Adair County, Kentucky

Adair County, Kentucky

Adair County Courthouse in Columbia
Map of Kentucky highlighting Adair County
Location in the state of Kentucky
Map of the United States highlighting Kentucky
Kentucky's location in the U.S.
Founded 1801
Named for John Adair
Seat Columbia
Largest city Columbia
Area
 • Total 412 sq mi (1,067 km2)
 • Land 405 sq mi (1,049 km2)
 • Water 7.1 sq mi (18 km2), 1.7%
Population
 • (2010) 18,656
 • Density 46/sq mi (18/km²)
Congressional district 1st
Time zone Central: UTC-6/-5
Website www.columbia-adaircounty.com

Adair County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of the 2010 census, the population was 18,656.[1] Its county seat is Columbia.[2] The county was founded in 1801 and named for John Adair, then Speaker of the House in Kentucky and later Governor of Kentucky (1820 - 1824).[3][4]

Adair County also has one of the few remaining American Chestnut trees in America.

Adair County is a wet county as of March 23, 2016.

History

Adair County was formed on December 11, 1801 from sections of Green County.[5] Columbia was chosen as the county seat the following year.[5] It was named in honor of John Adair, later commander of Kentucky troops in the Battle of New Orleans and the eighth Governor of Kentucky.[5] It was the 44th of Kentucky's 120 counties to be formed.[5]

A gang of five men, believed to include Frank and Jesse James, robbed the Bank of Columbia of $600 on April 29, 1872, and killed the cashier, R.A.C. Martin.[6]

The courthouse on the Columbia town square, completed in 1884, replaced the original 1806 courthouse.[7]

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 412 square miles (1,070 km2), of which 405 square miles (1,050 km2) is land and 7.1 square miles (18 km2) (1.7%) is water.[8] It is part of the Pennyroyal Plateau region of Kentucky and is part of western Appalachia.[5] Over 40% of the county's land is covered with timber.[5]

The Green River is the county's major waterway.[5] The river was impounded to form Green River Lake, the major feature of Green River Lake State Park, which lies in Adair and Taylor counties.[5]

Adjacent counties

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop. %±
18106,011—
18208,76545.8%
18308,217−6.3%
18408,4663.0%
18509,89816.9%
18609,509−3.9%
187011,06516.4%
188013,07818.2%
189013,7214.9%
190014,8888.5%
191016,50310.8%
192017,2894.8%
193016,401−5.1%
194018,56613.2%
195017,603−5.2%
196014,699−16.5%
197013,037−11.3%
198015,23316.8%
199015,3600.8%
200017,24412.3%
201018,6568.2%
Est. 201419,204[9]2.9%
U.S. Decennial Census[10]
1790-1960[11] 1900-1990[12]
1990-2000[13] 2010-2013[1]

As of the census[14] of 2000, there were 17,244 people, 6,747 households, and 4,803 families residing in the county. The population density was 42 per square mile (16/km2). There were 7,792 housing units at an average density of 19 per square mile (7.3/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 96.00% White, 2.55% Black or African American, 0.22% Native American, 0.26% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.19% from other races, and 0.76% from two or more races. 0.77% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 6,747 households out of which 31.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.60% were married couples living together, 10.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.80% were non-families. 26.20% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.00% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 2.93.

In the county the population was spread out with 23.50% under the age of 18, 10.70% from 18 to 24, 27.70% from 25 to 44, 23.40% from 45 to 64, and 14.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 94.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.60 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $24,055, and the median income for a family was $29,779. Males had a median income of $23,183 versus $17,009 for females. The per capita income for the county was $14,931. About 18.20% of families and 24.00% of the population were below the poverty line, including 29.60% of those under age 18 and 21.70% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

Adair County's agrarian economy produces livestock, dairy products, corn, and tobacco.[5] The county experienced a minor oil boom in the 1960s.[5]

Lack of adequate transportation infrastructure hindered the county's prosperity well into the 20th century.[5] The completion of the Cumberland Parkway in 1973 significantly ameliorated this problem.[5]

Education

The county is served by Adair County Schools.[15]

Its schools are:[16]

Politics

Voter Registration

Adair County Voter Registration & Party Enrollment as of November 17, 2015[21]
Political Party Total Voters Percentage
  Republican 8,759 66.30%
  Democratic 3,733 28.26%
  Others 462 3.50%
  Independent 243 1.84%
  Libertarian 13 0.10%
Total 13,211 100%

Statewide Elections

Previous Presidential Elections Results
Year Republican Democratic Third Parties
2012 76.86% 5,841 21.84% 1,660 1.30% 99
2008 75.53% 5,512 22.86% 1,668 1.61% 118
2004 75.57% 5,628 23.69% 1,764 0.74% 55
2000 74.51% 5,460 24.28% 1,779 1.22% 89
1996 59.28% 3,876 27.85% 1,821 12.87% 841
1992 58.22% 3,740 31.82% 2,044 9.96% 640
Previous Gubernatorial Elections Results
Year Republican Democratic Third Parties
2015 66.33% 2,727 30.84% 1,268 2.82% 116
2011 51.06% 1,877 43.69% 1,606 5.25% 193
2007 67.75% 3,138 32.25% 1,494 0.00% 0
2003 66.22% 3,085 33.78% 1,574 0.00% 0
1999 28.84% 663 62.68% 1,441 8.48% 195
1995 65.84% 2,951 34.09% 1,528 0.07% 3

Communities

City

Unincorporated communities

Below is partial listing of known unincorporated communities within Adair County. A complete listing is available here

Notable residents

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 11, 2014.
  2. ↑ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 6, 2011.
  3. ↑ http://www.kyenc.org/entry/a/ADAIR02.html
  4. 1 2 3 4 Adair County Government (2007-06-06). "Kentucky: Adair County - Overview". Commonwealth of Kentucky. Retrieved 2011-11-10.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Kleber, p. 2
  6. ↑ William A. Settle, Jr., Jesse James Was His Name 44 (1977).
  7. ↑ Hogan, Roseann Reinemuth (1992). Kentucky Ancestry: A Guide to Genealogical and Historical Research. Ancestry Publishing. p. 185. Retrieved 26 July 2013.
  8. ↑ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Retrieved August 11, 2014.
  9. ↑ "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Incorporated Places: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2014". Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  10. ↑ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 11, 2014.
  11. ↑ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved August 11, 2014.
  12. ↑ "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 11, 2014.
  13. ↑ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 11, 2014.
  14. ↑ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  15. ↑ Education, Kentucky Department of (2008-12-12). "County & Independent School Districts" (PDF). Kentucky Department of Education. Retrieved 2009-12-20.
  16. ↑ Adair County Schools (2009-12-05). "ADAIR COUNTY SCHOOLS". Adair County Schools. Archived from the original on 7 January 2010. Retrieved 2009-12-20.
  17. ↑ Adair County Primary Center (2009-12-15). "CWC Home Page". Colonel William Casey Elementary School. Archived from the original on 23 January 2010. Retrieved 2009-12-20.
  18. ↑ Adair County Elementary School. "Adair County Elementary School". Adair County Elementary School. Archived from the original on 7 January 2010. Retrieved 2009-12-20.
  19. ↑ Adair County Middle School. "Untitled Document". Adair County Middle School. Archived from the original on 23 January 2010. Retrieved 2009-12-20.
  20. ↑ Adair County High School. "Adair County High School - Columbia, Kentucky". Adair County High School. Archived from the original on 18 December 2009. Retrieved 2009-12-20.
  21. ↑ https://vr.sos.ky.gov/stats/voterstatscounty.pdf
  22. ↑ Who Was Who in America, Historical Volume, 1607-1896. Chicago: Marquis Who's Who. 1967.
  23. ↑ Western Kentucky University (2011). "Coach E.A. Diddle". Western Kentucky University. Retrieved 2011-11-10.
  24. ↑ Janice Holt Giles.
  25. ↑ Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation (2011). "Life - Dakota Meyer - Honoring Marines by Educating Their Children". Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation. Retrieved 2011-11-10.
  26. ↑ 'Prominent Men Dead-Judge Pinkney H. Walker,' Chicago Tribune, February 9, 1885, pg. 1
  27. ↑ IMDb.com, Inc. (2011). "Evelyn West - IMDb". IMDb.com, Inc. Retrieved 2011-11-10.

Further reading

Flowers, Randy; Nancy S. Willis, Beverly England, and Dorothy Gerrick. Adair County, Kentucky: A Pictorial History. Columbia, Kentucky: Adair County Genealogical Society. p. 152. 

External links

Coordinates: 37°07′N 85°17′W / 37.11°N 85.28°W / 37.11; -85.28

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