Inez ( ) is a 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 parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...

of Martin County,

Kentucky Kentucky (, ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north, West Virginia to the ...

, United States. The population was 546 at the 2020 census.

Geography

Inez is located at (37.866431, -82.539058). According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the city has an area of , all land.

History

James Ward first settled the area about 1810; originally, it was named Arminta Ward's Bottom. J.M. Stepp renamed it Eden about the time it became the seat of government for Martin County in 1873. As there was already a post office named

Eden, Kentucky Eden or Eden Stretch is an unincorporated community located in Butler County, Kentucky Kentucky (, ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of t ...

, the local postmaster was obliged to rename the town on June 23, 1874. The name is usually held to have been derived from that of Inez Frank, daughter of the

Louisa, Kentucky Louisa is a home-rule class city located in eastern Kentucky, United States, at the merger of the Levisa Fork River, Levisa and Tug Fork River, Tug Forks into the Big Sandy River (Ohio River tributary), Big Sandy River, which forms part of the s ...

postmaster in neighboring Lawrence County. Accessed April 8, 2010.

Lincoln County Feud

The Lincoln County Feud occurred in

Lincoln County, West Virginia Lincoln County is a county in the U.S. state of West Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 20,463. Its county seat is Hamlin. The county was created in 1867 and named for Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln County is part of the Huntingt ...

, during the 1880s. In October 1889, Milt Haley and Green McCoy, two West Virginia fugitives, were captured and subsequently held at the Martin County Jail. A West Virginia posse captured Haley and McCoy and lynched them at Green Shoal near

Harts, West Virginia Harts is a census-designated place (CDP) at the mouth of Big Harts Creek in Lincoln County, West Virginia, United States, situated along the Guyandotte River. As of the 2020 census, its population was 573 (down from 656 at the 2010 census). Ha ...

. In March 1995, songwriter and musician

John Hartford John Cowan Hartford (December 30, 1937 – June 4, 2001) was an American folk, country, and bluegrass composer and musician known for his mastery of the fiddle and banjo, as well as for his witty lyrics, unique vocal style, and extensive kn ...

and historian/author Brandon Kirk visited Inez as part of their research on the feud.

Presidential visit

President

Lyndon B. Johnson Lyndon Baines Johnson (; August 27, 1908January 22, 1973), also known as LBJ, was the 36th president of the United States, serving from 1963 to 1969. He became president after the assassination of John F. Kennedy, under whom he had served a ...

visited Inez in 1964, landing by helicopter with his party at an abandoned miniature golf course, to promote the War on Poverty. According to a 2014 NPR article, the poverty rate at the time was more than 60 percent.

Economy

Inez is home to several industrial employers primarily focused on the area's robust energy market. A multitude of coal, gas and

oil exploration Hydrocarbon exploration (or oil and gas exploration) is the search by petroleum geologists and geophysicists for hydrocarbon deposits, particularly petroleum and natural gas, in the Earth's crust using petroleum geology. Exploration methods V ...

and affiliated services companies operate in the mineral-rich areas in and around Martin County. Outside the city is another major regional employer, the Big Sandy facility of the

Federal Bureau of Prisons The Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) is a Federal law enforcement in the United States, federal law enforcement agency of the United States Department of Justice that is responsible for all List of United States federal prisons, federal prisons ...

Demographics

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2000, there were 466 people, 212 households, and 132 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 253 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 98.28%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, and 1.72% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race were 0.64% of the population. There were 212 households, of which 30.7% had children under age 18 living with them, 44.8% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 15.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.7% were non-families. 35.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.2% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.18 and the average family size was 2.83. In the city, the population was spread out, with 24.0% under 18, 10.3% from 18 to 24, 29.4% from 25 to 44, 22.3% from 45 to 64, and 13.9% who were 65 or older. The median age was 36. For every 100 females, there were 75.2 males. For every 100 females 18 and over, there were 67.0 males. The median income for a household in the city was $21,875, and the median income for a family was $25,938. Males had a median income of $41,875 versus $17,292 for females. The national median household income was $46,326 in 2006 while the median personal income (including only those above the age of 25) was $32,140. The city's

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

was $14,183. About 37.0% of families and 35.3% 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 ...

, including 41.7% of those under 18 and 21.4% of those 65 or over.

Government and infrastructure

The

United States Postal Service The United States Postal Service (USPS), also known as the Post Office, U.S. Mail, or simply the Postal Service, is an independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the executive branch of the federal governmen ...

operates the Inez Post Office. The

U.S. Penitentiary, Big Sandy is near Inez, in unincorporated Martin County.Institution Supplement
" United States Penitentiary, Big Sandy. 2 (2/18). Retrieved on February 21, 2011. "USP Big Sandy is located at 1197 Airport Rd, Inez, Kentucky." and "Directions from Interstate 64: From the following areas: Ashland, KY, Huntington, WV, and the Ohio area, travel Interstate 64 to Kentucky Exit 191 to Route 23 South. Follow 23 South for approximately 38 miles until you reach Route 645. Turn left onto Route 645 South and travel approximately 11 miles until you reach Route 3. Turn right onto Route 3 and travel for approximately 10 miles until you reach Airport Road. Turn left onto Airport Road and follow signs to the institution."

Education

The

Martin County School System The Martin County School System in a United States school district located in Martin County, Kentucky. The superintendent is Larry James. The district headquarters is in Inez, Kentucky, Inez. Schools Secondary schools: *Martin County High Sc ...

serves Inez.

Sheldon Clark High School Sheldon Clark High School (SCHS) was a public high school in unincorporated Martin County, Kentucky, USA, near Inez. It was a part of the Martin County School System. It was named after Martin County Schools Superintendent Sheldon Clark when b ...

is the former area high school, replaced by Martin County High School. Eden Elementary, Warfield Elementary, and Inez Elementary serve grades K-6 and Martin County Middle School (MCMS) grades 7–8. MCMS is also in Warfield. Inez 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 librar ...

, a branch of the Martin County Public Library.

Notable resident

Josey Montana McCoy Josey Montana McCoy is an American voice actor. He is best known as the English voice of Kaeya Alberich in ''Genshin Impact'', Quizz in ''Batwheels'' on Cartoon Network and portraying Steve Rogers in '' Rogers: The Musical''. Biography McCoy ...

, actor

References

External links

*
Martin County Schools
{{authority control Cities in Martin County, Kentucky County seats in Kentucky Populated places established in 1942 1942 establishments in Kentucky Cities in Kentucky