Barren County, Kentucky
Encyclopedia
As of the census
of 2000, there were 38,033 people, 15,346 households, and 10,941 families residing in the county. The population density
was 78 /sqmi. There were 17,095 housing units at an average density of 35 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the county was 94.30% White
, 4.09% Black or African American
, 0.15% Native American
, 0.41% Asian
, 0.03% Pacific Islander
, 0.38% from other races, and 0.65% from two or more races. 0.93% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 15,346 households out of which 31.70% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.30% were married couples
living together, 9.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.70% were non-families. 25.60% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 2.91.
The age distribution was 24.20% under the age of 18, 8.20% from 18 to 24, 28.80% from 25 to 44, 23.80% from 45 to 64, and 15.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 92.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.30 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $31,240, and the median income for a family was $37,231. Males had a median income of $29,860 versus $21,208 for females. The per capita income
for the county was $16,816. About 11.80% of families and 15.60% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.30% of those under age 18 and 19.10% of those age 65 or over.
, the county seat, has numerous manufacturing facilities, and is also a medical and retail hub for the area. Cave City
is also a popular lodging area for tourists visiting nearby Mammoth Cave National Park
.
Barren County, like most of south central Kentucky, was settled by the Scots-Irish
, and still bears many cultural aspects that trace back to that heritage. The Scottish heritage is the most evident, as indicated by the name of the county seat, which is named for Glasgow, Scotland, and is celebrated annually with the Glasgow Highland Games
, one of three highland games
held each year in Kentucky.
The county is home to all or part of three school districts:
Christianity
is the predominant religion
in the county. The Southern Baptist Convention
is the leading Protestant denomination in terms of adherents, with Glasgow Baptist Church being the largest congregation in the county. Missionary Baptist, United Methodist
, Free Methodist, Presbyterian (including Cumberland Presbyterian), Episcopalian, Disciples of Christ, Church of Christ
, Assemblies of God
, and numerous independent churches are located in the county, as well as two Roman Catholic
parishes, an LDS ward, and a sizable Amish
community. No known Jewish
, Muslim
or other religions are known to have houses of worship within the county.
Barren is a prohibition or dry county
, with the exception of Cave City, which voted in 2005 to become "moist" (selling only liquor by the drink in restaurant
s of a certain minimum size and which derive 70% or more of their revenue from food), and Glasgow, which approved liquor by the drink under the same restrictions on November 6, 2007, after three previous elections to allow full alcohol sales in the city being soundly defeated. (Bowling Green
, just to the west, offers full liquor sales.)
, which goes through the northwest part of the county, and the Louie B. Nunn Cumberland Parkway, a former toll road
that is designated to be part of the future Interstate 66
corridor. U.S. Route 31E
, 31W
and 68
also pass through the county.
Railroad service is provided by CSX Transportation
, whose former Louisville and Nashville Railroad
main line passes through Cave City and Park City. The Glasgow Railway Company is a short line which owns a branch from Park City (which was formerly called Glasgow Junction) to Glasgow; the line is serviced via an operating lease by CSX.
Census
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 38,033 people, 15,346 households, and 10,941 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 78 /sqmi. There were 17,095 housing units at an average density of 35 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the county was 94.30% 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...
, 4.09% 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...
, 0.15% 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...
, 0.41% 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,...
, 0.03% 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...
, 0.38% from other races, and 0.65% from two or more races. 0.93% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 15,346 households out of which 31.70% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.30% 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, 9.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.70% were non-families. 25.60% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 2.91.
The age distribution was 24.20% under the age of 18, 8.20% from 18 to 24, 28.80% from 25 to 44, 23.80% from 45 to 64, and 15.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 92.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.30 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $31,240, and the median income for a family was $37,231. Males had a median income of $29,860 versus $21,208 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 $16,816. About 11.80% of families and 15.60% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.30% of those under age 18 and 19.10% of those age 65 or over.
Cities and towns
- Cave CityCave City, KentuckyCave City is a city in Barren County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 1,880 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Glasgow Micropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Cave City is located at ....
- Eighty EightEighty Eight, KentuckyEighty Eight is an unincorporated town in Barren County, Kentucky, United States. It is part of the Glasgow Micropolitan Statistical Area and is 10 miles east of Glasgow on State Highway 90. The town's biggest claim to fame was the celebration of August 8, 1988...
- GlasgowGlasgow, KentuckyGlasgow is a city in and the county seat of Barren County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 14,200 at the 2000 census. The city is well-known for its annual Scottish Highland Games. In 2007, Barren County was named the number one rural place to live by Progressive Farmer magazine...
, county seatCounty seatA 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.... - HisevilleHiseville, KentuckyHiseville is an unincorporated community in Barren County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 224 at the 2000 census, at which time it was a city. It is part of the Glasgow Micropolitan Statistical Area...
- LectaLecta, KentuckyLecta is a small community in Barren County, Kentucky, located on U.S. Route 68 and Kentucky Route 80....
- Park CityPark City, KentuckyPark City is a city in Barren County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 517 at the 2000 census. It has historically served as a gateway to nearby Mammoth Cave National Park and Diamond Caverns, a privately-owned cave attraction....
Culture
Barren County is primarily rural in nature, with agriculture as the primary industry. GlasgowGlasgow, Kentucky
Glasgow is a city in and the county seat of Barren County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 14,200 at the 2000 census. The city is well-known for its annual Scottish Highland Games. In 2007, Barren County was named the number one rural place to live by Progressive Farmer magazine...
, the county seat, has numerous manufacturing facilities, and is also a medical and retail hub for the area. Cave City
Cave City, Kentucky
Cave City is a city in Barren County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 1,880 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Glasgow Micropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Cave City is located at ....
is also a popular lodging area for tourists visiting nearby Mammoth Cave National Park
Mammoth Cave National Park
Mammoth Cave National Park is a U.S. National Park in central Kentucky, encompassing portions of Mammoth Cave, the longest cave system known in the world. The official name of the system is the Mammoth-Flint Ridge Cave System for the ridge under which the cave has formed. The park was established...
.
Barren County, like most of south central Kentucky, was settled by the Scots-Irish
Scots-Irish American
Scotch-Irish Americans are an estimated 250,000 Presbyterian and other Protestant dissenters from the Irish province of Ulster who immigrated to North America primarily during the colonial era and their descendants. Some scholars also include the 150,000 Ulster Protestants who immigrated to...
, and still bears many cultural aspects that trace back to that heritage. The Scottish heritage is the most evident, as indicated by the name of the county seat, which is named for Glasgow, Scotland, and is celebrated annually with the Glasgow Highland Games
Glasgow Highland Games
The Glasgow Highland Games are a regional highland games and Scottish heritage celebration held annually in and near Glasgow, Kentucky. The main festival grounds are located at Barren River Lake State Resort Park, about from Glasgow, while most other events are held in the city proper.Glasgow is...
, one of three highland games
Highland games
Highland games are events held throughout the &Highland games are events held throughout the &Highland games are events held throughout the &(-è_çà in Scotland and other countries as a way of celebrating Scottish and Celtic culture and heritage, especially that of the Scottish Highlands. Certain...
held each year in Kentucky.
The county is home to all or part of three school districts:
- Most of the county is served by the Barren County Schools, which includes Barren County High School and Middle School in Glasgow, and several elementary schools throughout the county, many of which were formerly also high schools before they were consolidated into Barren County High in the early 1970s.
- The Glasgow Independent Schools serve the city of Glasgow proper, with small areas of overlap outside the city limits. The district includes Glasgow High SchoolGlasgow High School (Kentucky)Glasgow High School is a U.S. high school in the city of Glasgow, Barren County, Kentucky. It is the only public high school for the Glasgow Independent School System; however, Barren County High School, which serves the Barren County School System, also lies within the city limits, and in fact...
, Glasgow Middle School and two elementary schools. In addition, the Glasgow and Caverna (see below) districts jointly operate an alternative school located in the Glasgow district for "at-risk" children in middle and high school. Note also that Barren County High and Middle Schools, although operated by the county district, are actually located within the boundaries of the Glasgow district. - The Caverna Independent Schools take in Cave CityCave City, KentuckyCave City is a city in Barren County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 1,880 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Glasgow Micropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Cave City is located at ....
and surrounding northwest Barren County, as well as Horse CaveHorse Cave, KentuckyHorse Cave is a city in Hart County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 2,252 at the 2000 census.- History :The city is best known for the large natural cave opening located on the south side of Main Street, from which the town's name is derived. As for the historical reason for the odd...
and the southwest corner of neighboring Hart County. It is served by Caverna High School, Caverna Middle School and Caverna Elementary School, located just inside Barren County between Cave City and Horse Cave. The district is one of only a handful in the United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
which is located in more than one county. Interestingly, one of the other districts with this distinction is in Kentucky—specifically the CorbinCorbin, Kentucky- Economy :Originally formed by L&N Railroad, rail transport was the backbone of the local economy in the first half of the twentieth century. While the railroad continues to play an important role, the decline of the rail industry in the latter half of the twentieth century, as well as the loss...
Independent School District, serving a single city split by a county line.
Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
is the predominant religion
Religion
Religion is a collection of cultural systems, belief systems, and worldviews that establishes symbols that relate humanity to spirituality and, sometimes, to moral values. Many religions have narratives, symbols, traditions and sacred histories that are intended to give meaning to life or to...
in the county. The Southern Baptist Convention
Southern Baptist Convention
The Southern Baptist Convention is a United States-based Christian denomination. It is the world's largest Baptist denomination and the largest Protestant body in the United States, with over 16 million members...
is the leading Protestant denomination in terms of adherents, with Glasgow Baptist Church being the largest congregation in the county. Missionary Baptist, United Methodist
United Methodist Church
The United Methodist Church is a Methodist Christian denomination which is both mainline Protestant and evangelical. Founded in 1968 by the union of The Methodist Church and the Evangelical United Brethren Church, the UMC traces its roots back to the revival movement of John and Charles Wesley...
, Free Methodist, Presbyterian (including Cumberland Presbyterian), Episcopalian, Disciples of Christ, Church of Christ
Church of Christ
Churches of Christ are autonomous Christian congregations associated with one another through common beliefs and practices. They seek to base doctrine and practice on the Bible alone, and seek to be New Testament congregations as originally established by the authority of Christ. Historically,...
, Assemblies of God
Assemblies of God
The Assemblies of God , officially the World Assemblies of God Fellowship, is a group of over 140 autonomous but loosely-associated national groupings of churches which together form the world's largest Pentecostal denomination...
, and numerous independent churches are located in the county, as well as two Roman Catholic
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
parishes, an LDS ward, and a sizable Amish
Amish
The Amish , sometimes referred to as Amish Mennonites, are a group of Christian church fellowships that form a subgroup of the Mennonite churches...
community. No known Jewish
Judaism
Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
, Muslim
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
or other religions are known to have houses of worship within the county.
Barren 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...
, with the exception of Cave City, which voted in 2005 to become "moist" (selling only liquor by the drink in restaurant
Restaurant
A restaurant is an establishment which prepares and serves food and drink to customers in return for money. Meals are generally served and eaten on premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services...
s of a certain minimum size and which derive 70% or more of their revenue from food), and Glasgow, which approved liquor by the drink under the same restrictions on November 6, 2007, after three previous elections to allow full alcohol sales in the city being soundly defeated. (Bowling Green
Bowling Green, Kentucky
Bowling Green is the third-most populous city in the state of Kentucky after Louisville and Lexington, with a population of 58,067 as of the 2010 Census. It is the county seat of Warren County and the principal city of the Bowling Green, Kentucky Metropolitan Statistical Area with an estimated 2009...
, just to the west, offers full liquor sales.)
Transportation
Barren County is served by Interstate 65Interstate 65
Interstate 65 is a major Interstate Highway in the United States. The southern terminus is located at an intersection with Interstate 10 in Mobile, Alabama, and its northern terminus is at an interchange with Interstate 90 , U.S. Route 12, and U.S...
, which goes through the northwest part of the county, and the Louie B. Nunn Cumberland Parkway, a former toll road
Toll road
A toll road is a privately or publicly built road for which a driver pays a toll for use. Structures for which tolls are charged include toll bridges and toll tunnels. Non-toll roads are financed using other sources of revenue, most typically fuel tax or general tax funds...
that is designated to be part of the future Interstate 66
Interstate 66
Interstate 66 is an Interstate Highway in the eastern United States. As indicated by its even route number, it runs in an east–west direction. Its western terminus is at Middletown, Virginia, at an intersection with Interstate 81; its eastern terminus is in Washington, D.C., at an...
corridor. U.S. Route 31E
U.S. Route 31E
U.S. Route 31E is the easternmost of two parallel routes for U.S. Highway 31 from Nashville, Tennessee, to Louisville, Kentucky. U.S. Route 31E is the easternmost of two parallel routes for U.S. Highway 31 from Nashville, Tennessee, to Louisville, Kentucky. U.S. Route 31E is the easternmost of two...
, 31W
U.S. Route 31W
U.S. Route 31W is the westernmost of two parallel routes for U.S. Route 31 from Nashville, Tennessee to Louisville, Kentucky. At one time, it split with U.S...
and 68
U.S. Route 68
U.S. Route 68 is an east–west United States highway that runs for from northwest Ohio to western Kentucky. The highway's western terminus is at U.S. Route 62 in Reidland, Kentucky. Its eastern terminus is at Interstate 75 in Findlay, Ohio...
also pass through the county.
Railroad service is provided by CSX Transportation
CSX Transportation
CSX Transportation operates a Class I railroad in the United States known as the CSX Railroad. It is the main subsidiary of the CSX Corporation. The company is headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, and owns approximately 21,000 route miles...
, whose former Louisville and Nashville Railroad
Louisville and Nashville Railroad
The Louisville and Nashville Railroad was a Class I railroad that operated freight and passenger services in the southeast United States.Chartered by the state of Kentucky in 1850, the L&N, as it was generally known, grew into one of the great success stories of American business...
main line passes through Cave City and Park City. The Glasgow Railway Company is a short line which owns a branch from Park City (which was formerly called Glasgow Junction) to Glasgow; the line is serviced via an operating lease by CSX.
See also
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Barren County, KentuckyNational Register of Historic Places listings in Barren County, KentuckyThis is a list of the National Register of Historic Places listings in Barren County, Kentucky. It is intended to be a complete list of the properties and districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Barren County, Kentucky, United States...