Editing LaCenter, Kentucky

{{redirect-distinguish|LaCenter|La Center, Washington}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2023}}
{{Infobox settlement
|official_name            = LaCenter, Kentucky
|settlement_type          = [[List of cities in Kentucky|City]]
|nickname                 = 
|motto                    =

<!-- Images -->
|image_skyline            = LaCenter-Broadway-ky.jpg
|imagesize                = 250px
|image_caption            = Broadway ([[Kentucky Route 358|KY 358]])
|image_flag               = 
|image_seal               =

<!-- Maps -->
|image_map                = File:Ballard County Kentucky Incorporated and Unincorporated areas La Center Highlighted 2143336.svg
|mapsize                  = 250px
|map_caption              = Location of La Center in Ballard County, Kentucky.
|image_map1               = 
|mapsize1                 = 
|map_caption1             =

<!-- Location -->
|subdivision_type         = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
|subdivision_name         = United States
|subdivision_type1        = [[U.S. state|State]]
|subdivision_name1        = [[Kentucky]]
|subdivision_type2        = [[List of counties in Kentucky|County]]
|subdivision_name2        = [[Ballard County, Kentucky|Ballard]]
|government_footnotes     = 
|government_type          = 
|leader_title             = 
|leader_name              = 
|leader_title1            = 
|leader_name1             = 
|established_title        = 
|established_date         =

<!-- Area -->
|unit_pref                = Imperial
|area_footnotes           = <ref name="CenPopGazetteer2020">{{cite web|title=2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2020_Gazetteer/2020_gaz_place_21.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=March 18, 2022}}</ref>
|area_magnitude           = 
|area_total_km2           = 1.57
|area_land_km2            = 1.57
|area_water_km2           = 0.00
|area_total_sq_mi         = 0.60
|area_land_sq_mi          = 0.60
|area_water_sq_mi         = 0.00

<!-- Population -->
|population_as_of         = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
|population_footnotes     = 
|population_total         = 872
|population_density_km2   = 556.06
|population_density_sq_mi = 1441.32

<!-- General information -->
|timezone                 = [[Central Time Zone|Central (CST)]]
|utc_offset               = -6
|timezone_DST             = CDT
|utc_offset_DST           = -5
|elevation_footnotes      = 
|elevation_m              = 112
|elevation_ft             = 367
|coordinates              = {{coord|37|4|29|N|88|58|30|W|region:US_type:city|display=inline,title}}
|postal_code_type         = [[ZIP code]]
|postal_code              = 42056
|area_code = [[Area codes 270 and 364|270 & 364]]
|blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
|blank_info               = 21-43336
|blank1_name              = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
|blank1_info              = 0495882
|website                  = 
|footnotes                = 
|pop_est_as_of = 
|pop_est_footnotes = 
|population_est = 
}}
'''LaCenter''',<ref name=sos/><ref name=ballco>Commonwealth of Kentucky. Ballard County. "[http://www.ballardcounty.ky.gov/elected/lacenter.htm LaCenter] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130426054258/http://www.ballardcounty.ky.gov/elected/lacenter.htm |date=2013-04-26 }}". Accessed 5 August 2013.</ref> formerly and often informally written as '''La Center''', is a [[list of Kentucky cities|home rule-class city]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.klc.org/UserFiles/files/ClassificationReformFACT(3).pdf |title=Summary and Reference Guide to House Bill 331 City Classification Reform |publisher=Kentucky League of Cities |accessdate=December 30, 2014}}</ref> in [[Ballard County, Kentucky|Ballard County]], [[Kentucky]], in the United States. The population was 872 at the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]],<ref name="Census 2020">{{Cite web| url=https://data.census.gov| title=Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): La Center city, Kentucky| publisher=U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder| accessdate=November 18, 2013}}</ref> making it the most populous community in the county. It is part of the [[Paducah metropolitan area|Paducah, KY-IL Metropolitan Statistical Area]].

==History==
[[File:La Center.jpg|thumb|left|Historical marker in La Center]]
The Kentucky Secretary of State is unclear upon the city's date of incorporation,<ref name=sos>Commonwealth of Kentucky. Office of the Secretary of State. Land Office. "LaCenter, Kentucky". Accessed 5 August 2013.</ref> but the LaCenter Woman's Club states it was originally named '''Merriville''' after the daughter of Maggie Davis, the land owner who sold the property for the new city to its developer, the La Center Land Company, in 1902.<ref name=marker>La Center Woman's Club. Historical Marker.</ref>  After the Postal Service rejected this name for the new post office, the postmaster requested "LaCentre" for the city's central location within Ballard County, and later settled for "LaCenter."<ref name=rennick>Robert M. Rennick, ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=azPttlmsv24C&q=la+center&pg=PT57 Kentucky Place Names]'' (University Press of Kentucky, 2013).</ref> One of the land developers, Stokely T. Payne, may have suggested the name, claiming the new city to be the "center of the universe,"<ref name=marker /> and possibly in the hopes that it would someday become the county seat.<ref name=rennick />

==Geography==
LaCenter is located northeast of [[Wickliffe, Kentucky|Wickliffe]] at {{coord|37|4|29|N|88|58|30|W|type:city}} (37.074782, -88.975091).<ref name="GR1">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/geographies/reference-files/time-series/geo/gazetteer-files.html|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|accessdate=2011-04-23|date=2011-02-12|title=US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990}}</ref> It is geographically significant because of its proximity to the confluence of the [[Ohio River|Ohio]] and [[Mississippi River|Mississippi]] rivers. The city is concentrated primarily around the intersection of [[U.S. Route 60 in Kentucky|U.S. Route 60]], which connects LaCenter with [[Paducah, Kentucky|Paducah]] to the east and Wickliffe to the southwest, and [[Kentucky Route 358]].

According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the city has a total area of {{convert|1.6|km2|disp=flip}}, all land.<ref name="Census 2010">{{Cite web| url=http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/G001/1600000US2143336| archive-url=https://archive.today/20200212181108/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/G001/1600000US2143336| url-status=dead| archive-date=February 12, 2020| title=Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): La Center city, Kentucky| publisher=U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder| accessdate=November 18, 2013}}</ref>

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1910= 426
|1920= 627
|1930= 637
|1940= 591
|1950= 593
|1960= 682
|1970= 1044
|1980= 1044
|1990= 1040
|2000= 1038
|2010= 1009
|2020= 872
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref name="DecennialCensus">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|publisher=Census.gov|accessdate=June 4, 2015}}</ref>
}}
As of the [[census]]<ref name="GR2">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|accessdate=2008-01-31|title=U.S. Census website}}</ref> of 2000, there were 1,038 people, 419 households, and 261 families residing in the city. The population density was {{convert|1,351.0|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 492 housing units at an average density of {{convert|640.4|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The racial makeup of the city was 89.40% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 9.06% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.10% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.29% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], and 1.16% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 0.58% of the population.

There were 419 households, out of which 29.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.8% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 13.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.7% were non-families. 35.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 21.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.26 and the average family size was 2.90.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 23.2% under the age of 18, 7.0% from 18 to 24, 23.9% from 25 to 44, 19.3% from 45 to 64, and 26.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 80.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 71.0 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $27,188, and the median income for a family was $36,250. Males had a median income of $32,813 versus $20,417 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the city was $14,317. About 13.9% of families and 16.5% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 25.9% of those under age 18 and 12.2% of those age 65 or over.

==Notable people==
*[[Bob DeWeese (politician)|Bob DeWeese]], served as a Republican member of the [[Kentucky House of Representatives]] from 1993 to 2016, representing the 48th district

Emily Nowselski - College campus ministry leader at Florida Atlantic University. Provided daily lunches to starving college students, Bible studies, Free Disney trips, support and a lending ear to any FAU student. Died August 1, 2022, at 97 years old. Married to Tony Nowselski. Buried at Lacenter cemetery.

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

==External links==
*{{Commons category-inline|LaCenter, Kentucky}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20130426054258/http://www.ballardcounty.ky.gov/elected/lacenter.htm City of LaCenter Elected Officials] at Ballard County website

{{Ballard County, Kentucky}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Cities in Ballard County, Kentucky]]
[[Category:Cities in Kentucky]]
[[Category:Paducah micropolitan area]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1903]]
[[Category:1903 establishments in Kentucky]]