Bourbon County, Kentucky

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Bourbon County, Kentucky
Map
Map of Kentucky highlighting Bourbon County
Location in the state of Kentucky
Map of the U.S. highlighting Kentucky
Kentucky's location in the U.S.
Statistics
Founded 1786
Seat Paris
Area
 - Total
 - Land
 - Water

292 sq mi (755 km²)
291 sq mi (755 km²)
0 sq mi (1 km²), 0.08%
Population
 - (2000)
 - Density

19,360
66/sq mi (26/km²)
Time zone Eastern: UTC-5/-4
Website: www.parisky.com
Named for: House of Bourbon, European royal house

Bourbon County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. It was formed in 1786. As of 2007, the population was 19,839. Its county seat is Paris, Kentucky[1]. It is best known for being the birthplace of bourbon whiskey.

Contents

[edit] Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 292 square miles (755 km²), of which, 291 square miles (754 km²) of it is land and 0 square miles (1 km²) of it (0.08%) is water.

There are no sizable lakes in the county, but several streams. Primary among these is Stoner Creek, on which the county seat is situated. This large stream is a principal tributary of the South Fork of the Licking River.

The county's topography is predominantly gently rolling hills. Due to agricultural development, very little of the county's land area can be characterized as forested, though deciduous trees are a common feature of the landscape.

[edit] Adjacent counties

[edit] Demographics

Historical populations
Census Pop.  %±
1790 7,837
1800 12,825 63.6%
1810 18,009 40.4%
1820 17,664 -1.9%
1830 18,436 4.4%
1840 14,478 -21.5%
1850 14,466 -0.1%
1860 14,860 2.7%
1870 14,863 0.0%
1880 15,956 7.4%
1890 16,976 6.4%
1900 18,069 6.4%
1910 17,462 -3.4%
1920 18,418 5.5%
1930 18,060 -1.9%
1940 17,932 -0.7%
1950 17,752 -1.0%
1960 18,178 2.4%
1970 18,476 1.6%
1980 19,405 5.0%
1990 19,236 -0.9%
2000 19,360 0.6%
Est. 2007 19,839 2.5%
http://ukcc.uky.edu/~census/21017.txt

As of the census[2] of 2000, there were 19,360 people, 7,681 households, and 5,445 families residing in the county. The population density was 66 people per square mile (26/km²). There were 8,349 housing units at an average density of 29 per square mile (11/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 90.38% White, 6.94% Black or African American, 0.15% Native American, 0.14% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 1.36% from other races, and 1.02% from two or more races. 2.60% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 7,681 households out of which 32.80% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.70% were married couples living together, 12.30% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.10% were non-families. 24.80% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 2.95.

In the county the population was spread out with 25.00% under the age of 18, 8.10% from 18 to 24, 28.60% from 25 to 44, 24.70% from 45 to 64, and 13.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 94.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.00 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $35,038, and the median income for a family was $42,294. Males had a median income of $30,989 versus $23,467 for females. The per capita income for the county was $18,335. About 12.30% of families and 14.00% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.10% of those under age 18 and 11.90% of those age 65 or over.

[edit] Cities and towns

[edit] Birthplace of Bourbon Whiskey

This claim is a little misleading. Bourbon whiskey was named for the original Bourbon County, which in 1786 covered most of northeastern Kentucky, which was itself then still a territory of Virginia. Whiskey was an early product of that Bourbon County and it had a unique flavor, being made mostly from corn (maize), so it was called Bourbon to distinguish it from other regional whiskey styles, such as Monongahela, a product of western Pennsylvania. Thirty-four modern Kentucky counties were once part of the original Bourbon, including the current county of that name.[3]

[edit] References

  1. ^ Find a County. National Association of Counties. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
  2. ^ American FactFinder. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
  3. ^ The New Encyclopedia of Southern Culture, Volume 7, Foodways, John T. Edge, volume editor, p. 128.

[edit] See also

Coordinates: 38°12′N 84°13′W / 38.20, -84.21