Leslie County, Kentucky facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Leslie County
U.S. county
Leslie County courthouse in Hyden
Flag
Location within the U.S. state of Kentucky
Kentucky's location within the U.S.
Country	United States
State	Kentucky
Founded	1878
Named for	Preston Leslie
Seat	Hyden
Largest city	Hyden
Area
• Total	404 sq mi (1,050 km2)
• Land	401 sq mi (1,040 km2)
• Water	3.6 sq mi (9 km2)  0.9%
Population  (2020)
• Total	10,513
• Estimate  (2023)	9,864
• Density	26.02/sq mi (10.047/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district	5th

Leslie County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. Its county seat and largest city is Hyden. As of the 2020 census, the population was 10,513. It was formed in 1878 from portions of Clay, Harlan, and Perry counties, and named for Preston Leslie, governor of Kentucky from 1871 to 1875.

History

Leslie County was formed in 1878 from portions of Clay, Harlan, and Perry counties, and named for governor Preston Leslie. Its county seat, Hyden, is named for state senator John Hyden, who was one of the commissioners that helped form the county.

On December 30, 1970, a blast occurred at the Finley Mine on Hurricane Creek. The blast resulted in the deaths of 38 men. Following the recovery of bodies, an investigation revealed a failure to enforce new safety laws. Traces of dynamite and Primacord, were found inside the mine.

After resigning the presidency, Richard Nixon made his first public appearance, in July 1978, at the Leslie County dedication of a recreation facility named for him. County Judge-Executive C. Allen Muncy claimed the Nixon invitation prompted the U.S. Department of Justice to obtain indictments of him and his associates on vote-fraud charges; while on appeal for his conviction, he won renomination in the Republican primary but lost the 1981 general election to independent Kermit Keen.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 404 square miles (1,050 km²), of which 401 square miles (1,040 km²) is land and 3.6 square miles (9.3 km²) (0.9%) is water.

Adjacent counties

• Perry County (northeast)
• Harlan County (southeast)
• Bell County (southwest)
• Clay County (west)

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 12,401 people, 4,885 households, and 3,668 families residing in the county. The population density was 31 per square mile (12/km²). There were 5,502 housing units at an average density of 14 per square mile (5.4/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 97.18% White, 0.07% Black or African American, 0.09% Native American, 0.12% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.05% from other races, and 0.50% from two or more races; 0.62% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 4,885 households, out of which 35.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.30% were married couples living together, 12.90% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.90% were non-families. 22.40% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.70% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.52 and the average family size was 2.94.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 24.60% under the age of 18, 9.20% from 18 to 24, 30.90% from 25 to 44, 23.90% from 45 to 64, and 11.50% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 95.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.20 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $18,546, and the median income for a family was $22,225. Males had a median income of $28,708 versus $18,080 for females. The per capita income for the county was $10,429. About 30.20% of families and 32.70% of the population were below the poverty line, including 38.80% of those under age 18 and 27.00% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

Coal companies in Leslie County

• James River Coal Company

Infrastructure

Transportation

Public transportation is provided by LKLP Community Action Partnership with demand-response service and scheduled service from Hyden to Hazard.

Communities

City

• Hyden (county seat)

Unincorporated communities

Notable people

• Elmer Begley, secretary of state of Kentucky from 1968 to 1970
• Roger Bowling, songwriter
• Hugh X. Lewis, country music singer-songwriter
• William Lewis, former U.S. Representative from Kentucky
• Bobby Osborne, bluegrass musician
• Sonny Osborne, bluegrass musician
• Willie Sandlin, soldier in the U.S. Army who received the Medal of Honor for his actions in World War I

See also

In Spanish: Condado de Leslie para niños