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Mason County, Kentucky
MasonCountyCourthouse
The Mason County courthouse in Maysville
Map of Kentucky highlighting Mason County
Location in the state of Kentucky
Map of the U.S
Kentucky's location in the U.S.
Founded 1788
Named for George Mason
Seat Maysville
Largest city Maysville
Area
 - Total
 - Land
 - Water

246 sq mi (637 km²)
240 sq mi (622 km²)
6.3 sq mi (16 km²), 2.6
Population
 - (2020)
 - Density

17,120
Congressional district 4th
Time zone Eastern: UTC-5/-4
Website http://masoncountykentucky.us/

Mason County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. Its county seat is Maysville.[1] The county was created from Bourbon County, Virginia in 1788 and named for George Mason, a Virginia delegate to the U.S. Constitutional Convention known as the "Father of the Bill of Rights".[2][3] Mason County comprises the Maysville, KY Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is included in the Cincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville, OH-KY-IN Combined Statistical Area.

Geography[]

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 246 square miles (640 km2), of which 240 square miles (620 km2) is land and 6.3 square miles (16 km2) (2.6%) is water.[4] The county's northern border with Ohio is formed by the Ohio River.

Adjacent counties[]

Demographics[]

Historical populations
Census Pop.
1790 2,729
1800 12,182 346.4%
1810 12,459 2.3%
1820 13,588 9.1%
1830 16,199 19.2%
1840 15,719 −3.0%
1850 18,344 16.7%
1860 18,222 −0.7%
1870 18,126 −0.5%
1880 20,469 12.9%
1890 20,773 1.5%
1900 20,446 −1.6%
1910 18,611 −9.0%
1920 17,760 −4.6%
1930 18,862 6.2%
1940 19,066 1.1%
1950 18,486 −3.0%
1960 18,454 −0.2%
1970 17,273 −6.4%
1980 17,765 2.8%
1990 16,666 −6.2%
2000 16,800 0.8%
2010 17,490 4.1%
U.S. Decennial Census[5]
1790-1960[6] 1900-1990[7]
1990-2000[8] 2010-2020[9]

As of the census[10] of 2000, there were 16,800 people, 6,847 households, and 4,697 families residing in the county. The population density was 70 per square mile (27 /km2). There were 7,754 housing units at an average density of 32 per square mile (12 /km2). The racial makeup of the county was 90.88% White, 7.16% Black or African American, 0.15% Native American, 0.37% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.57% from other races, and 0.85% from two or more races. 0.95% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 6,847 households, out of which 31.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.20% were married couples living together, 11.10% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.40% were non-families. 27.60% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.80% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.41 and the average family size was 2.92.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 24.10% under the age of 18, 8.00% from 18 to 24, 28.50% from 25 to 44, 23.90% from 45 to 64, and 15.50% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.50 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $30,195, and the median income for a family was $37,257. Males had a median income of $30,718 versus $21,216 for females. The per capita income for the county was $16,589. About 12.90% of families and 16.80% of the population were below the poverty line, including 23.60% of those under age 18 and 13.70% of those age 65 or over.

Communities[]

Cities[]

Census-designated place[]

  • Mays Lick

Other unincorporated places[]

  • Fernleaf
  • Helena
  • Lewisburg
  • Minerva
  • Orangeburg
  • Shannon
  • Somo
  • Weedonia

Politics[]

Mason County was at the time of the Civil War the easternmost of the strongly secessionist Bluegrass bloc.[11] Mason was in fact the most easterly Kentucky county to be represented at the Russellville Convention of 1861 to discuss the secession of Kentucky from the Union.

Mason County's secessionist sentiment meant that it voted Democratic consistently up until the 1950s, with the exception of the 1928 election when strong local anti-Catholic sentiment against Al Smith allowed Herbert Hoover to carry the county. Since 1996 the county has shifted more strongly Republican in US presidential elections.

United States presidential election results for Mason County, Kentucky[12]
Year Republican Democratic Third party
No.  % No.  % No.  %
2020 5,477 68.82% 2,362 29.68% 119 1.50%
2016 4,944 68.49% 1,970 27.29% 305 4.22%
2012 4,197 60.99% 2,592 37.67% 92 1.34%
2008 4,102 57.60% 2,891 40.60% 128 1.80%
2004 4,381 61.89% 2,644 37.35% 54 0.76%
2000 3,572 60.82% 2,178 37.08% 123 2.09%
1996 2,588 46.72% 2,444 44.12% 507 9.15%
1992 2,432 40.34% 2,657 44.07% 940 15.59%
1988 3,158 53.57% 2,721 46.16% 16 0.27%
1984 3,751 58.19% 2,663 41.31% 32 0.50%
1980 2,926 46.54% 3,181 50.60% 180 2.86%
1976 2,529 42.12% 3,397 56.58% 78 1.30%
1972 3,529 58.46% 2,459 40.73% 49 0.81%
1968 2,661 40.50% 2,772 42.19% 1,137 17.31%
1964 2,437 35.05% 4,502 64.76% 13 0.19%
1960 4,334 57.89% 3,153 42.11% 0 0.00%
1956 3,880 51.80% 3,572 47.69% 38 0.51%
1952 3,606 49.89% 3,614 50.00% 8 0.11%
1948 2,519 40.13% 3,620 57.67% 138 2.20%
1944 3,256 45.83% 3,810 53.62% 39 0.55%
1940 3,704 45.63% 4,386 54.03% 27 0.33%
1936 3,317 41.63% 4,503 56.52% 147 1.85%
1932 3,213 38.55% 5,065 60.78% 56 0.67%
1928 5,012 59.79% 3,364 40.13% 6 0.07%
1924 3,406 48.28% 3,525 49.96% 124 1.76%
1920 3,743 44.16% 4,691 55.34% 42 0.50%
1916 2,127 42.54% 2,820 56.40% 53 1.06%
1912 1,558 33.83% 2,475 53.75% 572 12.42%
1908 2,136 43.49% 2,675 54.47% 100 2.04%
1904 2,029 40.62% 2,792 55.90% 174 3.48%
1900 2,455 45.06% 2,952 54.19% 41 0.75%
1896 2,575 48.16% 2,698 50.46% 74 1.38%
1892 2,001 42.59% 2,586 55.04% 111 2.36%
1888 2,265 44.61% 2,778 54.72% 34 0.67%
1884 2,120 44.05% 2,646 54.98% 47 0.98%
1880 1,640 39.24% 2,536 60.68% 3 0.07%



Education[]

Mason County Schools operates public schools.

Schools:

  • Mason County High School
  • Mason County Middle School
  • Mason County Intermediate School
  • Straub Elementary School

In 1990 the Maysville Independent School District merged into the Mason County school district.[13]

Notable residents[]

  • Joshua Bean, first Mayor of San Diego (1850-1851).
  • Albert Sidney Johnston, Commander of the Army of the Republic of Texas, Secretary of War for Texas, Commander of the Western Department for the Confederacy. Died at the Battle of Shiloh.
  • Judge Roy Bean, Famous "Hanging Judge" of Texas (Law West of the Pecos).
  • Deron Feldhaus, member of "The Unforgettables".
  • Chris Lofton, Played basketball for the University of Tennessee. 2003 Ky. "Mr. Basketball".
  • Darius Miller, Played basketball for University of Kentucky. 2012 NCAA Champion, 2008 Ky. "Mr. Basketball." Currently plays basketball for the New Orleans Pelicans.

See also[]

  • National Register of Historic Places listings in Mason County, Kentucky

References[]

  1. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx. 
  2. ^ "Mason County". The Kentucky Encyclopedia. 2000. http://www.kyenc.org/entry/m/MASON02.html. 
  3. ^ Collins, Lewis (1882). Collins' Historical Sketches of Kentucky: History of Kentucky, Volume 2. Collins & Company. pp. 26. https://books.google.com/books?id=gZFQAQAAIAAJ&pg=PA26. 
  4. ^ "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. 
  5. ^ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html. 
  6. ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. http://mapserver.lib.virginia.edu. 
  7. ^ "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. https://www.census.gov/population/cencounts/ky190090.txt. 
  8. ^ "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. 
  9. ^ "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/21/21161.html. 
  10. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. https://www.census.gov. 
  11. ^ Copeland, James E.; 'Where Were the Kentucky Unionists and Secessionists'; The Register of the Kentucky Historical Society, volume 71, no. 4 (October, 1973), pp. 344-363
  12. ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS. 
  13. ^ Ellis, Ronnie (2007-01-15). "The ups and downs of merging school districts". Richmond Register. http://www.richmondregister.com/news/local_news/the-ups-and-downs-of-merging-school-districts/article_d43a4f96-1930-5686-b8f4-5aedd76b9a9d.html. 

External links[]

Coordinates: 38°36′N 83°50′W / 38.60, -83.83


This page uses content from the English language Wikipedia. The original content was at Mason 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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