Mountain City, Tennessee
Encyclopedia
Mountain City is a town in Johnson County, Tennessee
, United States
. The population was 2,383 at the 2000 census. It is the northeasternmost county seat
in Tennessee; Mountain City is the county seat of Johnson County.
When the first Euro-American explorers arrived in what is now the Mountain City area in the late 17th-century, well-worn Native American
trails passed through the area. In 1949, workers at the Maymead quarry (just south of Mountain City) discovered a cave with several early Mississippian-era
(ca. 1000 A.D.) burials inside. The Needham and Arthur expedition of 1673 is believed to have passed through the area, making use of the gap at Trade
to the south. Explorer Daniel Boone
made use of the same gap on an expedition to what is now Kentucky
in 1769, and today part of the Daniel Boone Heritage Trail— which follows Boone's route— passes through Mountain City.
The first permanent Euro-American settlers arrived in the Mountain City area in the late 18th-century, among them Leonard Shoun and Revolutionary War
veteran Alexander Doran. The area was initially part of Carter County
, but the difficulty of reaching Elizabethton (the county seat) led to the creation of Johnson County in 1836. That year, a county seat for the new county was platted on land purchased from William Vaught, and named Taylorsville after Colonel John P. Taylor. The name of the town was changed to "Mountain City" in 1885, presumably at the urging of Roderick R. Butler
(1827–1902), a prominent citizen and U.S. Congressman, who wanted the town's name to reflect its situation amidst one of the highest valleys in Tennessee. Butler's mansion, now listed on the National Register of Historic Places
, still stands near the center of the town.
In May 1925, Mountain City was the site of a musical gathering, the first Mountain City Fiddlers Convention, that is considered a landmark event in the modern history of Appalachian traditional music.
Tennessee
's lowest temperature on record was reported in Mountain City on December 30, 1917, at -32 °F. The Steve Earle
song "Copperhead Road
" is set in the vicinity of Mountain City.
, the town has a total area of 3.3 square miles (8.6 km²), all of it land. At just over 2400 feet (731.5 m), Mountain City is situated in one of the highest valleys in the state of Tennessee. Doe Mountain rises to the southwest, Forge Mountain rises to the east, and a series of rugged hills (part of the Iron Mountains
) dominate the landscape to the north. The Tennessee-North Carolina
border runs opposite Forge Mountain approximately 5 miles (8 km) east of Mountain City, and the Tennessee-Virginia
border passes about 10 miles (16.1 km) to the north.
U.S. Route 421
(Shady Street) connects Mountain City with Bristol, Tennessee
to the northwest and Wilkesboro, North Carolina
to the southeast. Tennessee State Route 67
(Main Street), which intersects US-421 near the center of town, connects Mountain City with Elizabethton, Tennessee
via a winding route along the shores of Watauga Lake
. Tennessee State Route 91 (Church Street is the old route, the new route takes you from Ralph Stout Park at US-421 and connects back to old route 91 at Silver Lake Market) connects Mountain City to Damascus, Virginia
(the road becomes Virginia State Route 91
at the state line).
of 2000, there were 2,383 people, 1,136 households, and 664 families residing in the town. The population density
was 720.8 people per square mile (278.0/km²). There were 1,250 housing units at an average density of 378.1 per square mile (145.8/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.86% White, 0.92% African American, 0.25% Native American, 0.25% Asian, 0.29% from other races
, and 0.42% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.80% of the population.
There were 1,136 households out of which 22.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.3% were married couples
living together, 12.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.5% were non-families. 38.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 18.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.05 and the average family size was 2.71.
In the town the population was spread out with 19.2% under the age of 18, 7.0% from 18 to 24, 26.4% from 25 to 44, 26.7% from 45 to 64, and 20.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females there were 89.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.9 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $16,587, and the median income for a family was $31,406. Males had a median income of $26,042 versus $19,145 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $17,202. About 21.6% of families and 27.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 37.4% of those under age 18 and 20.6% of those age 65 or over.
and pioneer
objects.
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 2,383 at the 2000 census. It is the northeasternmost 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....
in Tennessee; Mountain City is the county seat of Johnson County.
History
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...
trails passed through the area. In 1949, workers at the Maymead quarry (just south of Mountain City) discovered a cave with several early Mississippian-era
Mississippian culture
The Mississippian culture was a mound-building Native American culture that flourished in what is now the Midwestern, Eastern, and Southeastern United States from approximately 800 CE to 1500 CE, varying regionally....
(ca. 1000 A.D.) burials inside. The Needham and Arthur expedition of 1673 is believed to have passed through the area, making use of the gap at Trade
Trade, Tennessee
Trade is an unincorporated community in Johnson County, Tennessee, United States. It is easternmost community in the state and is located in the Blue Ridge Mountains, at the headwaters of Roan Creek. The community is located between the towns of Mountain City and Boone, North Carolina, along US-421...
to the south. Explorer Daniel Boone
Daniel Boone
Daniel Boone was an American pioneer, explorer, and frontiersman whose frontier exploits mad']'e him one of the first folk heroes of the United States. Boone is most famous for his exploration and settlement of what is now the Commonwealth of Kentucky, which was then beyond the western borders of...
made use of the same gap on an expedition to what is now Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
in 1769, and today part of the Daniel Boone Heritage Trail— which follows Boone's route— passes through Mountain City.
The first permanent Euro-American settlers arrived in the Mountain City area in the late 18th-century, among them Leonard Shoun and Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
veteran Alexander Doran. The area was initially part of Carter County
Carter County, Tennessee
Carter County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of 2010, the population was 57,424. Its county seat is Elizabethton.Carter County is part of the Johnson City Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is a component of the Johnson City–Kingsport–Bristol, TN-VA Combined...
, but the difficulty of reaching Elizabethton (the county seat) led to the creation of Johnson County in 1836. That year, a county seat for the new county was platted on land purchased from William Vaught, and named Taylorsville after Colonel John P. Taylor. The name of the town was changed to "Mountain City" in 1885, presumably at the urging of Roderick R. Butler
Roderick R. Butler
Roderick Randum Butler was an American politician who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives for the 1st congressional district of Tennessee.-Biography:...
(1827–1902), a prominent citizen and U.S. Congressman, who wanted the town's name to reflect its situation amidst one of the highest valleys in Tennessee. Butler's mansion, now listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
, still stands near the center of the town.
In May 1925, Mountain City was the site of a musical gathering, the first Mountain City Fiddlers Convention, that is considered a landmark event in the modern history of Appalachian traditional music.
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...
's lowest temperature on record was reported in Mountain City on December 30, 1917, at -32 °F. The Steve Earle
Steve Earle
Stephen Fain "Steve" Earle is an American singer-songwriter known for his rock and Texas Country as well as his political views. He is also a producer, author, a political activist, and an actor, and has written and directed a play....
song "Copperhead Road
Copperhead Road
Copperhead Road is an American country music/country rock album released in 1988 by Steve Earle. Often referred to as Earle's first "rock record", Earle himself calls it the world's first blend of heavy metal and bluegrass, while in their January 26, 1989 review of the album Rolling Stone suggested...
" is set in the vicinity of Mountain City.
Geography
Mountain City is located at 36°28′6"N 81°48′14"W (36.468444, -81.803856). 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 town has a total area of 3.3 square miles (8.6 km²), all of it land. At just over 2400 feet (731.5 m), Mountain City is situated in one of the highest valleys in the state of Tennessee. Doe Mountain rises to the southwest, Forge Mountain rises to the east, and a series of rugged hills (part of the Iron Mountains
Iron Mountains
The Iron Mountains are a minor range of the Appalachian Mountains. These mountains are located around the common meeting point of Tennessee, Virginia, and North Carolina...
) dominate the landscape to the north. The Tennessee-North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
border runs opposite Forge Mountain approximately 5 miles (8 km) east of Mountain City, and the Tennessee-Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
border passes about 10 miles (16.1 km) to the north.
U.S. Route 421
U.S. Route 421
U.S. Route 421 is a spur route of U.S. 21. It runs for from Michigan City, Indiana, at U.S. 20, to Fort Fisher in North Carolina. The highway goes through the cities of Indianapolis, Indiana, Lexington, Kentucky, Boone, North Carolina, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, Greensboro, North Carolina and...
(Shady Street) connects Mountain City with Bristol, Tennessee
Bristol, Tennessee
Bristol is a city in Sullivan County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 26,702 at the 2010 census. It is the twin city of Bristol, Virginia, which lies directly across the state line between Tennessee and Virginia. The boundaries of both cities run parallel to each other along State...
to the northwest and Wilkesboro, North Carolina
Wilkesboro, North Carolina
Wilkesboro is a town in and the county seat of Wilkes County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 3,159 at the 2000 census, and it is the second largest municipality in the county. The 2010 Census listed the town's population at 3,044. The town is located along the south bank of the...
to the southeast. Tennessee State Route 67
Tennessee State Route 67
State Route 67 is a state-maintained highway in northeastern Tennessee, including a four-lane divided highway segments in both Washington County and Carter County, and part of a significant two-lane segment passing over the Butler Bridge some above the TVA Watauga Reservoir near Butler in Johnson...
(Main Street), which intersects US-421 near the center of town, connects Mountain City with Elizabethton, Tennessee
Elizabethton, Tennessee
Elizabethton is the county seat of Carter County, Tennessee, United States. Elizabethton is also the historical site both of the first independent American government located west of both the Eastern Continental Divide and the original thirteen British American colonies.Elizabethton is also the...
via a winding route along the shores of Watauga Lake
Watauga Lake
Watauga Lake, located southeast of Elizabethton, Tennessee, was created by the Tennessee Valley Authority with the completion of the TVA Watauga Dam and Reservoir....
. Tennessee State Route 91 (Church Street is the old route, the new route takes you from Ralph Stout Park at US-421 and connects back to old route 91 at Silver Lake Market) connects Mountain City to Damascus, Virginia
Damascus, Virginia
Damascus is a town in Washington County, Virginia, United States. The population was 981 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Kingsport–Bristol –Bristol Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is a component of the Johnson City–Kingsport–Bristol, TN-VA Combined Statistical...
(the road becomes Virginia State Route 91
Virginia State Route 91
Virginia State Route 91 is a primary state highway in the U.S. state of Virginia. The state highway runs from the Tennessee state line near Damascus, where the highway continues as Tennessee State Route 91 , north to U.S. Route 19 Business and US 460 Business at Frog Level...
at the state line).
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 2,383 people, 1,136 households, and 664 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 720.8 people per square mile (278.0/km²). There were 1,250 housing units at an average density of 378.1 per square mile (145.8/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.86% White, 0.92% African American, 0.25% Native American, 0.25% Asian, 0.29% 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 0.42% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.80% of the population.
There were 1,136 households out of which 22.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.3% 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, 12.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.5% were non-families. 38.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 18.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.05 and the average family size was 2.71.
In the town the population was spread out with 19.2% under the age of 18, 7.0% from 18 to 24, 26.4% from 25 to 44, 26.7% from 45 to 64, and 20.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females there were 89.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.9 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $16,587, and the median income for a family was $31,406. Males had a median income of $26,042 versus $19,145 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 $17,202. About 21.6% of families and 27.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 37.4% of those under age 18 and 20.6% of those age 65 or over.
Arts and culture
Mountain City is the location of the Johnson County Welcome Center & Museum. The Center offers tourism information about the county and the museum showcases the history of the area and has a large collection of Native AmericanIndigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
and pioneer
Pioneer
A pioneer is a soldier employed to perform engineering tasks. The term is in principle similar to sapper.Pioneers were originally part of the Artillery branch of European armies. Their primary job was to assist other Arms in tasks such as construction of field fortifications or military camps...
objects.
Notable natives
- Dave LogginsDave LogginsDavid Allen "Dave" Loggins is a singer, songwriter and musician. He is widely remembered for his 1974 composition "Please Come to Boston", which was a top-10 hit in the U.S. for him, and was subsequently covered by numerous other artists. He was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame...
(b. 1947), musician and songwriter best known for the song "Please Come to BostonPlease Come to Boston"Please Come to Boston" is the title of a song written and recorded by American singer-songwriter Dave Loggins. It was released in May 1974 as the first single from Loggins' album Apprentice and was produced by Jerry Crutchfield. The song spent two weeks at number five on the Billboard Hot 100...
" - Clyde ShounClyde ShounClyde Mitchell Shoun was an American professional baseball player. A left-handed pitcher, he was born in Mountain City, Tennessee, and known as "Hardrock", due to his fastball....
(1912–1968), Major League BaseballMajor League BaseballMajor League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
pitcher
External links
- Johnson County, Tennessee — official county website