I've played around with it some, you could get to around 40 counties pretty easily. You would have a few counties with over 200K and then a bunch with between 60 and 150K.

Here is a map if any of you want to play around with it...the number in Red is the population rounded off in 1000's.

 

Had to memorize all the county names in 8th grade Civics class. Fortunately I grew up in Maryland.

 

Even so, I wished at the time that I lived in Delaware.

 

:laugh: That's a good one.

 

For those that don't know, Kent, Sussex, & New Castle are all the counties in Delaware.

Q

Had to memorize all the county names in 8th grade Civics class. Fortunately I grew up in Maryland.

 

Even so, I wished at the time that I lived in Delaware.

 

All delawareans have to learn every county's name while in school. All 3 of them.

:laugh: That's a good one.

 

For those that don't know, Kent, Sussex, & New Castle are all the counties in Delaware.

 

 

Kent is by far the best of the three, and the one that I called home.

When the counties were formed is was more about the difficulty getting around the state. As late as in my Grandpa's days if you were coming east to west or visa versa in the southern part of the state you had to drive through the Cumberland River above Cumberland Falls...not across the river on a bridge but through it on the river bottom. Of course that was only good when the water was down.

 

Getting to the county seat to do business would have been difficult enough in Kentucky in the 1800's based on the geography, imagine if there were a half or a third of the counties...it would have been a couple of days journey by horse or wagon one way. That is why my 8th Grade Ky Geography teacher said there were so many counties.

 

The original three counties in Kentucky were: Jefferson, Lincoln, & Fayette (1780). 6 more were formed by the time Kentucky became the 15th state in the Union...Nelson (1784), Bourbon (1785), Mercer (1785), Madison (1785), Mason (1788), Woodford (1788).

 

During the first session of the Kentucky General Assembly (1792), seven more counties were created and named......Washington (the 1st), Scott, Shelby, Logan, Clark, Hardin, & Green. Before the century was over, 26 more counties were formed and only 10 were formed AFTER the Civil War.

 

The last county to be formed (McCreary) and only one in the 1900's (1912), was named after, then Governor, James McCreary. It was McCreary's 2nd term as Governor, his 1st term started in 1875 and was re-elected again in 1911.

You can win a lot money asking people to name who those first 3 counties were named for. They'll get Jefferson and many will get Fayette, but most will always say President Lincoln was the name sake for Lincoln...even though he wouldn't be born for a few more decades.

In my area I'd like to see Edmonson, Butler, Hart and Monroe consolidate with another county.

 

I could see a Hart/Edmonson consolidation as I believe Caverna pulls primarily from Hart, but some into Edmonson. Heck, Edmonson doesn't even have a stoplight.

 

I think Monroe should pair with Metcalfe, and Butler combine with Ohio.

You can win a lot money asking people to name who those first 3 counties were named for. They'll get Jefferson and many will get Fayette, but most will always say President Lincoln was the name sake for Lincoln...even though he wouldn't be born for a few more decades.

 

Revolutionary War General, Benjamin Lincoln.

Kent is by far the best of the three, and the one that I called home.

 

Anne Arundel for me.

I've read in many threads that Kentucky has too many counties and that some of them should be consolidated. So my question is, which ones do my fellow BGPers believe should be consolidated? And why?

Not a native Kentuckian, but I'm also curious as to why they should be consolidated.

Here's one viewpoint.

 

Too many counties, too much expense | Op-Ed | Kentucky.com

Here's one viewpoint.

 

Too many counties, too much expense | Op-Ed | Kentucky.com

 

He's got a point. Regional centers are an interesting concept. He also argues that with schools as well.

In my area I'd like to see Edmonson, Butler, Hart and Monroe consolidate with another county.

 

I could see a Hart/Edmonson consolidation as I believe Caverna pulls primarily from Hart, but some into Edmonson. Heck, Edmonson doesn't even have a stoplight.

 

I think Monroe should pair with Metcalfe, and Butler combine with Ohio.

 

I thought Caverna pulled from Barren?

 

Thing is, there are some Hardin County residents (Sonora/Upton) who attend Hart County.

 

PRP has kids from West Point (northern Hardin County, past Fort Knox on 31-W/Dixie.

I've said for many years that Owsley and Lee should consolidate. Owsley has only 4,500 population. Lee has about 6,500. Even at that it would be a small populated county.

Possibly could add Jackson County, or Estill, to the new county. Wolfe could be considered,too.