Corbin, Kentucky
Encyclopedia
Economy
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...
, rail transport
Rail transport
Rail transport is a means of conveyance of passengers and goods by way of wheeled vehicles running on rail tracks. In contrast to road transport, where vehicles merely run on a prepared surface, rail vehicles are also directionally guided by the tracks they run on...
was the backbone of the local economy in the first half of the twentieth century. While the railroad (presently CSX) 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 of some manufacturing
Manufacturing
Manufacturing is the use of machines, tools and labor to produce goods for use or sale. The term may refer to a range of human activity, from handicraft to high tech, but is most commonly applied to industrial production, in which raw materials are transformed into finished goods on a large scale...
jobs due to globalization
Globalization
Globalization refers to the increasingly global relationships of culture, people and economic activity. Most often, it refers to economics: the global distribution of the production of goods and services, through reduction of barriers to international trade such as tariffs, export fees, and import...
, has prompted the community to begin diversifying its economy.
Demographics
The Whitley County portion of Corbin is the smaller city of the Corbin-London CSA, a Combined Statistical AreaCombined Statistical Area
The United States Office of Management and Budget defines micropolitan and metropolitan statistical areas. Metropolitan and micropolitan statistical areas consist of one or more counties...
that includes the Corbin
Corbin, KY Micropolitan Statistical Area
The Corbin Micropolitan Statistical Area, as defined by the United States Census Bureau, is an area consisting of Whitley County, Kentucky, anchored by the Whitley County portion of the city of Corbin...
(Whitley County) and the much larger London
London, KY Micropolitan Statistical Area
The London, KY Micropolitan Statistical Area is a United States Census Bureau defined Micropolitan Statistical Area located in the vicnity of London, Kentucky. The London Micropolitan Statistical Area encompasses Laurel County entirely. The Micropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 52,715...
(Laurel County) micropolitan areas, which had a combined population of 94,486 at the 2010 census. The Knox County portion of Corbin lies outside the Corbin–London statistical area.
As of the census
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 2010, there were 7,304 people, 3,093 households, and 1,903 families residing in the city. 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 920.1 people per square mile (355.3/km²). There were 3,507 housing units at an average density of 441.8 per square mile (170.6/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 97.41% 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...
(96.69% non-Hispanic
Non-Hispanic Whites
Non-Hispanic Whites or White, Not Hispanic or Latino are people in the United States, as defined by the Census Bureau, who are of the White race and are not of Hispanic or Latino origin/ethnicity. Hence the designation is exclusive in the sense that it defines who is not included as opposed to who is...
), 0.26% 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...
, 0.31% 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...
, 0.64% 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,...
, 0.26% from other races, and 1.11% from two or more races
Multiracial American
Multiracial Americans, US residents who identify themselves as of "two or more races", were numbered at around 9 million, or 2.9% of the population, in the census of 2010. However there is considerable evidence that the real number is far higher. Prior to the mid-20th century many people hid their...
. No Pacific Islanders
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...
lived in the city in 2010. 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 were 1.19% of the population.
There were 3,093 households out of which 29.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.3% 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, 16.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.2% had a male householder with no wife present, and 38.5% were non-families. 34.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.27 and the average family size was 2.91.
The age distribution was 22.5% under 18, 8.5% from 18 to 24, 22.9% from 25 to 44, 25.3% from 45 to 64, and 20.8% who were 65 or older. The median age was 41.6 years. For every 100 females there were 80.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 75.8 males.
Income data from the 2010 Census for Kentucky locations has not yet been released. As of the 2000 Census, the median income for a household in the city was $22,203, and the median income for a family was $32,784. Males had a median income of $27,323 versus $17,568 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 city was $14,200. About 15.5% of families and 21.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 24.0% of those under age 18 and 16.4% of those age 65 or over.
Culture and local color
- Each year in early August, Corbin hosts a festival called NIBROC (Corbin spelled backwards) featuring open-air concerts, carnival attractions, a beauty pageant, parade, and other events. The festival is featured, if anachronistically, in the play Last Train to Nibroc http://www.nibroctrilogy.com by Arlene Hutton. (Though the play is set in the 1940s, the festival itself only dates to 1952.) Nibroc however does attract some classic musical acts. The festival has brought such legendary acts as Kansas, Joan Jett and The Blackhearts, 38 Special, Foghat, Starship, Percy Sledge, The Turtles, and The Marshall Tucker Band just to name a few. These bands perform free to thousands of area residents.
- Despite being in dry countiesDry countyA 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...
(KnoxKnox County, KentuckyKnox County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of 2000, the population was 31,795. Its county seat is Barbourville. The county is named for General Henry Knox...
and WhitleyWhitley County, KentuckyWhitley County is a county located in the state of Kentucky. 2005 census projections list its population at 38,029 . The county seat is at Williamsburg, though the largest city is Corbin, and the county's District Court sits in both cities...
), sales of alcoholic drinks are allowed by restaurants seating at least 100 people within the city limits. Due to the sale of alcoholic drinks by restaurants, many new restaurants and pubs have opened in the area.
Transportation
Corbin straddles Interstate 75Interstate 75
Interstate 75 is a major north–south Interstate Highway in the Great Lakes and Southeastern regions of the United States. It travels from State Road 826 and State Road 924 in Hialeah, Florida to Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, at the Ontario, Canada, border...
and U.S. Highway 25 (which splits into 25E and 25W in North Corbin). The town is served by the CSX rail line
Rail transport
Rail transport is a means of conveyance of passengers and goods by way of wheeled vehicles running on rail tracks. In contrast to road transport, where vehicles merely run on a prepared surface, rail vehicles are also directionally guided by the tracks they run on...
.
Sites of interest
- Cumberland Falls State Resort ParkCumberland Falls State Resort ParkCumberland Falls State Resort Park is a park located just southwest of Corbin, Kentucky and is contained entirely within the Daniel Boone National Forest. The park encompasses and is named for its major feature, tall Cumberland Falls...
, the site of the only waterfallWaterfallA waterfall is a place where flowing water rapidly drops in elevation as it flows over a steep region or a cliff.-Formation:Waterfalls are commonly formed when a river is young. At these times the channel is often narrow and deep. When the river courses over resistant bedrock, erosion happens...
in the world to feature a regularly occurring moonbowMoonbowA moonbow is a rainbow produced by light reflected off the surface of the moon rather than from direct sunlight. Moonbows are relatively faint, due to the smaller amount of light reflected from the surface of the moon...
, is located 19 miles (31 km) to the southwest. - Harland Sanders Café and MuseumHarland Sanders Café and MuseumThe Harland Sanders Café is a historic restaurant located in North Corbin, Kentucky. Colonel Harland Sanders, the founder of Kentucky Fried Chicken, operated the restaurant from 1940-1956. Sanders also developed the famous KFC secret recipe at the café during the 1940s...
, the birthplace of Kentucky Fried ChickenKFCKFC, founded and also known as Kentucky Fried Chicken, is a chain of fast food restaurants based in Louisville, Kentucky, in the United States. KFC has been a brand and operating segment, termed a concept of Yum! Brands since 1997 when that company was spun off from PepsiCo as Tricon Global...
(though not sold as the KFC/Kentucky Fried Chicken brand at the time) is located in North Corbin. The restaurant and accompanying museum are popular with tour groups traveling along Interstate 75Interstate 75Interstate 75 is a major north–south Interstate Highway in the Great Lakes and Southeastern regions of the United States. It travels from State Road 826 and State Road 924 in Hialeah, Florida to Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, at the Ontario, Canada, border...
. - THE ARENA at The David L. Williams Southeastern Kentucky Ag and Expo Complex or THE ARENA is a $28 million multi-purpose venue that opened in 2009. The Arena is situated on top of a hill across from the Baptist Regional Medical Center, near the Tri-County Cineplex on US 25 W. The City of Corbin owns the arena, which contains 5,000 fixed seats, and it is managed by SMG.
- Nearby Laurel River LakeLaurel River LakeLaurel River Lake, located west of Corbin, Kentucky, in the USA, is an reservoir built in 1977 by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on the Laurel River, a tributary of the Cumberland River, in the Daniel Boone National Forest. The lake covers parts of Laurel and Whitley counties.The 282 foot high...
, created by the U.S. Army Corps of EngineersUnited States Army Corps of EngineersThe 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 1974, is a popular recreational site for boatingBoatingBoating is the leisurely activity of travelling by boat, or the recreational use of a boat whether powerboats, sailboats, or man-powered vessels , focused on the travel itself, as well as sports activities, such as fishing or water skiing...
, fishingFishingFishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
, water skiingWater skiingthumb|right|A slalom skier making a turn on a slalom waterski.Waterskiing is a sport where an individual is pulled behind a boat or a cable ski installation on a body of water, skimming the surface.-History:...
, and scuba divingScuba divingScuba diving is a form of underwater diving in which a diver uses a scuba set to breathe underwater....
. - Cumberland GapCumberland GapCumberland Gap is a pass through the Cumberland Mountains region of the Appalachian Mountains, also known as the Cumberland Water Gap, at the juncture of the U.S. states of Tennessee, Kentucky, and Virginia...
and Cumberland Gap National Historical ParkCumberland Gap National Historical ParkEstablished on June 11, 1940, Cumberland Gap National Historical Park is a United States National Historical Park located at the border between Kentucky, Tennessee, and Virginia. The Cumberland Gap is a sizable natural break in the Appalachian Mountains....
are located about 50 miles (80 km) south of Corbin on U.S. Highway 25E at the TennesseeTennesseeTennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
border.
Education
Corbin, like many communities of its size in southeastern Kentucky, has an independent school system (in Kentucky, a public schoolPublic education
State schools, also known in the United States and Canada as public schools,In much of the Commonwealth, including Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and the United Kingdom, the terms 'public education', 'public school' and 'independent school' are used for private schools, that is, schools...
system not affiliated with a county; most such districts are associated with individual cities). The Corbin Independent School District includes:
- Corbin Preschool Center
- Corbin Primary (grades K-2)
- Corbin Elementary (grades 3-5)
- Corbin Middle (grades 6-8)
- Corbin High (grades 9-12)
- Corbin Vocational
The community also places considerable emphasis on the success of its high school athletic teams. "Redhounds" games, especially football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
, are important social events for many within the community.
In 2004, Eastern Kentucky University
Eastern Kentucky University
Eastern Kentucky University, commonly referred to as Eastern or by the acronym EKU by local residents, is an undergraduate and graduate teaching and research institution located in Richmond, Kentucky, U.S.A.. EKU is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools...
opened an extension campus in Corbin.
The annual Battle for the Brass Lantern, a college football rivalry game between University of the Cumberlands
University of the Cumberlands
University of the Cumberlands is a private, liberal arts college located in Williamsburg, Kentucky, with an enrollment of approximately 3,200 students...
and Union College
Union College (Kentucky)
Union College is a four-year private college located in Barbourville, Kentucky. The college, founded in 1879, is affiliated with the United Methodist Church. Union College is a small liberal arts college in the Appalachian Mountains...
, was played at Corbin High School's stadium in 2006 and 2007, as a neutral field roughly equidistant from the two campuses. The rivalry dates to 1905.
Corbin is also home to Saint Camillus Academy
Saint Camillus Academy
Saint Camillus Academy is a Catholic school located in Corbin, Kentucky, established in 1908 by the Sisters of Divine Providence with the help of the Diocese of Covington...
, a private pre-K-8 school affiliated with the Catholic Diocese of Lexington, Kentucky. Established in 1908 by the Sisters of Divine Providence, the school has been successful as both a boarding school for national and international students and as a Montessori school. Its original schoolhouse, built in 1913, was demolished in summer 2008. The new school building is still situated atop a prominent hill overlooking the town, providing a striking backdrop to the streets of downtown Corbin.
Newspapers
- The Times-Tribune, a daily afternoon newspaper
- The News JournalNews Journal (Corbin)The News Journal is a weekly newspaper based in Corbin, Kentucky with an office in Williamsburg, Kentucky, that covers Knox, Laurel and Whitley counties in that state. The newspaper is owned and published by The Whitley Wiz, Inc...
, a weekly regional newspaper mostly the Whitley County area
Radio
- WCTT AM 680WCTT (AM)WCTT is a radio station broadcasting a Nostalgia format. Licensed to Corbin, Kentucky, USA. The station is currently owned by Encore Communications, Inc....
, (Great 68)(Oldies) - WKDP AM 1330WKDP (AM)WKDP is a radio station broadcasting a Talk format. Licensed to Corbin, Kentucky, USA. The station is currently owned by Eubanks Broadcasting, Inc.. The station is a broadcaster of the Rush Limbaugh program....
- WEKF FM 88.5WEKUWEKU , is a National Public Radio-affiliated station in Richmond, Kentucky. It primarily features NPR news and talk programming, along with classical music from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. at night...
, (Eastern Ky Univ. Affiliate) - WVCT FM 91.5WVCTWVCT is a radio station broadcasting a Christian radio format. Licensed to Keavy, Kentucky, USA. The station is currently owned by Victory Training School Corp.....
, (Gospel Eagle)(Southern Gospel) - WKDP FM 99.5WKDP-FMWKDP-FM is a radio station broadcasting a country music format. Licensed to Corbin, Kentucky, USA. The station is currently owned by Eubanks Broadcasting, Inc. and features programing from ABC Radio .-History:...
, (Country) - WCTT FM 107.3WCTT-FMWCTT-FM is a radio station broadcasting a CHR and rock music format. It is licensed to Corbin, Kentucky, USA. The station is currently owned by Encore Communications, Inc....
, (T-107)(Adult Contemporary) - WRHR-LPFM 95.3WRHR-LPWRHR-LP is a radio station licensed to Corbin, Kentucky, USA. The station is currently owned by Corbin Public Schools....
, (Also Known As Corbin's Own Red 95.3)(broadcast by the Corbin High School)
TV
- WVTN (Channel 22 New Wave Cable) (religious)(broadcast from Corbin with local and regional churches and religious syndicated programs part of the radio station WVCT 91.5)
- RBS (Channel 18 New Wave Cable) (Corbin school district information broadcasting the WRHR radio station red 95.3)
- YHC (Channel 21 on New Wave Cable) (Broadcasts local and regional business infomercials and print on screen ads playing Contemporary Christian Music)
Notable natives and former residents
- Colonel Harlan Sanders, entrepreneur and founder of the Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant chain
- Arthur LakeArthur Lake (actor)Arthur Lake was an American actor known best for bringing Dagwood Bumstead, the bumbling husband of Blondie, to life in film, radio and television.-Early life and career:...
, actor who played Dagwood Bumstead in the Blondie movies - Frank Selvy, Basketball Player
- George McAfeeGeorge McAfeeGeorge Anderson McAfee was a former American football player. McAfee is a member of the College Football Hall of Fame and the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He played college football at Duke University. He is a former running back who played for the Chicago Bears...
, American football player - Rodger BirdRodger BirdRodger Bird is a former professional American football player for the American Football League's Oakland Raiders. He was a defensive back.He played college football at Kentucky.-See also:...
, American football player - Ted CremerTed CremerTheodore Roosevelt Cremer "Ted" Cremer is a former played in the National Football League.-Career:Cremer played two seasons with the Detroit Lions before splitting the 1948 NFL season between the Lions and the Green Bay Packers. He played at the collegiate level at Auburn University.-References:...
, American football player - Roy KiddRoy KiddRoy Kidd is a former American football player and coach. He served as the head coach at Eastern Kentucky University from 1964 to 2002, compiling a record of 314–124–8. Kidd's Eastern Kentucky Colonels won NCAA Division I-AA Football Championships in 1979 and 1982 and were runners-up...
, American football coach, member of the College Football Hall of FameCollege Football Hall of FameThe College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and museum devoted to college football. Located in South Bend, Indiana, it is connected to a convention center and situated in the city's renovated downtown district, two miles south of the University of Notre Dame campus. It is slated to move... - Mabel Martin WyrickMabel Martin WyrickMabel Martin Wyrick . Her published books include If Quilts Could Talk... I'd Listen, Tales of the Rails, How to Bury a Drifter, The Ultimate Irony, Factual Folklore, and Land Beneath the Lake....
, Writer - B. F. SheltonB. F. SheltonB. F. Shelton was an American singer and banjoist who recorded a number of songs for Victor Records at the Bristol Sessions in Bristol, Tennessee on July 29, 1927. Shelton traveled from Corbin, Kentucky where he worked as a barber to Bristol for the sessions with gospel singer and preacher Alfred...
, old-timey banjo player - Betty Jack DavisBetty Jack DavisBetty Jack Davis was an American country music singer who was one half of the duet The Davis Sisters with Skeeter Davis, who was not related.-Biography:...
, country music singer, was one half of the duo The Davis Sisters (country) with Skeeter Davis - Debbie DeanDebbie Dean (singer)Reba Jeanette Smith, known professionally as Debbie Dean was an American singer who was the first white solo artist to record for Motown.-Biography:...
, pop singer, first white solo artist signed to Motown RecordsMotown RecordsMotown is a record label originally founded by Berry Gordy, Jr. and incorporated as Motown Record Corporation in Detroit, Michigan, United States, on April 14, 1960. The name, a portmanteau of motor and town, is also a nickname for Detroit...
. - Ensley A. CarpenterEnsley A. CarpenterEnsley A. Carpenter , was a country doctor for whom the town of Carpenter, Kentucky was named. He moved to Whitley County, Kentucky shortly after the American Civil War from neighboring Claiborne County, Tennessee...
, a doctor, who once lived in Corbin, whom the town of Carpenter, KentuckyCarpenter, KentuckyCarpenter, is a community or populated place located in Whitley County, Kentucky with an elevation of 1,017 feet. Carpenter appears on the Frakes U.S. Geological Survey Map....
was named after.
External links
- Official City of Corbin Web Site
- Corbin, Kentucky Office of Economic Development
- "Kentucky Town Re-Examines Its Racial History", Weekend Edition SaturdayWeekend EditionWeekend Edition is the name given to a set of American radio news magazines produced and distributed by National Public Radio . It is the weekend counterpart to Morning Edition. It consists of Weekend Edition Saturday and Weekend Edition Sunday , each of which airs for two hours, from 8 a.m. to 10...
, NPR, March 10, 2007 - Genealogy of Rev. James Corbin Floyd
- Official website of The ARENA at The David L. Williams Southeastern Kentucky Ag and Expo Complex
- Official website of Corbin's daily newspaper the Times Tribune
- Corbin News Journal weekly newspaper website
- Official website of WCTT radio station 107.3 in Corbin
- Economic and business website for Corbin
- Corbin High School's Redhound theater and cinema showtimes
- Corbin Independent School system website
- Cumberland Falls official website
- Kentucky's Cumberland Falls website
- Colonel Sanders Cafe & Museum
- WVCT radio & WVTN TV website