Nortonville, Kentucky

Nortonville, Kentucky
City

Location of Nortonville, Kentucky
Coordinates: 37°11′16″N 87°27′22″W / 37.18778°N 87.45611°WCoordinates: 37°11′16″N 87°27′22″W / 37.18778°N 87.45611°W
Country United States
State Kentucky
County Hopkins
Incorporated 1873[1]
Area
  Total 1.1 sq mi (2.9 km2)
  Land 1.1 sq mi (2.9 km2)
  Water 0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2)
Elevation 404 ft (123 m)
Population (2000)
  Total 1,264
  Density 1,136.3/sq mi (438.7/km2)
Time zone Central (CST) (UTC-6)
  Summer (DST) CDT (UTC-5)
ZIP code 42442
Area code(s) 270 & 364
FIPS code 21-56910
GNIS feature ID 0499617
Website www.cityofnortonville.com

Nortonville is a home rule-class city[2] in Hopkins County, Kentucky, in the United States. The population was 1,264 during the year 2000 U.S. census.

History

Nortonville was originally incorporated by the state legislature in 1873 under the name Norton.[1] Nortonville celebrated its centennial in 1972, having established a post office in 1871 and request for incorporation in 1872. Nortonville owes its existence to the railroad industry as the town is named for Eckstein Norton a Kentucky born investment banker who began as a clerk in a country store in Russellville, Ky in 1846. Mr. Norton participated in the building of the Elizabethtown & Paducah Railroad in the late 1860s (east/west tracks). Mr. Norton purchased some 2000 acres of land in what would become Norton Village, later the name was officially changed to Nortonville around 1900. Eckstein Norton became a shipping agent for the Illinois Central Railroad which ultimately acquired the Elizabethtown & Paducah Railroad. The north/south railroad named the Evansville, Henderson and Nashville was completed through Nortonville in 1872 and was purchased in a foreclosure sale by the Louisville & Nashville Railroad in 1879. Eckstein Norton became the President of the L&N Railroad on October 6, 1886.[3] In 1886 Nortonville was one of only nine locations to have a steam hoist operated in the L&N Railroad's system to unload and transfer freight; Nortonville was now a junction of the IC and L&N Railroads. Nortonville began to see steady growth after about 1902 when investors purchased land from the Norton heirs and opened a shaft coal mine named the Nortonville Coal Company, and operated an electric power plant. Nortonville implemented its first water system in 1936 and paved streets in 1956 then built a centralized sewage treatment system in the late 1970s, opening the opportunity for the town continue growth.[4] The Nortonville City Hall occupies the well maintained 1930's High School building which was built by WPA workers.

Geography

Nortonville is located at 37°11′16″N 87°27′22″W / 37.18778°N 87.45611°W (37.187660, -87.456032).[5] According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 1.1 square miles (2.8 km2), of which 1.1 square miles (2.8 km2) is land and 0.89% is water.

Demographics

As of the census[6] of 2000, there were 1,264 people, 525 households, and 363 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,136.3 people per square mile (439.7/km²). There were 584 housing units at an average density of 525.0 per square mile (203.1/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 96.44% White, 2.06% Black or African American, 0.55% Native American, 0.08% from other races, and 0.87% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.87% of the population.

There were 525 households out of which 28.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.1% were married couples living together, 12.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.7% were non-families. 28.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.41 and the average family size was 2.93.

In the city the population was spread out with 24.1% under the age of 18, 8.8% from 18 to 24, 29.0% from 25 to 44, 23.0% from 45 to 64, and 15.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 95.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.0 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $27,222, and the median income for a family was $31,466. Males had a median income of $27,986 versus $17,176 for females. The per capita income for the city was $13,179. About 17.9% of families and 20.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 27.1% of those under age 18 and 13.1% of those age 65 or over.

Transportation

Nortonville is also the junction of U.S. Highways 41 and 62; the Pennyrile Parkway and one mile south of the junction of Interstate 69.

Education

Local schools include Southside Elementary; South Hopkins Middle School and Hopkins County Central High School.

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 Commonwealth of Kentucky. Office of the Secretary of State. Land Office. "Nortonville, Kentucky". Accessed 15 September 2013.
  2. "Summary and Reference Guide to House Bill 331 City Classification Reform" (PDF). Kentucky League of Cities. Retrieved December 30, 2014.
  3. Klein, Maury (1972). History of the Louisville and Nashville Railroad. Macmillan.
  4. Hopkins County, Historical Society (1988). Heritage of Hopkins County. Paducah, KY: Turner Publishing.
  5. "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
  6. "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.

External links