poverty line, including 42.40% of those under age 18 and 28.90% of those age 65 or over.

Cities and towns

Education

K-12

Three public school districts serve the county:

Knox County Public Schools

Serves the entire county, including the cities of Barbourville and Corbin.

  • The following are schools are funded by the Knox County Public School District (grades served in parentheses):
    • Central Elementary (PS-6)
    • Dewitt Elementary (PS-6)
    • Flat Lick Elementary (PS-6)
    • Girdler Elementary (PS-6)
    • G.R. Hampton Elementary (PS-6)
    • Jesse D. Lay Elementary (PS-6)
    • Lynn Camp Elementary (PS-6)
    • Knox County Middle School (7-8)
    • Lynn Camp High School (7-12)
    • Knox Appalachian School (5-12)
    • Knox Central High School (9-12)
    • Knox County Learning Academy (9-12)

Barbourville Independent School District

Serves the city of Barbourville at a single campus with elementary and high school sections (PS-12).

Corbin Independent School District

Serves the entire city of Corbin, making it one of the few districts in Kentucky whose boundaries cross county lines.

  • The following are schools are funded by the Corbin Independent School School District (grades served in parentheses):
    • Corbin Primary School (K-2)
    • Corbin Elementary (3-4)
    • Corbin Intermediate (5-6)
    • Corbin Middle School (7-8)
    • Corbin High School (9-12)

Higher education

Union College, a small Methodist-affiliated liberal arts college, is located in Barbourville.

See also

References

  1. ^ "Census 2000 U.S. Gazetteer Files: Counties". United States Census. Retrieved 2011-02-13.
  • The Kentucky Highlands Project
  • Bradley, Erwin S., Union College: A History, 1889-1954, Written in Commemoration of the Seventy-Fifth Anniversary of Its Founding (Barbourville, KY: Union College, 1954). Available online at: thhttp://www.archive.org/details/unioncollege18791954brad
  • Decker, Elmer, “Knox County Kentucky History,” manuscript by a local attorney during the 1930s and 1940s, containing much in the way of raw historical facts as well as documents, available online on the Bell County [KY] Public Libraries website www.bellcountypubliclibraries.org/crm/ky/knox/decker.html
  • Fetterman, John, Stinking Creek: The Portrait of a Small Mountain Community in Appalachia (E. P. Dutton, 1967; reprint, Plume, 1970). Also available online on the Bell County [KY] Public Libraries website. See: http://www.bellcountypubliclibraries.org/crm/ky/knox/Doc1.html
  • Marigold, W. Gordon and Erwin S. Bradley, Union College, 1879-1979 (Barbourville, KY: Union College, 1979.
  • Mills, Michael C., Barbourville and Knox County. Arcadia Publishing (August 2, 2000). Also available online at: http://www.arcadiapublishing.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=VPROD&Product_Code=9780738505855
  • Mitchell, Charles Reed, ed., History and Families, Knox County, Kentucky, 1799-1994. With a History of Knox County, Kentucky by William Sherman Oxendine, Charles Reed Mitchell, and Ron Rosenstiel (Paducah, KY: Turner Pub. Co., 1994).
  • Warren, King Solomon, History of Knox County, Kentucky (Barbourville, KY: Daniel Boone Festival, 1976).


36°53′N 83°51′W / 36.89°N 83.85°W / 36.89; -83.85

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