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Knott County, Kentucky
Knott County Courthouse
Knott County Courthouse
Map of Kentucky highlighting Knott County
Location in the state of Kentucky
Map of the U.S
Kentucky's location in the U.S.
Founded 1884
Named for James Proctor Knott
Seat Hindman
Largest city Hindman
Area
 - Total
 - Land
 - Water

353 sq mi (914 km²)
352 sq mi (912 km²)
1.3 sq mi (3 km²), 0.4
Population
 - (2020)
 - Density

14,251
Congressional district 5th
Time zone Eastern: UTC-5/-4
Website www.knottky.com

Knott County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of the 2020 census, the population was 14,251.[1] Its county seat is Hindman.[2] The county was formed in 1884 and is named for James Proctor Knott, Governor of Kentucky (1883–1887).[3] It is a prohibition or dry county. Its county seat is home to the Hindman Settlement School, founded as America's first settlement school. The Knott County town of Pippa Passes is home to Alice Lloyd College.

History[]

Knott County was established in 1884 from land given by Breathitt, Floyd, Letcher, and Perry counties. The 1890s-era courthouse, the second to serve the county, burned in 1929.[4]

Geography[]

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 353 square miles (910 km2), of which 352 square miles (910 km2) is land and 1.3 square miles (3.4 km2) (0.4%) is water.[5]

Adjacent counties[]

Summits[]

Big Lovely Mountain, 1,401 feet (427 m)

Demographics[]

Historical populations
Census Pop.
1890 5,438
1900 8,704 60.1%
1910 10,791 24.0%
1920 11,655 8.0%
1930 15,230 30.7%
1940 20,007 31.4%
1950 20,320 1.6%
1960 17,362 −14.6%
1970 14,698 −15.3%
1980 17,940 22.1%
1990 17,906 −0.2%
2000 17,649 −1.4%
2010 16,346 −7.4%
U.S. Decennial Census[6]
1790-1960[7] 1900-1990[8]
1990-2000[9] 2010-2020[1]

As of the census[10] of 2000, there were 17,649 people, 6,717 households, and 4,990 families residing in the county. The population density was 50 per square mile (19 /km2). There were 7,579 housing units at an average density of 22 per square mile (8.5 /km2). The racial makeup of the county was 98.27% White, 0.73% Black or African American, 0.11% Native American, 0.15% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.12% from other races, and 0.60% from two or more races. 0.63% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 6,717 households, out of which 34.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.60% were married couples living together, 12.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.70% were non-families. 23.60% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.30% 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.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 24.50% under the age of 18, 10.80% from 18 to 24, 29.00% from 25 to 44, 24.30% from 45 to 64, and 11.40% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 97.30 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.10 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $20,373, and the median income for a family was $24,930. Males had a median income of $29,471 versus $21,240 for females. The per capita income for the county was $11,297. About 26.20% of families and 31.10% of the population were below the poverty line, including 39.80% of those under age 18 and 23.10% of those age 65 or over.

Education[]

Knott County Schools[]

  • Knott County Central High School
  • Knott County Area Technology Center
  • Beaver Creek Elementary
  • Carr Creek Elementary
  • Cordia School
  • Emmalena Elementary
  • Hindman Elementary
  • Jones Fork Elementary

Private schools[]

  • Bethel Christian Academy
  • Hindman Settlement School
  • June Buchanan School

Higher education[]

  • Knott County Campus of Hazard Community and Technical College
  • Alice Lloyd College

Politics[]

Knott County has historically voted very strongly for the Democratic Party. In 1992, 75% of Knott County residents voted for Democrat Bill Clinton for US President, the highest percentage for Clinton of any county in the state. However, in recent years, Knott County has voted more favorably for the Republican Party. In the 2008 presidential election, Republican John McCain became the first Republican to win Knott County in a presidential election by winning 52.6% of the vote to Barack Obama's 45%.[11] Aside from Elliott County (which didn't vote Republican until 2016) and the equally historically blue Floyd County, Knott County was the last county in Kentucky outside of Fayette and Jefferson counties to switch to the GOP.[12]

United States presidential election results for Knott County, Kentucky[13]
Year Republican Democratic Third party
No.  % No.  % No.  %
2020 4,780 76.46% 1,412 22.58% 60 0.96%
2016 4,357 75.60% 1,245 21.60% 161 2.79%
2012 4,130 72.55% 1,420 24.94% 143 2.51%
2008 3,070 52.75% 2,612 44.88% 138 2.37%
2004 2,648 35.81% 4,685 63.36% 61 0.82%
2000 2,029 31.42% 4,349 67.34% 80 1.24%
1996 1,201 18.18% 4,842 73.29% 564 8.54%
1992 1,243 16.96% 5,500 75.05% 585 7.98%
1988 1,691 24.42% 5,185 74.86% 50 0.72%
1984 1,728 27.66% 4,487 71.81% 33 0.53%
1980 1,602 22.68% 5,405 76.50% 58 0.82%
1976 962 16.65% 4,762 82.40% 55 0.95%
1972 1,479 34.50% 2,774 64.71% 34 0.79%
1968 1,098 22.56% 3,335 68.52% 434 8.92%
1964 482 9.22% 4,739 90.61% 9 0.17%
1960 1,412 26.30% 3,957 73.70% 0 0.00%
1956 1,715 30.02% 3,987 69.80% 10 0.18%
1952 1,124 20.14% 4,437 79.49% 21 0.38%
1948 754 13.93% 4,660 86.07% 0 0.00%
1944 803 17.19% 3,867 82.81% 0 0.00%
1940 759 14.62% 4,434 85.38% 0 0.00%
1936 865 19.87% 3,488 80.13% 0 0.00%
1932 747 14.39% 4,443 85.61% 0 0.00%
1928 1,004 26.24% 2,822 73.76% 0 0.00%
1924 886 27.75% 2,286 71.59% 21 0.66%
1920 802 25.80% 2,295 73.84% 11 0.35%
1916 571 28.14% 1,454 71.66% 4 0.20%
1912 387 23.74% 1,114 68.34% 129 7.91%
1908 576 33.80% 1,110 65.14% 18 1.06%
1904 483 30.40% 1,092 68.72% 14 0.88%
1900 429 29.65% 1,015 70.15% 3 0.21%
1896 404 33.50% 795 65.92% 7 0.58%
1892 236 29.39% 566 70.49% 1 0.12%
1888 164 25.91% 468 73.93% 1 0.16%
1884 119 20.38% 453 77.57% 12 2.05%



When Governor Ernie Fletcher appointed Republican Randy Thompson as County Judge Executive in 2005, it was the first time the county ever had a Republican Judge Executive. Thompson won re-election in 2006 and again in 2010, making him the first Republican to win election in a Knott County office. Congressman Hal Rogers has also won Knott County's vote in recent years. Thompson was removed from office in 2013 after being convicted of misusing public funds.[14]

Economy[]

Coal companies in Knott County[]

  • Alpha Natural Resources[15]
  • James River Coal Company[16]

Areas of interest[]

Tourism is increasing in the county, especially the popularity of elk viewing. Knott County and its surrounding counties are home to 5,700 free ranging elk, the largest elk herd east of the Mississippi River.[17] There is an ATV Training Center dedicated to the safety of ATV usage amongst riders and the Knott County Sportsplex, a sports complex which has indoor basketball courts, outside baseball fields, a soccer field, and a fitness center.

Media[]

Television[]

Hometown24

Radio[]

  • WKCB-FM
  • WKCB-AM
  • WWJD-FM

Newspapers[]

Communities[]

Cities[]

  • Hindman (county seat)
  • Pippa Passes
  • Vicco[18] (part)

Unincorporated communities[]

  • Anco
  • Bath
  • Bearville
  • Betty
  • Breeding Creek
  • Carrie
  • Dema (part)
  • Elic
  • Elmrock
  • Emmalena
  • Fisty
  • Garner
  • Handshoe
  • Hollybush
  • Indian Grave
  • Irishman
  • Jones Fork
  • Kite
  • Leburn
  • Littcarr
  • Mallie
  • Mousie
  • Pine Top
  • Raven
  • Ritchie
  • Sassafras
  • Slone Fork
  • Soft Shell
  • Spider
  • Talcum
  • Tina
  • Topmost
  • Vest
  • Wiscoal

Infrastructure[]

Transportation[]

Public transportation is provided by LKLP Community Action Partnership with demand-response service and scheduled service from Hindman to Hazard.[19]

Notable residents[]

  • Lige Clarke (1942−1975), LGBT activist, journalist and author
  • Rebecca Gayheart (born 1971), actress and model
  • Carl Dewey Perkins (1912−1984), politician and member of the United States House of Representatives
  • James Still (1906–2001), author folklorist
  • David Tolliver, musician; member of country band Halfway to Hazard

In popular culture[]

  • 20th Century Fox filmed several scenes in the county for a nationally released movie Fire Down Below

See also[]

  • Dry counties
  • National Register of Historic Places listings in Knott County, Kentucky
  • Robinson Forest

References[]

  1. ^ a b "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/21/21119.html. 
  2. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx. 
  3. ^ The Register of the Kentucky State Historical Society, Volume 1. Kentucky State Historical Society. 1903. pp. 35. https://books.google.com/books?id=luoxAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA35. 
  4. ^ Hogan, Roseann Reinemuth (1992). Kentucky Ancestry: A Guide to Genealogical and Historical Research. Ancestry Publishing. pp. 263. ISBN 9780916489496. https://books.google.com/books?id=hAVlVS29NKIC&q=%22bell+county%22+1914+1918+1976&pg=PA263. 
  5. ^ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. https://www.census.gov/geo/maps-data/data/docs/gazetteer/counties_list_21.txt. 
  6. ^ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html. 
  7. ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. http://mapserver.lib.virginia.edu. 
  8. ^ "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. https://www.census.gov/population/cencounts/ky190090.txt. 
  9. ^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000". United States Census Bureau. https://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/briefs/phc-t4/tables/tab02.pdf. 
  10. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. https://www.census.gov. 
  11. ^ "Presidential Election Results Map". The New York Times. 2008. http://elections.nytimes.com/2008/results/president/map.html. 
  12. ^ Lists, Geography. "Bonus Lists- Geography Lists". http://www.geographylists.com/list21j.html. 
  13. ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS. 
  14. ^ Judge-Executive Randy Thompson removed from office
  15. ^ [Alpha Natural Resources - 2012 Kentucky Operations]
  16. ^ James River Coal Company – Leeco complex
  17. ^ "All About Elk in Kentucky" (in en). kentuckytourism.com. http://www.kentuckytourism.com/articles/all-about-elk-in-kentucky/3106/. 
  18. ^ Kentucky Department of State - Office of Land Management - Map
  19. ^ "LKLP Community Action Council, Inc. > Programs > Public Transportation". http://www.lklp.org/Programs/Public-Transportation. 

Further reading[]

External links[]

Template:Eastern Mountain Coal Fields (Kentucky)

Coordinates: 37°21′N 82°57′W / 37.35, -82.95


This page uses content from the English language Wikipedia. The original content was at Knott County, Kentucky. The list of authors can be seen in the page history. As with this Familypedia wiki, the content of Wikipedia is available under the Creative Commons License.
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