Louisa, Kentucky

City of Louisa, Kentucky
City
Main Street
Nickname:  "Gem of the Big Sandy"
Location of Louisa, Kentucky
Country	United States
State	Kentucky
County	Lawrence
Established	December 11, 1822
Incorporated	1869
Government
• Type	Mayor-Council
• Mayor	Harold Slone
Area
• Total	1.4 sq mi (3.6 km2)
• Land	1.3 sq mi (3.5 km2)
• Water	0.0 sq mi (0.1 km2)
Elevation	584 ft (178 m)
Population  (2010)
• Total	2,467
• Density	1,762.1/sq mi (685.3/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP codes	41201, 41230
Area code	606
FIPS code	21-47854
GNIS feature ID	0497204
Website	City of Louisa

Louisa is a home rule-class city located at the merger of the Levisa and Tug Forks into the Big Sandy River. It is located in Lawrence County, Kentucky, in the United States and is the seat of its county. The population was 2,467 at the 2010 census.

History

The origin of the city's name is unclear. Theories include that it was named for Louisa County, Virginia, or a corruption of the name of the Levisa or that it was named after Louisa Swetnam, one of the first white children born in the area. The Levisa Fork was originally written and spoken as the "Louisa Fork" which is the likely origin of the name. It is also possible that the town name was connected to the Spanish Era in Kentucky. Spain made land grants in what is now Kentucky. Explorer Dr. Thomas Walker named the river after a family member. Others claim that the Levisa Fork is named for Levite connections to the Cherokee and other Indian Tribes prior to later European contact. An 1856 map still shows the river under the name "Louisa." Virginia and Carolina and other English colonial linked settlement attempts began as early as 1790 but did not take hold until 1818. Louisa became the county seat in 1822 and a city in 1823.

During the Civil War, Union troops under future president James A. Garfield occupied the city from December 1861 until the end of the war, despite several Confederate takeover attempts. The Confederate Army of East Kentucky merged with Virginia and Tennessee Confederate units. Kentucky had a star on the Confederate Battle Flag, and Jefferson Davis was born in Kentucky, and graduated from a Kentucky college.

General view of the needle dam and lock as originally built in 1896 at Louisa

The Chattaroi Railroad (now a part of CSX) connected to Louisa in 1881. The city is also served by US 23. The first needle dam constructed in the United States was completed just north of town in 1896.

The city was home to Fred M. Vinson, the 13th Chief Justice of the United States, and to the York Brothers, a popular country music act of the 1940s and 1950s.

Geography

Louisa is located at 38°6′43″N 82°36′21″W (38.112054, -82.605796).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 1.4 square miles (3.6 km²), of which 1.4 square miles (3.5 km²) is land and 0.04 square mile (0.1 km²) (2.17%) is water.

Climate

The climate in this area is characterized by relatively high temperatures and evenly distributed precipitation throughout the year. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Louisa has a Humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.

Point of interest

The bridge from Louisa, in eastern Lawrence County, to Fort Gay, West Virginia is something of a geographic and architectural oddity. The quarter-mile concrete span spans two forks of the Big Sandy River, connects two states and has a right turn at its halfway point, which connects traffic to the Point Section neighborhood of Louisa.

Culture

Every second weekend in September, Louisa hosts the regional Septemberfest that features several local and national acts performing for three days, as well as the huge arts and crafts section on the northwestern side of town and the many food vendors featuring Southeastern cuisine.

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1830	87		—
1860	258		—
1870	425		64.7%
1880	496		16.7%
1890	834		68.1%
1900	1,099		31.8%
1910	1,356		23.4%
1920	2,011		48.3%
1930	1,931		−4.0%
1940	2,023		4.8%
1950	2,015		−0.4%
1960	2,071		2.8%
1970	1,781		−14.0%
1980	1,832		2.9%
1990	1,990		8.6%
2000	2,018		1.4%
2010	2,467		22.2%
2015 (est.)	2,455		−0.5%
U.S. Decennial Census

As of the census of 2000, there were 2,018 people, 927 households, and 548 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,496.2 people per square mile (577.2/km²). There were 1,065 housing units at an average density of 789.6 per square mile (304.6/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 98.61% White, 0.50% African American, 0.05% Native American, 0.10% Asian, 0.05% from other races, and 0.69% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.20% of the population.

There were 927 households out of which 26.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.3% were married couples living together, 15.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.8% were non-families. 38.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 18.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.16 and the average family size was 2.84.

In the city the population was spread out with 22.1% under the age of 18, 10.0% from 18 to 24, 25.9% from 25 to 44, 23.9% from 45 to 64, and 18.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 79.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 74.1 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $16,690, and the median income for a family was $24,474. Males had a median income of $30,000 versus $21,250 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,746. About 27.5% of families and 32.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 46.9% of those under age 18 and 17.4% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Secondary schools

• Lawrence County High School

Primary schools

• Louisa East Elementary School
• West Louisa Elementary School
• Louisa Middle School
• Trinity Christian Academy

External links

• Lawrence County Schools
• City of Louisa