Tompkinsville

History

In 1804, the Old Mulkey Meetinghouse was built. It is today part of the Old Mulkey Meetinghouse State Historic Site. At this site, a graveyard is home to deceased veterans of both the American Revolutionary War and the American Civil War. Daniel Boone's sister, Hannah, is also buried there. During the Civil War, Tompkinsville was the site of Confederate General John Hunt Morgan's first Kentucky raid. On July 9, 1862, Morgan's Raiders, coming from Tennessee, attacked Major Thomas J. Jordan's 9th Pennsylvania Cavalry. Raiders captured 30 retreating Union soldiers and destroyed tents and stores. They took 20 wagons, 50 mules, 40 horses, sugar and coffee supplies. At Glasgow, Kentucky, they burned supplies, then went north, raiding 16 other towns before returning to Tennessee. Tompkinsville is home to the famous Dovie's restaurant which has been known for its signature deep-fried hamburgers since 1938. Alcohol sales became legal in the city, along with Monroe County as a whole, in 2023 after a referendum. Prior to this, the city was dry.

Geography

Tompkinsville is located just east of the center of Monroe County at (36.699508, -85.692005). Kentucky Routes 63 and 100 pass through the city together as South Main Street, with KY 63 turning onto West 4th Street and KY 100 turning onto North Magnolia Street. KY 63 leads northwest to Glasgow, while KY 100 leads northeast to its terminus at Waterview. Together the two highways lead southwest to Gamaliel. Kentucky Route 163 leaves Tompkinsville to the north on North Main Street, leading to Edmonton. According to the United States Census Bureau, Tompkinsville has a total area of , of which are land and of it, or 4.87%, are water. Town Creek passes through the city, passing just east of its center and flowing southwest to Mill Creek at the city's southern border. Mill Creek is a west-flowing tributary of the East Fork of the Barren River, part of the Green River watershed.

Race & ethnicity