Yellow Banks, Kentucky
Encyclopedia
Yellow Banks, Kentucky was the name of the rustic community founded by pionersman William Smeathers
(Smothers) around 1790 on the banks of the Ohio River
. The name was derived from the yellowish colored banks along the river. In 1817, Yellow Banks was incorporated
as a city
under the name Owensborough, named after Colonel
Abraham Owen
. He was also the namesake
of Owen County, Kentucky
. In 1893, the spelling of the name was shortened to its current Owensboro.
.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 48.3 km² (18.7 mi²). 45.1 km² (17.4 mi²) of it is land and 3.2 km² (1.2 mi²) of it (6.59%) is water.
William Smeathers
William "Bill" Smeathers , also known as Smithers or Smothers, was a pioneer settler of Kentucky and later Texas....
(Smothers) around 1790 on the banks of the Ohio River
Ohio River
The Ohio River is the largest tributary, by volume, of the Mississippi River. At the confluence, the Ohio is even bigger than the Mississippi and, thus, is hydrologically the main stream of the whole river system, including the Allegheny River further upstream...
. The name was derived from the yellowish colored banks along the river. In 1817, Yellow Banks was incorporated
Municipal corporation
A municipal corporation is the legal term for a local governing body, including cities, counties, towns, townships, charter townships, villages, and boroughs. Municipal incorporation occurs when such municipalities become self-governing entities under the laws of the state or province in which...
as a city
City
A city is a relatively large and permanent settlement. Although there is no agreement on how a city is distinguished from a town within general English language meanings, many cities have a particular administrative, legal, or historical status based on local law.For example, in the U.S...
under the name Owensborough, named after Colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
Abraham Owen
Abraham Owen
Abraham Owen was born in Prince Edward County, Virginia in 1769. He moved to Kentucky in 1785.Owen served in the wars with the Indians under generals James Wilkinson and Arthur St. Clair in 1791, and served with colonel John Hardin....
. He was also the namesake
Namesake
Namesake is a term used to characterize a person, place, thing, quality, action, state, or idea that has the same, or a similar, name to another....
of Owen County, Kentucky
Owen County, Kentucky
As of the census of 2000, there were 10,547 people, 4,086 households, and 2,995 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 5,345 housing units at an average density of...
. In 1893, the spelling of the name was shortened to its current Owensboro.
Geography
Yellow Banks (Owensboro) is located at 37°45′28"N 87°7′6"W (37.757748, -87.118390), at the crook of a bend in the Ohio RiverOhio River
The Ohio River is the largest tributary, by volume, of the Mississippi River. At the confluence, the Ohio is even bigger than the Mississippi and, thus, is hydrologically the main stream of the whole river system, including the Allegheny River further upstream...
.
According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 48.3 km² (18.7 mi²). 45.1 km² (17.4 mi²) of it is land and 3.2 km² (1.2 mi²) of it (6.59%) is water.
External links
- Official website
- Entry about Owensboro from the Kentucky Atlas and Gazetteer, a University of KentuckyUniversity of KentuckyThe University of Kentucky, also known as UK, is a public co-educational university and is one of the state's two land-grant universities, located in Lexington, Kentucky...
website - Owensboro Chamber of Commerce
- 1821 Advertisement for an auction for land around Owensboro, Kentucky, from the Library of CongressLibrary of CongressThe Library of Congress is the research library of the United States Congress, de facto national library of the United States, and the oldest federal cultural institution in the United States. Located in three buildings in Washington, D.C., it is the largest library in the world by shelf space and...
- Owensboro Daviess County Convention and Visitor Bureau