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Letcher County, Kentucky
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Letcher County, Kentucky | |
| Map | |
 Location in the state of Kentucky |
|
 Kentucky's location in the USA |
|
| Statistics | |
| Founded | 1842 |
|---|---|
| Seat | Whitesburg |
| Largest City | Jenkins |
| Area - Total - Land - Water |
339 sq mi (878 km²) 339 sq mi (878 km²) 0 sq mi (0 km²), 0.02% |
| Population - (2000) - Density |
25,277 75/sq mi (29/km²) |
| Time zone | Eastern: UTC-5/-4 |
| Website: www.letchercountykentucky.net | |
| Named for: Robert P. Letcher, Governor of Kentucky (1840–1844). | |
Letcher County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of 2000, the population was 25,277. Its county seat is Whitesburg6. The county is named for Robert P. Letcher, Governor of Kentucky 1840-44.
It is a dry county that prohibits the sale of alcoholic beverages, with the only exceptions being the Highland Winery[1] and the city of Whitesburg, which voted on April 17, 2007 to allow the sale of alcoholic beverages in restaurants which seat 100 people or more and get 70% of their revenue from food sales. In the city's first local-option election in over 60 years, voters approved the measure by more than a 2-to-1 margin.[2]
Contents |
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 878 km² (339 sq mi). 878 km² (339 sq mi) of it is land and 0 km² (0 sq mi) of it (0.02%) is water. Letcher County's natural areas include Bad Branch Falls and the Lilley Cornett Woods.
- Knott County (northwest)
- Pike County (northeast)
- Wise County, Virginia (southeast)
- Harlan County (south)
- Perry County (southwest)
In 2006, the doors to a brand new consolidated high school were opened in Ermine, Kentucky. With total costs well over two million dollars, it is one of the most technologically advanced high schools in the area. One of the most impressive, and controversial, features of the school include a football stadium with an artificial Sprinturf playing surface and large instant replay "jumbo-tron". The school's mascot is the Cougars, and the school colors are blue, black, and silver.
| Historical populations | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1850 | 2,512 |
|
|
| 1860 | 3,904 | 55.4% | |
| 1870 | 4,608 | 18.0% | |
| 1880 | 6,601 | 43.3% | |
| 1890 | 6,920 | 4.8% | |
| 1900 | 9,172 | 32.5% | |
| 1910 | 10,623 | 15.8% | |
| 1920 | 24,467 | 130.3% | |
| 1930 | 35,702 | 45.9% | |
| 1940 | 40,592 | 13.7% | |
| 1950 | 39,522 | -2.6% | |
| 1960 | 30,102 | -23.8% | |
| 1970 | 23,165 | -23.0% | |
| 1980 | 30,687 | 32.5% | |
| 1990 | 27,000 | -12.0% | |
| 2000 | 25,277 | -6.4% | |
| http://ukcc.uky.edu/~census/21133.txt | |||
As of the census² of 2000, there were 25,277 people, 10,085 households, and 7,462 families residing in the county. The population density was 29/km² (75/sq mi). There were 11,405 housing units at an average density of 13/km² (34/sq mi). The racial makeup of the county was 98.71% White, 0.51% Black or African American, 0.10% Native American, 0.28% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.03% from other races, and 0.35% from two or more races. 0.44% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 10,085 households out of which 32.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.40% were married couples living together, 11.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.00% were non-families. 24.10% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 2.94.
The age distribution was 23.70% under the age of 18, 9.20% from 18 to 24, 28.70% from 25 to 44, 25.80% from 45 to 64, and 12.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 95.80 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.10 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $21,110, and the median income for a family was $24,869. Males had a median income of $30,488 versus $17,902 for females. The per capita income for the county was $11,984. About 23.70% of families and 27.10% of the population were below the poverty line, including 35.90% of those under age 18 and 21.20% of those age 65 or over.
- Harry M. Caudill (author, historian, professor, lawyer, legislator, and environmentalist, 1922-1990)
- Emery L. Frazier (Mayor, state representative, Chief Clerk of the U.S. Senate, Secretary of the U.S. Senate, 1896-1973)
- Gary Stewart (Country music singer and musician, 1945-2003)
- Martha Carson (Country/gospel music singer, 1920-2004)
- Marion Sumner ("The Fiddle King of the South," country, Western swing, bluegrass musician, 1920-1997)
- Lee "Boy" Sexton (Country, bluegrass, old-time musician)
- Caudill, Harry M., Author of Night Comes to the Cumberlands (1963). ISBN 0-316-13212-8
- Letcher County Fiscal Court
- Letcher County schools
- Letcher County Library District
- The Kentucky Highlands Project
- Letcher County genealogy
- National Geographic Magazine (ZipUSA article)
- Letcher County: Head of Three Rivers Water Quality Project
