Madisonville, Kentucky facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Madisonville, Kentucky
|
|||
|---|---|---|---|
Hopkins County Courthouse and Confederate Monument in Madisonville
|
|||
|
|||
| Nickname(s):
"Best Town on Earth"
|
|||
Location of Madisonville in Hopkins County, Kentucky.
|
|||
| Country | United States | ||
| State | Kentucky | ||
| County | Hopkins | ||
| Incorporated | 1807 | ||
| Named for | James Madison | ||
| Area | |||
| • Total | 18.66 sq mi (48.33 km2) | ||
| • Land | 17.87 sq mi (46.27 km2) | ||
| • Water | 0.80 sq mi (2.06 km2) | ||
| Elevation | 470 ft (144 m) | ||
| Population
(2020)
|
|||
| • Total | 19,542 | ||
| • Estimate
(2022)
|
19,214 | ||
| • Density | 1,093.81/sq mi (422.32/km2) | ||
| Time zone | UTC−6 (CST) | ||
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) | ||
| ZIP code |
42431
|
||
| Area code(s) | 270 & 364 270 | ||
| FIPS code | 21-49368 | ||
| GNIS feature ID | 0497441 | ||
Madisonville is a city in Kentucky, United States. It is the main city of Hopkins County, Kentucky. Madisonville is located along Interstate 69. This area is known as the Western Coal Fields region.
In 2020, about 19,542 people lived in Madisonville. The city is an important business hub for the area. It is also home to Madisonville Community College.
Contents
History of Madisonville
Madisonville was started in 1807. It was named after James Madison, who was then the Secretary of State. In 1808, it became the main town for Hopkins County, Kentucky. The city was officially made a town in 1810.
The Civil War Era
During the American Civil War, people in Hopkins County and Madisonville had different loyalties. Some supported the Union, while others joined the Confederate side. On December 17, 1864, Confederate soldiers burned down the courthouse in Madisonville. This happened as they moved through western Kentucky.
Growth and Industry
For most of the 1800s, farming was the main job in Hopkins County. Tobacco was the most important crop grown. Around 1837, people found coal in the area. The first coal mine opened in the county in 1869.
Coal mining became a big industry after 1870. This was when the Louisville and Nashville Railroad built a train line through Madisonville. By the early 1900s, Madisonville was a busy train center. It was also a major coal mining town and had a large tobacco market. This continued until the 1960s. Then, new factories and service jobs came to the area.
Recent Storms
Madisonville has experienced severe weather events. On November 15, 2005, a tornado hit the city. It caused a lot of damage, especially near the Madisonville Country Club. The home of famous basketball player Frank Ramsey was destroyed. The mayor declared a state of emergency.
In January 2009, a big ice storm affected Madisonville. Many homes and trees were damaged. Power outages lasted for weeks for many residents. Power companies from other states helped to restore electricity.
Geography and Climate
Madisonville is located at 37°19′58″N 87°30′8″W / 37.33278°N 87.50222°W. It is about 125 miles southwest of Louisville.
The city covers about 18.5 square miles (48 square kilometers). Most of this area is land, with a small part being water.
Climate Information
The weather in Madisonville has hot, humid summers. Winters are usually mild to cool. The city has a humid subtropical climate. This means it gets plenty of rain all year round.
Population Facts
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1810 | 37 | — | |
| 1830 | 112 | — | |
| 1840 | 51 | −54.5% | |
| 1860 | 604 | — | |
| 1870 | 1,022 | 69.2% | |
| 1880 | 1,544 | 51.1% | |
| 1890 | 2,212 | 43.3% | |
| 1900 | 3,628 | 64.0% | |
| 1910 | 4,966 | 36.9% | |
| 1920 | 5,030 | 1.3% | |
| 1930 | 6,908 | 37.3% | |
| 1940 | 8,209 | 18.8% | |
| 1950 | 11,132 | 35.6% | |
| 1960 | 13,110 | 17.8% | |
| 1970 | 15,332 | 16.9% | |
| 1980 | 16,979 | 10.7% | |
| 1990 | 16,200 | −4.6% | |
| 2000 | 19,307 | 19.2% | |
| 2010 | 19,591 | 1.5% | |
| 2020 | 19,542 | −0.3% | |
| 2022 (est.) | 19,214 | −1.9% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
In 2000, there were 19,307 people living in Madisonville. There were 8,077 households and 5,330 families. About 30% of households had children under 18. The average household had 2.31 people.
The population was spread out by age. About 23.9% were under 18 years old. The median age was 39 years. This means half the people were younger than 39, and half were older.
Economy and Jobs
Madisonville is an important manufacturing center for western Kentucky. Its location near major roads helps with this. Factories and industrial production have helped the local economy grow. This happened after coal mining became less important.
Many companies have operations in the area. These include GE Aviation, Jennmar, International Automotive Components Group (IAC), and Carhartt.
Healthcare Services
The Regional Medical Center (RMC) and Trover Clinic were built in the 1970s. RMC is now called Baptist Health Madisonville. It is a large hospital with 410 beds. It offers many services, like a cancer center. These services are often found in bigger cities.
Education in Madisonville
Most of Madisonville and Hopkins County are part of the Hopkins County School District. This district has many schools for different age groups.
Local Schools
There are eight elementary schools in the district. These include Grapevine Elementary and West Broadway Elementary. There are also four middle schools, such as Browning Springs Middle School. For high school, students attend Hopkins County Central High School or Madisonville North Hopkins High School.
Higher Education
Madisonville is home to Madisonville Community College. This college joined with Madisonville Technical College in 2001. It is part of the Kentucky Community and Technical College System.
The college also works with other universities. These include Murray State University and the University of Kentucky. Because of these partnerships, the college offers many degrees. Some of these degrees are usually only found at universities.
Madisonville also has a public library. It is a branch of the Hopkins County-Madisonville Public Library.
Transportation
Interstate 69 runs through the eastern side of Madisonville. This highway connects to other major roads like I-24. The Western Kentucky Parkway is also nearby. It connects to I-69 and other parkways.
Besides roads, train lines also run through Madisonville. These include CSX Transportation and Paducah & Louisville Railway. The Madisonville Municipal Airport has a long runway for planes.
Sister City
Since 2012, Madisonville has been a sister city with Dongying, China. This means they have a special friendship and cultural exchange.
Notable people
- Leva Bates, professional wrestler
- Jeremy Clark, NFL player
- Odessa Grady Clay, mother of three-time World Heavyweight Champion Muhammad Ali
- Sonny Collins, college football and NFL player
- Mark Dever, senior pastor of Capitol Hill Baptist Church and president of 9Marks
- Gary Dulin, college football and NFL player
- Travis Ford, college basketball player and coach
- The Happy Goodman Family, Southern gospel family group, including founding members Vestal Goodman, Howard Goodman, Charles "Rusty" Goodman, and Sam Goodman
- Demetrious Johnson, UFC flyweight champion
- Polk Laffoon, former U.S. congressman
- Ruby Laffoon, governor of Kentucky, 1931–1935
- Tim Maypray, professional football player
- Justin Miller, professional football player
- Byron Parker, professional football player
- Dottie Rambo, gospel singer/songwriter
- Frank Ramsey, Hall of Fame basketball player
- Jimmy Roberts, singer with The Lawrence Welk Show, 1954–1982
See also
In Spanish: Madisonville (Kentucky) para niños
