Fountain Run, Kentucky

Fountain Run is located at 36°43′17″N 85°57′41″W (36.721319, -85.961398).[3] It is located in Monroe County near the point where Allen, Monroe, and Barren Counties come together.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 1.0 square mile (2.6 km²), all of it land.

Fountain Run was originally called “Jamestown.” The order establishing Jamestown on 50 acres of land owned by Jacob Goodman, Sr. was entered in Barren County Court Order Book #4 during November Court, 1816.[4] Jamestown, located in Monroe County after 1820, appears in public records and on maps with this name through the Civil War.[5] The name was changed to “Fountain Run” for the new post office (1856) [6] because of “Jamestown,” already established as the county seat of Russell County.

Fountain Run was formally incorporated by the Kentucky Legislature in 1908.[7]

Although not historically recorded as such, the name of “Fountain Run” is generally believed to refer to the town's spring and stream branch,[8][9] perhaps reminiscent of “run” as a name for streams in Colonial Virginia.

“Jimtown” (diminutive of Jamestown) as a nickname for the town and community persisted after the new postal name of “Fountain Run” was created. For example, the “Glasgow and Jimtown turnpike road” was authorized by an Act of the Kentucky Legislature (Chapter 906), February 17, 1866, as a toll road (via Highways 249, 921, Defeated Creek Road, and Highway 87, today) between Glasgow and Fountain Run. This new toll road followed the route of the old “[Thomas] Flippin road” (est. 1799) to Dry Fork, and also included a toll road branch that proceeded via the Flippin road (a.k.a. Pikesville road) toward the “forks of Indian Creek.” [10] This incorporated toll road later reverted to a public road maintained by the local magistrates, but the route of Highway 249 retained its moniker as the Jimtown Road well into the 20th century. Today, this route from Glasgow is more commonly known as the “Roseville Road.”

Jimtown Academy was established in 1897 in Fountain Run as a school of private instruction that included “primary and preparatory departments,” with W. B. Robinson as Principal.[11]

As of the census[13] of 2000, there were 236 people, 110 households, and 66 families residing in the city. The population density was 241.6 people per square mile (93.0/km²). There were 119 housing units at an average density of 121.8 per square mile (46.9/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 95.76% White, 2.54% African American, 1.69% from other races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.69% of the population.

There were 110 households, out of which 25.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.5% were married couples living together, 13.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.1% were non-families. 36.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 29.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.15 and the average family size was 2.81.

Fountain Run sign proclaiming the town Crossroads of Three Counties – Monroe, Allen, and Barren Counties.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 23.7% under the age of 18, 6.8% from 18 to 24, 20.8% from 25 to 44, 22.0% from 45 to 64, and 26.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females, there were 71.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 68.2 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $11,591, and the median income for a family was $26,875. Males had a median income of $21,250 versus $23,750 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,547. About 22.8% of families and 27.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.8% of those under the age of eighteen and 44.4% of those 65 or over.