Glasgow is a home rule-class city in

Barren County Barren County is a county located in the south-central portion of the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of the 2020 census, the population was 44,485. Its county seat is Glasgow. The county was founded on December 20, 1798, from parts of Warren and ...

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 ...

, United States. It is the

seat A seat is a place to sit. The term may encompass additional features, such as back, armrest, head restraint but also headquarters in a wider sense. Types of seat The following are examples of different kinds of seat: * Armchair (furniture), ...

of its county. Glasgow is the principal city of the

Glasgow micropolitan area The Glasgow Micropolitan Statistical Area, as defined by the United States Census Bureau, is an area consisting of two counties in Kentucky, anchored by the city of Glasgow. As of the 2000 census, the μSA had a population of 48,070 (though a Jul ...

, which comprises Barren and Metcalfe counties. The population was 14,028 at the 2010 U.S. census. The city is well known for its annual Scottish Highland Games. In 2007, Barren County was named the number one rural place to live by ''

The Progressive Farmer ''Progressive Farmer'' is an agricultural magazine, published 14 times a year by Data Transmission Network, DTN. The magazine is based in Birmingham, Alabama, Birmingham, Alabama. History Founded in Winston, North Carolina, in 1886 by North Car ...

'' magazine.

Geography

Glasgow is located in central Barren County at (37.000375, -85.920229). U.S. Route 31E and U.S. Route 68 intersect at the center of the city, and the Louie B. Nunn

Cumberland Parkway The Louie B. Nunn Cumberland Parkway is a east–west controlled-access highway in the U.S. state of Kentucky, extending from Barren County in the west to Somerset in the east. It is one of seven named highways designated in Kentucky's par ...

passes south of downtown, with access from three exits.

Bowling Green A bowling green is a finely laid, close-mown and rolled stretch of turf for playing the game of bowls. Before 1830, when Edwin Beard Budding of Thrupp, near Stroud, UK, invented the lawnmower, lawns were often kept cropped by grazing sheep on ...

is to the west,

Mammoth Cave National Park Mammoth Cave National Park is an American national park in west-central 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 Sout ...

is to the northwest, Elizabethtown is to the north, Columbia is to the east, and Scottsville is to the southwest. 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 ...

, Glasgow has a total area of , of which is land and , or 0.53%, is water.

History

The city of Glasgow was established by the Kentucky state assembly in 1799. The same year, the community was selected as the seat of a new county, owing to its central location, its large spring, native John Gorin's donation of for public buildings, and its being named for the Scottish

hometown Hometown, HomeTown, or Home Town may refer to: *A hometown, the town where someone lives or the town that they come from, typically their place of birth. *In developing nations particularly: native place, village of origin in newly urbanized soci ...

of the father of William Logan, one of the two commissioners charged with selecting the county seat. A post office was established in 1803, and the town received its city rights in 1809. ;George Washington in Glasgow Former U.S. President

George Washington George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of th ...

had a half-brother named

Augustine Washington, Jr. Augustine Washington Jr. (1720 – 1762) was an American planter, military officer and politician best known for being the half-brother of George Washington. Early and family life A member of the Washington family. He was the third and younges ...

who was the husband of Anne Aylett Washington and had a daughter named Elizabeth Washington. Elizabeth Washington married Alexander Eliot Spotswood and were given a home and land from George Washington (Elizabeth's uncle) in Glasgow. The home, called "Spotswood" after its first owner, Alexander Spotswood, is located at 309 N Race Street. ;Historic homes Plaza Theater Glasgow Kentucky 03-15-2014

Plaza Theater Glasgow Kentucky 03-15-2014

All across Glasgow are historic homes that can date back to the early 1800s. The most popular part of town with these homes is South Green Street; this street has many historic houses that have many different architectural styles including

Colonial Colonial or The Colonial may refer to: * Colonial, of, relating to, or characteristic of a colony or colony (biology) Architecture * American colonial architecture * French Colonial * Spanish Colonial architecture Automobiles * Colonial (1920 au ...

Federal Federal or foederal (archaic) may refer to: Politics General *Federal monarchy, a federation of monarchies *Federation, or ''Federal state'' (federal system), a type of government characterized by both a central (federal) government and states or ...

, and Victorian. ;Civil War The

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

affected many smaller towns like Glasgow. There are many places that were part of the

Underground Railroad The Underground Railroad was a network of clandestine routes and safe houses established in the United States during the early- to mid-19th century. It was used by enslaved African Americans primarily to escape into free states and Canada. T ...

in Glasgow, such as Big Spring Bottom for keeping horses and the Spotswood House on North Race Street for hiding slaves. Other places include the Old Glasgow Seminary Home on East Main Street; this house has several rooms dug out in the earth with tunnels running into them for keeping the slaves hidden and safe. ;Western Kentucky University

Western Kentucky University Western Kentucky University is a public university in Bowling Green, Kentucky. It was founded by the Commonwealth of Kentucky in 1906, though its roots reach back a quarter-century earlier. It operates regional campuses in Glasgow, Elizabethtow ...

was originally in Glasgow when it was established in 1875, but 10 years later it moved to its present-day location in

and serves as WKU's main campus. Since 1998, WKU has operated a regional campus in Glasgow.

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 2010, there were 14,208 people, 5,994 households, and 3,619 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 RosenberPopul ...

was . There were 6,710 housing units, at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 86.1%

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 ...

, 8.0%

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 have o ...

, 0.1% Native American, 0.8%

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 ...

, 0.2%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe the original p ...

, 2.1% 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 2.7% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 4.3% of the population. There were 5,994 households, of which 26.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.5% 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, 15.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.6% were non-families. 34.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.23, and the average family size was 2.85. The age distribution was 22.0% under the age of 18, 8.5% from 18 to 24, 25.9% from 25 to 44, 23.0% from 45 to 64, and 20.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 82.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 78.4 males. The median income for a household in the city was $28,083, and the median income for a family was $36,677. Males had a median income of $31,123 versus $20,964 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 $18,697. About 14.1% of families and 19.5% 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 26.2% of those under age 18 and 20.9% of those age 65 or over.

Politics

Glasgow is governed by a mayor and city council. Mayors of Glasgow: * Harold Armstrong - January 2019 – present * Dick Doty - January 2015 - December 2018 * Rhonda Riherd Trautman - January 2011 - December 2014 * Darrell G. Pickett - January 2003 - December 2010 * Charles B. Honeycutt - January 1986 - December 2002 * Luska Twyman - September 1968 - December 1985 * Robert A. Lessenberry - January 1966 - September 1968 * Lynn Mayfield - January 1962 - December 1965 * William H. Grissom - January 1958 - December 1961 * W. Earl Walbert - January 1954 - December 1957 * Leslie Moran - January 1950 - December 1953 * Sewell C. Harlin - January 1946 - December 1949 * Winn Davis - January 1936 - December 1945 * J. E. Clayton - January 1926 - December 1935 * Brice T. Leech - January 1922 - December 1925 In the mid-1990s, Glasgow began its own cable system for television and internet access. The municipal service had saved its residents $32 million over proprietary providers through 2011. In November 2008, the city voted Yes on Proposition 8, making it legal for restaurants to sell liquor by the drink to the public; package sales were still prohibited. Another vote in 2016 legalized liquor sales throughout all of Barren County, and also legalized package sales and liquor by the drink in taverns. In April 2010, the city council voted for a citywide

smoking ban Smoking bans, or smoke-free laws, are public policies, including criminal laws and occupational safety and health regulations, that prohibit tobacco smoking in certain spaces. The spaces most commonly affected by smoking bans are indoor work ...

in all indoor public places. The ban began officially on June 22, 2010.

Education

Glasgow Public Schools are part of the Glasgow Independent Schools. The district has two elementary schools, one middle school, and one high school. Keith Hale is the Superintendent of Schools. The city system's schools include South Green Elementary School, Highland Elementary School, Glasgow Middle School, and Glasgow High School. The Barren County School System also has schools inside the Glasgow city limits, including Barren County High School, Trojan Academy, Red Cross Elementary School. and Barren County Middle School. Glasgow 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 service, civil servants. There are ...

, the Mary Wood Weldon Memorial Library.

Climate

The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the

Köppen Climate Classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...

system, Glasgow has a

humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a zone of climate characterized by hot and humid summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between latitudes 25° and 40° ...

, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.

Economy

Major employers in Glasgow include LSC Communications (formerly R. R. Donnelley, now closed),

Akebono Brake Industry is a Japanese manufacturer of brake components for automobiles, motorcycles, trains, and industrial machinery. The company was founded by Sanji Osame in 1929 as Akebono Sekimen Kogyosho as a response to the demand by the Japan Army Authority ...

Walmart Walmart Inc. (; formerly Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.) is an American multinational retail corporation that operates a chain of hypermarkets (also called supercenters), discount department stores, and grocery stores from the United States, headquarter ...

Nemak Nemak, S.A.B. de C.V., known as Nemak, is a global automotive parts manufacturing company headquartered in García, Nuevo León, a municipality next to the City of Monterrey, Nuevo León, México. The company manufactures a wide range of automotiv ...

, and ACK Controls (a joint venture of Chuo Spring and

Dura Automotive Systems Dura Automotive Systems (or Dura) is an independent designer and manufacturer of automotive components, including control systems, exterior systems and lightweight structural systems. Dura markets its automotive products to every North American, As ...

). Other employers include South Central Rural Telephone

Cooperative A cooperative (also known as co-operative, co-op, or coop) is "an autonomous association of persons united voluntarily to meet their common economic, social and cultural needs and aspirations through a jointly owned and democratically-control ...

and Glasgow Independent Schools.

Notable people

Walter Arnold Baker Walter Arnold Baker (February 20, 1937 – May 24, 2010) was an American lawyer and politician who served in both houses of the Kentucky General Assembly, in the presidential administration of Ronald Reagan, and on the Kentucky Supreme Court. A ...

(1937-2010) : Associate Justice, Kentucky Supreme Court, Assistant General Counsel for International Affairs in the Department of Defense, Member of Kentucky Senate and House of Representatives, Lieutenant Colonel, Kentucky Air National Guard. * Johnny Bell (born 1965), former Majority Whip in House of Representatives of Kentucky * Jesse Bishop (1933–1979), convicted murderer executed in Nevada by gas chamber *

Willa Brown Willa Beatrice Brown (January 22, 1906 – July 18, 1992) was an American aviator, lobbyist, teacher, and civil rights activist. She was the first African American woman to earn a pilot's license in the United States, the first African Ame ...

(1906–1992), first black woman to run for Congress (1946), and first black woman to receive a commercial pilot's license in the United States * Richard E. Bush (1924–2004), Master Gunnery Sergeant, Medal of Honor recipient for service during World War II *

Kelly Craft Kelly Dawn Craft (; born February 24, 1962) is an American businesswoman, political donor, politician, and former diplomat who served as the United States ambassador to the United Nations from 2019 to 2021. Craft previously served as the United ...

(née Guilfoil; born 1962), Former

United States Ambassador to the United Nations The United States ambassador to the United Nations is the leader of the U.S. delegation, the U.S. Mission to the United Nations. The position is formally known as the permanent representative of the United States of America to the United Nations ...

and

United States Ambassador to Canada This is a list of ambassadors of the United States to Canada.U.S. ...

* Nettie Depp (1874–1932), founder of first public four-year high school in Barren County (at Glasgow's former Liberty College), and first woman public official elected in Barren County (public school superintendent 1913–17) * Russell E. Dougherty (1920–2007), 4-star General and former commander of the US Air Force Strategic Air Command *

Denny Doyle Robert Dennis Doyle (January 17, 1944 – December 20, 2022) was an American professional baseball second baseman who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Philadelphia Phillies, California Angels, and Boston Red Sox. Listed at and , h ...

(born 1944), former

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...

player *

Julian Goodman Julian Byrn Goodman (May 1, 1922 – July 2, 2012) was an American broadcasting executive and journalist. Personal He was born in Glasgow, Kentucky and graduated from Glasgow High School. Goodman took a hard stance in support of the first amen ...

(1922–2012), former president of

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an Television in the United States, American English-language Commercial broadcasting, commercial television network, broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Enterta ...

* Jim Gray (born 1953), Mayor of Lexington * James G. Hardy (1795–1856), former

lieutenant governor A lieutenant governor, lieutenant-governor, or vice governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction. Often a lieutenant governor is the deputy, or lieutenant, to or ranked under a governor — a "second-in-comm ...

of Kentucky *

Dave Harris Dave Harris (born February 25, 1971) is an American disc jockey, songwriter and musician. He was born in Glasgow, Kentucky, United States, and hosted the syndicated radio show ''Retro Rewind'' in 1999. Harris created ''Retro Rewind'' in Octob ...

(born 1971), host of syndicated radio show ''

Retro Rewind Retro Rewind was an American nationally syndicated radio show hosted by Dave Harris. Retro Rewind featured music from the 80s and 90s and also the popular segment, "7 Minutes of 70s". The show usually featured interviews and sometimes performance ...

'' and songwriter *

Salty Holmes Floyd Holmes (March 6, 1910 – January 1, 1970), better known as Salty Holmes, was an American country musician and Western B-movie actor. Holmes was born in Glasgow, Kentucky. He became a virtuoso on the harmonica, specializing in the style k ...

(1910–1970), singer and actor * Darrin Horn (born 1972), former Western Kentucky University men's basketball coach, former University of South Carolina coach * Courtney Johnson (1939–1996), banjo player, member of

New Grass Revival New Grass Revival was an American progressive bluegrass band founded in 1971, and composed of Sam Bush, Courtney Johnson, Ebo Walker, Curtis Burch, Butch Robins, John Cowan, Béla Fleck and Pat Flynn. They were active between 1971 and 1989, r ...

* Several members of

The Kentucky Headhunters The Kentucky Headhunters are an American country rock and Southern rock band originating in the state of Kentucky. The band's members are Doug Phelps (vocals, bass guitar), Greg Martin (vocals, lead guitar), and brothers Richard Young (vocals, rhy ...

, award-winning

country rock Country rock is a genre of music which fuses rock and country. It was developed by rock musicians who began to record country-flavored records in the late 1960s and early 1970s. These musicians recorded rock records using country themes, vocal s ...

band *

Arthur Krock Arthur Bernard Krock (November 16, 1886 – April 12, 1974) was a Pulitzer Prize winning American journalist. In a career spanning several decades covering the tenure of eleven United States presidents he became known as the "Dean of Washington ne ...

(1886–1974), journalist *

Preston Leslie Preston Hopkins Leslie (March 8, 1819 – February 7, 1907) was the 26th Governor of Kentucky from 1871 to 1875, and territorial governor of Montana from 1887 to 1889. He ascended to the office of governor by three different means. First, he su ...

(1819–1907), former governor of Kentucky *

Louie Nunn Louie Broady Nunn (March 8, 1924 – January 29, 2004) was an American politician who served as the 52nd governor of Kentucky. Elected in 1967, he was the only Republican to hold the office between the end of Simeon Willis's term in 1947 and t ...

(1924–2004), former governor of Kentucky * Steve Nunn (born 1952), former state representative; son of Louie Nunn; pleaded guilty to murdering his former fiancée *

Diane Sawyer Lila Diane Sawyer (; born December 22, 1945) is an American television broadcast journalist known for anchoring major programs on two networks including ''ABC World News Tonight'', '' Good Morning America'', ''20/20'', and '' Primetime'' newsmag ...

(born 1945), journalist and host of ''

ABC World News ''ABC World News Tonight'' (titled ''ABC World News Tonight with David Muir'' for its weeknight broadcasts since September 2014) is the flagship daily evening television news program of ABC News, the news division of the American Broadcasting ...

'' *

John T. Scott John Tarrell Scott (June 30, 1940 – September 1, 2007) was an American sculptor, painter, printmaker, collagist, and MacArthur Fellow. The works of Scott meld abstraction with contemporary techniques infused with references to traditional Af ...

(1831-1891), Justice of the

Indiana Supreme Court The Indiana Supreme Court, established by Article 7 of the Indiana Constitution, is the highest judicial authority in the state of Indiana. Located in Indianapolis, Indiana, Indianapolis, the Court's chambers are in the north wing of the Indiana ...

* Luska Twyman (1913–1988), mayor of Glasgow and first black mayor in Kentucky * Billy Vaughn (1919–1991), musician and band leader

References

External links

City of Glasgow official website

Glasgow community website

''Glasgow Daily Times''
local daily newspaper {{authority control Cities in Kentucky County seats in Kentucky Glasgow, Kentucky, micropolitan area Cities in Barren County, Kentucky Scottish-American culture in Kentucky