Bonnieville is a home rule-class city in Hart 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 ...

, in the United States. The population was 255 at the 2010 census.

History

Founded in 1849, the town was originally known as Bacon Creek, for the stream that runs through the city. It is rumored that the name was changed to Bonnieville because of the popularity of the song "

My Bonnie Lies over the Ocean "My Bonnie Lies over the Ocean", or simply "My Bonnie", is a traditional Scottish folk song that is popular in Western culture. It is listed in Roud Folk Song Index as No. 1422. The song has been recorded by numerous artists since the beginning of ...

". On December 26, 1862, the

Confederate Confederacy or confederate may refer to: States or communities * Confederate state or confederation, a union of sovereign groups or communities * Confederate States of America, a confederation of secessionist American states that existed between 1 ...

John Hunt Morgan John Hunt Morgan (June 1, 1825 – September 4, 1864) was an American soldier who served as a Confederate general in the American Civil War of 1861–1865. In April 1862, Morgan raised the 2nd Kentucky Cavalry Regiment (CSA) and fought in ...

sent a detachment from Upton to the bridge over Bacon Creek in Bonnieville. A brief firefight with a detachment of the

2nd Michigan Volunteer Cavalry Regiment The 2nd Michigan Cavalry Regiment was a cavalry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Service The 2nd Michigan Cavalry was organized at Grand Rapids, Michigan, on October 2, 1861. It numbered 1,163 officers and en ...

resulted with the destruction of the bridge for a third time and the wounding of 23. The railroad remained closed for six weeks until the tracks could be repaired and reopened on February 1.Asher, Tom. "John Hunt Morgan's Christmas Raid".

Geography

Bonnieville is located at (37.374850, -85.903429). 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 t ...

, the city has a total area of , all land. U.S. Route 31W passes through the middle of Bonnieville, with most of the city concentrated around this highway's two intersections with

Kentucky Route 728 Kentucky Route 728 (KY 728) is an east–west state highway that traverses Edmonson and Hart Counties in south-central Kentucky. Route description KY 728 has its western terminus at an intersection with KY 259 between the ...

. Bonnieville is accessible from Exit 71 on Interstate 65. Part of the original main line of the historic Louisville and Nashville Railroad (now

CSX CSX Transportation , known colloquially as simply CSX, is a Class I freight railroad operating in the Eastern United States and the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec. The railroad operates approximately 21,000 route miles () of track. ...

) passes through the city. Bacon Creek, a tributary of the Nolin River, bisects the city.

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 in ...

of 2000, there were 354 people, 137 households, and 93 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 170 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 97.18%

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 o ...

, 1.69%

Black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white ...

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 ...

, and 1.13% from two or more races. There were 137 households, out of which 35.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.0% were married couples living together, 19.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.4% were non-families. 29.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 19.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.58 and the average family size was 3.19. In the city, the population was spread out, with 30.8% under the age of 18, 7.1% from 18 to 24, 28.0% from 25 to 44, 17.8% from 45 to 64, and 16.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.0 males. The median income for a household in the city was $25,714, and the median income for a family was $29,250. Males had a median income of $27,321 versus $19,375 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 $10,583. About 25.3% of families and 29.4% 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 32.5% of those under age 18 and 41.5% of those age 65 or over.

Notable facts

* Bonnieville was declared as one of the worst

speed trap Speed limits are enforced on most public roadways by authorities, with the purpose to improve driver compliance with speed limits. Methods used include roadside speed traps set up and operated by the police and automated roadside ' speed camera' ...

s in America by the American Automobile Association in the early 1960s. * A large Bamboo Research Station is on the south side of town. It is said to contain the largest bamboo collection in the state of Kentucky. *

Peppy Martin Peppy Martin, (born Josephine Ellen Martin on May 14, 1946) is a Kentucky politician who was the unsuccessful Republican nominee in the 1999 gubernatorial election. Early career In her early years, Martin was an intern for Republican U.S. Senator ...

, the 1999

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

gubernatorial A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

nominee, resides in Bonnieville.

References

External links

*
"The Last Speed Trap?"
''

Time Time is the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, ...

''. December 2, 1966. Article on American speed traps. {{authority control Cities in Kentucky Cities in Hart County, Kentucky 1849 establishments in Kentucky