Saulsbury, Tennessee
Encyclopedia
Saulsbury is a town in Hardeman County, Tennessee
, United States
. The population was 99 at the 2000 census. It is located along State Highway 57 in southwest Hardeman County
.
to Ripley, Mississippi
, and another from LaGrange, Tennessee to Corinth, Tennessee. These mail roads met at an intersection which would form into a trading center. In 1839 a post office was established there, and Berlin would be incorporated in 1846, and within five years would it would be the home to 351 people. Upon the completion of the Memphis and Charleston Railroad
, Berlin was by-passed due to one landowner's refusal to sell their property to the railroad. A track was instead laid one mile north of Berlin, on land that was owned by Burrell Sauls and Berry Futrell. The finished railroad station and track would be called Sauls-Berry Depot. Eventually Berlin would be deserted as people moved to the new settlement and in 1856 Saulsbury was incorporated.
in 1862, the Union Army
took Saulsbury. Skirmishes continued throughout the area, and eventually Saulsbury would return to Confederate
control. Confederate soldiers would use Saulsbury as a rally point to travel to Corinth to join their regiments. After the Civil War, Saulsbury maintained itself as a town, unlike others in the area which barely survived the war. Saulsbury's cotton
production survived the war as well, and Saulsbury would become a leader in cotton production in the region. The town would also become a producer of eggs, turkeys, poultry and hogs; which was often sent to Memphis for sale. Sand mining
became a major industry in the 1870's, providing 47 different types of sand for brass
molding
.
As a result, the town of Saulsbury installed a tornado siren at the local fire station.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the town has a total area of 0.4 square miles (1 km²), all of it land.
of 2000, there were 99 people, 43 households, and 26 families residing in the town. The population density
was 271.7 people per square mile (106.2/km²). There were 53 housing units at an average density of 145.4 per square mile (56.8/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 85.86% White, 12.12% African American, and 2.02% from two or more races.
There were 43 households out of which 25.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.8% were married couples
living together, 9.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.5% were non-families. 30.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 20.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.30 and the average family size was 2.92.
In the town the population was spread out with 24.2% under the age of 18, 10.1% from 18 to 24, 15.2% from 25 to 44, 29.3% from 45 to 64, and 21.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 46 years. For every 100 females there were 110.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.4 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $30,000, and the median income for a family was $41,250. Males had a median income of $26,250 versus $28,125 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $10,335. There were 22.2% of families and 29.7% of the population living below the poverty line, including 48.8% of under eighteens and none of those over 64. Most of those living poverty line receive federal aid.
homes and buildings are preserved in Saulsbury. The town has three active community clubs: the Saulsbury Community Club, the Nifty Needles Women's Club, and the Friendship Club.
in June, and an annual stew
sale in October; all which benefit community projects.
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 99 at the 2000 census. It is located along State Highway 57 in southwest Hardeman County
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...
.
History
Saulsbury's historical roots stem from a former settlement named Berlin, which was located one mile south of the current location of Saulsbury. Two regional mail roads - one from Bolivar, TennesseeBolivar, Tennessee
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 American revolutionary leader Simón Bolívar, but is pronounced to rhyme with the name Oliver. Bolivar...
to Ripley, Mississippi
Ripley, Mississippi
Ripley is a city in Tippah County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 5,478 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Tippah County....
, and another from LaGrange, Tennessee to Corinth, Tennessee. These mail roads met at an intersection which would form into a trading center. In 1839 a post office was established there, and Berlin would be incorporated in 1846, and within five years would it would be the home to 351 people. Upon the completion of the Memphis and Charleston Railroad
Memphis and Charleston Railroad
The Memphis and Charleston Railroad, completed in 1857, was the first railroad in the United States to link the Atlantic Ocean with the Mississippi River. Chartered in 1846 the railroad ran from Memphis, Tennessee to Stevenson, Alabama through the towns of Corinth, Mississippi and Huntsville,...
, Berlin was by-passed due to one landowner's refusal to sell their property to the railroad. A track was instead laid one mile north of Berlin, on land that was owned by Burrell Sauls and Berry Futrell. The finished railroad station and track would be called Sauls-Berry Depot. Eventually Berlin would be deserted as people moved to the new settlement and in 1856 Saulsbury was incorporated.
Civil War
Just after the taking of MemphisMemphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
in 1862, the Union Army
Union Army
The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
took Saulsbury. Skirmishes continued throughout the area, and eventually Saulsbury would return to Confederate
Confederate States Army
The Confederate States Army was the army of the Confederate States of America while the Confederacy existed during the American Civil War. On February 8, 1861, delegates from the seven Deep South states which had already declared their secession from the United States of America adopted the...
control. Confederate soldiers would use Saulsbury as a rally point to travel to Corinth to join their regiments. After the Civil War, Saulsbury maintained itself as a town, unlike others in the area which barely survived the war. Saulsbury's cotton
Cotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective capsule, around the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. The botanical purpose of cotton fiber is to aid in seed dispersal....
production survived the war as well, and Saulsbury would become a leader in cotton production in the region. The town would also become a producer of eggs, turkeys, poultry and hogs; which was often sent to Memphis for sale. Sand mining
Sand mining
Sand mining is a practice that is becoming an environmental issue as the demand for sand increases in industry and construction. Sand is mined from beaches and inland dunes and dredged from ocean beds and river beds. It is often used in manufacturing as an abrasive, for example, and it is used to...
became a major industry in the 1870's, providing 47 different types of sand for brass
Brass
Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc; the proportions of zinc and copper can be varied to create a range of brasses with varying properties.In comparison, bronze is principally an alloy of copper and tin...
molding
Molding (process)
Molding or moulding is the process of manufacturing by shaping pliable raw material using a rigid frame or model called a pattern....
.
1999 Tornado
On January 17, 1999, an F1 tornado formed just southwest of Saulsbury, and moved northeast until dissipating near Rogers Springs. One person was killed, four others were injured. Fourteen houses and mobile homes were destroyed, and twenty-seven others were damaged. Power lines and trees also sustained significant damage.As a result, the town of Saulsbury installed a tornado siren at the local fire station.
Geography
Saulsbury is located at 35°2′57"N 89°5′20"W (35.049276, -89.088858).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 0.4 square miles (1 km²), all of it land.
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 99 people, 43 households, and 26 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 271.7 people per square mile (106.2/km²). There were 53 housing units at an average density of 145.4 per square mile (56.8/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 85.86% White, 12.12% African American, and 2.02% from two or more races.
There were 43 households out of which 25.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.8% 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, 9.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.5% were non-families. 30.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 20.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.30 and the average family size was 2.92.
In the town the population was spread out with 24.2% under the age of 18, 10.1% from 18 to 24, 15.2% from 25 to 44, 29.3% from 45 to 64, and 21.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 46 years. For every 100 females there were 110.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.4 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $30,000, and the median income for a family was $41,250. Males had a median income of $26,250 versus $28,125 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 $10,335. There were 22.2% of families and 29.7% of the population living below the poverty line, including 48.8% of under eighteens and none of those over 64. Most of those living poverty line receive federal aid.
Climate
Saulsbury has a humid subtropical climate, with four distinct seasons. The summer months (late May to late September) are persistently hot and humid due to moisture encroaching from the Gulf of Mexico, with afternoon temperatures frequently above 90 degrees Fahrenheit. Afternoon thunderstorms are frequent during some summers, but usually brief, lasting no longer than an hour. Early Autumn is pleasantly drier and mild, but can remain hot until late October. Abrupt but short-lived cold snaps are common. Late Autumn is rainy and colder, December being the third rainiest month of the year. Fall foliage becomes especially vibrant after the first frost, typically early November, and lasts until early December. Winters are mild, but cold snaps can occur. Mild spells sometimes occur January and February. Snowfall is not abundant but does occur during most winters, with usually one or two major winter weather events occurring by the end of March. Spring often begins in late February or early March, following the onset of a sharp warmup. This season is also known as "severe weather season" due to the higher frequency of tornadoes, hail, and thunderstorms producing winds greater than 58 mph (93 km/h). Average rainfall is slightly higher during the spring months (except November) than the rest of the year, but not to any noticeable extent. Historically, April is the month with the highest frequency of tornadoes, though tornadoes have occurred every month of the year. Saulsbury-area historical tornado activity is above Tennessee state average. It is 155% greater than the overall U.S. average. The area is sunny about 62.5% of the time.Arts and culture
In the 1970s the Saulsbury Methodist Church, which was built in 1913, was deeded to town for the community library. Upon the completion of fundraising, the town was able to renovate the building; they installed heating and air conditioning and made it handicap accessible. A number of antebellumAntebellum architecture
Antebellum architecture is a term used to describe the characteristic neoclassical architectural style of the Southern United States, especially the Old South, from after the birth of the United States in the American Revolution, to the start of the American Civil War...
homes and buildings are preserved in Saulsbury. The town has three active community clubs: the Saulsbury Community Club, the Nifty Needles Women's Club, and the Friendship Club.
Annual cultural events
Saulsbury hosts three major events each year: a Christmas tree-lighting, the Community Celebration, and a home decorating contest, all in December. The community also hosts year round bake-off, a fish fryFish fry
A fish fry is a meal containing battered or breaded fried fish. It typically also includes french fries, coleslaw, hushpuppies, lemon slices, tartar sauce, malt vinegar and dessert. Some Indian versions are cooked by coating fish with semolina and egg yolk...
in June, and an annual stew
Stew
A stew is a combination of solid food ingredients that have been cooked in liquid and served in the resultant gravy. Ingredients in a stew can include any combination of vegetables , meat, especially tougher meats suitable for slow-cooking, such as beef. Poultry, sausages, and seafood are also used...
sale in October; all which benefit community projects.