North Fork Kentucky River is a river in Kentucky in the United States . It is a fork of the Kentucky River that it joins just upstream of Beattyville . It is nearly 148 miles (238 km) long with an average slope of 3.2 feet per mile (0.61 m/km), and an overall basin size (at Jackson) of 1,101 square miles (2,850 km)
108-721: The river rises at Payne Gap in Letcher County , in the Appalachian plateaus, flowing initially westward past Whitesburg in the Kanawha section (of the Cumberland Plateau ) north of Pine Mountain . Several of its early tributaries flow off the north side of Pine Mountain into it, one of the principal ones being Cowan Creek. The basin size within Letcher County is 131 square miles (340 km). It then flows generally northwest, in
216-1054: A city , town , or village . A few counties directly provide public transportation themselves, usually in the form of a simple bus system. However, in most counties, public transportation is provided by one of the following: a special district that is coterminous with the county (but exists separately from the county government), a multi-county regional transit authority, or a state agency. In western and southern states, more populated counties provide many facilities, such as airports, convention centers , museums, recreation centers , beaches, harbors, zoos, clinics, law libraries , and public housing . They provide services such as child and family services, elder services, mental health services, welfare services, veterans assistance services, animal control , probation supervision, historic preservation, food safety regulation, and environmental health services. They have many additional officials like public defenders , arts commissioners, human rights commissioners, and planning commissioners. There may be
324-446: A consolidated city-county or independent city exists, a city council usually governs city/county or city affairs. In some counties, day-to-day operations are overseen by an elected county executive or by a chief administrative officer or county administrator who reports to the board, the mayor, or both. In many states, the board in charge of a county holds powers that transcend all three traditional branches of government. It has
432-417: A gas station . By the 1990s, the courthouse was in disrepair, and state officials were threatening to close the top floor. Local government officials were able to obtain federal funding, and the building was remodeled in 1998. The jail, which was located at the top floor of the building, was moved to the bottom floor, and a statue honoring veterans was moved to the front of the building in the new version of
540-424: A county fire department and a county police department – as distinguished from fire and police departments operated by individual cities, special districts, or the state government. For example, Gwinnett County, Georgia , and its county seat, the city of Lawrenceville , each have their own police departments. (A separate county sheriff's department is responsible for security of the county courts and administration of
648-454: A female householder with no husband present, and 26.00% were non-families. 24.10% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.10% 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 2.94. The age distribution was 23.70% under the age of 18, 9.20% from 18 to 24, 28.70% from 25 to 44, 25.80% from 45 to 64, and 12.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age
756-460: A few counties bear names of Native American , French, or Spanish origin. Counties are most often named for people, often political figures or early settlers, with over 2,100 of the 3,144 total so named. The most common county name, with 31, is Washington County , for America's first president, George Washington . Up until 1871, there was a Washington County within the District of Columbia , but it
864-400: A land area of 20,057 square miles (51,947 km ). The least extensive county is Kalawao County, Hawaii , with a land area of 11.991 square miles (31.058 km ). The least extensive county equivalent in the 50 states is the independent city of Falls Church, Virginia , with a land area of 1.999 square miles (5.177 km ). If U.S. territories are included,
972-453: A large number of counties, and many Western states were sparsely populated when counties were created by their respective state legislatures. The five counties of Rhode Island and eight of the 14 counties of Massachusetts no longer have functional county governments, but continue to exist as legal and census entities. Connecticut abolished county governments in 1960, leaving its eight counties as mere legal and census entities. In 2022,
1080-496: A legal representative to county departments, board, or commissions. The county attorney is Democrat Jamie Hatton. The Commonwealth Attorney is responsible for attending each circuit court held in their judicial circuit. The Commonwealth attorney has the ability to prosecute violations, and present evidence to a grand jury . As of July 2024 , the Commonwealth attorney is Matt Butler. The property valuation administrator has
1188-882: A matter of U.S. state law , so the specific governmental powers of counties may vary widely between the states, with many providing some level of services to civil townships , municipalities , and unincorporated areas . Certain municipalities are in multiple counties ; New York City is uniquely partitioned into five counties, referred to at the city government level as boroughs . Some municipalities have been consolidated with their county government to form consolidated city-counties , or have been legally separated from counties altogether to form independent cities . Conversely, counties in Connecticut and Rhode Island , eight of Massachusetts's 14 counties , and Alaska's Unorganized Borough have no government power, existing only as geographic distinctions. The United States Census Bureau uses
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#17328631833571296-415: A population over 100,000; 137 counties have a population over 500,000; 45 counties have a population over 1,000,000; and 14 counties have a population over 2,000,000. At the other extreme, 35 counties have a population under 1,000; 307 counties have a population under 5,000; 709 counties have a population under 10,000; and 1,492 counties have a population between 10,000 and 50,000. At the 2000 U.S. Census ,
1404-507: A result of the floods, many people were left homeless. On September 19, 2024, then-County Sheriff Shawn Michael (Mickey) Stines was arrested for shooting and killing District Judge Kevin Mullins in his chambers. Letcher County is located in the far southeast of Kentucky. Most of its border is defined by mountains. The 125-mile long Pine Mountain divides the county, and defines part of the county's border with Harlan County and Virginia . To
1512-742: A ridge from Sandlick Creek is the Camp Branch of Rockhouse Creek. A road leads from the Little Sandlick Branch past Polly and over a gap to Sandlick Branch. A gap from Indian Creek leads to Millstone. A gap from Trace Fork of Smoot Creek leads to Little Colly Creek. In 1916, Caudill Branch was the location of Nancy Caudill's and Ison Caudill's mines. The Swift Coal and Timber Company had mines on Turkey Creek; Line Fork just downstream of Defeated Creek (on land owned by Mose Ison); Defeated Creek itself, and its Wilson Fork and Wolfpen Branch; and many other locations on Line Fork from Cornetts Branch all of
1620-468: A solidly Republican county. In the 2023 Kentucky Gubernatorial Election , popular incumbent Governor Andy Beshear won Letcher County by a margin of 4 points, marking the first instance since 2011 that a Democrat clinched victory in the county in any statewide race. Letcher County is a solid Republican county in Senate elections, having re-elected Republican Rand Paul in 2022 with 67.6% (3,873 votes) of
1728-491: A winding course, past Hazard and Jackson . The discharge rate at Hazard varies seasonally, being high in the winter and spring and low in the summer and autumn. This is brought about by higher rainfall during the first half of the calendar year, and regularly causes floods in the spring. 0.5% of the area of the North Fork Kentucky River basin has been disturbed by mining. As a result of these land disturbances,
1836-690: Is Government-access television (GATV), operated by the Letcher County Fiscal Court and airs government meetings, local events, and emergency information. LCPS-TV is operated by the Letcher County Public Schools and airs school announcements, events, and Educational access television programs. Two newspapers serve Letcher County. The Mountain Eagle is a weekly newspaper located in Whitesburg. It has been in operation since 1907 and
1944-428: Is Lake . Words from Native American languages, as well as the names of Native American leaders and tribes, lend their names to many counties. Quite a few counties bear names of French or Spanish origin, such as Marquette County being named after French missionary Father Jacques Marquette . The county's equivalent in the state of Louisiana, the parish (Fr. paroisse civile and Sp. parroquia ) took its name during
2052-564: Is 343 sq mi (890 km ), whereas in Utah it is 2,427 sq mi (6,290 km ). The most extensive county or county equivalent is the Yukon–Koyukuk Census Area, Alaska , with a land area of 145,505 square miles (376,856 km ). All nine of the most extensive county equivalents are in Alaska. The most extensive county is San Bernardino County, California , with
2160-542: Is Denise Yonts. The schools located in the district are: Students in the Jenkins area are served by the Jenkins Independent Schools, which operates one elementary school and a combined middle and high school with grades 7–12. The superintendent of Jenkins Independent Schools is Damian Johnson. The schools located in the district are: Letcher County has a somewhat similar political history to West Virginia. Under
2268-429: Is James W. Craft II. The district judge manages juvenile issues, city and county laws, misdemeanors, violations, traffic offenses, probate of wills, arraignments, domestic violence and abuse, and small civil issues. Until his September 2024 murder, the district judge was Kevin R. Mullins. Letcher County is divided into five magisterial districts. The magistrates are representatives of the fiscal court, and works with
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#17328631833572376-463: Is a part of the 47th Judicial District. The circuit court deals with civil issues, capital offenses, felonies, land disputes, and probate cases. The circuit court can also supply injunctions , writs of prohibition , and writs of mandamus . The circuit court has the ability to dissolve marriages, hear cases of child custody , visitation, distribution of property, adoption, and parental rights. The circuit judge serves an eight-year term. The circuit judge
2484-500: Is either done at the state level or at the municipal level. In Connecticut and parts of Massachusetts, regional councils have been established to partially fill the void left behind by the abolished county governments. The regional councils' authority is limited compared with a county government—they have authority only over infrastructure and land use planning, distribution of state and federal funds for infrastructure projects, emergency preparedness, and limited law enforcement duties. In
2592-399: Is greater than the populations of 41 U.S. states, and is only slightly smaller than the combined population of the 10 least populous states and Washington, D.C. It also makes the population of Los Angeles County 17.4 times greater than that of the least populous state, Wyoming. The second most populous county is Cook County, Illinois , with a population of 5,275,541. Cook County's population
2700-455: Is larger than that of 28 individual U.S. states and the combined populations of the six smallest states. The least populous county is Loving County, Texas , with 64 residents in 2020. Eight county equivalents in the U.S. territories have no human population: Rose Atoll , Northern Islands Municipality , Baker Island , Howland Island , Jarvis Island , Johnston Atoll , Kingman Reef , and Navassa Island . The remaining three islands in
2808-769: Is no formal level of government (municipality, public education, or otherwise) existing below that of the county in the state. In most Midwestern and Northeastern states, counties are further subdivided into townships or towns , which sometimes exercise local powers or administration. Throughout the United States, counties may contain other independent, self-governing municipalities . In New England, counties function at most as judicial court districts and sheriff's departments (presently, in Connecticut only as judicial court districts—and in Rhode Island , they have lost both those functions and most others but they are still used by
2916-591: Is owned, edited, and published by the Gish family . The Letcher County Community News-Press is a weekly newspaper located in Cromona , near Fleming-Neon, that has been in operation since 1988. Public transportation is provided by LKLP Community Action Partnership with demand-response service and scheduled service from Whitesburg to Hazard . 37°07′N 82°51′W / 37.12°N 82.85°W / 37.12; -82.85 County (United States) In
3024-424: Is part of Kentucky's 29th state Senate district, which is represented by Republican Johnnie L. Turner . It voted to elect Turner in 2020, with 54.8% (4,900 votes) of the vote over 20-year Democratic incumbent Johnny Ray Turner . Letcher County is part of Kentucky's 94th house district, represented by Republican Jacob Justice of Elkhorn City . In 2022, it voted to re-elect Democratic Angie Hatton , with 60.7% of
3132-410: Is rarely a county responsibility, execution of capital punishment is never a county responsibility, and the state's responses to prisoners' appeals are the responsibility of the state attorney general , who has to defend before the state appellate courts the prosecutions conducted by locally elected district attorneys in the name of the state. Furthermore, county-level trial court judges are officers of
3240-557: Is simultaneously a city, which is a municipality (municipal corporation), and a county, which is an administrative division of a state, having the powers and responsibilities of both types of entities. The city limit or jurisdiction is synonymous with the county line, as the two administrative entities become a non-dichotomous single entity. For this reason, a consolidated city-county is officially remarked as name of city – name of county (i.e., Augusta–Richmond County in Georgia). The same
3348-501: Is true of the boroughs of New York City , each of which is coextensive with a county of New York State. For those entities in which the city uses the same name as the county, city and county of name may be used (i.e., City and County of Denver in Colorado). Similarly, some of Alaska 's boroughs have merged with their principal cities, creating unified city-boroughs. Some such consolidations and mergers have created cities that rank among
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3456-553: Is water. Fishpond Lake is a 28.8 acres (11.7 ha) man-made body of water near Jenkins, in Payne Gap, Kentucky . It was formed in 1961 by the impoundment of Fishpond Branch. At its deepest it is 79 feet and averages around 33 feet. The lake is home to several species of fish including rainbow trout , channel catfish , and flathead catfish . It is the only large body of water (other than rivers) in Letcher County. In an effort to bring tourists to Letcher County and to revitalize
3564-634: The Alaska Constitutional Convention wanted to avoid the traditional county system and adopted their own unique model with different types of boroughs varying in powers and duties. In some states, these powers are partly or mostly devolved to the counties' smaller divisions usually called townships , though in New York, New England and Wisconsin they are called "towns". The county may or may not be able to override its townships on certain matters, depending on state law. The newest county in
3672-454: The City and County of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania ; City and County of San Francisco, California ; and Lynchburg-Moore County, Tennessee A consolidated city-county may still contain independent municipalities maintaining some governmental powers that did not merge with the rest of the county. For example, the government of Jacksonville–Duval County, Florida , still provides county-level services to
3780-592: The Cumberland River . The western portion of the county is drained by Elkhorn Creek, which flows from its start near Jenkins, Kentucky , to its confluence with Russell Fork in Pike County, Kentucky . According to the United States Census Bureau , the county has a total area of 339 square miles (880 km ), of which 338 square miles (880 km ) is land and 1.1 square miles (2.8 km ) (0.3%)
3888-641: The Fourth Party System it was a reliable Republican county, voting Republican in every election from 1884 to 1928. However, with increasing unionization under the New Deal it turned for the next sixty to seventy years into a fairly solid Democratic county, apart from the 1956 and 1972 landslides and the candidacy of John F. Kennedy . However, since 2004 as the Democratic Party has become opposed to coal production due to global warming issues, it has become
3996-597: The Mid-Atlantic and Midwest , counties typically provide, at a minimum, courts, public utilities , libraries, hospitals, public health services, parks, roads, law enforcement, and jails. There is usually a county registrar, recorder, or clerk (the exact title varies) who collects vital statistics , holds elections (sometimes in coordination with a separate elections office or commission), and prepares or processes certificates of births, deaths, marriages, and dissolutions (divorce decrees). The county recorder normally maintains
4104-552: The New York City Borough of Manhattan), with 72,033 persons per square mile (27,812 persons/km ) in 2015. The Yukon–Koyukuk Census Area, Alaska , is both the most extensive and the least densely populated county or county equivalent with 0.0380 persons per square mile (0.0147 persons/km ) in 2015. In the 50 states (plus the District of Columbia), a total of 981 counties have a population over 50,000; 592 counties have
4212-902: The North Fork Kentucky River near Blackey, Kentucky . The central portion of the county is drained by the North Fork Kentucky River, which flows from its start at the Kentucky–Virginia border, to where it meets the South Fork Kentucky River in Lee County, Kentucky , to form the Kentucky River . The southern part of the county is drained by the Poor Fork , which flows from its start on Pine Mountain , to Baxter in Harlan County, Kentucky , where it meets Martin's Fork to form
4320-559: The Province of Maine founded York County . Massachusetts followed in 1643. Pennsylvania and New York delegated significant power and responsibility from the colony government to county governments and thereby established a pattern for most of the United States, although counties remained relatively weak in New England . When independence came, the framers of the Constitution left
4428-700: The Scotia Mine , resulting in the deaths of 15 miners. Two days later another explosion occurred, killing 11 more miners. Investigators concluded that the explosions were caused by methane gases that were ignited by a spark caused by a battery-powered device. The accidents are often considered two of the worst mining disasters in U.S. history. The two explosions led to the passage of the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977 . In July–August 2022, floods came through Eastern Kentucky. A total of 45 people died, three of those deaths occurred in Letcher County. As
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4536-409: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to determine if any species on the threatened or endangered list were harmed. As of the census of 2000, there were 25,277 people, 10,085 households, and 7,462 families residing in the county. The population density was 75 per square mile (29/km ). There were 11,405 housing units at an average density of 34 per square mile (13/km ). The racial makeup of the county
4644-437: The U.S. Minor Outlying Islands ( Midway Atoll , Palmyra Atoll and Wake Island ) have small non-permanent human populations. The county equivalent with the smallest non-zero population counted in the census is Swains Island, American Samoa (17 people), although since 2008 this population has not been permanent either. The most densely populated county or county equivalent is New York County, New York (coextensive with
4752-569: The USGS counts Guam's election districts (villages) as county equivalents. The U.S. Census Bureau counts the 3 main islands in the U.S. Virgin Islands as county equivalents, while the USGS counts the districts of the U.S. Virgin Islands (of which there are 2) as county equivalents. Common sources of county names are names of people, geographic features, places in other states or countries, and animals. Quite
4860-545: The United States , a county or county equivalent is an administrative or political subdivision of a U.S. state or other territories of the United States which consists of a geographic area with specific boundaries and usually some level of governmental authority. The term " county " is used in 48 states, while Louisiana and Alaska have functionally equivalent subdivisions called parishes and boroughs , respectively. Counties and other local governments exist as
4968-602: The United States Census Bureau and some other federal agencies for some federal functions), and most of the governmental authority below the state level is in the hands of towns and cities . In several of Maine's sparsely populated counties, small towns rely on the county for law enforcement, and in New Hampshire several social programs are administered at the state level. In Connecticut, Rhode Island, and parts of Massachusetts, counties are now only geographic designations, and they do not have any governmental powers. All government
5076-466: The county seat ("parish seat" in Louisiana, "borough seat" in Alaska, or " shire town " in several New England counties). The county seat usually resides in a municipality. However, some counties may have multiple seats or no seat. In some counties with no incorporated municipalities, a large settlement may serve as the county seat. The power of county governments varies widely from state to state, as does
5184-473: The median land area of U.S. counties was 622 sq mi (1,610 km ), which is two-thirds of the median land area of a ceremonial county of England , and a little more than a quarter of the median land area of a French département . Counties in the western United States typically have a much larger land area than those in the eastern United States. For example, the median land area of counties in Georgia
5292-464: The poverty line , including 35.90% of those under age 18 and 21.20% of those age 65 or over. Most K-12 students in the county, with the exception of those living in the far eastern part of the county surrounding Jenkins , are served by the Letcher County Public Schools. The district operates six elementary/middle schools, one high school, one vocational school , and an alternative education center. The superintendent of Letcher County Schools as of 2018
5400-451: The 50 states and District of Columbia. There are an additional 100 county equivalents in the territories of the United States . The average number of counties per state is 62, with a range from the three counties of Delaware to the 254 counties of Texas . Southern and Midwestern states generally tend to have more counties than Western or Northeastern states, as many Northeastern states are not large enough in area to warrant
5508-454: The 50 states and the District of Columbia. If the 100 county equivalents in the U.S. territories are counted, then the total is 3,244 counties and county-equivalents in the United States. The idea of counties originated with the counties of England . English (after 1707, British ) colonists brought to their colonies in North America a political subdivision that they already used in
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#17328631833575616-973: The British metropole : the counties. Counties were among the earliest units of local government established in the Thirteen Colonies that would become the United States. Virginia created the first counties in order to ease the administrative workload in Jamestown . The House of Burgesses divided the colony first into four "incorporations" in 1617 and finally into eight shires (or counties) in 1634: James City , Henrico , Charles City , Charles River , Warrosquyoake , Accomac , Elizabeth City , and Warwick River . America's oldest intact county court records can be found at Eastville, Virginia , in Northampton (originally Accomac) County , dating to 1632. Maryland established its first county, St. Mary's in 1637. In 1639,
5724-530: The Cumberlands: A Biography of a Depressed Area , brought the county to national attention. The CBS documentary Christmas in Appalachia (1964) hosted by Charles Kuralt also brought the nation's attention to Letcher County as citizens sent clothes and gifts in response to the conditions of those featured. On March 9, 1976, in the community of Oven Fork , an explosion caused by coal dust and gasses occurred at
5832-763: The Judge/Executive in managing the county government. Magistrates also serve as Justice of the peace and, if permitted by the Judge/Executive, can perform marriages. The magistrates are: Letcher County is divided into five school board districts. Members of the school board serve staggered four year terms and are not subject to term limits. The members of the school board are: As of April 2024, Letcher County has 8,677 registered Democrats, 5,906 Republicans, 351 third party voters, 368 registered Independents, 37 Libertarians , 2 Greens , and 2 Constitution party voters. Two Public-access television cable TV channels serve Letcher County. The Letcher County Government Channel
5940-523: The Kentucky River system. It is the origin of one third of the dissolved sulphates found in the Kentucky River, and the location of the highest concentrations of iron (more than 4 times the concentration over the whole Kentucky River basin), and manganese. The measured increases in dissolved solids over the years 1976–1986, between 3% and 10% per year, matched the increase in coal production during those same years. Calcium and magnesium cations, one of
6048-631: The Letcher County courthouse. Due to its rugged terrain, Letcher County is one of the most remote counties in Kentucky, and until the arrival of coal, its population never peaked above 10,000. In the early 1900s, coal mining began in the county. This caused an economic boom as many small communities grew to large coal towns supported by coal companies. By 1940, the county's population had grown to over 40,000. Between 1990 and 2014, Letcher County produced over 600,000,000 short tons (540,000,000 t) of coal. Harry M. Caudill 's 1963 book, Night Comes to
6156-699: The Middle Fork. It joins the South Fork to form the Kentucky River at Beattyville . A gap connects Whitaker Branch to a minor branch of Tolson Branch. A trail leads from the Jakes Branch of Line Fork to the Stony Fork of Leatherwood Creek. A gap leads from Little Colly Creek to Camp Branch. Over a ridge from Daniels Branch in one direction is Little Carr Creek and in the other is the Trace Fork of Rockhouse Creek. Over
6264-644: The U.S. Census Bureau began to also count Connecticut's Councils of Governments , which took over some of the regional powers from the state's former county governments, as county equivalents. Territories of the United States do not have counties; instead, the United States Census Bureau also divides them into county equivalents. The U.S. Census Bureau counts American Samoa 's districts and atolls as county equivalents. American Samoa locally has places called "counties", but these entities are considered to be " minor civil divisions " (not true counties) by
6372-473: The U.S. Census Bureau recognized the state's nine Councils of Governments as replacement for the state's eight legacy counties for all statistical purposes; full implementation was completed in 2024. The average U.S. county population was 104,435 in 2019, while the median county, which is Nicholas County, West Virginia , had a population of 25,965 in 2019. The most populous county is Los Angeles County, California , with 10,014,009 residents in 2020. This number
6480-475: The U.S. Census Bureau treats American Samoa's three districts and two atolls as county equivalents). American Samoa's counties are treated as minor civil divisions. Most territories are directly divided into municipalities or similar units, which are treated as equivalent of counties for statistical purposes: The U.S. Census Bureau counts all of Guam as one county equivalent (with the FIPS code 66010), while
6588-683: The U.S. Census Bureau. The number of counties per state ranges from the three counties of Delaware to the 254 counties of Texas . County populations also vary widely: in 2017, according to the Census Bureau, more than half the U.S. population was concentrated in just 143 of the more than 3,000 counties, or just 4.6% of all counties; the five most populous counties, ordered from most to least, are Los Angeles County, California ; Cook County, Illinois ; Harris County, Texas ; Maricopa County, Arizona ; and San Diego County, California . As of 2022 , there are 3,144 counties and county-equivalents in
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#17328631833576696-484: The United States is the city and county of Broomfield, Colorado , established in 2001 as a consolidated city-county , previously part of four counties. The newest county equivalents are the Alaskan census areas of Chugach and Copper River , both established in 2019, and the Alaskan boroughs of Petersburg established in 2013, Wrangell established in 2008, and Skagway established in 2007. A consolidated city-county
6804-403: The ability to assess property within the county and prepare property records. The property valuation administrator is Democrat Ricky Rose. The sheriff has the responsibility to collect taxes, election duties, provide service to courts, and enforce laws. The sheriff has the ability to make arrests within their county, and collect taxes from properties, the county, and school districts. The sheriff
6912-492: The annual sediment yield for the North Fork basin is roughly 15 times the yield over the entire Kentucky River basin, at an estimated 1,500 short tons per square mile (530 t/km). Three quarters of the sediment load is deposited between Jackson and Heidelberg, estimated by the USGS and KGS to be mostly just upstream of the latter. Because of the mining, the North Fork is also one of the three major sources of dissolved solids in
7020-469: The area of Linefork . Later, Benjamin Webb brought a group of settlers from Maryland , and settled at the mouth of Boone Fork in modern-day Kona , but later moved down towards the mouth of Bottom Fork in modern-day Mayking . Most communities and geographic features in the area were named after these early pioneer families. Most of these early communities were economically supported by timber logging . In 1842,
7128-402: The board. These positions may include county clerk , county treasurer , county surrogate, sheriff , and others. District attorneys or state attorneys are usually state-level as opposed to county-level officials, but in many states, counties and state judicial districts have coterminous boundaries. The site of a county's administration, and often the county courthouse , is generally called
7236-473: The causes of water hardness, are elevated in the North Fork because of surface mining disturbances of calcium and magnesium bearing rock, the overall Kentucky River system being classified as hard to very hard, with exceptions in tributaries that are unaffected by Eastern Kentucky Coalfield mining. The North Fork is responsible for one third of the Kentucky River's dissolved magnesium and one tenth of its dissolved calcium. Not enough data are available to explain
7344-410: The city and the county at least nominally exist, they are properly classified as counties in their own right. Likewise, the boroughs of New York City are coextensive with counties and are therefore by definition also not county equivalents. There are technically no counties in U.S. territories. American Samoa has its own counties , but the U.S. Census Bureau does not treat them as counties (instead,
7452-421: The county (which merely implements state law). A typical criminal defendant will be arraigned and subsequently indicted or held over for trial before a trial court in and for a particular county where the crime occurred, kept in the county jail (if he is not granted bail or cannot make bail), prosecuted by the county's district attorney, and tried before a jury selected from that county. But long-term incarceration
7560-414: The county jail, and all prisoners in the jail. The jailer has the ability to transport prisoners, manage the jail budget, prepare bail , work and education release for prisoners, do community service, and manage all the deputies . The jailer is Democrat Bert Slone. The main responsibility of the coroner is to decide and certify the cause of death. The coroner is Democrat Perry M. Fowler. Letcher County
7668-457: The county jail.) In several southern states, public school systems are organized and administered at the county level. As of 2024 , there were 2,999 counties, 64 Louisiana parishes , 19 organized boroughs and 11 census areas in Alaska, 9 Councils of Government in Connecticut, 41 independent cities , and the District of Columbia for a total of 3,144 counties and county equivalents in
7776-468: The county would do an environmental impact study before construction would begin. Documents obtained by the Lexington Herald-Leader under Kentucky's Open Records Act showed that construction actually began before the study was to take place. County-owned bulldozers started clearing trees in part of a wildlife management area in which heavy equipment was not permitted. Environmental groups asked
7884-455: The county's original 340 square miles. In April 1884, a ten-mile section from Pike County was added, and a month later, Letcher County contributed 80 square miles toward the creation of Knott County . At first, residents could not agree where the county seat would be located. Some residents wanted the seat to be in Mayking, others wanted the seat to be in Camp Branch or Indian Bottom . The debate
7992-475: The elevated aluminium concentrations in the North Fork, as few samples have been taken with highly fluctuating measurements, but the elevated barium concentrations correlate with the suspended sediment measurements and are thus attributed to underclay disturbances caused by mining, as do its elevated copper concentrations which are thus likewise attributed. The elevated concentrations of manganese are considered to be of natural origin, because although they are high in
8100-399: The fiscal court, informing the fiscal court with the financial state and needs of the county, and supervising, appointing, removing, or suspending county officials. The judge/executive as of 2024 is Republican Terry Adams. The County Attorney is the legal counsel for the county government. The county attorney's role is to give legal advice to the fiscal court and county officials, and act as
8208-401: The flood of February 1939. The worst hit place was Hazard; but most of the settlements along the various tributaries were damaged to some degree. The North Fork was the location of seven species of freshwater mussels as of 1975, and their habitat had suffered from significant reduction since the start of the 20th century. The reservoir at Carr Fork has been classified as eutrophic because of
8316-399: The four independent municipalities within its borders: Atlantic Beach , Baldwin , Jacksonville Beach , and Neptune Beach . The term county equivalents is used by the United States Census Bureau to describe divisions that are comparable to counties but called by different names: Consolidated city-counties are not designated county equivalents for administrative purposes; since both
8424-461: The general law of the state or by a charter specific to that county. States may allow only general-law counties, only charter counties, or both. Generally, general-law local governments have less autonomy than chartered local governments. Counties are usually governed by an elected body, variously called the county commission , board of supervisors , commissioners' court , county council , county court , or county legislature . In cases in which
8532-622: The geographically largest cities in the world, though often with population densities far below those of most urban areas. There are 40 consolidated city-counties in the U.S., including Augusta–Richmond County; the City and County of Denver, Colorado; the City and County of Honolulu, Hawaii ; Indianapolis–Marion County, Indiana ; Jacksonville–Duval County, Florida ; Louisville–Jefferson County, Kentucky ; Lexington–Fayette County, Kentucky ; Kansas City–Wyandotte County, Kansas ; Nashville–Davidson County, Tennessee ; New Orleans–Orleans Parish, Louisiana ;
8640-405: The judicial branch of the state government rather than county governments. In many states, the county controls all unincorporated lands within its boundaries. In states with a township tier, unincorporated land is controlled by the townships. Residents of unincorporated land who are dissatisfied with county-level or township-level resource allocation decisions can attempt to vote to incorporate as
8748-560: The least extensive county equivalent is Kingman Reef , with a land area of 0.01 square miles (0.03 km ). In some states, a municipality may be in only one county and may not annex territory in adjacent counties, but in the majority of states, the state constitution or state law allows municipalities to extend across county boundaries. At least 32 states include municipalities in multiple counties . Dallas , for example, contains portions of five counties, while numerous other cities comprise portions of four counties. New York City
8856-416: The legislative power to enact laws for the county; it has the executive power to oversee the executive operations of county government; and it has quasi-judicial power with regard to certain limited matters (such as hearing appeals from the planning commission if one exists). In many states, several important officials are elected separately from the board of commissioners or supervisors and cannot be fired by
8964-613: The local economy, the Pioneer Horse Trail was constructed on Pine Mountain . The trail, part of an "adventure tourism" initiative spearheaded by then Governor Steve Beshear , Beshear's wife Jane , and Lieutenant Governor Daniel Mongiardo , was completed in 2009. However, controversy arose about whether the environment would be harmed during construction. In the summer of 2008, the Letcher County Fiscal Court had signed an agreement with state officials stating that
9072-674: The matter to the states. Subsequently, state constitutions conceptualized county governments as arms of the state. Louisiana instead adopted the local divisions called parishes that dated back to both the Spanish colonial and French colonial periods when the land was dominated by the Catholic Church . In the twentieth century, the role of local governments strengthened and counties began providing more services, acquiring home rule and county commissions to pass local ordinances pertaining to their unincorporated areas . In 1955, delegates to
9180-481: The mined parts of the North Fork basin, they are also high in other parts of the Kentucky River basin where there is no mining and no correlation with suspended sediment measurements. The Kentucky River basin, including North Fork and its tributaries such as Troublesome, suffered a major flood in January and February 1957, although that did not exceed the highest on record for Troublesome itself at that point, which had been
9288-514: The next most common source of county names are geographic features and locations, with some counties even being named after counties in other states, or for places in other countries, such as the United Kingdom (the latter is most common in the area of the original Thirteen Colonies in the case of the United Kingdom, or in places which had a large number of immigrants from a particular area for other countries). The most common geographic county name
9396-424: The official record of all real estate transactions. Other key county officials include the coroner / medical examiner , treasurer , assessor , auditor , comptroller , and district attorney . In most states, the county sheriff is the chief law enforcement officer in the county. However, except in major emergencies where clear chains of command are essential, the county sheriff normally does not directly control
9504-448: The police departments of city governments, but merely cooperates with them (e.g., under mutual aid pacts). Thus, the most common interaction between county and city law enforcement personnel is when city police officers deliver suspects to sheriff's deputies for detention or incarceration in the county jail. In most states, the state courts and local law enforcement are organized and implemented along county boundaries, but nearly all of
9612-578: The relationship between counties and incorporated cities. The powers of counties arise from state law and vary widely. In Connecticut and Rhode Island , counties are geographic entities, but not governmental jurisdictions. At the other extreme, Maryland counties and the county equivalent City of Baltimore handle almost all services, including public education , although the state retains an active oversight authority with many of these services. Counties in Hawaii also handle almost all services since there
9720-446: The residents of modern-day Letcher County petitioned the state legislature for a new county, as at that time they belonged to Harlan, Perry, and Pike counties. The legislature met in January 1842, and decided to form the new county. The county was formed, as Kentucky's 95th county, from portions of Harlan, Perry, and Pike counties, and named for Robert P. Letcher, who was the governor of Kentucky at that time. Its county seat, Whitesburg,
9828-413: The sedimentation. Contrastingly, whilst Buckhorn Creek has been affected by mining activity, its biota were found to be surviving fairly well, with 42 species of fish observed in the 1960s and 1970s and several species of algae and benthic invertebrates. It is an important recolonization source for downstream Troublesome Creek . Three miles upstream from its confluence with the South Fork, it receives
9936-428: The south, Black Mountain marks its border with Virginia. The county's terrain is defined by rugged mountains and blanketed by forests. Jefferson National Forest covers a significant portion of the county. The county's highest point is Black Mountain, located in the southeastern corner of the county, with an elevation of 3,700 feet. The northern part of the county is drained by Rockhouse Creek, which empties into
10044-541: The state's French and Spanish colonial periods. Before the Louisiana Purchase and granting of statehood, government was often administered in towns where major church parishes were located. Of the original 19 civil parishes of Louisiana that date from statehood in 1807, nine were named after the Roman Catholic parishes from which they were governed. The structure and powers of a county government may be defined by
10152-421: The substantive and procedural law adjudicated in state trial courts originates from the state legislature and state appellate courts. In other words, most criminal defendants are prosecuted for violations of state law, not local ordinances, and if they, the district attorney, or police seek reforms to the criminal justice system, they will usually have to direct their efforts towards the state legislature rather than
10260-399: The term "county equivalent" to describe places that are comparable to counties, but called by different names. Louisiana parishes, the organized boroughs of Alaska, independent cities, and the District of Columbia are equivalent to counties for administrative purposes. Alaska's Unorganized Borough is further divided into 11 census areas that are statistically equivalent to counties. In 2024,
10368-400: The vote over Democrat Charles Booker . In 2020 , the county re-elected Republican Mitch McConnell with 71% (6,441 votes) of the vote over Democrat Amy McGrath . Letcher County is part of Kentucky's 5th congressional district , represented by 22-term Republican Hal Rogers . It re-elected Rogers in 2022 , with 79% (4,538 votes) of the vote over Democrat Conor Halbleib. Letcher County
10476-411: The vote. The Judge/Executive is responsible for executing legislation, executing laws passed by the state, informing the fiscal court with the operations of the county departments, boards, and commissions, demanding all offices, departments, boards, commissions, to make an annual financial report to the fiscal court, submitting an annual budget to the fiscal court, administering budget plans passed by
10584-495: The way to Line's headwaters including on Picture Branch, Shipley Fork, Long Branch, Coyle Branch, and Jakes Branch. Letcher County, Kentucky Letcher County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky . As of the 2020 census , the population was 21,548. Its county seat is Whitesburg . It was created in 1842 from Harlan and Perry counties, and named for Robert P. Letcher , Governor of Kentucky from 1840 to 1844. The area now known as Letcher County
10692-415: Was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 95.80 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.10 males. The median income for a household in the county was $ 21,110, and the median income for a family was $ 24,869. Males had a median income of $ 30,488 versus $ 17,902 for females. The per capita income for the county was $ 11,984. About 23.70% of families and 27.10% of the population were below
10800-408: Was 98.71% White , 0.51% Black or African American , 0.10% Native American , 0.28% Asian , 0.02% Pacific Islander , 0.03% from other races , and 0.35% from two or more races. 0.44% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. There were 10,085 households, out of which 32.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.40% were married couples living together, 11.50% had
10908-486: Was Democrat Mickey Stines until his arrest for murder in September 2024 and subsequent resignation. The court clerk has the ability to issue and register and record legal records, register voter polls, and conduct election and tax duties. The county clerk is Democrat Winston Meade. The circuit court clerk is responsible for managing records of the circuit court. The circuit court clerk is Mike Watts. The jailer manages
11016-597: Was called Summit City before becoming the county seat. The city was renamed from Summit City to Whitesburg in 1842, in honor of John D. White , who introduced the county's enactment bill in the Kentucky General Assembly . The state government commissioned members of the general assembly to draw the boundaries for the new county. These men were Nathaniel Collins, Stephen Hiram Hogg, Benjamin Adams, and Benjamin Webb. In 1858, 60 square miles from Perry County were added to
11124-419: Was deemed too small, and prisoners in the jail on the top floor would often escape by pushing apart the bars, climbing out the window, and sliding down a rope of bedsheets. The Area Redevelopment Administration provided funding to build a new one. William Banton Moore, an architect from Louisville , was hired to design the new courthouse. Ramsey and Clubb, a construction company from Shelbyville, Kentucky ,
11232-477: Was demolished in 1897 due to its failing condition and Lemuel R. Perry was commissioned to construct a replacement. The new courthouse was built of bricks, and had a large cupola , with a bell inside to call the jury into session. This new courthouse was heated by stoves and fireplaces until an addition was built in the late–1930s, by the Works Progress Administration . By the 1960s, the courthouse
11340-440: Was dissolved by the District of Columbia Organic Act . Jefferson County , for Thomas Jefferson , is next with 26. The most recent president to have a county named for him was Warren G. Harding , reflecting the slowing rate of county creation since New Mexico and Arizona became states in 1912. The most common names for counties not named after a president are Franklin (25), Clay (18), and Montgomery (18). After people,
11448-578: Was first settled in the early–1800s by the Caudill, Dixon, Stamper, Collier, Lewis, Whitaker, Wright, Craft, Brown, Halcomb, Holbrook, and Bentley families. These early families were later joined by the Maggard, Banks, Day, Fields, Morgan, Blair, Breeding, Frazier, Baker, Hogg, Combs, and Mullins families. The first permanent settlement in the county was settled in 1803, at the mouth of Pert Creek, in modern-day Whitesburg. In 1804, George Ison II and his family settled in
11556-425: Was hired to build it. It was completed in 1965, and a dedication ceremony was held with governor Bert Combs in attendance. The new courthouse had a contemporary design with blue and beige panels. It also had a jail located on the top floor and a public library at the bottom. The construction of the new courthouse cost about US$ 650,000. Many locals were dissatisfied with the new courthouse, thinking it looked like
11664-443: Was settled when Stephen Hiram Hogg donated his land in Whitesburg for the building of the courthouse. The first court session was held in a log cabin owned by Mose Adams at the Adams settlement, which was located two-miles up the North Fork Kentucky River from Whitesburg. John A. Caudill was hired to build the new courthouse and completed it in 1844. The first courthouse built by Caudill was built of logs, and had plank trimming. It
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