Harlan, Kentucky
Encyclopedia
Harlan is a city in Harlan County
, Kentucky
, United States
. The population was 2,081 at the 2000 census and was estimated at 1,880 in 2007. It is the county seat
of Harlan County
.
It was renamed Harlan by the Kentucky General Assembly in 1912 since there was already a "Mount Pleasant" in the state.
Harlan is the site of a criminal case in which a man, Condy Dabney, was convicted in 1924 of murdering a person who was later found alive.
In the 1980s a flood wall was completed on the city's west side and a four lane bypass for US 421 was completed. The additional flood protection allowed new commercial development.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 1.8 square miles (4.7 km²), all of it land.
of 2000, there were 2,081 people, 926 households, and 550 families residing in the city. The population density
was 1,187.4 people per square mile (459.1/km²). There were 1,060 housing units at an average density of 604.8 per square mile (233.9/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 91.01% White
, 7.02% Black or African American
, 0.29% Native American
, 0.86% Asian
, and 0.82% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos
of any race were 0.62% of the population.
There were 926 households out of which 24.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.3% were married couples
living together, 14.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.6% were non-families. 39.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 19.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.17 and the average family size was 2.91.
The age distribution was 21.3% under the age of 18, 8.1% from 18 to 24, 25.8% from 25 to 44, 25.1% from 45 to 64, and 19.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 89.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.8 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $17,270, and the median income for a family was $29,135. Males had a median income of $37,500 versus $20,852 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $15,572. About 23.8% of families and 32.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 40.0% of those under age 18 and 20.6% of those age 65 or over.
Harlan County High School, which opened in 2008 as the consolidation of the county district's three previous high schools (James A. Cawood, Evarts, and Cumberland), serves all other public high school students in the county. Harlan also features a campus of Southeast Kentucky Community and Technical College
.
(adult contemporary, 1410 AM), WFSR
(gospel, 970 AM) and WTUK (country, 105.1 FM).
Some storylines of the FX Networks
drama Justified
take place in Harlan. Harlan was also featured in a Darrell Scott
song called "You'll Never Leave Harlan Alive", and a Steve Earle song "Harlan Man".
Harlan County, Kentucky
Harlan County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. It was formed in 1819. As of 2000, the population was 33,200. Its county seat is Harlan...
, 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...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 2,081 at the 2000 census and was estimated at 1,880 in 2007. It is the 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....
of Harlan County
Harlan County, Kentucky
Harlan County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. It was formed in 1819. As of 2000, the population was 33,200. Its county seat is Harlan...
.
History
The settlement which became Harlan was first settled by Samuel and Chloe Howard in 1796, who allocated 12 acres (48,562.3 m²) of their land to become the county seat in 1812. They named the town Mount Pleasant when it was incorporated in 1876 due to the presence of a nearby Indian burial mound.It was renamed Harlan by the Kentucky General Assembly in 1912 since there was already a "Mount Pleasant" in the state.
Harlan is the site of a criminal case in which a man, Condy Dabney, was convicted in 1924 of murdering a person who was later found alive.
In the 1980s a flood wall was completed on the city's west side and a four lane bypass for US 421 was completed. The additional flood protection allowed new commercial development.
Geography
Harlan is located at 36°50′29"N 83°19′12"W (36.841487, -83.320066).According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 1.8 square miles (4.7 km²), all of it land.
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 2,081 people, 926 households, and 550 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 1,187.4 people per square mile (459.1/km²). There were 1,060 housing units at an average density of 604.8 per square mile (233.9/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 91.01% 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...
, 7.02% 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...
, 0.29% 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...
, 0.86% 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,...
, and 0.82% from two or more races. 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 0.62% of the population.
There were 926 households out of which 24.0% 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, 14.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.6% were non-families. 39.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 19.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.17 and the average family size was 2.91.
The age distribution was 21.3% under the age of 18, 8.1% from 18 to 24, 25.8% from 25 to 44, 25.1% from 45 to 64, and 19.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 89.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.8 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $17,270, and the median income for a family was $29,135. Males had a median income of $37,500 versus $20,852 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 $15,572. About 23.8% of families and 32.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 40.0% of those under age 18 and 20.6% of those age 65 or over.
Educational institutions
Two school districts, the Harlan County Public Schools and the Harlan Independent Schools, are based in the city. The independent schools, whose district roughly coincides with the city limits of Harlan, feature Harlan Elementary, Harlan Middle, and Harlan High.Harlan County High School, which opened in 2008 as the consolidation of the county district's three previous high schools (James A. Cawood, Evarts, and Cumberland), serves all other public high school students in the county. Harlan also features a campus of Southeast Kentucky Community and Technical College
Southeast Kentucky Community and Technical College
Southeast Kentucky Community and Technical College , located in Cumberland, Kentucky, USA, is one of 16 two-year, open-admissions colleges of the Kentucky Community and Technical College System . It was founded in 1960 as the Southeast Center of the University of Kentucky...
.
Media
The Harlan Daily Enterprise newspaper is published Monday through Saturday. Radio stations serving Harlan are WHLNWHLN
WHLN is a radio station broadcasting a Adult Contemporary format. Licensed to Harlan, Kentucky, USA. The station is currently owned by Radio Harlan, Inc. and features programing from ABC Radio and AP Radio....
(adult contemporary, 1410 AM), WFSR
WFSR
WFSR is a radio station broadcasting a Southern Gospel format. Licensed to Harlan, Kentucky, USA. The station is currently owned by Eastern Broadcasting Company and features programing from Salem Communications....
(gospel, 970 AM) and WTUK (country, 105.1 FM).
Some storylines of the FX Networks
FX Networks
FX is the name of a number of related pay television channels owned by News Corporation's Fox Entertainment Group...
drama Justified
Justified (TV series)
Justified is an American television drama series created by Graham Yost. It is based on Elmore Leonard's novels Pronto and Riding the Rap and his short story "Fire in the Hole". Its central character is Raylan Givens, a deputy U.S. Marshal. The series is set in the city of Lexington, Kentucky...
take place in Harlan. Harlan was also featured in a Darrell Scott
Darrell Scott
James Darrell Scott known as Darrell Scott , the son of musician Wayne Scott with whom he has collaborated, is an American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He moved as a child to East Gary, Indiana. He was playing professionally by his teens in Southern California, later living in...
song called "You'll Never Leave Harlan Alive", and a Steve Earle song "Harlan Man".
Notable natives
- Wah Wah Jones - NBANational Basketball AssociationThe National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
player - James E. KellerJames E. KellerJames E. Keller is a native of Harlan, Kentucky, United States. He received his undergraduate degree from Eastern Kentucky University. In 1966, he graduated from the University of Kentucky College of Law before entering into private practice from 1969 until 1976.He was elected to serve as a...
- former Justice of the Kentucky Supreme CourtKentucky Supreme CourtThe Kentucky Supreme Court was created by a 1975 constitutional amendment and is the state supreme court of the commonwealth of Kentucky. Prior to that the Kentucky Court of Appeals was the only appellate court in Kentucky... - Karl S. Forester - federal judgeFederal judgeFederal judges are judges appointed by a federal level of government as opposed to the state / provincial / local level.-Brazil:In Brazil, federal judges of first instance are chosen exclusively by public contest...
for the United States District Court for the Eastern District of KentuckyUnited States District Court for the Eastern District of KentuckyThe United States District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky is the Federal district court whose jurisdiction comprises approximately the Eastern half of the state of Kentucky.... - Nick LacheyNick LacheyNicholas Scott "Nick" Lachey is an American singer, songwriter, actor, producer and television personality. Lachey rose to fame as a member of the boy band 98 Degrees. He later starred in the reality television series Newlyweds: Nick and Jessica with his then-wife, Jessica Simpson. He has released...
- singer - Cawood LedfordCawood LedfordCawood Ledford was a longtime radio play-by-play announcer for the University of Kentucky basketball and football teams...
- University of KentuckyUniversity of KentuckyThe University of Kentucky, also known as UK, is a public co-educational university and is one of the state's two land-grant universities, located in Lexington, Kentucky...
basketball & football announcer - George Ella LyonGeorge Ella LyonGeorge Ella Lyon is a Kentucky author who has published in many genres, including picture books, poetry, juvenile novels, and articles.-Biography:...
- author - Don WhiteheadDon WhiteheadDon Whitehead was an American journalist. He was awarded the Medal of Freedom. He won the 1950 George Polk Award for wire service reporting....
- 2-time Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter and author - Rick Hill -- actor, DeathstalkerDeathstalker (film)Deathstalker is a 1983 Argentine low-budget science fiction fantasy film adventure directed by James Sbardellati.-Plot:The warrior Deathstalker is sent by a witch on a quest to find a chalice, an amulet, and a sword, two of which are held by the wicked sorcerer Munkar. Deathstalker finds the sword...
(1983)