Western Kentucky is the western portion of the U.S. state of Kentucky. It generally includes part or all of several more widely recognized regions of the state.
- Always included
- The Jackson Purchase, the state's westernmost generally recognized region, west of the Tennessee River.
- The Western Coal Fields.
- Included in part
- The Pennyroyal Plateau, locally known as the "Pennyrile", which surrounds the Western Coal Fields and is across the Tennessee River from the Purchase. Most of this region is generally included in "Western Kentucky".
- May also be included
- The western half of the region more commonly known as South Central Kentucky, which significantly overlaps with the Pennyrile.
Famous quotes containing the words western and/or kentucky:
“The Oriental philosophy approaches easily loftier themes than the modern aspires to; and no wonder if it sometimes prattle about them. It only assigns their due rank respectively to Action and Contemplation, or rather does full justice to the latter. Western philosophers have not conceived of the significance of Contemplation in their sense.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
“He believes without reservation that Kentucky is the garden spot of the world, and is ready to dispute with anyone who questions his claim. In his enthusiasm for his State he compares with the Methodist preacher whom Timothy Flint heard tell a congregation that “Heaven is a Kentucky of a place.””
—For the State of Kentucky, U.S. public relief program (1935-1943)