Princeton

History

The community at the head of Eddy Creek was first called Eddy Grove for the creek's source at a large whirling spring. of surrounding land was granted to the Virginian William Prince for his service during the American Revolution. He settled there in what was then Livingston County in 1799 and erected Shandy Hall, a brick home and tavern. Prince's heirs and another local landowner named Thomas Frazier granted around Eddy Grove and Prince's Place towards the establishment of a new town in 1817, provided the courthouse of the newly formed Caldwell County was relocated there from Eddyville. The county court accepted the proposal in July and named the new community Princetown, which shortened to Princeton by the time of the Eddy Grove. Construction of Princeton College began in 1860 but was delayed by the commencement of the Civil War. Confederate troops camped on its campus in 1861, using one of the buildings as a hospital when the area came under Confederate control. Following the Confederate retreat in early 1862, Union soldiers occupied the town for the remainder of the war. In December 1864, Confederate-allied Kentuckian cavalry under Gen. Hylan B. Lyon raided the town and razed the courthouse, which was serving as a Union garrison. The expansion of railroads in the late 19th century made Princeton an important junction on several major railway lines, most notably the Illinois Central and the Louisville and Nashville Railroad. Princeton was also at the center of the Black Patch Tobacco Wars that occurred after the turn of the 20th century. Since 1925, Princeton has housed the University of Kentucky Research and Education Center, a campus of the University of Kentucky's College of Agriculture. A large, violent, and historic tornado tracked through the southern…

Geography

Princeton is located slightly southwest of the center of Caldwell County at (37.107674, -87.882479). According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which , or 0.26%, is water. U.S. Route 62 (Kentucky) passes through the city center, leading east to Dawson Springs and west to Eddyville. Interstate 69 runs along the northern edge of Princeton, with access from exits 79 (Kentucky Route 91) and 81 (KY 293). KY 91 runs northwest from Princeton to Marion and southeast to Hopkinsville. Hays Spring, located on Hayes Spring Road west of the city limits, is a natural spring that once supplied the water to the Princeton area. Princeton was a prime viewing spot for the total solar eclipse of August 21, 2017. This eclipse was viewable across the United States, with its maximum peak in Princeton, where totality lasted 2 minutes and 40 seconds. The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Princeton has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• Turkey Vulture

  Cathartes aura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  339
• American Crow

  Corvus brachyrhynchos C.L.Brehm, 1822 · Aves
  293
• Blue Jay

  Cyanocitta cristata (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  200
• Northern Cardinal

  Cardinalis cardinalis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  199
• Tufted Titmouse

  Baeolophus bicolor (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  190
• Red-bellied Woodpecker

  Melanerpes carolinus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  175
• Carolina Chickadee

  Poecile carolinensis (Audubon, 1834) · Aves
  169
• Great Blue/Cocoi Heron

  Ardea herodias Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  147

Most recent

• M 2.52 — 2023-06-03
  7 km N of Nebo, Kentucky
• M 2.51 — 2023-05-30
  7 km W of Calhoun, Kentucky
• M 3.03 — 2023-05-30
  6 km W of Calhoun, Kentucky
• M 2.61 — 2020-02-27
  5 km SW of Bremen, Kentucky
• M 3.5 — 2016-05-01
  5 km SE of New Grand Chain, Illinois
• M 2.61 — 2015-09-12
  5 km SE of Corydon, Kentucky