Marion County, Tennessee
Encyclopedia
Marion County is a county located in the U.S. state
of Tennessee
. As of 2000, the population was 27,776. Its county seat
is Jasper
.
Marion County is part of the Chattanooga
, TN–GA
Metropolitan Statistical Area
.
, the county has a total area of 512 square miles (1,327 km²), of which 498 square miles (1,291 km²) is land and 14 square miles (36 km²) (2.72%) is water.
chief Dragging Canoe
moved down the Tennessee River
from Chickamauga Creek to Running Water
creek, and helped establish the associated town of Nickajack downriver in front of the entrance to Nickajack Cave
. In 1794, this town was attacked and burned. This attack was led by Colonel James Orr of Nashville, Tennessee
. The town was rebuilt and the Chickamauga Band of Indians continued to live here until 1838, when all remaining Indians were removed from Tennessee, Alabama
, and Georgia
.
In the spring of 1861, Robert Cravens of Chattanooga began mining saltpeter
, the main ingredient of gunpowder
, at Nickajack Cave. Later this operation was taken over by the Confederate Niter Bureau. At one point, Nickajack Cave was one of the main sources of saltpeter for the Confederate States of America
. Nickajack Cave was visited by thousands of Civil War
troops, who moved up and down the Tennessee River
on boats.
Another important saltpeter mine during the Civil War was Monteagle Saltpeter Cave, located in Cave Cove, approximately 4 miles southeast of Monteagle. During the Civil War, it was referred to as Battle Creek Cave. A 1917 visitor to the cave reported 25 or 30 old hoppers remaining in the cave. (Marion O. Smith, "Confederate Niter District Eight: Middle Tennesse & Northwest Georgia, 2011, 56 pages.)
of 2000, there were 27,776 people, 11,037 households, and 8,134 families residing in the county. The population density
was 56 people per square mile (22/km²). There were 12,140 housing units at an average density of 24 per square mile (9/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 94.33% White
, 4.14% Black
or African American
, 0.26% Native American
, 0.21% Asian
, 0.01% Pacific Islander
, 0.27% from other races
, and 0.78% from two or more races. 0.73% of the population were Hispanic
or Latino
of any race.
There were 11,037 households out of which 31.10% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.90% were married couples
living together, 11.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.30% were non-families. 23.60% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.20% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 2.93.
In the county, the population was spread out with 23.70% under the age of 18, 8.50% from 18 to 24, 28.60% from 25 to 44, 26.30% from 45 to 64, and 12.90% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 95.90 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.00 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $31,419, and the median income for a family was $36,351. Males had a median income of $30,236 versus $21,778 for females. The per capita income
for the county was $16,419. About 10.80% of families and 14.10% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.00% of those under age 18 and 14.30% of those age 65 or over.
This continues in appeal in the court system of Davidson County, Tennessee and of the courts in Tennessee. The outcome of whether the tribes retain recognition is yet to be determined.
The Chikamaka Band maintain their Headquarters in Tracy City. The majority of members of the Tribe in Tennessee are located here and in the counties Coffee
, Franklin
, Grundy, Marion
, Sequatchie and Warren.
, also known as Brown Field, is a county-owned, public-use airport
located four nautical miles (7 km) southeast of the central business district
of Jasper
.
in Marion County, located 0.6 miles south of Shellmound Station on the west side of the Tennessee River, is one of the most historical caves in Tennessee. It is currently part of a park run by the city of New Hope. A paved hiking trail leads to an observation deck at the entrance to the cave where visitors can watch the bats leave the cave at dusk. (Larry E. Matthews, Caves of Chattanooga, 2007, Published by the National Speleological Society, ISBN 978-1-879961-27-2.) The cave was used by tourists and as a show cave, but in 1968 the cave was flooded by the TVA. The TVA engineers became lazy with the efforts on Hales Bar Dam
concerning leaks and navigation lock would be too expensive, TVA scrapped twenty years of effort by building Nickajack Dam 6 miles downstream and flooding the Nickajack Cave.
.
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of 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...
. As of 2000, the population was 27,776. Its 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....
is Jasper
Jasper, Tennessee
Jasper is a town in Marion County, Tennessee. The population was 3,214 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Marion County.Jasper is part of the Chattanooga, TN–GA Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
.
Marion County is part of the 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...
, TN–GA
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
Metropolitan Statistical Area
Chattanooga metropolitan area
The Chattanooga Metropolitan Statistical Area, as defined by the United States Census Bureau, is an area consisting of six counties – three in southeast Tennessee and three in northwest Georgia – anchored by the city of Chattanooga...
.
Geography
According to the U.S. 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 county has a total area of 512 square miles (1,327 km²), of which 498 square miles (1,291 km²) is land and 14 square miles (36 km²) (2.72%) is water.
Adjacent counties
- Grundy County (north)
- Sequatchie County (northeast)
- Hamilton CountyHamilton County, TennesseeHamilton County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It was named for Alexander Hamilton, the first Secretary of the Treasury. The 2005 Census Estimate placed the population at 310,935 . Its county seat is Chattanooga....
(east) - Dade County, GeorgiaDade County, GeorgiaDade County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of 2000, the population is 15,154. The 2007 Census Estimate shows a population of 16,098...
(southeast) - Jackson County, AlabamaJackson County, AlabamaJackson County is a county of the U.S. state of Alabama. Its name is in honor of Andrew Jackson, general in the United States Army and President of the United States of America. As of 2010, the population was 53,227. The county seat is Scottsboro. Jackson County is a prohibition or dry county,...
(southwest) - Franklin CountyFranklin County, TennesseeFranklin 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:...
(west)
History
In 1779 CherokeeCherokee
The Cherokee are a Native American people historically settled in the Southeastern United States . Linguistically, they are part of the Iroquoian language family...
chief Dragging Canoe
Dragging Canoe
Tsiyu Gansini , "He is dragging his canoe", known to whites as Dragging Canoe, was a Cherokee war chief who led a band of Cherokee against colonists and United States settlers...
moved down the Tennessee River
Tennessee River
The Tennessee River is the largest tributary of the Ohio River. It is approximately 652 miles long and is located in the southeastern United States in the Tennessee Valley. The river was once popularly known as the Cherokee River, among other names...
from Chickamauga Creek to Running Water
Running Water
Running Water may be:* Running Water, Tennessee, former name of Whiteside, Tennessee* Running Water, South Dakota, a community in Bon Homme County, South Dakota* "Running Water" from the 1983 album The Present...
creek, and helped establish the associated town of Nickajack downriver in front of the entrance to Nickajack Cave
Nickajack Cave
Nickajack Cave is a large, partially flooded cave in Marion County, Tennessee. It was partially flooded by the Tennessee Valley Authority's Nickajack Lake, created by the construction of Nickajack Dam in 1967. The entrance was originally 140 feet wide and 50 feet high...
. In 1794, this town was attacked and burned. This attack was led by Colonel James Orr of Nashville, Tennessee
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...
. The town was rebuilt and the Chickamauga Band of Indians continued to live here until 1838, when all remaining Indians were removed from Tennessee, Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
, and Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
.
In the spring of 1861, Robert Cravens of Chattanooga began mining saltpeter
Saltpeter
Saltpeter or saltpetre often refers to:*Potassium nitrate, or the mineral niter, the critical oxidizing component of gunpowder, and a food preservative.It may also refer to:...
, the main ingredient of gunpowder
Gunpowder
Gunpowder, also known since in the late 19th century as black powder, was the first chemical explosive and the only one known until the mid 1800s. It is a mixture of sulfur, charcoal, and potassium nitrate - with the sulfur and charcoal acting as fuels, while the saltpeter works as an oxidizer...
, at Nickajack Cave. Later this operation was taken over by the Confederate Niter Bureau. At one point, Nickajack Cave was one of the main sources of saltpeter for the Confederate States of America
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...
. Nickajack Cave was visited by thousands of 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...
troops, who moved up and down the Tennessee River
Tennessee River
The Tennessee River is the largest tributary of the Ohio River. It is approximately 652 miles long and is located in the southeastern United States in the Tennessee Valley. The river was once popularly known as the Cherokee River, among other names...
on boats.
Another important saltpeter mine during the Civil War was Monteagle Saltpeter Cave, located in Cave Cove, approximately 4 miles southeast of Monteagle. During the Civil War, it was referred to as Battle Creek Cave. A 1917 visitor to the cave reported 25 or 30 old hoppers remaining in the cave. (Marion O. Smith, "Confederate Niter District Eight: Middle Tennesse & Northwest Georgia, 2011, 56 pages.)
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 2000, there were 27,776 people, 11,037 households, and 8,134 families residing in the county. 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 56 people per square mile (22/km²). There were 12,140 housing units at an average density of 24 per square mile (9/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 94.33% White
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...
, 4.14% Black
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...
or African American
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...
, 0.26% Native American
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...
, 0.21% Asian
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...
, 0.01% Pacific Islander
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...
, 0.27% 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 0.78% from two or more races. 0.73% of the population were Hispanic
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...
or Latino
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...
of any race.
There were 11,037 households out of which 31.10% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.90% 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, 11.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.30% were non-families. 23.60% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.20% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 2.93.
In the county, the population was spread out with 23.70% under the age of 18, 8.50% from 18 to 24, 28.60% from 25 to 44, 26.30% from 45 to 64, and 12.90% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 95.90 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.00 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $31,419, and the median income for a family was $36,351. Males had a median income of $30,236 versus $21,778 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 county was $16,419. About 10.80% of families and 14.10% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.00% of those under age 18 and 14.30% of those age 65 or over.
American Indian Tribe
On 19 June 2010, the Tennessee Commission of Indian Affairs recognized the Chikamaka Band as a Tennessee State Indigenous American Indian Tribe; however, the state attorney general's office declared that recognition "void and of no effect" on 3 September 2010.This continues in appeal in the court system of Davidson County, Tennessee and of the courts in Tennessee. The outcome of whether the tribes retain recognition is yet to be determined.
The Chikamaka Band maintain their Headquarters in Tracy City. The majority of members of the Tribe in Tennessee are located here and in the counties Coffee
Coffee County, Tennessee
Coffee County is a county located in south-central portion of the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is one of the counties of Middle Tennessee. As of 2010, the population was 52,796. Its county seat is Manchester....
, Franklin
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:...
, Grundy, Marion
Marion County, Tennessee
Marion County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of 2000, the population was 27,776. Its county seat is Jasper.Marion County is part of the Chattanooga, TN–GA Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:According to the U.S...
, Sequatchie and Warren.
Municipalities
- JasperJasper, TennesseeJasper is a town in Marion County, Tennessee. The population was 3,214 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Marion County.Jasper is part of the Chattanooga, TN–GA Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
- KimballKimball, TennesseeKimball is a town in Marion County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 1,312 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Chattanooga, TN–GA Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Kimball is located at ....
- MonteagleMonteagle, TennesseeMonteagle is a town in Franklin, Grundy, and Marion counties in the U.S. state of Tennessee, in the Cumberland Plateau region of the southeastern part of the state...
- New HopeNew Hope, TennesseeNew Hope is a city in Marion County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 1,043 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Chattanooga, TN–GA Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:New Hope is located at ....
- OrmeOrme, TennesseeOrme is a town in Marion County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 145 as of 2007. It is part of the Chattanooga, TN–GA Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Orme is located at ....
- Powells CrossroadsPowells Crossroads, TennesseePowells Crossroads is a town in Marion County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 1,286 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Chattanooga, TN–GA Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
- South PittsburgSouth Pittsburg, TennesseeSouth Pittsburg is a city in Marion County, Tennessee, United States. It is part of the Chattanooga, TN–GA Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 3,295 at the 2000 census. South Pittsburg is home to the National Cornbread Festival.-History:...
- Whiteside (formerly Running Water)
- WhitwellWhitwell, TennesseeWhitwell is a city in Marion County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 1,660 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Chattanooga, TN–GA Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
Unincorporated communities
- Griffith CreekGriffith Creek, TennesseeGriffith Creek, Tennessee is an unincorporated hamlet in Marion County, Tennessee, about midway between Palmer and Whitwell, at latitude roughly 35.284 and longitude roughly -85.55. The elevation is approximately 2,200 feet above sea level....
- HaletownHaletown, TennesseeHaletown is an unincorporated community in Marion County, Tennessee, United States. It is probably best known as the former location of Hales Bar Dam, a major hydroelectric project of the former Tennessee Electric Power Company completed in 1913 which was later purchased by the Tennessee Valley...
- Mineral Springs
Airport
Marion County AirportMarion County Airport (Tennessee)
Marion County Airport , also known as Brown Field, is a county-owned, public-use airport located four nautical miles southeast of the central business district of Jasper, a town in Marion County, Tennessee, United States....
, also known as Brown Field, is a county-owned, public-use airport
Airport
An airport is a location where aircraft such as fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and blimps take off and land. Aircraft may be stored or maintained at an airport...
located four nautical miles (7 km) southeast of the central business district
Central business district
A central business district is the commercial and often geographic heart of a city. In North America this part of a city is commonly referred to as "downtown" or "city center"...
of Jasper
Jasper, Tennessee
Jasper is a town in Marion County, Tennessee. The population was 3,214 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Marion County.Jasper is part of the Chattanooga, TN–GA Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
.
Education
The schools in Marion County are:- Jasper Elementary School
- Jasper Middle School
- Marion County High School
- Monteagle Elementary School
- South Pittsburg Elementary
- South Pittsburg High School
- Whitwell Elementary School
- Whitwell High School
Parks and natural features
Nickajack CaveNickajack Cave
Nickajack Cave is a large, partially flooded cave in Marion County, Tennessee. It was partially flooded by the Tennessee Valley Authority's Nickajack Lake, created by the construction of Nickajack Dam in 1967. The entrance was originally 140 feet wide and 50 feet high...
in Marion County, located 0.6 miles south of Shellmound Station on the west side of the Tennessee River, is one of the most historical caves in Tennessee. It is currently part of a park run by the city of New Hope. A paved hiking trail leads to an observation deck at the entrance to the cave where visitors can watch the bats leave the cave at dusk. (Larry E. Matthews, Caves of Chattanooga, 2007, Published by the National Speleological Society, ISBN 978-1-879961-27-2.) The cave was used by tourists and as a show cave, but in 1968 the cave was flooded by the TVA. The TVA engineers became lazy with the efforts on Hales Bar Dam
Hales Bar Dam
Hales Bar Dam was a hydroelectric dam once located on the Tennessee River in Marion County, Tennessee, USA. The Chattanooga and Tennessee River Power Company began building the dam in 1905 and completed it in 1913, making Hales Bar one of the first major multipurpose dams and one of the first...
concerning leaks and navigation lock would be too expensive, TVA scrapped twenty years of effort by building Nickajack Dam 6 miles downstream and flooding the Nickajack Cave.
Notable people
- CherokeeCherokeeThe Cherokee are a Native American people historically settled in the Southeastern United States . Linguistically, they are part of the Iroquoian language family...
Dragging CanoeDragging CanoeTsiyu Gansini , "He is dragging his canoe", known to whites as Dragging Canoe, was a Cherokee war chief who led a band of Cherokee against colonists and United States settlers...
, lived in the town of Running Water at the mouth of Running Water creek on the Tennessee RiverTennessee RiverThe Tennessee River is the largest tributary of the Ohio River. It is approximately 652 miles long and is located in the southeastern United States in the Tennessee Valley. The river was once popularly known as the Cherokee River, among other names...
.
- CherokeeCherokeeThe Cherokee are a Native American people historically settled in the Southeastern United States . Linguistically, they are part of the Iroquoian language family...
scholar SequoyahSequoyahSequoyah , named in English George Gist or George Guess, was a Cherokee silversmith. In 1821 he completed his independent creation of a Cherokee syllabary, making reading and writing in Cherokee possible...
(b. 1776 (?), d. 1843 ) lived in the Marion County area. Sequoyah is famous for developing a Cherokee alphabet, making the Cherokee Nation literate in their own language. A bust honoring Sequoyah is in the town of South Pittsburgh in front of the Beene Pearson Public Library.
- Artist Jon CoffeltJon CoffeltJohnny Lee Coffelt born is an American artist who lives and works in Manhattan in the Financial District of New York City. Coffelt paints, sculpts, sews, makes book arts and curates art exhibitions.-Background:...
(b. May 16, 1963) was born in Dunlap, TennesseeDunlap, TennesseeDunlap is a city in Sequatchie County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 4,173 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Sequatchie County.Dunlap is part of the Chattanooga, TN–GA Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
, raised in Griffith Creek and now lives and works in New York CityNew York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
.
.