Greenback, Tennessee
Encyclopedia
Greenback is a city in Loudon County, Tennessee
, United States
. Its population was at 1,064, according to the 2010 census
. It is included in the Knoxville, Tennessee
Metropolitan Statistical Area.
to the south and U.S. Route 321
to the north.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 7.2 square miles (18.6 km²), of which, 7.1 square miles (18.4 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square mile (0.258998811 km²) of it (1.80%) is water.
of 2010, there were 1064 people, 396 households, and 298 families residing in the city. The population density
was 149.9 people per square mile (58.1/km2).
As of the 2000 census, there were 416 housing units at an average density of 58.7 per square mile (22.7/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 97.59% White, 0.94% African American, 0.21% Native American, 0.52% from other races
, and 0.73% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.94% of the population.
As of the 2000 census, there were 380 households out of which 30.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.1% were married couples
living together, 10.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.9% were non-families. 22.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 2.92.
In the city as of 2000, the population was spread out with 23.8% under the age of 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 27.4% from 25 to 44, 25.8% from 45 to 64, and 14.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 96.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.3 males.
The 2000 census reported a median income for a household in the city was $31,042, and the median income for a family was $40,000. Males had a median income of $27,222 versus $23,393 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $13,914. About 11.1% of families and 8.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.6% of those under age 18 and 11.8% of those age 65 or over.
For thousands of years, Native Americans
hunted and camped along the banks of the Little Tennessee River
. The Icehouse Bottom site, located a few miles southwest of Greenback, is believed to have been inhabited as early as 9,000 years ago, making it one of the oldest known habitation sites in Tennessee. By the time Euro-American explorers and settlers arrived in the area in the 18th century, the villages of the Overhill Cherokee
dominated the river, stretching from the village of Tallassee
(near modern Calderwood
) to Mialoquo
(near the modern US-411 bridge). In the late 1790s, the Tellico Blockhouse
was expanded to help facilitate trade between the Overhill towns and Knoxville, which was a few miles downstream to the north. As there were no major bridges spanning the Little Tennessee at the time, ferries became an important means of getting across the river. Among the earliest and most important of these ferries was the one at Morganton
, located a few miles west of what is now Greenback.
Morganton Ferry— initially called "Wear's Ferry"— was established in the late 18th century, and had grown into a small community known as "Portville" by 1810. It was officially chartered as "Morganton" in 1813, named after Revolutionary War
veteran and local merchant, Gideon Morgan. Around this time, the Tellico Agency was moved from the Tellico Blockhouse to Fort Southwest Point
(now Kingston
), expanding Southwest Point's importance and influence. In response, a road quickly developed between Maryville
and Southwest Point. Since the road crossed the Little Tennessee at the Morganton Ferry, the road became known to Blount Countians
as Morganton Road. The first commercial structure in what is now Greenback was probably the Norwood Inn, which was a stopover for merchants and farmers traveling from Maryville to Morganton. Traffic along Morganton Road increased steadily until the American Civil War
, when intrastate commerce declined.
In the years leading up the Civil War, a cave in the Morganton and Greenback area is believed to have been a stop on the Underground Railroad
, perhaps reflecting the area's ties to abolitionist
-heavy Blount County.
several miles southeast of Morganton (the resort was located near the modern junction of US-129
and TN-336). The resort was connected to Morganton Road by a stagecoach road which roughly paralleled what is now Highway 95.
In 1876, Lorenzo Thompson established Thompson's Stand, a general store situated at the junction of the Sulphur Springs coach road and Morganton Road. Hoping to draw traffic to his store, Thompson submitted a request to establish a post office at Thompson's Stand in 1882. The Postal Service
rejected his initial name for the town of Thompson Station, as well as subsequent submissions Pine Grove and Alleghany Station, all of which were already taken. The town finally settled on the name "Greenback," which was inspired by a local politician and member of the Greenback Party
named Jonathan Tipton.
In 1885, Indiana
businessman Nathan McCoy purchased the Sulphur Springs resort with plans to expand it. In the summer of 1886, the resort reopened with a newly-constructed 3-story, 60-room hotel under the new name of Alleghany Springs. The resort was instrumental in luring the L&N Railroad to the head of its coach road at Greenback, where it had established Alleghany Station for its guests making the trek from Knoxville.
, blacksmith, physician, shoemaker, and general store. In the early 20th century, the L&N Railroad constructed a second line through the town, opening a depot in 1914. By 1920, the town had its own bank and several industries, including the Greenback Motor Company. In 1923, the town added the Greenback Drug Company (which is still in operation, primarily as a diner). Several fires throughout the 1920s and the Great Depression
, however, halted the town's rapid growth.
Greenback was officially incorporated in 1957, with Glenn McTeer as its first mayor. A community center— built by the town's residents with no outside help or outside funding— was completed in 1978. It now houses a library, the city hall, and recreational facilities.
On September 22, 1964, one of the first confrontations between TVA and conservation groups over the proposed Tellico Dam project took place in a meeting at Greenback High School. TVA had called the meeting in hopes of gaining the support of locals, and the agency was surprised when most of the 400 or so in attendance vehemently opposed the project. TVA Chairman Aubrey Wagner, who spoke on the Authority's behalf, was continuously interrupted throughout his speech. At one point, Wagner was shouted down by legendary Monroe County judge Sue K. Hicks
, who as president of the Fort Loudoun Association feared the destruction of the historic fort's site by the proposed dam's reservoir.
In 2011, Greenback's residents were featured in an H&R Block
television commercial as part of the company's nationwide campaign to promote its income tax preparation services. Along with free tax services for several dozen residents, the company donated several thousand dollars to Greenback School.
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...
. Its population was at 1,064, according to the 2010 census
United States Census, 2010
The Twenty-third United States Census, known as Census 2010 or the 2010 Census, is the current national census of the United States. National Census Day was April 1, 2010 and is the reference date used in enumerating individuals...
. It is included in the Knoxville, Tennessee
Knoxville, Tennessee
Founded in 1786, Knoxville is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Tennessee, U.S.A., behind Memphis and Nashville, and is the county seat of Knox County. It is the largest city in East Tennessee, and the second-largest city in the Appalachia region...
Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Geography
Greenback is located at 35.655751°N 84.164898°W (35.655751, -84.164898). The city is centered around the junction of Tennessee State Route 95 and Morganton Road, with the greater community extending to U.S. Route 411U.S. Route 411
U.S. Highway 411 is an alternate parallel-highway associated with U.S. Highway 11. U.S. 411 extends for about 313 miles from U.S. Route 78 in Leeds, Jefferson County, Alabama, to U.S. Highway 25 in Newport, Cocke County, Tennessee. U.S. 411 passes through the northeastern State of Alabama, the...
to the south and U.S. Route 321
U.S. Route 321
U.S. Route 321 is a spur of U.S. Route 21. It runs for 526 miles from South Carolina to Tennessee. The northern terminus of U.S. 321 is between Lenoir City and Oak Ridge, Tennessee, at Interstate 40 exit 364, which is about 4 miles west of Interstate 40's junction with Interstate 75...
to the north.
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 city has a total area of 7.2 square miles (18.6 km²), of which, 7.1 square miles (18.4 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square mile (0.258998811 km²) of it (1.80%) is water.
Demographics
As of the 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...
of 2010, there were 1064 people, 396 households, and 298 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 149.9 people per square mile (58.1/km2).
As of the 2000 census, there were 416 housing units at an average density of 58.7 per square mile (22.7/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 97.59% White, 0.94% African American, 0.21% Native American, 0.52% 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 0.73% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.94% of the population.
As of the 2000 census, there were 380 households out of which 30.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.1% 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, 10.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.9% were non-families. 22.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 2.92.
In the city as of 2000, the population was spread out with 23.8% under the age of 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 27.4% from 25 to 44, 25.8% from 45 to 64, and 14.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 96.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.3 males.
The 2000 census reported a median income for a household in the city was $31,042, and the median income for a family was $40,000. Males had a median income of $27,222 versus $23,393 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 $13,914. About 11.1% of families and 8.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.6% of those under age 18 and 11.8% of those age 65 or over.
Morganton
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
hunted and camped along the banks of the Little Tennessee River
Little Tennessee River
The Little Tennessee River is a tributary of the Tennessee River, approximately 135 miles long, in the Appalachian Mountains in the southeastern United States.-Geography:...
. The Icehouse Bottom site, located a few miles southwest of Greenback, is believed to have been inhabited as early as 9,000 years ago, making it one of the oldest known habitation sites in Tennessee. By the time Euro-American explorers and settlers arrived in the area in the 18th century, the villages of the Overhill Cherokee
Overhill Cherokee
The term Overhill Cherokee refers to the former Cherokee settlements located in what is now Tennessee in the southeastern United States. The name was given by 18th century European traders and explorers who had to cross the Appalachian Mountains to reach these settlements when traveling from...
dominated the river, stretching from the village of Tallassee
Tallassee (Cherokee town)
Tallassee is a prehistoric and historic Native American site in Blount County and Monroe County, Tennessee, in the southeastern United States. Tallassee was the southernmost of a string of Overhill Cherokee villages that spanned the lower Little Tennessee River in the 18th century...
(near modern Calderwood
Calderwood, Tennessee
Calderwood was a community once located along the Little Tennessee River in Blount County, Tennessee, USA. Established in 1912 as a base for the Aluminum Company of America's Little Tennessee Valley hydroelectric development operations, the community continued to house construction personnel and...
) to Mialoquo
Mialoquo
Mialoquo is a prehistoric and historic Native American site in Monroe County, Tennessee, in the southeastern United States. The site saw significant periods of occupation during the Mississippian period and later as a Cherokee refugee village...
(near the modern US-411 bridge). In the late 1790s, the Tellico Blockhouse
Tellico Blockhouse
The Tellico Blockhouse was an early American outpost located along the Little Tennessee River in Vonore, Monroe County, Tennessee. Completed in 1794, the blockhouse operated until 1807 with the purpose of keeping the peace between nearby Overhill Cherokee towns and early Euro-American settlers in...
was expanded to help facilitate trade between the Overhill towns and Knoxville, which was a few miles downstream to the north. As there were no major bridges spanning the Little Tennessee at the time, ferries became an important means of getting across the river. Among the earliest and most important of these ferries was the one at Morganton
Morganton, Tennessee
Morganton was a community once located in Loudon County, Tennessee, in the southeastern United States. Although now submerged by Tellico Lake, during its heyday in the 19th century Morganton thrived as a flatboat port and regional business center...
, located a few miles west of what is now Greenback.
Morganton Ferry— initially called "Wear's Ferry"— was established in the late 18th century, and had grown into a small community known as "Portville" by 1810. It was officially chartered as "Morganton" in 1813, named after Revolutionary War
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
veteran and local merchant, Gideon Morgan. Around this time, the Tellico Agency was moved from the Tellico Blockhouse to Fort Southwest Point
Fort Southwest Point
Fort Southwest Point was a federal frontier outpost at what is now Kingston, Tennessee, in the southeastern United States. Constructed in 1797 and garrisoned by federal soldiers until 1811, the fort served as a major point of interaction between the Cherokee and the United States government as...
(now Kingston
Kingston, Tennessee
Kingston is a city in and the county seat of Roane County, Tennessee, United States, and is adjacent to Watts Bar Lake. Kingston, with a population of 5,264 at the 2000 United States census, is included in the Harriman, Tennessee Micropolitan Statistical Area....
), expanding Southwest Point's importance and influence. In response, a road quickly developed between Maryville
Maryville, Tennessee
Maryville is the county seat of Blount County, Tennessee, in the Southeastern United States. The city is located south of Knoxville. Maryville's population was 27,258 at the 2010 census. It is included in the Knoxville Metropolitan Area. Maryville has received a number of accolades for its...
and Southwest Point. Since the road crossed the Little Tennessee at the Morganton Ferry, the road became known to Blount Countians
Blount County, Tennessee
Blount County is a U.S. county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. Its population was 123,010 at the United States Census, 2010. The county seat is at Maryville, which is also the county's largest city....
as Morganton Road. The first commercial structure in what is now Greenback was probably the Norwood Inn, which was a stopover for merchants and farmers traveling from Maryville to Morganton. Traffic along Morganton Road increased steadily until the American Civil War
American 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...
, when intrastate commerce declined.
In the years leading up the Civil War, a cave in the Morganton and Greenback area is believed to have been a stop on the Underground Railroad
Underground Railroad
The Underground Railroad was an informal network of secret routes and safe houses used by 19th-century black slaves in the United States to escape to free states and Canada with the aid of abolitionists and allies who were sympathetic to their cause. The term is also applied to the abolitionists,...
, perhaps reflecting the area's ties to abolitionist
Abolitionism
Abolitionism is a movement to end slavery.In western Europe and the Americas abolitionism was a movement to end the slave trade and set slaves free. At the behest of Dominican priest Bartolomé de las Casas who was shocked at the treatment of natives in the New World, Spain enacted the first...
-heavy Blount County.
Alleghany Springs and the railroad
In 1859, entrepreneur Jesse Kerr established a hotel and health resort at the mineral-rich Sulphur Springs near the base of Chilhowee MountainChilhowee Mountain
Chilhowee Mountain is a low ridge at the outer edge of the Great Smoky Mountains that stretches between the Little Tennessee River to the west and the Little Pigeon River watershed to the east...
several miles southeast of Morganton (the resort was located near the modern junction of US-129
U.S. Route 129
U.S. Route 129 is an offshoot route of U.S. Route 29, which it intersects near Athens, Georgia. US 129 currently runs for 582 miles from Knoxville, Tennessee, to Chiefland, Florida, at U.S. Route 19 and U.S. Route 98. It passes through the states of Tennessee, North Carolina, Georgia and Florida...
and TN-336). The resort was connected to Morganton Road by a stagecoach road which roughly paralleled what is now Highway 95.
In 1876, Lorenzo Thompson established Thompson's Stand, a general store situated at the junction of the Sulphur Springs coach road and Morganton Road. Hoping to draw traffic to his store, Thompson submitted a request to establish a post office at Thompson's Stand in 1882. The Postal Service
United States Postal Service
The United States Postal Service is an independent agency of the United States government responsible for providing postal service in the United States...
rejected his initial name for the town of Thompson Station, as well as subsequent submissions Pine Grove and Alleghany Station, all of which were already taken. The town finally settled on the name "Greenback," which was inspired by a local politician and member of the Greenback Party
United States Greenback Party
The Greenback Party was an American political party with an anti-monopoly ideology that was active between 1874 and 1884. Its name referred to paper money, or "greenbacks," that had been issued during the American Civil War and afterward...
named Jonathan Tipton.
In 1885, Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
businessman Nathan McCoy purchased the Sulphur Springs resort with plans to expand it. In the summer of 1886, the resort reopened with a newly-constructed 3-story, 60-room hotel under the new name of Alleghany Springs. The resort was instrumental in luring the L&N Railroad to the head of its coach road at Greenback, where it had established Alleghany Station for its guests making the trek from Knoxville.
Greenback in the 20th Century
With the arrival of passenger train service from Knoxville, Greenback grew quickly. In the early 1890s, the young town had its own grist millGristmill
The terms gristmill or grist mill can refer either to a building in which grain is ground into flour, or to the grinding mechanism itself.- Early history :...
, blacksmith, physician, shoemaker, and general store. In the early 20th century, the L&N Railroad constructed a second line through the town, opening a depot in 1914. By 1920, the town had its own bank and several industries, including the Greenback Motor Company. In 1923, the town added the Greenback Drug Company (which is still in operation, primarily as a diner). Several fires throughout the 1920s and the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
, however, halted the town's rapid growth.
Greenback was officially incorporated in 1957, with Glenn McTeer as its first mayor. A community center— built by the town's residents with no outside help or outside funding— was completed in 1978. It now houses a library, the city hall, and recreational facilities.
On September 22, 1964, one of the first confrontations between TVA and conservation groups over the proposed Tellico Dam project took place in a meeting at Greenback High School. TVA had called the meeting in hopes of gaining the support of locals, and the agency was surprised when most of the 400 or so in attendance vehemently opposed the project. TVA Chairman Aubrey Wagner, who spoke on the Authority's behalf, was continuously interrupted throughout his speech. At one point, Wagner was shouted down by legendary Monroe County judge Sue K. Hicks
Sue K. Hicks
Sue Kerr Hicks was an American jurist who practiced law and served as a circuit court judge in the state of Tennessee. He is best known for his role as a co-instigator and prosecutor in the 1925 trial of John T. Scopes, a Dayton, Tennessee teacher accused of teaching the Theory of Evolution in...
, who as president of the Fort Loudoun Association feared the destruction of the historic fort's site by the proposed dam's reservoir.
In 2011, Greenback's residents were featured in an H&R Block
H&R Block
H&R Block is a tax preparation company in the United States, claiming more than 22 million customers worldwide, with offices in Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom. The Kansas City-based company also offers banking, personal finance and business consulting services.Founded in 1955 by brothers...
television commercial as part of the company's nationwide campaign to promote its income tax preparation services. Along with free tax services for several dozen residents, the company donated several thousand dollars to Greenback School.
External links
- Greenback City Government
- About Greenback - A short history of Greenback compiled by the Greenback First Presbyterian Church
- GreenbackCOC Greenback Church of Christ Website
- Greenback Historical Society