Catlettsburg, Kentucky
Catlettsburg is a city in Boyd County, Kentucky, United States and is the county seat of Boyd County. The city population was 1,960 at the 2000 census. The city's postal ZIP code serves a greater population of 10,029, which is a better reflection of the community's size. Catlettsburg is a part of the Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH, Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA). As of the 2000 census, the MSA had a population of 288,649. Since the early 1990s, the commercial sector has grown due to its proximity to Interstate 64 and its location along U.S. Route 23 and 60, both major regional arteries which overlap in Catlettsburg and travel into the city of Ashland. Many commercial developments have developed on the southern end of the city along these routes. Mayor Pauline S. Hunt, won the election by a considerable margin in November 2008 beating out incumbent James A. Lambert by more than double. Mrs Hunt previously served as city treasurer from 1974-1992 and later as city clerk/treasurer from 1992 to 2008.
Early history
The history of Catlettsburg began shortly after the American Revolution. As the American Frontier pushed westward, a post office was established here in 1808 as 'Mouth of Sandy, Ky.'. Later in 1849, James Fry, a civil engineer, was commissioned to lay out the original town of Catlett's Burgh (the area from 24th to 26th streets, and Front to Walnut Streets). The lots were quickly sold and the town was incorporated as a Kentucky city in 1858 as Catlett's Burgh, Ky. It was named in honor of the original settlers, Horatio and Alexander Catlett. The Catlett name remains on a tributary to the Ohio River, Catlett's Creek, which follows Kentucky Route 168 for many miles west of the city. Catlettsburg annexed two nearby communities on its borders in the early 20th century: Hampton City on the south side and Sandy City on the north. It is unknown when the name was changed to Catlettsburg from Catlett's Burgh but was probably done by the U.S. Postal Service prior to 1900 in an attempt to improve service and simplify operations.Two brothers, Virginian fur traders Alexander and Horatio Catlett, settled here in 1811-1812. For several years the Catlett brothers operated a successful tavern, post office, trading post, and inn from the log dwelling they began building in 1811. Catering to the growing Ohio River traffic, the Catlett business flourished and the town slowly grew up around it.The Catletts' log dwelling is still standing. It is now the eastern side of Beechmoor, a home located on Walnut Street (U.S. Routes 23 and 60) in Catlettsburg. In 1868, the home was purchased by Laban T. Moore from C.W. Culver for $10,000. Her husband, Col. Capt. Laban T. Moore was a former member of the U.S. House of Representatives and also a Capt. in the Kentucky Volunteer Infantry. He made this his home for the remainder of his life. C.W. Culver, the previous owner, had recently built a stately late Georgian style home and incorporated the Catletts' 1811-1812 log dwelling, as its servants' quarters. Colonel Captain Moore renamed it 'Beechmoor', a combination his name and a virgin beech that then stood on the property. Ownership has remained in the Moore family since that time. Beechmoor's eastern wing, being over 199 years old, is the oldest known dwelling standing for several hundred miles in radius. Its exterior walls are between 9-12' thick. The main portion has a stone foundation, and is held up by virgin timber, each 64 feet (20 m) in diameter, and running the entire 42-foot (13 m) width of the house. Beechmoor's last full time resident was Miss Rebecca Patton, Col. Moore's granddaughter. In her dedication to preservation of her landmark homeplace she was successful in getting Beechmoor listed on the National Registry of Historic Places in 1973. Since her death in 1986, the home has been maintained by a trust fund and from rental property proceeds. A paid caretaker lives on the property full-time as of 2010. Several attempts have been made by local civic groups to acquire the property as a museum due to its historical significance to the area but have not been successful as of this time.Catlettsburg served as a Union Army supply depot during the Civil War. The First Presbyterian Church, 26th and Broadway, served as an army hospital during the war. The beautiful church building still serves the congregation of the presbyterian church in Catlettsburg. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, it is of mid-to-late 19th century Grecian design, with most original fixtures in place. It is often used for wedding ceremonies because of its unique beauty. The Catlettsburg National Bank building at the corner of Center and Division/26th Streets is also listed on the Register, but has not been restored at this time.Beginning in the late 19th century, Catlettsburg was a large hardwood timber market. Most of the virgin timber for several miles around were felled during that time period. Very few trees of desirable breeds such as Oak were left standing once the boom was over, mostly to mark private property lines. One known exception to history is found in a very large healthy oak, standing on a hill in the old Hampton City section. Dating back to the 1760s, It measures 246 inches (6.2 m) in diameter. A rare survivor in a town that was once considered the largest hardwood timber market in the world. It escaped mankind's economic interests by serving as a property marker on a private property line. It is the oldest living tree of any breed in the city limits of Catlettsburg and the surrounding area. The Chesapeake & Ohio(C&O) railroad began construction of a bridge across the Big Sandy River linking Catlettsburg with Kenova, West Virginia in 1885. The bridge is still in operation to date. This bridge is known by railroad enthusiasts and historians from around the world for it's unique design qualities and historic value. This rail line is used not only by freight carriers but also by Amtrak's Cardinal passenger train, which carries passengers from Chicago, Washington, and New York on a tri-weekly schedule. The Chatteroi railroad preceded the C & O by a few years as the first rail line to travel through Catlettsburg's city limits.
Modern history
At the turn of the 20th century, Catlettsburg was the largest hardwood timber market in the world, due to its location at the confluence of the Big Sandy and Ohio rivers. Its population has declined considerably since then, once nearing 10,000 residents, but still serves as a trade center for eastern Boyd County and has a zip code population of 10,029, which is actually more reflective of the Catlettsburg community's size.It is home to some of the oldest continually operating businesses in the area. Bowling's Feed and Hardware Store, Craycraft's Foodland Supermarket, Kentucky Farmers Bank have all been in business continually for over 60 years. Kilgore and Collier Funeral Home on Panola Street, is the oldest business in Boyd County, with over 130 years of continual operation in the same location. In October 1997, the Catlettsburg Youth/Family Area Resource group was established with a grant obtained from the hard work of the local 4-H director, Suellen Zornes. Its name was later changed to the Catlettsburg Development Club then became Catlettsburg Main Street Association. Since its inception, many improvements can be credited with the development of the flood wall murals and many other improvements throughout the city. The flood wall and grass levies that surround downtown and most residential areas were constructed in 1951 to relieve the city of constant flood damage. Longtime Catlettsburg lawyer and then the city's attorney James Adkins Sr. traveled to Washington D.C. where he went before Congress with a desperate plea for flood protection assistance. A large portion of the City is located in a ten year flood plain, Mr. Adkins efforts along with other obvious factors prompted the U.S. Corps of Engineers to construct the flood wall and levy around the flood plain. As it was much needed at the time, the initial construction mandated the removal of over 500 residential homes which reduced the city's population by over 1,000 immediately. Since construction was complete, no major flooding has occurred in the area protected by the flood wall and levy.The city has prospered in later years from its location on two Federal Highway routes: U.S. Route 23 and U.S. Route 60, both of which has served as a benefactor to revenues in the city's general fund. Since the inception of the Federal Highway system in 1926, both routes have gone through the city limits, first using surface streets and now a four-lane highway directly west of the downtown business district. When the completion of the U.S. 23 widening project was completed in 1971, through traffic was then re-routed around downtown, the original business district suffered from decline. By the early 1990s, much of the business district had moved onto the newer four lane U.S. 23. At the project's inception, Catlettsburg officials were concerned with the future increased costs to the city for maintaining the former state roads. They requested that U.S. Route 60 remain on its original 1926 downtown route(from West Virginia bridge on 34th Street, then turning right on Oakland Avenue then onto Louisa Street and then Center Street to the last underpass). They also requested that the old U.S. 23 be re-designated as U.S. 23 business. Both wishes of the city were granted and U.S. 60 remained on the downtown routing. U.S. 23 became U.S. 23 Business. In November 1990, all U.S. 60/U.S. 23 business signage was removed from the original routes. From then on U.S. 60 follows 35th Street from the bridge, turns right onto U.S. 23 and follows it through the city limits to Ashland. When signage for U.S. 23 Business and U.S. 60 were finally removed from downtown, the entire stretch from 36th Street to the last underpass was signed as Ky. Route 3294. This decision was made by the Kentucky Department of Highways in 1987, when a new U.S. 60 bridge to Kenova, West Virginia was completed across the Big Sandy River accessed from 35th Street instead of the old 34th Street approach. 34th Street, the road leading to the old bridge remains under maintenance of the state from the old bridge ramp to Court Street, formerly U.S. Route 60 until 1987, and the state continues to maintain it to this day but it is unsigned as a state highway.The topography of this city is a combination of flat land along the rivers, then steep hillsides with rock cliffs to the western edge of the city limits. A few neighborhoods are located on the hilltops. The rugged terrain provides some breathtaking views from the hills overlooking town, but has also restricted residential housing growth within the city limits. Most of the undeveloped land in the city is steep hill sides and cliffs, which is not conducive to any significant development. Many historic buildings can be found in the city limits, mostly dating from the mid-to-late 19th century. The structural base of the city, mainly centered around the downtown area, was constructed during the hardwood boom of the late 19th century and is of brick/stone, or hardwood construction.In addition to the re-designation of U.S. 23 and U.S. 60 in the 1970s and 80's, the downtown business district received another decrease in traffic when the Federal Courthouse was relocated from downtown Catlettsburg to a new home in Ashland in 1985. For 74 years (since 1911), it had used the upper floors of the Catlettsburg Post Office on 25th Street. The large stone building still has the description etched in stone-'U.S. Post Office and Courthouse'. In 1998, a new U.S. Post Office was built on U.S. 23 south of downtown which gave another blow to the central business district. The population within the city limits has been in decline since 1930, mainly due to 'urban sprawl' syndrome found in older cities across the U.S. Most significant housing construction has occurred outside the city limits since that time. The last annexation of land area occurred in the 1970s, when 10 homes in the Brumfield Estates addition were annexed into the city. With little annexation into the city limits, and business growth replacing many residential zones within the city, a decrease in population has occurred. The biggest declines in population occurred between 1960 and 1970 and 1980 and 1990. The biggest factor in this decline was the widening of U.S. 23 to a four lane highway which resulted in the removal of several hundred residential dwellings in the 1960s and 1970s. Then beginning in the mid 1980's, many residential zones were removed and replaced with commercial zones, thus removing residents again. The community of Catlettburg has remained the same size over the last 100 years, but the city of Catlettsburg has decreased in population since the 1930s.
About the area
Catlettsburg is located in the northeast corner of Kentucky at the confluence of the Ohio and Big Sandy rivers. It is considered part of the Kentucky, West Virginia, and Ohio 'Tri-state area'. The two most significant landmarks in Catlettsburg are the flood wall and the Catlettsburg Refinery. The latter is owned by Marathon Petroleum Company (formerly Ashland, Inc., then Marathon Ashland Petroleum, LLC).In 1937, a large snowfall and subsequent rainfall in the mountains of West Virginia swept massive amounts of water into the Ohio River. Catlettsburg was completely inundated with water from this runoff, and what would later be called the 1937 Flood convinced Ashland, Ironton, Catlettsburg and Russell that they needed permanent flood protection.The flood wall/levy was completed in 1951, constructed by Federal funds with assistance from the Army Corps of Engineers and the Works Progress Administration.Catlettsburg is home to the Catlettsburg Refinery, which is owned by Marathon Oil Corporation. It was purchased in 1924 by Swiss Oil Corporation (then parent company of Ashland Inc.) and became fully owned by Marathon in 2005. The refinery sits on a 650-acre (2.6 km2) site, has a capacity of 212,000 barrels (33,700 m3) per calendar day and is staffed by more than 800 employees.The ISO 9001-2000 approved refinery processes a wide range of sweet and sour crudes, both imported and domestic. The product mix includes gasoline, diesel fuel, kerosene, jet fuel, asphalt, propane, propylene, heavy oil (predominately slurry), cumene, toluene, xylene, sulfur and dilute naphthalene oil. The refinery produces low sulfur gasoline and ultra-low sulfur diesel (ULSD).The facility has a rich tradition extending back to the 1920s. Ashland Refining Company purchased the 1,000 barrels per day (160 m3/d) plant in 1924, when it was little more than a skimming operation from which a few products were distilled. Partially built to assist the World War II effort, the Catlettsburg Refinery is a landmark for what is commonly known as the “Tri-State area,” connecting Kentucky, West Virginia and Ohio. With its strong commitment to technology, safety and its employees, the refinery soon became one of the most modern and efficient in the nation.
Geography
Catlettsburg is located 38°24′59″N 82°36′10″W / 38.41639°N 82.60278°W / 38.41639; -82.60278 (38.416273, -82.602762).According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 1.6 square miles (4.3 km²), of which, 1.3 square miles (3.3 km²) of it is land and 0.4 square miles (1.0 km²) of it (22.42%) is water.
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 1,960 people, 827 households, and 519 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,528.8 people per square mile (591.2/km²). There were 959 housing units at an average density of 748.0/sq mi (289.3/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 98.16% White, 1.12% African American, 0.20% Native American, 0.05% from other races, and 0.46% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.10% of the population.There were 827 households out of which 23.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.0% were married couples living together, 13.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.2% were non-families. 34.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 17.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.25 and the average family size was 2.85.In the city the population was spread out with 20.4% under the age of 18, 10.4% from 18 to 24, 28.1% from 25 to 44, 24.2% from 45 to 64, and 16.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 94.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.7 males.The median income for a household in the city was $24,167, and the median income for a family was $34,118. Males had a median income of $26,683 versus $24,107 for females. The per capita income for the city was $13,682. About 15.1% of families and 21.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 28.3% of those under age 18 and 16.7% of those age 65 or over.
Notable inhabitants
Levi Hampton, Early Settler, Entrepreneur. His home (currently The Presidents' House Bed & Breakfast) is located on Route 23 in Catlettsburg.
Nannie Scott Honshell,Ironmasterwas born here
Billy C. Clark, nationally recognized author of numerous novels includingGoodbye Kate, which had its rights sold toThe Walt Disney Company
Michael Polakovs, theclownwho revamped theRonald McDonaldcharacter, lived in this area.
Education
The Catlettsburg Independent School district was merged with the Boyd County School District in 1974. Until that time, the city had three elementary schools serving grades K-8 and one high school. After the merger, the Catlettsburg High School campus, which was fairly new (built in 1965), became Catlettsburg Junior High serving grades 7-9. Haney Elementary was closed and students then attended Yost Elementary. Hatfield Elementary remained open. At the close of the 1979-80 school year, Yost Elementary was closed and students were transferred to Hatfield, where a new school building replaced the former. It was then renamed Catlettsburg Elementary. At the time of it's closing in 1980, Yost Elementary School was the oldest operating school building in the state of Kentucky and one of the oldest in the United States. It was first constructed in 1894 as the Catlettsburg Public School and served all twelve grades for many years before becoming a grade school. Students in grades 10-12 were transferred to Boyd County High School in 1974. At the end of the 1992-93 school year, the junior high was merged with Summit Junior High (now Boyd County Middle School). Since then, Catlettsburg Elementary is the only school within the city limits, and uses the campus of the former high school/ jr. high school at 3380 Court Street. The gymnasium of Catlettsburg Elementary was built many years before the school buildings that surround it. Part of the 'New Deal', it was constructed by the Works Progress Administration in 1935. The Catlettsburg High School was built onto it in 1965, and now serves as the elementary school's gymnasium which hosts many civic events such as the Catlettsburg Miss Flame Pageant that feeds into the Miss Kentucky Pageant and Miss America system. In 1991, Ponderosa Elementary School began educating students when it was constructed at Ponderosa Estates. Both it and the private Calvary Christian School are located about 7 miles (11 km) southwest of the city limits.
