Corbin, Kentucky
Corbin, Kentucky | ||
---|---|---|
City | ||
FIPS code 21-17362 | | |
GNIS feature ID | 2404128[2] | |
Website | corbin-ky.gov |
Corbin is a
Corbin is on
.
History
The first settlement in the Corbin area was known as Lynn Camp Station. The first post office was called Cummins, for community founder Nelson Cummins. It was discovered in 1885 that both Cummins and Lynn Camp were already in use as names for Kentucky post offices, and postmaster James Eaton was asked to select another name. He chose Corbin for the Rev. James Corbin Floyd, a local minister.[5] The town was incorporated under that name in 1905.
Corbin has a troubled racial past, including a race riot in late October 1919 in which a white mob forced nearly all the town's 200 black residents onto a freight train out of town and a sundown town policy until the late 20th century.[6] The event is the subject of a 1991 documentary, Trouble Behind. In October 2019, city leaders marked the riot's centennial with a proclamation acknowledging the riot and former sundown town policy.[7]
For most of its history, the urbanized areas of Corbin in Laurel County were not incorporated into the city limits due to a state law prohibiting cities from being in more than two counties. However, a 2021 change to state law allowed cities to voluntarily annex property in a third county if the city already provides public infrastructure to that property.[8] In March 2022, the Corbin City Commission approved an annexation request for a property in Laurel County.[9]
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, Corbin has a total area of 7.9 sq mi (20 km2), with only a tiny fraction of 0.044 sq mi (0.11 km2), or 0.56%, consisting of water.
Corbin lies in the Cumberland Plateau region of Appalachia in southeastern Kentucky, along Interstate 75 and U.S. Route 25W. I-75 provides access to the city from exit 25, leading north 89 miles (143 km) to Lexington and south 86 miles (138 km) to Knoxville, Tennessee. U.S. 25W runs through the center of town, leading north 14 miles (23 km) to London (via U.S. Route 25) and south 21 miles (34 km) to Williamsburg.
The Pine Mountain Overthrust Fault, a
Climate
Corbin exhibits a humid subtropical climate, typical of southeastern Kentucky. The region experiences four distinct seasons. Winters are cool to cold, with mild periods. Summers are generally hot and humid, with variable spring and fall seasons. Precipitation is common year-round but more prevalent in the summer months—the surrounding mountains somewhat moderate Corbin's climate.
Climate data for Corbin, Kentucky | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Record high °F (°C) | 74 (23) |
81 (27) |
87 (31) |
90 (32) |
91 (33) |
— | 101 (38) |
102 (39) |
97 (36) |
92 (33) |
82 (28) |
78 (26) |
102 (39) |
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 44 (7) |
49 (9) |
58 (14) |
68 (20) |
75 (24) |
83 (28) |
86 (30) |
85 (29) |
79 (26) |
69 (21) |
58 (14) |
48 (9) |
66.8 (19.3) |
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 25 (−4) |
28 (−2) |
36 (2) |
43 (6) |
52 (11) |
61 (16) |
66 (19) |
64 (18) |
57 (14) |
44 (7) |
36 (2) |
29 (−2) |
45 (7) |
Record low °F (°C) | −25 (−32) |
−11 (−24) |
−12 (−24) |
19 (−7) |
28 (−2) |
34 (1) |
45 (7) |
44 (7) |
32 (0) |
18 (−8) |
2 (−17) |
−17 (−27) |
−25 (−32) |
Average precipitation inches (mm) | 4.01 (102) |
3.72 (94) |
4.61 (117) |
4.01 (102) |
4.69 (119) |
4.24 (108) |
4.39 (112) |
3.36 (85) |
3.37 (86) |
2.80 (71) |
3.90 (99) |
4.31 (109) |
47.41 (1,204) |
Source: The Weather Channel.[10]
|
Demographics
Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
---|---|---|---|
1900 | 1,544 | — | |
1910 | 2,589 | 67.7% | |
1920 | 3,406 | 31.6% | |
1930 | 8,036 | 135.9% | |
1940 | 7,893 | −1.8% | |
1950 | 7,744 | −1.9% | |
1960 | 7,119 | −8.1% | |
1970 | 7,474 | 5.0% | |
1980 | 8,075 | 8.0% | |
1990 | 7,419 | −8.1% | |
2000 | 7,742 | 4.4% | |
2010 | 7,304 | −5.7% | |
2020 | 7,856 | 7.6% | |
2022 (est.) | 7,856 | [12] | 0.0% |
U.S. Decennial Census[13] |
Corbin is near the center of the
As of the 2010
There were 3,093 households, out of which 29.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.3% were married couples living together, 16.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.2% had a male householder with no wife present, and 38.5% were non-families. 34.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.3% 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 2.91.
The age distribution was 22.5% under 18, 8.5% from 18 to 24, 22.9% from 25 to 44, 25.3% from 45 to 64, and 20.8% who were 65 or older. The median age was 41.6 years. For every 100 females, there were 80.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 75.8 males.
Income data from the 2010 Census for Kentucky locations have not yet been released. As of the 2000 Census, the median income for a household in the city was $22,203. The median income for a family was $32,784. Males had a median income of $27,323 versus $17,568 for females. The
Economy
Initially provided by
Culture
Each year in early August, Corbin hosts a festival called NIBROC (Corbin spelled backward) featuring open-air concerts, carnival attractions, a beauty pageant, parade, and other events. The festival is featured, if anachronistically, in the play Last Train to Nibroc by
Despite being in dry counties (Knox and Whitley), the city of Corbin allows full retail alcohol sales, following a successful local option election on February 14, 2012. The city had previously voted in 2004 to allow sales of alcohol by the drink in larger restaurants.[19]
Corbin has an association with
Government
Corbin is governed by a mayor and
Corbin is one of the few cities in Kentucky that lie in two counties—Whitley and Knox. Many built-up areas in neighboring Laurel County have a Corbin postal address but lie outside the city limits. This arrangement has created some problems with taxes and census records. The city receives a portion of the occupational tax collected in Whitley County. However, Knox County has refused to give Corbin any tax collected there. On March 10, 2008, the City Commission voted to file a lawsuit against Knox County to receive a portion of the tax collected within city limits.[22] On May 23, 2014, the Kentucky Court of Appeals ruled that the "Stivers amendment", passed as part of KY HB 499 "Tax Amnesty" legislation in 2012, did not violate the state's constitution. The measure essentially canceled the effect of court rulings that would have enabled Corbin to keep all the revenue from the tax generated inside the city limits. Corbin's mayor, Willard McBurney, vowed to carry the fight to the state Supreme Court.[23]
Corbin is in Kentucky's 5th congressional district.
Education
Corbin, like many communities of its size in southeastern Kentucky, has an independent school system (in Kentucky, a
- Corbin Preschool Center
- Corbin Primary (grades K-3)
- Corbin Elementary (grades 4–5) (Currently housed by the newest building in the district after a complete remodeling of the former Middle School.
- Corbin Middle (grades 6–8)
- Corbin High (grades 9–12) (Currently housed by the oldest building in the district)
- Corbin School Of Innovation
The community and school system place considerable emphasis on the success of academics and high school athletic teams. Corbin "Redhound" sports are important social events within the community.
In 2004, Eastern Kentucky University opened an extension campus in Corbin.
The annual Battle for the Brass Lantern, a college football rivalry game between the University of the Cumberlands and Union College, was played at Corbin High School's stadium in 2006 and 2007, as a neutral field roughly equidistant from the two campuses. The rivalry dates to 1905.[24]
Corbin was formerly home to
Corbin has a lending library, the Corbin Public Library.[25]
Transportation
Corbin straddles
Sites of interest
- Cumberland Falls State Resort Park, the site of a waterfall, one of the few in the Western Hemisphere that regularly produces a moonbow,[26] is 19 miles (31 km) to the southwest.
- Harland Sanders Café and Museum, the birthplace of Kentucky Fried Chicken (though not sold as the KFC/Kentucky Fried Chicken brand at the time), is located in North Corbin. The restaurant and accompanying museum are popular with tour groups traveling along Interstate 75.
- The Arena at the Southeastern Kentucky Ag and Expo Complex, a multi-purpose venue on top of a hill across from the Baptist Regional Medical Center, sits above the Corbin Center. This multi-purpose education center also houses the Corbin Tourism office.
- Nearby Laurel River Lake, created by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in 1974, is a popular recreational site for boating, fishing, water skiing, and scuba diving.
- Cumberland Gap and Cumberland Gap National Historical Park are about 50 miles (80 km) south of Corbin on U.S. Highway 25E at the Tennessee border.
Media
Newspapers
- The Times-Tribune, a Tuesday And Thursday newspaper
- News Journal, weekly newspaper covering both Corbin (headquarters) and the Whitley County, Kentucky, area including Williamsburg
Radio
- WCTT AM 680 (Great 68; Oldies)
- WKDP AM 1330
- WEKF FM 88.5 (Eastern Ky Univ. affiliate)
- WVCT FM 91.5 (Gospel Eagle; Southern Gospel)
- WKDP FM 99.5 (Country)
- WCTT FM 107.3 (T-107; Adult Contemporary)
- WRHR-LPFM 95.3 (also known as Corbin's Own Red 95.3; broadcast by Corbin High School)
TV
- WVTN (Channel 22 Time Warner Cable) - religious; broadcast from Corbin with local and regional churches and religious syndicated programs part of the radio station WVCT 91.5
- RBS (Channel 18 Time Warner Cable) - Corbin school district information broadcasting the WRHR radio station Red 95.3
- YHC (Channel 21 on Time Warner Cable) - broadcasts local and regional business infomercials and runs on-screen ads playing Contemporary Christian Music
Notable people
- Rodger Bird, football player
- Ensley A. Carpenter, doctor, once lived in Corbin, for whom the town of Carpenter, Kentucky was named
- Ted Cremer, football player
- Motown Records
- Richie Farmer, politician and former basketball player
- Roy Kidd, retired football coach, member of the College Football Hall of Fame, former head coach of Eastern Kentucky University football; was born, raised, and currently resides here
- Arthur Lake, actor who played Dagwood Bumstead in the Blondie movies
- Ronni Lundy, food and music writer, cookbook author, and Southern Foodways Alliance Lifetime Achievement Award winner
- George McAfee, WW2 Veteran, football player, NFL Hall of Fame inductee.
- Dan Neal, football player
- Kentucky Fried Chickenrestaurant chain
- Frank Selvy, basketball player
- B. F. Shelton, old-timey banjo player
- Jarrett Stidham, quarterback for Baylor University, Auburn University and the New England Patriots.
- Trent Taylor, NFL wide receiver for the San Francisco 49ers and Cincinnati Bengals, in college for Louisiana Tech, lived in Corbin as a child, from age 2 through the end of second grade[28]
- Mabel Martin Wyrick, writer
References
- ^ "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 18, 2022.
- ^ a b U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Corbin, Kentucky
- ^ "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Incorporated Places in Kentucky: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2022". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 26, 2023.
- ^ "Summary and Reference Guide to House Bill 331 City Classification Reform" (PDF). Kentucky League of Cities. Retrieved December 30, 2014.
- ^ Corbin-Times Tribune, 1906. James Eaton is quoted as saying he named the town for Rev. Floyd "the finest man I know."
- ^ NPR.
- The Courier-Journal. Louisville, Kentucky. Retrieved April 22, 2021.
- ^ "AN ACT relating to local government". Act of March 28, 2021 (PDF). Retrieved March 28, 2022.
- ^ Cox, Erin (March 24, 2022). "Laurel County business to be annexed into Corbin city limits; Dispatcher pay increased". Corbin Times Tribune. Corbin, Kentucky. Retrieved March 28, 2022.
- The Weather Channel. Retrieved May 27, 2010.
- ^ "Weather in June 2012 in Corbin, Kentucky, USA".
- ^ "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Incorporated Places in Kentucky: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2022". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 26, 2023.
- ^ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
- ^ "OMB Bulletin No. 23-01" (PDF). www.whitehouse.gov. July 21, 2023. pp. 59, 138. Retrieved January 21, 2024.
- ^ "MICROPOLITAN STATISTICAL AREAS AND COMPONENTS, December 2006, WITH CODES". United States Census Bureau. Office of Management and Budget. May 11, 2007. Archived from the original on June 29, 2007. Retrieved August 1, 2008.
- ^ "COMBINED STATISTICAL AREAS AND COMPONENT CORE BASED STATISTICAL AREAS, December 2006, WITH CODES". United States Census Bureau. Office of Management and Budget. May 11, 2007. Archived from the original on June 29, 2007. Retrieved August 1, 2008.
- ^ a b "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
- ^ Bellafante, Ginia (April 11, 2007). "Three Plays Portray a Couple Bound by Love and Conflict". New York Times.
- The Times-Tribune. Corbin, Kentucky. Retrieved April 8, 2012.
- ^ "Corbin gets mention in 'South Park' episode". The Times-Tribune.com. April 2, 2010. Retrieved July 22, 2015.
- ^ "Shelton, Tye re-elected, Joe White loses seat". The Times-Tribune.com. November 7, 2012. Retrieved July 22, 2015.
- ^ Swindler, Samantha (March 11, 2008). "Corbin to sue Knox County". Times-Tribune. p. 1A.
- ^ Knuckles, Trent (June 11, 2014). "Corbin loses occupational tax case appeal". The News Journal. Corbin, KY, USA. Archived from the original on July 17, 2015. Retrieved July 17, 2015.
- ^ Corbin/Williamsburg News Journal Archived March 2, 2012, at the Wayback Machine, Corbin, KY: Moving to Corbin; Battle of Lantern will be played at Campbell Field. By Jim McAllister. July 20, 2006.
- ^ "Kentucky Public Library Directory". Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives. Archived from the original on January 11, 2019. Retrieved June 7, 2019.
- ^ "History". Cumberland Falls State Resort Park. Kentucky Department of Parks. Archived from the original on June 4, 2015. Retrieved July 17, 2015.
- ^ "The Times-Tribune".
- ^ DiLullo, Mikey. "Five things to know about Bengals receiver Trent Taylor, former Evangel Christian Academy star". The Times. Retrieved February 21, 2022.
Further reading
- Henson, Robby (Director) (January 1, 1991). Trouble Behind (documentary). Event occurs at 56 min.
External links
- City of Corbin
- Corbin Economic Development Agency
- Corbin Independent School District
- Corbin, Kentucky at Curlie
- Historical
- Genealogy of Rev. James Corbin Floyd
- "Kentucky Town Re-Examines Its Racial History", NPR, March 10, 2007