Henderson County, Kentucky

Not to be confused with Henderson, Kentucky.
Henderson County, Kentucky
Map of Kentucky highlighting Henderson County
Location in the state of Kentucky
Map of the United States highlighting Kentucky
Kentucky's location in the U.S.
Founded 1798
Named for Richard Henderson
Seat Henderson
Largest city Henderson
Area
 • Total 466 sq mi (1,207 km2)
 • Land 437 sq mi (1,132 km2)
 • Water 30 sq mi (78 km2), 6.4%
Population
 • (2010) 46,250
 • Density 106/sq mi (41/km²)
Congressional district 1st
Time zone Central: UTC-6/-5
Website www.hendersonky.com

Henderson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of the 2010 census, the population was 46,250.[1] The county seat is Henderson.[2] The county was formed in 1798[3] and named for Colonel Richard Henderson[4] who originally purchased 17,000,000 acres (69,000 km2) of land from the Cherokee Indians, that would eventually become part of the county.

Henderson County is part of the Evansville, IN-KY Metropolitan Statistical Area.

The Kentucky clergyman and university president LaVerne Butler was born in Henderson County in 1926.[5]

History

Henderson County was established in 1798 from land given by Christian County. The 1843 courthouse was torn down in the 1960s to make way for a new one.[6]

A workplace shooting occurred at an Atlantis Plastics factory in Henderson, Kentucky, United States on June 25, 2008. The gunman, 25-year-old Wesley Neal Higdon, shot and killed five people and critically injured a sixth person before taking his own life.[7][8] The shooting is the worst in the history of Henderson County in terms of casualties, surpassing triple homicides occurring in 1799 and 1955.[9]

A strip known as "Green River Island" is part of Kentucky but is on the Indiana side of the Ohio River; an extension of the island was the subject of Handly's Lessee v. Anthony, a U.S. Supreme Court case in 1820.[10] The Ellis Park Race Course is located here.

Also the home of the Southern Cherokee Nation in 1893 the Southern Cherokee was welcomed to Kentucky and recognized as an Indian tribe by Governor John Young Brown. The Southern Cherokee still live in Henderson County today.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 466 square miles (1,210 km2), of which 437 square miles (1,130 km2) is land and 30 square miles (78 km2) (6.4%) is water.[11] The county's northern border with Indiana is formed by the Ohio River.

Adjacent counties

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop. %±
18001,468—
18104,703220.4%
18205,71421.5%
18306,65916.5%
18409,54843.4%
185012,17127.5%
186014,26217.2%
187018,45729.4%
188024,51532.8%
189029,53620.5%
190032,90711.4%
191029,352−10.8%
192027,609−5.9%
193026,295−4.8%
194027,0202.8%
195030,71513.7%
196033,5199.1%
197036,0317.5%
198040,84913.4%
199043,0445.4%
200044,8294.1%
201046,2503.2%
Est. 201346,3470.2%
U.S. Decennial Census[12]
1790-1960[13] 1900-1990[14]
1990-2000[15] 2010-2013[1]

As of the census[16] of 2000, there were 44,829 people, 18,095 households, and 12,576 families residing in the county. The population density was 102 per square mile (39/km2). There were 19,466 housing units at an average density of 44 per square mile (17/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 91.16% White, 7.10% Black or African American, 0.16% Native American, 0.33% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.39% from other races, and 0.86% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.97% of the population.

There were 18,095 households out of which 32.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.40% were married couples living together, 11.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.50% were non-families. 26.40% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 2.93.

In the county the population was spread out with 24.60% under the age of 18, 8.40% from 18 to 24, 30.00% from 25 to 44, 23.90% from 45 to 64, and 13.10% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 93.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.60 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $35,892, and the median income for a family was $44,703. Males had a median income of $33,838 versus $22,572 for females. The per capita income for the county was $18,470. About 9.70% of families and 12.30% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.20% of those under age 18 and 10.10% of those age 65 or over.

Communities

Cities

Unincorporated communities

Notable people

Journalist, and former county prosecutor, Ewing Galloway lived his entire life in Henderson County.[17]

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 8, 2014.
  2. ↑ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved 2011-06-07.
  3. ↑ "Henderson County". The Kentucky Encyclopedia. 2000. Retrieved August 22, 2014.
  4. ↑ The Register of the Kentucky State Historical Society, Volume 1. Kentucky State Historical Society. 1903. p. 35.
  5. ↑ "LaVerne Butler". Lexington Herald Leader, December 18, 2010. Retrieved December 23, 2010.
  6. ↑ Hogan, Roseann Reinemuth (1992). Kentucky Ancestry: A Guide to Genealogical and Historical Research. Ancestry Publishing. p. 250. Retrieved 26 July 2013.
  7. ↑ "6 dead in Henderson, Ky., plastics plant shooting". CNN. 2008-06-25.
  8. ↑ Lenz, Ryan (2008-06-25). "Police: Plant shooter kills 5 co-workers, then self". Associated Press.
  9. ↑ Smith, Beth (2008-06-26). "Rampage at Atlantis Plastics ends with six dead". Henderson Gleaner.
  10. ↑ Handly's Lessee v. Anthony, 18 U.S. 374 (1820)
  11. ↑ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Retrieved August 16, 2014.
  12. ↑ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 16, 2014.
  13. ↑ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved August 16, 2014.
  14. ↑ "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 16, 2014.
  15. ↑ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 16, 2014.
  16. ↑ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  17. ↑ "Ewing Galloway Dies of Injury". Kentucky New Era. 29 June 1953. Retrieved 4 June 2013.

Coordinates: 37°48′N 87°34′W / 37.80°N 87.57°W