Henderson, Kentucky
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Henderson is a city located in Henderson County, Kentucky, along the Ohio River. It was called "Red Banks" by the native Americans who originally lived and hunted there. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 27,373 and is part of the greater Evansville, Indiana metropolitan area. It is the county seat of Henderson CountyTemplate:GR.
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Claims to fame
Blues legend W.C. Handy spent nearly a decade in Henderson. In his autobiography Father of the Blues, Handy said: "I didn’t write any songs in Henderson, but it was there I realized that experiences I had had, things I had seen and heard could be set down in a kind of music characteristic of my race. There I learned to appreciate the music of my people … then the blues were born, because from that day on, I started thinking about putting my own experience down in that particular kind of music." Each year, Henderson honors Handy by holding one of the largest outdoor free concerts in the USA, the W.C. Handy Blues & Barbecue Festival[1].
Ornithologist, naturalist, and painter John James Audubon spent many years in Henderson. He is honored in the downtown with nine cast-bronze sculptures based on paintings from Audubon's "Birds of America" series, at the John James Audubon State Park and Museum [2], which houses the world's largest collection of John James Audubon memorabilia and one of the most extensive collections of his work in the world.
A few scenes from the movie A League of Their Own were shot in Henderson.
Geography
Image:KYMap-doton-Henderson.PNG Henderson is located at 37°50'8" North, 87°34'51" West (37.835587, -87.580713)Template:GR.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 44.2 km² (17.1 mi²). 38.8 km² (15.0 mi²) of it is land and 5.5 km² (2.1 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 12.36% water.
Because the Indiana-Kentucky border is the defined as the low-water mark on the north bank of the Ohio River of 1793, and because the river changed course as a result of the New Madrid Earthquake of 1812, a small portion of Henderson (approximately 4 miles long and 1 mile wide), lies north of the current course of the river, in what would normally be thought of as in Indiana.
Demographics
As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 27,373 people, 11,693 households, and 7,389 families residing in the city. The population density was 706.0/km² (1,829.0/mi²). There were 12,652 housing units at an average density of 326.3/km² (845.4/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 87.26% White, 10.53% Black or African American, 0.18% Native American, 0.40% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.58% from other races, and 1.04% from two or more races. 1.27% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 11,693 households out of which 29.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.5% were married couples living together, 14.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.8% were non-families. 32.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.27 and the average family size was 2.86.
In the city the population was spread out with 23.5% under the age of 18, 9.2% from 18 to 24, 29.5% from 25 to 44, 22.5% from 45 to 64, and 15.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 89.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.3 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $30,427, and the median income for a family was $39,887. Males had a median income of $32,131 versus $22,225 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,925. 16.5% of the population and 13.2% of families were below the poverty line. 24.6% of those under the age of 18 and 11.3% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.
Schools
The Henderson County school system includes 8 elementary schools: A.B. Chandler, Spottsville, East Heights, Bend Gate, South Heights, Jefferson, Cairo, and Niagara; 2 middle schools: North Middle and South Middle; and 1 high school: Henderson County High School. Two other schools one for those with mental and or physical deficiency, Riverview, the other an alternative school for those suspended from the other schools in the district, Central Learning Center. There is also one parochial school,Holy Name of Jesus Catholic School.
In 2006, East Heights surprised many Henderson County schools by winning an academic team competition for the first time in 2 years followed by Niagara. Spottsville also surprised the schools at the competition because they lost to East Heights for the first time winning 8th place. Helping win the competition was Michael Simpson who won multiple awards at more competition.
See also
External links
- The Gleaner - Henderson's local newspaper
- Brown's Three Years in the Kentucky Prisons An account of the 1854 trial and imprisonment of Thomas Brown, from Henderson, on charges of aiding slaves to escape. From the Antislavery Literature Project.
- io:Henderson, Kentucky