KENTUCKY GEOLOGICAL SURVEY AND 

 BUREAU OF IMMIGRATION. 



JOHN R. PROCTER, Director, Frankfort, Kentucky. 



KENTUCKY. 



Area, 40,000 square miles. 



Population, 1,648,599. (Native, 1,589,131; foreign born, 59,468; 

 colored, 271,522.) 



Temperature, average annual mean, 55° Fahrenheit,] 



Rain-fall, from 48 to 55 inches per annum. 



Kentucky is situated between latitude 36° 30^ and 39° 6^ north, and 

 longitude 5° 00^ and 12° 38'' west from Washington. The surface of the 

 State is an elevated plateau, sloping from the Cumberland Mountains 

 on the southeast to the Mississippi and Ohio rivers on the north and west. 

 The Eastern Coal-field, area over 10,000 square miles ; elevation 

 above sea level 650 feet on Ohio river to 1,300 feet on southwestern border, 

 and 3,500 feet on the southeastern border. The great central or Blue- 

 grass region (II, Lower Silurian, on the accompanying map) has an area 

 of about 10,000 square miles; elevation of from 800 to 1,150 feet above sea. 

 The Upper Silurian and Devonian (HI, IV, on map) have an area 

 of about 2,500 square miles; elevation of from 450 on the northwest end 

 to 1,100 feet where they curve around the Lower Silurian on the south- 

 west. The Subcarboniferous (V, VI, on map) has an area of 10,000 

 square miles; elevation from 350 to 600 feet on the southwest to 950 feet 

 in the central region. The "Western Coal-field has an area of about 

 4,000 square miles ; elevation of 400 feet along the Ohio river to 850 feet 

 in the southeastern portion. The Quaternary (VIII, on map) has an 

 area of about 2,500 square miles; elevation of 280 feet along the river 

 bottoms, and 350 to 450 on the uplands. The average elevation of the 

 State is over 1,000 feet above the sea. The numerous rivers penetrating 

 all parts of the State have worn their channels deep enough to secure 

 ample drainage to the lands, with very few exceptions. The State has a 

 river boundary of 813 miles: by the Chattaroi or Big Sandy on the 

 northeast, 120 miles; by the Ohio on the north, 643 miles; and by the 

 Mississippi on the west, 50 miles. The principal rivers have their sources 

 in the Cumberland Mountains, and afford to all parts of the State river 

 communication with the Ohio and entire Mississippi river system. No 

 State has a frontage on navigable rivers equal to Kentucky. This insures 

 to the State cheap transportation in the future for the abundant forests 

 and large deposits of coal and iron ores contiguous to the streams. 



In healthf ulness the State ranks high, by the United States census 

 of 1870 there were twenty-seven States shown to have a greater death rate 

 than Kentucky. The deaths to total population were, in 1850, 1.53 per 

 cent.; in i860, 1.42 per cent.; and in 1870, 1.09 per cent., showing a steady 

 improvement. The high elevation, perfect drainage, sulubrity of climate, 

 and purity of waters combine favorably, and insure health and vigor to 

 the population. 



That the conditions are most favorable for the production of a vigorous 

 race of men is attested by the tables of measurements of the United States 

 volunteers during the civil war, by A. B Gould. The soldiers born in 

 Kentucky and Tennessee exceeded all others in height, weight, circum- 

 ference around the head, circumference of chest, ratio of weight to 

 stature, and proportional number of tall men in each 100,000 of same 



