Ballard County, Kentucky
Encyclopedia
Ballard County is a county
located in west of the U.S. state
of Kentucky
. It was created by the Kentucky State Legislature in 1842, and is named for Captain Bland Ballard
, a soldier, statesman, and member of the Kentucky General Assembly. He was one of the few Kentucky volunteers to survive the notorious River Raisin Massacre during the War of 1812
. Its county seat
is Wickliffe, Kentucky
. As of 2010 the population is 8,249. Ballard is a prohibition or dry county
.
Ballard County is part of the Paducah
, KY-IL
Micropolitan Statistical Area
.
and McCracken County
. It was named for Bland Ballard
(1761–1853), a Kentucky pioneer and soldier who served as a scout for General George Rogers Clark
during the American Revolutionary War
, and later commanded a company during the War of 1812. On February 17, 1880, the courthouse was destroyed by a fire, which also destroyed most of the county's early records.
of 2000, there were 8,286 people, 3,395 households, and 2,413 families residing in the county. The population density
was 33 /sqmi. There were 3,837 housing units at an average density of 15 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the county was 95.32% White
, 2.87% Black or African American
, 0.08% Native American
, 0.18% Asian
, 0.02% Pacific Islander
, 0.08% from other races, and 1.44% from two or more races. 0.63% of the population were Hispanics or Latinos
of any race.
There were 3,395 households out of which 30.70% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.60% were married couples
living together, 8.00% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.90% were non-families. 25.80% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.70% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 2.85.
The age distribution was 23.10% under the age of 18, 7.60% from 18 to 24, 27.70% from 25 to 44, 25.40% from 45 to 64, and 16.20% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 97.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.00 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $32,130, and the median income for a family was $41,386. Males had a median income of $32,345 versus $20,902 for females. The per capita income
for the county was $19,035. About 10.70% of families and 13.60% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.30% of those under age 18 and 15.40% of those age 65 or over.
, Medal of Honor recipient for his bravery during WWII.
Kenny Rollins
, an American basketball player who was a member of the University of Kentucky's "Fab Five" who won the 1948 NCAA Championship, the 1948 Gold Medal Winning U.S. Olympic Team, and the NBA's Chicago Stags and Boston Celtics.
Larry Kelley (local politician and convicted felon), past Ballard County Attorney, disbarred by Kentucky Supreme Court for felony theft for using stolen credit cards of his deceased clients and noninfluential local politician.
is a 458 acres (1.9 km²) nature preserve located in Ballard County, in the Barlow Bottoms. The preserve is part of the 3000 acres (12.1 km²) Axe Lake Swamp wetlands complex which supports at least eight rare plant and animal species. The site has been recognized as a priority wetland in the North American Waterfowl Management Plan
.
County (United States)
In the United States, a county is a geographic subdivision of a state , usually assigned some governmental authority. The term "county" is used in 48 of the 50 states; Louisiana is divided into parishes and Alaska into boroughs. Parishes and boroughs are called "county-equivalents" by the U.S...
located in west of the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
. It was created by the Kentucky State Legislature in 1842, and is named for Captain Bland Ballard
Bland Ballard
Bland Ballard was a soldier and statesman from Kentucky.-Biography:Ballard was born in Fredericksburg, Virginia. In 1779, at age 18, he moved to Kentucky, which was the western frontier during the American Revolutionary War. He served as a scout in George Rogers Clark's 1780 expedition into the...
, a soldier, statesman, and member of the Kentucky General Assembly. He was one of the few Kentucky volunteers to survive the notorious River Raisin Massacre during the War of 1812
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
. Its county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
is Wickliffe, Kentucky
Wickliffe, Kentucky
Wickliffe is a city in Ballard County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 794 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Ballard County.Wickliffe is part of the Paducah, KY-IL Micropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Wickliffe is located at ....
. As of 2010 the population is 8,249. Ballard is a prohibition or dry county
Dry county
A dry county is a county in the United States whose government forbids the sale of alcoholic beverages. Some prohibit off-premises sale, some prohibit on-premises sale, and some prohibit both. Hundreds of dry counties exist across the United States, almost all of them in the South...
.
Ballard County is part of the Paducah
Paducah, Kentucky
Paducah is the largest city in Kentucky's Jackson Purchase Region and the county seat of McCracken County, Kentucky, United States. It is located at the confluence of the Tennessee River and the Ohio River, halfway between the metropolitan areas of St. Louis, Missouri, to the west and Nashville,...
, KY-IL
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
Micropolitan Statistical Area
Paducah micropolitan area
The Paducah Micropolitan Statistical Area, as defined by the United States Census Bureau, is an area consisting of four counties – three in the Jackson Purchase region of Kentucky and one in southern Illinois – anchored by the city of Paducah, Kentucky....
.
Geography
According to the 2000 census, the county has a total area of 273.6 square miles (708.6 km²), of which 251.16 square miles (650.5 km²) (or 91.80%) is land and 22.44 square miles (58.1 km²) (or 8.20%) is water.Adjacent counties
- Pulaski County, Illinois (north) – across the Ohio RiverOhio RiverThe Ohio River is the largest tributary, by volume, of the Mississippi River. At the confluence, the Ohio is even bigger than the Mississippi and, thus, is hydrologically the main stream of the whole river system, including the Allegheny River further upstream...
- McCracken CountyMcCracken County, KentuckyMcCracken County is a county located in the Jackson Purchase, the extreme western end of the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of 2000, the population was 65,514. The county seat, largest city, and only incorporated community is Paducah....
(east) - Carlisle CountyCarlisle County, KentuckyCarlisle County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. It was formed in 1886 and as of 2000, had a population of 5,351. Its county seat is Bardwell, Kentucky. The county is named for John Griffin Carlisle, a Speaker of the United States House of Representatives from Kentucky...
(south) - Mississippi County, MissouriMississippi County, MissouriMississippi County is a county located in the Bootheel of Southeast Missouri in the United States. As of the 2000 U.S. Census, the county's population was 13,427. A 2008 estimate, however, showed the population to be 13,504. The largest city and county seat is Charleston...
(southwest) – across the Mississippi RiverMississippi RiverThe Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains... - Alexander County, IllinoisAlexander County, IllinoisAlexander County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 8,238, which is a decrease of 14.1% from 9,590 in 2000. Its county seat is Cairo. Alexander County is part of the Cape Girardeau–Jackson, MO-IL Metropolitan Statistical...
(west) – across the Ohio River
History
Ballard County was formed from portions of Hickman CountyHickman County, Kentucky
Hickman County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. It was formed in 1822. The elevation in the county ranges from to above sea level. As of 2000, the population was 5,262. Its county seat is Clinton. It is the least densely populated county in the state and is a prohibition or...
and McCracken County
McCracken County, Kentucky
McCracken County is a county located in the Jackson Purchase, the extreme western end of the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of 2000, the population was 65,514. The county seat, largest city, and only incorporated community is Paducah....
. It was named for Bland Ballard
Bland Ballard
Bland Ballard was a soldier and statesman from Kentucky.-Biography:Ballard was born in Fredericksburg, Virginia. In 1779, at age 18, he moved to Kentucky, which was the western frontier during the American Revolutionary War. He served as a scout in George Rogers Clark's 1780 expedition into the...
(1761–1853), a Kentucky pioneer and soldier who served as a scout for General George Rogers Clark
George Rogers Clark
George Rogers Clark was a soldier from Virginia and the highest ranking American military officer on the northwestern frontier during the American Revolutionary War. He served as leader of the Kentucky militia throughout much of the war...
during the American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
, and later commanded a company during the War of 1812. On February 17, 1880, the courthouse was destroyed by a fire, which also destroyed most of the county's early records.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 8,286 people, 3,395 households, and 2,413 families residing in the county. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 33 /sqmi. There were 3,837 housing units at an average density of 15 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the county was 95.32% White
White American
White Americans are people of the United States who are considered or consider themselves White. The United States Census Bureau defines White people as those "having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa...
, 2.87% Black or African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
, 0.08% Native American
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
, 0.18% Asian
Asian American
Asian Americans are Americans of Asian descent. The U.S. Census Bureau definition of Asians as "Asian” refers to a person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian subcontinent, including, for example, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan,...
, 0.02% Pacific Islander
Pacific Islander American
Pacific Islander Americans, also known as Oceanian Americans, are residents of the United States with original ancestry from Oceania. They represent the smallest racial group counted in the United States census of 2000. They numbered 874,000 people or 0.3 percent of the United States population...
, 0.08% from other races, and 1.44% from two or more races. 0.63% of the population were Hispanics or Latinos
Hispanic and Latino Americans
Hispanic or Latino Americans are Americans with origins in the Hispanic countries of Latin America or in Spain, and in general all persons in the United States who self-identify as Hispanic or Latino.1990 Census of Population and Housing: A self-designated classification for people whose origins...
of any race.
There were 3,395 households out of which 30.70% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.60% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 8.00% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.90% were non-families. 25.80% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.70% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 2.85.
The age distribution was 23.10% under the age of 18, 7.60% from 18 to 24, 27.70% from 25 to 44, 25.40% from 45 to 64, and 16.20% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 97.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.00 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $32,130, and the median income for a family was $41,386. Males had a median income of $32,345 versus $20,902 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the county was $19,035. About 10.70% of families and 13.60% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.30% of those under age 18 and 15.40% of those age 65 or over.
Cities and towns
- BandanaBandana, KentuckyBandana is an unincorporated community in Ballard County, Kentucky, United States. Its ZIP code is 42022.Bandana is part of the Paducah, KY-IL Micropolitan Statistical Area....
- BarlowBarlow, KentuckyBarlow is a city in Ballard County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 715 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Paducah, KY-IL Micropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Barlow is located at ....
- BlandvilleBlandville, KentuckyBlandville is a city in Ballard County, Kentucky, United States. It was founded in 1842 and named for Captain Bland Ballard, a hero of the War of 1812. Blandville was the seat of Ballard County from 1842 to 1881, when it was moved to Wickliffe. The population was 99 at the 2000 census...
- KevilKevil, KentuckyKevil is a city in Ballard County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 574 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Paducah, KY-IL Micropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Kevil is located at ....
- La CenterLa Center, KentuckyLa Center is a city in Ballard County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 1,038 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Paducah, KY-IL Micropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:La Center is located at ....
- Lovelaceville
- Monkeys EyebrowMonkeys Eyebrow, KentuckyMonkeys Eyebrow is an unincorporated rural community in Ballard County, Kentucky, United States. It is generally the northwesternmost community in the Jackson Purchase area of western Kentucky that is identified on the highway maps distributed by the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet...
- WickliffeWickliffe, KentuckyWickliffe is a city in Ballard County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 794 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Ballard County.Wickliffe is part of the Paducah, KY-IL Micropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Wickliffe is located at ....
Notable residents
Morris E. CrainMorris E. Crain
Morris E. Crain was a United States Army soldier and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration—the Medal of Honor—for his actions in World War II.-Biography:...
, Medal of Honor recipient for his bravery during WWII.
Kenny Rollins
Kenny Rollins
Kenneth Herman "Kenny" Rollins was an American basketball player who competed at the 1948 London Olympics and was also a member of the University of Kentucky's "Fab Five" who won the 1948 NCAA Tournament....
, an American basketball player who was a member of the University of Kentucky's "Fab Five" who won the 1948 NCAA Championship, the 1948 Gold Medal Winning U.S. Olympic Team, and the NBA's Chicago Stags and Boston Celtics.
Larry Kelley (local politician and convicted felon), past Ballard County Attorney, disbarred by Kentucky Supreme Court for felony theft for using stolen credit cards of his deceased clients and noninfluential local politician.
Axe Lake Swamp State Nature Preserve
Axe Lake Swamp State Nature PreserveAxe Lake Swamp State Nature Preserve
Axe Lake Swamp State Nature Preserve is a nature reserve located near Barlow, Kentucky in Ballard County in an area known locally as "the Barlow bottoms", a wetland created by periodic flooding along the mouth of the Ohio River. Originally, Axe Lake consisted of of the main lake and about 120...
is a 458 acres (1.9 km²) nature preserve located in Ballard County, in the Barlow Bottoms. The preserve is part of the 3000 acres (12.1 km²) Axe Lake Swamp wetlands complex which supports at least eight rare plant and animal species. The site has been recognized as a priority wetland in the North American Waterfowl Management Plan
North American Waterfowl Management Plan
The North American Waterfowl Management Plan is an international plan to conserve waterfowl and migratory birds in North America. It was established in 1986 by Canada and the United States, and expanded to include Mexico in 1994....
.
See also
- Dry counties
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Ballard County, Kentucky