Muhlenberg County

History

Muhlenberg County was formed in 1798 from the areas known as Logan and Christian counties. Muhlenberg was the 34th county to be founded in Kentucky. Muhlenberg was named after General Peter Muhlenberg, who was a colonial general during the American Revolutionary War.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has an area of 479 square miles (1,240 km2), of which 467 square miles (1,210 km2) is land and 12 square miles (31 km2) (2.6%) is water.

Features

The two primary aquatic features of Muhlenberg County are the Green River and Lake Malone. The northern area of the county's geography includes gently rolling hills, river flatlands, and some sizeable bald cypress swamps along Cypress Creek and its tributaries. The southern portion consists of rolling hills with higher relief. The southern part of the county is dotted with deep gorges. This area is known for many sandstone formations. Several north-south-oriented faults cross the county's midpoint. Coal is found in these faults, across the county's central part. Most remaining deposits reside deep underground; previous near-surface deposits have now been exhausted by strip mining. In former years, it was common to see machines such as the "Big Brother" Power Shovel (pictured on the right) throughout the county. During the 1970s and early 1980s, Muhlenberg County was the state leader in coal production and sometimes the top coal producer in the United States. Strip mining was criticized in the song "Paradise" by John Prine.

Sandstone is the county's most abundant rock type, although limestone becomes more common toward the southern area of the county. Two mines for extracting iron ore have been attempted, at Airdrie on the banks of the Green River, and at Buckner Furnace south of Greenville, Kentucky. Both iron ore mines were extant in the late 19th century and early 20th century; neither were successful.

The 300 miles (483 km)-long Green River is a tributary of the Ohio River. It provides a commercial outlet for goods (primarily coal) to be shipped from the county to the major trade centers along the Mississippi River.

Lake Malone (788 acres (3.19 km2)) is in southern Muhlenberg County near Dunmor. It, and a portion of the surrounding hardwood forest, form Lake Malone State Park, maintained by the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife. The lake's surface extends into two neighboring counties, Todd and Logan. There are sandstone cliffs and natural sandstone formations along the lake shore including a natural bridge, although the bridge itself is not inside the park boundary.

Adjacent counties

McLean County (north)

Ohio County (northeast)

Butler County (east)

Logan County (southeast)

Todd County (south)

Christian County (southwest)

Hopkins County (west)

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 30,928. The median age was 41.9 years. 21.6% of residents were under the age of 18 and 19.6% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 103.9 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 102.7 males age 18 and over.

The racial makeup of the county was 91.7% White, 3.9% Black or African American, 0.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% Asian, 0.0% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 0.7% from some other race, and 3.2% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 1.8% of the population.

36.5% of residents lived in urban areas, while 63.5% lived in rural areas.

There were 11,955 households in the county, of which 29.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 25.9% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 27.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

There were 13,491 housing units, of which 11.4% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 75.2% were owner-occupied and 24.8% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.5% and the rental vacancy rate was 9.4%.

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 31,499 people, 12,979 households, and 9,057 families residing in the county. The population density was 67 per square mile (26/km2). There were 13,675 housing units at an average density of 29 per square mile (11/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 94.19% White, 4.65% Black or African American, 0.13% Native American, 0.13% Asian, 0.19% from other races, and 0.72% from two or more races. 0.73% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. The median income for a household in the county was $28,566. 15.50% of families and 19.70% of the population was below the poverty line, including 26.00% of those under age 18 and 17.00% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

Muhlenberg County has been a major coal-producing region for the United States for many years; during most of the 1970s, Muhlenberg County annually produced more coal than anywhere else in the country. Although coal mining in the county waned in the late 1980s and early 1990s, as the 21st century began, the coal-mining industry in Muhlenberg and surrounding counties began to expand and has once again provided a significant number of jobs in the region. One reason for this is the willingness of utility operators to install flue gas cleaning systems so that bituminous coal can be burned with fewer airborne contaminants. Another reason is that most coal from the western US has a lower BTU content.

Muhlenberg County held Kentucky's first commercial coal mine, opened in 1820 as the "McLean Drift Bank" along the Green River in the former village of Paradise. The mine and its impact on the community are referenced in the John Prine song "Paradise". Other major employers in Muhlenberg County include:

The Tennessee Valley Authority Paradise Combined Cycle Plant in Drakesboro

The Green River Correctional Complex in Central City

Dyno Nobel in Graham

EBA&D in Graham

Muhlenberg Community Hospital in Greenville

Muhlenberg County Board of Education in Powderly

Kentucky National Guard Wendell H. Ford Regional Training Center & Kentucky UTES

Armstrong Coal Company in Central City

Ken-American Resources: Paradise Underground Mine in Central City

Kentucky Utilities Green River Generating Station in Central City

Chamber of Commerce

In January 2006, the Chambers of Commerce from Central City and Greenville merged to form the Greater Muhlenberg Chamber of Commerce, representing over 155 local businesses.

Education

Schools

Public schools in Muhlenberg County are operated by the Muhlenberg County Board of Education. They include:

Bremen Elementary School in Bremen

Central City Elementary School in Central City

Greenville Elementary School in Greenville (Kentucky)

Longest Elementary School in Powderly

Muhlenberg South Elementary School in Beechmont

Muhlenberg County Middle School

Muhlenberg County High School in Greenville.

Muhlenberg Campus of Madisonville Community College (Central City)

Muhlenberg Career Development Center (between Central City & Greenville)

Drakesboro Elementary School in Drakesboro (closed in 2006)

Graham Elementary School in Graham (closed in 2004)

Hughes-Kirkpatrick Elementary School in Beechmont (closed in 2006)

Lake Malone Elementary School in Dunmor (closed in 2005)

Muhlenberg North High School (closed in 2009)

Muhlenberg South High School (closed in 2009)

Libraries

Harbin Memorial Library in Greenville is a public library, with free access to high-speed internet

Central City Library in Central City is a public library, with free access to high-speed internet.

These libraries are operated as Muhlenberg County Public Libraries.

Thistle Cottage Genealogy and History Annex in Greenville also operates under the umbrella of Muhlenberg County Public Libraries as a museum and history archive.

History of education

At one time the county hosted eight secondary schools. Drakesboro Community closed after the class of 1964 graduated and in 1990, the school board consolidated the middle and high school students into two middle and two high schools. Bremen High School, Central City High School, Graham High School, and half of Muhlenberg Central High School became Muhlenberg North Middle School and Muhlenberg North High School, while the other half of Muhlenberg Central High School, Drakesboro High School, Hughes-Kirkpatrick High School, Greenville High School, and Lake Malone School (which housed some middle school students) became Muhlenberg South Middle School and Muhlenberg South High School. The eight distinct schools continued to house elementary school students.

In 2004, the school board began consolidating the elementary schools, closing Graham Elementary School and transferring students to Longest Elementary Greenville Elementary Schools; closing Lake Malone School and transferring students to Hughes-Kirkpatrick Elementary School. In 2005 Drakesboro Elementary School was closed, with students first attending Hughes-Kirkpatrick Elementary and then Muhlenberg South Elementary School (2006). Hughes-Kirkpatrick was later closed.

Muhlenberg North and Muhlenberg South High Schools were merged into a single Muhlenberg County High School in June 2009.

Media

Muhlenberg County is located in the southernmost fringes of the Evansville, Indiana television market, and is primarily served by the television stations in that city. However, a few television stations in Bowling Green and Nashville are offered on local cable television systems in the county.

Radio stations

WMTA AM 1380 (1955) Central City

W297CC FM 107.3 Central City

WNES AM 1050 (1955) Central City

WKYA FM 105.5 Greenville

WEKV FM 101.9 (K-Love) studio in Central City, transmitter at Pleasant Ridge, in Ohio County.

WRFM FM 103.9 Drakesboro (relay station of WNSR of Brentwood/Nashville)

Print and online

Times Argus (1909) Central City

Leader-News established in Greenville, now located in Central City

Sites of interest

Lake Malone State Park in Dunmor

Muhlenberg County Rail to Trails, 6-mile (9.7 km) converted railroad track between Central City and Greenville

Brewco Motorsports shop in Central City

Thistle Cottage, a historic home that operates as a museum and historic archive in Greenville (part of Muhlenberg County Public Libraries)

Four Legends Fountain in Drakesboro

Muhlenberg County Agriculture and Convention Center in Powderly

Morgan Memorial Park in Greenville

The Muhlenberg County Park, a sports facility adjacent to the Muhlenberg County High School west campus in Greenville

The Brizendine Brothers Nature Park in Greenville

Luzerne Lake City Park in Greenville

Paradise Park in Powderly, includes:

Coal mining company town shotgun house

Merle Travis Birthplace

Paradise Park Museum

Spring Ridge School

Tennessee Valley Authority Paradise Fossil Plant in Drakesboro, one of the nation's largest Coal-Fired Power Plants. Site includes:

Public Boat Launch Ramp along the Green River

Politics

Muhlenberg County was a Democratic-leaning county until after 2000, when it, along with the rest of Kentucky, swung hard into the right. Donald Trump's performance in 2016 was the best for any Republican in the county's history, when he won nearly 72% of the county's vote. This was surpassed four years later in 2020, when Trump carried 73.7% of the vote.

Communities

Ghost towns

Airdrie

Lewisburg

Paradise

Notable people

James Best (Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane of the Dukes of Hazzard), born in Powderly

Don Everly of The Everly Brothers singing duo, born in now-defunct Brownie, near Central City

Harpe Brothers, Micajah and Wiley, America's first known serial-killers

Kennedy Jones, guitarist

Warren Oates, actor, born in Depoy near Greenville

Merle Travis, western musician, born in Rosewood

Benjamin Tod (Lost Dog Street Band), singer and songwriter

John Prine wrote the song Paradise from his first self-titled album about spending time in Muhlenberg County (where his parents William and Verna were from) as a child, in the now defunct mining town of Paradise. The song has become a folk music staple since then.

Chasteen C. Stumm (1848–1895), African-American minister, teacher, and journalist, born in Airdrie, Kentucky

Bernard Hickman, basketball player and coach

Miles Heizer, actor

Ray Harper, basketball coach

Bill Gatton, entrepreneur and philanthropist

Brent Yonts, attorney and state legislator