Butler County, Kentucky facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Butler County
|
|
|---|---|
Butler County Courthouse in Morgantown
|
|
Location within the U.S. state of Kentucky
|
|
 Kentucky's location within the U.S. |
|
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Kentucky |
| Founded | January 18, 1810 |
| Named for | Richard Butler |
| Seat | Morgantown |
| Largest city | Morgantown |
| Area | |
| • Total | 431 sq mi (1,120 km2) |
| • Land | 426 sq mi (1,100 km2) |
| • Water | 5.4 sq mi (14 km2) 1.2%% |
| Population
(2020)
|
|
| • Total | 12,371 |
| • Estimate
(2023)
|
12,375  |
| • Density | 28.70/sq mi (11.082/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| Congressional district | 2nd |
Butler County is a county in the state of Kentucky, USA. In 2020, about 12,371 people lived there. The main town and county seat is Morgantown. Butler County was created in 1810. It was the 53rd county in Kentucky. The county is part of the Bowling Green area.
Contents
History
Many old archaeological sites are found along the Green River in Butler County. In 1989, experts found fourteen sites. Many of these were shell mounds, like the Carlston Annis and DeWeese Shell Mounds. These mounds show where ancient people lived.
The first settlers in the area were the families of Richard C. Dellium and James Forgy. They started a town called Berry's Lick. The first business there was making salt.
On January 18, 1810, the Kentucky General Assembly officially created Butler County. It was made from parts of Logan and Ohio counties. The county was named after Major General Richard Butler. He died in a battle in 1791. Later that year, a study chose a spot for the county seat. This spot, first called Funkhouser Hill, became Morgantown. Morgantown has been the county seat ever since.
In 1833, a plan started to make the Green River easier for boats to use. Because of this, new towns grew up near Lock/Dam #3 and Lock/Dam #4 on the river.
The American Civil War (1861-1865) slowed down the county's growth. There were a few small fights in Butler County during the war. One fight happened near Morgantown in October 1861. Later, a monument was built at the courthouse. It honors soldiers from both sides of the war. This is one of only two Civil War monuments in Kentucky that remember both Union and Confederate soldiers. The monument was put up in 1907.
Geography
Butler County covers about 431 square miles (1,116 square kilometers). Most of it is land, about 426 square miles (1,103 square kilometers). A small part, about 5.4 square miles (14 square kilometers), is water. The county is in the Western Coal Fields part of Kentucky.
Neighboring Counties
- Ohio County (northwest)
- Grayson County (northeast)
- Edmonson County (east)
- Warren County (southeast)
- Logan County (south)
- Muhlenberg County (west)
Population Information
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1820 | 3,083 | — | |
| 1830 | 3,058 | −0.8% | |
| 1840 | 3,898 | 27.5% | |
| 1850 | 5,755 | 47.6% | |
| 1860 | 7,927 | 37.7% | |
| 1870 | 9,404 | 18.6% | |
| 1880 | 12,181 | 29.5% | |
| 1890 | 13,956 | 14.6% | |
| 1900 | 15,896 | 13.9% | |
| 1910 | 15,805 | −0.6% | |
| 1920 | 15,197 | −3.8% | |
| 1930 | 12,620 | −17.0% | |
| 1940 | 14,371 | 13.9% | |
| 1950 | 11,309 | −21.3% | |
| 1960 | 9,586 | −15.2% | |
| 1970 | 9,723 | 1.4% | |
| 1980 | 11,064 | 13.8% | |
| 1990 | 11,245 | 1.6% | |
| 2000 | 13,010 | 15.7% | |
| 2010 | 12,690 | −2.5% | |
| 2020 | 12,371 | −2.5% | |
| 2023 (est.) | 12,375 | −2.5% | |
| US Decennial Census 1790-1960 1900-1990 1990-2000 2010-2021 |
|||
In 2000, there were 13,010 people living in Butler County. There were 5,059 households, and 3,708 families. About 34.4% of households had children under 18. The average household had 2.52 people. The median age was 36 years old.
Communities
Cities
- Morgantown (county seat)
- Rochester
- Woodbury
Other Communities
- Aberdeen
- Brooklyn
- Davis Crossroads
- Dexterville
- Dunbar
- Gilstrap
- Huldeville
- Huntsville
- Jetson
- Logansport
- Mining City
- Monford
- Needmore
- Neafus
- Provo
- Quality
- Reedyville
- Roundhill
- Silver City
- South Hill
- Sugar Grove
- Welch's (or Welchs) Creek
- Welcome
- Whittinghill
- Youngtown
Transportation
For many years, the Green River was the main way to travel in Butler County. Later, roads became important. Roads like U.S. 231 connected the county to bigger towns. The Green River was no longer used for large boats after 1980. In 1970, the William H. Natcher Parkway (now I-165) was finished. This road connected the area to the national highway system.
Media
Radio and Television
Butler County is part of the Bowling Green area for radio and TV. Local stations from Bowling Green serve the county. Mediacom provides cable TV and internet.
Local Radio Stations
- WLBQ AM 1570 / W268CE FM 101.5 / W278DA FM 103.5
- WKYY FM 99.1
Newspapers and Online News
- Butler County Banner-Republican - a newspaper published every Wednesday.
- BeechTree News - an online news website.
Fun Places and Events
- Charles Black City Park - This park in Morgantown has baseball and soccer fields. It also has basketball and tennis courts. There is a swimming pool too, but you need to pay to use it.
- Cedar Ridge Speedway - This is a place for local car racing. It is near Morgantown.
- Green River Museum - You can visit this museum in Woodbury.
- Big Reedy Christian Camp - This camp is located in Reedyville.
Events
- Green River Catfish Festival - This is an annual event. It happens in late June or early July. It has a carnival, contests, concerts, and tournaments. There is also a fireworks show on July 4th.
Famous People
- Claude C. Bloch (1878–1967) — An Admiral who was in charge at Pearl Harbor during the attack in 1941. He was born in Woodbury.
- Keith Butler — A baseball pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals. He is from Morgantown.
- Thomas Hines — A spy for the Confederates during the Civil War. He later became a judge.
- Don J. Jenkins — A soldier in the Vietnam War who received the Medal of Honor. He was born in Quality.
- John M. Moore — A bishop in the Methodist church. He was born in Morgantown.
- William S. Taylor — He was the Governor of Kentucky from 1899 to 1900. He was born near Morgantown.
- Pendleton Vandiver — A fiddle player and the uncle of famous bluegrass musician Bill Monroe.
- Maurice Thatcher – He was a lawyer and served as Governor of Panama. He was also a U.S. Representative.
Images for kids
-
Butler County Courthouse in Morgantown
See also
In Spanish: Condado de Butler (Kentucky) para niños
