Johnson County, Kentucky | |
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.jpg) Johnson County Judicial Center in Paintsville | |
 Location within the U.S. state ofKentucky | |
| Coordinates:37°50′N82°50′W / 37.84°N 82.83°W /37.84; -82.83 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Kentucky |
| Founded | February 24, 1843 |
| Named after | Richard Mentor Johnson |
| Seat | Paintsville |
| Largest city | Paintsville |
| Area | |
• Total | 264 sq mi (680 km2) |
| • Land | 262 sq mi (680 km2) |
| • Water | 2.2 sq mi (5.7 km2) 0.8% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 22,680 |
• Estimate (2024) | 22,098 |
| • Density | 86.6/sq mi (33.4/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| Congressional district | 5th |
| Website | www |
Johnson County is acounty located in theU.S. state ofKentucky. As of the2020 census, the population was 22,680.[1] Itscounty seat isPaintsville.[2] The county was formed in 1843 and named forRichard Mentor Johnson, acolonel of theWar of 1812,United States Representative,Senator, andVice President of the United States.[3]
Johnson County is classified as amoist county, which is a county in whichalcohol sales are not allowed (adry county), but containing a "wet" city, in this case Paintsville, wherealcoholic beverage sales are allowed.
Johnson County was formed on February 24, 1843, by the Kentucky General Assembly from land given byFloyd,Lawrence, andMorgan counties.[4][5] At that time, its county seat ofPaintsville had already been a chartered city for nine years. Homes had been built in Paintsville as early as the 1810s.[6]
Many of the families at the beginning of Johnson County's formation were of Scottish, Irish, English, or German descent. Also, a fact lost to most historians is the large population of French Huguenots who were confused as English because they fled via England en route to the United States. Many of these settlers migrated fromNorth Carolina,Pennsylvania, andVirginia following their participation in theRevolutionary War.
For about its first twenty-five years, Johnson County and Paintsville struggled along. Roads and highways were nonexistent. Mail and supplies reached Johnson County from theBluegrass region by horseback and steamboat. Years later, stage coaches began to connect eastern Kentucky and Johnson County to the bluegrass region and the rest of civilization.[7]
As Johnson County and its county seat had begun to thrive, in 1860 theCivil War became a disrupter. Like other border areas, brothers fought against brothers, tearing families apart. Johnson County was not only part of a border state during the Civil War, but it was a border county as well.
Sometime between 1860 and 1862, the county enacted an ordinance that neither the Union or Confederate flags were to be flown within the county. This was repealed quickly after ColonelJames Garfield's Union brigade marched through Paintsville, (with the United States Flag being raised above the town courthouse) on its way to defeat the Confederate cavalry at theBattle of Middle Creek in Floyd County.[7]
Following the Civil War, Thomas Jefferson Mayo moved to Paintsville to fulfill a role as a gifted and talented teacher. He fatheredJohn C. C. Mayo, an important figure in the development of eastern Kentucky. The county citizenry is divided on their loyalty to his memory. Some[who?] would say he was a benefactor who assisted in the development of Paintsville, and as a result, Johnson County. That he helped develop banks, churches, streets, public utilities and railroad transportation. Others[who?] would say he was directly responsible for the huge influence coal companies had over the county's vast coal resources and the reason the region remains so economically depressed to this day.
Coal was important for Johnson County and the rest of eastern Kentucky even before the Civil War, but its development halted at the start of the war. Financing was slow to return to the coal industry in eastern Kentucky and this inhibited development in Johnson County. The people were suspicious of outsiders and Mayo, a school teacher, was a known quantity and one of their own. So he was invaluable in helping the coal industry to gain a firm foothold in the coal fields of eastern Kentucky and to the industrialized north which spurred the development of railroads in the area. Carpetbaggers from the North became a common sight in the area. It was during this time that many of the citizens of Johnson County were given misleading information and sold all mineral rights to their property for pennies on the dollar of what the rights were worth. In some cases, for a new shotgun. It was also during this time that many people lost their property due to a strange rash of fires in several county seats, destroying deeds and records of ownership, which paved the way for land-grabbers to take what the owners did not want to relinquish.
The Chesapeake and Ohio Railway first opened its Paintsville depot on September 1, 1904, following 25 years of work connecting it toLawrence County. The rails were paid for by donations, stocks and bonds, and the hard work of local citizens.[citation needed] History shows that the rail companies leaked information and frequently changed planned routes to create bidding wars and to finance the rails. Following the development of the railroad, tens of thousands of tons of coal were being transported out of eastern Kentucky by 1910.
Mayo went on to be a political lobbyist, and eastern Kentucky's only member of theDemocratic National Committee. He had influence in electing Kentucky'sgovernors,members of Congress and the election ofPresident Woodrow Wilson.
He died on May 11, 1914, after becoming ill following a trip to Europe. During his life, he built a historic mansion in Paintsville which has become known asMayo Mansion.[7][8]
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 264 square miles (680 km2), of which 262 square miles (680 km2) is land and 2.2 square miles (5.7 km2) (0.8%) is water.[9]
The county's highest point isStuffley Knob, with an elevation of 1,496 feet (456 m).[10] Its lowest point is theLevisa Fork on theLawrence County border, with an elevation of about 550 feet (170 m).[11]
Big Sandy Regional Airport, located in adjacentMartin County, is the nearest airport. It is used as ageneral aviation airport.
The nearest airport that provides commercial aviation services isTri-State Airport, which is located 55 miles (89 km) northeast inCeredo, West Virginia.
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1850 | 3,873 | — | |
| 1860 | 5,306 | 37.0% | |
| 1870 | 7,494 | 41.2% | |
| 1880 | 9,155 | 22.2% | |
| 1890 | 11,027 | 20.4% | |
| 1900 | 13,730 | 24.5% | |
| 1910 | 17,482 | 27.3% | |
| 1920 | 19,622 | 12.2% | |
| 1930 | 22,968 | 17.1% | |
| 1940 | 25,771 | 12.2% | |
| 1950 | 23,846 | −7.5% | |
| 1960 | 19,748 | −17.2% | |
| 1970 | 17,539 | −11.2% | |
| 1980 | 24,432 | 39.3% | |
| 1990 | 23,248 | −4.8% | |
| 2000 | 23,445 | 0.8% | |
| 2010 | 23,356 | −0.4% | |
| 2020 | 22,680 | −2.9% | |
| 2024 (est.) | 22,098 | [12] | −2.6% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[13] 1790–1960[14] 1900–1990[15] 1990–2000[16] 2010–2020[1] | |||
As of the2020 census, the county had a population of 22,680. The median age was 42.9 years. 21.7% of residents were under the age of 18 and 19.0% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 94.7 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 92.0 males age 18 and over.[17][18]
The racial makeup of the county was 96.7% White, 0.2%Black or African American, 0.2%American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%Asian, 0.0%Native Hawaiian andPacific Islander, 0.2% from some other race, and 2.2% fromtwo or more races.Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 0.9% of the population.[18]
26.2% of residents lived in urban areas, while 73.8% lived in rural areas.[19]
There were 9,236 households in the county, of which 30.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 27.6% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 27.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[17]
There were 10,493 housing units, of which 12.0% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 71.3% were owner-occupied and 28.7% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.1% and the rental vacancy rate was 8.1%.[17]
As of thecensus of 2000, there were 23,445 people, 9,103 households, and 6,863 families residing in the county. Thepopulation density was 90 per square mile (35/km2). There were 10,236 housing units at an average density of 39 per square mile (15/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 98.64%White, 0.25%Black orAfrican American, 0.13%Native American, 0.29%Asian, 0.02%Pacific Islander, 0.09% fromother races, and 0.58% from two or more races. 0.61% of the population wereHispanic orLatino of any race.
There were 9,103 households, out of which 34.10% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.50% weremarried couples living together, 11.30% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.60% were non-families. 22.30% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.00% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.52 and the average family size was 2.93.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 24.00% under the age of 18, 8.80% from 18 to 24, 28.90% from 25 to 44, 25.70% from 45 to 64, and 12.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 93.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.70 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $24,911, and the median income for a family was $29,142. Males had a median income of $29,762 versus $20,136 for females. Theper capita income for the county was $14,051. About 21.70% of families and 26.60% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 35.50% of those under age 18 and 19.30% of those age 65 or over.
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1912 | 998 | 29.40% | 1,034 | 30.47% | 1,362 | 40.13% |
| 1916 | 2,500 | 65.51% | 1,253 | 32.84% | 63 | 1.65% |
| 1920 | 4,373 | 71.26% | 1,714 | 27.93% | 50 | 0.81% |
| 1924 | 3,078 | 61.67% | 1,480 | 29.65% | 433 | 8.68% |
| 1928 | 5,339 | 73.98% | 1,869 | 25.90% | 9 | 0.12% |
| 1932 | 4,871 | 60.69% | 3,134 | 39.05% | 21 | 0.26% |
| 1936 | 4,305 | 57.94% | 3,106 | 41.80% | 19 | 0.26% |
| 1940 | 5,042 | 62.29% | 3,042 | 37.58% | 10 | 0.12% |
| 1944 | 4,642 | 67.53% | 2,222 | 32.32% | 10 | 0.15% |
| 1948 | 3,993 | 62.26% | 2,378 | 37.08% | 42 | 0.65% |
| 1952 | 5,199 | 66.18% | 2,654 | 33.78% | 3 | 0.04% |
| 1956 | 5,802 | 71.06% | 2,356 | 28.85% | 7 | 0.09% |
| 1960 | 5,317 | 66.97% | 2,622 | 33.03% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1964 | 3,075 | 49.94% | 3,053 | 49.59% | 29 | 0.47% |
| 1968 | 4,046 | 61.90% | 2,142 | 32.77% | 348 | 5.32% |
| 1972 | 4,907 | 72.25% | 1,840 | 27.09% | 45 | 0.66% |
| 1976 | 4,891 | 56.64% | 3,683 | 42.65% | 61 | 0.71% |
| 1980 | 5,039 | 60.50% | 3,142 | 37.72% | 148 | 1.78% |
| 1984 | 5,225 | 62.58% | 3,078 | 36.87% | 46 | 0.55% |
| 1988 | 4,619 | 56.25% | 3,538 | 43.09% | 54 | 0.66% |
| 1992 | 3,614 | 42.84% | 3,669 | 43.49% | 1,153 | 13.67% |
| 1996 | 3,262 | 42.56% | 3,348 | 43.68% | 1,054 | 13.75% |
| 2000 | 4,783 | 58.47% | 3,251 | 39.74% | 146 | 1.78% |
| 2004 | 5,940 | 63.84% | 3,288 | 35.34% | 76 | 0.82% |
| 2008 | 5,948 | 69.84% | 2,407 | 28.26% | 162 | 1.90% |
| 2012 | 7,095 | 78.53% | 1,723 | 19.07% | 217 | 2.40% |
| 2016 | 8,043 | 84.03% | 1,250 | 13.06% | 279 | 2.91% |
| 2020 | 8,450 | 82.91% | 1,608 | 15.78% | 134 | 1.31% |
| 2024 | 8,150 | 84.57% | 1,350 | 14.01% | 137 | 1.42% |
Johnson County is at present and historically a powerfully Republican county. No Democrat has ever won a majority of the county's vote since at least 1880,[21] thoughBill Clinton did gain narrow pluralities in 1992 and 1996, andLyndon Johnson lost toBarry Goldwater by a mere twenty-two votes in 1964.
| Elected officials as of January 3, 2025[22][23] | ||
| U.S. House | Hal Rogers (R) | KY 5 |
|---|---|---|
| Ky. Senate | Phillip Wheeler (R) | 31 |
| Ky. House | Bobby McCool (R) | 97 |
Johnson County is home to two public school districts.
TheJohnson County School District, which operates schools throughout the county, including the city of Paintsville, operates the following schools:
Porter Elementary, W.R. Castle Elementary, Highland Elementary, Flat Gap Elementary, Central Elementary,Johnson County Middle School, andJohnson Central High School.
Central Elementary was ranked top-performing elementary school in 5-6 statewide CTBS/CATS testing. Central Elementary was also the top-performing elementary school (based on national CTBS testing) in the Southeastern US.
Johnson County Middle School's academic team has won the most StateGovernor's Cups. It has won the Cup in 1999, 2000, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013, and 2014. It has won numerous stateQuick Recall awards and itsFuture Problem Solving team has won state and international awards and acclaim.
Johnson Central High School performs well in various areas and is well known statewide for their academic, football, and basketball teams. The high school was recently[when?] named a U.S. News & World Report Top American High School, being given a bronze award. Johnson Central offers many clubs includingSTLP,FBLA,DECA,Beta,FFA,HOSA,SkillsUSA andFCCLA. Johnson Central is also home to a newCareer Technology Center.
ThePaintsville Independent School District also operates two schools: Paintsville Elementary School, a K-6 facility, and the 7-12Paintsville High School. Paintsville High also has earned numerous sport titles. The school has won boys' state championships in football, basketball, baseball and golf. Note that in Kentucky, the only sports in which schools are divided into enrollment classes are football,cross-country andtrack.
Both the Johnson County and Paintsville Independent districts met all of theNo Child Left Behind standards set by the national government.[24][25]
Two private schools also operate in the county: Our Lady of the Mountain School (K–8) and The Piarist School, a college preparatory school (6–12).
In the same year as Mayo's death (1914), the first county fair was held in Paintsville, where the first Apple King was also crowned.
In 1962, Johnson County hosted the firstKentucky Apple Festival,[7] which has been held annually in Paintsville since. The streets of downtown Paintsville are closed to vehicular traffic and festivities to include live music and entertainment, along with various competitions.
This scenic state park contains a 1,140 acres (4.6 km2) lake, a 12,404-acre (50.20 km2)wildlife management area, a marina, a 4 lane boat dock, a restaurant, a convenience store, boat rentals, multiple picnic shelters, playgrounds, and both developed and primitive camp sites. It is located on route 2275 at Staffordsville, just a few miles out of Paintsville.
The Paintsville Recreation Center contains a basketball court, a playground, and a volleyball court. Located on Preston Street in Paintsville.
This 18-holegolf course was established on September 27, 1929, making it one of the oldest golf courses inEastern Kentucky.[26] Thecountry club was built in 1930 by theWPA and is on theNational Register of Historic Places.[27] Located on Kentucky Route 1107 in Paintsville.
This museum has many exhibits that tell the stories of thecountry music stars that grew up nearU.S. Route 23 in Eastern Kentucky. Located at 120 Staves Branch in Paintsville.
This museum tells the history of the local area'scoal mining industry. Located on Millers Creek Road inVan Lear.
This 43-roommansion was built byJohn C. C. Mayo between 1905 and 1912 and now serves as Our Lady of the Mountains School. Located on Third Street in Paintsville.
The church was also constructed byJohn C. C. Mayo, who hired 100 Masons from Italy to construct it. The church has an organ donated byAndrew Carnegie and has several large stained glass windows. The church opened in the fall of 1909. Located on Third Street in Paintsville, beside Mayo Mansion.
Jenny Wiley is a historical figure who was captured by Native Americans inVirginia. After she escaped captivity, she reunited with her husband and lived in Johnson County until her death in 1831. Her grave is located just off Highway 581 atRiver.
Childhood home of country music superstar,Loretta Lynn Located atButcher Hollow in Van Lear.
This 420-foot (130 m) pedestrian only swinging bridge is the world's longest plastic bridge. The deck of the bridge is made of glass fiber-reinforced polymer. It crosses theLevisa Fork of theBig Sandy River and connects the communities of River andOffutt. Located on Kentucky Route 581 at River.
The Mountain Homeplace gives a unique look at a replica of an Eastern Kentucky farming community from the mid-nineteenth century. It contains a one-room schoolhouse, a church, a blacksmith shop, a cabin, a barn, and farm grounds. There are also demonstrations of old time skills and crafts. It is located near the dam atPaintsville Lake State Park.
Johnson County is also the former home of theEnterprise Association of Regular Baptists, which was organized on October 26, 1894, at Enterprise (now known asRedbush),Kentucky. The association now resides at 1560 Nibert Road,Gallipolis,Ohio, 45631.[28]
{{cite book}}:ISBN / Date incompatibility (help){{cite web}}:|archive-url= is malformed: timestamp (help)CS1 maint: url-status (link)Municipalities and communities ofJohnson County, Kentucky,United States | ||
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37°50′N82°50′W / 37.84°N 82.83°W /37.84; -82.83
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