Kentucky

1 Location and Size

2 Topography

3 Climate

4 Plants and Animals

5 Environmental Protection

6 Population

7 Ethnic Groups

8 Languages

9 Religions

10 Transportation

11 History

12 State Government

13 Political Parties

14 Local Government

15 Judicial System

16 Migration

17 Economy

18 Income

19 Industry

20 Labor

21 Agriculture

22 Domesticated Animals

23 Fishing

24 Forestry

25 Mining

26 Energy and Power

27 Commerce

28 Public Finance

29 Taxation

30 Health

31 Housing

32 Education

33 Arts

34 Libraries and Museums

35 Communications

36 Press

37 Tourism, Travel & Recreation

38 Sports

39 Famous Kentuckians

40 Bibliography

Commonwealth of Kentucky

ORIGIN OF STATE NAME: Possibly derived from the Wyandot Indian word Kah-ten-tah-teh (land of tomorrow).

NICKNAME : The Bluegrass State.

CAPITAL: Frankfort.

ENTERED UNION: 1 June 1792 (15th).

OFFICIAL SEAL: In the center are two men exchanging greetings; above and below them is the state motto. On the periphery are two sprigs of goldenrod and the words “Commonwealth of Kentucky.”

FLAG: A simplified version of the state seal on a blue field.

MOTTO: United We Stand, Divided We Fall.

SONG: “My Old Kentucky Home.”

COLORS: Blue and gold.

FLOWER: Goldenrod.

TREE: Tulip poplar.

ANIMAL: Gray squirrel.

BIRD: Cardinal.

FISH: Bass.

INSECT: Viceroy butterfly.

FOSSIL: Brachiopod.

LEGAL HOLIDAYS: New Year’s Day, 1 January, plus one extra day; Birthday of Martin Luther King Jr., 3rd Monday in January; Washington’s Birthday, 3rd Monday in February; Good Friday, March or April, half-day holiday; Memorial Day, last Monday in May; Independence Day, 4 July; Labor Day, 1st Monday in September; Veterans’ Day, 11 November; Thanksgiving Day, 4th Thursday in November, plus one extra day; Christmas Day, 25 December, plus one extra day.

TIME: 7 AM EST = noon GMT; 6 AM CST = noon GMT.

1 Location and Size

Located in the eastern south-central United States, the Commonwealth of Kentucky is the smallest of the eight south-central states and ranks 37th in size among the 50 states. The total area of Kentucky is 40,409 square miles (104,659 square kilometers), of which land makes up 39,669 square miles (102,743 square kilometers) and inland water 740 square miles (1,917 square kilometers). The state extends about 350 miles (563 kilometers) east-west and 175 miles (282 kilometers) north-south. Its total boundary length is 1,290 miles (2,076 kilometers). Because of a double bend in the Mississippi River, about 10 square miles (26 square kilometers) of south-west Kentucky is separated from the rest of the state by a narrow strip of Missouri.

2 Topography

The eastern quarter of the state is dominated by the Cumberland Plateau, which is on the western border of the Appalachians. At its western edge, the plateau meets the uplands of the Lexington Plain (known as the Bluegrass region) to the north and the hilly Pennyroyal to the south. These two regions, which together make up nearly half the state’s area, are separated by a narrow curving plain known as the Knobs, because of the shapes of its eroded hills. The most level area of the state consists of the western coalfields bounded by the Pennyroyal to the east and the Ohio River to the north. In the far west are the coastal plains of the Mississippi River, a region commonly known as the Purchase, having been purchased from the Chickasaw Indians.

The highest point in Kentucky is Black Mountain on the southeastern boundary in Harlan County, at 4,139 feet (2,162 meters). The lowest point is 257 feet (78 meters), along the Mississippi River in Fulton County.

The only large lakes in Kentucky are artificial. The biggest is Cumberland Lake, at 79 square miles (205 square kilometers). Kentucky Lake, Lake Barkley, and Dale Hollow Lake straddle the border with Tennessee.

Kentucky claims at least 3,000 miles (4,800 kilometers) of navigable rivers. Among the most important of Kentucky’s rivers are the Kentucky (259 miles/417 kilometers), the Cumberland, the Tennessee, the Big Sandy, Green, Licking, and Tradewater rivers. Completion in 1985 of the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway, linking the Tennessee and Tombigbee rivers in Alabama,

Kentucky Population Profile

Population by Age Group

gave Kentucky’s Appalachian coalfields direct water access to the Gulf of Mexico for the first time.

Drainage through porous limestone rock of the Pennyroyal has created underground passages, the best known of which is Mammoth Cave, now a national park. The Cumberland Falls, 92 feet (28 meters) high and 100 feet (30 meters) wide, are located in Whitely County.

3 Climate

Kentucky has a moderate, relatively humid climate, with abundant rainfall. The southern and lowland regions are slightly warmer than the uplands. In Louisville, the normal monthly mean temperature ranges from 33°f (1°c) in January to 76°f (24°c) in July. The record high for the state was 114°f (46°c), set in Greensburg on 28 July in 1930. The record low, -37°f (-40°c), was set in Shelbyville of 19 January 1994. The average daily relative humidity in Louisville ranges from 58% to 81%. The normal annual precipitation is 44.5 inches (113 centimeters). Snowfall totals about 18 inches (46 centimeters) a year.

4 Plants and Animals

Kentucky’s forests are mostly of the oak and hickory variety, with some beech and maple areas. Four species of magnolia are found and the tulip poplar, eastern hemlock, and eastern white pine are also common. Kentucky’s famed bluegrass is actually blue only in May, when dwarf iris and wild columbine are in bloom. Rare plants include the swamp loosestrife and showy gentian. In April 2006, the US Fish and Wildlife Service listed eight Kentucky plant species as threatened or endangered, including Braun’s rock-cress, Cumberland sandwort, running buffalo clover, and Short’s goldenrod.

Game mammals include the raccoon, muskrat, and opossum. The eastern chipmunk and flying squirrel are common small mammals. At least 300 bird species have been recorded, including blackbirds, cardinals (the state bird), and robins. More than 100 types of fish have been identified.

Rare animal species include the swamp rabbit, black bear, raven (Corvus corax), and mud darter. In April 2006, there were 31 animal species listed as threatened or endangered, including three species of bat (Indiana, Virginia big-eared, and gray), bald eagle, puma, piping plover,

Kentucky Population by Race

Census 2000 was the first national census in which the instructions to respondents said, “Mark one or more races.” This table shows the number of people who are of one, two, or three or more races. For those claiming two races, the number of people belonging to the various categories is listed. The U.S. government conducts a census of the population every ten years.

Kentucky cave shrimp, and three species of pearly mussel.

5 Environmental Protection

The National Resources and Environmental Protection Cabinet is the primary state agency for the environment. The Environmental Quality Commission, a watchdog group for environmental concerns, is a citizen’s group of seven members appointed by the governor.

The most serious environmental concern in Kentucky is repairing and minimizing damage to land and water from strip-mining.

Also active in environmental matters is the Department of Environmental Protection, consisting of four divisions. The Division of Water administers the state’s Safe Drinking Water and Clean Water acts and regulation of sewage disposal. The Division of Waste Management oversees solid waste disposal systems in the state. The Air Pollution Control Division monitors industrial discharges into the air and other forms of air pollution. A special division is concerned with Maxey Flats, a closed nuclear waste disposal facility in Fleming County, where leakage of radioactive materials was discovered.

Flooding is a chronic problem in southeastern Kentucky, where strip-mining has exacerbated soil erosion.

In 2003, Kentucky had 149 hazardous waste sites, 14 of which were on the National Priorities List, as of 2006.

6 Population

In 2005, Kentucky ranked 26th in population among the 50 states, with an estimated total of 4,206,074 residents. The projected population for 2025 is 4.48 million. The population density in 2004 was 104.7 persons per square mile (40.49 persons per square kilometer). In that same year, the median age was 37.3. In 2005, those 65 years or older accounted for 13% of all residents, while 24% of all residents were 18 years old or younger.

As of 2005, Louisville-Jefferson County had an estimated population of around 556,429 people. Lexington-Fayette had an estimated population of about 268,080. The population of Louisville metropolitan area (includes portions of Kentucky and Indiana) was estimated at 1,200,847.

7 Ethnic Groups

According to the 2000 census, the number of black Americans in Kentucky stood at 295,994 residents, representing 7.3% of the population. In 2006, the percentage of black residents was 7.2%. In 2000, the state’s Asian population was estimated at 29,744, and the Native American population was estimated at 8,616. In that same year, there were also 3,818 Koreans, 6,771 Asian Indians, 3,683 Japanese, 3,596 Vietnamese, and 5,397 Chinese. A total of 59,939 residents (1.5%) were Hispanic or Latino in 2000, with 31,385 reporting Mexican ancestry and 6,469 of Puerto Rican ancestry. In 2006, the Hispanic or Latino population accounted for 1.7% of all Kentucky residents. Pacific Islanders numbered 1,460, in 2000, while there were 80,271 foreign-born residents in that same year (about 2% of the total population). Among persons reporting a single ancestry a total of 391,542 were English, 514,955 were German, 424,133 were Irish, and 66,147 were French.

8 Languages

Speech patterns in the state generally reflect the Virginia and Kentucky backgrounds of the first settlers. South Midland features are best preserved in the mountains, but some common to Midland and Southern are widespread. Other regional features are typically both South Midland and Southern. After a vowel, the /r/ sound may be weak or missing. In southern Kentucky, earthworms are called redworms, a burlap bag is a tow sack, and green beans are called snap beans. Subregional terms appear in abundance. In the east, kindling is pine and a seesaw is a ridyhorse. In central Kentucky, a moth is a candlefly.

In 2000, of all residents five years old and older, 96.1% spoke only English at home. Other languages spoken at home included Spanish, German, Korean, and Chinese.

9 Religions

Throughout its history, Kentucky has been predominantly Protestant. The New Light Baptists immigrated from Virginia to Kentucky under the leadership of Lewis Craig and built the first church in the state near Lancaster in 1781. The first Methodist Church was established near Danville in 1783. In 1784, the Roman Catholics also built a church.

As of 2000, Evangelical Protestantism was predominant with the single largest denomination within the state being the Southern Baptists Convention with 979,994 adherents. The next largest Protestant denomination was the United Methodist Church with 208,720 adherents, but reported only 152,727 members in 2003. In 2000, the Christian Churches and Churches of Christ with 106,638 adherents. The Roman Catholic Church had about 382,042 members in 2004. There were an estimated 11,350 Jews in Kentucky in 2000, and about 4,696 Muslims. Over 1.8 million people (46.6% of the population) were not counted as members of any religious organization in the 2000 survey.

10 Transportation

As of 2003, Kentucky had 2,823 miles (4,545 kilometers) of railroad track, with five Class I railroads operating in the state. Rail service to the state, nearly all of which was freight, was provided by 15 railroads. As of 2006, there were four Amtrak stations in Kentucky.

The trails of Indians and buffalo became the first roads in Kentucky. Throughout the 19th century, counties called on their citizens to maintain some roads although maintenance was haphazard. The best roads were the toll roads. This system came to an end as a result of the “tollgate war” of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, a rebellion in which masked Kentuckians, demanding free roads, raided tollgates and assaulted their keepers. In 1912, a state highway commission was created, and by 1920, roads had improved considerably. In 2004, Kentucky had 77,366 miles (124,559 kilometers) of public roads and 2.8 million licensed drivers. In the same year, there were some 1.855 million automobiles, about 1.415 million trucks, and around 2,000 buses registered in the state.

The Ohio River and its tributaries, along with the Mississippi, were Kentucky’s primary commercial routes for trade with the South and the West, until railroads became more popular. Louisville, on the Ohio River, is the chief port. Paducah is the outlet port for traffic on the Tennessee River.

In 2005 there were 149 airports, 58 heliports and 1 STOLport (Short Take-Off and Landing) in Kentucky. The largest of these is Cincinnati/ Northern Kentucky International Airport, with 10,864,547 passenger boardings in 2004.

11 History

No Native American nations resided in central and eastern Kentucky when these areas were first explored by British-American surveyors Thomas Walker and Christopher Gist in 1750 and 1751. The dominant Shawnee and Cherokee tribes utilized the region as a hunting ground, returning to homes in the neighboring territories of Ohio and Tennessee. The first permanent colonial settlement in Kentucky was established at Harrodstown (now Harrodsburg) in 1774.

North Carolina speculator Richard Henderson, assisted by famed woodsman Daniel Boone, purchased a huge tract of land in central Kentucky from the Cherokee and established Fort Boonesborough. Henderson sought approval for creation of a 14th colony, but the plan was blocked by Virginians, who in 1776 incorporated the region as the County of Kentucky.

Kentucky became the principal gateway for migration into the Mississippi Valley. By the late 1780s, its settlements were growing, and it was obvious that Kentucky could not long remain

Kentucky Governors: 1792–2007

under the control of Virginia. In June 1792, Kentucky entered the Union as the 15th state.

State Development Kentucky became a center for breeding and racing fine thoroughbred horses, an industry that still thrives today. More important was the growing and processing of tobacco, which accounted for half the agricultural income of Kentucky farmers by 1860. Finally, whiskey began to be produced in vast quantities by the 1820s, culminating in the development of a fine, aged amber-red brew known throughout the world as bourbon, after Bourbon County.

During the Civil War, Kentuckians were forced to choose sides between the Union, led in the North by Kentucky native Abraham Lincoln, and the Confederacy, led in the South by Kentucky native Jefferson Davis. Although the state legislature finally opted for the Union side, approximately 30,000 men went south to Confederate service, while up to 100,000—including nearly 24,000 black soldiers—served in the Union army.

In the decades following the war, railroad construction increased threefold and exploitation of timber and coal reserves began in eastern Kentucky. By 1900, Kentucky ranked first among southern states in per capita (per person) income. However, wealth remained very unevenly distributed—a third of all Kentucky farmers were landless tenants. The gubernatorial election scandal of 1899, in which Republican William S. Taylor was charged with fraud and reform-minded Democrat William Goebel was assassinated, polarized the state. Outside investment plummeted, and Kentucky fell into a prolonged economic depression. By 1940, the state ranked last among the 48 states in per capita income and was burdened by an image of poverty and feuding clans. The Great Depression hit the state hard, though an end to Prohibition revived the inactive whiskey industry.

Post-World War II Kentucky has changed greatly since World War II. Between 1945 and 1980, the number of farms decreased by 53%, while the number of manufacturing plants increased from 2,994 to 3,504 between 1967 and 1982. Although Kentucky remains one of the poorest states in the nation, positive change is evident even in relatively isolated rural communities, the result of better roads, education, television, and government programs.

In the early 1990s, public corruption became a major issue in Kentucky politics. In a sting operation code-named Boptrot, legislators were filmed by hidden cameras accepting payments from lobbyists. Fifteen state legislators, lobbyists, and public figures were convicted or charged with bribery, extortion, fraud, and racketeering. An investigation carried out at the same time charged the husband of former Governor Martha Layne Collins, Dr. William Collins, with collecting $1.7 million in bribes while his wife was in office.

In 1990, the Kentucky Supreme Court ruled that the state’s public education system was unconstitutional and ordered the state legislature to develop a new system of school administration and funding. The legislature responded with the Kentucky Education Reform Act, which it passed that same year and was implemented over the next five years.

In 2003, Republican Ernie Fletcher was elected governor, and by 2005, had moved to make the state more business-friendly through the creation of a more flexible tax code, improvements in the quality of education, encouraging more healthy lifestyles, and other governmental and administrative reforms.

12 State Government

The state legislature, called the General Assembly, consists of the House of Representatives, which has 100 members elected for 2-year terms, and the Senate with 38 members elected for staggered 4-year terms. Except for revenue-raising measures, which must be introduced in the House of Representatives, either chamber may introduce or amend a bill. Most bills may be passed by majority votes equal to at least two-fifths of the membership of each house. A majority of the members of each house is required to override the governor’s veto. The elected executive officers of Kentucky include the governor and lieutenant governor (elected jointly), secretary of state, attorney general, treasurer, auditor of public accounts, and commissioner of agriculture. All serve 4-year terms and may succeed themselves only once.

Kentucky Presidential Vote by Political Parties, 1948–2004

As of December 2004, the governor’s salary was $127,146, and most legislators received less than $14,000 per year based upon salaries of $166.34 per day when the legislature is in session.

13 Political Parties

Regional divisions in party affiliation during the Civil War era, based upon sympathy with the South (Democrats) or with the Union (Republicans), have persisted in the state’s voting patterns. In general, in the 21st century, the poorer mountain areas tend to vote Republican, while the more affluent lowlanders in the Bluegrass and Pennyroyal areas tend to vote Democratic.

In 1983, Martha Layne Collins, a Democrat, defeated Republican candidate Jim Bunning to become Kentucky’s first woman governor. In 2004 there were 2,819,000 registered voters. In 1998, the party affiliation of registered voters was 61% Democratic, 32% Republican, and 7% unaffiliated or members of other parties. Republican Ernie Fletcher was elected governor in 2003. Republican George W. Bush defeated Democrat Al Gore 57% to 41% in the 2000 US presidential campaign. Bush also defeated Democrat John Kerry 59.5% to 39.7% in the 2004 presidential election.

Following the 2006 midterm elections, Republicans held 21 seats in the state senate, while Democrats held 16, and 1 was held by an independent. However in the state house, the Democrats continued to dominate, with 61 seats, to the Republicans’ 39. Sixteen women were elected to the state legislature in 2006, or 11.6%. At the national level, Kentucky was represented by Republican senators Mitch McConnell (reelected in 2002) and Jim Bunning (elected in 1998 and reelected in 2004). In the US House of Representatives, there were two Democrats and four Republicans following the 2006 elections.

14 Local Government

The chief governing body of Kentucky’s counties is the fiscal court. Elected officials include magistrates, commissioners, and sheriffs. As of 2005, the state had 120 counties and 424 cities. Cities are assigned by the General Assembly to one of six classes on the basis of population. Kentucky has two first-class cities, Louisville and Lexington. The mayor or other chief executive officer in the top three classes must be elected. In the bottom classes, the executive may be either elected by the people, or appointed by a city council or commission. Other units of local government in Kentucky included 720 special-purpose districts and 176 public school districts in 2005.

15 Judicial System

Judicial power in Kentucky is vested in a unified court of justice. The highest court is the supreme court, consisting of a chief justice and six associate justices. It has appeals jurisdiction and also bears responsibility for the budget and administration of the entire system. The court of appeals consists of 14 judges, 2 elected from each supreme court district.

Circuit courts, with original and appeals jurisdiction, are held in each county. There are 56 judicial circuits. Under the revised judicial system, district courts, which have limited and original jurisdiction, replaced various local and county courts. In 2004, Kentucky had a violent crime (murder/nonnegligent manslaughter, forcible rape, robbery, aggravated assault) rate of 244.9 crimes per 100,000 people. As of 31 December 2004, there were 17,814 prisoners in Kentucky’s state and federal prisons. The state has a death penalty, of which the sole method of execution is lethal injection for those sentenced after 31 March 1998. Those inmates sentenced before that date may select electrocution, instead of lethal injection. From 1976 through 5 May 2006, the state had executed only 2 persons. As of 1 January 2006, there were 37 inmates on death row.

16 Migration

During the frontier period, Kentucky first attracted settlers from eastern states, especially Virginia and North Carolina. Prominent among early foreign immigrants were people of English and Scotch-Irish ancestry, who tended to settle in the Kentucky highlands, which resembled their Old World homelands.

Kentucky’s black population increased rapidly during the first 40 years of statehood through slavery. By the 1830s, however, many Kentucky owners either moved to the Deep South or sold their slaves to new owners in that region. During the 1850s, nearly 16% of Kentucky’s slave population, more than 43,000 people, were sold or moved from the state. A tiny percentage of Kentucky’s blacks, probably fewer than 200, emigrated to Liberia under the auspices of the Kentucky Colonization Society.

Until the early 1970s there was a considerable out-migration of whites, especially from eastern Kentucky to industrial areas of Ohio, Indiana, and other nearby states. Between 1990 and 1998, Kentucky had net gains of 90,000 in

domestic migration and 14,000 in international migration. In the period 2000–05, net international migration into the state totaled 27,435 people, while net domestic migration totaled 32,169, for a net gain of 59,604 people.

17 Economy

Although agriculture is still important in Kentucky, manufacturing has grown rapidly since World War II, and was by the mid-1980s, the most important area of the economy as a source of both employment and personal income. Kentucky leads the nation in the production of coal and whiskey, and ranks second in tobacco output. In contrast to the generally prosperous Bluegrass area and the growing industrial cities, eastern Kentucky, highly dependent on coal mining, is one of the poorest regions in the United States.

During the 1990s, declines in the tobacco, textiles, apparel, and coal mining areas were compensated for by job growth in motor vehicle manufacturing, fabricated metals, and appliances. The national recession of 2001 negatively impacted the economy, however, as manufacturing declined. Nonetheless, Kentucky was one of only five states where employment grew more than 1% in 2002.

Kentucky’s gross state product (GSP) in 2004 totaled $136.446 billion, of which manufacturing accounted for the largest portion at 21% of GSP, followed by real estate at 9%, and health care and social services at 7.6% of GSP. Of the 83,046 businesses in the state that had employees, 97% were small companies.

18 Income

In 2004, Kentucky had a per capita (per person) personal income of $27,265, which ranked the state 44th among the 50 states and the District of Columbia, compared to the national average of $33,050. Median household income for the three-year period 2002–04 was $37,396 in Kentucky, compared to the national average of $44,473. For that period, 15.4% of the state’s residents lived below the federal poverty level, compared to 12.4% nationwide.

19 Industry

Manufacturing industries are concentrated in Louisville and Jefferson County, and other cities along the Ohio River. Kentucky is the leading producer of bourbon whiskey, and is one of the largest producers of trucks in the nation, with assembly plants at Louisville, as well as for automobiles at Bowling Green and Georgetown. The shipment value of manufactured products in 2004 was $97.253 billion. Of that total, transportation equipment accounted for the largest share at $34.220 billion, followed by primary metals at $9.178 billion.

In 2004, a total of 246,749 people were employed in Kentucky’s manufacturing sector. Of that total, the transportation equipment manufacturing sector accounted for the largest portion at 50,032, followed by food manufacturing at 22,863.

20 Labor

In April 2006, the seasonally adjusted civilian labor force in Kentucky numbered 2,022,000, with approximately 123,600 workers unemployed, yielding an unemployment rate of 6.1%, compared to the national average of 4.7% for the same period. According to early data on non-farm employment for that same period, about 4.7% of the labor force was employed in construction; 14.1% in manufacturing; 20.7% in trade, transportation, and public utilities; 4.8% in financial activities; 9.4% in professional and business services; 12.9% in educational and health services; 9.2% in leisure and hospitality services; and 17% in government.

Although a small number of trade unions existed in Kentucky before the 1850s, it was not until after the Civil War that substantial unionization took place. During the 1930s, there were long, violent struggles between the United Mine Workers (UMW) and the mine owners of eastern Kentucky. The UMW won bargaining rights in 1938, but after World War II the displacement of workers because of mechanization, a drastic drop in the demand for coal, and evidence of mismanagement and corruption within the UMW served to undercut the union’s position. Increased demand for coal in the 1970s led to a substantial increase in jobs for miners and the UMW, under different leaders, began a new drive to organize the Cumberland Plateau.

In 2005, a total of 164,000 of Kentucky’s 1,696,000 employed wage and salary workers were members of a union. This represented 9.7% of those so employed, under the national average of 12%.

21 Agriculture

With cash receipts totaling $3.9 billion, Kentucky ranked 24th among the 50 states in farm marketings in 2005. Kentucky tobacco, first marketed in New Orleans in 1787, quickly became the state’s most important crop. Corn has long been one of the state’s most important crops, not only for livestock feed, but also as a major ingredient in the distilling of whiskey.

In 2004 there were approximately 85,000 farms in Kentucky, with an average size of 162 acres (66 hectares). In that same year, Kentucky farms produced some 234.5 million pounds (106.36 million kilograms) of tobacco, the second most in the nation. Other leading field crops in 2004 included corn for grain, soybeans, wheat, sorghum, and barley.

22 Domesticated Animals

The Bluegrass region, which offers excellent pasturage and drinking water, has become renowned as a center for horse breeding, including thoroughbreds, quarter horses, American saddle horses, Arabians, and standardbreds. In 2004, sales of horses accounted for 23% of Kentucky’s farm receipts.

In 2005, Kentucky had an estimated 2.25 million cattle and calves worth $1.82 billion. In 2004, Kentucky farmers had an estimated 350,000 hogs and pigs, worth around $27.6 million. Kentucky also produced an estimated 1.46 billion pounds (0.66 billion kilograms) of milk from 116,000 dairy cows in 2003.

23 Fishing

Fishing is of little commercial importance in Kentucky. In 2004, Kentucky had 580,917 fishing license holders. In 2005, there were 60 catfish farms operating within the state. The Wolf Creek National Fish Hatchery in Jamestown raises rainbow and brown trout and stocks 90 different areas within the state.

24 Forestry

In 2004 there were 11,391,000 acres (4,828,000 hectares) of forested land in Kentucky, which is 47% of the state’s land area, with over 90% of the forestland classified as commercially viable for timber production.

The most heavily forested areas are in the river valleys of eastern Kentucky, in the Appalachians. In 2004, Kentucky produced 662 million board feet of lumber, nearly all of it in hardwoods. The Division of Forestry of the Department of Natural Resources manages approximately 30,000 acres (12,300 hectares) of state-owned forestland and operates two forest tree nurseries producing 7 to 9 million seedling trees a year.

There are two national forests (the Daniel Boone and the Jefferson on Kentucky’s eastern border) enclosing two national wilderness areas. These two national forests had a combined area of 1,415,744 acres (572,952 hectares) in 2005. Gross acreage of all Kentucky lands in the National Forest System was 2,212,000 acres (895,400 hectares) in 20031. National parks in the state include the Mammoth Cave National Park, and the Cumberland Gap National Historical Park on Kentucky’s eastern border.

25 Mining

The value of nonfuel mineral production in Kentucky in 2003 was estimated at $559 million. Nationally, Kentucky ranked 24th in non-fuel mineral production, by value. According to preliminary figures, in 2003, crushed stone accounted for about 57% of nonfuel mineral production value, followed by lime, cement (portland and masonry), and construction sand and gravel. Nationally, the state ranked third in ball clays and in lime, and tenth in common clay. According to early data for 2003, the state produced 8.8 million metric tons of construction sand and gravel, valued at $35.2 million.

26 Energy and Power

In 2003, Kentucky had 62 electric power service providers. In that same year, total net summer generating capacity was 19.068 million kilowatts, with total production at 91.718 billion kilowatt hours. Of the total amount generated, 91.6% came from coal-fired plants, with hydroelectric power accounting for 4.3% of production and 3.2% from petroleum-fired plants. The remaining production came from generating plants using natural gas, or other renewable energy sources.

Most of Kentucky’s coal came from the western fields of the interior coal basin until late in the 19th century, when the lower-sulfur Cumberland Plateau coal reserves of the Appalachian region were discovered. In 2004, eastern Kentucky produced 90,871,000 tons of coal, while western Kentucky produced 23,373,000 tons. In that same year, Kentucky had 419 active coal mines, of which 196 were surface (strip) mines and 223 were underground. Recoverable coal reserves as of 2004 stood at 1.129 billion tons.

In 2004, Kentucky produced an average of 7,000 barrels per day of crude petroleum. The state’s proven oil reserves in that same year stood at 27 million barrels. Kentucky had 18,075 producing oil wells in 2004. In 2003, Kentucky marketed 87.608 billion cubic feet (2.49 billion cubic meters) of natural gas. As of 31 December 2004, the state had proven reserves of dry or consumer-grade natural gas of 1.880 billion cubic feet (0.157 billion cubic meters).

As of 2005, Kentucky had two operating refineries with a combined crude oil refining capacity of 227,500 barrels per day.

27 Commerce

In 2002, Kentucky’s wholesale trade sector had sales totaling $51.8 billion, while the state’s retail sector had sales totaling $40.06 billion, that same year. Motor vehicle and motor vehicle parts dealers accounted for the largest portion of retail sales in the state in 2002, at $9.5 billion, followed by general merchandise stores at $7.6 billion. Kentucky’s exports to foreign countries in 2005 totaled $14.8 billion.

28 Public Finance

The Kentucky biennial state budget is prepared by the Governor’s Office for Policy and Management late in each odd-numbered year and submitted by the Governor to the General Assembly for approval. The fiscal year runs from July 1 to June 30.

Total revenues in 2004 totaled $20.180 billion, while total expenditures amounted to $20.072 billion. The largest general expenditures were for education ($6.39 billion), public welfare ($5.27 billion), and highways ($1.7 billion). The total state debt at the end of 2004 stood at $8.1 billion, or $1,959.55 per capita (per person).

29 Taxation

As of 1 January 2006, Kentucky’s personal income tax consisted of a six-bracket schedule ranging from 2% to 6%. Corporate income is taxed according to a schedule ranging from 4% to 7%. Kentucky also levies a 6% sales and use tax, that exempts food, if it is eaten off-premises (such as at home). Gasoline and cigarettes are subject to a state excise tax.

State tax collections in Kentucky for 2005 totaled $9.1 billion, of which 33.4% was generated by the state’s personal income tax, followed by 28.5% from the state general sales and use tax, 18.2% by state excise taxes, 5.2% by state property taxes, and 5.3% by the state’s corporate income tax. In 2005, the per capita (per person) tax burden amounted to $2,179 as compared to the national average of $2,192.

30 Health

In 2003, Kentucky’s overall death rate was 9.8 deaths per 1,000 inhabitants, while the infant mortality rate, as of October 2006, was estimated at 6.6 per 1,000 live births. As of 2002, Kentucky’s death rates for major causes of death (per 100,000 people) were 285.8 from heart diseases, 230.6 from cancer, 62.4 from cerebrovascular diseases, 58.7 from chronic lower respiratory diseases, and 30.9 from diabetes. Of all Kentuckians, 27.4% were smokers in 2004, the highest in the nation. There were 2.4 HIV-related deaths per 100,000 population. In 2004, the reported AIDS case rate was 6.1 per 100,000 people.

Kentucky’s 103 community hospitals had about 14,900 beds in 2003. In 2005, there were 904 nurses per 100,000 people, while in 2004 there were 233 physicians per 100,000 population, and a total of 2,325 dentists throughout the state. The average expense for community hospital care was $1,106 per inpatient day in 2003. In 2004, about 14% of the population was uninsured.

31 Housing

In 2004, Kentucky had 1,842,971 housing units, of which 1,647,464 were occupied. About 70.1% were owner-occupied. About 67% of all units were single-family, detached homes, and 13.9% were mobile homes. Though most units relied on utility gas or electricity for heating, about 11,533 units used coke or coal and 37,785 relied on wood. It was estimated that 109,895 units lacked telephone service, 13,677 lacked complete plumbing facilities, and 9,421 lacked complete kitchen facilities. The average household size was 2.45 people.

In 2004, a total of 22,600 privately owned units were authorized for construction. The median home value was $98,438. The median monthly cost for mortgage owners was $888. Renters paid a median of $503 per month.

32 Education

In 2004, a total of 81.8% of all adults in Kentucky had completed high school, which was below the national average of 84%. Also, 21% of all adults had completed four or more years of college, compared to the national average of 26%.

Total public school enrollment was estimated at 650,000 in fall 2003, but is expected to rise to decline to 618,000 by fall 2014. Enrollment in private schools in fall 2003 was 71,067. Expenditures for public education in 2003/2004 were estimated at $5.4 billion.

As of fall 2002, there were 225,489 students enrolled in institutions of higher education. Kentucky had 77 degree-granting institutions, as of fall 2005. Kentucky’s higher education facilities included 8 public and 26 private 4-year colleges and universities, and 26 public 2-year schools. The University of Kentucky, established in 1865 at Lexington, is the state’s largest public institution. The University of Louisville (1798) is also state supported.

33 Arts

The Kentucky Arts Council (est. 1965) is authorized to promote the arts through such programs as Arts in Education and the State Arts Resources Program. Ongoing programs include the Craft Marketing Program, which promotes the state’s craft industry, and the Folklife Program, a partnership with the Kentucky Historical Society.

Kentucky Chautauqua, an ongoing program of the Kentucky Humanities Council, sponsors impersonations of ten historical characters from Kentucky’s past who travel across the state for presentations. The Arts Kentucky is a statewide membership organization for artists, performers, craftspeople, and community arts groups.

The Actors Theater of Louisville holds a yearly festival of new American plays. In 2006, the festival celebrated its 30th anniversary. The Kentucky Center for the Arts in Louisville, dedicated in 1983, serves as home to the Louisville Orchestra (est. 1937), the Louisville Ballet (est. 1952), and the Kentucky Opera. As of 2006, the Louisville Ballet has entertained over 75,000 people, annually, and reached more than 15,000 children each year, through its education programs. Bluegrass, a form of country music performed on fiddle and banjo, and played at a rapid tempo, is named after the style pioneered by Kentuckian Bill Monroe and his Blue Grass Boys.

34 Libraries and Museums

In the year ending in June 2001, there were 116 public library systems in Kentucky, with a total of 189 libraries, of which 73 were branches. In that same year, there were over 7.89 million volumes, and a circulation of 20.8 million. The regional library system included university libraries and the state library at Frankfort, as well as city and county libraries. The Kentucky Historical Society in Frankfort also maintains a research library of more than 85,000 volumes.

The state has over 107 museums. The Kentucky Historical Society in Frankfort maintains the State History Museum and supports a mobile museum system that brings exhibits on Kentucky history to schools, parks, and local gatherings, and aids over 400 local historical organizations. Art museums include the University of Kentucky Art Museum and the Headley-Whitney Museum, both in Lexington. The Muhammad Ali Center in Louisville opened 21 November 2005.

Among Kentucky’s horse-related museums are the Kentucky Derby Museum in Louisville, and the International Museum of the Horse in Lexington. The John James Audubon Museum is located in Audubon State Park at Henderson. Leading historical sites include Abraham Lincoln’s birthplace at Hodgenville and the Mary Todd Lincoln and Henry Clay homes in Lexington.

35 Communications

In 2004, only 91.4% of all occupied housing units in the state had a telephone. In 2005, Kentucky had 73 major radio stations (15 AM and 58 FM), as well as 29 major television broadcasting stations, with 17 public broadcasting stations. There were 576,850 television households, 65% of which received cable. In 2003, computers were in 58.1% of all households in the state, while 49.6% had access to the Internet.

36 Press

In 2005, Kentucky had 23 daily newspapers (10 morning, 13 evening), and 14 Sunday papers. The leading Kentucky newspapers, with their 2005 daily circulations, were the Louisville Courier-Journal (207,655) and the Lexington Herald-Leader (114,234). Both were morning

and sunday papers. Magazines included Kentucky Living and Kentucky Monthly.

37 Tourism, Travel & Recreation

The economic impact of tourism within the state reached about $10 billion, and supported more than 164,000 travel-related jobs.

One of the state’s top tourist attractions is Mammoth Cave National Park, which contains over 365 miles of explored underground passages. Other units of the national park system in Kentucky include Abraham Lincoln’s birthplace in Hodgenville, and Cumberland Gap National Historical Park, which extends into Tennessee and Virginia. The state operates 17 resort parks (open year-round). The state also operates 24 recreational parks and 22 historic sites. The Kentucky State Fair is held every August at Louisville.

38 Sports

There are no major league professional sports teams in Kentucky. There is a minor league baseball team in Louisville that plays in the AAA International League. There are also two minor league hockey teams in Kentucky that play in the American Hockey League.

The first known horse race in Kentucky was held in 1783. The annual Kentucky Derby, first run on 17 May 1875, has become the single most famous event in US thoroughbred racing. Held on the first Saturday in May at Churchill Downs in Louisville, the Derby is one of three races for three-year-olds constituting the Triple Crown. Keeneland Race Course in Lexington is the site of the Blue Grass Stakes and other major thoroughbred races. The Kentucky Futurity, an annual highlight of the harness racing season, is usually held on the first Friday in October at the Red Mile in Lexington.

Rivaling horse racing as a spectator sport is collegiate basketball. The University of Kentucky Wildcats, who play in the Southeastern Conference, have won the NCAA Division I basketball championships six times, and the National Invitation Tournament twice. The University of Louisville Cardinals play in Conference USA. Kentucky Wesleyan, at Owensboro, was the NCAA Division II titleholder seven times, including 1999 and 2001.

39 Famous Kentuckians

Kentucky has been the birthplace of one US president, four US vice-presidents, the only president of the Confederacy, and several important jurists, statesmen, writers, artists, and sports figures. Abraham Lincoln, (1809–1865) the 16th president of the United States, was born in Hodgenville. His wife, Mary Todd Lincoln (1818–1882), was a native of Lexington. Kentucky-born US vice-presidents have all been Democrats. The best known were Adlai Stevenson (1835–1914), who served with Grover Cleveland, and Alben W. Barkley (1877–1956) who, before his election with President Harry S Truman in 1948, was a US senator and longtime Senate majority leader.

Frederick M. Vinson (1890–1953) was the only Kentuckian to serve as chief justice of the United States. Noteworthy associate justices were John Marshall Harlan (1833–1911), famous for his dissent from the segregationist Plessy v. Ferguson decision (1896); and Louis B. Brandeis (1856–1941), the first Jew to serve on the Supreme Court and a champion of social reform.

A figure prominently associated with frontier Kentucky is the explorer and surveyor Daniel Boone (b.Pensylvania, 1734–1820). Other frontiersmen include Kit Carson (1809–1868) and Roy Bean (1825?–1903).

Other personalities of significance include James G. Birney (1792–1857) and Cassius Marcellus Clay (1810–1903), both major antislavery

spokesmen. Clay’s daughter, Laura (1849–1941), and Madeline Breckinridge (1872–1920) were important contributors to the women’s suffrage movement. Carry Nation (1846–1911) was a leader of the temperance movement. During the 1920s, Kentuckian John T. Scopes (1900–1970) gained fame as the defendant in the “monkey trial” in Dayton, Tennessee. Scopes was charged with teaching Darwin’s theory of evolution.

Thomas Hunt Morgan (1866–1945), honored for his work in heredity and genetics, and chemist William N. Lipscomb (b.Ohio, 1919) were Nobel Prize winners. Notable businessmen include “Colonel” Harland Sanders (b.Indiana, 1890–1980), founder of Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurants. Robert Penn Warren (1905–1989), a novelist, poet laureate, and critic, won the Pulitzer Prize three times and was the first author to win the award in both the fiction and poetry categories.

Among Kentuckians well recognized in the performing arts are film innovator D. W. Griffith (David Lewelyn Wark Griffith, 1875–1948); Academy Award-winning actress Patricia Neal (b.1926); and country music singers Loretta Lynn (b.1932) and her sister, Crystal Gayle (Brenda Gail Webb, b.1951). Kentucky’s sports figures include basketball coach Adolph Rupp (b.Kansas, 1901–1977); shortstop Harold (“Pee Wee”) Reese (1919–1999); football great Paul Hornung (b.1935); and world heavyweight boxing champions Jimmy Ellis (b.1940) and Muhammad Ali (Cassius Clay, b.1942).

40 Bibliography

BOOKS

Bristow, M. J. State Songs of America. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 2000.

Deady, Kathleen W. Kentucky Facts and Symbols. Rev. ed. Mankato, MN: Capstone, 2003.

Lantier, Patricia. Kentucky. Milwaukee, WI: Gareth Stevens, 2006.

Murray, Julie. Kentucky. Edina, MN: Abdo Publishing, 2006.

Williams, Suzanne M. Kentucky. New York: Children’s Press, 2001.

WEB SITES

Commonwealth of Kentucky. Kentucky.gov www.kentucky.gov (accessed March 1, 2007).

Official Kentucky Department of Travel. Kentucky: Unbridled Spirit. www.kytourism.com (accessed March 1, 2007).