Danville, Kentucky
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Danville, KY | |
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| Founded | 1787 |
| State | Kentucky |
| County | Boyle County |
| Mayor | Hugh Coomer |
| http://ci.danville.ky.us | |
Danville is a city in Boyle County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 15,477 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Boyle CountyGR6. It was the original home of Transylvania University, which soon after its founding moved to Lexington. Later, Centre College opened in Danville, and remains there today. Danville is also home to the Great American Brass Band Festival and to the Pioneer Playhouse, an important part of theater in Kentucky.
In 2001, Danville received a Great American Main Street Award from the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
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[edit] History
Danville was established on December 4, 1787, by the Virginia Legislature. Before recognition from Virginia, Danville and its vicinity had already been home to settlers for several years, being in the original Great Settlement Area around Harrod's Fort (now Harrodsburg), which was first settled in 1774.The name of the city is in memory of Walker Daniel, who purchased the original site of the settlement from John Crow, another early settler. Walker, who was killed by Indians on the way to Bullitt's Lick in August 1784, had served since 1783 as the first Attorney General of the Kentucky District Supreme Court, which on March 14, 1785 moved to the site he had surveyed for a town. Danville became a part of the Commonwealth when Kentucky became a state in 1792. Danville was the capital of Kentucky when it was a district of Virginia. The city is called the "Birthplace of the Bluegrass" since the state's Constitutional Convention was held at what is now known as Constitution Square in 1792, when Kentucky's first Constitution was signed.
In 1842, Danville became the seat of Boyle County, which was formed primarily from southern Mercer County, Kentucky and northern Lincoln County, Kentucky. For much of the time since the creation of Mercer County in 1785, Danville had been in the compromised position of being the largest city in the county without having the distinction of being the county seat.
Danville is also called the "City of Firsts". Danville housed the first Courthouse in Kentucky, the first U.S. Post Office west of the Alleghenies, the first state-supported School for the Deaf, and in 1809, Danville’s own Dr. Ephraim McDowell became the first physician in the world to successfully remove an ovarian tumor.
[edit] Geography
Danville is located at (37.645527, -84.774992)GR1.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 40.9 km² (15.8 mi²). 40.9 km² (15.8 mi²) of it is land and 0.06% is water.
[edit] Demographics
As of the censusGR2 of 2000, there were 15,477 people, 6,223 households, and 4,013 families residing in the city. The population density was 378.4/km² (980.4/mi²). There were 6,734 housing units at an average density of 164.7/km² (426.6/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 83.67% White, 13.02% African American, 0.25% Native American, 0.83% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.82% from other races, and 1.38% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.48% of the population.
There were 6,223 households out of which 29.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.4% were married couples living together, 14.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.5% were non-families. 31.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.26 and the average family size was 2.82.
The age distribution is 22.4% under the age of 18, 13.3% from 18 to 24, 25.8% from 25 to 44, 22.2% from 45 to 64, and 16.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 86.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.2 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $32,938, and the median income for a family was $40,528. Males had a median income of $35,327 versus $24,542 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,906. About 9.4% of families and 12.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.6% of those under age 18 and 10.5% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] Education
[edit] Public Schools
Danville is served by two school districts:
Danville Independent Schools [1] serves the city of Danville. There are five schools in this district:
- Hogsett Elementary
- Jennie Rogers Elementary
- Toliver Elementary
- Bate Middle School
- Danville High School
Boyle County Public School District [2] serves areas of Danville as well as the remainder of Boyle County. Boyle County Schools also have five schools:
- Junction City Elementary
- Perryville Elementary
- Woodlawn Elementary
- Boyle County Middle School
- Boyle County High School
[edit] Private Schools
[edit] Notable Residents
Famous Danvillians have included:
Joshua Fry Bell (Politician)
James G. Birney (Presidential Candidate, Abolitionist)
Rick Dees (TV/Radio disc jockey)
Todd Duncan (Opera Singer and Actor)
John Marshall Harlan (Supreme Court Justice)
Ephraim McDowell (Surgeon) - Born in Rockbridge County, Virginia but practiced in Danville
Eddie Montgomery (Musician Montgomery Gentry)
John Michael Montgomery (Musician)
Theodore O'Hara (Poet)
William Owsley (Politician, Jurist)
Aaron Etherington (Politician, Jailer)
[edit] Trivia
In 2001, a man bought a sundae at a Danville, KY Dairy Queen with a $200 bill featuring George W. Bush and received $197.88 in change. [1]
[edit] References
- ^ Funny money in Kentucky. BBC. Accessed March 18, 2007.
[edit] External links
- Maps and aerial photos
- Street map from Google Maps, or Yahoo! Maps, or Windows Live Local
- Satellite image from Google Maps, Windows Live Local, WikiMapia
- Topographic map from TopoZone
- Aerial image or topographic map from TerraServer-USA
