Fulton, Kentucky facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Fulton, Kentucky
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Downtown Fulton
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Location of Fulton in Fulton County, Kentucky.
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| Country | United States |
| State | Kentucky |
| County | Fulton |
| Area | |
| • Total | 2.98 sq mi (7.72 km2) |
| • Land | 2.89 sq mi (7.49 km2) |
| • Water | 0.09 sq mi (0.23 km2) |
| Elevation | 361 ft (110 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 2,357 |
| • Estimate
(2022)
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2,301 |
| • Density | 814.73/sq mi (314.62/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP code |
42041
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| Area code(s) | 270 & 364 |
| FIPS code | 21-29566 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0492615 |
Fulton is a home rule-class city in Fulton County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 2,357 at the 2020 census, down from 2,445 at the 2010 census. It was once known as the "Banana Capital of the World", because 70% of imported bananas to the U.S. used to be shipped through the city. Fulton is part of the Union City-Hickman, TN–KY Micropolitan Statistical Area.
Contents
History
A post office was established in the community, then known as "Pontotoc", in 1847. The post office was renamed "Fulton" in 1861. It was formally incorporated by the state assembly in 1872. Fulton Station was located on the Paducah and Gulf Railroad, which stimulated growth in the county.
In the late 19th century, Ben M. Bogard, later the founder of the American Baptist Association in Texarkana, Texas, and long-time pastor of Antioch Missionary Baptist Church in Little Rock, Arkansas, served as a pastor in Fulton, where he was part of the Landmark Baptist movement. In the first decade of the 20th century, the Southern Baptist clergyman Monroe E. Dodd began his long ministry at a church in Fulton. For many years afterward, he was the pastor of First Baptist Church of Shreveport, Louisiana.
Banana Capital of the World
The United Fruit Co., now Chiquita, began shipping bananas from South America by steamship to New Orleans. The bananas were loaded onto railcars on top of 162-pound (73 kg) blocks of ice for the trip north. Fulton had the only ice house on the route north to Chicago. The bananas were re-iced with blocks from the Fulton Ice Plant, now closed. Empty railcars were pulled up to the side of the ice house, and the large blocks of ice were loaded end up, covering the entire box car. The bananas were laid on top of the ice to continue their journey. At one point, more than 70% of the bananas that were consumed in the US passed through Fulton.
From 1962 through 1992, Fulton held the annual International Banana Festival. The largest banana pudding in the world at 2,000 pounds (910 kg) was part of the banana parade. Since the early 21st century, the festival has been revived, including a contest for the largest banana pudding.
Geography
Fulton is located in the southeast corner of Fulton County at 36°30′33″N 88°52′44″W / 36.50917°N 88.87889°W (36.509156, -88.878768). Its southern border is the state line, across which is the city of South Fulton, Tennessee. According to the United States Census Bureau, Fulton has a total area of 2.9 square miles (7.6 km2), of which 2.9 square miles (7.4 km2) is land and 0.1 square miles (0.2 km2), or 2.95%, is water.
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1880 | 826 | — | |
| 1890 | 1,818 | 120.1% | |
| 1900 | 2,860 | 57.3% | |
| 1910 | 2,575 | −10.0% | |
| 1920 | 3,415 | 32.6% | |
| 1930 | 3,502 | 2.5% | |
| 1940 | 3,308 | −5.5% | |
| 1950 | 3,224 | −2.5% | |
| 1960 | 3,265 | 1.3% | |
| 1970 | 3,250 | −0.5% | |
| 1980 | 3,137 | −3.5% | |
| 1990 | 3,078 | −1.9% | |
| 2000 | 2,775 | −9.8% | |
| 2010 | 2,445 | −11.9% | |
| 2020 | 2,357 | −3.6% | |
| 2022 (est.) | 2,301 | −5.9% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
2020 census
| Race | Num. | Perc. |
|---|---|---|
| White | 1,476 | 62.62% |
| Black or African American | 641 | 27.2% |
| Native American | 4 | 0.17% |
| Asian | 15 | 0.64% |
| Pacific Islander | 3 | 0.13% |
| Other/Mixed | 174 | 7.38% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 44 | 1.87% |
As of the 2020 United States Census, there were 2,357 people, 1,004 households, and 646 families residing in the city.
Transportation
Rail
Amtrak, the national passenger rail system, provides service to Fulton. Fulton is one of only four cities in Kentucky with passenger rail service by Amtrak. The station is unmonitored and served by the City of New Orleans route running between New Orleans and Chicago.
Sports and recreation
Fulton was longtime home minor league baseball. The Fulton Railroaders, played as members of the Kentucky-Illinois-Tennessee League, between 1911 and 1955. In 2005, the "Fulton Railroaders" nickname returned, as today Fulton hosts the summer collegiate baseball team, currently playing as members of the Ohio Valley League. The current Railroaders play their home games at Lohaus Field.
Education
Fulton has a public library, a branch of the Fulton County Public Library.
See also
In Spanish: Fulton (Kentucky) para niños
