Lewis County, Kentucky

Lewis County
County
Lewis County courthouse in Vanceburg
Location within the U.S. state of Kentucky
Kentucky's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 38°32′N83°23′W / 38.53°N 83.39°W / 38.53; -83.39
Country	United States
State	Kentucky
Founded	December 2, 1806
Named for	Meriwether Lewis
Seat	Vanceburg
Largest city	Vanceburg
Area
• Total	495 sq mi (1,280 km2)
• Land	483 sq mi (1,250 km2)
• Water	13 sq mi (30 km2)  2.5%
Population  (2020)
• Total	13,080
• Estimate  (2023)	12,973
• Density	26/sq mi (10/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district	4th
Website	lewiscounty.ky.gov

Lewis County is near the northeastern tip of the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of the 2020 census, the population was 13,080. ^[1] Its county seat is Vanceburg. ^[2]

History

Kentucky was part of Virginia until 1792. The District of Kentucky began with three counties: Fayette, Jefferson and Lincoln and Fayette. Part of Fayette County was split off as Bourbon County in 1785; a portion of Bourbon was split off in 1788 as Mason County; in 1806 Lewis County was split off from Mason and named for Meriwether Lewis of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. ^{[3] [4] [5]}

The county's elevation ranges from 485 to 1400 feet above sea level. Its heavily forested hills and hollows have produced some of the nation's best oak lumber. Lumbering was long the county's principal economic activity; today the largest categories of employment are health care and social assistance (814 persons), construction (680) and manufacturing (600). ^[6]

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 495 square miles (1,280 km²), of which 483 square miles (1,250 km²) is land and 13 square miles (34 km²) (2.5%) is water. ^[7] The county's northern border with Ohio is formed by the Ohio River. Its border with the river is the longest of all the Kentucky counties. ^[8]

Adjacent counties

• Adams County, Ohio (north)
• Scioto County, Ohio (northeast)
• Greenup County (east)
• Carter County (southeast)
• Rowan County (south)
• Fleming County (southwest)
• Mason County (west)

National protected area

• Ohio River Islands National Wildlife Refuge (part)

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1810	2,357		—
1820	3,973		68.6%
1830	5,229		31.6%
1840	6,306		20.6%
1850	7,202		14.2%
1860	8,361		16.1%
1870	9,115		9.0%
1880	13,154		44.3%
1890	14,803		12.5%
1900	17,868		20.7%
1910	16,887		−5.5%
1920	15,829		−6.3%
1930	14,315		−9.6%
1940	15,686		9.6%
1950	13,520		−13.8%
1960	13,115		−3.0%
1970	12,355		−5.8%
1980	14,545		17.7%
1990	13,029		−10.4%
2000	14,092		8.2%
2010	13,870		−1.6%
2020	13,080		−5.7%
2023 (est.)	12,973	[9]	−0.8%
U.S. Decennial Census [10] 1790-1960 [11] 1900-1990 [12] 1990-2000 [13] 2010-2020 [1]

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 14,092 people, 5,422 households, and 4,050 families residing in the county. The population density was 29 per square mile (11/km²). There were 6,173 housing units at an average density of 13 per square mile (5.0/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 98.92% White, 0.21% Black or African American, 0.21% Native American, 0.03% Asian, 0.09% from other races, and 0.55% from two or more races. 0.44% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 5,422 households, out of which 35.10% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.40% were married couples living together, 9.70% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.30% were non-families. 22.50% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.00% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 2.98.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 25.30% under the age of 18, 9.10% from 18 to 24, 29.40% from 25 to 44, 23.70% from 45 to 64, and 12.50% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.00 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $22,208, and the median income for a family was $26,109. Males had a median income of $25,522 versus $18,764 for females. The per capita income for the county was $12,031. About 23.50% of families and 28.50% of the population were below the poverty line, including 36.40% of those under age 18 and 21.30% of those age 65 or over. Over forty percent of this county gets some kind of government benefit. ^[14]

Education

A view of the Lewis County Middle School near Vanceburg from KY 10

The residents of Lewis County are served by the Lewis County Schools. There are four elementary schools, a middle school for 7th and 8th graders, and an adjacent high school on KY 10, the AA Highway. The elementary schools are Lewis County Central in Vanceburg; Garrison Elementary, east of Vanceburg in the community of Garrison; Tollesboro Elementary, west of Vanceburg in the community of Tollesboro; and Laurel Elementary, southeast of Vanceburg. LCHS hwas a nationally distinguished school in 2015, 2016 and 2018.

Elementary Schools:

• Lewis County Central Elementary School, Vanceburg. Mascot-Lions, Colors-Royal blue, red, and white.
• Garrison Elementary School, Garrison. Mascot-Patriots, Colors-Red, black, and white.
• Tollesboro Elementary School, Tollesboro. Mascot-Wildcats, Colors-Royal blue, yellow, and white.
• Laurel Elementary School, Laurel. Mascot-Bombers, Colors-Kelly green and white.

Middle Schools:

• Lewis County Middle School, Vanceburg. Mascot-Lions, Colors-Royal blue, red, and white.

High Schools:

• Lewis County High School, Vanceburg. Mascot-Lions, Colors-Royal blue, red, and white.

Closed Schools:

• Tollesboro High School, Tollesboro. Closed in 1994 due to low enrollment and loss of state funding. This was an issue that caused controversy within the county as Tollesboro High and Lewis County High had a long-standing, bitter rivalry. Tollesboro officials and residents claimed that the closure of the school by the Lewis County Board of Education was not justified, and some went so far as to send their children to schools in surrounding counties, such as Mason and Fleming. However, with time, the controversy died down. The main Tollesboro school building and Field Hall, with a gymnasium, still stand just off of KY 57 near the intersection with old Highway 10. The building was for a short time used as the Tollesboro Christian Academy.
• Laurel High School, Laurel. The building burned in the late 1930s. It was made of local stone which was largely undamaged by the fire, so the exterior could have been reused, but the interior was burned beyond repair. Students in the Laurel area went to Lewis County High School. The building sat just off the intersection of KY 59 and highway 1068 (near Laurel Point). The remnants of the building are still visible today.

Politics

Lewis County is one of the most Republican counties in Kentucky. The last Democrat to win the county in a presidential election was Samuel J. Tilden in 1876. ^[15] In a state that allowed slavery but did not secede from the Union, the Lewis County Courthouse has the only non-cemetery Union monument south of the Mason-Dixon Line that was erected by public subscription. ^[16] The county is home to U.S. Rep. Thomas Massie, a libertarian Republican who was elected county judge-executive in 2010 and to Congress in 2012.

United States presidential election results for Lewis County, Kentucky ^{[17] [18]}

Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party(ies)
	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2024	4,997	87.34%	666	11.64%	58	1.01%
2020	4,986	84.75%	823	13.99%	74	1.26%
2016	4,363	82.35%	785	14.82%	150	2.83%
2012	3,326	69.74%	1,342	28.14%	101	2.12%
2008	3,213	67.06%	1,510	31.52%	68	1.42%
2004	3,778	68.89%	1,667	30.40%	39	0.71%
2000	3,217	70.42%	1,293	28.31%	58	1.27%
1996	2,365	54.12%	1,415	32.38%	590	13.50%
1992	2,493	50.84%	1,713	34.93%	698	14.23%
1988	3,108	66.18%	1,568	33.39%	20	0.43%
1984	3,445	69.64%	1,484	30.00%	18	0.36%
1980	2,802	63.78%	1,543	35.12%	48	1.09%
1976	2,383	55.01%	1,929	44.53%	20	0.46%
1972	3,124	71.57%	1,200	27.49%	41	0.94%
1968	2,760	64.83%	1,017	23.89%	480	11.28%
1964	2,300	50.58%	2,230	49.04%	17	0.37%
1960	3,816	69.41%	1,682	30.59%	0	0.00%
1956	3,333	67.65%	1,585	32.17%	9	0.18%
1952	3,317	67.86%	1,556	31.83%	15	0.31%
1948	2,708	64.68%	1,449	34.61%	30	0.72%
1944	3,275	69.43%	1,434	30.40%	8	0.17%
1940	3,371	64.22%	1,878	35.78%	0	0.00%
1936	3,255	61.92%	1,985	37.76%	17	0.32%
1932	3,212	55.88%	2,488	43.28%	48	0.84%
1928	4,077	78.36%	1,120	21.53%	6	0.12%
1924	3,067	65.13%	1,447	30.73%	195	4.14%
1920	4,186	71.84%	1,550	26.60%	91	1.56%
1916	2,324	62.66%	1,276	34.40%	109	2.94%
1912	1,185	34.52%	1,017	29.62%	1,231	35.86%
1908	2,549	65.26%	1,268	32.46%	89	2.28%
1904	2,374	62.74%	1,286	33.99%	124	3.28%
1900	2,311	60.01%	1,482	38.48%	58	1.51%
1896	2,348	61.29%	1,433	37.41%	50	1.31%
1892	1,531	53.36%	1,044	36.39%	294	10.25%
1888	1,880	57.02%	1,379	41.83%	38	1.15%
1884	1,498	55.94%	1,152	43.02%	28	1.05%
1880	1,388	54.28%	1,075	42.04%	94	3.68%
1876	1,134	49.72%	1,147	50.28%	0	0.00%
1872	952	59.65%	644	40.35%	0	0.00%
1868	983	55.16%	799	44.84%	0	0.00%
1864	645	62.26%	391	37.74%	0	0.00%
1860	31	2.79%	73	6.57%	1,007	90.64%
1856	0	0.00%	631	51.85%	586	48.15%
1852	400	44.05%	503	55.40%	5	0.55%
1848	521	47.93%	566	52.07%	0	0.00%
1844	506	48.24%	543	51.76%	0	0.00%
1840	523	61.97%	321	38.03%	0	0.00%
1836	345	53.32%	302	46.68%	0	0.00%

Communities

Cities

• Concord
• Vanceburg (County Seat)

Census-designated place

• Garrison

Other unincorporated places

• Alburn
• Awe
• Black Oak
• Beechy Creek
• Buena Vista
• Burtonville
• Cabin Creek
• Camp Dix
• Carrs
• Charters
• Clarksburg (County Seat 1809–1863)
• Cottageville
• Covedale
• Crum
• Emerson
• Epworth
• Esculapia Springs
• Fearis
• Firebrick
• Fruit
• Glenn
• Glenn Springs (Earlier known as McCormick's Spring)
• Gun Powder Gap
• Harris
• Head of Grassy
• Heselton
• Irwin
• Jacktown
• Kinniconick
• Kirkville
• Laurel
• Libbie
• Martin
• McDowell Creek
• McKenzie
• Montgomery Creek
• Nashtown
• Noah
• Oak Ridge
• Pence
• Petersville
• Poplar Flat (County Seat 1806–1809)
• Quicks Run
• Randville
• Records
• Rexton
• Ribolt
• Rugless
• Saint Paul
• Salt Lick
• Sand Hill
• Stricklett
• Sullivan
• Tannery
• Teutonia
• Thor
• Tollesboro
• Trinity (Trinity Station)
• Upper Bruce
• Valley
• Wadsworth

Notable people

• James Baird (1873–1953) - Quarterback at the University of Michigan 1892–1895. After graduation served as an Assistant Coach for the football program from 1897 to 1898. Later as a Civil Engineer, his construction company executed the building of prominent buildings such as the Lincoln Memorial and Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
• Charles A. Baird (1870–1944) - University of Michigan's first Athletic Director from 1898 to 1909. Hired legendary coach Fielding H. Yost. Oversaw construction of Ferry Field. Older brother of James Baird.
• Thomas Marshall (1793–1853) – United States Army general of the Mexican–American War.
• The founder of "Pillar of Fire Church" and KKK advocate Alma Bridwell White was born there.
• Thomas Massie, U.S. representatve, Kentucky's 4th Congressional District
• Ralph Davis, (Ralph E. Davis Jr.) University of Cincinnati Basketball. Started on two NCAA Final Four teams for the Bearcats. Went on to play professional basketball in the American Basketball Association (ABA) for the Cincinnati Royals, a Pre-NBA merger franchise which is now the Sacramento Kings.
• Faith Esham, (b. 1948) Famous opera performer and recitalist. Voice Professor at Westminster Choir College of Rider University since 2000.
• Thomas H. Paynter, United States Senator 1907–1913
• George M. Thomas (American politician), (November 23, 1828 – January 7, 1914) Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Kentucky's 9th district: In office March 4, 1887 – March 3, 1889. Member of the Kentucky House of Representatives: In office 1859–1863, 1872–1873. Commonwealth's Attorney for the tenth judicial district 1862–1868. Was elected Lewis county judge in 1868. Republican candidate for Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky in 1871. Circuit Judge of the fourteenth judicial district from 1874 to 1880 and United States District Attorney from 1881 to 1885. Elected as a Republican to the Fiftieth Congress (March 4, 1887 – March 3, 1889). Was appointed Solicitor of Internal Revenue by President William McKinley on May 20, 1897, and served until May 31, 1901.

See also

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Lewis County, Kentucky

• United States portal

References

1. "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 24, 2023.
2. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
3. "Lewis County". The Kentucky Encyclopedia. 2000. Retrieved August 22, 2014.
4. The Register of the Kentucky State Historical Society, Vol. 1. Kentucky State Historical Society. 1903. p. 36.
5. Collins, Lewis (1877). History of Kentucky. Library Reprints, Incorporated. p. 464. ISBN   9780722249208.
6. https://datausa.io/profile/geo/lewis-county-ky/.
7. "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Archived from the original on August 12, 2014. Retrieved August 17, 2014.
8. Commonwealth of Kentucky Lewis County
9. "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2023". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 14, 2024.
10. "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 17, 2014.
11. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved August 17, 2014.
12. "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 17, 2014.
13. "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 27, 2010. Retrieved August 17, 2014.
14. The Geography of Government Benefits
15. County Voting Map
16. https://history.ky.gov/markers/union-memorial
17. Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved July 3, 2018.
18. The leading "other" candidate, Progressive Theodore Roosevelt, received 1,063 votes, while Socialist candidate Eugene Debs received 168 votes.

External links

• The Kentucky Highlands Project
• Lewis County website
• Lewis County Tourism

38°32′N83°23′W / 38.53°N 83.39°W / 38.53; -83.39