Lewis County, Kentucky

Lewis County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of the 2020 census, the population was 13,080.[1] Its county seat is Vanceburg.[2]

Lewis County
County
Lewis County courthouse in Vanceburg
Lewis County courthouse in Vanceburg
Map of Kentucky highlighting Lewis County
Location within the U.S. state of Kentucky
Map of the United States highlighting Kentucky
Kentucky's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 38°32′N 83°23′W
Country United States
State Kentucky
FoundedDecember 2, 1806
Named forMeriwether Lewis
SeatVanceburg
Largest cityVanceburg
Area
 • Total495 sq mi (1,280 km2)
 • Land483 sq mi (1,250 km2)
 • Water13 sq mi (30 km2)  2.5%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total13,080
 • Estimate 
(2022)
12,954 Decrease
 • Density26/sq mi (10/km2)
Time zoneUTC−5 (Eastern)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district4th
Websitelewiscounty.ky.gov

History

The area presently bounded by Kentucky state lines was a part of the U.S. State of Virginia, known as Kentucky County when the British colonies separated themselves in the American Revolutionary War. In 1780, the Virginia legislature divided the previous Kentucky County into three smaller units: Fayette, Jefferson, and Lincoln. In 1791, this area was separated into the State of Kentucky; it became effective on June 1, 1792. From that time, the original three counties were divided several times. A portion of Fayette County was split off as Bourbon County in 1785; a portion of Bourbon was split off as Mason County in 1788; in 1806 the present Lewis County was split off from Mason. The new county was named for Meriwether Lewis.[3][4][5]

The county's hilly country, heavily forested, has produced some of the nation's best oak lumber. Lumbering has been the county's principal economic activity from the start.

The county's elevation ranges from 485 to 1400 feet above sea level.

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.[6] 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.[7]

Adjacent counties

National protected area

Demographics
Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
18102,357—
18203,97368.6%
18305,22931.6%
18406,30620.6%
18507,20214.2%
18608,36116.1%
18709,1159.0%
188013,15444.3%
189014,80312.5%
190017,86820.7%
191016,887−5.5%
192015,829−6.3%
193014,315−9.6%
194015,6869.6%
195013,520−13.8%
196013,115−3.0%
197012,355−5.8%
198014,54517.7%
199013,029−10.4%
200014,0928.2%
201013,870−1.6%
202013,080−5.7%
2022 (est.)12,954[8]−1.0%
U.S. Decennial Census[9]
1790-1960[10] 1900-1990[11]
1990-2000[12] 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.[13]

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 school district. There are 4 elementary schools within the county, 1 middle school, and 1 high school. The elementary schools are as follows: Lewis County Central Elementary, located in Vanceburg, Garrison Elementary, located east of Vanceburg in the town of Garrison, Tollesboro Elementary, located west of Vanceburg in the town of Tollesboro, and Laurel Elementary, located south east of Vanceburg in the Laurel area of Lewis County. Upon entering 7th grade all 7th grade students attend Lewis County Middle School located west of Vanceburg on KY 10. LCMS hosts two grade levels, 7th and 8th. Upon completing 8th grade students attend Lewis County High School, which sets adjacent to the middle school. LCHS hosts grades 9-12 and was a nationally distinguished school in 2015, 2016, and 2018. Lewis County Middle School and Lewis County High School are located west of Vanceburg on KY 10, the AA Highway.

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:

Closed Schools:

  • Tollesboro High School, Tollesboro. Closed in 1994 due to low enrollment numbers and loss of state funding. Tollesboro High students then had to attend Lewis County High School. This was an issue that caused controversy within the county as Tollesboro High School and Lewis County High School had a long-standing, bitter rivalry with one another. Tollesboro officials and residents claimed that the closure of the school by the Lewis County Board of Education was not justified. Some residents went as far as to send their children to the schools of surrounding counties, such as Mason Co. and Fleming Co. However, with time the controversy died down and is now non-existent. The main school building which housed offices, class rooms, etc. as well as the Field Hall, which contained the gymnasium for the school still stand today. They set just off of KY Route 57 near the intersection with old highway 10. The building was later used as the Tollesboro Christian Academy, however that organization was short lived and is now defunct.
  • Laurel High School, Laurel. The building which housed the Laurel High School burned in the late 1930s. The building was made of local stone which was largely undamaged by the fire, so the exterior of the building could have been reused. However, the interior was burnt beyond repair. High School students of the Laurel area then had to attend Lewis County High School, where they still go to this day. The building sat just off of the intersection of KY Route 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 leaning counties in Kentucky. The last Democrat to win the county in a presidential election was Samuel J. Tilden in 1876.[14]

United States presidential election results for Lewis County, Kentucky[15][16]
Year Republican Democratic Third party
No. %No. %No. %
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

Census-designated place

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, Current Congressman, 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

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. p. 464. ISBN 9780722249208.
  6. "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Archived from the original on August 12, 2014. Retrieved August 17, 2014.
  7. Commonwealth of Kentucky Lewis County
  8. "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2022". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 2, 2023.
  9. "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 17, 2014.
  10. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved August 17, 2014.
  11. "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 17, 2014.
  12. "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.
  13. The Geography of Government Benefits
  14. County Voting Map
  15. Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved July 3, 2018.
  16. The leading "other" candidate, Progressive Theodore Roosevelt, received 1,063 votes, while Socialist candidate Eugene Debs received 168 votes.
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