Owenton, Kentucky

Owenton is a home rule-class city[4] in and the county seat of Owen County, Kentucky, United States.[5] The population was 1,327 at the 2010 census. It is located at the junction of U.S. Route 127 and Kentucky Route 22, about halfway between Louisville and Cincinnati.

Not to be confused with Owensboro, Kentucky.

Owenton, Kentucky
City
Downtown Owenton
Location of Owenton in Owen County, Kentucky.
Coordinates: 38°32′12″N 84°50′22″W
Country	United States
State	Kentucky
County	Owen
Incorporated	1828[1]
Reincorporated	1849[1]
Named for	Its County
Area [2]
• Total	1.93 sq mi (5.01 km^2)
• Land	1.90 sq mi (4.92 km^2)
• Water	0.03 sq mi (0.08 km^2)
Elevation	968 ft (295 m)
Population  (2010)
• Total	1,327
• Estimate  (2019)[3]	1,533
• Density	806.42/sq mi (311.37/km^2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code	40359
Area code(s)	502
FIPS code	21-58692
GNIS feature ID	0500083

History

Owenton was founded in 1822 and named for its county, which was named for Col. Abraham Owen, a pioneer who died at the Battle of Tippecanoe. The town was first incorporated on December 18, 1828, although it had to be reïncorporated in 1849.[1] The Greek Revival courthouse was built between 1857–58. Owenton's growth in the late 19th century was limited because a railroad was never built to it.

Geography

Owenton is located at 38°32′12″N 84°50′22″W (38.536614, -84.839363).[6] According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 2.2 square miles (5.7 km²), of which 2.2 square miles (5.7 km²) is land and 0.04 square miles (0.10 km²) (0.89%) is water.

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.		%±
1830	143		—
1860	94		—
1870	297		216.0%
1880	654		120.2%
1890	847		29.5%
1900	1,014		19.7%
1910	1,024		1.0%
1920	971		−5.2%
1930	975		0.4%
1940	1,190		22.1%
1950	1,249		5.0%
1960	1,376		10.2%
1970	1,280		−7.0%
1980	1,341		4.8%
1990	1,306		−2.6%
2000	1,387		6.2%
2010	1,327		−4.3%
Est. 2019	1,533	[3]	15.5%
U.S. Decennial Census[7]

As of the census[8] of 2000, there were 1,387 people, 615 households, and 340 families residing in the city. The population density was 620.4 people per square mile (239.1/km²). There were 688 housing units at an average density of 307.8 per square mile (118.6/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 95.39% White, 2.88% African American, 0.58% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 0.58% from other races, and 0.50% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.73% of the population.

There were 615 households, out of which 24.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.9% were married couples living together, 12.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 44.7% were non-families. 42.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 25.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.08 and the average family size was 2.84.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 20.8% under the age of 18, 8.6% from 18 to 24, 22.4% from 25 to 44, 20.9% from 45 to 64, and 27.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females, there were 71.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 65.3 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $23,125, and the median income for a family was $36,806. Males had a median income of $27,596 versus $22,450 for females. The per capita income for the city was $14,955. About 13.2% of families and 21.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 21.9% of those under age 18 and 28.0% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Owenton has a lending library, the Owen County Public Library.[9]

Notable people

• Gerald W. Johnson (1919 - 2002), a Lieutenant General in the USAF and World War II flying ace.
• Joseph L. Rhinock (1863 - 1926), a U.S. Representative from Kentucky.
• Dale Roberts (1940 - 2010), an American relief pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the New York Yankees
• Abraham O. Smoot (1815 - 1895), a Mormon pioneer and second Mayor of Salt Lake City, Utah.
• Arnold E. True (1901 - 1979), a highly decorated Rear admiral in the U.S. Navy during World War II.

References

1. Commonwealth of Kentucky. Office of the Secretary of State. Land Office. "Owenton, Kentucky". Accessed 18 September 2013.
2. "2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 24, 2020.
3. "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". United States Census Bureau. May 24, 2020. Retrieved May 27, 2020.
4. "Summary and Reference Guide to House Bill 331 City Classification Reform" (PDF). Kentucky League of Cities. Retrieved December 30, 2014.
5. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved 2011-06-07.
6. "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
7. "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
8. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
9. "Kentucky Public Library Directory". Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives. Archived from the original on 11 January 2019. Retrieved 7 June 2019.

Further reading

• Bryant, Ron. "Owenton". Kentucky Encyclopedia.