Sturgis, KY

Sturgis is a home-rule-class city in Union County, where the 2020 census counted 1,735 residents. The town was incorporated in 1890 as a company town inside the Cumberland Land and Iron Company's coal development. Its origin is a railroad-and-coal story: mining was already underway, and the rail line was built to move the area's coal. The name honors Alida Livingston Sturgis, who married Dr. P. G. Kelsey, a promoter of the railroad. Coal remains part of Union County's present regional economy.

Coal and rail remain the clearest way to understand Sturgis's layout, even as present-day life runs through schools, city services, and neighborhood recreation. Sturgis Elementary is part of Union County Public Schools, and Sturgis Kiwanis Park on North Monroe Street provides a playground and picnic shelters. The city sits inside a county whose public calendar includes a Sturgis farmers market and community breakfasts, so the local routine connects the old industrial story to schools, parks, and recurring civic events.