Earlington, Kentucky

Earlington is a home rule-class city in Hopkins County, Kentucky, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 1,413, down from 1,649 at the 2000 census.HistoryEarlington was settled in 1870 around the area coal fields. Upon its incorporation a year later, it was formally named for John Baylis Earle, a lawyer who was central to developing the coal industry in the region.EducationUntil the mid-1970s, the city of Earlington operated an independent school system. The system served students from primary grades until graduation. In 1967, the Earlington Yellowjackets won the state "Sweet 16" basketball tournament. During the 1960s, the champions of the Sweet 16 were typically from Jefferson County (Louisville) or Fayette County (Lexington), among the largest population centers in the state. Earlington remains one of the smallest schools to ever win the "Sweet 16" in the modern era.When the city school board decided to merge with the Hopkins County School System, the school and community were split into two. Half of the student population was enrolled at South Hopkins High School approximately 3mi to the south, and half at West Hopkins High School, located approximately 8mi to the west. The areas were divided by the railroad line that bisects the town.Earlington also had a private school that operated until the 1970s. Immaculate Conception, the only Roman Catholic parish in Earlington and the oldest parish in Hopkins County, operated a school periodically from the 1890s until the school was condemned in the 1970s due to poor building conditions. The school served students in kindergarten through sixth grade. Located across the street from the parish building, it was demolished after the school closed.