Clark County, Kentucky facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Clark County
U.S. county
Clark County Courthouse in Winchester
Location within the U.S. state of Kentucky
Kentucky's location within the U.S.
Country	United States
State	Kentucky
Founded	1792
Named for	George Rogers Clark
Seat	Winchester
Largest city	Winchester
Area
• Total	255 sq mi (660 km2)
• Land	252 sq mi (650 km2)
• Water	2.7 sq mi (7 km2)  1.1%%
Population  (2020)
• Total	36,972
• Estimate  (2023)	37,304
• Density	144.99/sq mi (55.98/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district	6th

Clark County is a place in Kentucky, a state in the United States. It's called a county, which is like a smaller area within a state. In 2020, about 36,972 people lived here. The main town, or county seat, is Winchester.

Clark County was started in 1792. It was named after George Rogers Clark, a hero from the American Revolutionary War. This county is also part of the larger Lexington-Fayette area.

History of Clark County

People from Europe started settling in this area around 1753. Many early pioneers traveled through Fort Boonesborough. This fort was in nearby Madison County, Kentucky. From there, they set up permanent homes in Clark County.

About nineteen pioneer stations (small settlements) were built here. This happened during the American Revolution. Some of these included Strode's Station (1779) near Winchester. There was also McGee's Station (around 1780) near Becknerville.

One early group of settlers was forty Baptist families. They were led by Capt. William Bush. They settled on Lower Howard's Creek in 1775. In 1793, they built the Old Stone Meeting House. Another group started the Tracy settlement. They built a church in the 1790s.

After the threat from Native Americans ended, businesses and farms grew. Wharfs were built along the Kentucky River. These were used to load flatboats with goods. In the early 1800s, farmers in Clark County started bringing in European livestock.

Industries like distilleries (where drinks are made) and mills (where grain is ground) did well. By 1820, many of these businesses moved closer to Winchester.

Clark County was first part of Bourbon County, Virginia, in 1785. That original Bourbon County was much bigger than today's Bourbon County. It included land that is now many different counties in Kentucky.

Some famous people lived in early Clark County. These included Governor Charles Scott (1808–1812). Also, Governor James Clark (1836–1839) lived here. Jane Lampton Clemens, the mother of writer Mark Twain, was also from here. So was the sculptor Joel T. Hart.

The American Civil War divided the county. About 1,000 men from Clark County joined either the Confederate or Union armies. Confederate General John Hunt Morgan rode his cavalry through the county. He led raids in both 1862 and 1864.

Railroads came to Clark County in the late 1800s. The Elizabethtown, Lexington & Big Sandy Railroad arrived in 1873. The Kentucky Central came in 1881. These railroads helped Winchester become a center for travel, business, and education. They also led to smaller towns growing up, like Ford.

After the Civil War and up to World War II, farming changed a lot. Clark County's shorthorn cattle could not compete with cattle from the West. So, many farmers started growing burley tobacco instead. Hemp, used to make rope, also faced competition. It almost disappeared as a crop around World War I. However, it came back during World War II. A processing plant was built in the county. But when the war ended, hemp farming stopped again.

In the 1950s and 1960s, more industries moved to the county. Most of them settled around Winchester. New highways like I-64 helped this growth. By 1986, about 25% of jobs were in manufacturing. Another 25% of people worked in other counties, like nearby Fayette. Clark County is still a rich farming area today. Farms cover 95% of the land.

Clark County is famous for being the home of Beer Cheese. This tasty spread is becoming popular across the country. Winchester hosts an annual Beer Cheese Festival to celebrate this special Kentucky treat.

Geography of Clark County

Clark County covers about 255 square miles. Most of this is land, with a small amount of water. The land is gently rolling. Tobacco is a main farm crop here. Livestock, like cows, are also raised.

Important water sources include the Kentucky River, Red River, Lulbegrud Creek, and Boone's Creek. Lulbegrud Creek got its name from Lorbrulgrud. This was a city of giants in Jonathan Swift's book, Gulliver's Travels.

Counties Nearby

• Bourbon County (north)
• Montgomery County (northeast)
• Powell County (southeast)
• Estill County (southeast)
• Madison County (southwest)
• Fayette County (northwest)

Population Information

In 2000, there were 33,144 people living in Clark County. There were 13,015 households, which are groups of people living together. About 9,553 of these were families.

The population density was about 130 people per square mile. Most people in the county (about 93.6%) were White. About 4.77% were Black or African American. Other groups made up smaller parts of the population.

In 2000, about 33.4% of households had children under 18 living there. About 57.9% were married couples. The average household had 2.51 people. The average family had 2.95 people.

The population was spread out by age. About 24.8% were under 18 years old. About 30.3% were between 25 and 44 years old. About 12.4% were 65 years or older. The average age was 37 years.

Towns and Communities

Cities

• Winchester (This is the main town, or county seat)

Unincorporated communities

• Becknerville
• Bloomingdale
• Colby
• Combs Ferry
• Ford
• Goffs Corner
• Lyndale
• Pilot View
• Trapp

See also

In Spanish: Condado de Clark (Kentucky) para niños