Cumberland, Kentucky

Cumberland, Kentucky
—  City  —
Location of Cumberland, Kentucky
Coordinates: 36°58′37″N 82°59′15″W / 36.97694°N 82.9875°W / 36.97694; -82.9875Coordinates: 36°58′37″N 82°59′15″W / 36.97694°N 82.9875°W / 36.97694; -82.9875
Country	United States
State	Kentucky
County	Harlan
Area
– Total	4.6 sq mi (11.9 km2)
– Land	4.6 sq mi (11.9 km2)
– Water	0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2)
Elevation	1,444 ft (440 m)
Population (2000)
– Total	2,611
– Density	570.5/sq mi (220.3/km2)
Time zone	Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
– Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP code	40823
Area code(s)	606
FIPS code	21-19108
GNIS feature ID	0511673

Cumberland is a city in Harlan County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 2,611 at the 2000 census and was estimated at 2,291 in 2007.

History

Cumberland was settled in 1826 and named Poor Fork. It remained isolated until the coal mining boom of the 1900s when railroads connected it with surrounding towns. It was renamed Cumberland in 1926.

Geography

Cumberland is located at 36°58′37″N 82°59′15″W / 36.97694°N 82.9875°W / 36.97694; -82.9875 (36.977016, -82.987434)^[1].

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 4.6 square miles (12 km²), of which 4.6 square miles (12 km²) is land and 0.22% is water.

Demographics

Historical populations
Census	Pop.		%±
1920	300		—
1930	2,639		779.7%
1940	4,149		57.2%
1950	4,249		2.4%
1960	4,271		0.5%
1970	3,317		−22.3%
1980	3,712		11.9%
1990	3,116		−16.1%
2000	2,611		−16.2%
Est. 2008	2,352	[2]	−9.9%
U.S. Census Bureau[3]

As of the census^[4] of 2000, there were 2,611 people, 1,076 households, and 723 families residing in the city. The population density was 570.5 people per square mile (220.1/km²). There were 1,288 housing units at an average density of 281.4 per square mile (108.6/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 93.60% White, 5.09% African American, 0.50% Native American, 0.04% Asian, 0.04% from other races, and 0.73% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 0.84% of the population.

There were 1,076 households out of which 31.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.7% were married couples living together, 16.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.8% were non-families. 31.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.95.

The age distribution was 25.5% under the age of 18, 9.2% from 18 to 24, 25.5% from 25 to 44, 22.1% from 45 to 64, and 17.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 87.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.6 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $15,929, and the median income for a family was $22,365. Males had a median income of $34,327 versus $13,750 for females. The per capita income for the city was $9,835. About 31.5% of families and 38.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 56.3% of those under age 18 and 19.5% of those age 65 or over.

Higher Educational Institutions

Cumberland is home to the main campus of Southeast Kentucky Community and Technical College, part of the Kentucky Community and Technical College System.

Libraries

Cumberland is home to Rebecca Caudill Public Library. The library was first established in 1965 in an old store building located on Myers St. in Cumberland, Kentucky. It was funded by the State Department of Libraries. When the library was opened it was named in honor of a local author, Rebecca Caudill. In 1972, the Cumberland Branch moved to a newly constructed building, located on Main St., funded by state library funds. In 1995, an addition to this construction was completed. Project funds were provided by an LSCA Grant through the Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives, the Harlan County Library District and gifts. Rebecca Caudill Public Library is a branch of the Harlan County Public Libraries.

Attractions and Parks

Cumberland is home to Kingdom Come State Park, which features a lake, gift shop, camp sites putt-putt golf, paddleboating, picnic facilities, primitive camping, hiking trials, and an amphitheatre. The park is also home to natural rock formations including Raven Rock and Log Rock. The park also is home to two overlooks that provide scenic views of the Appalachian Mountains.

Festivals

Cumberland is home to the annual Kingdom Come Swappin' Meetin', a festival honoring Appalachian history, folklore, and products. The festival is held on the campus of Southeast Kentucky Community and Technical College in Cumberland. The festival includes live demonstrations of Appalachian methods and traditions. The most recent of festivals is the annual Black Bear Festival which is in honor of the popular black bears at Kingdom Come State Park

Kingdom Come State Park is operated by park manager Ricky C. Fuller.

Southeast Community and Technical College - Cumberland campus holds a free of charge, annual concert featuring local talent. The event is called Crawdad-O-Ween and is held each Halloween in Cumberland.

References

1. ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/gazette.html. Retrieved 2011-04-23. 
2. ^ KSDC 2008 City Population Estimates Retrieved on 2010-2-12
3. ^ Census Bureau Retrieved on 2010-2-12
4. ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31. 

Further reading

• Caudill, Harry M., Night Comes to the Cumberlands (1963). ISBN 0-316-13212-8