| Daviess County, Kentucky | |
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Daviess County courthouse in Owensboro, Kentucky
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Location in the state of Kentucky |
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Kentucky's location in the U.S. |
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| Founded | 1815 |
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| Named for | Joseph Hamilton Daviess (1774–1811), lawyer killed at the Battle of Tippecanoe |
| Seat | Owensboro |
| Area - Total - Land - Water |
476.27 sq mi (1,234 km²) 462.39 sq mi (1,198 km²) 13.88 sq mi (36 km²), 2.91% |
| PopulationEst. - (2007) - Density |
93,756 198/sq mi (76/km²) |
| Time zone | Central: UTC-6/-5 |
| Website | www.daviessky.org |
Daviess County (pronounced /'deɪvɨs/, sometimes incorrectly /'deɪviz/), is a county in the U.S. state of Kentucky. It is the 58th county in order of formation; formed from a part of Ohio County on January 14, 1815. The county's borders were altered in 1829 to form Hancock County, in 1830 to absorb a small area surrounding Whitesville, in 1854 to cede land to McLean County, and in 1860 to annex 44 square miles (110 km2) from Henderson County. Daviess County measures 463 square miles (1,200 km2), making it 18th in size in the commonwealth.[1] The population estimate for 2008 is 94,418. It is included in the Owensboro, Kentucky, Metropolitan Statistical Area. Its county seat is Owensboro[2]. The county is named for Colonel Joseph Hamilton Daveiss (a recording error in the State Clerk's office accounts for the error in spelling, which was never corrected), the United States Attorney who prosecuted Aaron Burr.
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Daviess County is part of the Western Coal Fields region of Kentucky. According to the 2000 census, the county has a total area of 476.27 square miles (1,233.5 km2), of which 462.39 square miles (1,197.6 km2) (or 97.09%) is land and 13.88 square miles (35.9 km2) (or 2.91%) is water.[3] The northern half of the county along the Ohio River is relatively flat, with a few rolling hills dotting the landscape. The southern portion is mostly rolling hills mixed with flat valleys. The southern portion mined for coal during in the past, especially ithe rolling hills along Panther Creek and other streams.
Distillery/Distilled Spirit Production
Daviess County has long had a reputation as the leading center of the production of distilled spirits, chiefly Kentucky bourbon, since the early 1880s. During the 19th century there were 18 distilleries in Daviess County, while today only three remain. One dates back to 1869, the former Glenmore Distillery Company, which was originally the R. Monarch Distillery.
Local histories record that Walter McFarland, who moved here from North Carolina, began making whiskey and peach brandy in about 1804 on a 200-acre (0.81 km2) estate just south of Panther Creek, on today's U.S. 431.[4]
During the first decade of the 19th century, Cornelius Westerfield began distilling corn whiskey on his farm three miles (5 km) southwest of Whitesville, Kentucky, on Deserter Creek. It finally closed in 1872, after more than 60 years of production.[4]
By the 1880s, 18 large distilleries operated in Daviess County at the same time. Charles Medley Distillers Kentucky is at least the 59th distillery in the county's history.
Trinidad-based Angostura Limited bought the Medley Distillery in 2007 with plans to make its entrance into the world's bourbon market. But the severe global recession has slowed plans for starting bourbon production in Daviess County for the first time since 1992.[5]
The following is list of distillerys operating in 1883[6]
Coal Mining
The Southwestern portion of the county around the Panther Creek area was heavily mined through the 1960s till the early 1990s. After 1998 large tracts of mined land were left unclaimed. Then after a lengthy search for contractors by the State of Kentucky's Division of Abandoned Mine Lands, work commenced on the largest tract, a 42-acre (170,000 m2) tract once part of the now defunct Green Coal Company. The 42 acres (170,000 m2) of unclaimed land were part of Green Coal Company's mine once known as the "Panther Surface Mine". Green Coal Company was a staple mining company in Daviess County and was based nearby in Henderson, Kentucky.
Green Coal Company
Reclamation work commenced at the site on Nov. 8, 1999, and was completed April 14, 2000. The licensed blaster employed by the contractor blasted the highwall into the pit, resulting in a reduced effort to grade and dress the final slope. Enough topsoil was gained from the area above the highwall to allow a growing medium for re-vegetation purposes. Through innovative field techniques and extraordinary cooperation from the contractor, this site has been returned to a very safe, stable and productive property. All 42 acres (170,000 m2) of this project was reclaimed expending $127,538.82 of the available bond. The land is now safe for the public and is considered prime farm property once again. Green Coal Reclamation Project
| Historical populations | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1820 | 3,876 |
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| 1830 | 5,209 | 34.4% | |
| 1840 | 8,331 | 59.9% | |
| 1850 | 12,362 | 48.4% | |
| 1860 | 15,549 | 25.8% | |
| 1870 | 20,714 | 33.2% | |
| 1880 | 27,730 | 33.9% | |
| 1890 | 33,120 | 19.4% | |
| 1900 | 38,667 | 16.7% | |
| 1910 | 41,020 | 6.1% | |
| 1920 | 40,733 | −0.7% | |
| 1930 | 43,779 | 7.5% | |
| 1940 | 52,335 | 19.5% | |
| 1950 | 57,241 | 9.4% | |
| 1960 | 70,588 | 23.3% | |
| 1970 | 79,486 | 12.6% | |
| 1980 | 85,949 | 8.1% | |
| 1990 | 87,189 | 1.4% | |
| 2000 | 91,545 | 5.0% | |
| Est. 2008 | 94,418 | 3.1% | |
| http://ukcc.uky.edu/~census/21059.txt | |||
As of the census[8] of 2000, there were 91,545 people, 36,033 households, and 24,826 families residing in the county. The population density was 198 per square mile (76 /km2). There were 38,432 housing units at an average density of 83 per square mile (32 /km2). The racial makeup of the county was 93.69% White, 4.35% Black or African American, 0.13% Native American, 0.43% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.44% from other races, and 0.94% from two or more races. 0.92% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 36,033 households out of which 32.90% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.60% were married couples living together, 11.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.10% were non-families. 27.10% 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 2.47 and the average family size was 3.00.
In the county the population was spread out with 25.80% under the age of 18, 9.00% from 18 to 24, 28.40% from 25 to 44, 23.00% from 45 to 64, and 13.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 92.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.30 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $36,813, and the median income for a family was $45,404. Males had a median income of $35,295 versus $21,971 for females. The per capita income for the county was $18,739. About 9.40% of families and 12.30% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.60% of those under age 18 and 11.40% of those age 65 or over.
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