HOPKINSVILLE, a city of south-western Kentucky, U.S.A., room. S. of Evansville, Ind.; the county seat of Christian county.
It is on Federal highways 41, 241 and 68 and is served by the Illinois Central, the Louisville and Nashville, and the Tennessee Central railways. The population was 9,696 in 1920 (38% negroes) and was 10,746 in 1930 by the Federal census. It is the seat of the Western State hospital for the insane and of Bethel Woman's college (Baptist; founded 1854) ; has the largest dark fired tobacco market in the country and a large mule and live stock market; and its manufactures include flour, brick, crushed stone, cigar boxes, furniture, shirts and overalls. Race-horses are bred in the vicinity. When Christian county was created in Hopkinsville (originally called Elizabethtown) was made the county seat, and was renamed in honour of Samuel Hopkins (c. 1750-1819), a Kentucky pioneer and an officer in the Revolu tion. The town was incorporated in 1798, was chartered as a city in 1897, and in 1916 adopted a commission form of government.