Estill Springs, Tennessee
Encyclopedia
Estill Springs is a town in Franklin County
, Tennessee
, United States
. The population was 2,152 at the 2000 census. It is the fourth largest in the county, and is usually referred to as simply "Estill" by its inhabitants.
Estill Springs is part of the Tullahoma, Tennessee
, Micropolitan Statistical Area
.
tribe of the region. Before they settled here, varying cultures of indigenous peoples
had lived in the area for thousands of years.
The European-American town dates from about 1840, when the Frank Estill family, which owned considerable property in the area, donated a right-of-way for railroad construction. The combination of mineral water
s, which were much in vogue as a health remedy at the time, and convenient rail access caused the settlement to develop as a small-scale spa town
. It took its name from the springs. Oscar Meyer was the appointed as the first mayor of Estill.
, however, it was generally known as Allisonia, for another family which had settled in the area. It was the site of a Confederate training camp, Camp Harris, named for Isham G. Harris
, the Confederate
governor of Tennessee, who was a native of the county. Southern forces retreated through the town during the 1863 Tullahoma
campaign, named for the nearby community which served as Confederate headquarters.
The new highway connected the town to sources of employment in neighboring communities, and gave it a strategic position on the main artery between Nashville
and Chattanooga
. The development of local lakes by the Tennessee Valley Authority
generated recreational business as well
During the time of prohibition Estill Springs was home to a prominate local mobster and bootlegger by the name of Parker Jones. Parker and his rowdy gang took advantage of the heavily wooded terrain to distill their bootleg booze. Parker and his men also used Estill as their primary logistics hub to traffic the booze through middle Tennessee, Alabama, and Georgia. Parker Jones remained in Estill for several years owning mayors, city councilmen, and police officers. The government finally caught wind of what was going on, and dispatched dozens of revenue agents to bring him and his men in. However, when they finally arrived at his hideout they found nothing and Parker was never to be seen in Estill again. Many locals claim he moved to Chicago to work with his friend Al Capone.
The Yellowhammer's Nest, the turn of the century home of noted Tennessee author Will Allen Dromgoole
, was destroyed by fire in 1972.
Estill Springs was bypassed with the construction of I-24
in the 1960s, but did not suffer too badly as a result. Highway 41A has been upgraded, nearly to interstate standard.
In 1987, a kind of national fame reached the town when a resident noticed what she took to be an image of Jesus
appearing on an upright freezer on the porch of her trailer
. Other witnesses believed it more closely resembled Willie Nelson
. The artifact became known as the "Freezer Jesus", and it briefly became a topic of journalism and a tourist attraction.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the town has a total area of 5 square miles (12.9 km²), of which, 4.7 square miles (12.2 km²) of it is land and 0.3 square mile (0.776996433 km²) of it (5.61%) is water.
, there were 2,152 people, 827 households and 654 families residing in the town. The population density
was 456.8 per square mile (176.4/km²). There were 917 housing units at an average density of 194.6 per square mile (75.2/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.77% White, 0.79% African American, 0.23% Native American, 0.14% Asian, 0.74% from other races
, and 0.33% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.35% of the population.
There were 827 households of which 35.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.6% were married couples
living together, 10.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 20.8% were non-families. 17.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.60 and the average family size was 2.92.
Age distribution was 25.1% under the age of 18, 7.4% from 18 to 24, 29.1% from 25 to 44, 23.7% from 45 to 64, and 14.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 98.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.5 males.
The median household income
was $40,365, and the median family income was $44,527. Males had a median income of $31,632 versus $20,994 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $18,757. About 8.8% of families and 10.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.1% of those under age 18 and 6.1% of those age 65 or over.
Franklin County, Tennessee
Franklin County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of 2010, the population was 41,052. Its county seat is Winchester.Franklin County is part of the Tullahoma, Tennessee, Micropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
, Tennessee
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...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 2,152 at the 2000 census. It is the fourth largest in the county, and is usually referred to as simply "Estill" by its inhabitants.
Estill Springs is part of the Tullahoma, Tennessee
Tullahoma, Tennessee
-Demographics:As of the census of 2010, there were 18,655 people, 7,717 households, and 5,161 families residing in the city. The racial makeup of the city was 88.1% White, 7.0% African American, 0.2% Native American, 1.2% Asian, 1.1% from other races, and 2.5% from two or more races...
, Micropolitan Statistical Area
Tullahoma micropolitan area
The Tullahoma Micropolitan Statistical Area, as defined by the United States Census Bureau, is an area consisting of three counties in central Tennessee, anchored by the city of Tullahoma....
.
Founding
Mineral springs in the area had long been known to the CherokeeCherokee
The Cherokee are a Native American people historically settled in the Southeastern United States . Linguistically, they are part of the Iroquoian language family...
tribe of the region. Before they settled here, varying cultures of indigenous peoples
Indigenous peoples
Indigenous peoples are ethnic groups that are defined as indigenous according to one of the various definitions of the term, there is no universally accepted definition but most of which carry connotations of being the "original inhabitants" of a territory....
had lived in the area for thousands of years.
The European-American town dates from about 1840, when the Frank Estill family, which owned considerable property in the area, donated a right-of-way for railroad construction. The combination of mineral water
Mineral water
Mineral water is water containing minerals or other dissolved substances that alter its taste or give it therapeutic value, generally obtained from a naturally occurring mineral spring or source. Dissolved substances in the water may include various salts and sulfur compounds...
s, which were much in vogue as a health remedy at the time, and convenient rail access caused the settlement to develop as a small-scale spa town
Spa town
A spa town is a town situated around a mineral spa . Patrons resorted to spas to "take the waters" for their purported health benefits. The word comes from the Belgian town Spa. In continental Europe a spa was known as a ville d'eau...
. It took its name from the springs. Oscar Meyer was the appointed as the first mayor of Estill.
Civil War era
During the Civil WarAmerican Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, however, it was generally known as Allisonia, for another family which had settled in the area. It was the site of a Confederate training camp, Camp Harris, named for Isham G. Harris
Isham G. Harris
Isham Green Harris was an American politician. He served as Governor of Tennessee from 1857 to 1862 and as a U.S. Senator from 1877 until his death....
, the Confederate
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
governor of Tennessee, who was a native of the county. Southern forces retreated through the town during the 1863 Tullahoma
Tullahoma, Tennessee
-Demographics:As of the census of 2010, there were 18,655 people, 7,717 households, and 5,161 families residing in the city. The racial makeup of the city was 88.1% White, 7.0% African American, 0.2% Native American, 1.2% Asian, 1.1% from other races, and 2.5% from two or more races...
campaign, named for the nearby community which served as Confederate headquarters.
Twentieth century to present
The fad for bathing in and drinking spring waters eventually passed. Local lore has it that the long-awaited construction of United States Highway 41A through the town in 1940 caused the springs to dry up. Whatever the cause, the spa era passed by mid-century, and the hotels were razed.The new highway connected the town to sources of employment in neighboring communities, and gave it a strategic position on the main artery between Nashville
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
and Chattanooga
Chattanooga, Tennessee
Chattanooga is the fourth-largest city in the US state of Tennessee , with a population of 169,887. It is the seat of Hamilton County...
. The development of local lakes by the Tennessee Valley Authority
Tennessee Valley Authority
The Tennessee Valley Authority is a federally owned corporation in the United States created by congressional charter in May 1933 to provide navigation, flood control, electricity generation, fertilizer manufacturing, and economic development in the Tennessee Valley, a region particularly affected...
generated recreational business as well
During the time of prohibition Estill Springs was home to a prominate local mobster and bootlegger by the name of Parker Jones. Parker and his rowdy gang took advantage of the heavily wooded terrain to distill their bootleg booze. Parker and his men also used Estill as their primary logistics hub to traffic the booze through middle Tennessee, Alabama, and Georgia. Parker Jones remained in Estill for several years owning mayors, city councilmen, and police officers. The government finally caught wind of what was going on, and dispatched dozens of revenue agents to bring him and his men in. However, when they finally arrived at his hideout they found nothing and Parker was never to be seen in Estill again. Many locals claim he moved to Chicago to work with his friend Al Capone.
The Yellowhammer's Nest, the turn of the century home of noted Tennessee author Will Allen Dromgoole
Will Allen Dromgoole
Will Allen Dromgoole was an author and poet born in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. She wrote over 7,500 poems; 5,000 essays; and published thirteen books. She was renowned beyond the South; her poem "The Bridge Builder" was often reprinted. It remains quite popular...
, was destroyed by fire in 1972.
Estill Springs was bypassed with the construction of I-24
Interstate 24
Interstate 24 is an Interstate Highway in the Midwestern and Southeastern United States. It runs diagonally from Interstate 57 to Chattanooga, Tennessee, at Interstate 75....
in the 1960s, but did not suffer too badly as a result. Highway 41A has been upgraded, nearly to interstate standard.
In 1987, a kind of national fame reached the town when a resident noticed what she took to be an image of Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
appearing on an upright freezer on the porch of her trailer
Mobile home
Mobile homes or static caravans are prefabricated homes built in factories, rather than on site, and then taken to the place where they will be occupied...
. Other witnesses believed it more closely resembled Willie Nelson
Willie Nelson
Willie Hugh Nelson is an American country music singer-songwriter, as well as an author, poet, actor, and activist. The critical success of the album Shotgun Willie , combined with the critical and commercial success of Red Headed Stranger and Stardust , made Nelson one of the most recognized...
. The artifact became known as the "Freezer Jesus", and it briefly became a topic of journalism and a tourist attraction.
In popular culture
- 1998, the author John DufresneJohn DufresneJohn Dufresne is an American author of French Canadian descent born in Worcester, Massachusetts. He graduated from Worcester State College in 1970 and the University of Arkansas in 1984. He is a professor in the Master of Fine Arts Creative Writing program of the English Department at Florida...
published a short story, "Freezer Jesus", which he later adapted as a screenplay. It has been produced as a short film.
Geography
Estill Springs is located at 35°16′13"N 86°7′58"W (35.270394, -86.132783).According to the United States Census Bureau
United 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 town has a total area of 5 square miles (12.9 km²), of which, 4.7 square miles (12.2 km²) of it is land and 0.3 square mile (0.776996433 km²) of it (5.61%) is water.
Demographics
At the 2000 censusCensus
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...
, there were 2,152 people, 827 households and 654 families residing in the town. 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 456.8 per square mile (176.4/km²). There were 917 housing units at an average density of 194.6 per square mile (75.2/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.77% White, 0.79% African American, 0.23% Native American, 0.14% Asian, 0.74% 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 0.33% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.35% of the population.
There were 827 households of which 35.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.6% 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, 10.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 20.8% were non-families. 17.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.60 and the average family size was 2.92.
Age distribution was 25.1% under the age of 18, 7.4% from 18 to 24, 29.1% from 25 to 44, 23.7% from 45 to 64, and 14.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 98.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.5 males.
The median household income
Median household income
The median household income is commonly used to generate data about geographic areas and divides households into two equal segments with the first half of households earning less than the median household income and the other half earning more...
was $40,365, and the median family income was $44,527. Males had a median income of $31,632 versus $20,994 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 town was $18,757. About 8.8% of families and 10.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.1% of those under age 18 and 6.1% of those age 65 or over.
External links
- Estill Springs, Website, Franklin County * Civil War Trail through Estill Springs, Tennessee Back Roads
- "Will Allen Dromgoole", Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture