Butler County, Kentucky
Encyclopedia
Butler County is a county located in the US state of Kentucky
. It was formed in 1810, becoming Kentucky's 53rd county. As of 2000, the population was 13,010. Its county seat
is Morgantown, Kentucky
. Butler is a prohibition or dry county
.
The Kentucky General Assembly
created Butler County on January 18, 1810 from parts of Logan
and Ohio
counties. The county was named for Major General
Richard Butler
who died at the Battle of the Wabash
in 1791.
Butler County has one of only two Civil War monuments dedicated to soldiers that served and died on both sides. The zinc Civil War monument was dedicated in 1907 on the Butler County Courthouse lawn in Morgantown.
region of Kentucky
. According to the 2000 census, the county has a total area of 431.52 square miles (1,117.6 km²), of which 428.08 square miles (1,108.7 km²) (or 99.20%) is land and 3.44 square miles (8.9 km²) (or 0.80%) is water.
, 0.52% Black
or African American
, 0.22% Native American
, 0.17% Asian
, 0.60% from other races
, and 0.61% from two or more races. 1.04% of the population were Hispanic
or Latino
of any race.
There were 5,059 households out of which 34.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.30% were married couples living together, 9.30% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.70% were non-families. 23.70% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.30% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.52 and the average family size was 2.98.
In the county the population was spread out with 25.30% under the age of 18, 9.50% from 18 to 24, 29.20% from 25 to 44, 23.20% from 45 to 64, and 12.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 99.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.20 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $29,405, and the median income for a family was $35,317. Males had a median income of $26,449 versus $19,894 for females. The per capita income for the county was $14,617. About 13.10% of families and 16.00% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.50% of those under age 18 and 22.50% of those age 65 or over.
. As railroads became more important economically, the county compensated by building a series of roads to major trade centers such as U.S. 231
connecting Beaver Dam
with Owensboro
. Green River was eventually closed to traffic after Woodbury
's Lock and Dam Number 4 washed out in 1965 and Rochester
's Lock and Dam Number 3 was abandoned by the United States Army Corps of Engineers
in 1980. Completion of the William H. Natcher Parkway
linked the area to the national interstate system in 1970.
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 formed in 1810, becoming Kentucky's 53rd county. As of 2000, the population was 13,010. 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 Morgantown, Kentucky
Morgantown, Kentucky
Morgantown is a city in and the county seat of Butler County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 2,544 at the 2000 census. The city had a sister city in Tatsuruhama, Ishikawa, Japan, which city is now part of Nanao, Ishikawa, Japan.-History:...
. Butler 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...
.
History
The area now known as Butler County was settled by Richard C. Dellium and James Forgy, creating a town called Berry's Lick. The first industry in the area was salt-making.The Kentucky General Assembly
Kentucky General Assembly
The Kentucky General Assembly, also called the Kentucky Legislature, is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Kentucky.The General Assembly meets annually in the state capitol building in Frankfort, Kentucky, convening on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in January...
created Butler County on January 18, 1810 from parts of Logan
Logan County, Kentucky
Logan County is a county located in the southwest area of the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of 2000, the population was 26,573. Its county seat is Russellville...
and Ohio
Ohio County, Kentucky
Ohio County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of 2000, the population was 22,916. Its county seat is Hartford. The county is named for the Ohio River, which originally formed its northern boundary. It is a dry county, which means that the sale of alcohol is restricted or...
counties. The county was named for Major General
Major General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
Richard Butler
Richard Butler (general)
Richard Butler was an officer in the Continental Army in the American Revolutionary War, who later died fighting American Indians in Ohio.-Early life:...
who died at the Battle of the Wabash
St. Clair's Defeat
St. Clair's Defeat also known as the Battle of the Wabash, the Battle of Wabash River or the Battle of a Thousand Slain, was fought on November 4, 1791 in the Northwest Territory between the United States and the Western Confederacy of American Indians, as part of the Northwest Indian War...
in 1791.
Butler County has one of only two Civil War monuments dedicated to soldiers that served and died on both sides. The zinc Civil War monument was dedicated in 1907 on the Butler County Courthouse lawn in Morgantown.
Geography
Butler County is part of the Western Coal FieldsWestern Coal Fields
thumb|right|Regions of Kentucky, with the Western Coal Fields shown in brownThe Western Coal Fields of Kentucky compose an area in the west-central part of the state, bounded by the Dripping Springs Escarpment. This area is bordered on three sides by the Pennyroyal Plateau and to the north by the...
region 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...
. According to the 2000 census, the county has a total area of 431.52 square miles (1,117.6 km²), of which 428.08 square miles (1,108.7 km²) (or 99.20%) is land and 3.44 square miles (8.9 km²) (or 0.80%) is water.
Adjacent counties
- Ohio CountyOhio County, KentuckyOhio County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of 2000, the population was 22,916. Its county seat is Hartford. The county is named for the Ohio River, which originally formed its northern boundary. It is a dry county, which means that the sale of alcohol is restricted or...
(northwest) - Grayson CountyGrayson County, KentuckyGrayson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. It was formed in 1810. As of 2000, the population was 24,053. Its county seat is Leitchfield. The county is named for William Grayson , a Revolutionary War colonel and a prominent Virginia political figure...
(northeast) - Edmonson CountyEdmonson County, KentuckyEdmonson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. It was formed in 1826. As of 2007, the population was 11,978. It is included in the Bowling Green Metropolitan Statistical Area. Its county seat is Brownsville...
(east) - Warren CountyWarren County, KentuckyWarren County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky, specifically the Pennyroyal Plateau and Western Coal Fields regions. It is included in the Bowling Green, Kentucky, Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 113,792 in the 2010 Census. The county seat is Bowling Green...
(southeast) - Logan CountyLogan County, KentuckyLogan County is a county located in the southwest area of the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of 2000, the population was 26,573. Its county seat is Russellville...
(south) - Muhlenberg CountyMuhlenberg County, KentuckyMuhlenberg County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of the 2010 Census, the population was 31,499. The county is named for Peter Muhlenberg. Its county seat is Greenville....
(west)
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 13,010 people, 5,059 households, and 3,708 families residing in the county. The population density was 30 /sqmi. There were 5,815 housing units at an average density of 14 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the county was 97.88% WhiteRace (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.52% Black
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
or African American
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.22% Native American
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.17% Asian
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.60% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 0.61% from two or more races. 1.04% of the population were Hispanic
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
or Latino
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
of any race.
There were 5,059 households out of which 34.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.30% were married couples living together, 9.30% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.70% were non-families. 23.70% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.30% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.52 and the average family size was 2.98.
In the county the population was spread out with 25.30% under the age of 18, 9.50% from 18 to 24, 29.20% from 25 to 44, 23.20% from 45 to 64, and 12.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 99.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.20 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $29,405, and the median income for a family was $35,317. Males had a median income of $26,449 versus $19,894 for females. The per capita income for the county was $14,617. About 13.10% of families and 16.00% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.50% of those under age 18 and 22.50% of those age 65 or over.
Cities and towns
- MorgantownMorgantown, KentuckyMorgantown is a city in and the county seat of Butler County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 2,544 at the 2000 census. The city had a sister city in Tatsuruhama, Ishikawa, Japan, which city is now part of Nanao, Ishikawa, Japan.-History:...
- RochesterRochester, KentuckyRochester is a city in Butler County, Kentucky, United States, at the confluence of the Green and Mud Rivers. The population was 186 at the 2000 census. It is named for Rochester, New York...
- WoodburyWoodbury, KentuckyWoodbury is a city in Butler County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 87 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Woodbury is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land.-Demographics:...
Transportation
For much of its history, Butler County's main line of transportation was the Green RiverGreen River (Kentucky)
The Green River is a tributary of the Ohio River that rises in Lincoln County in south-central Kentucky. Tributaries of the Green River include the Barren River, the Nolin River, the Pond River and the Rough River...
. As railroads became more important economically, the county compensated by building a series of roads to major trade centers such as U.S. 231
U.S. Route 231
U.S. Route 231 is a parallel route of U.S. Route 31. It currently runs for 912 miles from St. John, Indiana, at U.S. Route 41 to south of U.S. Route 98 in Downtown Panama City, Florida.One of its most notable landmarks is the William H...
connecting Beaver Dam
Beaver Dam, Kentucky
Beaver Dam is a city in Ohio County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 3,033 at the 2000 census. It is named for nearby Beaver Dam Creek.-Geography:Beaver Dam is located at ....
with Owensboro
Owensboro, Kentucky
Owensboro is the fourth largest city by population in the U.S. state of Kentucky. It is the county seat of Daviess County. It is located on U.S. Route 60 about southeast of Evansville, Indiana, and is the principal city of the Owensboro, Kentucky, Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city's...
. Green River was eventually closed to traffic after Woodbury
Woodbury, Kentucky
Woodbury is a city in Butler County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 87 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Woodbury is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land.-Demographics:...
's Lock and Dam Number 4 washed out in 1965 and Rochester
Rochester, Kentucky
Rochester is a city in Butler County, Kentucky, United States, at the confluence of the Green and Mud Rivers. The population was 186 at the 2000 census. It is named for Rochester, New York...
's Lock and Dam Number 3 was abandoned by the United States Army Corps of Engineers
United States Army Corps of Engineers
The United States Army Corps of Engineers is a federal agency and a major Army command made up of some 38,000 civilian and military personnel, making it the world's largest public engineering, design and construction management agency...
in 1980. Completion of the William H. Natcher Parkway
William H. Natcher Parkway
The Wiliam H. Natcher Green River Parkway is a limited-access freeway from Bowling Green, Kentucky to Owensboro, Kentucky. The Natcher is one of nine highways that are part of Kentucky's parkway system. Conceived as the "Owensboro-Bowling Green Parkway," it was instead named the Green River...
linked the area to the national interstate system in 1970.
Notable natives
- Claude C. BlochClaude C. BlochAdmiral Claude Charles Bloch was a United States Navy admiral who served as Commander, Battle Force, U.S. Fleet from 1937–1938; and Commander in Chief, U.S. Fleet from 1938-1940.-Biography:...
– Admiral who commanded the local Naval District at Pearl HarborPearl HarborPearl Harbor, known to Hawaiians as Puuloa, is a lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. Much of the harbor and surrounding lands is a United States Navy deep-water naval base. It is also the headquarters of the U.S. Pacific Fleet...
at the time of the Japanese attack during World War II (born in WoodburyWoodbury, KentuckyWoodbury is a city in Butler County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 87 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Woodbury is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land.-Demographics:...
) - Thomas HinesThomas HinesThomas Henry Hines was a Confederate spy during the American Civil War. A native of Butler County, Kentucky, he initially worked as a grammar instructor, mainly at the Masonic University of La Grange, Kentucky. During the first year of the war, he served as a field officer, initiating several...
– ConfederateConfederate States of AmericaThe Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
spy during the Civil WarAmerican Civil WarThe American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
and chief justice of the Kentucky Court of AppealsKentucky Court of AppealsThe Kentucky Court of Appeals is the lower of Kentucky's two appellate courts, under the Kentucky Supreme Court. Prior to a 1975 amendment to the Kentucky Constitution the Kentucky Court of Appeals was the only appellate court in Kentucky.... - Don J. JenkinsDon J. JenkinsDon J. Jenkins is a former United States Army soldier and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration—the Medal of Honor—for his actions in the Vietnam War.-Biography:...
– Vietnam WarVietnam WarThe Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
soldier and Medal of HonorMedal of HonorThe Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...
recipient (born in Quality) - John Moore – bishop of the Methodist Episcopal Church, SouthMethodist Episcopal Church, SouthThe Methodist Episcopal Church, South, or Methodist Episcopal Church South, was the so-called "Southern Methodist Church" resulting from the split over the issue of slavery in the Methodist Episcopal Church which had been brewing over several years until it came out into the open at a conference...
(born in MorgantownMorgantown, KentuckyMorgantown is a city in and the county seat of Butler County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 2,544 at the 2000 census. The city had a sister city in Tatsuruhama, Ishikawa, Japan, which city is now part of Nanao, Ishikawa, Japan.-History:...
) - William S. TaylorWilliam S. TaylorWilliam Sylvester Taylor was the 33rd Governor of Kentucky. He was initially declared the winner of the disputed gubernatorial election of 1899, but the Kentucky General Assembly reversed the election results, giving the victory to his opponent, William Goebel...
– Governor of KentuckyGovernor of KentuckyThe Governor of the Commonwealth of Kentucky is the head of the executive branch of government in the U.S. state of Kentucky. Fifty-six men and one woman have served as Governor of Kentucky. The governor's term is four years in length; since 1992, incumbents have been able to seek re-election once...
from 1899 to 1900 (born near Morgantown) - Pendleton VandiverPendleton VandiverJames Pendleton Vandiver was a Kentucky fiddler, born there shortly after the American Civil War. He was uncle to bluegrass musician Bill Monroe, who immortalized him in a song, "Uncle Pen"....
– fiddleFiddleThe term fiddle may refer to any bowed string musical instrument, most often the violin. It is also a colloquial term for the instrument used by players in all genres, including classical music...
r and uncle of bluegrass musician Bill MonroeBill MonroeWilliam Smith Monroe was an American musician who created the style of music known as bluegrass, which takes its name from his band, the "Blue Grass Boys," named for Monroe's home state of Kentucky. Monroe's performing career spanned 60 years as a singer, instrumentalist, composer and bandleader...
, who immortalized him in the song "Uncle Pen" - Sally DeweeseSally DeweeseSally Deweese was an American child reported by Dr. D. Rowlett of Kentucky to have given birth at the age of 10. Born in Butler County, Kentucky, she was the fifteenth child of John Deweese and his wife...
– From April 20–21, 1834–?. Deweese gave birth to a boy at 10 years of age.
See also
- Dry counties
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Butler County, KentuckyNational Register of Historic Places listings in Butler County, KentuckyThis is a list of the National Register of Historic Places listings in Butler County, Kentucky.This is intended to be a complete list of the properties and districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Butler County, Kentucky, United States...