Ballard County, Kentucky

Ballard County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of the 2010 census, the population was 8,249.[1] Its county seat is Wickliffe.[2] The county was created by the Kentucky State Legislature in 1842 and is named for Captain Bland Ballard, a soldier, statesman, and member of the Kentucky General Assembly.[3] Ballard is now, as of late 2017, a wet county.

Ballard County
U.S. county
Location within the U.S. state of Kentucky
Kentucky's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 37°04′N 89°00′W
Country United States
State Kentucky
Founded1842
Named forBland Ballard
SeatWickliffe
Largest cityLaCenter
Area
 • Total274 sq mi (710 km2)
 • Land247 sq mi (640 km2)
 • Water27 sq mi (70 km2)  9.9%%
Population
 • Estimate 
(2018)
7,979
 • Density33/sq mi (13/km2)
Time zoneUTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district1st
Websitewww.ballardcounty.ky.gov

Ballard County is part of the Paducah, KY-IL Micropolitan Statistical Area.

History

Ballard County was formed from portions of Hickman County and McCracken County. It was named for Bland Ballard (1761–1853), a Kentucky pioneer and soldier who served as a scout for General George Rogers Clark during the American Revolutionary War, and later commanded a company during the War of 1812. On February 17, 1880, the courthouse was destroyed by a fire, which also destroyed most of the county's early records.[4] The county seat was transferred from Blandville to Wickliffe in 1882.[5]

Geography
Fort Jefferson Memorial Cross at the Confluence in Wickliffe

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 274 square miles (710 km2), of which 247 square miles (640 km2) is land and 27 square miles (70 km2) (9.9%) is water.[6]

State protected area

Axe Lake Swamp State Nature Preserve is a 458 acres (1.85 km2) nature preserve located in Ballard County, in the Barlow Bottoms. The preserve is part of the 3,000-acre (12 km2) Axe Lake Swamp wetlands complex which supports at least eight rare plant and animal species. The site has been recognized as a priority wetland in the North American Waterfowl Management Plan.[7]

Adjacent counties

Demographics
Historical population
CensusPop.%±
18505,496—
18608,69258.2%
187012,57644.7%
188014,37814.3%
18908,390−41.6%
190010,76128.3%
191012,69017.9%
192012,045−5.1%
19309,910−17.7%
19409,480−4.3%
19508,545−9.9%
19608,291−3.0%
19708,276−0.2%
19808,7986.3%
19907,902−10.2%
20008,2864.9%
20108,249−0.4%
2018 (est.)7,979[8]−3.3%
U.S. Decennial Census[9]
1790-1960[10] 1900-1990[11]
1990-2000[12] 2010-2013[1]

As of the census[13] of 2000, there were 8,286 people, 3,395 households, and 2,413 families residing in the county. The population density was 33 per square mile (13/km2). There were 3,837 housing units at an average density of 15 per square mile (5.8/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 95.32% White, 2.87% Black or African American, 0.08% Native American, 0.18% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.08% from other races, and 1.44% from two or more races. 0.63% of the population were Hispanics or Latinos of any race.

There were 3,395 households, out of which 30.70% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.60% were married couples living together, 8.00% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.90% were non-families. 25.80% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.70% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 2.85.

The age distribution was 23.10% under the age of 18, 7.60% from 18 to 24, 27.70% from 25 to 44, 25.40% from 45 to 64, and 16.20% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.00 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $32,130, and the median income for a family was $41,386. Males had a median income of $32,345 versus $20,902 for females. The per capita income for the county was $19,035. About 10.70% of families and 13.60% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.30% of those under age 18 and 15.40% of those age 65 or over.

Politics

Voter registration
Ballard County Voter Registration & Party Enrollment as of November 17, 2015[14]
Political Party Total Voters Percentage
Democratic 4,671 73.37%
Republican 1,402 22.02%
Others 227 3.57%
Independent 57 0.90%
Libertarian 5 0.08%
Green 2 0.03%
Total 6,366 100%

Statewide elections
Presidential elections results
Presidential elections results[15]
Year Republican Democratic Third parties
2020 79.4% 3,356 19.5% 825 1.0% 44
2016 77.1% 3,161 19.9% 816 3.0% 124
2012 68.0% 2,647 30.5% 1,189 1.5% 59
2008 62.5% 2,537 35.2% 1,427 2.4% 96
2004 57.2% 2,389 42.1% 1,759 0.7% 29
2000 48.4% 1,824 49.9% 1,880 1.8% 66
1996 28.4% 1,064 60.3% 2,255 11.3% 423
1992 28.6% 1,108 58.5% 2,268 13.0% 504
1988 40.2% 1,460 59.6% 2,162 0.2% 7
1984 45.1% 1,663 54.3% 2,002 0.5% 20
1980 31.1% 1,190 67.5% 2,583 1.4% 53
1976 17.6% 649 75.7% 2,794 6.8% 250
1972 49.9% 1,542 45.7% 1,411 4.4% 136
1968 16.4% 564 47.4% 1,632 36.2% 1,248
1964 15.2% 519 84.1% 2,867 0.7% 23
1960 29.0% 1,121 71.0% 2,746 0.0% 0
1956 21.3% 838 78.5% 3,088 0.3% 10
1952 22.6% 851 77.3% 2,910 0.2% 6
1948 14.0% 454 83.6% 2,702 2.4% 78
1944 18.3% 637 81.5% 2,845 0.3% 9
1940 19.1% 758 80.9% 3,212 0.0% 1
1936 18.0% 773 81.9% 3,523 0.2% 7
1932 12.5% 572 87.0% 3,987 0.6% 25
1928 24.5% 940 75.4% 2,896 0.1% 3
1924 19.2% 767 78.2% 3,128 2.6% 104
1920 21.2% 1,107 76.5% 3,987 2.3% 119
1916 23.1% 692 74.0% 2,222 2.9% 88
1912 21.5% 555 66.2% 1,706 12.3% 316
Previous gubernatorial elections results
Year Republican Democratic Third parties
2015 55.20% 1,312 41.65% 990 3.16% 75
2011 35.80% 773 59.01% 1,274 5.19% 112
2007 34.09% 927 65.91% 1,792 0.00% 0
2003 46.53% 1,433 53.47% 1,647 0.00% 0
1999 6.70% 99 83.28% 1,230 10.02% 148
1995 32.30% 938 67.46% 1,959 0.24% 7

Communities

Cities

Census-designated places

Other unincorporated communities

Notable people
  • Morris E. Crain, Medal of Honor recipient for his bravery during World War II
  • Kenny Rollins, an American basketball player who was a member of the University of Kentucky's "Fab Five" who won the 1948 NCAA Championship, the 1948 gold medal-winning U.S. Olympic Team, and the NBA's Chicago Stags and Boston Celtics
  • Oscar Turner (1825–1896), state senator, U. S. representative and namesake of Oscar, Kentucky
  • Earl Grace, Major League Baseball catcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Philadelphia Phillies, and Chicago Cubs[16]

See also

References
  1. "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on July 6, 2011. Retrieved March 5, 2014.
  2. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  3. E., Kleber, John; Kentucky, University Press of; Policy, Institute for Regional Analysis and Public; Library, Camden-Carroll; University, Morehead State (January 1, 2000). "The Kentucky Encyclopedia". kyenc.org. Retrieved December 29, 2016.
  4. "Ballard County, Kentucky Genealogy and History". genealogytrails.com. Retrieved December 29, 2016.
  5. Hogan, Roseann Reinemuth (1992). Kentucky Ancestry: A Guide to Genealogical and Historical Research. Ancestry Publishing. p. 189. Retrieved July 26, 2013.
  6. "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Archived from the original on August 12, 2014. Retrieved August 12, 2014.
  7. Axe Lake Swamp State Nature Preserve web site Archived September 25, 2006, at the Wayback Machine URL accessed on 20 August 2006.
  8. "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". Retrieved July 26, 2019.
  9. "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 12, 2014.
  10. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved August 12, 2014.
  11. "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 12, 2014.
  12. "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 12, 2014.
  13. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  14. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on November 26, 2014. Retrieved November 28, 2014.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  15. Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved June 29, 2018.
  16. "Earl Grace". baseball-reference.com. Baseball-reference.com. Retrieved December 31, 2019.

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