Breathitt County, KY
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Breathitt County ( ) is a county in the eastern Appalachian portion of the U.S. state of Kentucky. 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 of ...
, the population was 13,718. Its county seat is Jackson. The county was formed in 1839 and was named for John Breathitt, who was Governor of Kentucky from 1832 to 1834. Breathitt County was a prohibition or
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 the ...
, until a public vote in July 2016 that allowed alcohol sales.


History

The area now encompassed by Kentucky's Breathitt County was first bounded in 1772, when all of what is now the state of Kentucky was in the frontier county of Fincastle County, Virginia. Fincastle was divided in 1776, with the western portion named Kentucky County, Virginia. In 1780, Virginia set aside all land in Kentucky County for soldiers who had served in the Revolutionary War. In 1780, Kentucky County was divided into 3 counties, Jefferson, Fayette, and Lincoln. Lincoln County was divided in 1799, with part becoming Knox County. In 1807, the Legislature partitioned the upper part of Knox to create Clay County. On February 6, 1839, a portion of Clay (along with portions of Estill and Perry Counties) was partitioned off to create Breathitt County. It was named for Governor John Breathitt.


Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (0.6%) is water. The North and Middle Forks of the
Kentucky River The Kentucky River is a tributary of the Ohio River, long,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map , accessed June 13, 2011 in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), U.S. Commonwealth of Kentuc ...
pass through the county as the main water drainages.


Adjacent counties

* Wolfe County - northwest *
Magoffin County Magoffin County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of the 2010 census, the population was 13,333. Its county seat is Salyersville. The county was formed in 1860 from adjacent portions of Floyd, Johnson, and Morgan Counties ...
- northeast * Knott County - east *
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 *Perry Coun ...
- southeast *
Owsley County Owsley County is a county located in the Eastern Coalfield region of the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of the 2020 census, the population was 4,051, making it the second-least populous county in Kentucky. The county seat is Booneville. The county ...
- southwest * Lee County - west


Demographics

As of the
2000 United States Census The United States census of 2000, conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2 percent over the 248,709,873 people enumerated during the 1990 ce ...
, there were 16,100 people, 6,170 households, and 4,541 families in the county. The population density was . There were 6,812 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 98.69% White, 0.39% Black or African American, 0.09% Native American, 0.29%
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 ...
, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.08% from other races, and 0.43% from two or more races. 0.66% of the population were Hispanic 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. There were 6,170 households, out of which 34.10% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.00% were married couples living together, 14.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.40% were non-families. 23.80% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.00% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.54 and the average family size was 3.00. The county population contained 25.50% under the age of 18, 10.00% from 18 to 24, 28.90% from 25 to 44, 24.00% from 45 to 64, and 11.50% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 97.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.70 males. The median income for a household in the county was $19,155, and the median income for a family was $23,721. Males had a median income of $26,208 versus $20,613 for females. The per capita income for the county was $11,044. About 28.10% of families and 33.20% of the population were below the poverty line, including 42.90% of those under age 18 and 26.80% of those age 65 or over.


Politics


Economy


Coal companies

* Arch Coal * US Coal


Education


Jackson Independent Schools

Jackson Independent Schools is a school district that educates students inside and outside the city limits of Jackson, Kentucky. *
Jackson City School Jackson City School (under the Jackson Independent School system) is a school district serving grades pre-k through 12. It is located in the hills of Eastern Kentucky, in Jackson, Kentucky—the county seat for Breathitt County Breathitt Coun ...
– a single K-12 facility.


Breathitt County Schools

Breathitt County Schools is another school district with an array of schools within the city limits of Jackson, Kentucky and throughout the county. * Sebastian Elementary School – Jackson, Kentucky (Opened 1970) * Highland-Turner Elementary School – Canoe, Kentucky (Opened 1992) * Rousseau Elementary School (Closed 2013) – Rousseau, Kentucky * Marie Roberts-Caney Elementary School – Lost Creek, Kentucky (Expanded School Opened 1996) * *
Breathitt County High School Breathitt County High School (aka Breathitt High School) is a public high school located in the city of Jackson, Kentucky nestled in the Appalachian Mountains of Eastern Kentucky. The 2009-2010 enrollment is around 520 students. The school colors a ...
– Jackson, Kentucky (New School Opened 1982)


Private schools

* Mount Carmel School – Vancleve, Kentucky *
Oakdale Christian Academy Oakdale Christian Academy is a private, Methodist, co-educational boarding and day school in Jackson, Kentucky, United States. It was established in 1921 by Elizabeth E. O’Connor. History Oakdale was founded in 1921 by Elizabeth E O'Connor ...
– Jackson, Kentucky * Riverside Christian School – Lost Creek, Kentucky


Higher education

*
Lees College Lees College Campus of Hazard Community and Technical College is a campus in Jackson, Kentucky of Hazard Community and Technical College, a public community college. It was founded in 1883 as Jackson Academy, an elementary and high school for Brea ...
Campus of Hazard Community and Technical College (part of the Kentucky Community and Technical College System) – Jackson, Kentucky *
Kentucky Mountain Bible College Kentucky Mountain Bible College (KMBC) is a private Holiness bible college in Vancleve, Kentucky. It is a ministry of the Kentucky Mountain Holiness Association. The college claims that over 70% of its graduates have entered Christian ministry, i ...
– Vancleve, Kentucky


Breathitt Area Technology Center

The Breathitt Area Technology Center serves both the Jackson Independent and the Breathitt County school districts. It is located in Jackson on the campus of
Breathitt County High School Breathitt County High School (aka Breathitt High School) is a public high school located in the city of Jackson, Kentucky nestled in the Appalachian Mountains of Eastern Kentucky. The 2009-2010 enrollment is around 520 students. The school colors a ...
. The school is operated by the state of Kentucky. While most of the funding comes from the state, much of the equipment is purchased with federal
Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Technical Education Act The Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Technical Education Act was first authorized by the federal government in 1984 and reauthorized in 1990 (Perkins II), 1998 (Perkins III), 2006 (Perkins IV), and 2018 (Perkins V). Named for Carl D. Perkins, the act ...
funds, which are aimed at advancing technical education. The school is focused on technical education, offering these technical programs: * Automotive Technology * Construction Technology * Electrical Technology * Health Sciences * Office Technology


UK Robinson Station

The community of
Quicksand Quicksand is a colloid A colloid is a mixture in which one substance consisting of microscopically dispersed insoluble particles is suspended throughout another substance. Some definitions specify that the particles must be dispersed in a ...
is the location for the University of Kentucky Robinson Station. This agriculture research facility is a pivotal asset in Breathitt County, furthering the scientific studies in the areas of agriculture and forestry.


Health care

* Breathitt County Family Health Center, Jackson, Kentucky Breathitt County health care providers were featured in a November 23, 2013 article in '' The Washington Post'': "In Rural Kentucky, Health-Care Takes Back Seat as the Long-Uninsured Line Up". As of 2014 the county had the highest morbidity rate in the state of Kentucky.


Communities

* Altro * Bays * Caney * Canoe * Chenowee * Clayhole * Cockrell Fork (on line between Breathitt and Perry Counties) * Crockettsville * Elkatawa * Evanston * Fishtrap * Flintville * Frozen/Frozen Creek * Fugates Fork * * Haddix * Hardshell Caney * Hayes Branch * Jackson (county seat) * Leatherwood * Lost Creek * Morris Fork * Ned * Nix Branch * Noble * Noctor * Oakdale * Portsmouth *
Quicksand Quicksand is a colloid A colloid is a mixture in which one substance consisting of microscopically dispersed insoluble particles is suspended throughout another substance. Some definitions specify that the particles must be dispersed in a ...
* River Caney * Riverside * Rose Branch * Rousseau * Rowdy * Saldee * Sebastians Branch * Shoulder Blade/Shoulderblade * Smith Branch * South Fork * Stevenson * Troublesome Creek * Turners Creek * Vancleve * War Creek * Watts * Whick * Wilstacy * Wolf Coal


Notable people

* Kim Davis, the Rowan County clerk known for her refusal to comply with a federal court order directing her to issue
marriage license A marriage license (or marriage licence in Commonwealth spelling) is a document issued, either by a religious organization or state authority, authorizing a couple to marry. The procedure for obtaining a license varies between jurisdiction ...
s to same-sex couples, was born in Breathitt County. *
Jeffrey Reddick Jeffrey Reddick (born 12 July 1969) is an American screenwriter and film director, best known for creating the ''Final Destination'' franchise. Life and career Reddick was born in Jackson, Kentucky and attended Breathitt County High School. He ...
, writer for the '' Final Destination'' franchise, was born in Jackson. *
Sturgill Simpson John Sturgill Simpson (born June 8, 1978) is an American country music singer-songwriter and actor. As of February 2022, he has released seven albums as a solo artist. His first two albums, '' High Top Mountain'' and '' Metamodern Sounds in Cou ...
, country music artist/singer was born in Jackson, the county seat of Breathitt County and spent much of his childhood there.


See also

*
National Register of Historic Places listings in Breathitt County, Kentucky This is a list of the National Register of Historic Places listings in Breathitt County, Kentucky. It is intended to be a complete list of the properties on the National Register of Historic Places in Breathitt County Breathitt County ( ) i ...
*
Robinson Forest The Robinson Forest is a research, education, and extension forest owned by the University of Kentucky and managed by the Department of Forestry in the College of Agriculture, Food, and Environment. The forest covers in Breathitt, Knott and P ...


References


Further reading

* T.R.C. Hutton, ''Bloody Breathitt: Politics and Violence in the Appalachian South.'' Lexington, KY: University Press of Kentucky, 2013.


External links


The Kentucky Highlands Project

The Breathitt County Museum
– Provides a wealth of information on the rich history of Breathitt County.
UK Robinson Station
* http://www.breathittcounty.com – hundreds of photos and articles about Breathitt County
Breathitt County Public Schools

Breathitt Area Technology Center

Breathitt County History & Ancestry
{{Coord, 37.52, -83.32, display=title, type:adm2nd_region:US-KY_source:UScensus1990 1839 establishments in Kentucky Populated places established in 1839 Kentucky counties Counties of Appalachia