Jackson, Kentucky

History

Upon the creation of Breathitt County in 1839, local landowner Simon Cockrell Sr. donated 10 acres (4.0 ha) to serve as its seat of government. The community was originally known as Breathitt, Breathitt Town, or Breathitt Court House after the county, but upon its incorporation as a city by the state legislature in 1843, it was renamed Jackson to honor the recently deceased former president Andrew Jackson.

Local feuds led the national press to publish stories about Jackson and "Bloody Breathitt": state troops were dispatched twice in the 1870s and again in 1903 – after the assassination of U.S. Commissioner James B. Marcum on the courthouse steps – to restore order.

The Kentucky Union Railroad reached the city in 1891, and Jackson boomed until the L&N continued the line on to Hazard in 1912. A fire on Halloween, 1913, burned down much of the town.

Geography

Jackson is located at 37°33′11″N 83°23′18″W (37.553012, -83.388249). The city is nestled in the heart of the Cumberland Plateau of the Appalachian Mountains, with the downtown located on the north bank of the North Fork of the Kentucky River. To limit flooding, the Kentucky River was redirected in 1963 by way of a small cut-through through the mountain, and its former channel, a river meander, was left behind as Panbowl Lake, now a prime attraction for fishermen.

According to the United States Census Bureau, Jackson has a total area of 2.7 square miles (6.9 km²), of which 2.5 square miles (6.5 km²) is land and 0.15 square miles (0.4 km²), or 6.11%, is water.

Climate

The climate in this area is characterized by relatively moderate temperatures and evenly distributed precipitation throughout the year. The Köppen climate classification places the city in the humid subtropical zone, which is abbreviated as Cfa. The normal monthly mean temperature ranges from 34.9 °F (1.6 °C) in January to 75.4 °F (24.1 °C) in July. On average, there are 17 days where temperatures remain at or below freezing and 15 days with highs at or above 90 °F (32 °C) per year. In addition, although the area falls under USDA hardiness zone 6b, the record longest streak without 0 °F (−18 °C) lows occurred from February 6, 1996 to January 15, 2009 (7008408412800000000♠12 years, 344 days). The highest recorded temperature was 104 °F (40 °C) on June 29, 2012, and the lowest recorded temperature was −18 °F (−28 °C) on January 19, 1994 and January 20 and 21, 1985.

Precipitation averages 48.3 inches (1,230 mm) annually, falling on an average 144 days, and the wettest month by normal rainfall is May. Normal winter snowfall is 23.5 inches (60 cm), though, as is typical in areas in the humid subtropical zone, snow cover does not remain for long, as there is an average of only 18 days with at least 1 inch (2.5 cm) of snow cover.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 2,490 people, 1,005 households, and 661 families residing in the city. The population density was 935.4 people per square mile (361.4/km²). There were 1,111 housing units at an average density of 417.4 per square mile (161.3/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 98.19% White, 0.56% African American, 0.64% Asian, 0.12% from other races, and 0.48% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.48% of the population.

There were 1,005 households out of which 28.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.4% were married couples living together, 18.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.2% were non-families. 31.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.85.

In the city, the population was spread out with 20.2% under the age of 18, 12.0% from 18 to 24, 26.4% from 25 to 44, 24.9% from 45 to 64, and 16.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 79.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 76.0 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $25,272, and the median income for a family was $33,036. Males had a median income of $33,523 versus $25,179 for females. The per capita income for the city was $13,532. About 21.9% of families and 26.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 35.3% of those under age 18 and 18.8% of those age 65 or over.

Kentucky Routes within the city

Airports

Railroads

Jackson Independent Schools

Breathitt County Schools

Private schools

Vocational

Post-secondary

Educational Centers

Festivals

The city of Jackson and Breathitt County are host to many local festivals.

In Jackson:

Other festivals that occur outside the city but in Breathitt County:

Notable people