Fleming-Neon, Kentucky facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Fleming-Neon, Kentucky
City
Fleming-Neon
Location in Letcher County, Kentucky
Country	United States
State	Kentucky
County	Letcher
Established (merger)	July 7, 1977
Government
• Type	Mayor-Council
Area
• Total	1.62 sq mi (4.18 km2)
• Land	1.61 sq mi (4.18 km2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation	1,391 ft (424 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	548
• Density	339.32/sq mi (131.03/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code	41840
Area code(s)	606
FIPS code	21-27846
GNIS feature ID	1681811

Fleming-Neon, often called Neon, is a small city in Letcher County, Kentucky, in the United States. In 2010, about 770 people lived there. This number was a bit lower than the 840 people who lived there in 2000. By 2020, the population was 548.

History of Fleming-Neon

How the City Started

Fleming-Neon was first created by the Elkhorn Coal Corporation. This company moved into the area in 1913. The part of the city called Fleming was where the coal mine was located. It was named after the company's first president, George W. Fleming.

The Story of Neon

Near Fleming, there was a small town called "Chip." This town grew quickly and became a busy place for trading goods with nearby coal towns. Trains would carry coal from Fleming and stop in the area that became Neon. A local story says that train conductors would tell people getting on the train to "Knee On." Over time, this phrase changed into "Neon," and that became the new name for the town, replacing "Chip."

Joining Two Towns Together

In 1977, the two towns, Fleming and Neon, officially joined together. This happened when the General Assembly made them one city, which they named Fleming-Neon.

Geography of Fleming-Neon

Fleming-Neon is located in the eastern part of Letcher County. It is near the coordinates 37°11′40″N 82°42′21″W. The community of McRoberts is right next to it on the east side. Whitesburg, which is the main town of the county, is about 12 miles (19 km) to the southwest.

The city of Fleming-Neon covers a total area of about 1.62 square miles (4.2 square kilometers). Most of this area is land, with only a very small amount of water. The city is located in the valleys of Wrights Fork and Yonts Fork. These are small streams that flow into the North Fork of the Kentucky River.

Population Changes in Fleming-Neon

In the year 2000, there were 840 people living in Fleming-Neon. These people lived in 351 households, and 244 of these were families. The city had about 339 people per square mile (131 people per square kilometer).

The population of Fleming-Neon has changed over the years:

In 2000, about 23.5% of the people were under 18 years old. About 18.1% were 65 years old or older. The average age of people in the city was 41 years.

Education in Fleming-Neon

Fleming-Neon High School

Fleming-Neon High School served the area for about 80 years. It was built in 1925 by the Elkhorn Coal Corporation. The school was created to provide education for the children of the coal miners. The school's mascot was a pirate, and its colors were purple and gold.

School Building and Consolidation

The original school building was destroyed by a fire on February 11, 1958. After the fire, students attended classes in the evenings at the Fleming-Neon Elementary School. A new high school building was then built in the same spot. Classes continued there until June 6, 2005. The class of 2005 was the last to graduate from Fleming-Neon High School. This was because the school joined with two other county schools, Whitesburg High School and Letcher High School. Together, they formed the new Letcher County Central High School.

Notable People from Fleming-Neon

• Martha Carson, a famous singer
• Jean Chapel, another well-known singer
• Johnny Cox, a professional basketball player for the Chicago Zephyrs
• Hoover Dawahare, a successful businessman and politician

See also

In Spanish: Fleming-Neon (Kentucky) para niños