Morgantown, Kentucky
Encyclopedia
Morgantown is a city in and the county seat
of Butler County
, Kentucky
, United States
. The population was 2,544 at the 2000 census. The city had a sister city in Tatsuruhama, Ishikawa
, Japan
, which city is now part of Nanao, Ishikawa
, Japan
.
, was one of the first Union soldiers to die in the war, in a skirmish on October 29, 1861. A monument was erected by the Granville Allen Post #98 GAR. This first skirmish between the north and south took place on the Daniel Boone Johnson Property. The Johnson Cemetery is still there and is directly above the Monument, which is a limestone marker cut into the side of the old Logansport road, you will need to walk through some over growth to reach the monument. Morgantown has one of only two monuments dedicated to soldiers of both sides that died in the Civil War, and it is located at the county courthouse, the Confederate-Union Veterans' Monument in Morgantown
.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 3.4 square miles (8.8 km²), all of it land.
of 2000, there were 2,544 people, 1,051 households, and 627 families residing in the city. The population density
was 754.8 people per square mile (291.5/km²). There were 1,148 housing units at an average density of 340.6 per square mile (131.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 95.52% White, 1.10% African American, 0.16% Native American, 0.31% Asian, 2.36% from other races
, and 0.55% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.22% of the population.
There were 1,051 households out of which 29.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.9% were married couples
living together, 15.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.3% were non-families. 36.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 18.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.23 and the average family size was 2.90.
In the city the population was spread out with 23.0% under the age of 18, 11.2% from 18 to 24, 24.8% from 25 to 44, 21.0% from 45 to 64, and 19.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 82.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 76.9 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $19,912, and the median income for a family was $27,218. Males had a median income of $24,671 versus $18,594 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $12,100. About 24.9% of families and 27.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 36.0% of those under age 18 and 21.2% of those age 65 or over.
. However, in 1917, the river froze, leaving the city without supplies for two months. A subsequent period of road-building began, and in 1930, a road connecting Morgantown with Bowling Green
provided an alternate conduit for commerce.
Morgantown is now served by the William H. Natcher Parkway
, which is designated as part of the future Interstate 66 corridor
. Other roads include U.S. Highway 231, Kentucky Route 79
, and Kentucky Route 70
.
The city does not have railroad service.
.
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 Butler County
Butler County, Kentucky
Butler County is a county located in the US state of Kentucky. It was formed in 1810, becoming Kentucky's 53rd county. As of 2000, the population was 13,010. Its county seat is Morgantown, Kentucky. Butler is a prohibition or dry county.- History :...
, 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 2,544 at the 2000 census. The city had a sister city in Tatsuruhama, Ishikawa
Tatsuruhama, Ishikawa
was a town located in Kashima District, Ishikawa, Japan.On October 1, 2004 Tatsuruhama, along with the towns of Nakajima and Notojima, all from Kashima District, was merged into the expanded city of Nanao and no longer exists as an independent municipality....
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, which city is now part of Nanao, Ishikawa
Nanao, Ishikawa
is a city located in Ishikawa prefecture, Japan.As of March 1, 2010, the city has an estimated population of 58,204 and a population density of 183 persons per km². Nanao is the fifth largest city by population in Ishikawa, behind Kanazawa, Hakusan, Komatsu, and Kaga.Nanao is situated in the...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
.
History
The etymology of the city's name is uncertain. According to The Kentucky Encyclopedia, it may have, at one time, been named Funkhouser Hill after Christopher Funkhouser, who donated land for the city. The Encyclopedia further speculates that Funkhouser may have given the city its present name to honor a hunter named Morgan or Daniel Morgan Smith, the first child born in the city.Civil War
Granville Allen, a member of the 17th Kentucky Infantry17th Regiment Kentucky Volunteer Infantry
The 17th Kentucky Volunteer Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War.-Service:The 17th Kentucky Infantry was organized at Hartford and Calhoun, Kentucky and mustered in for a three-year enlistment in December 1861 under the command of...
, was one of the first Union soldiers to die in the war, in a skirmish on October 29, 1861. A monument was erected by the Granville Allen Post #98 GAR. This first skirmish between the north and south took place on the Daniel Boone Johnson Property. The Johnson Cemetery is still there and is directly above the Monument, which is a limestone marker cut into the side of the old Logansport road, you will need to walk through some over growth to reach the monument. Morgantown has one of only two monuments dedicated to soldiers of both sides that died in the Civil War, and it is located at the county courthouse, the Confederate-Union Veterans' Monument in Morgantown
Confederate-Union Veterans' Monument in Morgantown
The Confederate-Union Veterans' Monument in front of the Butler County Courthouse in Morgantown, Kentucky, was built in the aftermath the Spanish-American War, which helped alleviate the bitterness both sides felt toward the other when it was dedicated to the sacrifice of veterans of both sides of...
.
Geography
Morgantown is located at 37°13′10"N 86°41′33"W (37.219465, -86.692513).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 3.4 square miles (8.8 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 2,544 people, 1,051 households, and 627 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 754.8 people per square mile (291.5/km²). There were 1,148 housing units at an average density of 340.6 per square mile (131.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 95.52% White, 1.10% African American, 0.16% Native American, 0.31% Asian, 2.36% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 0.55% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.22% of the population.
There were 1,051 households out of which 29.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.9% 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, 15.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.3% were non-families. 36.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 18.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.23 and the average family size was 2.90.
In the city the population was spread out with 23.0% under the age of 18, 11.2% from 18 to 24, 24.8% from 25 to 44, 21.0% from 45 to 64, and 19.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 82.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 76.9 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $19,912, and the median income for a family was $27,218. Males had a median income of $24,671 versus $18,594 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 $12,100. About 24.9% of families and 27.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 36.0% of those under age 18 and 21.2% of those age 65 or over.
Transportation
Prior to 1917, the city's primary channel of transportation was the Green RiverGreen River (Kentucky)
The Green River is a tributary of the Ohio River that rises in Lincoln County in south-central Kentucky. Tributaries of the Green River include the Barren River, the Nolin River, the Pond River and the Rough River...
. However, in 1917, the river froze, leaving the city without supplies for two months. A subsequent period of road-building began, and in 1930, a road connecting Morgantown with Bowling Green
Bowling Green, Kentucky
Bowling Green is the third-most populous city in the state of Kentucky after Louisville and Lexington, with a population of 58,067 as of the 2010 Census. It is the county seat of Warren County and the principal city of the Bowling Green, Kentucky Metropolitan Statistical Area with an estimated 2009...
provided an alternate conduit for commerce.
Morgantown is now served by the William H. Natcher Parkway
William H. Natcher Parkway
The Wiliam H. Natcher Green River Parkway is a limited-access freeway from Bowling Green, Kentucky to Owensboro, Kentucky. The Natcher is one of nine highways that are part of Kentucky's parkway system. Conceived as the "Owensboro-Bowling Green Parkway," it was instead named the Green River...
, which is designated as part of the future Interstate 66 corridor
Interstate 66 (west)
The U.S. Department of Transportation had plans to extend Interstate 66 westward across the country to California. However, Interstate 66 west of Wichita, Kansas, has been postponed, with the Nevada and California sections cancelled...
. Other roads include U.S. Highway 231, Kentucky Route 79
Kentucky Route 79
Kentucky Route 79 originates at a junction with US 431 in downtown Russellville in Logan County. The route continues through Morgantown, Caneyville, Short Creek, Cannons Point, Harned, and Irvington, to terminate at the Ohio River near Brandenburg in Meade County, where, after crossing the Matthew E...
, and Kentucky Route 70
Kentucky Route 70
Kentucky Route 70 is a long east-east state highway that originates at a junction with US 60 in Smithland in Livingston County, just east of the Ohio River. The route continues through the counties of Crittenden, Caldwell, Hopkins, Muhlenberg, Butler, Edmonson, Barren, Barren, Metcalfe, Green,...
.
The city does not have railroad service.
Events of interest
Morgantown's municipal park, Charles Black City Park, is home to the annual Green River Catfish Festival held the week of July 4Independence Day (United States)
Independence Day, commonly known as the Fourth of July, is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, declaring independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain...
.
Notable natives
- John Moore - bishopBishopA bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
of the Methodist Episcopal Church, SouthMethodist Episcopal Church, SouthThe Methodist Episcopal Church, South, or Methodist Episcopal Church South, was the so-called "Southern Methodist Church" resulting from the split over the issue of slavery in the Methodist Episcopal Church which had been brewing over several years until it came out into the open at a conference...