Knott County, Kentucky
Encyclopedia
Knott County is a county located in the U.S. state
of Kentucky
. It was formed in 1884. As of 2000, the population was 17,649. Its county seat
is Hindman
. The county is named for James Proctor Knott
, Governor of Kentucky
(1883–1887). It is a prohibition or dry county
. Notable inhabitants include U.S. Congressman Carl D. Perkins
, Appalachian author James Still
, poet Albert Stewart, country music star David Tolliver from Halfway to Hazard
and actress Rebecca Gayheart
. Its county seat is home to the Hindman Settlement School
, founded as America's first settlement school
. The Knott County town of Pippa Passes
is home to Alice Lloyd College
.
Tourism
is increasing in the county, especially the popularity of elk
viewing. Knott County and its surrounding counties are home to 5,700 free ranging elk, the largest elk herd east of the Mississippi River
.
Knott County tourism has expanded in recent years, with the opening of an ATV Training Center dedicated to the safety of ATV usage amongst riders and the Knott County Sportsplex, a sports complex dedicated to bringing athletic opportunities to people of all ages, through indoor basketball courts, outside baseball fields, a soccer field, and a fitness center.
of 2000, there were 17,649 people, 6,717 households, and 4,990 families residing in the county. The population density
was 50 /sqmi. There were 7,579 housing units at an average density of 22 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the county was 98.27% White
, 0.73% Black
or African American
, 0.11% Native American
, 0.15% Asian
, 0.01% Pacific Islander
, 0.12% from other races
, and 0.60% from two or more races. 0.63% of the population were Hispanic
or Latino
of any race.
There were 6,717 households out of which 34.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.60% were married couples
living together, 12.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.70% were non-families. 23.60% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.30% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.54 and the average family size was 3.00.
In the county the population was spread out with 24.50% under the age of 18, 10.80% from 18 to 24, 29.00% from 25 to 44, 24.30% from 45 to 64, and 11.40% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 97.30 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.10 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $20,373, and the median income for a family was $24,930. Males had a median income of $29,471 versus $21,240 for females. The per capita income
for the county was $11,297. About 26.20% of families and 31.10% of the population were below the poverty line, including 39.80% of those under age 18 and 23.10% of those age 65 or over.
. In 1992
, 75% of Knott County residents voted for Democrat Bill Clinton
, the highest percentage for Clinton of any county in the state. However, in recent years, Knott County has voted more favorably for the Republican Party
. In 2008
, Republican John McCain
became the first Republican to win Knott County in a presidential election by winning 55% of the vote to Barack Obama
's 44%. In 2005, Governor Ernie Fletcher appointed Republican Randy Thompson as County Judge Executive-the county's first Republican Judge Executive. Thompson won re-election in 2006 and again in 2010, making him the first Republican to win election in a Knott County office. Congressman Hal Rogers has also won Knott County's vote in recent years.
an American actress and model. Married to Actor Eric Dane. Most known for her roles in Scream 2, Beverly Hills 90210, Urban Legends, Jawbreaker, and Ugly Betty
James Still
Nationally recognized author.
David Tolliver member of the short lived country band Halfway to Hazard.
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...
. It was formed in 1884. As of 2000, the population was 17,649. 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 Hindman
Hindman, Kentucky
As of the census of 2000, there were 787 people, 356 households, and 220 families residing in the city. The population density was 232.5 people per square mile . There were 415 housing units at an average density of 122.6 per square mile . The racial makeup of the city was 97.59% White, 0.38%...
. The county is named for James Proctor Knott
J. Proctor Knott
James Proctor Knott was a U.S. Representative from Kentucky and served as the 29th Governor of Kentucky from 1883 to 1887. Born in Kentucky, he moved to Missouri in 1850 and began his political career there...
, Governor of Kentucky
Governor of Kentucky
The Governor of the Commonwealth of Kentucky is the head of the executive branch of government in the U.S. state of Kentucky. Fifty-six men and one woman have served as Governor of Kentucky. The governor's term is four years in length; since 1992, incumbents have been able to seek re-election once...
(1883–1887). 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...
. Notable inhabitants include U.S. Congressman Carl D. Perkins
Carl D. Perkins
Carl Dewey Perkins , a Democrat, was a politician and member of the United States House of Representatives from the state of Kentucky.-Early years:Perkins was born in Hindman, Kentucky...
, Appalachian author James Still
James Still
James Still was an American poet, novelist and folklorist. He lived most of his life in a log house along the Dead Mare Branch of Little Carr Creek, Knott County, Kentucky...
, poet Albert Stewart, country music star David Tolliver from Halfway to Hazard
Halfway to Hazard
Halfway to Hazard is an American country music duo composed of singer-songwriters David Tolliver and Chad Warrix. Though Tolliver and Warrix grew up in different towns in southeastern Kentucky, their band's origins are in Hazard, Kentucky, which was halfway between their hometowns.Their debut...
and actress Rebecca Gayheart
Rebecca Gayheart
-Early life:Gayheart was born in Hazard, Kentucky and raised in Pine Top, Kentucky, the daughter of Floneva , who worked as a Mary Kay independent beauty consultant, and Curtis Gayheart, a miner and coal truck driver. She is of Irish, Italian, and German descent...
. Its county seat is home to the Hindman Settlement School
Hindman Settlement School
Hindman Settlement School is a settlement school located in Hindman, Kentucky in Knott County. Established in 1902, it was the first rural settlement school in America.-Mission:...
, founded as America's first settlement school
Settlement school
Settlement schools are social reform institutions established in rural Appalachia in the early 20th century with the purpose of educating mountain children and improving their isolated rural communities. Settlement schools have played an important role in preserving and promoting the cultural...
. The Knott County town of Pippa Passes
Pippa Passes, Kentucky
In the census of 2000, there were 297 people, 48 households, and 30 families in the city. The population density was 557.3 per square mile . There were 50 housing units at an average density of 93.8 per square mile...
is home to Alice Lloyd College
Alice Lloyd College
Alice Lloyd College is a four-year liberal arts work college in Pippa Passes, Kentucky. It was co-founded by the journalist Alice Spencer Geddes Lloyd, a native of Cambridge, Massachusetts and June Buchanan, a native of New York City, in 1923, at first under the name of Caney Junior College, as an...
.
Tourism
Tourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
is increasing in the county, especially the popularity of elk
Elk
The Elk is the large deer, also called Cervus canadensis or wapiti, of North America and eastern Asia.Elk may also refer to:Other antlered mammals:...
viewing. Knott County and its surrounding counties are home to 5,700 free ranging elk, the largest elk herd east of the Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
.
Knott County tourism has expanded in recent years, with the opening of an ATV Training Center dedicated to the safety of ATV usage amongst riders and the Knott County Sportsplex, a sports complex dedicated to bringing athletic opportunities to people of all ages, through indoor basketball courts, outside baseball fields, a soccer field, and a fitness center.
Geography
According to the 2000 census, the county has a total area of 353.01 square miles (914.3 km²), of which 352.19 square miles (912.2 km²) (or 99.77%) is land and 0.82 square miles (2.1 km²) (or 0.23%) is water.Adjacent counties
- Magoffin CountyMagoffin County, KentuckyMagoffin County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky which was formed from parts of Floyd, Johnson, and Morgan Counties and officially created on 22 February 1860. As of 2000, the population was 13,332. Its county seat is Salyersville...
(north) - Floyd CountyFloyd County, KentuckyFloyd County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. It was formed in 1800. As of 2000, the population was 42,441. Its county seat is Prestonsburg. The county is named for Colonel John Floyd .-History:...
(northeast) - Pike CountyPike County, KentuckyPike County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of 2010, the population was 65,024. Its county seat is Pikeville. Pike is Kentucky's largest county in terms of land area. Pike County is the 11th largest county in Kentucky in terms of population preceded by Bullitt County and...
(east) - Letcher CountyLetcher County, KentuckyLetcher County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of 2000, the population was 25,277. Its county seat is Whitesburg. The county is named for Robert P...
(south) - Perry CountyPerry County, KentuckyPerry County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of 2000, the population was 29,390. Its county seat is Hazard. The county is named for Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry, a naval hero in the War of 1812.- Geography :...
(southwest) - Breathitt CountyBreathitt County, KentuckyBreathitt County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. It was formed in 1839.The population was 13,878 in the 2010 Census. Its county seat is Jackson, Kentucky. The county is named for John Breathitt who was Governor of Kentucky from 1832 to 1834...
(northwest)
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 17,649 people, 6,717 households, and 4,990 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 50 /sqmi. There were 7,579 housing units at an average density of 22 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the county was 98.27% 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...
, 0.73% 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...
, 0.11% 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...
, 0.15% 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...
, 0.01% 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...
, 0.12% 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 0.60% from two or more races. 0.63% 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 6,717 households out of which 34.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.60% 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, 12.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.70% were non-families. 23.60% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.30% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.54 and the average family size was 3.00.
In the county the population was spread out with 24.50% under the age of 18, 10.80% from 18 to 24, 29.00% from 25 to 44, 24.30% from 45 to 64, and 11.40% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 97.30 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.10 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $20,373, and the median income for a family was $24,930. Males had a median income of $29,471 versus $21,240 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 $11,297. About 26.20% of families and 31.10% of the population were below the poverty line, including 39.80% of those under age 18 and 23.10% of those age 65 or over.
Communities
- AncoAnco, KentuckyAnco is an unincorporated community in Knott County, Kentucky, United States. Anco is south-southwest of Hindman....
- SassafrasSassafras, KentuckySassafras is an unincorporated community in Knott County, Kentucky, United States. Sassafras is located along Kentucky Route 15 south-southwest of Hindman. Sassafras has a post office with ZIP code 41759....
- VestVest, KentuckyVest is an unincorporated community in Knott County, Kentucky, United States, located north of Hindman. The Vest post office opened in 1886, named for a postal inspector who had visited the site.-External links:...
- WiscoalWiscoal, KentuckyWiscoal is an unincorporated community in Knott County, Kentucky, United States. Wiscoal is south-southwest of Hindman. The community was named for the Wisconsin Coal Company, which operated a mine and offices there....
Educational institutions
- Alice Lloyd CollegeAlice Lloyd CollegeAlice Lloyd College is a four-year liberal arts work college in Pippa Passes, Kentucky. It was co-founded by the journalist Alice Spencer Geddes Lloyd, a native of Cambridge, Massachusetts and June Buchanan, a native of New York City, in 1923, at first under the name of Caney Junior College, as an...
- Knott County Campus of Hazard Community and Technical CollegeHazard Community and Technical CollegeHazard Community and Technical College , located in Hazard, Kentucky, is one of 16 two-year, open-admissions colleges of the Kentucky Community and Technical College System . Established as Hazard Community College in 1968, the name of the college was changed to Hazard Community and Technical...
- Knott County Area Technology Center
- Knott County Central High School (KCC)
- Hindman Settlement SchoolHindman Settlement SchoolHindman Settlement School is a settlement school located in Hindman, Kentucky in Knott County. Established in 1902, it was the first rural settlement school in America.-Mission:...
- June Buchanan SchoolJune Buchanan SchoolThe June Buchanan School is a private K-12 prep school located on the campus of Alice Lloyd College in Pippa Passes, Kentucky. It is named after founder June Buchanan, who, along with social reformer Alice Spencer Geddes Lloyd, founded the college. It has a student-teacher ratio of 10-1...
- Cordia High School
- Beaver Creek Elementary
- Carr Creek Elementary
- Cordia Elementary
- Emmalena Elementary
- Hindman Elementary
- Jones Fork Elementary
Politics
Knott County has historically voted very strongly for the Democratic PartyDemocratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
. In 1992
United States presidential election, 1992
The United States presidential election of 1992 had three major candidates: Incumbent Republican President George Bush; Democratic Arkansas Governor Bill Clinton, and independent Texas businessman Ross Perot....
, 75% of Knott County residents voted for Democrat Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
, the highest percentage for Clinton of any county in the state. However, in recent years, Knott County has voted more favorably for the Republican Party
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
. In 2008
United States presidential election, 2008
The United States presidential election of 2008 was the 56th quadrennial presidential election. It was held on November 4, 2008. Democrat Barack Obama, then the junior United States Senator from Illinois, defeated Republican John McCain, the senior U.S. Senator from Arizona. Obama received 365...
, Republican John McCain
John McCain
John Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election....
became the first Republican to win Knott County in a presidential election by winning 55% of the vote to Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
's 44%. In 2005, Governor Ernie Fletcher appointed Republican Randy Thompson as County Judge Executive-the county's first Republican Judge Executive. Thompson won re-election in 2006 and again in 2010, making him the first Republican to win election in a Knott County office. Congressman Hal Rogers has also won Knott County's vote in recent years.
See also
- Dry counties
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Knott County, Kentucky
- Robinson ForestRobinson ForestThe Robinson Forest is a research, education, and extension forest operated by the Department of Forestry at the University of Kentucky. The forest covers in Breathitt, Knott and Perry counties in Kentucky's Cumberland Plateau region. The main block of Robinson Forest contains roughly 10,000...
External links
Knott County Connections
Rebecca GayheartRebecca Gayheart
-Early life:Gayheart was born in Hazard, Kentucky and raised in Pine Top, Kentucky, the daughter of Floneva , who worked as a Mary Kay independent beauty consultant, and Curtis Gayheart, a miner and coal truck driver. She is of Irish, Italian, and German descent...
an American actress and model. Married to Actor Eric Dane. Most known for her roles in Scream 2, Beverly Hills 90210, Urban Legends, Jawbreaker, and Ugly Betty
James Still
James Still
James Still was an American poet, novelist and folklorist. He lived most of his life in a log house along the Dead Mare Branch of Little Carr Creek, Knott County, Kentucky...
Nationally recognized author.
David Tolliver member of the short lived country band Halfway to Hazard.
Films
- 20th Century Fox filmed several scenes in the county for a nationally released movie called Fire Down Below