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Prestonsburg is a small home rule-class city in and the
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 st ...
of Floyd 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 to ...
, United States. It is in the eastern part of the state in the valley of the Big Sandy River. The population was 3,255 at the time of the 2010 census, down from 3,612 at the 2000 census.


History

The area was part of the grant in the early 1700s to the family of John Preston's wife, born Elizabeth Patton, which he administered on her behalf. The grant was intended to permit British colonization beyond the
Blue Ridge Mountains The Blue Ridge Mountains are a physiographic province of the larger Appalachian Mountains range. The mountain range is located in the Eastern United States, and extends 550 miles southwest from southern Pennsylvania through Maryland, West Virgin ...
, but subsequent French and Indian resistance and a reversal of British policy limited its impact. The land was not settled until John Spurlock of
Montgomery County, Virginia Montgomery County is a county located in the Valley and Ridge area of the U.S. state of Virginia. As population in the area increased, Montgomery County was formed in 1777 from Fincastle County, which in turn had been taken from Botetourt Count ...
, arrived in 1791. He laid out the town of "Preston's Station" in 1797. It became the seat of Floyd County upon its formation in 1799 and was formally established in 1818. The post office was known as "Floyd Court House" from its establishment in 1816 until the late 1820s, when it was renamed "Prestonsburg".Rennick, Robert. ''Kentucky Place Names''
p. 242
University Press of Kentucky (Lexington), 1987. Accessed 1 August 2013.
On January 10, 1862, nearby Middle Creek was the scene of the largest battle of 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 ...
to occur in
eastern Kentucky Eastern may refer to: Transportation *China Eastern Airlines, a current Chinese airline based in Shanghai * Eastern Air, former name of Zambia Skyways * Eastern Air Lines, a defunct American airline that operated from 1926 to 1991 * Eastern Air ...
. The town was also the site of one of the worst school bus disasters in American history on February 28, 1958. The town had a pack horse library in the late 1930s to bring library materials to rural mountain residents.


Culture

U.S. Route 23 } U.S. Route 23 or U.S. Highway 23 (US 23) is a major north–south U.S. Highway between Jacksonville, Florida, and Mackinaw City, Michigan. It is an original 1926 route which originally reached only as far south as Portsmouth, Ohio, and has sinc ...
, also called "The
Country Music Highway A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. It may be a sovereign state or make up one part of a larger state. For example, the country of Japan is an independent, sovereign state, while th ...
" to celebrate the region's rich heritage of music, runs through Prestonsburg. Country music stars including
Loretta Lynn Loretta Lynn (; April 14, 1932 – October 4, 2022) was an American country music singer and songwriter. In a career spanning six decades, Lynn released multiple gold albums. She had numerous hits such as " You Ain't Woman Enough (To Take My M ...
,
Crystal Gayle Crystal Gayle (born Brenda Gail Webb; January 9, 1951) is an American country music singer widely known for her 1977 hit "Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue". Initially, Gayle's management and record label were the same as that of her oldest sist ...
,
Wynonna Judd Wynonna Ellen Judd or simply Wynonna ( ; born Christina Claire Ciminella; May 30, 1964) is an American country music singer. She is one of the most widely recognized and awarded female country singers. In all, she has had 19 No. 1 singles, incl ...
,
Naomi Judd Naomi Judd (born Diana Ellen Judd; January 11, 1946 – April 30, 2022) was an American singer and actress. In 1980, she and her daughter Wynonna (born Christina Claire) formed the duo known as The Judds, which became a very successful country ...
,
Billy Ray Cyrus Billy Ray Cyrus (born August 25, 1961) is an American country singer and actor. He has released 16 studio albums and 53 singles since 1992, and is known for his hit single "Achy Breaky Heart", which topped the U.S. Hot Country Songs chart and ...
,
Tom T. Hall Thomas Hall (May 25, 1936 – August 20, 2021), known professionally as Tom T. Hall and informally nicknamed "the Storyteller," was an American country music singer-songwriter and short-story author. He wrote 12 No. 1 hit songs, with 26 more ...
,
Ricky Skaggs Rickie Lee Skaggs (born July 18, 1954), known professionally as Ricky Skaggs, is an American neotraditional country and bluegrass singer, musician, producer, and composer. He primarily plays mandolin; however, he also plays fiddle, guitar, ma ...
, Keith Whitley,
Dwight Yoakam Dwight David Yoakam (born October 23, 1956) is an American singer-songwriter, actor, and film director. He first achieved mainstream attention in 1986 with the release of his debut album '' Guitars, Cadillacs, Etc., Etc.''. Yoakam had considerab ...
, and
Patty Loveless Patty Loveless (born Patricia Lee Ramey, January 4, 1957) is an American country music singer. She began performing in her teenaged years before signing her first recording contract with MCA Records' Nashville division in 1985. While her first ...
are all from the Big Sandy Valley. Heavy metal singer and guitarist
Dave Reffett Dave Reffett (born June 6, 1983) is an American hard rock and heavy metal guitarist, singer, producer and bassist from Blue River, Kentucky. Reffett is best known as the singer, lead guitarist, and producer of the album ''The Call of the Flam ...
also grew up near this area. Prestonsburg is mentioned in Dwight Yoakam's "Readin', Rightin', Rt. 23" (from his album '' Hillbilly Deluxe''), a song about the yearning of local
coal miners People have worked as coal miners for centuries, but they became increasingly important during the Industrial revolution when coal was burnt on a large scale to fuel stationary and locomotive engines and heat buildings. Owing to coal's strategic ro ...
to escape their plight by traveling up
U.S. Route 23 } U.S. Route 23 or U.S. Highway 23 (US 23) is a major north–south U.S. Highway between Jacksonville, Florida, and Mackinaw City, Michigan. It is an original 1926 route which originally reached only as far south as Portsmouth, Ohio, and has sinc ...
to find employment in the factories in the North, not knowing that they were only trading one miserable life for another. Prestonsburg is the location of the
Mountain Arts Center The Mountain Arts Center is a performing arts venue located at 50 Hal Rogers Drive in Prestonsburg, Kentucky. The center was established in October 1996 and became home to the Kentucky Opry. Its main feature is the 1,054 seat theater, along wi ...
, which hosts music concerts and is home to the Kentucky Opry. Middle Creek National Battlefield is the site of the largest and most significant Civil War battle in
Eastern Kentucky Eastern may refer to: Transportation *China Eastern Airlines, a current Chinese airline based in Shanghai * Eastern Air, former name of Zambia Skyways * Eastern Air Lines, a defunct American airline that operated from 1926 to 1991 * Eastern Air ...
. Prestonsburg is home to the Samuel May House Living History Museum. It is the oldest known brick home remaining in the Big Sandy Valley. Built by Samuel May in 1817, the house was utilized by the Confederate forces as a recruiting station during the
American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...
. The 5th Kentucky Infantry CSA and 10th Kentucky Cavalry was organized at this location. The house was being used as a residence until 1981 and was donated to the City of Prestonsburg in 1992. The Samuel May House has since been restored and maintained as a living history museum. The
Jenny Wiley Theatre Jenny Wiley Theatre was a non-profit organization in Kentucky that produced classic Broadway musicals, comedies, historical dramas and holiday productions at both the Jenny Wiley Amphitheatre, located within the Jenny Wiley State Resort Park, and ...
is located in Prestonsburg and offers theatrical productions all year long at both the outdoor Jenny Wiley Amphitheater, located within the
Jenny Wiley State Resort Park Jenny Wiley State Resort Park was founded as Dewey Lake State Park on January 1, 1954, with Dewey Lake near Prestonsburg, Kentucky as its centerpiece. It was renamed in the early 1950s for Jenny Wiley, Virginia "Jenny" Wiley, a pioneer woman who ...
, and the nearby Mountain Arts Center. The Theatre's presentations of classic Broadway musicals, comedies, historical dramas and holiday productions have kept theatre-goers entertained for the past 40 years. Prestonsburg is also the home of the
East Kentucky Science Center The East Kentucky Science Center was once a private, non-profit science center and planetarium located on the main campus of Big Sandy Community and Technical College in Prestonsburg, Kentucky. As of 2008, the EKSC became part of Big Sandy Comm ...
. Opened in 2004, the Science Center contains one of the most technologically advanced planetariums in the United States.


Geography

Prestonsburg is located in northern Floyd County at (37.6656527, -82.7715486) in the eastern part of the state, along the banks of the
Levisa Fork The Levisa Fork (also known as the Levisa Fork River or the Levisa Fork of the Big Sandy River) is a tributary of the Big Sandy River, approximately long,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe Nati ...
of the Big Sandy River. It is south of
Paintsville Paintsville () is a home rule-class city along Paint Creek in Johnson County, Kentucky, in the United States. It is the seat of its county. The population was 3,459 during the 2010 U.S. Census. History A Paint Lick Station was referred to in ...
and northwest of Pikeville. 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 ...
, Prestonsburg has a total area of , of which is land and , or 1.52%, is water.


Climate


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 2000, there were 3,612 people, 1,563 households, and 956 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 1,683 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 97.51%
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 ...
, 0.33%
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 ...
, 0.50% Native American, 0.53%
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 ...
, 0.44% 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 0.69% from two or more races.
Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, 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 Vic ...
or
Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...
of any race were 1.02% of the population. There were 1,563 households, out of which 26.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.4% 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, 14.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.8% were non-families. 37.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.09 and the average family size was 2.72. In the city, the population was spread out, with 20.2% under the age of 18, 9.2% from 18 to 24, 26.1% from 25 to 44, 23.9% from 45 to 64, and 20.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 83.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.8 males. The median income for a household in the city was $20,810, and the median income for a family was $27,852. Males had a median income of $30,809 versus $22,439 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 $18,013. About 26.3% of families and 27.5% 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 44.2% of those under the age of 18 and 10.3% of those 65 and older.


Education

Schools are managed by Floyd County Schools. *Prestonsburg Elementary School *James D. Adams Middle School *Prestonsburg High School *Big Sandy Community & Technical College Prestonsburg 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 ...
, a branch of the Floyd County Public Library.


Recreation

*Archer Park *
Jenny Wiley State Resort Park Jenny Wiley State Resort Park was founded as Dewey Lake State Park on January 1, 1954, with Dewey Lake near Prestonsburg, Kentucky as its centerpiece. It was renamed in the early 1950s for Jenny Wiley, Virginia "Jenny" Wiley, a pioneer woman who ...
*Sugarcamp Mountain Trails *The Passage Trail


Notable people

*
Allison Ball Allison Ball (born August 27, 1981) is an American attorney and politician who serves as the Kentucky State Treasurer. She is a member of the Republican Party. Early years and career Ball is a ninth-generation Eastern Kentuckian. Her family ha ...
,
Kentucky State Treasurer The Kentucky State Treasurer is elected every four years along with the governor and other statewide officials. The treasurer, who can serve two terms, acts as the state's chief elected fiscal officer.Kentucky TreasureWebsite/ref> The salary is $1 ...
. *
Bert Combs Bertram Thomas Combs (August 13, 1911 – December 4, 1991) was an American jurist and politician from the Commonwealth of Kentucky. After serving on the Kentucky Court of Appeals, he was elected the 50th Governor of Kentucky in 1959 on his s ...
, 50th
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-el ...
. *
Boyd Holbrook Robert Boyd Holbrook (born September 1, 1981) is an American actor. He has starred in the Netflix series ''Narcos'' (2015-2017) as DEA agent Steve Murphy and '' The Sandman'' (2022-) as the Corinthian, as well as in the History miniseries '' Ha ...
, actor and fashion model. *
Greg Stumbo Gregory D. Stumbo (born August 14, 1951) is an American lawyer and former Speaker of the Kentucky House of Representatives. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as Kentucky Attorney general from 2004 to 2008. He was the Democratic candida ...
, former speaker of the
Kentucky House of Representatives The Kentucky House of Representatives is the lower house of the Kentucky General Assembly. It is composed of 100 Representatives elected from single-member districts throughout the Commonwealth. Not more than two counties can be joined to form ...
. *
Janet Stumbo Janet Lynn Stumbo (born October 21, 1954) is a former associate justice of the Kentucky Court of Appeals, the second woman to ever serve on the court. From 1993 to 2004, she was an associate justice of the Kentucky Supreme Court, becoming the firs ...
, former
Kentucky Supreme Court The Kentucky Supreme Court was created by a 1975 constitutional amendment and is the state supreme court of the U.S. state of Kentucky. Prior to that the Kentucky Court of Appeals was the only appellate court in Kentucky. The Kentucky Court of ...
justice.


See also

*
Highlands Regional Medical Center Highlands ARH Regional Medical Center is a hospital in Prestonsburg, Kentucky. A 184-bed, nonprofit healthcare facility operated by Appalachian Regional Healthcare. it serves the counties of Floyd, Johnson, Martin, and Magoffin, a combined popul ...
*
The Floyd County Times The Floyd County Chronicle & Times is a bi-weekly newspaper based in Prestonsburg, Kentucky covering Floyd County, Kentucky. The paper was formed in 2017 when Lancaster Management, owner of the weekly ''Floyd County Chronicle'', purchased the tw ...
*
Big Sandy Area Development District The Big Sandy Area Development District (BSADD) is a regional planning and development organization that focuses on economic and community development; community services; aging and disability services; and housing services for a five county regio ...
*
East Kentucky Science Center The East Kentucky Science Center was once a private, non-profit science center and planetarium located on the main campus of Big Sandy Community and Technical College in Prestonsburg, Kentucky. As of 2008, the EKSC became part of Big Sandy Comm ...


References


External links


Prestonsburg Tourism Commission
{{authority control * Cities in Floyd County, Kentucky County seats in Kentucky Populated places established in 1818 Cities in Kentucky 1818 establishments in Kentucky