AREA
INFO ~ RELOCATING OR RETIRING
COME
DISCOVER KENTUCKY’S UNBRIDLED SPIRIT
KENTUCKY
OFFERS SOME GREAT TRADITIONS, EVENTS, & SOUTHERN HOSPITALITY
THAT MAKES FOR LASTING MEMORIES & TRADITIONS.
(Please
scroll down for area distance map & local links)
Real
estate perks such as low property tax rates (including homestead
& farmstead property tax exemptions), affordable insurance
premiums, rural utilities services, & affordable prices are
just a few of the incentives to relocate or retire to South
Central Kentucky! Also
don’t forget about excellent local, regional, &
world-renowned health care services Kentucky has to offer.
Symbols
& Traditions
Commonwealth
of Kentucky
Kentucky
is one of four states to call itself a "commonwealth."
In 1792 when Kentucky became the 15th state - the first on the
western frontier - both "commonwealth" and
"state" were used. Commonwealth, meaning government
based on the common consent of the people, dates to the time of
Oliver Cromwell's England in the mid-1600s. The other U.S.
commonwealths, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and Virginia, were
originally British colonies. Kentucky, once part of Virginia,
chose to remain a commonwealth when it separated from Virginia.
Bluegrass
State
Bluegrass
is not really blue - it's green - but in the spring, bluegrass
produces bluish-purple buds that, when seen in large fields,
give a rich blue cast to the grass. Early pioneers found
bluegrass growing on Kentucky's rich limestone soil and traders
began asking for the seed of the "blue grass from
Kentucky." The name stuck and today Kentucky is known as
the Bluegrass State.
State
Seal
The
official insignia was authorized in 1792; six months after
Kentucky became a state. The motto is believed to be from
"The Liberty Song," popular during the American
Revolution, and a favorite of Isaac Shelby, Kentucky's first
governor.
Kentucky
Flag
The
state seal imprinted on a field of navy blue was approved by the
General Assembly in 1928. The original flag is displayed in
Frankfort at the Kentucky History Center.
State
Flower - Goldenrod
The
golden plumes of this wildflower line Kentucky's roadsides in
the fall. Native to all of Kentucky, 30 of nearly 100 species of
this herb are found here.
State
Bird - Cardinal
The
pleasant melodies of this red crested song bird are heard year
round in Kentucky. The male boasts a vivid red plumage; the
female is light brown with red highlights.
State
Horse - Thoroughbred
The
first thoroughbred was brought to Lexington in 1779, and a 1789
census showed even more horses than people. Horses are a
multibillion dollar industry in Kentucky. Central Kentucky's
Bluegrass Region has the world's greatest concentration of
thoroughbred breeding farms. More registered thoroughbred foals
are produced here than any other state - more than 10,000 were
foaled in 2000.
State
Wild Animal - Grey Squirrel
State Butterfly - Viceroy Butterfly
State Fish - Kentucky Bass
State Gemstone - Fresh Water Pearl
State Fossil - Brachiopod
State Tree - Tulip Tree
Sometimes
called the tulip poplar, it is not a poplar at all, but a member
of the magnolia family. It can grow up to 145 feet and live for
200 years. It blossoms in May with yellow-green flowers
resembling tulips.
State
Song - "My Old Kentucky Home" Stephen Collins Foster -
1853.
State
Bluegrass Song - "Blue Moon of Kentucky" Bill Monroe -
copyright 1947.
Kentucky
Facts State Facts
Economy
Kentucky’s
Gross State Product (GSP) increased to a record $128.98 billion
during 2003. Kentucky’s GSP for 2002 was $122.28 billion. The
largest industry groups, based on their contribution to the
total state gross product are: manufacturing; services;
government; insurance and real estate; retail trade;
transportation and public utilities; wholesale trade;
construction; mining; farming and agricultural services,
forestry, and fisheries. For more information, please visit the Kentucky Cabinet for Economic
Development web site.
Agriculture
Kentucky
had 84,000 farms in 2005, according to the Kentucky field office
of the National Agricultural Statistics Service. Kentucky farm
size averaged 164 acres.
In
2004, Kentucky set a record for farm income with $4.13 billion.
Horses were the leading source of farm income for Kentucky
farmers, followed by broilers, cattle, tobacco, soybeans and
corn. Kentucky is home to some of the world’s leading
thoroughbred farms and thoroughbred auctions.
Kentucky
still leads the nation in burley tobacco production, even though
the federal tobacco price support program was discontinued in
2005. The state is second in the U.S. in total tobacco
production and is in the top 20 in corn, soybeans, winter wheat,
hay, barley and sorghum.
Kentucky
is the leading beef cattle state east of the Mississippi River
and is eighth in the nation overall. Kentucky is seventh in
broilers and in the top 20 in goats, dairy cows, swine and
chickens other than commercial broilers. For more information
about Kentucky agriculture, visit
the Kentucky Department of Agriculture web site.
Geography
Located
in the south central United States along the west side of the
Appalachian Mountains, Kentucky ranks 37th in land size, with
39,732 square miles (102,907 square kilometers). The
Commonwealth is bordered by seven states: Indiana, Ohio, West
Virginia, Virginia, Tennessee, Missouri and Illinois. The Ohio
River flows 664 miles (1,068 kilometers) along the northern and
western borders of the state. Kentucky's highest point is Black
Mountain in Harlan County, 4,145 feet (1,264 meters) above sea
level; its lowest point, the Mississippi River in Fulton County,
257 feet (78 meters) above sea level.
Natural
Resources
Kentucky
has more miles of running water than any other state except
Alaska. The numerous rivers and water impoundments provide 1,100
commercially navigable miles (1,770 kilometers).
Kentucky
has 12.7 million acres of commercial forest land - 50% of the
state's land area. The main species of trees are white oak, red
oak, walnut, yellow poplar, beech, sugar maple, white ash and
hickory. Kentucky ranks third among hardwood producing states.
The
total value of Kentucky's mineral production in 1999 was $3.8
billion. Principal minerals and by-products produced in order of
value are coal, crushed stone, natural gas and petroleum.
Kentucky is the nation's third largest coal producer - 152.4
million tons in 1996. For more information, please visit the Environmental and Public Protection Cabinet web site.
Population
In
2000, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, Kentucky's population
was 4,041,769. The largest cities are listed below:
Louisville-Jefferson
County Metro-693,604
Owensboro-54,067
Covington-43,370
Frankfort-27,741
Richmond-27,152
Paducah-26,307 |
Lexington-Fayette
County-260,512
Bowling
Green-49,296
Hopkinsville-30,089
Henderson-27,373
Jeffersontown-26,633 |
Our
central location and excellent road system makes us only minutes
away from some of the above-listed popular destinations.
With the Louie B. Nunn Cumberland Parkway virtually
linking us directly to I - 65 & I - 75, easy access to many
central destinations are only a short and easy drive from home.
Our community offers a relaxed country atmosphere, yet
exciting day trips are only a short distance away.
OUR
CENTRAL LOCATION IS LESS THAN A DAYS DRIVE FROM MOST OF
MID-AMERICA!!!
Dining
One
of the best places to understand Kentuckians and our love of
Southern fare is in our kitchens. From down-home country cooking
to the five-star splendor of the Culinary Institute, Kentucky
has something for every palate. So, sink your teeth into cuisine
at Kentucky's white linen restaurants, cozy cafes and roadside
diners. We've set a place for you at our table.
Few
states can claim a native cuisine as defined as that of
Kentucky. For starters, there's the state's famed country ham,
different from that of other states in that it's cured by
dry-rubbing rather than soaking. Our justly famous barbecue is
also a bit different from that of our Southern neighbors in that
the meat - usually pork or mutton rather than beef - is smoked
in a hickory pit, sometimes for a full day to achieve its unique
flavor.
Everyone
knows about Kentucky Fried Chicken, developed by Colonel Harlan
Sanders in the southeastern part of the state, and the Kentucky
Hot Brown, a tasty combination of bread, turkey, bacon and
pimento browned under a broiler and topped with Mornay sauce,
originated in the kitchen of Louisville's Brown Hotel in 1923. You’ll find southern comfort in knowing a pleasing meal is
just around the corner.
Come
and enjoy Kentucky and what we have to offer, you’ll be glad
you did!!!
Please
feel free to visit local area links as provided below:
|