Madisonville

[mad-uh-suhn-vil]

Madisonville, city (1990 pop. 16,200), seat of Hopkins co., W Ky., in a coal mining and farm area; inc. 1807. Tobacco, grain, and soybeans are grown and livestock is raised. There is coal processing, and machinery, dairy products, and ordnance are produced.

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia Copyright © 2004.
Licensed from Columbia University Press

Madisonville, Kentucky

Madisonville is a city in Hopkins County, Kentucky, United States of the Western Coal Field region. The population was 19,307 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Hopkins County. The city was named in honor of U.S. President James Madison.

Madisonville is a commercial center of the region featuring shopping, dining, and entertainment. The Madisonville area is home to malls, a movie theater, casual dining establishments, a community college, fast-food establishments and its own radio and television stations. Currently, new commercial interests are being developed.

History

Madisonville was founded in 1807 and named for James Madison (who was then Secretary of State). In the early 1900s, it was a rail hub, coal mining center, and had a large tobacco market. This continued until the 1960s when manufacturing and services became more popular.

During the 1970s, Regional Medical Center and Trover Clinic were built by the Trover Foundation (which is now Trover Health Systems). RMC is a 410 bed hospital that offers services typically found in larger cities (such as lifeflight, women's health centers, and a comprehensive cancer center). Trover Clinic is a ten level clinic and administration building that offers most medical tests and procedures. Six additional clinics are operated by Trover Foundation in Western Kentucky.

On November 15, 2005, a tornado ripped through the city, destroying some parts of it. The tornado began to form around 3:00 PM. The electricity in some parts was down until 7:00 PM, and in others until 9:00. The local Country Club neighborhood was greatly affected by the storm; however, the Country Club's clubhouse remained intact. Madisonville resident and former Boston Celtics star, Frank Ramsey's home was destroyed in the storm; fortunately, he was spared. The mayor, Karen Cunningham ordered a curfew in parts of the city and declared a state of emergency.

Despite the 2005 tornado, Madisonville has a very bright future. The route for Interstate 69 will follow the current Pennyrile/Breathitt Parkway and signs have gone up noting the future of the road. Just south of the city, Interstate 66 will follow the Western Kentucky/Ford Parkway and the Western Kentucky/Ford Parkway west of the Pennyrile Parkway will be an overlay of Interstates 66 and 69. The local newspaper has called this intersection "The New Crossroads of America." The road plans have much political support from the area because they follow existing interstate-grade roads and upgrading costs will be minimal.

In addition, highway 70/85 is currently being widened to five lanes from the Parkway east to the airport. A new shopping center is being added in this area in addition to several shopping centers, a movie theater, and numerous restaurants already in place. The Madisonville Municipal Airport has recently undergone an expansion project for its terminal and runway.

Geography

Madisonville is located at (37.332660, -87.502190), approximately 125 miles southwest of Louisville, Kentucky.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 18.5 square miles (48.0 km²), of which, 17.8 square miles (46.1 km²) of it is land and 0.7 square miles (1.9 km²) of it (3.94%) is water.

It is at an altitude of 460 feet above sea level.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 19,307 people, 8,077 households, and 5,330 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,085.0 people per square mile (418.8/km²). There were 8,889 housing units at an average density of 499.5/sq mi (192.8/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 86.21% White, 11.24% Black or African American, 0.18% Native American, 0.51% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.63% from other races, and 1.20% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.34% of the population.

There were 8,077 households out of which 30.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.8% were married couples living together, 14.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.0% were non-families. 30.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.31 and the average family size was 2.87.

In the city the population was spread out with 23.9% under the age of 18, 8.3% from 18 to 24, 27.4% from 25 to 44, 23.6% from 45 to 64, and 16.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 85.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.7 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $31,097, and the median income for a family was $38,688. Males had a median income of $32,064 versus $20,940 for females. The per capita income for the city was $19,381. About 13.0% of families and 16.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 27.5% of those under age 18 and 7.8% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

Because of its location near important roadways, Madisonville is a leading manufacturing hub for western Kentucky. Industrial and factory production has revitalized the local post-coal economy. General Electric Aircraft Engines, Jennmar, Autoliv, GlitterWrap, Ahlstrom, Carhartt and others have operations in the area. The city's economic development authority actively pursues new industries for the city.

Madisonville is a wet city in the county of Hopkins County; making it a moist county, one of only sixteen in the state.

Government

Madisonville is the county seat of Hopkins County. The incumbent mayor is Will Cox, a former city councilman who defeated Karen Cunningham (the former mayor) in the May 2006 Democratic primaries. Cox defeated Republican Ron Sanders in November 2006 and was sworn in on 1 January 2007.

Government operations for the city are based out of several buildings including a government building on Center Street, the Hopkins County Courthouse on Main Street and the Old Post Office on Main Street. As of 2006, state money has been set aside for an all-encompassing city/county government building, but no formal plans have been made.

A majority of Madisonville residents are registered Democrats. Primary elections are rarely held for the Republican Party.

Education

Madisonville and most of Hopkins County are in the Hopkins County School District. Hopkins County Schools operate eight elementary school, four middle school, and two high school sub-districts.

Elementary schools: Grapevine Elementary, West Broadway Elementary, Pride Avenue Elementary, Hanson Elementary, Earlington Elementary, Jesse Stuart Elementary, Southside Elementary, and West Hopkins School.

Middle schools: Browning Springs Middle, South Hopkins Middle, West Hopkins School, and James Madison Middle.

High schools: Hopkins County Central High and North Hopkins High. Madisonville is also home to Madisonville Community College, which merged with Madisonville Technical College in 2001. The college is a member of the sixteen-college Kentucky Community and Technical College System (KCTCS). The school is also affiliated with Murray State University, University of Kentucky, and University of Louisville. Because of these university partnerships, the college offers many associate and bachelor degrees that are normally found only at the university level. Madisonville is within a short drive of several four-year colleges and universities in Kentucky, Indiana, and Tennessee.

Transportation

Madisonville is bisected laterally by the Pennyrile Parkway: a north-south corridor that connects Hopkinsville with Henderson and feeds into U.S. 41A at Hopkinsville, leading to I-24 East. This section of the Pennyrile Parkway is to be incorporated into the new I-69 Corridor. The Western Kentucky Parkway is only a few miles south. The Western Kentucky Parkway's westbound lanes feed into I-24 West; the eastbound lanes feed into I-65 East via the Blue Grass Parkway at Elizabethtown. The Western Kentucky Parkway also intersects I-65, which feeds into Bowling Green to the south. In addition to trucking routes, CSX Railway runs through Madisonville.

The Madisonville Municipal Airport, after a recent expansion, currently has a runway that is 6050 x 100 ft.

Events of interest

Madisonville hosts a large annual Veteran's Day parade. The parade features floats, local marching bands, church groups and other units. The parade route is along U.S. 41 from Waddill Avenue to McCoy Ave. The route passes the Hopkins County Courthouse and many downtown office buildings and businesses. The city also has a Christmas parade in early December.

On the second Friday of summer months the city hosts Friday Night Live, a street festival located downtown featuring live music, food, and other free entertainment.