Warren County, Kentucky
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Warren County, Kentucky | |
| Map | |
 Location in the state of Kentucky |
|
 Kentucky's location in the USA |
|
| Statistics | |
| Founded | 1797 |
|---|---|
| Seat | Bowling Green |
| Area - Total - Land - Water |
548 sq mi (1,419 km²) 545 sq mi (1,412 km²) 2 sq mi (6 km²), 0.45% |
| Population - (2000) - Density |
92,522 170/sq mi (66/km²) |
| Time zone | Central : UTC-6/-5 |
| Website: www.warrencountyky.com | |
Warren County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky, specifically the Pennyroyal Plateau and Western Coal Fields regions[1]. It is included in the Bowling Green, Kentucky Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of 2005, the population was estimated to be 98,960. The county seat is Bowling Green. The county is dry, meaning that the sale of alcohol is prohibited, but contains the wet city of Bowling Green, where retail alcohol sales are allowed. This makes Warren County a moist county.[2]
Contents |
[edit] History
Evidence has shown that Warren County was the location of various Native American villages and burial mounds. The first whites to enter the area were the long hunters in the 1770s. General Elijah Covington was among the first landowners. McFadden's Station, one of the earliest settlements, was established in 1785 by Andrew McFadden on the northern bank of the Barren River at the Cumberland Trace.
Warren County became the 23rd county of Kentucky on December 14, 1796 from a section of Logan County. It was named after General Joseph Warren of the Revolutionary War. He dispatched William Dawes and Paul Revere on their famous midnight ride to warn residents of the approaching British troops. He was also a hero of the Battle of Bunker Hill.
Through the riverboat trade, Warren County thrived in the agricultural market. In 1859, the Louisville and Nashville Railroad (currently CSX Transportation) was laid through the county.
During the Civil War, most Warren County residents preferred preservation of the Union. However, because of its strategic value, the county was occupied by Confederate forces in September 1861 and was later recaptured by the Union on February 14, 1862. During the Confederate pull-out, troops destroyed bridges over Barren County, the Bowling Green train depot and other buildings.
After the completion of Interstate 65 and Green River Parkway (currently the William H. Natcher Parkway) in the 1960s and 1970s, an industrial boom took place and county residents became more urbanized and less farm-dependent.
In 1997, along with Bowling Green, Warren County became a Tree City USA, sponsored by the National Arbor Day Foundation.
[edit] Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,419 km² (548 mi²). 1,412 km² (545 mi²) of it is land and 6 km² (2 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 0.45% water.
[edit] Geographic features
The county is mostly level land with a tall hill in the center of Bowling Green. The Green River forms the northern boundary of the county. Those tributaries of the Green River that flow through Warren County are the Barren and Gasper rivers, Drake's and Jennings creeks and Bay's Fork. Shanty Hollow Lake is in the northwest corner of the county. The soil is fertile and supports tobacco, hay, corn and soybean crop production.
[edit] Major highways
- Interstate 65
- William H. Natcher Parkway
- US Highway 231
- US Highway 31W
- US Highway 68 / Kentucky State Route 80
- Kentucky State Route 185
- Kentucky State Route 234
[edit] Adjacent counties
- Butler County - northwest
- Edmonson County - northeast
- Barren County - east
- Allen County - southeast
- Simpson County - south/southwest
- Logan County - southwest
[edit] Demographics
| Historical populations | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1800 | 4,686 |
|
|
| 1810 | 11,937 | 154.7% | |
| 1820 | 11,776 | -1.3% | |
| 1830 | 10,949 | -7.0% | |
| 1840 | 15,446 | 41.1% | |
| 1850 | 15,123 | -2.1% | |
| 1860 | 17,320 | 14.5% | |
| 1870 | 21,742 | 25.5% | |
| 1880 | 27,531 | 26.6% | |
| 1890 | 30,158 | 9.5% | |
| 1900 | 29,970 | -0.6% | |
| 1910 | 30,579 | 2.0% | |
| 1920 | 30,858 | 0.9% | |
| 1930 | 33,676 | 9.1% | |
| 1940 | 36,631 | 8.8% | |
| 1950 | 42,758 | 16.7% | |
| 1960 | 45,491 | 6.4% | |
| 1970 | 57,884 | 27.2% | |
| 1980 | 71,828 | 24.1% | |
| 1990 | 76,673 | 6.7% | |
| 2000 | 92,522 | 20.7% | |
| http://ukcc.uky.edu/~census/21227.txt | |||
As of the census² of 2000, there were 92,522 people, 35,365 households, and 23,411 families residing in the county. The population density was 170/mi² (66/km²). There were 38,350 housing units at an average density of 70/mi² (27/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 86.98% White, 8.58% Black or African American, 0.24% Native American, 1.35% Asian, 0.08% Pacific Islander, 1.33% from other races, and 1.45% from two or more races. 2.67% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 35,365 households out of which 31.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.40% were married couples living together, 11.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.80% were non-families. 26.10% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.30% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 2.97.
In the county the population was spread out with 23.10% under the age of 18, 16.20% from 18 to 24, 29.10% from 25 to 44, 21.10% from 45 to 64, and 10.50% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 96.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.00 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $36,151, and the median income for a family was $45,142. Males had a median income of $32,063 versus $22,777 for females. The per capita income for the county was $18,847. About 10.80% of families and 15.40% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.80% of those under age 18 and 13.80% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] Cities and towns
- Bowling Green
- Oakland
- Plum Springs
- Smiths Grove
- Woodburn
- Rockfield
[edit] Educational institutions
[edit] Elementary and secondary education
Two public school districts operate in the county:
- Warren County Public Schools, which serves most of the county. [4] [5] [6]
- Bowling Green City Schools, which serves most of the city of Bowling Green.[7]
[edit] Warren County Public Schools
[edit] Elementary schools
- Alvaton
- Briarwood
- Bristow
- Cumberland Trace
- Dishman McGinnis
- Lost River
- North Warren
- Oakland
- Rich Pond
- Richardsville
- Rockfield
- Warren
- William H. Natcher
[edit] Middle schools
- Drakes Creek
- Henry Moss
- Warren East
[edit] High schools
- Greenwood
- Light House Academy
- Warren Central
- Warren East
[edit] Bowling Green City Schools
[edit] Elementary schools
- Parker Bennett Curry
- Potter Gray
- T. C. Cherry
- W. R. McNeill
[edit] Junior high schools
- Bowling Green
[edit] High schools
- Eleventh Street
- Bowling Green
[edit] Colleges and universities
[edit] Attractions
- Beech Bend Park - Roller coasters, waterpark, raceway
- Chevrolet Corvette and XLR Assembly Plant - Daily tours
- Eloise B. Houchens Center - Greek Revival-style mansion built in 1904 by a former Bowling Green mayor
- Fort Webb Historic Park - Preserved Civil War site
- Kentucky Museum and Library - Exhibits of Kentucky artifacts, located on Western Kentucky University campus
- Lost River Cave and Valley - Location of the shortest and deepest river in the world, once a hideout for Jesse James and company
- National Corvette Museum - Exhibits of the models of the Chevrolet Corvette since 1953
- Riverview at Hobson Grove - Preserved mansion overlooking Barren River built from the late 1850s until 1872
[edit] References
- ^ Kentucky Atlas & Gazetteer
- ^ Wet & Dry Counties in Kentucky (PDF). Kentucky Office of Alcoholic Beverage Control. Retrieved on March 21, 2007.
- ^ Kentucky State Primary Road Map for Warren County, Kentucky
- ^ Warren County Public Schools - Elementary School List
- ^ Warren County Public Schools - Middle School List
- ^ Warren County Public Schools - High School List
- ^ Bowling Green City Schools
[edit] External links
- Beech Bend Park
- Bowling Green Daily News
- Corvette Museum
- Corvette Bowling Green Plant
- KYGenWeb Project, Warren County
- Lost River Cave
- Warren County Government
- WKU Library and Museum
