Richmond, Kentucky
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| Richmond, Kentucky | |
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| Coordinates: | |
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| Country | United States |
| State | Kentucky |
| County | Madison |
| Area | |
| - Total | 19.3 sq mi (49.9 km²) |
| - Land | 19.1 sq mi (49.5 km²) |
| - Water | 0.1 sq mi (0.4 km²) |
| Elevation | 948 ft (289 m) |
| Population (2000) | |
| - Total | 27,152 |
| - Density | 1,420.4/sq mi (548.4/km²) |
| Time zone | Eastern (EST) (UTC-5) |
| - Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| ZIP codes | 40475-40476 |
| Area code(s) | 859 |
| FIPS code | 21-65226 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0501827 |
Richmond is a city in and the county seat of Madison County, Kentucky, United States.[1] It is named after Richmond, Virginia, and is the home of Eastern Kentucky University. As of 2006, Richmond was the seventh largest city in Kentucky with a population of 31,431.[2]
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[edit] History
The City of Richmond was founded in the year of 1798, by Colonel John Miller, who was active in the Revolutionary War as a soldier. According to local lore, Colonel Miller was attracted to the area by the uncommonly good spring water and friendly local Indian tribes. This same year, the county seat was moved from Milford to Richmond, which was the area owned by the Colonel at the time.
This caused numerous fights between residents of Milford, and the county and residents of Richmond who adamantly opposed the move. This resulted in a duel between Dave Kennedy and William Kearly (represented Richmond).[citation needed]
These fights' results were never recorded, but based on the fact that the county seat was changed to Richmond, it can be assumed that Richmond did in fact win. The name was officially given to the community in 1798 in honor of Miller's birthplace, Richmond, Virginia.
[edit] Geography
Richmond is located at (37.744720, -84.293562)[3].
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 19.2 square miles (49.9 km²), of which, 19.1 square miles (49.5 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.4 km²) of it (0.73%) is water.
[edit] Education
Eastern Kentucky University is located in Richmond, Kentucky. Founded in 1906, Eastern Kentucky University now offers 168 degree programs and serves over 16,000 students a year.
[edit] Law and Government
Richmond operates under a City Manager form of government. The citizens elect a mayor and four city commissioners which form the Board of Commissioners. The Board of Commissioners is the legislative body of the city government and represents the interests of the citizens when applicable. The Board of Commissioners appoints a city manager who administers the day-to-day operations of the city.
The mayor is elected for a term of four years. Each city commissioner is elected for a term of two years. The term of the city manager is indefinite.
[edit] Demographics
As of the census[4] of 2000, there were 27,152 people, 10,795 households, and 5,548 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,420.4 people per square mile (548.3/km²). There were 11,857 housing units at an average density of 620.3/sq mi (239.4/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 88.30% White, 8.27% African American, 0.29% Native American, 1.09% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.43% from other races, and 1.58% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.21% of the population.
There were 10,795 households out of which 24.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 35.2% were married couples living together, 12.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 48.6% were non-families. 34.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.14 and the average family size was 2.78.
The age distribution, influenced strongly by the presence of Eastern Kentucky University, is: 17.5% under the age of 18, 31.7% from 18 to 24, 27.5% from 25 to 44, 13.8% from 45 to 64, and 9.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 25 years. For every 100 females there were 90.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.8 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $25,533, and the median income for a family was $36,222. Males had a median income of $30,817 versus $22,053 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,815. About 16.6% of families and 25.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 26.2% of those under age 18 and 19.9% of those age 65 or over. However, traditional poverty measures can be misleading when applied to communities with substantial student populations, such as Richmond.
[edit] Notable Residents
- United States Supreme Court Justice Samuel Freeman Miller was born and raised in Richmond.
- Former Yankee great and Hall of Fame member Earle Combs resided in Richmond until his death in 1976. He is buried in Richmond Cemetery.
- 28th pick of the 2007 MLB draft, Ben Revere, lives here.
- Kit Carson was born near Richmond, though raised in Franklin, Missouri.
- Odon Guitar, a brigadier general of Missouri State Militia in the American Civil War, was born in Richmond.
[edit] References
- ^ Find a County. National Association of Counties. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ Census Bureau Estimates. Kentucky State Data Center. Retrieved on 2008-03-13.
- ^ US Gazetteer files: 2000 and 1990. United States Census Bureau (2005-05-03). Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ American FactFinder. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
[edit] External links
- Richmond, Kentucky is at coordinates Coordinates:
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