Shelby County, Kentucky

Infobox U.S. County
county = Shelby County
state = Kentucky


founded year = 1792
founded date =
seat wl = Shelbyville
largest city wl =
area_total_sq_mi = 386
area_total_km2 = 999
area_land_sq_mi = 384
area_land_km2 = 995
area_water_sq_mi = 1
area_water_km2 = 4
area percentage = 0.38%
census yr = 2000
pop = 33337
density_sq_mi = 87
density_km2 = 34
time zone = Eastern
UTC offset = -5
DST offset = -4
footnotes =
web = www.shelbycountykentucky.com
named for =

Shelby County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of 2000, the population was 33,337. The 2007 estimate put the population at 40,458. Its name is in honor of Isaac Shelby, the first Governor of Kentucky. Its county seat is Shelbyville.GR|6

Shelby County was historically a prohibition or completely dry county, but the city of Shelbyville is now wet (i.e., allows retail alcohol sales), and the county has voted to allow restaurants outside Shelbyville to sell alcoholic beverages by the drink if they seat at least 100 patrons and derive at least 70% of their total sales from food. Today, Shelby County is officially classified by the Kentucky Office of Alcoholic Beverage Control as a moist county.cite web|url=http://www.abc.ky.gov/NR/rdonlyres/88403470-8A7E-410C-9816-8B520F7649C8/0/WetDryList.pdf |title=Wet & Dry Counties in Kentucky |publisher=Kentucky Office of Alcoholic Beverage Control |accessmonthday=March 21 |accessyear=2007 |format=PDF]

Shelby County's motto is "Good Land, Good Living, Good People"

History

Founding families

One of the first families to settle in Shelby County was the Daniel Ketcham family of Washington County, Maryland who settled in 1784. Daniel Ketcham was a soldier during the American Revolution. The Ketchams had 9 children. John Ketcham, Daniel's eldest son, would eventually move to Indiana and become involved in politics and in laying the groundwork for the founding of Indiana University.

Another family was the Thomas Mitchell family which moved to Shelby County in 1784. Thomas Mitchell was born on December 16, 1777 a native of Augusta County, Virginia. He married Rebecca Ketcham, daughter of Daniel Ketcham. The couple then settled near the headwaters of South Fork Clear Creek (or Mulberry Creek). Mitchell was commissioned an ensign in the 18th Regiment of Militia and on January 4, 1801, Governor James Garrard commissioned him as captain in the 18th Regiment. Thomas Mitchell became a minister of the Methodist Church and served in the War of 1812. [http://iamonia.tripod.com/famtree/taylor/mitchell.htm]

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 386 square miles (999 km²), of which, 384 square miles (995 km²) of it is land and 1 square miles (4 km²) of it (0.38%) is water. Jeptha Knob in Shelby County is the highest point in the Louisville area.

Adjacent counties

*Henry County (north)
*Franklin County (east)
*Anderson County (southeast)
*Spencer County (southwest)
*Jefferson County (west)
*Oldham County (northwest)

Demographics

USCensusPop
1800= 8191
1810= 14877
1820= 21047
1830= 19030
1840= 17768
1850= 17095
1860= 16433
1870= 15733
1880= 16813
1890= 16521
1900= 18340
1910= 18041
1920= 18532
1930= 17679
1940= 17759
1950= 17912
1960= 18493
1970= 18999
1980= 23328
1990= 24824
2000= 33337
estimate= 40458
estyear= 2007
estref=
footnote=http://ukcc.uky.edu/~census/21211.txt

As of the censusGR|2 of 2000, there were 33,337 people, 12,104 households, and 9,126 families residing in the county. The population density was 87 people per square mile (34/km²). There were 12,857 housing units at an average density of 34 per square mile (13/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 86.61% White, 8.83% Black or African American, 0.30% Native American, 0.40% Asian, 0.12% Pacific Islander, 2.39% from other races, and 1.34% from two or more races. 4.51% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 12,104 households out of which 34.70% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.00% were married couples living together, 10.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.60% were non-families. 20.20% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.00% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.63 and the average family size was 3.00.

The age distribution was 25.20% under the age of 18, 8.70% from 18 to 24, 31.40% from 25 to 44, 24.00% from 45 to 64, and 10.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 94.90 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.30 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $45,534, and the median income for a family was $52,764. Males had a median income of $35,484 versus $25,492 for females. The per capita income for the county was $20,195. About 6.50% of families and 9.90% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.70% of those under age 18 and 12.30% of those age 65 or over.

Cities and communities

ee also

*Dry county
*Louisville-Jefferson County, KY-IN Metropolitan Statistical Area
*Louisville-Elizabethtown-Scottsburg, KY-IN Combined Statistical Area

Resources

*"Excerpts from the Executive Journal of Governor James Garrod," Kentucky Historical Society Register, vol. 32, p. 133.
*Woodfill, Gabriel, "A Preacher of the Gospel," Marriage Bonds of Shelby County - 1792-1800, Kentucky Marriage Records: From the Register of the Kentucky Historical Society, Baltimore 1983, p. 693.
*Willis, George L. Sr., History of Shelby County Kentucky, Shelbyville 1929, p. 115.

References

External links

* [http://www.shelbycountykentucky.com/ Shelby County government]
* [http://www.shelby.k12.ky.us/ Shelby County public schools]