Stanford, Kentucky
Encyclopedia
Stanford is a city in Lincoln County
, Kentucky
, United States
. It is one of the oldest settlements in Kentucky, having been founded in 1775. Its population was 3,430 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat
of Lincoln County
.
Stanford is part of the Danville Micropolitan Statistical Area.
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Stanford was founded in 1775 by Benjamin Logan
as Logan's Fort, alternately known as St. Asaph
the name given it by Logan. The site of the original fort is about one mile west of the courthouse
at the center of town. The term "Fort Logan" is still used to this day to name local businesses, including the local Fort Logan Hospital and Standing Fort Collectibles. The main street of the town was built on what was originally a buffalo
trail.
The name Stanford may have been derived from "Standing Fort", which Fort Logan became known as in the late 1770s as it survived multiple attacks by native Americans
. It may also have been named for Stamford, England. Although it was one of the smaller forts in Kentucky, it never fell to native attacks. In 1781, the original fort settlement expanded as Benjamin Logan donated a parcel of his own land for the construction of a courthouse. The original county court met at Fort Harrod (now Harrodsburg), although by 1786 the town of Stanford received its charter
, making it one of the first towns in Kentucky County, Virginia to receive a formal charter. In 1787 the first courthouse opened, built of logs. While it has been expanded and upgraded over time, the basic courthouse remains on the same site to this day. Unlike most county courthouses in Kentucky, it has never suffered a fire or other major loss of records. It has all its original records and archives dating to November 1789 making it one of the more complete archives of the history of Kentucky. Among its original land deeds kept on vellum
are deeds granting land to Daniel Boone
and Simon Kenton
,
The first recorded church in Stanford was a Presbyterian church built in 1790, reflecting the staunch Presbyterian beliefs of the Logan family. The building still stands and is now part of the Harvey Helm Memorial Historic Library and Museum on Main Street. Other denominations, including Baptist
and Methodist, were not established in the area until the 1830s. The current Presbyterian Church in Stanford has stood on the same site since around 1850.
A small local library was first established in the 1830s. The library was renamed in 1970 in honor of Harvey Helm, a native son who became a Kentucky statesman and member of the United States House of Representatives
between 1909 and 1917.
The first school was built sometime in the 1850s, as the Male Academy. It was established in a building that is now the Fox Funeral Home on West Main Street. The corresponding Female Academy was built in the 1870s. The Stanford School was founded in 1900, and after much expansion, still serves, now as the Lincoln County Alternative school
.
Generally untouched by the American Civil War
(the nearest conflict was the Battle of Perryville
, 20 miles (32.2 km) away), the city grew significantly after the war. In the late 1860s, the town opened its own newspaper, the Stanford Banner (still publishing as the Interior Journal). In the 1870s and 1880s, the city began to grow, especially after the Louisville and Nashville Railroad
built a station and line into the town around 1865. The railroad line was closed, and the tracks removed in 1988, leaving only a small spur line outside of town which connects to Mount Vernon, Kentucky
. In recent years the rail depot has been restored. Stanford is also notable as the location of the first automobile garage in Kentucky, in 1905.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 3.1 square miles (8 km²), all of which, is land.
of 2000, there were 3,430 people, 1,417 households, and 919 families residing in the city. The population density
was 1114.5 /sqmi. There were 1,522 housing units at an average density of 494.6 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 89.97% White, 8.10% African American, 0.09% Native American, 0.09% Asian, 0.20% from other races
, and 1.55% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.37% of the population.
There were 1,417 households out of which 29.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.1% were married couples
living together, 15.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.1% were non-families. 31.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.2% 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 2.85.
22.8% of the population was under the age of 18, 8.3% from 18 to 24, 28.5% from 25 to 44, 22.1% from 45 to 64, and 18.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 84.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 79.7 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $25,087, and the median income for a family was $32,550. Males had a median income of $28,583 versus $20,975 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $13,811. About 15.9% of families and 20.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 27.4% of those under age 18 and 27.8% of those age 65 or over.
Lincoln County, Kentucky
Lincoln County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. The population was 24,742 in the 2010 Cesus. Its county seat is Stanford. Lincoln is a prohibition or "dry county" and is part of the Danville Micropolitan Statistical Area.- 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...
. It is one of the oldest settlements in Kentucky, having been founded in 1775. Its population was 3,430 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
of Lincoln County
Lincoln County, Kentucky
Lincoln County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. The population was 24,742 in the 2010 Cesus. Its county seat is Stanford. Lincoln is a prohibition or "dry county" and is part of the Danville Micropolitan Statistical Area.- History :...
.
Stanford is part of the Danville Micropolitan Statistical Area.
History
Benjamin Logan
Benjamin Logan was an American pioneer, soldier, and politician from Shelby County, Kentucky. As colonel of the Kentucky County militia of Virginia during the American Revolutionary War, he was second-in-command of militia in Kentucky. Logan was a leader in Kentucky's efforts to become a state...
as Logan's Fort, alternately known as St. Asaph
Saint Asaph
Saint Asaph was, in the second half of the 6th century, the first or second Bishop of St Asaph, i.e. bishop of the diocese of Saint Asaph, the Welsh See now of that name.-Biography:...
the name given it by Logan. The site of the original fort is about one mile west of the courthouse
Courthouse
A courthouse is a building that is home to a local court of law and often the regional county government as well, although this is not the case in some larger cities. The term is common in North America. In most other English speaking countries, buildings which house courts of law are simply...
at the center of town. The term "Fort Logan" is still used to this day to name local businesses, including the local Fort Logan Hospital and Standing Fort Collectibles. The main street of the town was built on what was originally a buffalo
American Bison
The American bison , also commonly known as the American buffalo, is a North American species of bison that once roamed the grasslands of North America in massive herds...
trail.
The name Stanford may have been derived from "Standing Fort", which Fort Logan became known as in the late 1770s as it survived multiple attacks by native Americans
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
. It may also have been named for Stamford, England. Although it was one of the smaller forts in Kentucky, it never fell to native attacks. In 1781, the original fort settlement expanded as Benjamin Logan donated a parcel of his own land for the construction of a courthouse. The original county court met at Fort Harrod (now Harrodsburg), although by 1786 the town of Stanford received its charter
Charter
A charter is the grant of authority or rights, stating that the granter formally recognizes the prerogative of the recipient to exercise the rights specified...
, making it one of the first towns in Kentucky County, Virginia to receive a formal charter. In 1787 the first courthouse opened, built of logs. While it has been expanded and upgraded over time, the basic courthouse remains on the same site to this day. Unlike most county courthouses in Kentucky, it has never suffered a fire or other major loss of records. It has all its original records and archives dating to November 1789 making it one of the more complete archives of the history of Kentucky. Among its original land deeds kept on vellum
Vellum
Vellum is mammal skin prepared for writing or printing on, to produce single pages, scrolls, codices or books. It is generally smooth and durable, although there are great variations depending on preparation, the quality of the skin and the type of animal used...
are deeds granting land to 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...
and Simon Kenton
Simon Kenton
Simon Kenton was a famous United States frontiersman and friend of Daniel Boone, Simon Girty, Spencer Records and Isaac Shelby.-Family and early life:Simon Kenton was alive even before Ohio was a state...
,
The first recorded church in Stanford was a Presbyterian church built in 1790, reflecting the staunch Presbyterian beliefs of the Logan family. The building still stands and is now part of the Harvey Helm Memorial Historic Library and Museum on Main Street. Other denominations, including Baptist
Baptist
Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
and Methodist, were not established in the area until the 1830s. The current Presbyterian Church in Stanford has stood on the same site since around 1850.
A small local library was first established in the 1830s. The library was renamed in 1970 in honor of Harvey Helm, a native son who became a Kentucky statesman and member of the United States House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The 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...
between 1909 and 1917.
The first school was built sometime in the 1850s, as the Male Academy. It was established in a building that is now the Fox Funeral Home on West Main Street. The corresponding Female Academy was built in the 1870s. The Stanford School was founded in 1900, and after much expansion, still serves, now as the Lincoln County Alternative school
Alternative school
Alternative school is the name used in some parts of the world to describe an institution which provides part of alternative education. It is an educational establishment with a curriculum and methods that are nontraditional...
.
Generally untouched by the American Civil War
American Civil War
The 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...
(the nearest conflict was the Battle of Perryville
Battle of Perryville
The Battle of Perryville, also known as the Battle of Chaplin Hills, was fought on October 8, 1862, in the Chaplin Hills west of Perryville, Kentucky, as the culmination of the Confederate Heartland Offensive during the American Civil War. Confederate Gen. Braxton Bragg's Army of Mississippi won a...
, 20 miles (32.2 km) away), the city grew significantly after the war. In the late 1860s, the town opened its own newspaper, the Stanford Banner (still publishing as the Interior Journal). In the 1870s and 1880s, the city began to grow, especially after the Louisville and Nashville Railroad
Louisville and Nashville Railroad
The Louisville and Nashville Railroad was a Class I railroad that operated freight and passenger services in the southeast United States.Chartered by the state of Kentucky in 1850, the L&N, as it was generally known, grew into one of the great success stories of American business...
built a station and line into the town around 1865. The railroad line was closed, and the tracks removed in 1988, leaving only a small spur line outside of town which connects to Mount Vernon, Kentucky
Mount Vernon, Kentucky
Mount Vernon is a city in Rockcastle County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 2,592 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Rockcastle County. It is located at the junction of U.S...
. In recent years the rail depot has been restored. Stanford is also notable as the location of the first automobile garage in Kentucky, in 1905.
Notable residents
- Anthony GaleAnthony GaleAnthony Gale was the fourth Commandant of the United States Marine Corps and the only one ever fired. Fewer records survive concerning him than any other Commandant. He is the only Commandant for whom the Marines neither know his burial location nor have a portrait or likeness.-Early life:His...
, Commandant of the United States Marine CorpsUnited States Marine CorpsThe United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States... - Basil HaydenBasil HaydenBasil Ewing Hayden was an American college basketball player and coach. A Kentucky native, he began playing the sport in the sixth grade and, after a year at Transylvania University, transferred to the University of Kentucky to study chemistry and play on the school's basketball squad...
, All-American athlete and collegiate basketball coach - Harvey HelmHarvey HelmHarvey Helm was a United States Representative from Kentucky. He was born in Danville, Kentucky. He attended the Stanford Male Academy and was graduated from the Central University of Kentucky in 1887...
, Congressman and statesman - Laura KirkpatrickLaura KirkpatrickLaura Sioux Kirkpatrick is an American fashion model, best known as the runner-up of Cycle 13 of America's Next Top Model. Kirkpatrick was considered a favorite finalist among judges and viewers, who praised her for her bubbly personality, strong "country girl" lifestyle and Kentucky accent...
, the runner-up of thirteenth cycleAmerica's Next Top Model, Cycle 13America's Next Top Model, Cycle 13 is the thirteenth cycle of America's Next Top Model and the seventh season to be aired on The CW network. It premiered on September 9, 2009. This cycle's catch phrase is "'The Lineup Is 5' 7" And Under. Not The Usual Suspects. BOOK 'EM!", and the promotional song...
of America's Next Top ModelAmerica's Next Top ModelAmerica's Next Top Model is a reality television show in which a number of women compete for the title of America's Next Top Model and a chance to start their career in the modeling industry.... - Richard C. SaufleyRichard C. SaufleyRichard Caswell Saufley , was a pioneer of naval aviation in the United States Navy.Saufley was born on 1 September 1884 at Stanford, Ky., he graduated from the United States Naval Academy in June 1908 and was commissioned as an Ensign in June 1910...
, Naval aviationNaval aviationNaval aviation is the application of manned military air power by navies, including ships that embark fixed-wing aircraft or helicopters. In contrast, maritime aviation is the operation of aircraft in a maritime role under the command of non-naval forces such as the former RAF Coastal Command or a...
pioneer - William WhitleyWilliam WhitleyWilliam Whitley , was an American pioneer born in what was then Augusta County, Virginia, the son of Solomon and Elizabeth Whitley...
, early pioneer - Thomas J. WrightThomas J. WrightThomas J. Wright is an American television director. Wright has directed episodes of Smallville, One Tree Hill, Firefly, and many other programs. He also worked extensively on Chris Carter's Millennium, directing 26 of the show's 67 episodes...
, artist and filmmaker, known for his work on the television series Night GalleryNight GalleryNight Gallery is an American anthology series that aired on NBC from 1970 to 1973, featuring stories of horror and the macabre. Rod Serling, who had gained fame from an earlier series, The Twilight Zone, served both as the on-air host of Night Gallery and as a major contributor of scripts, although...
Geography
Stanford is located at 37°31′55"N 84°39′37"W (37.532302, -84.660358).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 3.1 square miles (8 km²), all of which, is 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 3,430 people, 1,417 households, and 919 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 1114.5 /sqmi. There were 1,522 housing units at an average density of 494.6 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 89.97% White, 8.10% African American, 0.09% Native American, 0.09% Asian, 0.20% 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 1.55% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.37% of the population.
There were 1,417 households out of which 29.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.1% 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, 15.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.1% were non-families. 31.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.2% 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 2.85.
22.8% of the population was under the age of 18, 8.3% from 18 to 24, 28.5% from 25 to 44, 22.1% from 45 to 64, and 18.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 84.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 79.7 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $25,087, and the median income for a family was $32,550. Males had a median income of $28,583 versus $20,975 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 $13,811. About 15.9% of families and 20.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 27.4% of those under age 18 and 27.8% of those age 65 or over.