Barbourville is a home rule-class city in Knox County,

Kentucky Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia to ...

, in the United States. The population was 3,165 at the 2010 census, down from 3,589 at the 2000 census. It is the

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...

of Knox County. The city was formally established by the state assembly in 1812. It was incorporated in 1854 and then reïncorporated in 1856.

Union College Union College is a private liberal arts college in Schenectady, New York. Founded in 1795, it was the first institution of higher learning chartered by the New York State Board of Regents, and second in the state of New York, after Columbia Co ...

and the Appalachian Children's Home are located in Barbourville.

Geography

Barbourville is in the center of Knox County, in the valley of the

Cumberland River The Cumberland River is a major waterway of the Southern United States. The U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed June 8, 2011 river drains almost of southern Kentucky and ...

where it is joined by Richland Creek. U.S. Route 25E passes through the east side of the city, leading northwest to

Corbin Corbin may refer to: People * Corbin (given name) * Corbin (surname) * Corbin (musician), American singer Buildings * Corbin Building, a historic building located at 192 Broadway in New York, US * Corbin Cabin, a log structure in Shenandoah ...

and southeast the same distance to Pineville. According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

, the city has a total area of , of which are land and , or 2.35%, are water.

Demographics

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...

of 2000, there were 3,165 people, 1,211 households, and 662 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 1,646 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 94.40%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...

, 3.23%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 0.56% Native American, 0.25%

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

, 0.17% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 1.39% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

of any race were 0.59% of the population. There were 1,211 households, out of which 24.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 36.9% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...

living together, 19.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.9% were non-families. 37.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.18 and the average family size was 2.88. In the city, the population was spread out, with 22.1% under the age of 18, 15.7% from 18 to 24, 24.7% from 25 to 44, 20.5% from 45 to 64, and 17.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 82.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 78.4 males. The median income for a household in the city was $13,297, and the median income for a family was $20,762. Males had a median income of $31,775 versus $18,102 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the city was $11,485. About 32.6% of families and 38.0% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...

, including 43.4% of those under age 18 and 30.5% of those age 65 or over.

Arts and culture

Each year in early October, Barbourville hosts the

Daniel Boone Daniel Boone (September 26, 1820) was an American pioneer and frontiersman whose exploits made him one of the first folk heroes of the United States. He became famous for his exploration and settlement of Kentucky, which was then beyond the we ...

Festival, commemorating the pioneer who explored the area in 1775. The festival features open-air concerts, carnival attractions, a beauty pageant, a parade, and other events. Starting in 2005, the Southern and Eastern Kentucky Tourism Development Association began sponsoring the Springtime

Redbud ''Cercis'' is a genus of about 10 species in the subfamily Cercidoideae of the pea family Fabaceae, native to warm temperate regions. It contains small deciduous trees or large shrubs commonly known as redbuds. They are characterised by si ...

Festival. The first celebration was at

Pine Mountain State Resort Park Pine Mountain State Resort Park is a Kentucky state park located in Bell County, southeastern Kentucky, United States. Located on part of the Pine Mountain ridge in the Appalachians, the park opened in 1924 as Kentucky's first state park. Each ...

, south of Barbourville, but the celebration is now held on the campus of

Union College (Kentucky) Union College is a private college in Barbourville, Kentucky. The college was founded in 1879 and is affiliated with the United Methodist Church. Union's approximately 825 undergraduate students represent 27 states and 9 countries. Union's ca ...

. The Redbud Festival in April first featured a quilting workshop and now includes other traditions and crafts, including storytelling, art shows, dulcimer workshops, and a cooking school. Voters in Barbourville in 2015 approved alcohol sales in the city after 82 years of prohibition established by local law in 1933. The measure won in a special election in December 2015, by a little more than 60 votes. This approval came three and a half years after voters rejected alcohol sales in another special election. The measure will allow alcohol sales in both stores and restaurants.

Education

Public schools

Public schools are administered by Knox County Public Schools. Schools in Barbourville include: * Central Elementary School * G. R. Hampton Elementary School * Jesse D. Lay Elementary School * Knox County Middle School * Knox Central High School * Dewitt Elementary * Girdler Elementary * Flat Lick Elementary * Lynn Camp Schools

Independent schools

The Barbourville Independent School District administers Barbourville Elementary School and Barbourville High School.

Knox Appalachian School

The Knox Appalachian School is a public school serving the needs of the children committed to the Appalachian Children's Home.

Public library

Barbourville has a

lending library A lending library is a library from which books and other media are lent out. The major classifications are endowed libraries, institutional libraries (the most diverse), public libraries, and subscription libraries. It may also refer to a library ...

, the Knox County Public Library.

Notable people

Green Adams Green Adams (August 20, 1812 – January 18, 1884) was a lawyer, slave owner, and member and functionary of the United States Congress. He was born in Barbourville, Kentucky in 1812. Biography He studied law and was admitted to the bar. In 183 ...

, (1812–1884), born in Barbourville,

U.S. congressman The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

* James D. Black (1849-1938), Kentucky governor (1919) *

Samuel Freeman Miller Samuel Freeman Miller (April 5, 1816 – October 13, 1890) was an American lawyer and physician who served as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, associate justice of the United States Supreme Court, U.S. Supreme ...

, U.S. Supreme Court justice * James S. Golden, U.S. representative, 1949-1955 *

John M. Robsion Jr. John Marshall Robsion Jr. (August 28, 1904 – February 14, 1990) was an American Republican Party (United States), Republican politician who served as a United States representative from Kentucky from 1953 to 1959 and was the Republican no ...

, U.S. representative 1953-1959 *

Flem D. Sampson Flemon Davis "Flem" Sampson (January 23, 1875 – May 25, 1967) was the List of Governors of Kentucky, 42nd Governor of Kentucky, serving from 1927 to 1931. He graduated from Valparaiso University in 1894, and opened a law practice in Barbourvil ...

, Kentucky governor (1927–1931) * William A. Stanfill (1892-1971), U.S. senator (1945-1946) * Kenneth H. Tuggle, Lt. Governor of Kentucky (1943–1947) * Silas Woodson, Missouri governor

References

External links

* {{authority control Cities in Kentucky Cities in Knox County, Kentucky County seats in Kentucky