Letcher County is a
county
A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposes Chambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...
located in the
U.S. state of
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 ...
. As of the
2020 census, the population was 21,548.
Its
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 ...
is
Whitesburg.
The county, founded in 1842, is named for
Robert P. Letcher,
Governor of Kentucky
The governor of the Commonwealth of Kentucky is the head of government of Kentucky. Sixty-two men and one woman have served as governor of Kentucky. The governor's term is four years in length; since 1992, incumbents have been able to seek re-e ...
from 1840 to 1844.
History
Letcher County is a
dry county
A dry county is a county in the United States whose government forbids the sale of any kind of alcoholic beverages. Some prohibit off-premises sale, some prohibit on-premises sale, and some prohibit both. Dozens of dry counties exist across th ...
, with the only exceptions being the Highland Winery,
the city of Whitesburg, and the city of Jenkins.
Harry M. Caudill's 1963 book, ''
Night Comes to the Cumberlands: A Biography of a Depressed Area'', brought the county to national attention. The
CBS documentary ''Christmas in Appalachia'' (1964) hosted by
Charles Kuralt also brought the nation's attention to Letcher County as citizens sent clothes and gifts in response to the conditions of those featured.
Geography
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 th ...
, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (0.3%) is water.
Letcher County's natural areas include Bad Branch Falls and the Lilley Cornett Woods.
Adjacent counties
*
Knott County (northwest)
*
Pike County (northeast)
*
Wise County, Virginia
Wise County is a county located in the U.S. state of Virginia. The county was formed in 1856 from Lee, Scott, and Russell Counties and named for Henry A. Wise, who was the Governor of Virginia at the time.
History
The Cherokee conquered the ...
(southeast)
*
Harlan County (south)
*
Perry County Perry County may refer to:
United States
* Perry County, Alabama
* Perry County, Arkansas
*Perry County, Illinois
* Perry County, Indiana
* Perry County, Kentucky
* Perry County, Mississippi
* Perry County, Missouri
*Perry County, Ohio
*Perr ...
(southwest)
National protected area
*
Jefferson National Forest (part)
State protected area
*
Bad Branch Falls State Nature Preserve
Bad Branch Falls State Nature Preserve is a forested gorge covering 2,639 acres (10.68 Km2) near Whitesburg, KY in Letcher County, Kentucky. The deep and narrow gorge, adjacent to the Jefferson National Forest is carved into the face of Pine Mounta ...
* Lilley Cornett Woods Experiment Station (Eastern Kentucky University)
State Parks
*
Kingdom Come State Park (part)
*
Pine Mountain Trail State Scenic Trail (part)
Pioneer Horse Trail controversy
In an effort to bring tourists to Letcher County and to revitalize the local economy, the Pioneer Horse Trail was constructed on
Pine Mountain.
The trail, part of an "adventure tourism" initiative spearheaded by then Governor
Steve Beshear
Steven Lynn Beshear (born September 21, 1944) is an American attorney and politician who served as the 61st governor of Kentucky from 2007 to 2015. He served in the Kentucky House of Representatives from 1974 to 1980, was the state's 44th Attorn ...
, Beshear's wife Jane, and
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 ...
Daniel Mongiardo, was completed in 2009.
However, controversy arose about whether the environment would be harmed during construction. In the summer of 2008, the Letcher County
Fiscal Court
There are 120 counties in the U.S. Commonwealth of Kentucky. Despite ranking 37th in size by area, Kentucky has 120 counties, fourth among states (including Virginia's independent cities). The original motivation for having so many counties wa ...
had signed an agreement with state officials stating that the county would do an environmental impact study before construction would begin.
Documents obtained by the ''
Lexington Herald-Leader
The ''Lexington Herald-Leader'' is a newspaper owned by the McClatchy Company and based in Lexington, Kentucky. According to the ''1999 Editor & Publisher International Yearbook'', the paid circulation of the ''Herald-Leader'' is the second larg ...
'' under Kentucky's Open Records Act showed that construction actually began before the study was to take place. County-owned bulldozers started clearing trees in part of a wildlife management area in which heavy equipment was not permitted.
Environmental groups are asking the
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to determine if any species on the threatened or endangered list were harmed.
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 inc ...
of 2000, there were 25,277 people, 10,085 households, and 7,462 families residing in the county. 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 RosenberPopu ...
was . There were 11,405 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 98.71%
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 ...
, 0.51%
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 ha ...
or
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 ...
, 0.10%
Native American, 0.28%
Asian, 0.02%
Pacific Islander
Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/ racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...
, 0.03% from
other races, and 0.35% from two or more races. 0.44% of the population were
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 for ...
or
Latino of any race.
There were 10,085 households, out of which 32.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.40% 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 ...
living together, 11.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.00% were non-families. 24.10% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 2.94.
The age distribution was 23.70% under the age of 18, 9.20% from 18 to 24, 28.70% from 25 to 44, 25.80% from 45 to 64, and 12.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 95.80 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.10 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $21,110, and the median income for a family was $24,869. Males had a median income of $30,488 versus $17,902 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 county was $11,984. About 23.70% of families and 27.10% 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 ...
, including 35.90% of those under age 18 and 21.20% of those age 65 or over.
Education
Two public school districts operate in the county.
Letcher County Public Schools
Most K-12 students in the county, with the exception of those living in the far eastern part of the county surrounding
Jenkins, are served by the Letcher County Public Schools. The district operates nine elementary/middle schools, one vocational school, one high school, and an alternative education center.
In 2005, the doors to the new
Letcher County Central High School were opened in Ermine (the school's postal address, however, is in Whitesburg), with total costs of over
$25,000,000. The school's nickname is the Cougars, and the school colors are blue, black, and silver. The school volleyball team has been to the state tournament every year since its creation and the wrestling team has had multiple regional champions. The baseball team has claimed three region titles in 2007, 2011, and 2013, with two state tournament appearances and one semi-state appearance. The boys Cross Country team has had 3 region championships and an individual region champion. The Girls basketball team made a State sweet sixteen appearance.
Jenkins Independent Schools
Students in the Jenkins area are served by the Jenkins Independent Schools, which operates two elementary schools (located on two campuses in the communities of
McRoberts and Burdine) and a combined middle and high school with grades 7–12. Jenkins Independent Schools celebrated its 100th year in 2012. The middle/high school's athletic nickname is the Cavaliers/Lady Cavaliers. The school colors are Kelly Green and White.
Politics
Letcher County has a somewhat similar political history to West Virginia. Under the
Fourth Party System
The Fourth Party System is the term used in political science and history for the period in American political history from about 1896 to 1932 that was dominated by the Republican Party, except the 1912 split in which Democrats captured the White ...
it was a reliable Republican county, voting Republican in every election from 1884 to 1928. However, with increasing unionization under the
New Deal
The New Deal was a series of programs, public work projects, financial reforms, and regulations enacted by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in the United States between 1933 and 1939. Major federal programs agencies included the Civilian Con ...
it turned for the next sixty to seventy years into a fairly solid Democratic county, apart from the 1956 and 1972 landslides and the candidacy of
John F. Kennedy. However, since 2004 as the Democratic Party has become opposed to coal production due to global warming issues, it has now become a solidly Republican county.
Economy
Coal companies in Letcher County
*
Alpha Natural Resources
* James River Coal Company
* Rhino Resource Partners
*
United Coal Company
Media
Television
Two
Public-access television cable TV
Cable television is a system of delivering television programming to consumers via radio frequency (RF) signals transmitted through coaxial cables, or in more recent systems, light pulses through fibre-optic cables. This contrasts with broa ...
channels serve Letcher County. The Letcher County Government Channel is
Government-access television (GATV), operated by the Letcher County Fiscal Court and airs government meetings, local events, and emergency information.
LCPS-TV is operated by the Letcher County Public Schools and airs school announcements, events, and
Educational access television programs.
Radio
*
WTCW
*
WXKQ-FM
*
WMMT (FM), community radio station owned by
Appalshop
Appalshop is a media, arts, and education center located in Whitesburg, Kentucky, in the heart of the southern Appalachian region of the United States.
History
Appalshop was founded in 1969 as the Appalachian Film Workshop, a project of the Un ...
*
WIFX-FM
*
WKVG
*
WNKW
Newspapers
* ''
The Mountain Eagle''
* ''Letcher County Community News-Press''
Infrastructure
Transportation
Public transportation is provided by LKLP
Community Action Partnership with demand-response service and scheduled service from
Whitesburg to
Hazard
A hazard is a potential source of harm. Substances, events, or circumstances can constitute hazards when their nature would allow them, even just theoretically, to cause damage to health, life, property, or any other interest of value. The probab ...
.
Events
*
Whitesburg's July 4 Celebration, is a free event held on the Fourth of July at Riverside Park. The event includes free music, entertainment, fireworks and fun.
*
Whitesburg Labor Day Celebration, a one-day festival held in Riverside Park on Labor Day Monday. It features food, as well as free music, entertainment and inflatables for the kids.
* The town of
Fleming-Neon, hosts its annual Neon Area Days the second Friday and Saturday in September. Neon is home to gospel singer Martha Carson. In 1998 she returned to Neon for the festival and was honored.
* The Mountain Heritage Festival is held in
Whitesburg during the last full week of September.
* In
Jenkins, Jenkins Homecoming Days are also celebrated annually in August.
Communities
Cities
*
Blackey
*
Fleming-Neon
*
Jenkins
*
Whitesburg (county seat)
Census-designated places
*
Mayking
*
McRoberts
*
Millstone
Millstones or mill stones are stones used in gristmills, for grinding wheat or other grains. They are sometimes referred to as grindstones or grinding stones.
Millstones come in pairs: a wikt:convex, convex stationary base known as the ''be ...
*
Payne Gap
Other unincorporated places
*
Beefhide (partial)
*
Burdine
*
Deane
*
Dunham
*
Eolia
*
Ermine
*
Gaskill
*
Gilley
*
Hemphill
*
Isom
*
Jeremiah
Jeremiah, Modern: , Tiberian: ; el, Ἰερεμίας, Ieremíās; meaning "Yah shall raise" (c. 650 – c. 570 BC), also called Jeremias or the "weeping prophet", was one of the major prophets of the Hebrew Bible. According to Jewis ...
*
Letcher
*
Seco
Notable people
*
Harry M. Caudill (1922–1990), author, historian, professor, lawyer, legislator, and environmentalist
*
Jack K. Hale (1928–2009), mathematician
*
Emery L. Frazier (Mayor, state representative, Chief Clerk of the
U.S. Senate, Secretary of the
U.S. Senate, 1896–1973)
*
Gary Stewart (Country music singer and musician, 1944–2003)
*
Martha Carson
Martha Carson (March 19, 1921 – December 16, 2004), born Irene Amburgey, was an American gospel- country music singer most popular during the 1950s.
Biography
Early life and rise to fame
Amburgey was born in Neon, Kentucky (since absorbed in ...
(Country/gospel music singer, 1920–2004)
*
Lee Sexton (Country, bluegrass, old-time musician)
*
Tom Gish, died 2008, publisher of the ''Mountain Eagle'' in Whitesburg, grew up in the county
*
Francis Gary Powers
Francis Gary Powers (August 17, 1929 – August 1, 1977) was an American pilot whose Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Lockheed U-2 spy plane was shot down while flying a reconnaissance mission in Soviet Union airspace, causing the 1960 U-2 in ...
(August 17, 1929 – August 1, 1977) was an American pilot whose CIA U-2 spy plane was shot down while over the Soviet Union, causing the 1960 U-2 incident.
*
Kenny Baker (June 26, 1926 – July 8, 2011) was an American fiddle player best known for his 25-year tenure with Bill Monroe and his group The Blue Grass Boys.
*
Jessamyn Duke (mixed-martial artist, professional wrestler)
See also
*
Caudill, Harry M., Author of ''
Night Comes to the Cumberlands'' (1963).
*
National Register of Historic Places listings in Letcher County, Kentucky
References
Further reading
*
External links
*
{{authority control
Kentucky counties
Appalachian culture in Kentucky
Counties of Appalachia
Populated places established in 1842
1842 establishments in Kentucky