Muhlenberg 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 ...

in the U.S. Commonwealth of Kentucky. As of the 2020 census, the population was 30,928. Its county seat is Greenville.

History

Muhlenberg County was formed in 1798 from the areas known as

Logan Logan may refer to: Places * Mount Logan (disambiguation) Australia * Logan (Queensland electoral district), an electoral district in the Queensland Legislative Assembly * Logan, Victoria, small locality near St. Arnaud * Logan City, local gov ...

and

Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι� ...

counties. Muhlenberg was the 34th

to be founded in Kentucky. Muhlenberg was named after General Peter Muhlenberg, who was a colonial

general A general officer is an officer of high rank in the armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry. In some usages the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colonel."general, adj. and n.". O ...

during the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...

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 an area of , of which is land and (2.6%) is water.

Features

The two primary aquatic features of Muhlenberg County are the Green River and Lake Malone. The northern area of the county's geography includes gently rolling hills, river flatlands, and some sizeable

bald cypress ''Taxodium distichum'' (bald cypress, swamp cypress; french: cyprès chauve; ''cipre'' in Louisiana) is a deciduous conifer in the family Cupressaceae. It is native to the southeastern United States. Hardy and tough, this tree adapts to a wide ...

swamps along Cypress Creek and its tributaries. The southern portion consists of rolling hills with higher relief. The southern part of the county is dotted with deep gorges. This area is known for many

sandstone Sandstone is a clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate grains. Sandstones comprise about 20–25% of all sedimentary rocks. Most sandstone is composed of quartz or feldspar (both silicat ...

formations. Several north-south-oriented faults cross the county's midpoint. Coal is found in these faults, across the county's central part. Most remaining deposits reside deep underground; previous near-surface deposits have now been exhausted by

strip mining Surface mining, including strip mining, open-pit mining and mountaintop removal mining, is a broad category of mining in which soil and rock overlying the mineral deposit (the overburden) are removed, in contrast to underground mining, in which ...

. In former years, it was common to see machines such as the "Big Brother" Power Shovel (pictured on the right) throughout the county. During the 1970s and early 1980s, Muhlenberg County was the state leader in coal production and sometimes the top coal producer in the United States. Strip mining was criticized in the song "

Paradise In religion, paradise is a place of exceptional happiness and delight. Paradisiacal notions are often laden with pastoral imagery, and may be cosmogonical or eschatological or both, often compared to the miseries of human civilization: in para ...

" by John Prine. Bighog1wiki

Sandstone Sandstone is a clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate grains. Sandstones comprise about 20–25% of all sedimentary rocks. Most sandstone is composed of quartz or feldspar (both silicat ...

is the county's most abundant rock type, although

limestone Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms w ...

becomes more common toward the southern area of the county. Two mines for extracting

iron ore Iron ores are rocks and minerals from which metallic iron can be economically extracted. The ores are usually rich in iron oxides and vary in color from dark grey, bright yellow, or deep purple to rusty red. The iron is usually found in the ...

have been attempted, at Old Airdrie on the banks of the Green River, and at Buckner Furnace south of

Greenville, Kentucky Greenville is a home rule-class city in Muhlenberg County, Kentucky, in the United States. It is the seat of its county. The population was 4,312 at the 2010 census. History The town was settled in 1799 on an estate donated by local landowner ...

. Both iron ore mines were extant in the late 19th century and early 20th century; neither were successful.

Green River

The -long Green River is a tributary of the

Ohio River The Ohio River is a long river in the United States. It is located at the boundary of the Midwestern and Southern United States, flowing southwesterly from western Pennsylvania to its mouth on the Mississippi River at the southern tip of ...

. It provides a commercial outlet for goods (primarily

coal Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock, formed as rock strata called coal seams. Coal is mostly carbon with variable amounts of other elements, chiefly hydrogen, sulfur, oxygen, and nitrogen. Coal is formed when ...

) to be shipped from the county to the major trade centers along the

Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the List of longest rivers of the United States (by main stem), second-longest river and chief river of the second-largest Drainage system (geomorphology), drainage system in North America, second only to the Hudson B ...

Lake Malone

Lake Malone () is in southern Muhlenberg County near Dunmor. It, and a portion of the surrounding hardwood forest, form Lake Malone State Park, maintained by the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife. The lake's surface extends into two neighboring counties,

Todd Todd or Todds may refer to: Places ;Australia: * Todd River, an ephemeral river ;United States: * Todd Valley, California, also known as Todd, an unincorporated community * Todd, Missouri, a ghost town * Todd, North Carolina, an unincorporated ...

and

. There are

cliffs and natural sandstone formations along the lake shore including a natural bridge, although the bridge itself is not inside the park boundary.

Adjacent counties

* McLean County (north) * Ohio County (northeast) * Butler County (east) * Logan County (southeast) * Todd County (south) *

Christian County Christian County is the name of several counties in the United States: * Christian County, Illinois * Christian County, Kentucky * Christian County, Missouri Christian County is located in the southwestern part of the U.S. state of Missouri. ...

(southwest) * Hopkins County (west)

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 2010, there were 31,499 people, 12,979 households, and 9,057 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 13,675 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 94.19%

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 ...

, 4.65%

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 ...

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 ...

, 0.13% Native American, 0.13% Asian, 0.19% from other races, and 0.72% from two or more races. 0.73% 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. The median income for a household in the county was $28,566. 15.50% of families and 19.70% of the population was 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 26.00% of those under age 18 and 17.00% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

Muhlenberg County has been a major

-producing region for the United States for many years; during most of the 1970s, Muhlenberg County annually produced more coal than anywhere else in the country. Although coal mining in the county waned in the late 1980s and early 1990s, as the 21st century began, the coal-mining industry in Muhlenberg and surrounding counties began to expand and has once again provided a significant number of jobs in the region. One reason for this is the willingness of utility operators to install flue gas cleaning systems so that bituminous coal can be burned with fewer airborne contaminants. Another reason is that most coal from the western US has a lower BTU content. Muhlenberg County held Kentucky's first commercial coal mine, opened in 1820 as the "McLean Drift Bank" along the Green River in the former village of

. The mine and its impact on the community are referenced in the John Prine song "

". Other major employers in Muhlenberg County include: * The

Tennessee Valley Authority The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) is a federally owned electric utility corporation in the United States. TVA's service area covers all of Tennessee, portions of Alabama, Mississippi, and Kentucky, and small areas of Georgia, North Carolin ...

Paradise Combined Cycle Plant The Paradise Combined Cycle Plant (formerly known as Paradise Fossil Plant) is a natural gas power plant operated by the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA). Located just east of Drakesboro, Kentucky, it was the highest power capacity power plant ...

in Drakesboro * The Green River Correctional Complex in

Central City In urban planning, a core city, principal city metropolitan core, or central city, is the largest or most important city or cities of a metropolitan area. A core city is surrounded by smaller satellite cities, towns, and suburbs. A central cit ...

Dyno Nobel Dyno Nobel is a manufacturer of explosives. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Incitec Pivot Limited operating in Australia, Canada, the United States, Africa, Indonesia, Mexico, South America, Papua New Guinea and Turkey. They provide the ...

Graham Graham and Graeme may refer to: People * Graham (given name), an English-language given name * Graham (surname), an English-language surname * Graeme (surname), an English-language surname * Graham (musician) (born 1979), Burmese singer * Clan ...

* EBA&D in Graham * Muhlenberg Community Hospital in Greenville * Muhlenberg County Board of Education in Powderly *

Kentucky National Guard The Kentucky National Guard comprises the: * Kentucky Army National Guard * Kentucky Air National Guard See also * Kentucky Active Militia, the state defense force of Kentucky which replaced the Kentucky National Guard during World War I and W ...

Wendell H. Ford Regional Training Center & Kentucky UTES * Armstrong Coal Company in Central City * Ken-American Resources: Paradise Underground Mine in Central City * Kentucky Utilities Green River Generating Station in Central City *

Wal-Mart 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 ...

in Central City. * Uncle Lee's / Wing Supply in Greenville, Kentucky * Gourmet Express in Greenville

Chamber of commerce

In January 2006, the chambers of commerce from

and Greenville merged to form the Greater Muhlenberg Chamber of Commerce representing over 155 local businesses.

Incoming industries

Peabody Energy Peabody Energy is a coal mining and energy company headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri. Its primary business consists of the mining, sale, and distribution of coal, which is purchased for use in electricity generation and steelmaking. Peabody ...

's proposed Thoroughbred Energy Plant, a coal-burning power generation facility expected to bring 450 permanent jobs to the area, was to be located in

. The plant was projected to begin electricity generation in 2007, but a dispute over Peabody's air quality permit halted construction plans. The power plant plans have now been scrapped, as was a later partnership between

and

ConocoPhillips ConocoPhillips Company is an American multinational corporation engaged in hydrocarbon exploration and production. It is based in the Energy Corridor district of Houston, Texas. The company has operations in 15 countries and has production in ...

Oil Company called "Kentucky NewGas".

Education

Schools

Public schools in Muhlenberg County are operated by the Muhlenberg County Board of Education. They include:

Postsecondary

* Muhlenberg Campus of

Madisonville Community College Madisonville Community College (MCC) is a public community college in Madisonville, Kentucky. It is one of 16 two-year, open-admissions colleges of the Kentucky Community and Technical College System (KCTCS). MCC was originally established as ...

(Central City) * Muhlenberg Career Development Center (between Central City & Greenville)

Former schools

* Drakesboro Elementary School in Drakesboro (closed in 2006) * Graham Elementary School in Graham (closed in 2004) * Hughes-Kirkpatrick Elementary School in Beechmont (closed in 2006) * Lake Malone Elementary School in Dunmor (closed in 2005) * Muhlenberg North High School (closed in 2009) * Muhlenberg South High School (closed in 2009)

Libraries

* Harbin Memorial Library in Greenville is a public library, with free access to high-speed internet * Central City Library in Central City is a public library, with free access to high-speed internet. These libraries are operated as ''Muhlenberg County Public Libraries''. Thistle Cottage Genealogy and History Annex in Greenville also operates under the umbrella of Muhlenberg County Public Libraries as a museum and history archive.

History of education

At one time the county hosted eight secondary schools. Drakesboro Community closed after the class of 1964 graduated and in 1990, the school board consolidated the middle and high school students into two middle and two high schools. Bremen High School, Central City High School, Graham High School, and half of Muhlenberg Central High School became Muhlenberg North Middle School and Muhlenberg North High School, while the other half of Muhlenberg Central High School, Drakesboro High School, Hughes-Kirkpatrick High School, Greenville High School, and Lake Malone School (which housed some middle school students) became Muhlenberg South Middle School and Muhlenberg South High School. The eight distinct schools continued to house elementary school students. In 2004, the school board began consolidating the elementary schools, closing Graham Elementary School and transferring students to Longest Elementary Greenville Elementary Schools; closing Lake Malone School and transferring students to Hughes-Kirkpatrick Elementary School. In 2005 Drakesboro Elementary School was closed, with students first attending Hughes-Kirkpatrick Elementary and then Muhlenberg South Elementary School (2006). Hughes-Kirkpatrick was later closed. Muhlenberg North and Muhlenberg South High Schools were merged into a single Muhlenberg County High School in June 2009.

Media

* WMTA AM 1380 Radio (1955) Central City * WNES AM 1050 Radio (1955) Central City * ''Times Argus'' (1909) Central City * ''Leader-News'' established in Greenville, now located in Central City
''SurfKY News''
(2008). Based in Madisonville, this online news service serves Muhlenberg County and surrounding counties. * WKYA FM 105.5 Radio Greenville * WEKV FM 101.9 Radio studio in Central City, transmitter at Pleasant Ridge, Kentucky in Ohio County

Sites of interest

* Lake Malone State Park in Dunmor * Muhlenberg County Rail to Trails, converted railroad track between Central City and Greenville *

Brewco Motorsports Brewco Motorsports was a racing team that competed in the NASCAR Busch Series (now the Xfinity Series). The team was owned from 1995 until 2007 by Clarence Brewer Jr., his wife Tammy, and Todd Wilkerson. The team won 10 races over 13 seasons in t ...

shop in Central City * Thistle Cottage, a museum and art gallery in Greenville (now part of Muhlenberg County Public Libraries) * Four Legends Fountain in Drakesboro * Muhlenberg County Agriculture and Convention Center in Powderly * Morgan Memorial Park in Greenville * The Muhlenberg County Park, a sports facility adjacent to the Muhlenberg County High School west campus in Greenville * The Brizendine Brothers Nature Park in Greenville * Luzerne Lake City Park in Greenville * Paradise Park in Powderly, includes: ** Coal Mines Shotgun House **

Merle Travis Merle Robert Travis (November 29, 1917 – October 20, 1983) was an American country and western singer, songwriter, and guitarist born in Rosewood, Kentucky, United States. His songs' lyrics often discussed both the lives and the economic exp ...

Birthplace ** Paradise Park Museum ** Springridge School *

Paradise Fossil Plant in Drakesboro, one of the nation's largest Coal-Fired Power Plants. Site includes: ** Public Boat Launch Ramp along the Green River ** Public Fishing Lakes ** Historic Village of

Cemetery, the only remnant of the village along the Green River. Central City Convention Center, Fitness Facility and Outdoor Pool & Spray Park in Central City * Muhlenberg County Courthouse (1907) in Greenville * Muhlenberg County Veterans Mall and Plaza in Greenville * Lt. Ephraim Brank Memorial & Trail, at Greenville's Veteran's Mall * The Pillars of Community have enhanced the beauty of downtown Greenville by adding "Art to Restoration". The locations include: ** FAITH – United Methodist Church on North Main Street ** FAMILY – Across from the MCTI Theater on North Main Street ** ENTERPRISE – Between Edward Jones Investments & 1st KY Bank ** PATRIOTISM – At the United States Post Office on Courts Street ** EDUCATION – In front of Greenville Elementary School on East Main Cross ** ARTS – In front of Thistle Cottage on Cherry Street ** HEALTH – In front of Muhlenberg Community Hospital ** TEAMWORK – At Martin Ground along East Main Cross * Historic Gristmill Stone, adjacent to the Veterans Mall at the Muhlenberg County Courthouse * The Summerhouse, a gazebo in Greenville

Annual events

* Rods and Ribs BBQ Festival in Central City the first Saturday in June *

Labor Day Labor Day is a federal holiday in the United States celebrated on the first Monday in September to honor and recognize the American labor movement and the works and contributions of laborers to the development and achievements of the United St ...

Cruise-In in Central City * Saturdays on the Square - summers in Greenville * Squash & Gobble arts bazaar and fall festival - Greenville * The "Clodhopper" Vintage Tractor Show - Greenville.

Politics

Communities

Cities

Bremen Bremen ( Low German also: ''Breem'' or ''Bräm''), officially the City Municipality of Bremen (german: Stadtgemeinde Bremen, ), is the capital of the German state Free Hanseatic City of Bremen (''Freie Hansestadt Bremen''), a two-city-state cons ...

* Drakesboro * Greenville (county seat) * Powderly * South Carrollton

Census-designated places

* Beechmont * Cleaton * Dunmor

Unincorporated communities

* Beech Creek * Belton * Bevier * Browder * Depoy *

Ennis Ennis () is the county town of County Clare, in the mid-west of Ireland. The town lies on the River Fergus, north of where the river widens and enters the Shannon Estuary. Ennis is the largest town in County Clare, with a population of 25,27 ...

* Frogtown * Gishton *

* Gus * Luzerne * Millport * Moorman * Nelson * Nonell *

Penrod ''Penrod'' is a collection of comic sketches by Booth Tarkington that was first published in 1914. The book follows the misadventures of Penrod Schofield, an eleven-year-old boy growing up in the pre-World War I Midwestern United States, in a ...

Rosewood Rosewood refers to any of a number of richly hued timbers, often brownish with darker veining, but found in many different hues. True rosewoods All genuine rosewoods belong to the genus ''Dalbergia''. The pre-eminent rosewood appreciated ...

Weir A weir or low head dam is a barrier across the width of a river that alters the flow characteristics of water and usually results in a change in the height of the river level. Weirs are also used to control the flow of water for outlets of l ...

Notable people

James Best Jewel Franklin Guy (July 26, 1926 – April 6, 2015), known professionally as James Best, was an American television, film, stage, and voice actor, as well as a writer, director, acting coach, artist, college professor, and musician. Duri ...

(

Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane Rosco Purvis Coltrane is a fictional sheriff character who appeared in the 1975 film ''Moonrunners'', which inspired the creation of the American TV series ''The Dukes of Hazzard'' (and related spin-off films). In ''Moonrunners'', he was played by ...

of the Dukes of Hazzard), born in Powderly *

Don Everly The Everly Brothers were an American rock duo, known for steel-string acoustic guitar playing and close harmony singing. Consisting of Isaac Donald "Don" Everly (February 1, 1937 – August 21, 2021) and Phillip "Phil" Everly (January 19, 1939 ...

The Everly Brothers The Everly Brothers were an American rock duo, known for steel-string acoustic guitar playing and close harmony singing. Consisting of Isaac Donald "Don" Everly (February 1, 1937 – August 21, 2021) and Phillip "Phil" Everly (January 19, 193 ...

singing duo, born in now-defunct Brownie, near Central City * Harpe Brothers, Micajah and Wiley, America's first known serial-killers * Kennedy Jones, guitarist *

Warren Oates Warren Mercer Oates (July 5, 1928 – April 3, 1982) was an American actor best known for his performances in several films directed by Sam Peckinpah, including ''The Wild Bunch'' (1969) and ''Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia'' (1974). A ...

, actor, born in Depoy near Greenville *

, western musician, born in Rosewood * Roger Newman, University of Kentucky men's basketball player, born in Greenville Kentucky basketball roster for 1960-61, http://www.bigbluehistory.net/bb/Statistics/roster1960-61.html * Benjamin Tod (Lost Dog Street Band), singer and songwriter * John Prine wrote the song

from his first self-titled album about growing up in Muhlenberg County in the now defunct mining town of

. The song has become a folk music staple since then.

References

External links

Muhlenberg County Schools

Muhlenberg County Public Libraries

Greater Muhlenberg Chamber of Commerce

Photos of the damage path
caused by the 2008 Super Tuesday tornado outbreak {{Coord, 37.21, -87.15, display=title, type:adm2nd_region:US-KY_source:UScensus1990 Kentucky counties 1798 establishments in Kentucky Populated places established in 1798