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LEXINGTON, KENTUCKY - USA
Lexington, Kentucky is the "Horse Capital of the World," located in the
heart of the Bluegrass. It is the second largest city in Kentucky and has
the second largest metropolitan area (after Louisville).
Lexington is home to the Kentucky Horse Park, Transylvania University and
the University of Kentucky. UK's basketball program is immensely popular in
the city; for example, the area code (859) spells out UKY.
Lexington was founded in June of 1775, 17
years before Kentucky became a state. A party of frontiersmen, led by
William McConnell, camped on a branch of Elkhorn Creek. Upon hearing of the
colonists' victory at Lexington, Massachusetts on April 19, 1775, they named
their campsite Lexington to commemorate the first battle of the American
Revolutionary War. Due to the danger of Indian attacks, permanent settlement
was delayed for four years. In 1779, Colonel Robert Patterson and 25
companions came from Fort Harrod and erected a blockhouse. Cabins and a
stockade were soon built, making the fort a place of importance. The town of
Lexington was established on May 6, 1782, by an act of the Virginia General
Assembly.
By 1820, it was one of the largest and wealthiest towns west of the
Allegheny Mountains. So cultured was its lifestyle, Lexington gained the
nickname "Athens of the West."
Within a day's drive of 75% of the population of the United States,
Lexington is strategically located at the intersection of Interstates 64 and
75. Lexington is accessible by air with approximately 100 direct and nonstop
flights.
Fayette County consists of 283 square miles (733 km˛) of gently rolling
plateau in the center of the inner Bluegrass Region. The area is noted for
its beauty, fertile soil, excellent pastureland and horse and stock farms.
Poa Pratensis (bluegrass) thrives on the limestone beneath the soil's
surface, playing a major role in the area's scenic beauty and in the
development of champion horses. Numerous small creeks rise and flow into the
Kentucky River.
In 1970, the governments of the city of Lexington and Fayette County,
Kentucky combined to create the current Lexington-Fayette Urban County
Government. The estimated 2000 population of Lexington-Fayette was 260,512.
The estimated 2000 population of the metropolitan statistical area (MSA),
comprised of Bourbon, Clark, Fayette, Jessamine, Madison, Scott, and
Woodford County, is 424,778.
There are over 230 churches and synagogues in Lexington, representing 38
denominations.
Daily morning newspaper: Lexington Herald-Leader
Climate
The mean average temperature in Lexington is 54.9 °F (13 °C). Annual
precipitation is 45.68 inches (1.2 m). Lexington and the Bluegrass have four
distinct seasons that include cool plateau breezes, moderate nights in the
summer, and no prolonged periods of heat, cold, rain, wind, or snow.
Corporations/Industry in the Lexington area
Traditional products of the area include horses, tobacco and handcrafts, but
an increasing diversity of products and services contributes to a healthy
economy. Major employers in the Lexington area include:
Ashland Inc.
Clark Material Handling Company
General Electric Company
GTE Products Corporation
Johnson Controls
Lexmark International
Link-Belt Construction Equipment Company
Long John Silver's
Quebecor World
Square D Company
Toyota Motor Manufacturing, U.S.A., Inc.
Trane
Valvoline
United Parcel Service
University of Kentucky
Universities/Colleges in the Lexington area
Asbury College
Asbury Theological Seminary
Berea College
Centre College
Eastern Kentucky University
Georgetown College
Kentucky State University
Lexington Community College
Lexington Theological Seminary
National College of Business and Technology
Midway College
Sullivan College
Transylvania University
University of Kentucky
Kentucky state sales tax is 6 percent. Groceries and horse sales are exempt.
Hotel tax is 6 percent.
Famous residents of Lexington have included J. H. Morgan, Henry Clay, and
Mary Todd Lincoln.
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