Providence, Webster County, Kentucky
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Providence is a home rule-class city in
Webster County, Kentucky Webster County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of the 2020 census, the population was 13,017. Its county seat is Dixon. It is the southernmost county in the Evansville, IN–KY Metropolitan Statistical Area. The county ...
, in the United States. The population was 3,193 at the time of the
2010 United States 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 servi ...
.


History

In 1820, Richard B. Savage arrived from Virginia with his wife and his elder sister Mary (Savage) Settler, and opened a general store on the site of the present city. The community that grew up was known as Savageville, until the post office was established in 1828, when it was renamed "Providence". Though sometimes said to honor the
Rhode Island Rhode Island (, like ''road'') is a state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area and the seventh-least populous, with slightly fewer than 1.1 million residents as of 2020, but it ...
city of that name, local history records that an old trader who had been helped by nearby farmers suggested the name to honor divine Providence.Rennick, Robert. ''Kentucky Place Names''
p. 244
. University Press of Kentucky (Lexington), 1987. Accessed 27 September 2013.
On February 18, 1840, the town had a population of 150; there were three physicians, five stores, two hotels, a school, a Baptist church, a
Masonic Freemasonry or Masonry refers to fraternal organisations that trace their origins to the local guilds of stonemasons that, from the end of the 13th century, regulated the qualifications of stonemasons and their interaction with authorities ...
lodge, and three tobacco stemmeries. Located in the heart of the state's Black Patch tobacco-growing region, Providence eventually became the 3rd-largest stemming market in all of America.Providence
," Webster County website. Accessed: 1 November 2018.
Providence was incorporated in 1860, when Webster County was formed. The onset 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 ...
slowed the economic growth, though no major battles took place. The State of Kentucky never left the Union, but inhabitants in Western Kentucky were still largely sympathetic to pro-
Confederate Confederacy or confederate may refer to: States or communities * Confederate state or confederation, a union of sovereign groups or communities * Confederate States of America, a confederation of secessionist American states that existed between 1 ...
troops. A
Confederate Confederacy or confederate may refer to: States or communities * Confederate state or confederation, a union of sovereign groups or communities * Confederate States of America, a confederation of secessionist American states that existed between 1 ...
reconnaissance and foraging party led by then Lieutenant Colonel Nathan Bedford Forrest passed through Webster County between November and December 1861, and Forrest reported that he had been welcomed by the inhabitants. Limited guerrilla warfare also took place near the city in 1862. Commercial coal mining began in 1888, and by 1930 Providence residents numbered 4,742. In the 1930s, depressed conditions in the coal fields resulted in a loss of population that continued through the 1960s. Providence' economy remains tied to coal and agriculture. In 1993, the
Providence Commercial Historic District The Providence Commercial Historic District, in Providence, Kentucky, is a historic district which was listed on the National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal governm ...
was created to recognize the historic buildings in the downtown area.


Geography

Providence is located at (37.398389, -87.757077) The city is concentrated around the intersection of
Kentucky Route 109 Kentucky Route 109 (KY 109) is an north–south state highway that traverses four counties in Kentucky's Pennyrile region. It traverses Christian, Hopkins, Webster, and Union counties. Route description KY 109 starts at an i ...
and
Kentucky Route 120 Kentucky Route 120 (KY 120) is a state highway in Kentucky. It runs from U.S. Route 60 (US 60) and KY 91 in Marion to KY 138 and Main Cross Street in Slaughters via Providence Providence often refers to: * Providentia, ...
, approximately northwest of Madisonville. The
Tradewater River The Tradewater River is a tributary of the Ohio River, approximately long,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed May 13, 2011 in western Kentucky in the United States. It drain ...
flows just west of the city, and the Webster-
Hopkins Hopkins is an English, Welsh and Irish patronymic surname. The English name means "son of Hob". ''Hob'' was a diminutive of ''Robert'', itself deriving from the Germanic warrior name ''Hrod-berht'', translated as "renowned-fame". The Robert spell ...
county line lies just to the southeast.
U.S. Route 41A Several special routes of U.S. Route 41 exist, including three in Wisconsin. In order from south to north they are as follows. Existing Fort Myers business loop U.S. Route 41 Business is a former segment of U.S. Route 41 in Downtown Fort Myers ...
passes through the eastern part of Providence.


Demographics

As of the 2000 census, there were 3,611 people, 1,487 households, and 1,029 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 1,754 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 81.92%
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 ...
, 16.53%
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 ...
, 0.11% Native American, 0.08%
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 ...
, 0.08%
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 ...
, 0.28% 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 1.00% 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 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 0.86% of the population. There were 1,487 households, out of which 30.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.1% were married couples living together, 17.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.8% were non-families. 28.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 2.90. The age distribution was 24.4% under the age of 18, 9.0% from 18 to 24, 25.6% from 25 to 44, 24.0% from 45 to 64, and 16.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 85.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 79.0 males. The median income for a household in the city was $27,400, and the median income for a family was $31,125. Males had a median income of $28,716 versus $23,438 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 $14,209. About 19.4% of families and 22.5% 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 30.7% of those under age 18 and 22.1% of those age 65 or over.


Economy

Providence is located in Webster County, Kentucky, part of the Illinois Coal Basin. Coal mining is a major source of income for Webster County and the surrounding counties.


Education

The Webster County School District operates the public schools that serve Providence. In 2007 the Providence Independent School System merged with the Webster County School System, closing the high school and renaming Broadway Elementary, Providence Elementary. The elementary school serves students Pre-School-6. In 2014, a middle school was built adjacent to Webster County High School. Providence 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 ...
, a branch of the Webster County Public Library.


Arts and culture

Every year in June Providence hosts the annual Coal Festival in celebration of the coal mines and miners that have long been a part of the city's history. It features games, rides, beauty contests and live entertainment.


Notable people

Roger Campbell was a member of the 1960 US Figure Skating World Team. He was a casualty of
Sabena Flight 548 Sabena Flight 548 was a Boeing 707-329 flight operated by Sabena that crashed en route from New York City to Brussels, Belgium, on February 15, 1961. The flight, which had originated at Idlewild International Airport, crashed on approach to Br ...
, which crashed in 1961 en route to the World Championships in Prague. He is buried in Providence's Big Hill Cemetery. Melvin T Mason was a 1984 candidate for President of the United States, running on the Socialist Workers Party ticket.


References


External links

* {{authority control Cities in Webster County, Kentucky Cities in Kentucky Evansville metropolitan area