Hodgenville, Kentucky

Hodgenville, Kentucky
City
Town Square
Location of Hodgenville, Kentucky
Coordinates: 37°34′16″N 85°44′19″W / 37.57111°N 85.73861°WCoordinates: 37°34′16″N 85°44′19″W / 37.57111°N 85.73861°W
Country	United States
State	Kentucky
County	LaRue
Incorporated	1839
Named for	Robert Hodgen, a local miller
Area
• Total	1.7 sq mi (4.5 km^2)
• Land	1.7 sq mi (4.5 km^2)
• Water	0.0 sq mi (0.0 km^2)
Elevation	728 ft (222 m)
Population (2010)
• Total	3,206
• Density	1,885.9/sq mi (712.5/km^2)
Time zone	Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
• Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP code	42748
Area code(s)	270 & 364
FIPS code	21-37396
GNIS feature ID	0494334

Hodgenville is a home rule-class city^[1] in LaRue County, Kentucky, in the United States. It is the seat of its county.^[2] It sits along the North Fork of the Nolin River. The population was 3,206 at the 2010 census. It is included in the Elizabethtown metropolitan area.

History

Hodgenville, 1904

An English-born Virginian, Robert Hodgen purchased 10,000 acres of land in the vicinity. In 1789, after the American Revolutionary War, when settlers started moving west into Kentucky, he built a mill at the site. After his death, the community that developed around it was called Hodgenville upon the petition of his widow and children. The United States post office at the site, however, was known as Hodgensville from 1826 to 1904.^[3]

The city was formally incorporated by the state assembly on February 18, 1836.^[4]

Abraham Lincoln was born in a small cabin on Sinking Spring Farm near Hodgenville on February 12, 1809.^[5] About two years later, the family moved to another farm in the Hodgenville area.^[6] Despite claims made later, the cabin Lincoln was born in was likely destroyed by the time of his assassination.

The Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historical Park labels the replica cabin, which was built thirty years after his death, the "Traditional Lincoln Birthplace Cabin." The significance of the two Hodgenville sites (birthplace and boyhood home) are found in the setting. Preservation of these two national sites allows visitors to see the landscape of the earliest period of Abraham Lincoln's life. The Lincoln Museum is opened for visitors downtown and the bronze Abraham Lincoln Statue stands at the town square.^[7]

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 1.7 square miles (4.4 km²), all land.

Climate

The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Hodgenville has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.^[8]

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.		%±
1870	404		—
1880	382		−5.4%
1890	542		41.9%
1900	825		52.2%
1910	744		−9.8%
1920	1,100		47.8%
1930	1,104		0.4%
1940	1,348		22.1%
1950	1,695		25.7%
1960	1,985		17.1%
1970	2,562		29.1%
1980	2,531		−1.2%
1990	2,721		7.5%
2000	2,874		5.6%
2010	3,206		11.6%
Est. 2014	3,242	[9]	1.1%
U.S. Decennial Census[10]

LaRue County Courthouse

Lincoln's statue in the town square

As of the census^[11] of 2000, there were 2,874 people, 1,235 households, and 781 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,667.7 people per square mile (645.1/km²). There were 1,349 housing units at an average density of 782.8 per square mile (302.8/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 86.64% White, 11.27% African American, 0.24% Native American, 0.07% Asian, 0.35% from other races, and 1.43% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.18% of the population.

There were 1,235 households out of which 29.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.3% were married couples living together, 18.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.7% were non-families. 34.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 17.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.17 and the average family size was 2.76.

The age distribution was 22.8% under the age of 18, 7.9% from 18 to 24, 25.2% from 25 to 44, 22.8% from 45 to 64, and 21.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 82.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 76.8 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $25,132, and the median income for a family was $37,125. Males had a median income of $30,678 versus $18,095 for females. The per capita income for the city was $14,794. About 16.9% of families and 22.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 27.7% of those under age 18 and 21.5% of those age 65 or over.

Federally, Hodgenville is part of Kentucky's 2nd congressional district, currently represented by Republican Brett Guthrie, elected in 2008.

References

1. "Summary and Reference Guide to House Bill 331 City Classification Reform" (PDF). Kentucky League of Cities. Retrieved December 30, 2014.
2. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved 2011-06-07.
3. Rennick, Robert M. (1987). Kentucky Place Names. University Press of Kentucky. p. 143. Retrieved 28 Apr 2013.
4. Commonwealth of Kentucky. Office of the Secretary of State. Land Office. "Hodgenville, Kentucky". Accessed 29 Jul 2013.
5. "Abraham Lincoln 16th President, 1861-1865". presidentialavenue.com.
6. "Abraham Lincoln 16th President, 1861-1865". presidentialavenue.com.
7. Day, Teresa (Jan 30, 2005). Fun With the Family Kentucky: Hundreds of Ideas for Day Trips with the Kids. Globe Pequot. p. 34. Retrieved 2013-05-07.
8. "Hodgenville, Kentucky Köppen Climate Classification (Weatherbase)". Weatherbase.
9. "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Incorporated Places: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2014". Retrieved June 4, 2015.
10. "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
11. "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.

External links

• Hodgenville travel guide from Wikivoyage
• Hodgenville Official Website