orig. Woodrow Wilson Guthrie

(born July 14, 1912, Okemah, Okla., U.S.—died Oct. 3, 1967, New York, N.Y.) U.S. singer and songwriter, one of the legendary figures of American folk music. He left home at age 15 to travel the country by freight train. With his guitar and harmonica he sang in the hobo and migrant camps of the Great Depression, later becoming a musical spokesman for labour and populist sentiment. He wrote more than a thousand songs, including “So Long (It's Been Good to Know Yuh),” “Hard Traveling,” and “Union Maid.” In New York City he joined Pete Seeger and others in the Almanac Singers; after serving in World War II, he continued to perform with them for farmer and worker groups. “This Land Is Your Land” was his most famous song, and it became an unofficial national anthem. His autobiography, Bound for Glory (1943), was filmed in 1976. His son Arlo (b. 1947) also achieved success as a songwriter and singer.

Learn more about Guthrie, Woody with a free trial on Britannica.com.

(born July 2, 1900, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, Eng.—died May 15, 1971, Newbliss, County Monaghan, Ire.) British theatre director and producer. After his first London production in 1931, he became director of the Shakespeare Repertory Company (1933–34, 1936–45), which performed at the Old Vic and Sadler's Wells theatres. His original approach to Shakespearean drama greatly influenced the 20th-century revival of interest in traditional theatre. He also directed operas such as Peter Grimes (1946) and Carmen (1949) and his own play, Top of the Ladder (1950). He helped found and direct the Stratford Festival in Canada (1953–57), influencing the development of Canadian theatre. He also founded and directed (1963–66) the Tyrone Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis.

Learn more about Guthrie, Sir (William) Tyrone with a free trial on Britannica.com.

orig. Woodrow Wilson Guthrie

(born July 14, 1912, Okemah, Okla., U.S.—died Oct. 3, 1967, New York, N.Y.) U.S. singer and songwriter, one of the legendary figures of American folk music. He left home at age 15 to travel the country by freight train. With his guitar and harmonica he sang in the hobo and migrant camps of the Great Depression, later becoming a musical spokesman for labour and populist sentiment. He wrote more than a thousand songs, including “So Long (It's Been Good to Know Yuh),” “Hard Traveling,” and “Union Maid.” In New York City he joined Pete Seeger and others in the Almanac Singers; after serving in World War II, he continued to perform with them for farmer and worker groups. “This Land Is Your Land” was his most famous song, and it became an unofficial national anthem. His autobiography, Bound for Glory (1943), was filmed in 1976. His son Arlo (b. 1947) also achieved success as a songwriter and singer.

Learn more about Guthrie, Woody with a free trial on Britannica.com.

(born July 2, 1900, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, Eng.—died May 15, 1971, Newbliss, County Monaghan, Ire.) British theatre director and producer. After his first London production in 1931, he became director of the Shakespeare Repertory Company (1933–34, 1936–45), which performed at the Old Vic and Sadler's Wells theatres. His original approach to Shakespearean drama greatly influenced the 20th-century revival of interest in traditional theatre. He also directed operas such as Peter Grimes (1946) and Carmen (1949) and his own play, Top of the Ladder (1950). He helped found and direct the Stratford Festival in Canada (1953–57), influencing the development of Canadian theatre. He also founded and directed (1963–66) the Tyrone Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis.

Learn more about Guthrie, Sir (William) Tyrone with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Guthrie is a city in Todd County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 1,469 at the 2000 census. The city is named for James Guthrie, president of the Louisville and Nashville Railroad when the city was incorporated in 1867.

Geography

Guthrie is located at (36.647396, -87.170725).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 1.4 square miles (3.5 km²), all of it land.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 1,469 people, 593 households, and 377 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,079.5 people per square mile (417.0/km²). There were 657 housing units at an average density of 482.8/sq mi (186.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 67.60% White, 29.20% African American, 0.48% Native American, 0.20% Asian, 0.20% Pacific Islander, 1.36% from other races, and 0.95% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.59% of the population.

There were 593 households out of which 34.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.5% were married couples living together, 19.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.3% were non-families. 31.7% 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 2.48 and the average family size was 3.10.

In the city the population was spread out with 28.8% under the age of 18, 9.5% from 18 to 24, 29.1% from 25 to 44, 18.8% from 45 to 64, and 13.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 92.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.5 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $25,682, and the median income for a family was $31,083. Males had a median income of $27,868 versus $20,240 for females. The per capita income for the city was $13,283. About 23.6% of families and 25.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 31.5% of those under age 18 and 25.6% of those age 65 or over.

GMAHC Project

Guthrie's Mayor Scott Marshall, along with Matthew Colin Bailey, city engineer Mike McGhee, and Ex:officio mayor of Elkton, Kentucky John Walton, and Senator Joey Pendleton partnered with the University of Kentucky's College of Design to reform the urban plan for the city of Guthrie. The city had been a problem area for the state of Kentucky since its decline in the 70s and later in the 1990s for a racial shooting that made headlines in national newspapers, television networks, and magazines. They began with plans for the restoration of a key building in the community,the GMAHC or Guthrie Multi-Cultural Arts and Heritage Center which is considered the "hub" for the urban renewal project. In December of 2007, Matthew Bailey and the College of Design created schematic plans to revive the two story Eastlake Style building. In May of 2007, the city received a grant from the State of Kentucky in the amount of $300,000 to begin the restoration of the GMAHC building into a museum showcasing the farming industry of southern Kentucky.

District regionalism

Guthrie, Kentucky is the flagship city for an urban design movement known District Regionalism. The term was used by the University of Kentucky's College of Design's (MODR) studio to describe sectors of communities in cities. [1]The practice concerns organizing cities into smaller communities by creating distinctive regional and cultural references and having all necessities met within walking distance inside of those neighborhoods. The practice has proven to alter larger sprawling co-dependent cities into smaller self-reliant communities. District Regionalism opposes the socialist Jeffersonian, or Roman grid and most historical pattern making. "Networks", or pedestrian developments between landmarks, are placed throughout communities to reduce the scale of cities back to the human scope rather than that of the automobile. The share system is the most novel component of District Regionalism whereas distritcs invest in shares of public property giving the voting and ownership rights of what is typically government owned property.

Notable natives

• Robert Penn Warren - Pulitzer prize-winning novelist and poet
• Matthew Colin Bailey - Author, Columnist, and Designer
• Jamison Covington - Singer/Guitarist formerly of band JamisonParker

References

External links