Richmond

History

Richmond was founded in 1798 by Colonel John Miller from Richmond, Virginia. A British American, Miller served with the rebels in the Revolutionary War. According to lore, he was attracted to the area by its good spring water and friendly Native Americans. Richmond was incorporated in 1809. Kentucky was a southern border state during the Civil War and remained mostly in the Union, even though early in the war, 68 of 110 Kentucky counties seceded to join the Confederacy; however, the state largely came back under U.S. control after early 1862. On August 30, 1862, the Battle of Richmond took place. Confederate General Edmund Kirby Smith routed the Union General William Nelson, capturing or killing 5,300 of his 6,500 men. One historian called this battle "the nearest thing to a Cannae ever scored by any general, North or South, in the course of the whole war." In 1906, Eastern Kentucky State Normal School was founded in Richmond to train teachers. The school graduated its first class of 11 teachers in 1909. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Richmond had significant growth, becoming the state's seventh-largest city in 2009.

Geography

Richmond is located in Madison County in the Bluegrass region of the state. The Blue Grass Army Depot lies to the southeast of the city. The city is served by Interstate 75, U.S. Routes 25 and 421, and Kentucky Routes 52, 169 and 388. I-75 runs to the west of downtown, with access from exits 83, 87, and 90. Via I-75, downtown Lexington, Kentucky is northwest, and Knoxville, Tennessee is south. U.S. Route 25 forms the eastern bypass around the city, leading northwest to Lexington and south to Berea. U.S. Route 421 parallels U.S. 25 on the eastern bypass of the city, leading northwest to Lexington (with U.S. 25 and I-75) and southeast to McKee. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which is land and (0.73%) is water. The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Richmond has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.

Race & ethnicity

Largest nearby schools

• Madison Central High School
  High · Richmond · 2,226 students · 19.4:1 ratio
• Madison Southern High School
  High · Berea · 1,210 students · 17.8:1 ratio
• Madison Middle School
  Middle · Richmond · 670 students · 16.8:1 ratio
• Kingston Elementary School
  Elementary · Berea · 618 students · 15.8:1 ratio
• Kirksville Elementary School
  Elementary · Richmond · 563 students · 15.6:1 ratio
• Clark Moores Middle School
  Middle · Richmond · 546 students · 15.2:1 ratio
• Silver Creek Elementary School
  Elementary · Berea · 512 students · 15.5:1 ratio
• B. Michael Caudill Middle School
  Middle · Richmond · 479 students · 15.5:1 ratio