Henderson, Kentucky
Encyclopedia
Henderson is a city in Henderson County
, Kentucky
, United States
, along the Ohio River
in the western part of the state. The population was 27,952 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Evansville Metropolitan Area
often referred to as "Kentuckiana", although "Tri-State Area" or "Tri-State" are more commonly used by the local media. Some travelers view it as the "gateway" to the South or Midwest. The city was named after Colonel
Richard Henderson
, by Gen. Samuel Hopkins
and Thomas Allin
.
Notable residents have included the ornithologist
, naturalist
, and painter
John James Audubon
, as well as blues
legend W.C. Handy. For more than 100 years the city has been home to the Southern Cherokee Nation
.
, currently the site of Audubon Mill Park (directly south of the city's riverfront boat dock). A village on this site was called "Red Banks" by the Cherokee
who historically lived and hunted there, because of the reddish clay soil on the tall banks of the river. By the early and mid 1790s, Red Banks had a tavern and residents included several European-American families, as well as the Cherokee. On 16 Nov 1792, "Red Banks" resident Robert Simpson wrote to Colonel
Alexander D. Orr
in Lexington
, requesting help to appoint a magistrate
in Red Banks, as he believed that some of its 30 families were of dubious character and engaged in criminal activities, creating the need for a justice system. By late 1792, free male inhabitants (who did not include Cherokee, not counted as citizens) totaled 62 people in Red Banks or Charleston, Ohio, then part of Logan County, Kentucky
.
On March 17, 1775, North Carolina
judge Colonel
Richard Henderson
, his group the Transylvania Company, and others sought to purchase much of the territory lying between the Cumberland
and Kentucky Rivers from 1,200 Cherokee Indians
gathered at Sycamore Shoals
(located at present-day Elizabethton, Tennessee
). This comprises modern-day Kentucky
and Tennessee
, amounting to over 17000000 acres (68,796.6 km²) of land. Their plan was to resell the frontier lands to settlers.
Although the Virginia General Assembly
voided the deal, as it claimed the sole right to purchase land from the Indians within the bounds of the Royal Charter
, it granted Henderson and his company 200000 acres (809.4 km²) (800 km²) in exchange for their efforts to develop what they considered a wilderness region. That ground was located where the Green River
flows into the Ohio River
. Henderson hired Daniel Boone
to survey the country and select favorable sites, but he died before his namesake town was developed. On behalf of other investors and their heirs, Gen. Samuel Hopkins
and a surveyor named Thomas Allin
in 1797 visited Red Banks and laid out plans for a town, which was named Henderson.
By October 29, 1799, a tax list completed a census for the city and county of Henderson, Kentucky. Census information showed that the population of town was 183 with the county having 423 residents, 207 slaves, and 412 horses.
A distinguishing characteristic of the new town plan was unusually wide streets, reportedly to prevent a fire in one block from easily spreading to another. Even with diagonal parking spaces outlined on downtown streets, there is enough space for delivery trucks to park in the center of the streets without interfering with two-way traffic.
, much of which was exported to Great Britain
. It was reported to be the largest dark tobacco producer in the world; large tobacco warehouses and stemmeries dotted the downtown Henderson area. Postcards from the era show long lines of horse/mule-drawn wagons piled high with tobacco, waiting their turn to unload for shipment downriver. Some tobacco processors accumulated considerable fortunes. Undocumented claims say that in 1860, Henderson ranked second only to Heidelberg, Germany, in terms of per capital wealth.
, Henderson was said to have more millionaires than any city in the world for its size. But Great Britain
imposed a high tariff on imported tobacco after World War I
, wrecking the county and city's export market. Tobacco warehouses and plants closed, and the community's economic fortunes reversed. The last tobacco facility, the Soaper Tobacco Warehouse on Pennell Street, closed in 1984.
As a regional trading center, Henderson continued in the 20th century. Businesses were concentrated in the downtown area. In the early 20th century, Henderson's city had very recognizable neighborhoods, or unincorporated places, within the city and the outlying edges of town. Neighborhoods were: Audubon
, Weaverton
, Audubon Heights; segments of Audubon
and Weaverton
were sometimes referred to as the "East End". "East End" held the second biggest business area next to downtown Henderson.
In 1908 the Henderson area had high temperatures and a drought, reducing the Ohio River
. The Henderson Daily Gleaner reported that "boys were playing baseball every day in the middle of the old riverbed". All businesses were challenged and forced to close. A Henderson reporter wrote, "[I]t is almost hazardous for even small gasoline boats to run".
On June 20, 1914, Henderson was hit by a "baby cyclone." Jack Hudgions, local historian and newsman, wrote that "hail as large as partridge eggs fell for ten minutes and that powerful winds uprooted giant trees "and twisted limbs from shade trees in the city." In the northern part of Henderson, several buildings were blown down and wheat stocks were scattered. The storm lasted for more than 30 minutes, laying crops low throughout the county. Telephone lines were damaged and windows broken in the city and county by the hail stones. Twenty-six days later, the city was hit by a tornado that left two dead and much of the city in ruins.
In 1937, 21 inches of precipitation fell in 18 days over the Ohio River watershed. While many cities were inundated from the Ohio River flood of 1937
, Henderson, on its bluff, was spared much of the damage that Pittsburgh
, Cincinnati
, Louisville
, Evansville
, Paducah
and others suffered. Leigh Harris, the publisher of the Henderson Gleaner
and Evening Journal newspapers, wrote, "Henderson is on the river but never in it!" Its favorable location helped the city develop new industries.
, the city has a total area of 17.1 square miles (44.2 km²), of which, 15.0 square miles (38.8 km²) of it is land and 2.1 square miles (5.5 km²) of it (12.36%) is water.
Because the Indiana
-Kentucky
border is defined as the low-water mark on the north bank of the Ohio River
as of 1792, and because the river changed course as a result of the New Madrid Earthquake
of 1812, a small portion of Henderson County (approximately 4 miles (6.4 km) long and 1 miles (1.6 km) wide), lies north of the current course of the river in what would appear to be part of Indiana. Both the Bi-State Vietnam Gold Star Bridges and the Ellis Park Racecourse horse racing track are located entirely within Kentucky. The racetrack uses Indiana's 812 area code
despite officially being located in Kentucky.
's Bi-State Vietnam Gold Star Bridges connects the city with Evansville
to the north and, to the south, the cities of Madisonville
and Hopkinsville
.
. Although the Ellis Park Racecourse racing track, as mentioned above, actually uses Indiana's 812
area code despite officially being located in Henderson County
,
of 2000, there were 27,373 people, 12,253 households, and 7,949 families residing in the city. The population density
was 1,829.0 people per square mile (706.0/km²). There were 13,212 housing units at an average density of 845.4 per square mile (326.3/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 84.1% White, 11.8% Black or African American
, 0.18% Native American, 0.7% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.58% from other races
, and 1.04% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.27% of the population.
There were 11,693 households out of which 29.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.5% were married couples
living together, 14.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.8% were non-families. 32.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.9% 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 2.86.
In the city the population was spread out with 23.5% under the age of 18, 9.2% from 18 to 24, 29.5% from 25 to 44, 22.5% from 45 to 64, and 15.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 89.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.3 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $35,790, and the median income for a family was $45,250. Males had a median income of $37,494 versus $27,588 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $23,288. About 13.2% of families and 16.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 24.6% of those under age 18 and 11.3% of those age 65 or over.
Spottsville, East Heights, Bend Gate, South Heights, Jefferson, Cairo, and Niagara; two middle schools, North Middle and South Middle; and one high school, Henderson County High School. There is also a school for students with mental and/or physical deficiencies, Riverview, and an alternative school for those suspended from the other schools in the district, Central Learning Center. There is one parochial school, Holy Name of Jesus Catholic School.
Henderson is home to one postsecondary institution, Henderson Community College
, as well as a satellite campus of Murray State University
. In addition, students are also served by Oakland City University
Evansville Center, University of Evansville
, and University of Southern Indiana
in neighboring Evansville, Indiana
.
Bluegrass in the Park Folklife Festival is one of the largest free Bluegrass festivals in the country. It is Henderson's oldest on-going music festival and marked its 25th continuous year in 2010. Past performers have included Bill Monroe
, Emmylou Harris
, Alison Krauss and Union Station, Ricky Skaggs
, John Hartford
, Glen Campbell
, and other notable Bluegrass artists. The Folklife aspect of the festival is a celebration of local lifestyles and culture with displays on recreational folklife (traditional games), functional folklife (quilting, tatting, chair-caning, basket-making, fly-tying), oral traditions (storytelling), folk music, food traditions (curing country hams, making burgoo
, the craft of barbecue), and foreign cultures that have integrated with local traditions, among other things.
The Green River Arts & Crafts Festival is a large event that has been held for more than 30 years on a weekend in early October at John James Audubon State Park
and organized by the Green River Area Development District.
legend W.C. Handy spent nearly a decade
in Henderson. In an interview with Joe Creason of the Louisville Courier-Journal, done a few years before he died but not published until March 9, 1973, Handy said: "I didn’t write any songs in Henderson, but it was there I realized that experiences I had had, things I had seen and heard could be set down in a kind of music characteristic of my race. There I learned to appreciate the music of my people … then the blues were born, because from that day on, I started thinking about putting my own experience down in that particular kind of music." Each year, Henderson honors Handy by holding one of the largest outdoor free concert
s in the USA
, the Handy Blues & Barbecue Festival.
A few scenes from the movie
A League of Their Own
were shot in Henderson, including boarding house scenes that were filmed at a stately home at 612 North Main St. that was once the home of Augustus Owsley Stanley, a governor of Kentucky and U.S. senator. These include the scene in which the character Dottie Hinson (Geena Davis
) is reunited with her husband Bob (Bill Pullman
), who has been overseas fighting during World War II
, and she leaves the women's baseball team.
side of the Ohio river
, but the land from Waterworks and Shawnee Roads in Evansville, Indiana
south to the Ohio River, are actually part of Henderson County, Kentucky
. Ellis Park ranked 6th, out of 65 Thoroughbred
racetracks, right behind Churchill Downs
in Louisville, Kentucky
, against all North American horse racing tracks as the best wagering opportunity according to Horseplayers Association of North America (HANA).
On August 10, 1994, the first pitch of the 1994 Bambino World Series was thrown out. Thousands of fans packed into Park Field to watch the event. A week of baseball was set, bringing in qualifying teams from all over the United States
and the Virgin Islands
. Kennewick, Washington
took home the crown. Two years later, the town decided to bring the Series back to Henderson. The event was dedicated to former Kentucky Senator and former Henderson resident A.B. "Happy" Chandler
. This time the Series would be publicized more in the media by networking a 24-hour television station dedicated entirely to the event. On the day of the event the town newspaper, The Gleaner, created a huge informational program for the event including the teams, bios, pictures and even a baseball card treatment to the host team, the Henderson All-Stars. The 1996 Bambino World Series began on August 17, 1996. The Henderson All-Star Team advanced all the way to the National Championship game, something no other host team has been able to accomplish. But the hometown team was not enough for the 8-time Bambino World Series National Champion Oakland, California
and lost 8-4.
Organized baseball for Henderson's youth (primarily boys) was started by William Hebe, James "Hank" Harpole, and Joe Gabe via organizational meetings in the local YMCA in 1949-50. Affiliation with the national Little League was obtained and the city land reclaimed garbage dump on the high banks of the Ohio River was dedicated to the creation of three regulation fields, two for Little League (boys 6-12) and one for "Pony League" (boys 12-15)called Park Field. The area is adjacent to a city park and large enough for bleachers, ample parking, and, at one time, the headquarters building of the local amateur ham radio club, W4KVK. Harpole was a major leader, doing chores from raking stones from the playing fields to seeking sponsors for the team uniforms and becoming coach for years of a Little League team there. The baseball efforts grew to scores of teams and more fields elsewhere in Henderson, and was often credited with reducing adolescent mischief in the area. Harpole later founded a "T-ball" league for pre-schoolers (to 6 years)in Henderson that included girls.
, as well the metro edition of the Evansville Courier & Press
. Both are owned by the E.W. Scripps Company.
Henderson is part of the Evansville media market, the 101st-largest television market and 161st-largest radio market in the United States. WSON
(860-AM) is the only locally owned radio station broadcasting from the city. Stations from Owensboro
and Madisonville
are also available. Some can hear stations from Fort Campbell
, Clarksville
and Paducah as well.
WEHT
, Evansville's ABC
affiliate, has its studios and transmitting tower located in Henderson, though it is licensed to Evansville.
Henderson County, Kentucky
Henderson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. It was formed in 1799. As the latest census data update of 2010, the population was counted 46,250. The county seat is the City of Henderson. The county was named for Colonel Richard Henderson who originally purchased of land...
, 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...
, along the Ohio River
Ohio River
The 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...
in the western part of the state. The population was 27,952 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Evansville Metropolitan Area
Evansville, IN-KY Metropolitan Statistical Area
The Evansville, IN-KY Metropolitan Statistical Area is the 142nd largest Metropolitan Statistical Area in the United States. The primary city is Evansville, Indiana. Other Indiana cities include Boonville, Mount Vernon, Oakland City, and Princeton...
often referred to as "Kentuckiana", although "Tri-State Area" or "Tri-State" are more commonly used by the local media. Some travelers view it as the "gateway" to the South or Midwest. The city was named after Colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
Richard Henderson
Richard Henderson (American pioneer)
Richard Henderson was an American pioneer and merchant who attempted to create a colony called Transylvania just as the American Revolutionary War was starting.-Early life:Henderson was born in Hanover County, Virginia...
, by Gen. Samuel Hopkins
Samuel Hopkins (congressman)
Samuel Hopkins was a U.S. Representative from Kentucky.Born in Albemarle County, Virginia, Hopkins was educated by private tutors...
and Thomas Allin
Thomas Allin
Thomas Allin was a soldier and surveyor who became an early settler and political leader in Kentucky. He served in the Revolutionary War, first in the North Carolina militia and then as part of general Nathanael Greene's campaign.Following the war, Allin settled in the Kentucky district of Virginia...
.
Notable residents have included the ornithologist
Ornithology
Ornithology is a branch of zoology that concerns the study of birds. Several aspects of ornithology differ from related disciplines, due partly to the high visibility and the aesthetic appeal of birds...
, naturalist
Natural history
Natural history is the scientific research of plants or animals, leaning more towards observational rather than experimental methods of study, and encompasses more research published in magazines than in academic journals. Grouped among the natural sciences, natural history is the systematic study...
, and painter
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
John James Audubon
John James Audubon
John James Audubon was a French-American ornithologist, naturalist, and painter. He was notable for his expansive studies to document all types of American birds and for his detailed illustrations that depicted the birds in their natural habitats...
, as well as blues
Blues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
legend W.C. Handy. For more than 100 years the city has been home to the Southern Cherokee Nation
Southern Cherokee Nation of Kentucky
The Southern Cherokee Nation of Kentucky claim descent from the Cherokee forcibly removed to Indian Territory in 1838, and to have first emerged as a distinct political faction known as the Treaty Party before the Trail of Tears, circa 1835. They report having fled Indian territory, after the...
.
18th century
Henderson has its roots in a small, block-wide strip of land high above the Ohio RiverOhio River
The 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...
, currently the site of Audubon Mill Park (directly south of the city's riverfront boat dock). A village on this site was called "Red Banks" by the Cherokee
Cherokee
The Cherokee are a Native American people historically settled in the Southeastern United States . Linguistically, they are part of the Iroquoian language family...
who historically lived and hunted there, because of the reddish clay soil on the tall banks of the river. By the early and mid 1790s, Red Banks had a tavern and residents included several European-American families, as well as the Cherokee. On 16 Nov 1792, "Red Banks" resident Robert Simpson wrote to Colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
Alexander D. Orr
Alexander D. Orr
Alexander Dalrymple Orr was an American farmer and politician from Maysville, Kentucky. He served in the Virginia House of Delegates and senate. After statehood, he represented Kentucky in the United States House of Representatives from 1792 until 1797.-External links:*...
in Lexington
Lexington, Kentucky
Lexington is the second-largest city in Kentucky and the 63rd largest in the US. Known as the "Thoroughbred City" and the "Horse Capital of the World", it is located in the heart of Kentucky's Bluegrass region...
, requesting help to appoint a magistrate
Magistrate
A magistrate is an officer of the state; in modern usage the term usually refers to a judge or prosecutor. This was not always the case; in ancient Rome, a magistratus was one of the highest government officers and possessed both judicial and executive powers. Today, in common law systems, a...
in Red Banks, as he believed that some of its 30 families were of dubious character and engaged in criminal activities, creating the need for a justice system. By late 1792, free male inhabitants (who did not include Cherokee, not counted as citizens) totaled 62 people in Red Banks or Charleston, Ohio, then part of Logan County, Kentucky
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...
.
On March 17, 1775, North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
judge Colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
Richard Henderson
Richard Henderson (American pioneer)
Richard Henderson was an American pioneer and merchant who attempted to create a colony called Transylvania just as the American Revolutionary War was starting.-Early life:Henderson was born in Hanover County, Virginia...
, his group the Transylvania Company, and others sought to purchase much of the territory lying between the Cumberland
Cumberland River
The Cumberland River is a waterway in the Southern United States. It is long. It starts in Harlan County in far southeastern Kentucky between Pine and Cumberland mountains, flows through southern Kentucky, crosses into northern Tennessee, and then curves back up into western Kentucky before...
and Kentucky Rivers from 1,200 Cherokee Indians
Cherokee
The Cherokee are a Native American people historically settled in the Southeastern United States . Linguistically, they are part of the Iroquoian language family...
gathered at Sycamore Shoals
Sycamore Shoals
The Sycamore Shoals of the Watauga River, usually shortened to Sycamore Shoals, is a rocky stretch of river rapids along the Watauga River in Elizabethton, in the U.S. state of Tennessee...
(located at present-day Elizabethton, Tennessee
Elizabethton, Tennessee
Elizabethton is the county seat of Carter County, Tennessee, United States. Elizabethton is also the historical site both of the first independent American government located west of both the Eastern Continental Divide and the original thirteen British American colonies.Elizabethton is also the...
). This comprises modern-day 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...
and Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee 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...
, amounting to over 17000000 acres (68,796.6 km²) of land. Their plan was to resell the frontier lands to settlers.
Although the Virginia General Assembly
Virginia General Assembly
The Virginia General Assembly is the legislative body of the Commonwealth of Virginia, and the oldest legislative body in the Western Hemisphere, established on July 30, 1619. The General Assembly is a bicameral body consisting of a lower house, the Virginia House of Delegates, with 100 members,...
voided the deal, as it claimed the sole right to purchase land from the Indians within the bounds of the Royal Charter
Royal Charter
A royal charter is a formal document issued by a monarch as letters patent, granting a right or power to an individual or a body corporate. They were, and are still, used to establish significant organizations such as cities or universities. Charters should be distinguished from warrants and...
, it granted Henderson and his company 200000 acres (809.4 km²) (800 km²) in exchange for their efforts to develop what they considered a wilderness region. That ground was located where the Green River
Green 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...
flows into the Ohio River
Ohio River
The 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...
. Henderson hired Daniel Boone
Daniel Boone
Daniel Boone was an American pioneer, explorer, and frontiersman whose frontier exploits mad']'e him one of the first folk heroes of the United States. Boone is most famous for his exploration and settlement of what is now the Commonwealth of Kentucky, which was then beyond the western borders of...
to survey the country and select favorable sites, but he died before his namesake town was developed. On behalf of other investors and their heirs, Gen. Samuel Hopkins
Samuel Hopkins (congressman)
Samuel Hopkins was a U.S. Representative from Kentucky.Born in Albemarle County, Virginia, Hopkins was educated by private tutors...
and a surveyor named Thomas Allin
Thomas Allin
Thomas Allin was a soldier and surveyor who became an early settler and political leader in Kentucky. He served in the Revolutionary War, first in the North Carolina militia and then as part of general Nathanael Greene's campaign.Following the war, Allin settled in the Kentucky district of Virginia...
in 1797 visited Red Banks and laid out plans for a town, which was named Henderson.
By October 29, 1799, a tax list completed a census for the city and county of Henderson, Kentucky. Census information showed that the population of town was 183 with the county having 423 residents, 207 slaves, and 412 horses.
A distinguishing characteristic of the new town plan was unusually wide streets, reportedly to prevent a fire in one block from easily spreading to another. Even with diagonal parking spaces outlined on downtown streets, there is enough space for delivery trucks to park in the center of the streets without interfering with two-way traffic.
19th century
By mid-century, Henderson County had become a major producer of tobaccoTobacco
Tobacco is an agricultural product processed from the leaves of plants in the genus Nicotiana. It can be consumed, used as a pesticide and, in the form of nicotine tartrate, used in some medicines...
, much of which was exported to Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
. It was reported to be the largest dark tobacco producer in the world; large tobacco warehouses and stemmeries dotted the downtown Henderson area. Postcards from the era show long lines of horse/mule-drawn wagons piled high with tobacco, waiting their turn to unload for shipment downriver. Some tobacco processors accumulated considerable fortunes. Undocumented claims say that in 1860, Henderson ranked second only to Heidelberg, Germany, in terms of per capital wealth.
20th century
Shortly before World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, Henderson was said to have more millionaires than any city in the world for its size. But Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
imposed a high tariff on imported tobacco after World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, wrecking the county and city's export market. Tobacco warehouses and plants closed, and the community's economic fortunes reversed. The last tobacco facility, the Soaper Tobacco Warehouse on Pennell Street, closed in 1984.
As a regional trading center, Henderson continued in the 20th century. Businesses were concentrated in the downtown area. In the early 20th century, Henderson's city had very recognizable neighborhoods, or unincorporated places, within the city and the outlying edges of town. Neighborhoods were: Audubon
Audubon, Henderson
Audubon is a neighborhood in Henderson, Kentucky, USA. Today its boundaries are Loeb St to the west, Meadow St to the south, Pringle St to the east, Mill St to the south, Madison St to the north west, S Alvasia St to the north, Powell St to the east, S Meadow St to the south, Clay St to the east,...
, Weaverton
Weaverton, Henderson
Weaverton is a community or populated place located in Henderson, Kentucky, USA at latitude 37.816 and longitude -87.584. The elevation is 397 feet. This neighborhood is often referred to as the East End of the South Side of town today...
, Audubon Heights; segments of Audubon
Audubon, Henderson
Audubon is a neighborhood in Henderson, Kentucky, USA. Today its boundaries are Loeb St to the west, Meadow St to the south, Pringle St to the east, Mill St to the south, Madison St to the north west, S Alvasia St to the north, Powell St to the east, S Meadow St to the south, Clay St to the east,...
and Weaverton
Weaverton, Henderson
Weaverton is a community or populated place located in Henderson, Kentucky, USA at latitude 37.816 and longitude -87.584. The elevation is 397 feet. This neighborhood is often referred to as the East End of the South Side of town today...
were sometimes referred to as the "East End". "East End" held the second biggest business area next to downtown Henderson.
Natural disasters
Henderson had unusual weather patterns in the late 1800s and early 1900s. The "great sleet" of 1901 fell for three weeks in February and "horses had to have special shoes to keep their footing on local roads".In 1908 the Henderson area had high temperatures and a drought, reducing the Ohio River
Ohio River
The 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...
. The Henderson Daily Gleaner reported that "boys were playing baseball every day in the middle of the old riverbed". All businesses were challenged and forced to close. A Henderson reporter wrote, "[I]t is almost hazardous for even small gasoline boats to run".
On June 20, 1914, Henderson was hit by a "baby cyclone." Jack Hudgions, local historian and newsman, wrote that "hail as large as partridge eggs fell for ten minutes and that powerful winds uprooted giant trees "and twisted limbs from shade trees in the city." In the northern part of Henderson, several buildings were blown down and wheat stocks were scattered. The storm lasted for more than 30 minutes, laying crops low throughout the county. Telephone lines were damaged and windows broken in the city and county by the hail stones. Twenty-six days later, the city was hit by a tornado that left two dead and much of the city in ruins.
In 1937, 21 inches of precipitation fell in 18 days over the Ohio River watershed. While many cities were inundated from the Ohio River flood of 1937
Ohio River flood of 1937
The Ohio River flood of 1937 took place in late January and February 1937. With damage stretching from Pittsburgh to Cairo, Illinois, one million persons were left homeless, with 385 dead and property losses reaching $500 million...
, Henderson, on its bluff, was spared much of the damage that Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
, Cincinnati
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
, Louisville
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
, Evansville
Evansville, Indiana
Evansville is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Indiana and the largest city in Southern Indiana. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 117,429. It is the county seat of Vanderburgh County and the regional hub for both Southwestern Indiana and 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,...
and others suffered. Leigh Harris, the publisher of the Henderson Gleaner
Henderson Gleaner
The Henderson Gleaner is the daily newspaper in Henderson, Kentucky. Its paid circulation is approximately 10,200 copies daily and 11,200 on Sundays, according to the ....
and Evening Journal newspapers, wrote, "Henderson is on the river but never in it!" Its favorable location helped the city develop new industries.
Geography
Henderson is located at 37°50′8"N 87°34′51"W (37.835587, -87.580713). According to the United States Census BureauUnited 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 17.1 square miles (44.2 km²), of which, 15.0 square miles (38.8 km²) of it is land and 2.1 square miles (5.5 km²) of it (12.36%) is water.
Because the Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
-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...
border is defined as the low-water mark on the north bank of the Ohio River
Ohio River
The 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...
as of 1792, and because the river changed course as a result of the New Madrid Earthquake
New Madrid earthquake
The 1811-1812 New Madrid earthquakes were an intense intraplate earthquake series beginning with an initial pair of very large earthquakes on December 16, 1811. These earthquakes remain the most powerful earthquakes ever to hit the eastern United States in recorded history...
of 1812, a small portion of Henderson County (approximately 4 miles (6.4 km) long and 1 miles (1.6 km) wide), lies north of the current course of the river in what would appear to be part of Indiana. Both the Bi-State Vietnam Gold Star Bridges and the Ellis Park Racecourse horse racing track are located entirely within Kentucky. The racetrack uses Indiana's 812 area code
Area code 812
North American area code 812 is the largest in area in Indiana, covering the southern third of Indiana, including the suburban areas of Louisville, Kentucky, and Cincinnati, Ohio and the northern half of the Evansville Metropolitan Area in addition to the moderately large cities of Bedford,...
despite officially being located in Kentucky.
Transportation
Henderson provides mass transit to as many citizens as possible in the service area. The Henderson Area Rapid Transit (HART) was created in 1957 as a publicly owned mass transit system, of which all citizens who live in the City of Henderson are part owners.'s Bi-State Vietnam Gold Star Bridges connects the city with Evansville
Evansville, Indiana
Evansville is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Indiana and the largest city in Southern Indiana. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 117,429. It is the county seat of Vanderburgh County and the regional hub for both Southwestern Indiana and the...
to the north and, to the south, the cities of Madisonville
Madisonville, Kentucky
Madisonville is a city in Hopkins County, Kentucky, United States of the Western Coal Field region, located along US 41 and The Pennyrile Parkway. The population was 19,307 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Hopkins County. The city was named in honor of U.S...
and Hopkinsville
Hopkinsville, Kentucky
Hopkinsville is a city in Christian County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 31,577 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Christian County.- History :...
.
Zip codes and Area codes
The Zip codes used in the city of Henderson are 42419 and 42420, and it uses the area code 270Area code 270
Area code 270 currently serves the U.S. state of Kentucky's western counties. Area code 270 was split off area code 502 in April 1999.In September and October 2006, state officials announced that the area code would run out of numbers in late 2007....
. Although the Ellis Park Racecourse racing track, as mentioned above, actually uses Indiana's 812
Area code 812
North American area code 812 is the largest in area in Indiana, covering the southern third of Indiana, including the suburban areas of Louisville, Kentucky, and Cincinnati, Ohio and the northern half of the Evansville Metropolitan Area in addition to the moderately large cities of Bedford,...
area code despite officially being located in Henderson County
Henderson County, Kentucky
Henderson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. It was formed in 1799. As the latest census data update of 2010, the population was counted 46,250. The county seat is the City of Henderson. The county was named for Colonel Richard Henderson who originally purchased of 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 27,373 people, 12,253 households, and 7,949 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 1,829.0 people per square mile (706.0/km²). There were 13,212 housing units at an average density of 845.4 per square mile (326.3/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 84.1% White, 11.8% Black 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...
, 0.18% Native American, 0.7% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.58% 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 1.04% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.27% of the population.
There were 11,693 households out of which 29.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.5% 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, 14.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.8% were non-families. 32.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.9% 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 2.86.
In the city the population was spread out with 23.5% under the age of 18, 9.2% from 18 to 24, 29.5% from 25 to 44, 22.5% from 45 to 64, and 15.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 89.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.3 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $35,790, and the median income for a family was $45,250. Males had a median income of $37,494 versus $27,588 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 $23,288. About 13.2% of families and 16.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 24.6% of those under age 18 and 11.3% of those age 65 or over.
Economy
The county has numerous industries, including aluminum production, automotive and appliance parts, plastic injection molding, tool and die making, food processing and processing of recycled materials. In June 2008, of the 20,205 jobs in Henderson, almost 12% were government jobs. It also ranks as one of Kentucky's top three corn and soybean producers. Henderson is also one of the state's leading coal producers, with over 2.8 million tons produced in 2004.Education
The Henderson County school system includes eight elementary schools: A.B. Chandler,Spottsville, East Heights, Bend Gate, South Heights, Jefferson, Cairo, and Niagara; two middle schools, North Middle and South Middle; and one high school, Henderson County High School. There is also a school for students with mental and/or physical deficiencies, Riverview, and an alternative school for those suspended from the other schools in the district, Central Learning Center. There is one parochial school, Holy Name of Jesus Catholic School.
Henderson is home to one postsecondary institution, Henderson Community College
Henderson Community College
Henderson Community College , located in Henderson, Kentucky, is one of 16 two-year, open-admissions colleges of the Kentucky Community and Technical College System . It was established in 1960 under the leadership of the late Dr. Louis C. Alderman, Jr., the first Director of the Northwest...
, as well as a satellite campus of Murray State University
Murray State University
Murray State University, located in the city of Murray, Kentucky, is a four-year public university with approximately 10,400 students. The school is Kentucky’s only public university to be listed in the U.S.News & World Report regional university top tier for the past 20 consecutive years...
. In addition, students are also served by Oakland City University
Oakland City University
Oakland City University, abbreviated as OCU, is a coeducational, small-town, urban, private university in Oakland City in eastern Gibson County, about north and slightly east of Evansville in Southwestern Indiana. Oakland City University is the only General Baptist Church-affiliated college in the...
Evansville Center, University of Evansville
University of Evansville
The University of Evansville is a small, private university with approximately 3,050 students located in Evansville, Indiana. Founded in 1854 as Moores Hill College, it is located near the interchange of the Lloyd Expressway and U.S. Route 41. It is affiliated with the United Methodist Church...
, and University of Southern Indiana
University of Southern Indiana
The University of Southern Indiana is a public university in Vanderburgh County, Indiana. This publicly funded institution has been among the fastest growingcomprehensive state universities in Indiana. Record fall enrollment in 2010 reached 10,702...
in neighboring Evansville, Indiana
Evansville, Indiana
Evansville is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Indiana and the largest city in Southern Indiana. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 117,429. It is the county seat of Vanderburgh County and the regional hub for both Southwestern Indiana and the...
.
Annual festivals
Each year Henderson hosts a variety of events and festivals. The Henderson Breakfast Lions Club holds the Tri-Fest, a street festival that raises funds for non-profit organizations, in mid-April each year. There is also the free Handy Blues & Barbecue Festival in mid-June and the free Bluegrass in the Park Folklife Festival in August. Annual barbecues have been a Henderson tradition dating as far back as the one started on Sunday, July 18, 1926 in Atkinson Park by the Henderson Freight Station employees. Notable foods were lamb, burgoo, etc.Bluegrass in the Park Folklife Festival is one of the largest free Bluegrass festivals in the country. It is Henderson's oldest on-going music festival and marked its 25th continuous year in 2010. Past performers have included Bill Monroe
Bill Monroe
William 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...
, Emmylou Harris
Emmylou Harris
Emmylou Harris is an American singer-songwriter and musician. In addition to her work as a solo artist and bandleader, both as an interpreter of other composers' works and as a singer-songwriter, she is a sought-after backing vocalist and duet partner, working with numerous other artists including...
, Alison Krauss and Union Station, Ricky Skaggs
Ricky Skaggs
Rickie Lee "Ricky" Skaggs is a country and bluegrass singer, musician, producer, and composer. He primarily plays mandolin; however, he also plays fiddle, guitar, and banjo.-Early career:...
, John Hartford
John Hartford
John Cowan Hartford was an American folk, country and bluegrass composer and musician known for his mastery of the fiddle and banjo, as well as for his witty lyrics, unique vocal style, and extensive knowledge of Mississippi River lore...
, Glen Campbell
Glen Campbell
Glen Travis Campbell is an American country music singer, guitarist, television host and occasional actor. He is best known for a series of hits in the 1960s and 1970s, as well as for hosting a variety show called The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour on CBS television.During his 50 years in show...
, and other notable Bluegrass artists. The Folklife aspect of the festival is a celebration of local lifestyles and culture with displays on recreational folklife (traditional games), functional folklife (quilting, tatting, chair-caning, basket-making, fly-tying), oral traditions (storytelling), folk music, food traditions (curing country hams, making burgoo
Burgoo
Burgoo is a term used for many types of stew or porridge made from a mixture of ingredients.-North American usage:Burgoo is a spicy stew, similar to Irish or Mulligan stew, often served with cornbread or corn muffins....
, the craft of barbecue), and foreign cultures that have integrated with local traditions, among other things.
The Green River Arts & Crafts Festival is a large event that has been held for more than 30 years on a weekend in early October at John James Audubon State Park
John James Audubon State Park
John James Audubon State Park is located on U. S. Highway 41 in Henderson, Kentucky, just south of the Ohio River. Its inspiration is John James Audubon, the ornithologist, naturalist and painter who resided in Henderson from 1810 to 1819 when Henderson was a frontier village.-History:John James...
and organized by the Green River Area Development District.
Music and film
BluesBlues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
legend W.C. Handy spent nearly a decade
Decade
A decade is a period of 10 years. The word is derived from the Ancient Greek dekas which means ten. This etymology is sometime confused with the Latin decas and dies , which is not correct....
in Henderson. In an interview with Joe Creason of the Louisville Courier-Journal, done a few years before he died but not published until March 9, 1973, Handy said: "I didn’t write any songs in Henderson, but it was there I realized that experiences I had had, things I had seen and heard could be set down in a kind of music characteristic of my race. There I learned to appreciate the music of my people … then the blues were born, because from that day on, I started thinking about putting my own experience down in that particular kind of music." Each year, Henderson honors Handy by holding one of the largest outdoor free concert
Concert
A concert is a live performance before an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, a choir, or a musical band...
s in the USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, the Handy Blues & Barbecue Festival.
A few scenes from the movie
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
A League of Their Own
A League of Their Own
A League of Their Own is a 1992 American comedy-drama film that tells a fictionalized account of the real-life All-American Girls Professional Baseball League . Directed by Penny Marshall, the film stars Geena Davis, Lori Petty, Tom Hanks, Madonna, and Rosie O'Donnell...
were shot in Henderson, including boarding house scenes that were filmed at a stately home at 612 North Main St. that was once the home of Augustus Owsley Stanley, a governor of Kentucky and U.S. senator. These include the scene in which the character Dottie Hinson (Geena Davis
Geena Davis
Virginia Elizabeth "Geena" Davis is an American actress, film producer, writer, former fashion model, and a women's Olympics archery team semi-finalist...
) is reunited with her husband Bob (Bill Pullman
Bill Pullman
William James "Bill" Pullman is an American film, television, and stage actor. Pullman made his film debut in the supporting role of Earl Mott in the 1986 film Ruthless People. He has since gone on to star in other films, including Spaceballs, Independence Day, Lost Highway, Casper and Scary Movie 4...
), who has been overseas fighting during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, and she leaves the women's baseball team.
Ellis Park
A main attraction in Henderson is the Ellis Park Race Course, which was originally the Dade Park. The park was built in 1922 by the Green River Jockey Club. Ellis Park is located on the IndianaIndiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
side of the Ohio river
Ohio River
The 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...
, but the land from Waterworks and Shawnee Roads in Evansville, Indiana
Evansville, Indiana
Evansville is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Indiana and the largest city in Southern Indiana. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 117,429. It is the county seat of Vanderburgh County and the regional hub for both Southwestern Indiana and the...
south to the Ohio River, are actually part of Henderson County, Kentucky
Henderson County, Kentucky
Henderson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. It was formed in 1799. As the latest census data update of 2010, the population was counted 46,250. The county seat is the City of Henderson. The county was named for Colonel Richard Henderson who originally purchased of land...
. Ellis Park ranked 6th, out of 65 Thoroughbred
Thoroughbred
The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word thoroughbred is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed...
racetracks, right behind Churchill Downs
Churchill Downs
Churchill Downs, located in Central Avenue in south Louisville, Kentucky, United States, is a Thoroughbred racetrack most famous for hosting the Kentucky Derby annually. It officially opened in 1875, and held the first Kentucky Derby and the first Kentucky Oaks in the same year. Churchill Downs...
in Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
, against all North American horse racing tracks as the best wagering opportunity according to Horseplayers Association of North America (HANA).
Sporting events
In 1994, the Henderson Recreational Association signed a contract with the Babe Ruth League, Inc. to host the 1994 Bambino World Series. This was the first time the city of Henderson had ever hosted a major sporting event. Park Field was the intended site for the Series but didn't meet the BRL requirements. The city had to construct a bigger and better-equipped stadium. Construction on the project began in 1992 and ended in the early part of 1994. After the renovations, seating in Park Field was increased to 5,500. The playing field was resurfaced, and many other improvements were made.On August 10, 1994, the first pitch of the 1994 Bambino World Series was thrown out. Thousands of fans packed into Park Field to watch the event. A week of baseball was set, bringing in qualifying teams from all over the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and the Virgin Islands
Virgin Islands
The Virgin Islands are the western island group of the Leeward Islands, which are the northern part of the Lesser Antilles, which form the border between the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean...
. Kennewick, Washington
Kennewick, Washington
Kennewick is a city in Benton County in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of Washington, near the Hanford nuclear site. It is the most populous of the three cities collectively referred to as the Tri-Cities...
took home the crown. Two years later, the town decided to bring the Series back to Henderson. The event was dedicated to former Kentucky Senator and former Henderson resident A.B. "Happy" Chandler
Happy Chandler
Albert Benjamin "Happy" Chandler, Sr. was a politician from the US state of Kentucky. He represented the state in the U.S. Senate and served as its 44th and 49th governor. Aside from his political positions, he also served as the second Commissioner of Major League Baseball from 1945 to 1951 and...
. This time the Series would be publicized more in the media by networking a 24-hour television station dedicated entirely to the event. On the day of the event the town newspaper, The Gleaner, created a huge informational program for the event including the teams, bios, pictures and even a baseball card treatment to the host team, the Henderson All-Stars. The 1996 Bambino World Series began on August 17, 1996. The Henderson All-Star Team advanced all the way to the National Championship game, something no other host team has been able to accomplish. But the hometown team was not enough for the 8-time Bambino World Series National Champion Oakland, California
Oakland, California
Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
and lost 8-4.
Organized baseball for Henderson's youth (primarily boys) was started by William Hebe, James "Hank" Harpole, and Joe Gabe via organizational meetings in the local YMCA in 1949-50. Affiliation with the national Little League was obtained and the city land reclaimed garbage dump on the high banks of the Ohio River was dedicated to the creation of three regulation fields, two for Little League (boys 6-12) and one for "Pony League" (boys 12-15)called Park Field. The area is adjacent to a city park and large enough for bleachers, ample parking, and, at one time, the headquarters building of the local amateur ham radio club, W4KVK. Harpole was a major leader, doing chores from raking stones from the playing fields to seeking sponsors for the team uniforms and becoming coach for years of a Little League team there. The baseball efforts grew to scores of teams and more fields elsewhere in Henderson, and was often credited with reducing adolescent mischief in the area. Harpole later founded a "T-ball" league for pre-schoolers (to 6 years)in Henderson that included girls.
Points of interest
- John James Audubon State Park—OrnithologistOrnithologyOrnithology is a branch of zoology that concerns the study of birds. Several aspects of ornithology differ from related disciplines, due partly to the high visibility and the aesthetic appeal of birds...
, naturalistNatural historyNatural history is the scientific research of plants or animals, leaning more towards observational rather than experimental methods of study, and encompasses more research published in magazines than in academic journals. Grouped among the natural sciences, natural history is the systematic study...
, and painterPaintingPainting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
John James AudubonJohn James AudubonJohn James Audubon was a French-American ornithologist, naturalist, and painter. He was notable for his expansive studies to document all types of American birds and for his detailed illustrations that depicted the birds in their natural habitats...
spent several years in Henderson in the 1810s. He is honored in the downtownDowntownDowntown is a term primarily used in North America by English speakers to refer to a city's core or central business district ....
with nine cast-bronzeBronzeBronze is a metal alloy consisting primarily of copper, usually with tin as the main additive. It is hard and brittle, and it was particularly significant in antiquity, so much so that the Bronze Age was named after the metal...
sculptureSculptureSculpture is three-dimensional artwork created by shaping or combining hard materials—typically stone such as marble—or metal, glass, or wood. Softer materials can also be used, such as clay, textiles, plastics, polymers and softer metals...
s based on paintingPaintingPainting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
s from Audubon's "Birds of America"Birds of America (book)The Birds of America is a book by naturalist and painter John James Audubon, containing illustrations of a wide variety of birds of the United States. It was first published as a series of sections between 1827 and 1838, in Edinburgh and London....
series, at the John James Audubon State Park and MuseumJohn James Audubon State ParkJohn James Audubon State Park is located on U. S. Highway 41 in Henderson, Kentucky, just south of the Ohio River. Its inspiration is John James Audubon, the ornithologist, naturalist and painter who resided in Henderson from 1810 to 1819 when Henderson was a frontier village.-History:John James...
, which houses the world's largest collection of John James Audubon memorabilia and one of the most extensive collections of his work in the world. The park offers an Audubon sculpture walking tour where you can find sculptures of his paintings and nature itself, along with wild life animals, around you.
- River Front—Many find John James Audubon State ParkJohn James Audubon State ParkJohn James Audubon State Park is located on U. S. Highway 41 in Henderson, Kentucky, just south of the Ohio River. Its inspiration is John James Audubon, the ornithologist, naturalist and painter who resided in Henderson from 1810 to 1819 when Henderson was a frontier village.-History:John James...
the tourist attraction of them all while others enjoy the simpler design of the city's downtown and river front, particularly the Audubon Mill Park. Along with the parks the river front's play area showcases a popular water park fountain. The water park has two areas; one larger area contains forty-five jets varying in height from a few feet to a towering fifteen feet, and the second play area has smaller jets approximately two feet in height. This one offers endless amusement for children. Also for a quieter time there's trails and benches along 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...
for natural enjoyment. Others enjoy the scene of the CSX BridgeCSX TransportationCSX 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...
crossing the river to IndianaIndianaIndiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
. There's a dock that goes into the river for fishing or just "plain ol'" setting.
- Green River State Forest—About five miles (8 km) northeast of Henderson is 1106 acres (4.5 km²) of the Green River State Park. This park is open for the public for recreational uses such as hunting, fishing, or hiking. More than half of the park is situated at the bottoms of Henderson's bluff towards 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...
with 65–70 acre (263,045.9–283,280.2 m2) of swampland. This land also holds a lot of early history dating back as far as the 16th century16th centuryAs a means of recording the passage of time, the 16th century lasted from 1501 to 1600. It is regarded by historians as the century in which the rise of the West occurred....
s as being camped by DeSoto's Chroniclers with a feud between them and Native AmericansIndigenous peoples of the AmericasThe indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
. The Grren RIver State Forest as well as Henderson's north side is a part of the Desoto's Trail.
- The Sloughs—Nearly 10000 acres (40.5 km²) of the city is a wetland area. The land has several sloughs or swampSwampA swamp is a wetland with some flooding of large areas of land by shallow bodies of water. A swamp generally has a large number of hammocks, or dry-land protrusions, covered by aquatic vegetation, or vegetation that tolerates periodical inundation. The two main types of swamp are "true" or swamp...
. In the winter there's over 10,000 geese and ducks. For hunters, fishermen, hikers, campers, or nature lovers this is a paradise. You can site anything from a turtleTurtleTurtles are reptiles of the order Testudines , characterised by a special bony or cartilaginous shell developed from their ribs that acts as a shield...
s to coyoteCoyoteThe coyote , also known as the American jackal or the prairie wolf, is a species of canine found throughout North and Central America, ranging from Panama in the south, north through Mexico, the United States and Canada...
s.
- Central Park
- Ruby Moon Winery and Vineyard
Media
Henderson is served by one local daily newspaper, The GleanerHenderson Gleaner
The Henderson Gleaner is the daily newspaper in Henderson, Kentucky. Its paid circulation is approximately 10,200 copies daily and 11,200 on Sundays, according to the ....
, as well the metro edition of the Evansville Courier & Press
Evansville Courier & Press
The Evansville Courier & Press is a local newspaper in Evansville, Indiana. The Evansville Courier & Press serves 58,098 daily and 86,201 Sunday readers in 30 counties in Indiana, Illinois, and Kentucky. In 2002 and 2004, the newspaper was named the state's "Blue Ribbon Daily" by the Hoosier State...
. Both are owned by the E.W. Scripps Company.
Henderson is part of the Evansville media market, the 101st-largest television market and 161st-largest radio market in the United States. WSON
WSON
WSON is a radio station broadcasting a classic hits format. It services the Henderson, Kentucky, USA, listening area. The station is currently owned by Henson Media and features news, sports, weather and music features programing from ABC Radio News and Westwood One, as well as locally produced...
(860-AM) is the only locally owned radio station broadcasting from the city. Stations from 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...
and Madisonville
Madisonville, Kentucky
Madisonville is a city in Hopkins County, Kentucky, United States of the Western Coal Field region, located along US 41 and The Pennyrile Parkway. The population was 19,307 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Hopkins County. The city was named in honor of U.S...
are also available. Some can hear stations from Fort Campbell
Fort Campbell, Kentucky
Fort Campbell is a United States Army installation located astraddle the Kentucky-Tennessee border between Hopkinsville, Kentucky, and Clarksville, Tennessee...
, Clarksville
Clarksville, Tennessee
Clarksville is a city in and the county seat of Montgomery County, Tennessee, United States, and the fifth largest city in the state. The population was 132,929 in 2010 United States Census...
and Paducah as well.
WEHT
WEHT
WEHT is the ABC-affiliated television station for the Tri-State area of Southwestern Indiana, Northwestern Kentucky and Southeastern Illinois; it is owned by Nexstar Broadcasting Group under a shared services agreement with independent station WTVW...
, Evansville's ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
affiliate, has its studios and transmitting tower located in Henderson, though it is licensed to Evansville.
Notable natives
- John James AudubonJohn James AudubonJohn James Audubon was a French-American ornithologist, naturalist, and painter. He was notable for his expansive studies to document all types of American birds and for his detailed illustrations that depicted the birds in their natural habitats...
, ornithologist (spent several years in Henderson in the 1810s) - W.C. Handy, African-American BluesBluesBlues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
legend (spent about a decadeDecadeA decade is a period of 10 years. The word is derived from the Ancient Greek dekas which means ten. This etymology is sometime confused with the Latin decas and dies , which is not correct....
in Henderson) - Mary Ann Fisher African-American Jazz singer of, the Ray CharlesRay CharlesRay Charles Robinson , known by his shortened stage name Ray Charles, was an American musician. He was a pioneer in the genre of soul music during the 1950s by fusing rhythm and blues, gospel, and blues styles into his early recordings with Atlantic Records...
group, The Raelettes - Gail Pettis African-American Jazz singer
- Rosa HendersonRosa HendersonRosa Henderson was an American jazz and classic female blues singer, and vaudeville entertainer.-Career:...
, American Jazz and Blues singer - Sam BallSam BallSam Ball was a National Football League offensive lineman from 1966 through 1970. During that span he appeared in Super Bowl III and Super Bowl V for the Baltimore Colts. He played college football at the University of Kentucky.Ironically, he was also drafted in 1966 by the Jets in the 2nd rd,...
, Former NFLNational Football LeagueThe National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
player - Stephen BardoStephen BardoStephen Dean "Steve" Bardo is a retired American professional basketball player, in the shooting guard position.-Basketball career:...
, former 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 - John J. BeckerJohn J. BeckerJohn Joseph Becker was an American composer of contemporary classical music. He is grouped together with Charles Ives, Carl Ruggles, Henry Cowell, and Wallingford Riegger as a member of the "American Five" composers of "ultra-modern" music.The John J...
, composer - Mary Willie Arvin, decorated World War I nurse
- John Young Brown, U.S. Representative, Governor of Kentucky
- Albert Benjamin "Happy" Chandler, U.S. Senator, Governor of Kentucky, Commissioner of Major League Baseball
- James Franklin ClayJames Franklin ClayJames Franklin Clay was a U.S. Representative from Kentucky.Born in Henderson, Kentucky, Clay attended public and private schools at Henderson. He graduated from Georgetown College, Kentucky, in June 1860...
, former member, United States House of RepresentativesUnited States House of RepresentativesThe United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution... - Ingram CrockettIngram CrockettIngram Crockett was an American poet and journalist.Crockett was the son of John W. Henderson, a member of the Confederate Congress in Kentucky, and Louisa M. Ingram. Educated at public schools in Henderson, Crockett never went to college...
, poet and journalist - Teddy DarbyTeddy DarbyTheodore Roosevelt Darby, better known as Blind Teddy Darby , was an American blues singer and guitarist....
, bluesBluesBlues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
musician - John Lloyd Dorsey, Jr.John Lloyd Dorsey, Jr.John Lloyd Dorsey, Jr. was a Representative from the U.S. state of Kentucky. He was born in Henderson, Kentucky, August 10, 1891; educated in the public schools and at Bethel College, Russellville, Kentucky. He graduated from Centre College, Danville, Kentucky, in 1912...
, former member, United States House of RepresentativesUnited States House of RepresentativesThe United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution... - Joey GoebelJoey GoebelJoey Goebel is an American author whose work centers around the peculiarities of culture in Middle America. He was raised in Henderson, Kentucky, a small town on the Ohio River across from Evansville, Indiana...
, author - Gregg Hale, film producer, Blair Witch Project
- General Adam "Stovepipe" JohnsonAdam Johnson (colonel)Adam Rankin "Stovepipe" Johnson was an antebellum Western frontiersman and later an officer in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War....
, 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...
general during the American 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... - Kristen JohnsonKristen JohnsonKristen Lynn Johnson is a beauty queen who has represented Kentucky at both Miss USA and Miss Teen USA.-Miss Kentucky USA:Before Johnson returned to the USA pageant stage, she competed and won the title Miss Model of Kentucky....
, former Miss Kentucky USAMiss Kentucky USAThe Miss Kentucky USA competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of Kentucky in the Miss USA pageant. The current director for the Miss Kentucky USA and Miss Kentucky Teen USA titles is Connie Clark Harrison. Mrs... - Grandpa JonesGrandpa JonesLouis Marshall Jones , known professionally as Grandpa Jones, was an American banjo player and "old time" country and gospel music singer...
, Louis Marshall "Grandpa" Jones, banjo player, comedian, born in Henderson County - Kasper from the K, rapper
- Husband E. KimmelHusband E. KimmelHusband Edward Kimmel was a four-star admiral in the United States Navy. He served as Commander-in-chief, U.S. Pacific Fleet at the time of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Because of the attack, he was removed from office and was reduced to his permanent two-star rank of rear admiral...
, commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet during the Japanese attack on Pearl HarborAttack on Pearl HarborThe attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike conducted by the Imperial Japanese Navy against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on the morning of December 7, 1941... - Darrell A. PoseyDarrell A. PoseyDarrell Addison Posey was an American anthropologist and biologist who vitalized the study of traditional knowledge of indigenous and folk populations in Brazil and other countries...
, anthropologist, ethnobiologist - Amos G. RhodesAmos G. RhodesAmos Giles Rhodes was an Atlanta, Georgia furniture magnate. He was born in 1850 in Henderson, Kentucky. In 1875 he came to Atlanta as a laborer for the L & N Railroad. In 1879, he began a small furniture company which would grow into a large furniture business and make Rhodes a "pillar of the...
, Atlanta furniture magnate and namesake of Rhodes HallRhodes HallRhodes Memorial Hall, commonly known as Rhodes Hall, is a historic house museum located in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. It was built as the home of furniture magnate Amos Giles Rhodes, proprietor of Atlanta-based Rhodes Furniture... - Lazarus W. PowellLazarus W. PowellLazarus Whitehead Powell was the 19th Governor of Kentucky, serving from 1851 to 1855. He was later elected to represent Kentucky in the U.S. Senate from 1859 to 1865....
, former governor of KentuckyKentuckyThe 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... - Ann RutledgeAnn RutledgeAnn Rutledge was allegedly Abraham Lincoln's first love.-Relationship:Born near Henderson, Kentucky Ann Mayes Rutledge was the third of ten children born to Mary and James Rutledge. In 1829, her father, along with John M. Cameron, founded New Salem, Illinois...
, Abraham Lincoln's first love, was born just outside of Henderson - Augustus O. StanleyAugustus O. StanleyAugustus Owsley Stanley I was a politician from the US state of Kentucky. A Democrat, he served as the 38th Governor of Kentucky and also represented the state in both the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate...
, Governor of Kentucky - J. Bennett Guess, Executive Minister, United Church of ChristUnited Church of ChristThe United Church of Christ is a mainline Protestant Christian denomination primarily in the Reformed tradition but also historically influenced by Lutheranism. The Evangelical and Reformed Church and the Congregational Christian Churches united in 1957 to form the UCC...
See also
- Handy Blues & Barbecue Festival
- Bi-State Vietnam Gold Star Bridges
- List of cities and towns along the Ohio River
- John James Audubon State Park and MuseumJohn James Audubon State ParkJohn James Audubon State Park is located on U. S. Highway 41 in Henderson, Kentucky, just south of the Ohio River. Its inspiration is John James Audubon, the ornithologist, naturalist and painter who resided in Henderson from 1810 to 1819 when Henderson was a frontier village.-History:John James...
- Tri-Fest
- Southern Cherokee Nation of KentuckySouthern Cherokee Nation of KentuckyThe Southern Cherokee Nation of Kentucky claim descent from the Cherokee forcibly removed to Indian Territory in 1838, and to have first emerged as a distinct political faction known as the Treaty Party before the Trail of Tears, circa 1835. They report having fled Indian territory, after the...
External links
- Henderson Community College
- News 25, WEHT-ABC
- Bluegrass Festival Website
- City Government Website
- Downtown Henderson Project
- Henderson Public Library
- Henderson Chamber of Commerce
- Henderson County Tourist Commission
- Henderson Water Utility
- Henderson Municipal Power & Light
- iSurf Henderson
- Henderson Quick Facts from the Census Bureau
- The Gleaner Newspaper
- Valley Watch