Russellville, Kentucky
Russellville | |
|---|---|
 Logan County courthouse in Russellville, Kentucky | |
 Location in the state of Kentucky | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Kentucky |
| County | Logan |
| Established | 1810[1] |
| Incorporated | 1840[1] |
| Named for | a local landowner |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Mark Stratton |
| Area | |
| • Total | 10.6 sq mi (27.6 km2) |
| • Land | 10.6 sq mi (27.5 km2) |
| • Water | 0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2) |
| Elevation | 594 ft (181 m) |
| Population (2010) | |
| • Total | 6,947 |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (CST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP Code | 42276 |
| Area code(s) | 270 & 364 |
| FIPS code | 21-67512 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0502534 |
| Website | www |
Russellville is a 4th-class city in Logan County, Kentucky, in the United States. It is the seat of its county.Template:GR The population was 6,947 at the time of the 2010 U.S. Census.
History
Local historian Alex Finley claimed the area was first settled by Gasper Butcher c. 1780, but others have questioned this.[2] Although the area is known to have been called Big Boiling Spring, Gasper Butcher's Spring, and Butcher's Station, W.R. Jillson was unable to find written records of habitation before William Cook and his wife erected Cook's Cabin with eighteen-year-old William Stewart in 1790.[2][3] Also known as Cook's Station, the community – located about 1 mile (1.6 km) east of the present city[2] – became Logan Court House when it was chosen to be the seat of the newly formed Logan County in 1792. Logan Court House moved west to its present location when it was laid off in 1795 on part of Gen. William Russell's 2,000-acre (810 ha) grant for his military service during the American Revolution. The town was renamed in his honor in 1798[2] and formally established by the state legislature on January 15, 1810.[1] It was incorporated as a city on February 19, 1840.[1]
In the early 19th century, the community was politically prominent and four homes in the city still stand which housed future governors of Kentucky: John Breathitt, James Morehead, John J. Crittenden, and Charles S. Morehead.[3]
During the Civil War, the Kentucky General Assembly declared its neutrality and declined to secede with the rest of the South, despite being a slave state. In 1862, 116 sympathizers of the rebellion from 43 counties met as the Russellville Convention and created a separate Confederate government for Kentucky.[3] George W. Johnson was elected as the state's governor. Despite de facto Union control over Kentucky, this shadow government was recognized and admitted by the Confederacy, the source of the thirteenth star on the Confederate flag.
After the war, Kentucky struggled with insurrections. A gang made up of the former Confederate guerrillas Cole Younger, George Shepard, and Oliver Shepard, along with Confederate veterans John Jarrett and Arthur McCoy, robbed the Nimrod Long Bank[3] or the Southern Deposit Bank[citation needed] in Russellville on March 20, 1868. The brothers Frank and Jesse James, who later led their own gang, may have participated in peripheral roles. Today a Russellville bank on the city square has a large mural depicting the robbery. A reenactment of the robbery (called a "play on horseback") is performed annually during the city's Tobacco and Heritage Festival.
Several downtown homes have been listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Geography
Russellville is located at 36°50′33″N 86°53′34″W / 36.84250°N 86.89278°W (36.842601, -86.892661).Template:GR
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 10.6 square miles (27 km2), all land.
Demographics
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1850 | 1,272 | — | |
| 1860 | 1,089 | −14.4% | |
| 1870 | 1,843 | 69.2% | |
| 1880 | 2,058 | 11.7% | |
| 1890 | 2,258 | 9.7% | |
| 1900 | 2,591 | 14.7% | |
| 1910 | 3,111 | 20.1% | |
| 1920 | 3,124 | 0.4% | |
| 1930 | 3,297 | 5.5% | |
| 1940 | 3,983 | 20.8% | |
| 1950 | 4,529 | 13.7% | |
| 1960 | 5,861 | 29.4% | |
| 1970 | 6,456 | 10.2% | |
| 1980 | 7,520 | 16.5% | |
| 1990 | 7,454 | −0.9% | |
| 2000 | 7,149 | −4.1% | |
| 2010 | 6,947 | −2.8% | |
| U.S. Census Bureau[4] | |||
As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 7,149 people, 3,064 households, and 1,973 families residing in the city. The population density was 672.1 people per square mile (259.4/km²). There were 3,458 housing units at an average density of 325.1 per square mile (125.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 78.64% White, 18.62% African American, 0.39% Native American, 0.36% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.57% from other races, and 1.38% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.58% of the population.
There were 3,064 households out of which 27.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.4% were married couples living together, 17.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.6% were non-families. 32.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.26 and the average family size was 2.84.
In the city the population was spread out with 23.7% under the age of 18, 9.0% from 18 to 24, 25.1% from 25 to 44, 24.3% from 45 to 64, and 18.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 82.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 79.9 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $25,647, and the median income for a family was $31,448. Males had a median income of $27,529 versus $20,032 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,654. About 17.1% of families and 23.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 37.0% of those under age 18 and 20.4% of those age 65 or over.
Climate
The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Russellville has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.[6]
Notable people
- Athena Cage, recording artist, producer, and songwriter
- John J. Crittenden, U.S. Attorney General, Kentucky Governor, U.S. Senator, and U.S. Representative
- Thomas L. Crittenden, Union Army major general during the Civil War general
- George B. Crittenden, Confederate Army major general during the Civil War
- Alice Allison Dunnigan, first female African American correspondent for Congress and the White House
- Elijah Hise, former United States Representative from Kentucky
- Joseph Jefferson, NFL player
- Finis McLean, former United States Representative from Kentucky
- Elijah Hise Norton, former United States Representative from Missouri
- Presley O'Bannon, United States Marine Corps officer and hero of the Tripolitan War, resided in Russellville
- Jim Price, former NBA player
- Fletcher Stockdale, former governor of Texas
- Mark Thompson (pitcher), MLB player
- Bubba Wells, former NBA player
- Terrence W. Wilcutt, NASA astronaut
- Holly Goddard Jones, novelist
See also
References
- ^ a b c d Commonwealth of Kentucky. Office of the Secretary of State. Land Office. "Russellville, Kentucky". Accessed 16 September 2013.
- ^ a b c d Rennick, Robert. Kentucky Place Names, p. 259. University Press of Kentucky (Lexington), 1987. Accessed 4 October 2013.
- ^ a b c d The Kentucky Encyclopedia, p. 790. "Russellville". University Press of Kentucky (Lexington), 1992. Accessed 4 October 2013.
- ^ Historical Census Data Retrieved on 2010-05-07
- ^ Kentucky State Data Center Retrieved on 2010-05-07
- ^ Climate Summary for Russellville, Kentucky
External links
Municipalities and communities of Logan County, Kentucky, United States | ||
|---|---|---|
| Cities |  | |
| CDP | ||
| Other unincorporated communities | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
