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 ...
, in the United States. It is the seat of its county. As of the year
2010 U.S. census
The United States census of 2010 was the twenty-third United States national census. National Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2010. The census was taken via mail-in citizen self-reporting, with enumerators serving ...
, the city population was 3,442.
Located south of Lexington, Lancaster is the site of the Kennedy House, sometimes said to have been the setting for ''
Uncle Tom's Cabin
''Uncle Tom's Cabin; or, Life Among the Lowly'' is an anti-slavery novel by American author Harriet Beecher Stowe. Published in two volumes in 1852, the novel had a profound effect on attitudes toward African Americans and slavery in the U ...
''. 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 ...
Lancaster is located west of the center of Garrard County at (37.618625, -84.579433).U.S. Route 27 passes through the city, leading north to Lexington and south to
Somerset
( en, All The People of Somerset)
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Kentucky Route 52
Kentucky Route 52 (KY 52) is a long east–west state highway in Kentucky, United States, managed by the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet.
Its western terminus is at US 62 near Boston, Kentucky. It goes through Nelson, LaRue, Marion, Boyle, ...
crosses US 27 in the center of Lancaster, leading east and northeast to Richmond, and west to Danville. Lancaster is east of the
Dix River
The Dix River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map , accessed June 13, 2011 tributary of the Kentucky River in central Kentucky in the United States.
It begins in western Rockcast ...
, a north-flowing tributary of the Kentucky River.
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 t ...
, Lancaster has a total area of , all land.
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 ...
In 1797, Captain William Buford donated land for the establishment of a town around the site of Major Andrew Wallace's settlement at Wallace Crossroads. The surveying and platting was completed over the next year by Joseph Bledsoe Jr., and the community was named "Lancaster" for the Pennsylvania town, either because one of its settlers came from there or because the town was designed on a similar plan.Rennick, Robert. ''Kentucky Place Names'' p. 165 University Press of Kentucky (Lexington), 1987. Accessed 6 August 2013. The post office was established in 1801 and operated under the name "Lancaster Court House" until 1811. The city was formally incorporated by the state assembly in 1837.Commonwealth of Kentucky. Office of the Secretary of State. Land Office. "Lancaster, Kentucky". Accessed 1 August 2013.
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 in ...
of 2000, there were 3,734 people, 1,585 households, and 1,020 families residing in the city. The
population density
Population density (in agriculture: Stock (disambiguation), 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 ...
was 2,100.4 people per square mile (809.9/km2). There were 1,758 housing units at an average density of 988.9 per square mile (381.3/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 88.14%
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 o ...
, 9.61%
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 ...
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 1.04% from two or more races.
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 forme ...
or Latino of any race were 1.96% of the population.
There were 1,585 households, out of which 29.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.2% were married couples living together, 15.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.6% were non-families. 32.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.29 and the average family size was 2.89.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 23.0% under the age of 18, 9.6% from 18 to 24, 26.5% from 25 to 44, 19.7% from 45 to 64, and 21.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 83.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 76.6 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $26,175, and the median income for a family was $31,355. Males had a median income of $26,849 versus $21,108 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 $13,793. About 16.9% of families and 21.1% 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 27.0% of those under age 18 and 17.5% of those age 65 or over.
Education
Public education in Lancaster is administered by Garrard County Schools, which operates Garrard County High School.
Lancaster has a
lending library
A lending library is a library from which books and other media are lent out. The major classifications are endowed libraries, institutional libraries (the most diverse), public libraries, and subscription libraries. It may also refer to a library ...
, the Garrard County Public Library.
Notable people
*
Simeon H. Anderson
Simeon H. Anderson (March 2, 1802 – August 11, 1840) was a slave owner and United States Representative from Kentucky. He was born near Lancaster, Kentucky, where he pursued preparatory studies. In addition, he studied law and was admitted to th ...
colonel
Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations.
In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge o ...
brigadier general
Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed ...
William Owsley
William Owsley (March 24, 1782 – December 9, 1862) was an associate justice of the Kentucky Court of Appeals and the 16th Governor of Kentucky. He also served in both houses of the Kentucky General Assembly and was Kentucky Secretary of Sta ...
was a politician and jurist who became the sixteenth
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 ...
.
* Lewis L. Walker was a U.S. congressman from 1928 to 1930.
*
Elizabeth Fouse
Elizabeth Beatrice Cooke Fouse (May 14, 1875 – October 22, 1952) was a woman from Kentucky, dedicated to gaining equality for African American women on both local and national levels. She founded as well as became the head of many organization ...
was an activist dedicated to gaining equality for African American women.