Bracken County, Kentucky

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


founded year = 1797
founded date =
seat wl = Brooksville
largest city wl = Augusta
area_total_sq_mi = 209
area_total_km2 = 541
area_land_sq_mi = 203
area_land_km2 = 526
area_water_sq_mi = 6
area_water_km2 = 15
area percentage = 2.71%
census yr = 2000
pop = 8279
density_sq_mi = 41
density_km2 = 16
time zone = Eastern
UTC offset = -5
DST offset = -4
footnotes =
web = www.brackencounty.org
named for = William Bracken, trapper and frontiersman.

Bracken County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. It was formed in 1797. As of 2000, the population is 8,279. Its county seat is Brooksville, KentuckyGR|6.

History

Bracken County was organized as Kentucky's 23rd county in 1796 from parts of Mason and Campbell counties. It is named in honor of William Bracken, an early pioneer and surveyor, who first came to the area in 1773, then settled here. He met his death at an early day at the hands of the Indians. The original county was composed of all the way to southern Nicholas County, north to the Ohio River, west to the Licking River and east to Dover, Kentucky. [http://kentucky.gov/kyhs/hmdb/MarkerSearch.aspx?mode=County&county=12]

Several early settlers were veterans of the American Revolutionary War among them was Capt. Abner Howell, he and his family came from Pennsylvania. He died in Bracken County in 1797.

The county government moved from Augusta to Woodward's Crossing (now Brooksville) in 1833.

Bracken was the birthplace on Sept. 9, 1816 of John Gregg Fee, founder of Berea College and Kentucky'`s most noted abolitionist. He was a graduate of Augusta College and Lane Theological Seminary. In 1822 it was also the site of Augusta College first Methodist College in the world.

Bracken County also is called home by many well known people. Nick Clooney a Cincinnati journalist and former newsanchor, and his wife Nina, live in Augusta, Kentucky. Their famous son, George Clooney, grew up in Augusta, graduated from Augusta High School in 1979 and visits from time to time. Heather French Henry, Miss America 2000, grew up in Augusta and still calls Augusta home. Heather and her husband, former Ky. Lt. Governor Steve Henry, are the curators of the Rosemary Clooney Museum in Augusta, which is the former home of famed actress/singer Rosemary Clooney. Rosemary's most notable film is "White Christmas."

Bracken County played a major role in the movement known as the Underground Railroad. There are several Underground Railroad Sites in the Augusta, Kentucky area. A network of citizens sympathetic to escaping slaves helped them cross the Ohio River to nearby Ripley, Ohio and other points north. [http://www.augustaky.com/articles/page.asp?articleid=5559]

Bracken County's economy was largely agricultural; its chief crops before the American Civil War were tobacco and corn. White burley tobacco, a light, adaptable leaf that revolutionized the industry, was first produced in 1867 from Bracken County seed. [http://www.mykentuckygenealogy.com/ky_county/bra.htm]

Agriculture remains vital to the economy, with farms occupying 83.8 percent of the land area in 1982. Commodities include wheat, hay, and milk. Burley tobacco production in 1988 amounted to 5,406,000 pounds. Agricultural receipts in 1986 totaled $19,158,000. [http://www.mykentuckygenealogy.com/ky_county/bra.htm]

Historic Schools

In Augusta

*Bracken Academy 1790-1820 (Merged with the Methodist College)
*Augusta Methodist College 1820-1845 (Charter Revoked)
*Augusta Male College 1845-1847 (Opens as a public college)
*Augusta Female College 1845-1847 (Opens as a public college in old Academy Building)
*Augusta Male and Female College 1847-1896 (Merge and stay open until shutting down in 1896)

In Brooksville

*Saint James Elementary and High School 1899-1967(High)-1977(Elementary) (Shut high school down because of lack of students, Elementary lack of funds)
*Brooksville Independent-Graded School District 1899-1925 (Becomes part of Bracken County Schools in 1925 as a sub district, shut down in 1946, school renamed Bracken County High School)

In Germantown

*Germantown College 1860-1899
*Germantown Independent School 1899-1960 (High)-(Becomes part of Bracken County Schools in 1961-1987)

In Milford

*Milford Graded and High School 1889-1956 (Becomes part of Bracken County Schools in 1956)

In Western Hills

*Western Hills Elementary School (A school in the same district as Bracken County Schools shut down in 1987)

Law and Government

Judge Executives

# Gary Riggs (2007-Present)
# Leslie Newman (2002-2007)
# Dwayne "Pie" Jett (1987-2002)

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 209 square miles (541 km²), of which, 203 square miles (526 km²) of it is land and 6 square miles (15 km²) of it (2.71%) is water.

Adjacent counties

*Clermont County, Ohio (north – across the Ohio River)
*Brown County, Ohio (northeast – across the Ohio River)
*Mason County (east)
*Robertson County (south)
*Harrison County (southwest)
*Pendleton County (west)

Demographics

USCensusPop
1800= 2606
1810= 3706
1820= 5280
1830= 6518
1840= 7053
1850= 8903
1860= 11021
1870= 11409
1880= 13509
1890= 12369
1900= 12137
1910= 10308
1920= 10210
1930= 9616
1940= 9389
1950= 8424
1960= 7422
1970= 7227
1980= 7738
1990= 7766
2000= 8279
estimate=8655
estyear=2006
estref=
footnote=http://ukcc.uky.edu/~census/21023.txt

As of the censusGR|2 of 2000, there were 8,279 people, 3,228 households, and 2,346 families residing in the county. The population density was 41 people per square mile (16/km²). There were 3,715 housing units at an average density of 18 per square mile (7/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 98.48% White, 0.62% Black or African American, 0.25% Native American, 0.06% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.21% from other races, and 0.35% from two or more races. 0.47% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 3,228 households out of which 33.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.30% were married couples living together, 10.70% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.30% were non-families. 23.90% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.30% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.55 and the average family size was 3.00.

In the county the population was spread out with 25.50% under the age of 18, 8.40% from 18 to 24, 29.50% from 25 to 44, 23.00% from 45 to 64, and 13.50% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 98.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.90 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $34,823, and the median income for a family was $40,469. Males had a median income of $31,503 versus $21,139 for females. The per capita income for the county was $16,478. About 7.60% of families and 10.80% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.50% of those under age 18 and 17.30% of those age 65 or over.

Cities and towns

*Augusta
*Brooksville
*Germantown
*Foster

Education

*Augusta Independent Schools in Augusta
*Saint Augustine Elementary School in Augusta
*Bracken County Schools in Brooksville

ee also

References

External links

* [http://www.nkyviews.com/bracken/bracken_county.htm Historical Images and Texts of Bracken County, Kentucky]