Knox County, Kentucky
Encyclopedia
Knox County is a county located in the U.S. state
of Kentucky
. As of 2000, the population was 31,795. Its county seat
is Barbourville
. The county is named for General
Henry Knox
. It is a prohibition or dry county
, with the limited exception 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.
, a general and US Secretary of War. Near Barbourville during the Civil War a battle occurred on September 19, 1861 between 300 Union troops and 800 Confederate troops, which ended as a victory for the Confederates.
of 2000, there were 31,795 people, 12,416 households, and 8,939 families residing in the county. The population density
was 82 /sqmi. There were 13,999 housing units at an average density of 36 /sqmi. 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.
, a small Methodist
-affiliated liberal arts college
, is located in Barbourville.
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
. As of 2000, the population was 31,795. Its county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
is Barbourville
Barbourville, Kentucky
Each year in early October, Barbourville hosts the Daniel Boone Festival commemorating the American pioneer Daniel Boone who explored the area in 1775. The festival features open air concerts, carnival attractions, a beauty pageant, a parade, and other events....
. The county is named for General
General
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
Henry Knox
Henry Knox
Henry Knox was a military officer of the Continental Army and later the United States Army, and also served as the first United States Secretary of War....
. It is a prohibition or dry county
Dry county
A dry county is a county in the United States whose government forbids the sale of alcoholic beverages. Some prohibit off-premises sale, some prohibit on-premises sale, and some prohibit both. Hundreds of dry counties exist across the United States, almost all of them in the South...
, with the limited exception 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
Corbin, Kentucky
- Economy :Originally formed by L&N Railroad, rail transport was the backbone of the local economy in the first half of the twentieth century. While the railroad continues to play an important role, the decline of the rail industry in the latter half of the twentieth century, as well as the loss...
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 km²) (or 99.99%) is land and 0.04 square mile (0.1035995244 km²) (or 0.01%) is water.Adjacent counties
- Clay CountyClay County, Kentucky- Demographics :As of the census of 2011, there were 21,000 people, 8,556 households, and 6,442 families residing in the county. The population density was 52 people per square mile . There were 9,439 housing units at an average density of 20 per square mile...
(northeast) - Bell CountyBell County, KentuckyBell County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. It was formed August 1, 1867, from parts of Knox and Harlan Counties and augmented from Knox County in 1872. As of 2010 the population was 69,060. Its county seat is Pineville...
(southeast) - Whitley CountyWhitley County, KentuckyWhitley County is a county located in the state of Kentucky. 2005 census projections list its population at 38,029 . The county seat is at Williamsburg, though the largest city is Corbin, and the county's District Court sits in both cities...
(southwest) - Laurel CountyLaurel County, KentuckyLaurel County is a county in the U.S. state of Kentucky. The population was 58,849 in the 2010 Census. Its county seat is London.The London Micropolitan Statistical Area includes all of Laurel County....
(northwest)
History
Knox County was formed on December 19, 1799 from portions of Lincoln County. It was named after Henry KnoxHenry Knox
Henry Knox was a military officer of the Continental Army and later the United States Army, and also served as the first United States Secretary of War....
, a general and US Secretary of War. Near Barbourville during the Civil War a battle occurred on September 19, 1861 between 300 Union troops and 800 Confederate troops, which ended as a victory for the Confederates.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 31,795 people, 12,416 households, and 8,939 families residing in the county. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 82 /sqmi. There were 13,999 housing units at an average density of 36 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the county was 97.84% White
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.82% Black
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
or African American
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.25% Native American
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.17% Asian
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.02% Pacific Islander
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.08% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 0.82% from two or more races. 0.57% of the population were Hispanic
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
or Latino
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
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
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
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
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
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
- BarbourvilleBarbourville, KentuckyEach year in early October, Barbourville hosts the Daniel Boone Festival commemorating the American pioneer Daniel Boone who explored the area in 1775. The festival features open air concerts, carnival attractions, a beauty pageant, a parade, and other events....
- CorbinCorbin, Kentucky- Economy :Originally formed by L&N Railroad, rail transport was the backbone of the local economy in the first half of the twentieth century. While the railroad continues to play an important role, the decline of the rail industry in the latter half of the twentieth century, as well as the loss...
- (Partly in Whitley CountyWhitley County, KentuckyWhitley County is a county located in the state of Kentucky. 2005 census projections list its population at 38,029 . The county seat is at Williamsburg, though the largest city is Corbin, and the county's District Court sits in both cities...
) - North CorbinNorth Corbin, KentuckyNorth Corbin is a census-designated place in Knox and Laurel counties in the U.S. state of Kentucky. The population was 1,662 at the 2000 census....
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 CollegeUnion College (Kentucky)
Union College is a four-year private college located in Barbourville, Kentucky. The college, founded in 1879, is affiliated with the United Methodist Church. Union College is a small liberal arts college in the Appalachian Mountains...
, a small Methodist
United Methodist Church
The United Methodist Church is a Methodist Christian denomination which is both mainline Protestant and evangelical. Founded in 1968 by the union of The Methodist Church and the Evangelical United Brethren Church, the UMC traces its roots back to the revival movement of John and Charles Wesley...
-affiliated liberal arts college
Liberal arts colleges in the United States
Liberal arts colleges in the United States are certain undergraduate institutions of higher education in the United States. The Encyclopædia Britannica Concise offers a definition of the liberal arts as a "college or university curriculum aimed at imparting general knowledge and developing general...
, is located in Barbourville.
See also
- Dry counties
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Knox County, Kentucky