Fulton is a home rule-class city in Fulton County,

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

, United States. The population was 2,357 at the 2020 census, down from 2,445 at the 2010 census. It was once known as the "Banana Capital of the World", because 70% of imported bananas to the U.S. used to be shipped through the city. Fulton is part of the Union City-

Hickman Hickman or Hickmann may refer to: People * Hickman (surname), notable people with the surname Hickman or Hickmann * Hickman Ewing, American attorney * Hickman Price (1911–1989), assistant secretary in the United States Department of Commerce ...

, TN– KY Micropolitan Statistical Area.

History

A post office was established in the community, then known as "Pontotoc", in 1847. The post office was renamed "Fulton" in 1861. It was formally incorporated by the state assembly in 1872. Fulton Station was located on the Paducah and Gulf Railroad, which stimulated growth in the county. In the late 19th century, Ben M. Bogard, later the founder of the American Baptist Association in

Texarkana, Texas Texarkana is a city in Bowie County, Texas, United States, in the Ark-La-Tex region. Located approximately from Dallas, Texarkana is a twin city with neighboring Texarkana, Arkansas. The Texas city's population was 36,193 at the 2020 census. ...

, and long-time pastor of Antioch Missionary Baptist Church in

Little Rock, Arkansas ( The "Little Rock") , government_type = Council-manager , leader_title = Mayor , leader_name = Frank Scott Jr. , leader_party = D , leader_title2 = Council , leader_name2 ...

, served as a pastor in Fulton, where he was part of the Landmark Baptist movement. In the first decade of the 20th century, the

Southern Baptist The Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) is a Christian denomination based in the United States. It is the world's largest Baptist denomination, and the largest Protestant and second-largest Christian denomination in the United States. The wor ...

clergyman Monroe E. Dodd began his long ministry at a church in Fulton. For many years afterward, he was the pastor of First Baptist Church of

Shreveport, Louisiana Shreveport ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is the third most populous city in Louisiana after New Orleans and Baton Rouge, respectively. The Shreveport–Bossier City metropolitan area, with a population of 393,406 in 2020, is ...

Banana Capital of the World

The United Fruit Co., now Chiquita, began shipping

banana A banana is an elongated, edible fruit – botanically a berry – produced by several kinds of large herbaceous flowering plants in the genus ''Musa''. In some countries, bananas used for cooking may be called "plantains", distinguis ...

s from South America by steamship to

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans

ice house on the route north to Chicago. The bananas were re-iced with blocks from the Fulton Ice Plant, now closed. Empty railcars were pulled up to the side of the ice house, and the large blocks of ice were loaded end up, covering the entire box car. The bananas were laid on top of the ice to continue their journey. At one point, more than 70% of the bananas that were consumed in the US passed through Fulton. From 1962 through 1992, Fulton held the annual International Banana Festival. The largest banana pudding in the world at was part of the banana parade. Since the early 21st century, the festival has been revived, including a contest for the largest banana pudding.

Geography

Fulton is located in the southeast corner of Fulton County at (36.509156, -88.878768). Its southern border is the state line, across which is the city of South Fulton, Tennessee. 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 ...

, Fulton has a total area of , of which is land and , or 2.95%, is water.

Demographics

2020 census

As of the

2020 United States Census The United States census of 2020 was the twenty-fourth decennial United States census. Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2020. Other than a pilot study during the 2000 census, this was the first U.S. census to off ...

, there were 2,357 people, 1,004 households, and 646 families residing in the city.

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 2,775 people, 1,225 households, and 753 families residing in the city. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPop ...

was 983.0 people per square mile (379.9/km). There were 1,388 housing units at an average density of 491.7 per square mile (190.0/km). The racial makeup of the city was 67.35%

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 ...

, 29.41%

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 enslav ...

, 0.25% Native American, 0.68% Asian, 0.86% 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 1.44% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, 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 viceroyalties form ...

or Latino of any race were 1.44% of the population. There were 1,225 households, out of which 29.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.1% 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, 21.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.5% were non-families. 36.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 20.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.22 and the average family size was 2.87. In the city, the population was spread out, with 25.2% under the age of 18, 9.0% from 18 to 24, 22.4% from 25 to 44, 21.1% from 45 to 64, and 22.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 75.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 68.6 males. The median income for a household in the city was $23,345, and the median income for a family was $27,625. Males had a median income of $26,029 versus $21,696 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 $16,260. About 22.4% of families and 24.6% 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 37.2% of those under age 18 and 17.3% of those age 65 or over.

Government

The city of Fulton uses the Commission Plan form of government, which is composed of a mayor elected to a four-year term and four commissioners elected to two-year terms. The executive and legislative authority of the city are exercised by the city commission, and administrative responsibilities are the province of the city manager.

Transportation

Rail

Amtrak The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak () , is the national passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates inter-city rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous U.S. States and nine cities in Canada. ...

, the national passenger rail system, provides service to Fulton. Fulton is one of only four cities in

with passenger rail service by Amtrak. The station is unmonitored and served by the ''

City of New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans

minor league baseball. The Fulton Railroaders, played as members of the Kentucky-Illinois-Tennessee League, between 1911 and 1955. In 2005, the "Fulton Railroaders" nickname returned, as today Fulton hosts the summer collegiate baseball team, currently playing as members of the Ohio Valley League. The current Railroaders play their home games at Lohaus Field.

Education

Fulton has a

public library A public library is a library that is accessible by the general public and is usually funded from public sources, such as taxes. It is operated by librarians and library paraprofessionals, who are also civil servants. There are five fundament ...

, a branch of the Fulton County Public Library.

References

External links

City of Fulton official website
{{authority control Cities in Kentucky Cities in Fulton County, Kentucky Union City, Tennessee micropolitan area