Burkesville, Kentucky | |
|---|---|
 Cumberland County courthouse in Burkesville | |
 Location of Burkesville in Cumberland County, Kentucky. | |
| Coordinates:36°47′25″N85°22′14″W / 36.79028°N 85.37056°W /36.79028; -85.37056 | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Kentucky |
| County | Cumberland |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Laurel Irby |
| Area | |
• City | 2.65 sq mi (6.87 km2) |
| • Land | 2.58 sq mi (6.67 km2) |
| • Water | 0.077 sq mi (0.20 km2) |
| Elevation | 581 ft (177 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• City | 1,388 |
• Estimate (2022)[3] | 1,380 |
| • Density | 539.2/sq mi (208.19/km2) |
| • Metro | [2] |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (CST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (CDT) |
| ZIP code | 42717 |
| Area codes | 270 & 364 |
| FIPS code | 21-11098 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0488433 |
| Website | www |
Burkesville is ahome rule-class city[4] inCumberland County,Kentucky, in the United States. Nestled among the rolling foothills ofAppalachia and bordered by theCumberland River to the south and east, it is theseat of its county.[5] The population was 3,713 at the2020 census.[6]
Burkesville began as a small riverside settlement even before theIroquoisIndians officially sold the land in 1768. The settlement was originally calledCumberland Crossing. In 1846, it was incorporated as a city and named Burkesville after Isham Burk, a prominent citizen leader at that time.
Just as Kentucky was a border state in theCivil War, so was Burkesville a border town. Burkesville stood on the Cumberland River, a major natural barrier between opposing forces, soUnion andConfederate troops as well asguerillas led byChamp Ferguson sparred across the countryside. Confederate GeneralJohn Hunt Morgan tore through the area while conductingMorgan's Raid, and Confederate GeneralHylan B. Lyon's raids in December 1864 burned sevencourthouses, ending with the one in Burkesville on January 3.
Burkesville was a fairly busy river port whose heyday came during the latter part of the nineteenth century, when water transportation was the most feasible way to move large quantities of goods. The rise of larger craft, such as the riverboat, required diligent dredging of the riverbed to keep it navigable so far upstream. The last steamboat docked in Burkesville in 1929, the year after the first major road was opened to the larger city ofGlasgow, 40 miles (64 km) to the west. The river's head of commercial navigation moved from Burnside (which has a railroad) to Burkesville (which does not) when the U.S. ArmyCorps of Engineers began buildingWolf Creek Dam without a lock about 25 miles upstream before World War II. The dam controlled flooding that had plagued the town from its beginning, but was the last nail in the coffin of commercial navigation. The corps' impoundment ofDale Hollow Reservoir in 1944 gave the town a tourist and fishing trade, and development of a trout fishery on the river from the dam to Burkesville has also provided a small economic boost, as has development of Dale Hollow Lake State Resort Park.
Burkesville had apack horse library serving rural residents in the late 1930s and early 1940s.[7]
Today the main routes of access to the city are StateHighways 90 and state61. KY 90 East and KY 61 South are part of theAppalachian Development Highway System; Burkesville has the only 90-degree turn in an APD corridor, because the original route was moved west to please Tennessee CongressmanJoe L. Evins and perhaps Kentucky CongressmanTim Lee Carter of Tompkinsville. An old-fashionedtown square sits on Main Street, which splits and forms a circle around the Cumberland Countycourt house, the third incarnation of the structure. The first was built byThomas Lincoln, the father ofAbraham Lincoln. Original buildings ring the square on three sides; the fourth was razed to make way for a modern justice center, completed in 2006. Two streets branch off perpendicular to Main: River Street runs straight toward the Cumberland River and provides access to the town's only public boat ramp, while Hill Street immediately begins scaling the Alpine Hill that towers over the city. This road was the only access to the city from the west for many years until Highway 90 was rerouted through a gap called the Sawmill Cut, site of a small sawmill until the road was further modernized in the 21st century. Highway 61 North was most recently modernized; the highway and park improvements were pushed by Burkesville lawyer David Williams as president of the state Senate from 2000 to 2013.
Burkesville is located at36°47′34″N85°22′10″W / 36.79278°N 85.36944°W /36.79278; -85.36944 (36.792787, -85.369578).[8]
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 2.64 square miles (6.85 km2), of which 2.57 square miles (6.65 km2) is land and 0.08 square miles (0.20 km2), or 2.90%, is water.[6]
The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to theKöppen Climate Classification system, Burkesville has ahumid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.[9]
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1810 | 106 | — | |
| 1840 | 340 | — | |
| 1850 | 369 | 8.5% | |
| 1880 | 434 | — | |
| 1910 | 817 | — | |
| 1920 | 798 | −2.3% | |
| 1930 | 886 | 11.0% | |
| 1940 | 1,092 | 23.3% | |
| 1950 | 1,278 | 17.0% | |
| 1960 | 1,688 | 32.1% | |
| 1970 | 1,717 | 1.7% | |
| 1980 | 2,051 | 19.5% | |
| 1990 | 1,815 | −11.5% | |
| 2000 | 1,756 | −3.3% | |
| 2010 | 1,521 | −13.4% | |
| 2020 | 1,388 | −8.7% | |
| 2022 (est.) | 1,380 | [10] | −0.6% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[11] | |||
As of thecensus of 2000,[12] there were 1,756 people, 768 households, and 459 families residing in the city. The population density was 620.2 inhabitants per square mile (239.5/km2). There were 856 housing units at an average density of 302.3 per square mile (116.7/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 86.90%White, 10.88%African American, 0.17%Native American, 0.17% fromother races, and 1.88% from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino of any race were 0.91% of the population.
There were 768 households, out of which 27.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 36.5% weremarried couples living together, 19.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.2% were non-families. 37.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 18.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.15 and the average family size was 2.79.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 22.9% under the age of 18, 7.7% from 18 to 24, 23.5% from 25 to 44, 22.7% from 45 to 64, and 23.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 76.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 69.5 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $17,209, and the median income for a family was $24,028. Males had a median income of $20,985 versus $16,763 for females. Theper capita income for the city was $11,653. About 23.8% of families and 29.9% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 38.0% of those under age 18 and 30.4% of those age 65 or over.
Burkesville has a lending library, the Cumberland County Public Library.[13]
Municipalities and communities ofCumberland County, Kentucky,United States | ||
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