Pulaski County, Kentucky
| Pulaski County, Kentucky | |
|---|---|
 Location in the state of Kentucky | |
 Kentucky's location in the U.S. | |
| Founded | 1798 |
| Named for | Count Kazimierz Pułaski |
| Seat | Somerset |
| Area | |
| • Total | 677.05 sq mi (1,754 km2) |
| • Land | 661.60 sq mi (1,714 km2) |
| • Water | 15.45 sq mi (40 km2), 2.28% |
| Population | |
| • (2010) | 63,063 |
| • Density | 85/sq mi (33/km²) |
| Time zone | Eastern: UTC-5/-4 |
| Website | www.spcchamber.com |
Pulaski County, founded in December 1798,[1] is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. The population was 63,063 in the 2010 Census. Its county seat is Somerset.[2] The county is named for Polish patriot Count Kazimierz Pułaski.[3]
Pulaski County is a "Moist" county as defined by The Kentucky Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control. The County features two "Small Farm Wineries" that sell wine to the public. The City of Somerset voted on June 26, 2012 to go fully "wet" which means alcoholic beverages can be purchased by the package and restaurants and bars can serve alcoholic beverages by the drink. On October 15, 2013 the City of Burnside voted to go fully "wet" by a count of 123-39. All other areas of Pulaski County are "Dry".
Geography
According to the 2000 census, the county has a total area of 677.05 square miles (1,753.6 km2), of which 661.60 square miles (1,713.5 km2) (or 97.72%) is land and 15.45 square miles (40.0 km2) (or 2.28%) is water.[4]
Adjacent counties
- Lincoln County (north)
- Rockcastle County (northeast)
- Laurel County (east)
- McCreary County (southeast)
- Wayne County (southwest)
- Russell County (west)
- Casey County (northwest)
History
Pulaski County was established in 1798 from land given by Lincoln and Green counties.[5]
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1800 | 3,161 | ||
| 1810 | 6,897 | 118.2% | |
| 1820 | 7,597 | 10.1% | |
| 1830 | 9,500 | 25.0% | |
| 1840 | 9,620 | 1.3% | |
| 1850 | 14,195 | 47.6% | |
| 1860 | 17,201 | 21.2% | |
| 1870 | 17,670 | 2.7% | |
| 1880 | 21,318 | 20.6% | |
| 1890 | 25,731 | 20.7% | |
| 1900 | 31,293 | 21.6% | |
| 1910 | 35,986 | 15.0% | |
| 1920 | 34,010 | −5.5% | |
| 1930 | 35,640 | 4.8% | |
| 1940 | 39,863 | 11.8% | |
| 1950 | 38,452 | −3.5% | |
| 1960 | 34,403 | −10.5% | |
| 1970 | 35,234 | 2.4% | |
| 1980 | 45,803 | 30.0% | |
| 1990 | 49,489 | 8.0% | |
| 2000 | 56,217 | 13.6% | |
| 2010 | 63,063 | 12.2% | |
| Est. 2012 | 63,593 | 0.8% | |
2012 Estimate[7] | |||
As of the census[8] of 2000, there were 56,217 people, 22,719 households, and 16,334 families residing in the county. The population density was 85 per square mile (33 /km2). There were 27,181 housing units at an average density of 41 per square mile (16 /km2). The racial makeup of the county was 97.48% White, 1.07% Black or African American, 0.22% Native American, 0.37% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.17% from other races, and 0.67% from two or more races. 0.81% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 22,719 households out of which 31.20% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.50% were married couples living together, 10.10% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.10% were non-families. 24.90% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.80% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 2.87.
In the county the population was spread out with 23.40% under the age of 18, 8.00% from 18 to 24, 28.60% from 25 to 44, 24.90% from 45 to 64, and 15.10% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 95.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.90 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $27,370, and the median income for a family was $32,350. Males had a median income of $27,398 versus $19,236 for females. The per capita income for the county was $15,352. About 14.80% of families and 19.10% of the population were below the poverty line, including 26.90% of those under age 18 and 16.60% of those age 65 or over.
Cities, towns, and major communities
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Education
K-12
Three public school districts serve the county:
- Pulaski County School District
- The largest of the three districts, it serves the county outside of the city of Somerset.
- Somerset Independent School District
- Serves the city of Somerset with an elementary school (Hopkins Elementary), a middle school (Meece Middle) and a high school (Somerset High).
- Science Hill Independent School District
- Serves the city of Science Hill, with a single K-8 school. Students graduating from Science Hill can choose to attend either Pulaski County or Somerset High School.
There are also several private schools in the county, including Somerset Christian School.
Colleges and universities
Somerset Community College, is one of 16 two-year, open-admissions colleges of the Kentucky Community and Technical College System. The college offers academic, general education, and technical curricula leading to certificates, diplomas, and associate's degrees. The college's Somerset Campus is located in Pulaski County.
Airport
Lake Cumberland Regional Airport is located in Pulaski County, on the southern end of Somerset's US 27 business district. The airport is owned by the city of Somerset and Pulaski County. It also serves the area around Lake Cumberland. It is mostly used for general aviation, and from late 2008 until February 2010, was served by one commercial airline, Locair. Currently, the $3 million federally funded passenger terminal is not in use.
The airport was renamed in 2008; it was formerly known as Somerset-Pulaski County Airport or J.T. Wilson Field.[3]
Notable residents
- Silas Adams, (1839–1896), born in Pulaski County, lawyer and member of the United States House of Representatives[9]
- John Sherman Cooper, (1901–1991), born in Pulaski County. Lawyer, member Kentucky House of Representatives, Pulaski County Judge, United Nations delegate, member United States Senate, U.S. Ambassador to India and Nepal, first U.S. Ambassador to the German Democratic Republic (i.e. East Germany), member Warren Commission.
- Jack Daws, (1970–), born in Pulaski County. Conceptual artist.
- Vermont Garrison, career United States Air Force officer and "triple ace"
- Rose Will Monroe, or Rosie the Riveter, (1920–1997) born in Pulaski County and moved to Michigan during World War II, where she helped build B-24s and B-29s for the war effort.
- Edwin P. Morrow, Kentucky Governor, 1919–1923.
- Venus Ramey, Miss America, 1944
- Hal Rogers, (born 1937), U.S. Congressman from Kentucky
- Brent Woods, (1855–1906), Sergeant, United States Army, Medal of Honor recipient.
- Harriette Simpson Arnow (1908–1986), author of Eastern Kentucky novels and histories. She and her husband Harold Arnow farmed near Burnside in the late 1930s and early 1940s.
See also
References
- ↑ http://www.kyenc.org/entry/p/PULAS01.html
- ↑ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved 2011-06-07.
- ↑ The Register of the Kentucky State Historical Society, Volume 1. Kentucky State Historical Society. 1903. p. 36.
- ↑ "Census 2000 U.S. Gazetteer Files: Counties". United States Census. Retrieved 2011-02-13.
- ↑ Collins, Lewis (1882). Collins' Historical Sketches of Kentucky: History of Kentucky, Volume 2. Collins & Company. p. 26.
- ↑ "U.S. Decennial Census". Census.gov. Retrieved August 6, 2013.
- ↑ "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2012". Census.gov. Retrieved August 6, 2013.
- ↑ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ↑ Who Was Who in America, Historical Volume, 1607–1896. Chicago: Marquis Who's Who. 1963.
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