Middlesborough, also spelled Middlesboro, is a city in Bell
County, Kentucky, United States. The population
was 12,251 at the 2000 census. However the micropolitan cluster that consists of the entire population not included in the 2000
census, including suburbs Ambleside, Vista Venado and areas around the belt line and Yes Town increases Middlesboro's population
to 18,792. The entire Micropolitan area has a population of 68,890 which includes Bell and Whitley counties. It is the principal
city of the Middlesborough, KY Micropolitan Statistical Area.
The city is incorporated as "Middlesborough", named after the town of Middlesbrough
(sic) in England. However, the U.S. Post
Office began using the spelling "Middlesboro" in 1894. [1] Both spellings are used interchangeably; for example, the city's school district uses the Middlesboro
spelling.
The city is located on the Kentucky side of the Cumberland Gap near the
Cumberland Gap National Historical Park.
As the coal industry has declined over the last several years, the area has been increasingly hopeful for a growth in tourism,
primarily from the nearby national park. The Pine Mountain State Resort Park is also located in nearby Pineville.
The town is home to the Middlesboro Country Club. Founded in 1889, the 9-hole course is one of the oldest golf courses in the
country. The club also claims to be the oldest continuously played course in the nation.
Geologists believe that the Middlesboro basin between Pine Mountain and the
Cumberland Mountains is the remains of an ancient meteor crater, which would give the town the rare distinction of being one of the few cities in the world
completely built inside a crater. Middlesboro crater is one of three known
astroblemes in the state.
It is the hometown of actor Lee Majors.
Geography
Middlesborough is located at 36°36′37″N, 83°43′24″W (36.610146,
-83.723230)1. The city sits just inside the
Cumberland Gap, along U.S. Highway 25, and is
believed to have been built inside a meteor crater.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area
of 19.8 km² (7.6 mi²), all land.
Demographics
As of the census2 of 2000, there were 12,251 people, 4,443 households, and 2,927 families residing
in the city. The population density was 524.8/km² (1,359.1/mi²). There were 4,955
housing units at an average density of 250.4/km² (648.5/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 92.84% White, 4.90% African American, 0.38% Native American, 0.63% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.19% from other races, and 1.02% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.79% of the population.
There were 4,443 households out of which 28.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.1% were married couples living together, 18.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.1% were
non-families. 31.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or
older. The average household size was 2.30 and the average family size was 2.88.
The age distribution is 23.6% under the age of 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 26.6% from 25 to 44, 23.9% from 45 to 64, and 17.0% who
were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 83.5 males. For every 100 females
age 18 and over, there were 78.1 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $19,565, and the median income for a family was $25,016. Males had a median
income of $23,285 versus $19,040 for females. The per capita income for the city was
$13,189. About 24.4% of families and 28.1% of the population were below the poverty
line, including 41.2% of those under age 18 and 16.5% of those age 65 or over.
History
Middlesboro was originally founded as a resort town for English tourists, during a vogue for Appalachian mountain resorts. The presence of iron
deposits in the area also inspired the city's founder with ill-founded hopes of a center for iron mining and processing, like its
namesake town of Middlesbrough, England. Unfortunately, the iron deposits were not economically viable, and an economic downturn
doomed town's efforts to make the resort popular.
Eventually, the local economy turned to coal mining and became dependent on the
variations in that industry.
External links
Coordinates:
36.610146° N 83.72323°
W Middlesborough Historical Society http://www.middlesborohistoricalsociety.com/
Middlesboro Meteor Crater http://www.airspacemag.com/ASM/Mag/Index/2004/AM/crfc.html
This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)
