Knott County, Kentucky

Knott County
Knott County
County
	Knott County Courthouse
	Location within the U.S. state of Kentucky
	Kentucky's location within the U.S.
	Coordinates: 37°21′N 82°57′W / 37.35°N 82.95°W
Country	United States
State	Kentucky
Founded	1884
Named for	James Proctor Knott
Seat	Hindman
Largest city	Hindman
Area
• Total	353 sq mi (910 km2)
• Land	352 sq mi (910 km2)
• Water	1.3 sq mi (3 km2) 0.4%
Population (2020)
• Total	14,251
• Estimate (2023)	13,659
• Density	40/sq mi (16/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district	5th
Website	www.knottky.com

Knott County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of the 2020 census, the population was 14,251.^[1] Its county seat is Hindman.^[2] The county was formed in 1884 and is named for James Proctor Knott, Governor of Kentucky (1883–1887).^[3] as of 2024 the county is now wet. Its county seat is home to the Hindman Settlement School, founded as America's first settlement school. The Knott County town of Pippa Passes is home to Alice Lloyd College.

History

Knott County was established in 1884 from land given by Breathitt, Floyd, Letcher, and Perry counties. The 1890s-era courthouse, the second to serve the county, burned in 1929.^[4]

The first elected county officials were county clerk Lewis Hays (an early settler of The Forks of Troublesome defeating fellow early settler F. P. Allen), county judge David Calhoun, county attorney Fielding Johnson, sheriff Madison Pigman, jailer Isom Slone, and county assessor Hiram Maggard.^[5] The political lines drawn in the early politics of the county were largely along divisions between the early settler families of The Forks, inherited from Civil War differences.^[5]

In a later election Anderson Hays ran against Clabe Jones, who had been on opposite sides in the Civil War, with Jones winning the election.^[5] This caused a feud that lasted several years, with fights and deaths in Hindman.^[5]

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 353 square miles (910 km²), of which 352 square miles (910 km²) is land and 1.3 square miles (3.4 km²) (0.4%) is water.^[6]

Adjacent counties

Magoffin County (north)
Floyd County (northeast)
Pike County (east)
Letcher County (south)
Perry County (southwest)
Breathitt County (northwest)

Summits

Big Lovely Mountain, 1,401 feet (427 m)

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1890	5,438		—
1900	8,704		60.1%
1910	10,791		24.0%
1920	11,655		8.0%
1930	15,230		30.7%
1940	20,007		31.4%
1950	20,320		1.6%
1960	17,362		−14.6%
1970	14,698		−15.3%
1980	17,940		22.1%
1990	17,906		−0.2%
2000	17,649		−1.4%
2010	16,346		−7.4%
2020	14,251		−12.8%
2023 (est.)	13,659	^[7]	−4.2%
U.S. Decennial Census^[8] 1790-1960^[9] 1900-1990^[10] 1990-2000^[11] 2010-2020^[1]

As of the census of 2000, there were 17,649 people, 6,717 households, and 4,990 families residing in the county. The population density was 50 per square mile (19/km²). There were 7,579 housing units at an average density of 22 per square mile (8.5/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 98.27% White, 0.73% Black or African American, 0.11% Native American, 0.15% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.12% from other races, and 0.60% from two or more races. 0.63% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 6,717 households, out of which 34.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.60% were married couples living together, 12.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.70% were non-families. 23.60% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.30% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.54 and the average family size was 3.00.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 24.50% under the age of 18, 10.80% from 18 to 24, 29.00% from 25 to 44, 24.30% from 45 to 64, and 11.40% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 97.30 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.10 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $20,373, and the median income for a family was $24,930. Males had a median income of $29,471 versus $21,240 for females. The per capita income for the county was $11,297. About 26.20% of families and 31.10% of the population were below the poverty line, including 39.80% of those under age 18 and 23.10% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Knott County Schools

Knott County Central High School
Knott County Area Technology Center
Beaver Creek Elementary
Carr Creek Elementary
Cordia School
Emmalena Elementary
Hindman Elementary
Jones Fork Elementary

Private schools

Higher education

Knott County Campus of Hazard Community and Technical College
Alice Lloyd College

Politics

Knott County had historically voted very strongly for the Democratic Party. In 1992, 75% of Knott County residents voted for Democrat Bill Clinton for US president, the highest percentage for Clinton of any county in the state. However, in recent years, Knott County has voted more favorably for the Republican Party. In the 2008 presidential election, Republican John McCain became the first Republican to win Knott County in a presidential election by winning 52.6% of the vote to Barack Obama's 45%.^[12]

United States presidential election results for Knott County, Kentucky^[13]
Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party
Year	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2020	4,780	76.46%	1,412	22.58%	60	0.96%
2016	4,357	75.60%	1,245	21.60%	161	2.79%
2012	4,130	72.55%	1,420	24.94%	143	2.51%
2008	3,070	52.75%	2,612	44.88%	138	2.37%
2004	2,648	35.81%	4,685	63.36%	61	0.82%
2000	2,029	31.42%	4,349	67.34%	80	1.24%
1996	1,201	18.18%	4,842	73.29%	564	8.54%
1992	1,243	16.96%	5,500	75.05%	585	7.98%
1988	1,691	24.42%	5,185	74.86%	50	0.72%
1984	1,728	27.66%	4,487	71.81%	33	0.53%
1980	1,602	22.68%	5,405	76.50%	58	0.82%
1976	962	16.65%	4,762	82.40%	55	0.95%
1972	1,479	34.50%	2,774	64.71%	34	0.79%
1968	1,098	22.56%	3,335	68.52%	434	8.92%
1964	482	9.22%	4,739	90.61%	9	0.17%
1960	1,412	26.30%	3,957	73.70%	0	0.00%
1956	1,715	30.02%	3,987	69.80%	10	0.18%
1952	1,124	20.14%	4,437	79.49%	21	0.38%
1948	754	13.93%	4,660	86.07%	0	0.00%
1944	803	17.19%	3,867	82.81%	0	0.00%
1940	759	14.62%	4,434	85.38%	0	0.00%
1936	865	19.87%	3,488	80.13%	0	0.00%
1932	747	14.39%	4,443	85.61%	0	0.00%
1928	1,004	26.24%	2,822	73.76%	0	0.00%
1924	886	27.75%	2,286	71.59%	21	0.66%
1920	802	25.80%	2,295	73.84%	11	0.35%
1916	571	28.14%	1,454	71.66%	4	0.20%
1912	387	23.74%	1,114	68.34%	129	7.91%

When Governor Ernie Fletcher appointed Republican Randy Thompson as County Judge Executive in 2005, it was the first time the county ever had a Republican Judge Executive. Thompson won re-election in 2006 and again in 2010, making him the first Republican to win election in a Knott County office.

Economy

Coal companies in Knott County

Alpha Natural Resources^[14]
James River Coal Company^[15]

Areas of interest

Tourism is increasing in the county,^{[citation needed]} especially the popularity of elk viewing.^{[citation needed]} Knott County and its surrounding counties are home to 5,700 free ranging elk, the largest elk herd east of the Mississippi River.^{[citation needed]}^[16] There is an ATV Training Center dedicated to the safety of ATV usage amongst riders and the Knott County Sportsplex, a sports complex which has indoor basketball courts, outside baseball fields, a soccer field, and a fitness center.

Media

Television

Hometown24

Radio

WKCB-FM
WKCB-AM
WWJD-FM

Newspapers

Troublesome Creek Times

Communities

Cities

Hindman (county seat)
Pippa Passes
Vicco^[17] (part)

Unincorporated communities

Infrastructure

Transportation

Public transportation is provided by LKLP Community Action Partnership with demand-response service and scheduled service from Hindman to Hazard.^[18]

Notable residents

Lige Clarke (1942−1975), LGBT activist, journalist and author
Rebecca Gayheart (born 1971), actress and model
Carl Dewey Perkins (1912−1984), politician and member of the United States House of Representatives
James Still (1906–2001), author folklorist
David Tolliver, musician; member of country band Halfway to Hazard

In popular culture

20th Century Fox filmed several scenes in the county for a nationally released movie Fire Down Below

References

^ ^a ^b "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved February 26, 2023.
^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
^ The Register of the Kentucky State Historical Society, Volume 1. Kentucky State Historical Society. 1903. p. 35.
^ Hogan, Roseann Reinemuth (1992). Kentucky Ancestry: A Guide to Genealogical and Historical Research. Ancestry Publishing. p. 263. ISBN 9780916489496. Retrieved July 26, 2013.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Scalf, Henry Preston (2000). "The Rising Tide". Kentucky's Last Frontier. The Overmountain Press. pp. 151–152. ISBN 9781570721656.
^ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Archived from the original on August 12, 2014. Retrieved August 17, 2014.
^ "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2023". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 14, 2024.
^ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 17, 2014.
^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved August 17, 2014.
^ "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 17, 2014.
^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 27, 2010. Retrieved August 17, 2014.
^ "Presidential Election Results Map". The New York Times. 2008.
^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved July 3, 2018.
^ [Alpha Natural Resources - 2012 Kentucky Operations]
^ James River Coal Company – Leeco complex
^ "All About Elk in Kentucky". kentuckytourism.com. Retrieved September 24, 2017.
^ Kentucky Department of State - Office of Land Management - Map
^ "LKLP Community Action Council, Inc. > Programs > Public Transportation". Retrieved May 19, 2015.