Bolivar, Tennessee
Encyclopedia
Bolivar is a city in Hardeman County, Tennessee
, in the United States
. As of the 2000 census
, the city population was 5,802. It is the county seat
of Hardeman County. The town was named for South America
n revolutionary leader Simón Bolívar
, but is pronounced to rhyme with the name Oliver. http://www.hardemancotn.org/bolivar.html
Bolivar is served by William L. Whitehurst Field
.
, the city has a total area of 8.5 square miles (22 km²), of which 8.5 square miles (22 km²) is land and 0.12% is water.
As of the census
of 2000, there were 5,802 people, 2,161 households, and 1,462 families residing in the city. The population density
was 684.4 people per square mile (264.2/km²). There were 2,352 housing units at an average density of 277.4 per square mile (107.1/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 42.33% White, 56.39% African American, 0.07% Native American, 0.50% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.07% from other races
, and 0.62% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.60% of the population.
There were 2,161 households out of which 31.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.0% were married couples
living together, 24.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.3% were non-families. 30.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 3.03.
In the city the population was spread out with 26.7% under the age of 18, 9.0% from 18 to 24, 25.6% from 25 to 44, 21.5% from 45 to 64, and 17.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 83.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 75.1 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $28,651, and the median income for a family was $35,298. Males had a median income of $30,442 versus $21,544 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $14,973. About 19.5% of families and 23.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 28.7% of those under age 18 and 28.6% of those age 65 or over.
Hardeman County was officially organized on October 16, 1823, and was named for Thomas Jones Hardeman, a veteran of the War of 1812, who served as the first county court clerk and a commissioner for Bolivar before moving to Texas in 1835.
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
, in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. As of the 2000 census
United States Census, 2000
The Twenty-second United States Census, known as Census 2000 and conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2% over the 248,709,873 persons enumerated during the 1990 Census...
, the city population was 5,802. It is the county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
of Hardeman County. The town was named for South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
n revolutionary leader Simón Bolívar
Simón Bolívar
Simón José Antonio de la Santísima Trinidad Bolívar y Palacios Ponte y Yeiter, commonly known as Simón Bolívar was a Venezuelan military and political leader...
, but is pronounced to rhyme with the name Oliver. http://www.hardemancotn.org/bolivar.html
Bolivar is served by William L. Whitehurst Field
William L. Whitehurst Field
William L. Whitehurst Field is a county-owned, public-use airport located four nautical miles southwest of the central business district of Bolivar, a city in Hardeman County, Tennessee, United States.- Facilities and aircraft :...
.
Geography
According to the United States Census BureauUnited States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 8.5 square miles (22 km²), of which 8.5 square miles (22 km²) is land and 0.12% is water.
Demographics
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 5,802 people, 2,161 households, and 1,462 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 684.4 people per square mile (264.2/km²). There were 2,352 housing units at an average density of 277.4 per square mile (107.1/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 42.33% White, 56.39% African American, 0.07% Native American, 0.50% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.07% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 0.62% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.60% of the population.
There were 2,161 households out of which 31.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.0% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 24.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.3% were non-families. 30.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 3.03.
In the city the population was spread out with 26.7% under the age of 18, 9.0% from 18 to 24, 25.6% from 25 to 44, 21.5% from 45 to 64, and 17.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 83.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 75.1 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $28,651, and the median income for a family was $35,298. Males had a median income of $30,442 versus $21,544 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $14,973. About 19.5% of families and 23.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 28.7% of those under age 18 and 28.6% of those age 65 or over.
History
The first people to come to Hardeman County looking for permanent residence came in 1819-20. They came from middle Tennessee, Virginia, South Carolina, North Carolina and Kentucky. The first town in Hardeman County was established in 1823 on the banks of the Big Hatchie, the Indian name for the river. It was appropriately called Hatchie Town. The new site, the county seat, still bore the name Hatchie until by Act of the Tennessee State Legislature, on October 18, 1825, it was changed to Bolivar. Bolivar was named for Gen. Simon Bolivar, the South American patriot and liberator.Hardeman County was officially organized on October 16, 1823, and was named for Thomas Jones Hardeman, a veteran of the War of 1812, who served as the first county court clerk and a commissioner for Bolivar before moving to Texas in 1835.
Natives
- Willie Kemp, college basketball player for the Memphis TigersMemphis TigersThe Memphis Tigers represent the University of Memphis in Division I of the NCAA. They are members of C-USA and currently feature nine women's sports and nine men's sports...
, was born and raised in Bolivar.
- Wayne ChismWayne ChismDevon Dwayne Chism , also known as Wayne Chism, is an American basketball player who played for the Tennessee Volunteers. He is currently playing in the Hungarian Basketball League for the Albacomp Fehérvár....
, former basketball player for the University of Tennessee Volunteers, lived in Bolivar and played high school basketball at Bolivar Central High School.
- Mitch Ross, current football player for Harvard UniversityHarvard UniversityHarvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
. Played high school football, basketball and baseball; he was born and raised in Bolivar.