Middlesboro () is a home rule-class city in Bell County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 10,334 at the 2010 U.S. census, while its micropolitan area had a population of 69,060.

It is located west of the Cumberland Gap It is located entirely between Pine Mountain and the Cumberland Mountains in the Middlesboro Basin, an enormous meteorite crater (one of three known astroblemes in the state).

Name

Originally founded by English businessmen, the town opened its first post office on September 14, 1888, under the name Middlesborough, presumably in honor of the English town of – at the time – the same name, although that town in fact has the spelling 'Middlesbrough'. and that spelling has since been adopted by the city itself, the city's school district, the Kentucky Land Office, Simultaneously, he funded and began construction on the Powell's Valley Railroad, with the aim of connecting the Cumberland Gap region to Knoxville.

thumb|The Alexander Arthur Museum

By 1888, the new town was platted and named "Middlesborough", presumably after the English town, either after a local contest selected it as the best entry or after the hometown of the brothers who owned the local English Hotel. The Middlesboro Country Club was founded as part of Arthur's original development. Its nine-hole course is one of the oldest in the United States and it claims to be the oldest continuously played course in the country. Pianist Ben Harney is also claimed to have originated ragtime music in Middlesboro, where he played in local saloons in the early 1890s. Just south of the Cumberland Gap in the area of the present-day Lincoln Memorial University, a $1-million Four Seasons Hotel was built in 1892 with 500 rooms, a 200-room spa, and a sanitarium. ultimately necessitating the dissolution of the Powell Valley Railroad and its recapitalization as the Knoxville, Cumberland Gap, & Louisville.

Despite being the largest city in the county, the development of Middlesboro came too late to avoid Pineville's being the seat of the local courthouse. The two cities have remained friendly rivals since Middlesboro's founding.

Little Las Vegas

Middlesboro installed the first electric street cars west of Washington, D.C., to help locals and tourists visiting the city which became known as "Little Las Vegas" in the 1930s. By this time, Middlesboro was full of slot machines, saloons, and brothels. During this period, shootouts in the streets were part of daily life. The town, under rule of the infamous Ball brothers, was featured in newspapers across the country as one of the deadliest, wildest cities in the United States.

Athens of the Mountains

By the 1950s, Middlesboro had a population of roughly 15,000 residents. Their strong support for the arts led to the city being called "the Athens of the Mountains". It was one of the few cities in the Eastern Coal Fields to boast a grand opera house and it hosted one of the finest school districts in the state. The first shopping mall was built in the city during the 1960s. The city was named an "All Kentucky City" in 1964, '65, '66, '67, and '69, a huge honor for such a small city. The Cumberland Gap National Historical Park was also established during this time.

During the 1970s, the area's coal industry revived and the city prospered again. A grand centennial celebration was held in 1990 that included a ball, air show, and beauty pageant, as well as the dedication of a new city park. The Cumberland Gap Tunnel was opened in 1996.

Present-day

thumb|right|210px|View of Middlesboro from Cumberland Gap National Historical Park

Currently, Middlesboro is investing in downtown revitalization to help create new business and give the city a better image. In 2004, Discover Downtown Middlesboro, Inc. (DDM), was formed to promote and lead the revamping of the historic downtown area. Since its inception, Discover Downtown Middlesboro has helped numerous businesses receive a facelift and has restored the historic Fountain Square in downtown. The organization also helps to create awareness of the city's grand and regal past. Numerous large-scaled sepia murals are placed throughout downtown, paying homage to the founder of Middlesboro, his wife, and other historic points in the history of Middlesboro. DDM also hosts numerous events for the community and the tri-state area that are free to the public, one of the most popular includes the Downtown Ducky Dash and Block Party. DDM oversees all projects that take place within the downtown area and has plans to create brick stamped crosswalks at Fountain Square. Ultimately, they plan to make the historic downtown area more pedestrian-friendly with more benches, bike racks, planters, and streetscape improvements in the works. Recently, the organization has applied for nearly $1 million in grant money for the purpose of preservation and development of the general downtown district. Currently, DDM has invested in a Preservation Plan, which should be unveiled in September 2013. This plan, once complete, will outline the plans for the revitalization of downtown Middlesboro, help create a brand for the downtown area, as well help lay a foundation to preserve the rich architectural details in the downtown historic district.

In June 2011 a severe flash flood damaged many homes and businesses in Middlesboro. Following a rainfall of in 48 hours, the waterways could not cope with the deluge. Two area residents perished in the flood, and dozens were left homeless. The downtown area was one of the hardest hit areas in the city. At one point during the rain event, enough water was present throughout the entire downtown area that vehicles were completely submerged. For many hours after the flood, travel in and around the city was very difficult due to large amounts of standing water in the basin that Middlesboro is built in. A few days afterwards, Governor Steve Beshear toured the area and formally declared it a disaster, permitting state funds to be used in rebuilding.

In April 2012, Middlesboro became the first city in the United States to have a community-wide organic garden, which features 60 raised-bed gardens that will be used to grow food for people in the community. Some beds are even disability accessible. The beds will be given out on a first come, first served basis. The food that is grown in the beds will help to reduce costs for families in need, and can be donated to people in need or sold to local restaurants. The community organic garden was made possible through the City of Middlesboro, Bell County Health Department, and several donors and volunteers. Middlesboro is currently working to become one of the first cities in Kentucky to be a certified Trail Town. The Mayor, along with the City Council, showed support and took initiative in becoming a certified Trail Town. This feat will be a collaboration between the Bell County Tourism Commission, Bell County Adventure Tourism, Discover Downtown Middlesboro, Bell County Chamber of Commerce, and the City of Middlesboro.

Middlesboro was featured on the History Channel's television series How the States Got Their Shapes in the episode "Forces of Nature". The city also featured in one of the BBC's Wonders of the Solar System episodes. ABC's Good Morning America honored the Middlesboro-Bell County Library for participating in the "52 Weeks of Giving" program on May 27, 2013.

On September 15, 2015, Middlesboro held an election to allow alcohol production and retail in the city limits. Previously, all of Bell County had been dry except for the special circumstance of a state park in Pineville, Kentucky. Allowing alcohol in the city would make Bell County a Moist County. The vote passed 1,298-yes to 1,179-no. With such a close vote, tension arose around the topic of alcohol allowance in the small community.

Beginning in the summer of 2015, Discover Downtown Middlesboro is the recipient of a grant from the Levitt Foundation of California. This grant provides funding for a series of 10 outdoor music concerts each summer. The concert venue is a formerly abandoned lot near the main intersection of town at 20th & Cumberland Ave. Middlesboro is one of 15 cities across the nation to be chosen for the Levitt AMP series.

Geography

Middlesboro is located at (36.610146, -83.723230). The city sits just inside the Cumberland Gap, along U.S. Route 25E, and is located inside of a meteorite crater.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all but of which is land. U.S. 25E provides four-lane connection to Interstate 75 at Corbin, to the northwest. With the recently completed renovations on U.S. 25E, travelers now have four-lane connection to Interstate 81 at Morristown, Tennessee, to the south.

Climate

Middlesboro experiences a humid subtropical climate with distinct four seasons. Average high is in July, the warmest month, with the average lows of occurring in January, the coolest month. The highest recorded temperature was in July 1930. The lowest recorded temperature was in January 1985. Average annual precipitation is , with the wettest month being March, averaging .

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 10,384 people, 4,443 households, and 2,927 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 4,955 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 92.84% White, 4.90% African American, 0.38% Native American, 0.63% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.19% from other races, and 1.02% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.79% of the population.

There were 4,443 households, out of which 28.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.1% were married couples living together, 18.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.1% were non-families. 31.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.30 and the average family size was 2.88.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 23.6% under the age of 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 26.6% from 25 to 44, 23.9% from 45 to 64, and 17.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 83.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 78.1 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $19,565, and the median income for a family was $25,016. Males had a median income of $23,285 versus $19,040 for females. The per capita income for the city was $13,189. About 24.4% of families and 28.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 41.2% of those under age 18 and 16.5% of those age 65 or over.

Transportation

thumb|left|[[Cumberland Gap Tunnel]]

The city's main thoroughfare is U.S. 25E. The U.S. 25E Tunnel (a.k.a. the Cumberland Gap Tunnel) is a tunnel that travels underneath the famous Cumberland Gap. The northern terminus is located in Middlesboro and the southern terminus is in Cumberland Gap, Tennessee.

Economy

Middlesboro is home to Middlesboro Mall, the only enclosed shopping mall in the area. The area also features Middlesboro Crossing, a recently constructed strip mall on the north end of the city.

Sports

Middlesboro was home to several minor league baseball teams between 1913 and 1963. The Middlesboro Athletics were members of the Class D Mountain States League (1949–1954). Earlier, the Middlesboro Colonels played in the, Appalachian League (1913–1914). After the Athletics, Middlesboro returned to the Appalachian League with the Middlesboro Senators (1961–1962) and Middlesboro Cubsox (1963). Middlesboro was an affiliate of the Washington Senators (1961–1962) and both the Chicago Cubs & Chicago White Sox (1963). The teams played at Hilltop Speedway Park.

Notable people

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  • Joseph Bosworth, Businessman, lawyer, and politician
  • Lela E. Buis, writer
  • Gerry Bussell, defensive back for the Denver Broncos
  • David Grant Colson, U.S. Representative in 19th Century
  • Jamie Coots, Pentecostal pastor who died from a snake bite suffered during a church service
  • Ben Harney, ragtime pianist
  • Matt Jones, host of Kentucky Sports Radio
  • Lee Majors, actor, The Six Million Dollar Man and The Fall Guy was raised in the town as a child
  • Leonard F. Mason, Medal of Honor recipient
  • Henry Harrison Mayes, evangelist, known for religious signs and markers along US highways
  • William McElwee Miller, American missionary to Persia and author
  • Julie Parrish, actress, The Doberman Gang
  • Trish Suhr, comedian and actress
  • Georgia Turner, singer of the "Rising Sun Blues"
  • Vann "Piano Man" Walls, rhythm-and-blues pianist
  • Leo Wardrup, Navy officer and Virginia state legislator
  • John White, U.S. Representative and former speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives

See also

  • Middlesboro crater
  • Colson House
  • Cumberland Gap National Historical Park

References

Further reading

  • Matheny, Ann Dudley. The Magic City: Footnotes to the History of Middlesborough, Kentucky, and the Yellow Creek Valley. Middlesboro, KY: Bell County Historical Society, 2003. Print.
  • City of Middlesboro
  • The Middlesboro Daily News
  • Middlesboro Independent Schools
  • Middlesborough History