Mount Sterling, Kentucky

History

Mount Sterling is named for an ancient burial mound called "Little Mountain", and for the town of Stirling in Scotland. It was named by the first developer of the area, Hugh Forbes. The Kentucky Assembly passed an act in 1792 establishing the town as Mt. Sterling, a misspelling which was retained.

The area was originally part of the thick wilderness of central Kentucky. Explorers, hunters, and surveyors traveling along a trail called Old Harper's Trace noted a 125 ft tree-covered mound which they called "the Little Mountain". Later excavations showed it to be a burial site. The site of the mound is now the intersection of Queen and Locust streets in Mt. Sterling.

The first cabin in the area was built in 1779. The first permanent settlement was established around 1790, when Forbes began to sell lots and laid out a road, now Locust Street. In 1796 the town was established as the county seat of newly created Montgomery County. At that time the town consisted of 33 town lots, four retail stores, and three taverns. A courthouse was built, the first of seven to be housed in Mt. Sterling. A jail and a town pump were also installed. A large brick market house where farm produce was bought and sold confirmed the town as the commercial center of the surrounding area. Baptist, Presbyterian and Methodist churches were established during the town's first decade.

During the Civil War the town was occupied alternately by Union and Confederate troops on multiple occasions. The Battle of Mount Sterling in June 1864, which ended in a Confederate defeat, was the last of the fighting in Montgomery County.

Geography

Mt. Sterling is located northwest of the center of Montgomery County at (38.056613, -83.944500). It is 34 mi east of Lexington and 91 mi west of Huntington, West Virginia. U.S. Route 60 passes through the city as Main Street, leading northeast 14 mi to Owingsville and west-southwest 16 mi to Winchester. U.S. Route 460 crosses US 60 in the center of Mt. Sterling, leading northwest 23 mi to Paris and southeast 21 mi to Frenchburg. Kentucky Route 11 joins US 460 through the center of Mt. Sterling but leads north 31 mi to Flemingsburg and south 15 mi to Clay City. Interstate 64 passes through the northern part of Mt. Sterling, with access from exits 110 (US 460) and 113 (US 60), and connecting Mt. Sterling with Lexington and Huntington.

According to the United States Census Bureau, Mt. Sterling has a total area of 4.52 sqmi, of which 0.02 sqmi, or 0.49%, are water. Hinkston Creek runs through the city center, flowing north and then west to the South Fork of the Licking River in northern Bourbon County.

Climate

The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Mt. Sterling has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.

| Jan record high F = 80 | Feb record high F = 80 | Mar record high F = 89 | Apr record high F = 92 | May record high F = 98 | Jun record high F = 104 | Jul record high F = 110 | Aug record high F = 105 | Sep record high F = 104 | Oct record high F = 97 | Nov record high F = 83 | Dec record high F = 78 | year record high F =

|Jan avg record high F = 65.2 |Feb avg record high F = 69.5 |Mar avg record high F = 75.7 |Apr avg record high F = 82.4 |May avg record high F = 87.9 |Jun avg record high F = 92.8 |Jul avg record high F = 94.8 |Aug avg record high F = 93.5 |Sep avg record high F = 91.6 |Oct avg record high F = 84.2 |Nov avg record high F = 74.3 |Dec avg record high F = 66.3 |year avg record high F = 96.6

|Jan avg record low F = 2.1 |Feb avg record low F = 4.6 |Mar avg record low F = 13.3 |Apr avg record low F = 24.3 |May avg record low F = 35.6 |Jun avg record low F = 46.4 |Jul avg record low F = 53.5 |Aug avg record low F = 49.7 |Sep avg record low F = 40.3 |Oct avg record low F = 27.7 |Nov avg record low F = 16.4 |Dec avg record low F = 9.6 |year avg record low F = -1.9

| Jan record low F = -20 | Feb record low F = -27 | Mar record low F = -12 | Apr record low F = 18 | May record low F = 26 | Jun record low F = 39 | Jul record low F = 42 | Aug record low F = 43 | Sep record low F = 25 | Oct record low F = 15 | Nov record low F = -8 | Dec record low F = -20 | year record low F = |access-date = November 18, 2023}}{{cite web |access-date = November 18, 2023}}

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 5,876 people, 2,478 households, and 1,536 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,708.9 PD/sqmi. There were 2,768 housing units at an average density of 805.0 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 89.09% White, 8.73% African American, 0.22% Native American, 0.19% Asian, 0.75% from other races, and 1.02% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 1.68% of the population.

There were 2,478 households, out of which 28.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.8% were married couples living together, 14.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.0% were non-families. 33.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.89.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 22.7% under the age of 18, 10.6% from 18 to 24, 28.4% from 25 to 44, 21.0% from 45 to 64, and 17.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 86.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.1 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $27,050, and the median income for a family was $54,074. Males had a median income of $30,584 versus $21,081 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,585. About 17.1% of families and 19.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 29.4% of those under age 18 and 17.8% of those age 65 or over.

Arts and culture

Beginning in the eighteenth century, Court Day quickly became the annual trading day for the area. It remains a big event today, held on the third Monday in October and the weekend prior. Approximately 130,000 people from all parts of the country gather for the four-day event that specializes in many different arts and crafts, food and music.

Mount Sterling is also home to Ruth Hunt Candies, a confectionery store created by Ruth Tharpe Hunt in 1921. Ruth Hunt Candies now sells over 70 different kinds of candy.

The Gateway Regional Arts Center holds classes and exhibitions in the former First United Methodist Church, a historic building listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

List of Registered Historical Places

• Bondurant House
• Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad Passenger and Baggage Depots
• Church of the Ascension
• Confederate Monument of Mt. Sterling
• East Mt. Sterling Historic District
• Enoch Smith House
• Gaitskill Mound Archeological Site
• John Bell Hood House
• KEAS Tabernacle Christian Methodist Episcopal Church
• Machpelah Cemetery
• Methodist Episcopal Church South
• Miss Emma Hicks Bungalow
• Monarch Milling Company
• Mt. Sterling Commercial District
• Northwest Residential District
• Ralph Morgan Stone House
• W. T. Fitzpatrick House
• William Chiles House
• Wright-Greene Mound Complex

Education

It is in the Montgomery County School District, and is home to Montgomery County High School.

Mount Sterling has a lending library, a branch of the Montgomery County Public Library.

Notable people

• Lawrence Chenault (1877–1943), silent film actor
• Henry Daniel (1786–1873), congressman from Kentucky
• Amos Davis (1794–1835), congressman from Kentucky
• Ernie Fletcher (born 1952), governor of Kentucky (2003–2007)
• Nancy Green (1834–1923), the original Aunt Jemima
• James Shelton Hathaway (1859–1930) educator, college president, academic administrator, and newspaper publisher
• Robert E. Payne (born 1941), United States district judge
• Josephine B. Sneed (1899–1986), commissioner of Cook County, Illinois
• Samuel J. W. Spurgeon (1861–?), African American minister, publisher, and editor
• Jeremy Sumpter (born 1989), actor
• James L. White (1947–2015), screenwriter known for Ray
• Andrew T. Wood, (1834–1915), lawyer and politician

References

References

1. Commonwealth of Kentucky. Office of the Secretary of State. Land Office. "Mt. Sterling, Kentucky". Accessed 26 August 2013.
2. "2022 U.S. Gazetteer Files: Kentucky". United States Census Bureau.
3. "P1. Race – Mount Sterling city, Kentucky: 2020 DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171)". U.S. Census Bureau.
4. (May 17, 2023). "City and Town Population Totals: 2020-2023". United States Census Bureau.
5. The [http://apps.sos.ky.gov/land/cities/citydetail.asp?id=282 Commonwealth of Kentucky's Land Office] lists the city as "Mount Sterling" but has a note: "Actual name of city is Mt. Sterling."
6. "Summary and Reference Guide to House Bill 331 City Classification Reform". Kentucky League of Cities.
7. "History". Mt. Sterling, KY.
8. (2011-02-12). "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". [[United States Census Bureau]].
9. [http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather-summary.php3?s=46551&cityname=Mount+Sterling%2C+Kentucky%2C+United+States+of+America&units= Climate Summary for Mt. Sterling, Kentucky]
10. (May 2025). "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Incorporated Places in Kentucky: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2024 (SUB-IP-EST2024-POP-21)".
11. "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov.
12. "U.S. Census website". [[United States Census Bureau]].
13. "Court Day".
14. "Ruth Hunt Candies".
15. Geography Division. "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Montgomery County, KY". [[U.S. Census Bureau]].
16. "Montgomery County High School". National Center for Education Statistics.
17. "Kentucky Public Library Directory". Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives.
18. Tom Eblen. [http://www.kentucky.com/2012/02/08/2060097/tom-eblen-new-location-fitting.html "New location fitting for black history museum"], ''Lexington Herald-Leader'', February 8, 2012. Retrieved August 8, 2013.
19. Smith, Gerald L.. (2015-08-28). "The Kentucky African American Encyclopedia". [[University Press of Kentucky]].
20. Copley, Rich. (2015-07-27). "James L. White, 'Ray' screenwriter and Kentuckian, dies at 67". [[Lexington Herald-Leader]].