37-404: Beattyville is a home rule class city in, and the county seat of, Lee County , Kentucky , United States. The city was formally established by the state assembly as "Beatty" in 1851 and incorporated in 1872. It was named for Samuel Beatty, a pioneer settler. The population was 1,307 at the 2010 census and an estimated 1,206 in 2018. Beattyville is in central Lee County at the confluence of
74-475: A unitary urban county government (UCG); Louisville and other cities within Jefferson County have also merged into a single metro government. However, under state law, both major cities retained their pre-merger classification before the new scheme took effect. The General Assembly had historically reclassified cities only when requested by the city government. If all cities had been reclassified in
111-575: A 60-mile (100 km) drive. Beattyville has a lending library , the Lee County Public Library. The town's economy used to be based on coal mining , but this industry has pulled out of the area. In the 21st century, major employers in Beattyville and Lee County include: The Lee Adjustment Center was constructed here and operated by Corrections Corporation of America as a private, for-profit, medium security prison, with
148-436: A capacity of 800 inmates. The county hoped to provide jobs for local people at the prison. CCA had contracts with the states of Kentucky and Vermont to house prisoners here. Vermont prisoners rioted in 2004 and were joined by Kentucky prisoners. Kentucky removed its last inmates in 2010, and ended its contract with a CCA in 2013. Vermont removed its inmates in 2015. In November 2017, due to overcrowding at state owned facilities,
185-515: A cash prize for the winner. The Woolly Worm Festival continues as a popular event attracting numerous tourists. Beattyville is a few minutes from Natural Bridge State Resort Park , another tourist destination. The Beattyville City Police Department serves the city, and the Beattyville/Lee County Volunteer Fire Department covers the city and county. Emergency medical services are provided through
222-700: A combined city-county dispatch center on River Drive. Beattyville Waterworks and Beattyville Sewer are also located in the city hall building on Main Street. Beattyville has no hospital. Nearby facilities are in Irvine ( Marcum and Wallace Memorial Hospital ), Jackson (Kentucky River Medical Center), Winchester (Clark Regional Medical Center), Richmond (Baptist Health Richmond), Hazard (Hazard Appalachian Regional Medical Center), Manchester ( Manchester Memorial Hospital ), and several Lexington area hospitals. Emergency medical services for Beattyville are provided by
259-480: A female householder with no husband present, and 28.90% were non-families. 26.60% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.80% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.41 and the average family size was 2.91. In the county, the population was spread out, with 22.70% under the age of 18, 9.00% from 18 to 24, 30.30% from 25 to 44, 23.60% from 45 to 64, and 14.30% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age
296-561: A mayor- alderman government, but that does not apply to the merged governments in Louisville and Lexington. All other cities have a different form of government, including mayor-council , commission , and city manager , and are designated " home rule class" cities. The two-class system went into effect on January 1, 2015, following the 2014 passage of House Bill 331 by the Kentucky General Assembly and
333-683: Is headquartered in Beattyville. WLJC stands for Wonderful Lord Jesus Christ, and it is a Cozi TV affiliate and also produces local Christian programming. Station coverage extends north to Georgetown ; west to Bardstown ; south to Whitley City ; and east to Pikeville . The station is owned by Hour of Harvest, Inc. List of cities in Kentucky Kentucky , a state in the United States , has 418 active cities. The two largest, Louisville and Lexington , are designated "first class" cities. A first class city would normally have
370-491: Is served by Jackson Energy, based in McKee, Kentucky , that serves south-central Kentucky. Licking Valley RECC serves Northern Lee County. Natural Gas is served by Columbia Gas of Kentucky and Delta Natural Gas Company. Two water services exist, Beattyville Water Works serves the city and most of the county, and Southside Water Association serves the southern and east parts of Lee County. The television and radio station WLJC-TV/DT
407-445: Is the outgrowth of a series of stories by Beattyville native Rosemary Kilduff (wife of Malcolm Kilduff ) that tracked the predictions of winter weather based on local folklore. The severity of upcoming winter weather was said to be foretold by the relative proportions of black to brown coloration of the caterpillars. Kilduff penned columns in the local newspaper in the 1980s that collected woolly worm sightings by local residents. During
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#1732783627089444-807: The U.S. Census Bureau , the county has a total area of 211 square miles (550 km ), of which 209 square miles (540 km ) is land and 2.4 square miles (6.2 km ) (1.1%) is water. Lee County lies within the Eastern Coal Field region of Kentucky. The very rugged terrain essentially defines the area. Roughly half of the county lies within the Daniel Boone National Forest . Timber and coal remain economically significant, as do oil and gas. Harmful effects from unregulated strip mining and clear cut logging practices are still being corrected. The proliferation of kudzu , an invasive vine has proved difficult to address. However,
481-572: The United States Census Bureau , the city has a total area of 2.3 square miles (6.0 km), of which 0.01 square miles (0.02 km), or 0.41%, are water. The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Beattyville has a humid subtropical climate , abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps. As of
518-436: The census of 2000, there were 1,193 people, 509 households, and 294 families residing in the city. The population density was 599.6 inhabitants per square mile (231.5/km). There were 561 housing units at an average density of 282.0 per square mile (108.9/km). The racial makeup of the city was 98.99% White , 0.42% African American , 0.42% Asian , and 0.17% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.25% of
555-560: The poverty line , including 41.00% of those under age 18 and 22.90% of those age 65 or over. Of 3,142 counties in the United States in 2013, Lee County ranked no. 3,111 for the life expectancy of males and 2,989 for longevity of females. Males in Lee County lived an average of 68.5 years and females lived an average of 76.7 years compared to the national average for life expectancy of 76.5 for males and 81.2 for females. Moreover,
592-730: The Kentucky Department of Corrections signed a new contract allowing CCA, now known as CoreCivic , to reactivate the vacant prison. These inmates would be transferred from the Kentucky State Reformatory in LaGrange . The prison reopened and began accepting inmates in March 2018. Since 1988, during the third weekend after the first Monday of October, the Main Street of Beattyville is closed to traffic for
629-511: The Lee County Ambulance Service; they provide 24/7 Advanced Life Support and Basic Life Support emergency services to all citizens and visitors of Lee County. They transport patients primarily to Marcum and Wallace Memorial Hospital and KY River Medical Center, as well as providing non-emergency transportation services and a wheelchair transport van. Beattyville is served by Kentucky Utilities , while much of Lee County
666-878: The North and South Forks of the Kentucky River , a tributary of the Ohio River in central Appalachia . Kentucky Route 11 passes through the city, crossing the North and South Forks of the Kentucky on separate bridges. The highway leads north 30 miles (48 km) to Stanton and south 45 miles (72 km) to Manchester . Kentucky Route 52 joins KY 11 to cross the North Fork of the Kentucky River but leads northwest 22 miles (35 km) to Irvine and east 24 miles (39 km) to Jackson . According to
703-468: The Rev. Joseph Proctor, was the first county seat. The first court was held on April 25, 1870, in the old Howerton House. The local economy at the time included coal mining, salt gathering, timber operations, and various commercial operations. It had a U.S. post office from 1843 until 1918. The county seat, Beattyville , was first known as Taylor's Landing, as it was a ferry landing on the Kentucky River . It
740-492: The United States with a population over 1,000. It was the poorest majority white town. Beattyville is served by the Lee County School District . Schools serving Beattyville include: There is also a Board of Education and Central Office Complex building. The Lee County Board of Education has announced plans to close Beattyville Elementary and transfer the students to Southside Elementary. To accommodate
777-496: The annual Woolly Worm Festival. It operates for three days: Friday-"Opening Day", Saturday-"Parade Day", and Sunday-"Closing Day" (which also features a large car show). The name "woolly worm" refers to the woolly bear caterpillar . The official mascot, "Woolly the Woolly Worm", is used as an image on some local merchandise and flyers. A round hay bale caricature of him stands beside the welcome sign to Beattyville. The festival
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#1732783627089814-403: The average family size was 2.82. In the city, the population was spread out, with 23.6% under the age of 18, 9.3% from 18 to 24, 22.3% from 25 to 44, 20.1% from 45 to 64, and 24.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 69.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 63.3 males. The median income for a household in the city
851-482: The average life expectancy in Lee Country was stable for males and declined by 1.5 years for females between 1985 and 2013, compared to a national average for the same period of an increased life span of 5.5 years for men and 3.1 years for women. High rates of smoking and obesity , and a low level of physical activity appear to be contributing factors to the low life expectancy for both sexes. Lee County, Kentucky
888-414: The bill's signing into law by Governor Steve Beshear . The new system replaced one in which cities were divided into six classes based on their population at the time of their classification. Before the enactment of House Bill 331, more than 400 classification-related laws affected public safety, alcohol beverage control, revenue options and others. Lexington and Fayette County are completely merged in
925-418: The county was 95.10% White , 3.79% Black or African American , 0.28% Native American , 0.10% Asian , 0.01% Pacific Islander , 0.06% from other races , and 0.66% from two or more races. 0.37% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. There were 2,985 households, out of which 32.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.80% were married couples living together, 12.80% had
962-404: The festival, numerous musicians perform almost constantly on one of two stages, and dozens of booths offer a wide variety of merchandise and food. Helicopter tours of Beattyville and Lee County are available. The "Woolly Worm Races" are won by coaxing one of these "Hairy Caterpillars" to the top of a string. The first one to reach the top wins, with the only rule being "No Touching"; there is usually
999-416: The growing environmental movement and the developing tourism industry have created energy to take more action to control this pest. As of the census of 2000, there were 7,916 people, 2,985 households, and 2,122 families residing in the county. The population density was 38 per square mile (15/km ). There were 3,321 housing units at an average density of 16 per square mile (6.2/km ). The racial makeup of
1036-575: The implementation of the tax until 2014 so as not to have to pay approximately $ 20,000 to fund a special election. The school board passed the tax in 2014 and again, a petition was filed placing the matter on the ballot for the fall 2014 general election. The proposed tax increase was defeated by a large margin at the polls. Two private schools serve the area as well: Beattyville Christian Academy and Grace Baptist Academy. There are no higher education opportunities in Beattyville or Lee County . A number of technical colleges and universities are located within
1073-433: The influx of students, an expansion of the facilities at Southside will be required. The decision was not popular with residents of the community The Board of Education exhausted its bonding capacity to fund the addition to Southside, so it proposed a tax increase in 2013 to fund other repairs at other facilities. Residents of the county signed a petition to place the tax increase on the ballot. The school board decided to delay
1110-407: The population was 7,395. Its county seat is Beattyville . The county was formed in 1870 from parts of Breathitt , Estill , Owsley and Wolfe counties. The county was named for Robert E. Lee . The area of Kentucky where Lee County is located was a pro-union region of Kentucky but the legislature that created the county was controlled by former Confederates. The town of Proctor, named for
1147-407: The population. There were 509 households, out of which 30.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 31.8% were married couples living together, 23.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.2% were non-families. 39.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 18.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.11 and
Beattyville, Kentucky - Misplaced Pages Continue
1184-410: The pre-2015 scheme according to actual population, about one-third of classifications would have changed. In particular, Lexington would have been classified as a first-class (Class 1) city. Although basic city classification changed in 2015, the old classifications will remain relevant for some time. Because many provisions of state law applied only to cities of certain pre-2015 classes, House Bill 331
1221-401: The state are in the home rule class. Click on the double triangles at the top of a column to sort the table by that column. County seat Since the 2010 census , some cities in Kentucky were disincorporated and did not appear in the next census. Lee County, Kentucky Lee County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky . As of the 2020 census ,
1258-418: Was $ 12,336, and the median income for a family was $ 21,181. Males had a median income of $ 28,125 versus $ 16,250 for females. The per capita income for the city was $ 13,850. About 39.1% of families and 41.2% of the population were below the poverty line , including 48.7% of those under age 18 and 33.0% of those age 65 or over. In 2010, Beattyville had the third-lowest median household income of all places in
1295-417: Was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 109.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 111.80 males. The median income for a household in the county was $ 18,544, and the median income for a family was $ 24,918. Males had a median income of $ 25,930 versus $ 19,038 for females. The per capita income for the county was $ 13,325. About 25.20% of families and 30.40% of the population were below
1332-428: Was explicitly written to address such issues. In certain areas of law, class-based distinctions between cities have been replaced by population-based distinctions. In certain other areas that were more controversial, the pre-2015 status quo is being maintained through a registry of cities that were covered by prior laws. Under the new system, Louisville and Lexington are classified as first class. All other cities in
1369-530: Was renamed to Beatty in 1850 after early settler Samuel Beatty. The town incorporated in 1872 as Beattyville and was chosen as the new county seat due to its location on the river, which aided transportation and trade. Although Lee County had taverns in the 19th century, it was a prohibition or dry county until 2019 when the county voted to go wet. The City of Beattyville and Lee County Fiscal Court established alcoholic sale rules for their jurisdictions including prohibiting sales of alcohol on Sunday. According to
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