High Bridge, Kentucky

Coordinates: 37°49′47″N 84°42′35″W / 37.82972°N 84.70972°W / 37.82972; -84.70972
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

High Bridge, Kentucky
FIPS code
21-36460
GNIS feature ID2629630[2]
High Bridge historical marker

High Bridge is an

Metropolitan Statistical Area
.

History

A post office was established in 1879 in the community then known as "North Tower".

John Roebling as a suspension bridge, but ultimately built as a cantilever bridge. The current bridge, the second one on these foundations, is the highest railroad bridge in the United States over a navigable river. The Kentucky River runs through the Kentucky River Palisades
for much of the lower portion of its length. Most of the bridges over it in the area are relatively high ones.

High Bridge was opened in 1876 and was the first cantilever bridge in North America. Standing 275 feet (84 m) over the river between the Palisades, it first carried both passenger and freight trains. The American Society of Civil Engineers has designated it a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark. The 1876 bridge was replaced in 1911 by a more robust bridge in the same place. This is the current bridge, which stands 308 feet (94 m) above the river. Freight trains of the Norfolk Southern Railway still use this bridge several times a day.

The Palisades were a popular spot for picnics and dances, as breezes from the river gorge kept it comfortable. An open-air roofed ballroom was built there for community dances and has been preserved. A small playground and park adjoin the Palisades property.

A brand of

University of Kentucky Wildcats
. The Wildcat mascot is used on the bottle label to show support for the team. The bottle name is "Swish".

Bethel Academy, the first Methodist school west of the Appalachians, was established in the High Bridge vicinity in 1790.[5]

Geography

The High Bridge census-designated place consists of the community of High Bridge as well as rural land comprising the inside of the bend on the Kentucky River where the bridge is located. Kentucky Route 29 leads northeast from High Bridge 4.5 miles (7.2 km) to Wilmore, and Nicholasville, the Jessamine county seat, is 10 miles (16 km) northeast of High Bridge.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the High Bridge CDP has a total area of 2.3 square miles (6.0 km2), of which 2.2 square miles (5.6 km2) are land and 0.2 square miles (0.4 km2), or 6.36%, are water.[3]

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note
2020268
U.S. Decennial Census[6]

As of the 2020 census, there were 268 people, 120 housing units, and 51 families in the CDP. The racial makeup was 93.0% White, 0.3% Asian, 0.7% from some other race, and 6.0% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 4.1% of the population.[7]

The ancestry of the CDP was 79.3% American, 3.4% Irish, and 2.3% German.[7]

The median age was 59.2 years old. The average family size was 1.97 people per household. The median household income was $30,750. 17.2% of the population were in poverty.[7]

References

  1. ^ "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 18, 2022.
  2. ^ a b U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: High Bridge, Kentucky
  3. ^ a b "Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Census Summary File 1 (G001): High Bridge CDP, Kentucky". American Factfinder. U.S. Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved June 25, 2018.
  4. . Retrieved April 28, 2013.
  5. ^ Young, Bennett Henderson. A History of Jessamine County, Kentucky, From Its Earliest Settlement to 1898, Courier-Journal Job Printing, 1898, 171.
  6. ^ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2016.
  7. ^ a b c "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved June 20, 2023.

External links