| Owsley County, Kentucky | |
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Owsley County courthouse in Booneville, 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 | 1843 |
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| Seat | Booneville |
| Area - Total - Land - Water |
198.09 sq mi (513 km²) 198.09 sq mi (513 km²) 0.00 sq mi (0 km²), 0% |
| Population - (2000) - Density |
4,858 24/sq mi (9/km²) |
| Time zone | Eastern: UTC-5/-4 |
| Website | www.owsleycountykentucky.org |
Owsley County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of 2000, the population was 4,858. Its county seat is Booneville[1]. The county is named for William Owsley, the Governor of Kentucky from 1844 to 1848. It is a prohibition or dry county. It is the third poorest county in the United States with a median household income of less than $11,000 (Lowest-income counties in the United States).[2]
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According to the 2000 census, the county has a total area of 198.09 square miles (513.1 km2), all land.[3]
| Historical populations | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1850 | 3,774 |
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| 1860 | 5,335 | 41.4% | |
| 1870 | 3,889 | −27.1% | |
| 1880 | 4,942 | 27.1% | |
| 1890 | 5,975 | 20.9% | |
| 1900 | 6,874 | 15.0% | |
| 1910 | 7,979 | 16.1% | |
| 1920 | 7,820 | −2.0% | |
| 1930 | 7,223 | −7.6% | |
| 1940 | 8,957 | 24.0% | |
| 1950 | 7,324 | −18.2% | |
| 1960 | 5,369 | −26.7% | |
| 1970 | 5,023 | −6.4% | |
| 1980 | 5,709 | 13.7% | |
| 1990 | 5,036 | −11.8% | |
| 2000 | 4,858 | −3.5% | |
| Est. 2008 | 4,634 | −4.6% | |
| http://ukcc.uky.edu/~census/21189.txt | |||
As of the census[4] of 2000, there were 4,858 people, 1,894 households, and 1,388 families residing in the county. The population density was 24 per square mile (9.3 /km2). There were 2,247 housing units at an average density of 11 per square mile (4.2 /km2). The racial makeup of the county was 99.22% White, 0.10% Black or African American, 0.06% Native American, 0.04% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.02% from other races, and 0.54% from two or more races. 0.72% of the population were Hispanics or Latinos of any race.
There were 1,894 households out of which 32.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.8% were married couples living together, 12.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.7% were non-families. 24.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 2.98.
The age distribution was 24.6% under the age of 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 27.0% from 25 to 44, 24.5% from 45 to 64, and 15.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 101.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.7 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $15,805, which is the third lowest in the nation and the lowest among counties with a non-Hispanic white majority population, and the median income for a family was $18,034. Males had a median income of $25,100 versus $18,203 for females. The per capita income for the county was $10,742. About 41.7% of families and 45.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 56.3% of those under age 18 and 34.5% of those age 65 or over. Poverty rates are therefore among the 10 highest of any county in the United States.
The Abraham Lincoln Relief Sculpture, locally known as 'Abe Lincoln Rock' or 'Abraham Lincoln Rock', is located just off Highway 846 in the Conkling community of Owsley County. The sculpture is listed in the inventory of folk art in the Smithsonian American Art Museum. The sculpture was carved by a traveling pack peddler, Granville Johnson, in the 1930s. Local Legend has it that Johnson had come to Owsley County ill and in need of assistance. The John Williams family cared for him on their farm located south of Booneville. As he began to recover his strength, Mr. Johnson would take a hammer and chisel and climb the hill behind the Williams' home each day. Once recovered well enough to travel again he revealed the sculpture, which he had created as a gift of appreciation to the family. The Owsley County Fiscal Court purchased the sculpture and surrounding land in 2008.
Earle Combs, who played baseball for the New York Yankees from 1924 to 1935 and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1970, is from Owsley County. A plaque to honor his birthplace stands on Highway 11 in Pebworth.[5]
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