Caldwell Countyis acountylocated in theU.S. stateofKentucky.As of the2020 census,the population was 12,649.[1]Itscounty seatisPrinceton.[2]The county was formed in 1809 fromLivingston County, Kentuckyand named forJohn Caldwell,who participated in theGeorge Rogers ClarkIndian Campaign of 1786 and was the secondlieutenant governor of Kentucky.Caldwell was a prohibition ordry countyuntil 2013, when the citizens voted to lift the ban.
Caldwell County | |
|---|---|
 Caldwell County courthouse in Princeton | |
 Location within the U.S. state ofKentucky | |
 Kentucky's location within theU.S. | |
| Coordinates:37°09′N87°52′W/ 37.15°N 87.87°W | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Kentucky |
| Founded | 1809, 1809 |
| Named for | John Caldwell |
| Seat | Princeton |
| Largest city | Princeton |
| Area | |
• Total | 348 sq mi (900 km2) |
| • Land | 345 sq mi (890 km2) |
| • Water | 3.4 sq mi (9 km2) 1.0% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 12,649 |
• Estimate (2023) | 12,551
 |
| • Density | 36/sq mi (14/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6(Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5(CDT) |
| Congressional district | 1st |
| Website | www |
History
edit
Caldwell County was formed fromLivingston Countyin 1809. Prior to that, Caldwell County had been part ofChristian,Logan,andLincolnCounties — Lincoln County having been one of the three original counties of Kentucky.
In the early nineteenth-century, Caldwell County witnessed the passage of theforced migrationof theCherokeeto the West on theTrail of TearsduringIndian removal.The Cherokee camped for several weeks in Caldwell County during the winter of 1838, mainly at Big Springs, now in downtown Princeton; at Skin Frame Creek, and in the Centerville area near Fredonia.
In 1860, the construction of Princeton College began, but it was delayed by theCivil War.Strongly pro-Confederate and one of the counties that sent a secessionist delegate to the Russellville Convention, which signed an Ordinance of Secession forming theConfederate government of Kentucky.Confederatetroops camped on the grounds of Princeton College in 1861, using one of its buildings as a hospital when Princeton came under Confederate control. Following the Confederate retreat in early 1862, however, Union soldiers occupied Princeton for the remainder of the war. In December 1864, raiding Kentucky Confederate cavalry commanded by GeneralHylan B. Lyonburned the Caldwell County courthouse in Princeton, since it was being used to house the Union garrison.
The expansion ofrailroadsin the late nineteenth century made Princeton an important junction on several major railway lines, most notably theIllinois Centraland theLouisville & Nashville.
By the turn of the century, an agricultural boom in Dark Fired Tobacco had made Caldwell County, along with Christian County, a major tobacco-growing area. It was part of what was called the "Black Patch", which used a special process to cure the tobacco. It included about 30 counties in western Kentucky and Tennessee. But the monopolization of the tobacco market byJames B. Duke,who formed theAmerican Tobacco Company,forced prices lower, leaving many farmers in debt and discontented.
In response, planters formed the Dark Tobacco DistrictPlanters' Protective Associationof Kentucky and Tennessee (PPA), to work together in pooling their commodity in order to gain higher prices. They initially used persuasion to urge other farmers to join them.
Under the leadership of Dr.David AmossofCobbin Caldwell County, a vigilante force calledthe Night Riderswas formed to strengthen the persuasion. The Night Riders terrorized those who cooperated with the tobacco company by destroying crops, burning warehouses, and attacking individuals. The Night Riders took over Princeton one night in December 1906, burning all of the Duke tobacco warehouses. They raided other towns, conducting similar raids and destroying resources. The "Black Patch Wars"came to an end around 1908, finally suppressed with the aid of the Kentucky state militia.
Since 1925, Caldwell County has housed theUniversity of KentuckyResearch and Education Center, a campus of the University of Kentucky's College of Agriculture. The "UKREC" in Princeton is a leader in horticultural and biological sciences.
In the mid-twentieth century, Caldwell County began to shift from agriculture to industrialization. Caldwell County is still largely agricultural, but it is also home to factories such as Bremner, the largest private cookie and cracker factory in North America.
Geography
editAccording to theU.S. Census Bureau,the county has a total area of 348 square miles (900 km2), of which 345 square miles (890 km2) is land and 3.4 square miles (8.8 km2) (1.0%) is water.[3]
Adjacent counties
edit- Crittenden County(northwest)
- Webster County(northeast)
- Hopkins County(northeast)
- Christian County(southeast)
- Trigg County(south)
- Lyon County(southwest)
Demographics
edit| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1810 | 4,268 | — | |
| 1820 | 9,022 | 111.4% | |
| 1830 | 8,324 | −7.7% | |
| 1840 | 10,365 | 24.5% | |
| 1850 | 13,048 | 25.9% | |
| 1860 | 9,318 | −28.6% | |
| 1870 | 10,826 | 16.2% | |
| 1880 | 11,282 | 4.2% | |
| 1890 | 13,186 | 16.9% | |
| 1900 | 14,510 | 10.0% | |
| 1910 | 14,063 | −3.1% | |
| 1920 | 13,975 | −0.6% | |
| 1930 | 13,781 | −1.4% | |
| 1940 | 14,499 | 5.2% | |
| 1950 | 13,199 | −9.0% | |
| 1960 | 13,073 | −1.0% | |
| 1970 | 13,179 | 0.8% | |
| 1980 | 13,473 | 2.2% | |
| 1990 | 13,232 | −1.8% | |
| 2000 | 13,060 | −1.3% | |
| 2010 | 12,984 | −0.6% | |
| 2020 | 12,649 | −2.6% | |
| 2023 (est.) | 12,551 | [4] | −0.8% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[5] 1790-1960[6]1900-1990[7] 1990-2000[8]2010-2021[1] | |||
As of thecensus[9]of 2000, there were 13,060 people, 5,431 households, and 3,801 families residing in the county. Thepopulation densitywas 38 per square mile (15/km2). There were 6,126 housing units at an average density of 18 per square mile (6.9/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 93.89%White,4.81%BlackorAfrican American,0.15%Native American,0.16%Asian,0.01%Pacific Islander,0.39% fromother races,and 0.60% from two or more races. 0.61% of the population wereHispanicorLatinoof any race.
There were 5,431 households, out of which 28.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.10% weremarried couplesliving together, 9.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.00% were non-families. 27.50% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.00% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 2.85.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 22.40% under the age of 18, 7.00% from 18 to 24, 26.30% from 25 to 44, 26.30% from 45 to 64, and 18.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 92.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.90 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $28,686, and the median income for a family was $35,258. Males had a median income of $31,475 versus $20,390 for females. Theper capita incomefor the county was $16,264. About 12.20% of families and 15.90% of the population were below thepoverty line,including 20.40% of those under age 18 and 15.60% of those age 65 or over.
Communities
editCities
edit- Dawson Springs(mostly inHopkins County)
- Fredonia
- Princeton(county seat)
Unincorporated communities
edit- Bakers
- Baldwin Ford
- Black Hawk(partially inTrigg County)
- The Bluff
- Bucksnort
- Cedar Bluff
- Claxton
- Cobb
- Cresswell
- Crider
- Crowtown
- Dulaney
- Enon
- Farmersville
- Flat Rock
- Friendship
- Fryer
- Harper Ford
- Hopson
- Lake Shore
- Lewistown
- McGowan
- Midway
- Needmore
- Otter Pond
- Pumpkin Center
- Quinn
- Rufus
- Scottsburg
- Smith Ford
- Tom Gray Ford
- Walche Cut
- White Sulphur
Politics
edit| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 2024 | 4,860 | 78.54% | 1,256 | 20.30% | 72 | 1.16% |
| 2020 | 4,906 | 76.25% | 1,433 | 22.27% | 95 | 1.48% |
| 2016 | 4,507 | 75.43% | 1,260 | 21.09% | 208 | 3.48% |
| 2012 | 3,904 | 66.62% | 1,852 | 31.60% | 104 | 1.77% |
| 2008 | 3,866 | 62.36% | 2,212 | 35.68% | 121 | 1.95% |
| 2004 | 4,066 | 64.04% | 2,245 | 35.36% | 38 | 0.60% |
| 2000 | 3,161 | 57.66% | 2,223 | 40.55% | 98 | 1.79% |
| 1996 | 2,067 | 40.10% | 2,434 | 47.22% | 654 | 12.69% |
| 1992 | 1,966 | 34.79% | 3,000 | 53.09% | 685 | 12.12% |
| 1988 | 2,952 | 52.93% | 2,564 | 45.97% | 61 | 1.09% |
| 1984 | 3,162 | 55.93% | 2,427 | 42.93% | 64 | 1.13% |
| 1980 | 2,609 | 46.22% | 2,924 | 51.80% | 112 | 1.98% |
| 1976 | 1,808 | 36.91% | 3,016 | 61.56% | 75 | 1.53% |
| 1972 | 2,952 | 66.32% | 1,345 | 30.22% | 154 | 3.46% |
| 1968 | 2,139 | 42.23% | 1,439 | 28.41% | 1,487 | 29.36% |
| 1964 | 1,738 | 37.80% | 2,831 | 61.57% | 29 | 0.63% |
| 1960 | 3,442 | 61.70% | 2,137 | 38.30% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1956 | 2,681 | 52.32% | 2,417 | 47.17% | 26 | 0.51% |
| 1952 | 2,507 | 53.91% | 2,133 | 45.87% | 10 | 0.22% |
| 1948 | 1,626 | 39.33% | 2,210 | 53.46% | 298 | 7.21% |
| 1944 | 2,242 | 47.74% | 2,444 | 52.04% | 10 | 0.21% |
| 1940 | 2,246 | 43.78% | 2,858 | 55.71% | 26 | 0.51% |
| 1936 | 2,121 | 43.75% | 2,699 | 55.67% | 28 | 0.58% |
| 1932 | 2,020 | 40.09% | 2,971 | 58.96% | 48 | 0.95% |
| 1928 | 2,855 | 62.61% | 1,695 | 37.17% | 10 | 0.22% |
| 1924 | 2,498 | 51.45% | 2,183 | 44.96% | 174 | 3.58% |
| 1920 | 2,958 | 51.07% | 2,746 | 47.41% | 88 | 1.52% |
| 1916 | 1,672 | 50.01% | 1,605 | 48.01% | 66 | 1.97% |
| 1912 | 1,263 | 42.61% | 1,231 | 41.53% | 470 | 15.86% |
Education
editSchool districts include:[11]
See also
edit
References
edit- ^ab"State & County QuickFacts".United States Census Bureau. Archived fromthe originalon September 5, 2015.RetrievedMarch 6,2021.
- ^"Find a County".National Association of Counties. Archived fromthe originalon May 31, 2011.RetrievedJune 7,2011.
- ^"2010 Census Gazetteer Files".United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Archived fromthe originalon August 12, 2014.RetrievedAugust 13,2014.
- ^"Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2023".United States Census Bureau.RetrievedMarch 14,2024.
- ^"U.S. Decennial Census".United States Census Bureau.RetrievedAugust 13,2014.
- ^"Historical Census Browser".University of Virginia Library.RetrievedAugust 13,2014.
- ^"Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990".United States Census Bureau.RetrievedAugust 13,2014.
- ^"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.RetrievedAugust 13,2014.
- ^"U.S. Census website".United States Census Bureau.RetrievedJanuary 31,2008.
- ^Leip, David."Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections".uselectionatlas.org.RetrievedJune 30,2018.
- ^"2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Caldwell County, KY"(PDF).U.S. Census Bureau.Archived(PDF)from the original on August 12, 2022.RetrievedJuly 29,2022.-Text list- For more detailed boundaries of the independent school districts see:"Appendix B: Maps Of Independent School Districts In Operation In FY 2014-FY 2015 Using 2005 Tax District Boundaries – Dawson Springs ISD"(PDF).Research Report No. 415 – Kentucky's Independent School Districts: A Primer.Frankfort, KY: Office of Education Accountability, Legislative Research Commission. September 15, 2015. p. 102 (PDF p. 116/174).Archived(PDF)from the original on December 10, 2020.
External links
edit- Caldwell County WebsiteArchivedApril 7, 2014, at theWayback Machine
- Caldwell County Schools
- The Times Leader,Caldwell County Newspaper
- Caldwell County Genealogy
- Some History of Caldwell County