The area was part of the 100,000-acre (400 km2) grant in the early 1700s to the family of John Preston's wife, born Elizabeth Patton, which he administered on her behalf. The grant was intended to permit British colonization beyond the Blue Ridge Mountains, but subsequent French and Indian resistance and a reversal of British policy limited its impact. The land was not settled until John Spurlock of Montgomery County, Virginia, arrived in 1791. He laid out the town of "Preston's Station" in 1797.[9] It became the seat of Floyd County upon its formation in 1799 and was formally established in 1818.[1] The post office was known as "Floyd Court House" from its establishment in 1816 until the late 1820s, when it was renamed "Prestonsburg".[9]
Prestonsburg is mentioned in Dwight Yoakam's "Readin', Rightin', Rt. 23" (from his album Hillbilly Deluxe), a song about the yearning of local coal miners to escape their plight by traveling up U.S. Route 23 to find employment in the factories in the North, not knowing that they were only trading one miserable life for another.
Prestonsburg is home to the Samuel May House, the Big Sandy Valley's oldest known brick home. Built by Samuel May in 1817, the house was used by the Confederate forces as a recruiting station during the American Civil War. The 5th Kentucky Infantry CSA and 10th Kentucky Cavalry were organized there. The house was used as a residence until 1981 and was donated to the City of Prestonsburg in 1992. It has since been restored and maintained as a living history museum.
The Jenny Wiley Theatre was in Prestonsburg and offered theatrical productions all year long at both the outdoor Jenny Wiley Amphitheater, in Jenny Wiley State Resort Park, and the nearby Mountain Arts Center. The Theatre's presentations of classic Broadway musicals, comedies, historical dramas and holiday productions kept theatre-goers entertained for over 40 years.
Prestonsburg is also the home of the East Kentucky Science Center. Opened in 2004, the Science Center contains one of the nation's most technologically advanced planetariums.
Geography
Prestonsburg is in northern Floyd County in the eastern part of the state, along the banks of the Levisa Fork of the Big Sandy River. It is 13 miles (21 km) south of Paintsville and 25 miles (40 km) northwest of Pikeville. According to the United States Census Bureau, Prestonsburg has an area of 12.9 square miles (33.4 km2), of which 12.7 square miles (32.9 km2) is land and 0.2 square miles (0.5 km2), or 1.52%, is water.[8]
As of the census[14] of 2000, there were 3,612 people, 1,563 households, and 956 families residing in the city. The population density was 332.2 inhabitants per square mile (128.3/km2). There were 1,683 housing units at an average density of 154.8 units per square mile (59.8 units/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 97.51% White, 0.33% African American, 0.50% Native American, 0.53% Asian, 0.44% from other races, and 0.69% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.02% of the population.
There were 1,563 households, out of which 26.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.4% were married couples living together, 14.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.8% were non-families. 37.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.09 and the average family size was 2.72.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 20.2% under the age of 18, 9.2% from 18 to 24, 26.1% from 25 to 44, 23.9% from 45 to 64, and 20.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 83.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.8 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $20,810, and the median income for a family was $27,852. Males had a median income of $30,809 versus $22,439 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,013. About 26.3% of families and 27.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 44.2% of those under the age of 18 and 10.3% of those 65 and older.
