Warren County, Kentucky

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Warren County, Kentucky
Map
Location in the state of Kentucky
Kentucky's location in the U.S.
Statistics
Founded	1797
Seat	Bowling Green
Area - Total - Land - Water	548 sq mi (1,419 km²) 545 sq mi (1,412 km²) 2 sq mi (6 km²), 0.45%
Population - (2007) - Density	104,023 170/sq mi (66/km²)
Time zone	Central: UTC-6/-5
Website: www.warrencountyky.com

Warren County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky, specifically the Pennyroyal Plateau and Western Coal Fields regions^[1]. It is included in the Bowling Green, Kentucky Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of 2007, the population was estimated to be 104,023. The county seat is Bowling Green. The county is dry, meaning that the sale of alcohol is prohibited, but contains the wet city of Bowling Green, where retail alcohol sales are allowed. This makes Warren County a moist county.^[2]

[edit] History

Evidence has shown that Warren County was the location of various Native American villages and burial mounds. The first whites to enter the area were the long hunters in the 1770s.^{[citation needed]} General Elijah Covington was among the first landowners. McFadden's Station, one of the earliest settlements, was established in 1785 by Andrew McFadden on the northern bank of the Barren River at the Cumberland Trace.

Warren County became the 23rd county of Kentucky on December 14, 1796 from a section of Logan County. It was named after General Joseph Warren of the Revolutionary War. He dispatched William Dawes and Paul Revere on their famous midnight ride to warn residents of the approaching British troops. He was also a hero of the Battle of Bunker Hill.

Through the riverboat trade, Warren County thrived in the agricultural market. In 1859, the Louisville and Nashville Railroad (currently CSX Transportation) was laid through the county.

During the Civil War, most Warren County residents preferred preservation of the Union.^{[citation needed]} However, because of its strategic value, the county was occupied by Confederate forces in September 1861 and was later recaptured by the Union on February 14, 1862. During the Confederate pull-out, troops destroyed bridges over Barren County, the Bowling Green train depot and other buildings.^{[citation needed]}

The completion of Interstate 65 and Green River Parkway (currently the William H. Natcher Parkway) in the 1960s and 1970s, brought with them an industrial boom which transformed the farm-oriented county into a more urban one.

In 1997, along with Bowling Green, Warren County became a Tree City USA, sponsored by the National Arbor Day Foundation.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 548 square miles (1,419 km²), of which, 545 square miles (1,412 km²) of it is land and 2 square miles (6 km²) of it is water. The total area is 0.45% water.

[edit] Geographic features

The county is mostly level land with a tall hill in the center of Bowling Green. The Green River forms the northern boundary of the county. Those tributaries of the Green River that flow through Warren County are the Barren and Gasper rivers, Drake's and Jennings creeks and Bay's Fork. Shanty Hollow Lake is in the northwest corner of the county. The soil is fertile and supports tobacco, hay, corn and soybean crop production.

[edit] Major highways

[edit] Adjacent counties

Butler County - northwest
Edmonson County - northeast
Barren County - east
Allen County - southeast
Simpson County - south/southwest
Logan County - southwest

[edit] Demographics

Graph of Warren County population by decade

Historical populations
Census	Pop.	%±
1800	4,686	—
1810	11,937	154.7%
1820	11,776	-1.3%
1830	10,949	-7.0%
1840	15,446	41.1%
1850	15,123	-2.1%
1860	17,320	14.5%
1870	21,742	25.5%
1880	27,531	26.6%
1890	30,158	9.5%
1900	29,970	-0.6%
1910	30,579	2.0%
1920	30,858	0.9%
1930	33,676	9.1%
1940	36,631	8.8%
1950	42,758	16.7%
1960	45,491	6.4%
1970	57,884	27.2%
1980	71,828	24.1%
1990	76,673	6.7%
2000	92,522	20.7%
Est. 2007	104,023	12.4%
http://ukcc.uky.edu/~census/21227.txt

As of the census^[3] of 2000, there were 92,522 people, 35,365 households, and 23,411 families residing in the county. The population density was 170/sq mi (66/km²). There were 38,350 housing units at an average density of 70/sq mi (27/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 86.98% White, 8.58% Black or African American, 0.24% Native American, 1.35% Asian, 0.08% Pacific Islander, 1.33% from other races, and 1.45% from two or more races. 2.67% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 35,365 households out of which 31.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.40% were married couples living together, 11.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.80% were non-families. 26.10% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.30% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 2.97.

The age distribution was 23.10% under the age of 18, 16.20% from 18 to 24, 29.10% from 25 to 44, 21.10% from 45 to 64, and 10.50% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 96.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.00 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $36,151, and the median income for a family was $45,142. Males had a median income of $32,063 versus $22,777 for females. The per capita income for the county was $18,847. About 10.80% of families and 15.40% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.80% of those under age 18 and 13.80% of those age 65 or over.

[edit] Cities & towns

Bowling Green
Oakland
Plum Springs
Smiths Grove
Woodburn
Rockfield
Richpond
Plano

[edit] Educational institutions

[edit] Elementary and secondary education

Two public school districts operate in the county:

Warren County Public Schools, which serves most of the county. ^[4] ^[5] ^[6]
Bowling Green Independent Schools, which serves most of the city of Bowling Green.^[7]

[edit] Warren County Public Schools

[edit] Elementary Schools

Alvaton
Briarwood
Bristow
Cumberland Trace
Lost River
North Warren
Oakland
Plano
Rich Pond
Richardsville
Rockfield
Warren
William H. Natcher

[edit] Middle Schools

Drakes Creek
Henry F. Moss
Warren East

[edit] High schools

Greenwood
Light House Academy
Warren Central
Warren East

[edit] Bowling Green Independent Schools

[edit] Elementary schools

Dishman McGinnis
Parker Bennett Curry
Potter Gray
T. C. Cherry
W. R. McNeill

[edit] Junior high schools

Bowling Green

[edit] High schools

Eleventh Street
Bowling Green

[edit] Colleges and universities

[edit] Attractions

Beech Bend Park - Roller coasters, waterpark, raceway
Chevrolet Corvette and XLR Assembly Plant - Daily tours
Eloise B. Houchens Center - Greek Revival-style mansion built in 1904 by a former Bowling Green mayor
Fort Webb Historic Park - Preserved Civil War site
Kentucky Museum and Library - Exhibits of Kentucky artifacts, located on Western Kentucky University campus
Lost River Cave and Valley - Location of the shortest and deepest river in the world, once a hideout for Jesse James and company
National Corvette Museum - Exhibits of the models of the Chevrolet Corvette since 1953
Riverview at Hobson Grove - Preserved mansion overlooking Barren River built from the late 1850s until 1872