Editing Lynch, Kentucky

{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2023}}
{{Infobox settlement
|official_name            = Lynch, Kentucky
|settlement_type          = [[list of Ky cities|City]]
|named_for                = Thomas Lynch, the head of U.S. Coal and Coke Company
|image_skyline            = First and Pirate in Lynch.jpg
|imagesize                = 250px
|image_caption            = Houses at Lynch's western end
|image_map                = File:Harlan County Kentucky Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Lynch Highlighted 2148540.svg
|mapsize                  = 250px
|map_caption              = Location of Lynch in Harlan County, Kentucky.
|image_map1               = 
|mapsize1                 = 
|map_caption1             = 
|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        = [[Harlan County, Kentucky|Harlan]]
|leader_title             = Mayor
|leader_name              = John Adams
|leader_title1            = 
|leader_name1             = 
|established_title        = Incorporated
|established_date         = May 7, 1963
|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           = 0.78
|area_land_km2            = 0.78
|area_water_km2           = 0.00
|population_as_of         = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
|population_footnotes     = 
|population_total         = 658
|population_density_km2   = 848.65
|population_density_sq_mi = 2200.67
|timezone                 = [[North American Eastern Time Zone|Eastern (EST)]]
|utc_offset               = -5
|timezone_DST             = EDT
|utc_offset_DST           = -4
|elevation_footnotes      = 
|elevation_m              = 523
|elevation_ft             = 1716
|coordinates              = {{coord|36|57|54|N|82|55|00|W|region:US-KY|display=inline,title}}
|postal_code_type         = [[ZIP code]]
|postal_code              = 40855
|area_code                = [[Area code 606|606]]
|blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
|blank_info               = 21-48540
|blank1_name              = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
|blank1_info              = 0497363
|website                  = 
|footnotes                = 
|pop_est_as_of = 
|pop_est_footnotes = 
|population_est = 
|area_total_sq_mi = 0.30
|area_land_sq_mi = 0.30
|area_water_sq_mi = 0.00
}}

'''Lynch''' is a [[List of cities in Kentucky|home rule-class city]] in [[Harlan County, Kentucky]], United States. In the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]] the city population was 658,<ref>{{Cite web |publisher=United States Census Bureau |title=Census.gov |url=https://www.census.gov/en.html |access-date=2023-04-28 |website=Census.gov |language=EN-US}}</ref> down from 747 in 2010.

==History==
{{Unreferenced section|date=June 2017}}
[[File:General store operated by subsidiary company. U.S. Coal & Coke Company, U.S. ^30 & 31 Mines, Lynch, Harlan County... - NARA - 541405 - cropped and restored.jpg|left|thumb|A company store owned and operated by the U.S. Coal and Coke Company in Lynch, Kentucky. At this store, miners employed by the coal company could buy groceries and other necessities for their families, 1945]]
Lynch was plotted in 1917 by the U.S. Coal and Coke Company (a subsidiary of [[U.S. Steel]]) as a [[company town]] to house workers at the company's nearby [[coal mine]]s. It was named for then-head of the company, Thomas Lynch.

By the 1940s, Lynch had a population of 10,000 and had such amenities as a hospital and movie theater. The population declined dramatically in the 1960s and 1970s as mining techniques shifted to less labor-intensive methods.

In 1996, the rails to Lynch and nearby [[Benham, Kentucky|Benham]] were officially abandoned.

In 2012, PBS of Eastern Tennessee created a documentary titled ''The Eastern Kentucky Social Club'' dealing with the history of the black community and immigrant community in Lynch.<ref>{{Citation|title=The Eastern Kentucky Social Club|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DCanT3QcDS4|language=en|access-date=2022-02-10}}</ref>

==Geography==
Lynch is located in eastern Harlan County at {{coord|36.965133|-82.916569|format=dms|region:US-KY_type:city}} (36.965133, -82.916569),<ref name="GR1">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/geographies/reference-files/time-series/geo/gazetteer-files.html|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=2011-04-23|date=2011-02-12|title=US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990}}</ref> in the valley of [[Looney Creek (Poor Fork tributary)|Looney Creek]]. Lynch is the nearest city to Kentucky's highest point, [[Black Mountain (Kentucky)|Black Mountain]] ({{convert|4145|ft|m|disp=or|abbr=on}}). Sitting at an elevation of {{convert|1716|ft}} above sea level.

Lynch is Kentucky's highest incorporated city. It is bordered by {{convert|3488|ft|adj=on}} Looney Ridge to the north and {{convert|3640|ft|adj=on}} Benham Spur to the south. The city of [[Benham, Kentucky|Benham]] borders the west side of Lynch, and [[Cumberland, Kentucky|Cumberland]] is {{convert|4|mi|0}} to the west via [[Kentucky Route 160]], the main road through Lynch. KY 160 leads southeast up the valley of Looney Creek to the [[Virginia]] border on the crest of Black Mountain at an elevation of {{convert|3700|ft}}, then continues to [[Appalachia, Virginia]], {{convert|16|mi}} southeast of Lynch.{{citation needed|date=January 2018}}

According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], Lynch has a total area of {{convert|0.3|sqmi|km2}}, all of it land.

==Demographics==
[[File:Post office and office building. U.S. Coal & Coke Company, U.S. ^30 & 31 Mines, Lynch, Harlan County, Kentucky. - NARA - 541406.jpg|thumb|left|210px|Lynch Post Office in 1946]]
[[File:HOMES ON A STREET IN LYNCH, KENTUCKY, NEAR CUMBERLAND WHICH ONCE WAS THE LARGEST COAL COMPANY TOWN IN THE WORLD. NOW... - NARA - 556601.jpg|thumb|left|210px|Lynch in 1973]]
As of the [[census]]<ref name="GR2">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=2008-01-31|title=U.S. Census website}}</ref> of 2000, there were 900 people, 408 households, and 250 families residing in the city. The population density was {{convert|2,753.1|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 514 housing units at an average density of {{convert|1,572.3|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The racial makeup of the city was 73.33% [[Race (U.S. Census)|White]], 24.89% [[Race (U.S. Census)|Black]] or [[Race (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.33% [[Race (U.S. Census)|Native American]], and 1.44% from two or more races. [[Race (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Race (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 0.33% of the population.

{{US Census population
|1970= 1517
|1980= 1614
|1990= 1166
|2000= 900
|2010= 747
|2020= 658
|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|access-date=June 4, 2015}}</ref>
}}

There were 408 households, out of which 24.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.7% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 16.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.5% were non-families. 36.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 20.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.21 and the average family size was 2.88.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 22.6% under 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 20.4% from 25 to 44, 28.2% from 45 to 64, and 19.9% who were 65 or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females, there were 82.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.1 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $17,609, and the median income for a family was $21,625. Males had a median income of $31,500 versus $19,038 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the city was $13,369. About 36.7% of families and 37.8% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 57.6% of those under age 18 and 25.9% of those age 65 or over.

==Notable people==
*[[Leland Byrd]], College basketball coach and player
*[[Juanita M. Kreps]], United States Secretary of Commerce
*[[Louise Slaughter]], United States politician

==See also==
*[[Lynch Historic District]]
*[[Benham-Lynch State Resort Park]], proposed

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.portal31.org/history_of_portal_31.htm History and Pictures of Lynch, KY]

{{Harlan County, Kentucky}}
{{Eastern Mountain Coal Fields (Kentucky)}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Cities in Harlan County, Kentucky]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1917]]
[[Category:Company towns in Kentucky]]
[[Category:Coal towns in Kentucky]]
[[Category:Cities in Kentucky]]
[[Category:U.S. Steel]]