Tiptonville, Tennessee
Encyclopedia
Tiptonville is a town in and the county seat
of Lake County, Tennessee
, United States
. Its population was 2,439 as of the 2000 census
. It is also home to the Northwest Correctional Complex, a maximum security prison, known for once housing mass murderer Jessie Dotson, Jr.
Tiptonville was the scene of the surrender of Confederate
forces at the end of the
1862 Battle of Island Number Ten
in the American Civil War
. The monument for this battle is located on State Route 22 approximately three miles north of Tiptonville - since the island itself, main scene of the battle, has been eroded by the flow of the Mississippi River and no longer exists.
Tiptonville is located at 36°22′39"N 89°28′34"W (36.377610, -89.476022), on a small rise known as the Tiptonville Dome and within the New Madrid Seismic Zone
. The Mississippi River
is to the west and north, the Kentucky Bend
is to the north, and Reelfoot Lake
is to the east.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the town has a total area of 1.4 square miles (3.6 km²), all of it land.
of 2000, there were 2,439 people, 918 households, and 570 families residing in the town. The population density
was 1,704.0 people per square mile (658.5/km²). There were 992 housing units at an average density of 693.1 per square mile (267.8/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 62.57% White, 36.16% African American, 0.33% Native American, 0.08% Asian, 0.12% from other races
, and 0.74% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.82% of the population.
There were 918 households out of which 26.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.5% were married couples
living together, 19.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.9% were non-families. 35.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 19.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.23 and the average family size was 2.87.
In the town the population was spread out with 20.7% under the age of 18, 9.4% from 18 to 24, 28.3% from 25 to 44, 23.2% from 45 to 64, and 18.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 102.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 103.9 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $19,475, and the median income for a family was $24,929. Males had a median income of $25,089 versus $18,333 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $11,843. About 21.1% of families and 26.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 43.0% of those under age 18 and 28.7% of those age 65 or over.
is located in Tiptonville.
, former Commandant of the Marine Corps
Clifton B. Cates
, and general manager of the New York Giants
Jerry Reese
.
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....
of Lake County, 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...
. Its population was 2,439 as of the 2000 census
United States Census, 2000
The Twenty-second United States Census, known as Census 2000 and conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2% over the 248,709,873 persons enumerated during the 1990 Census...
. It is also home to the Northwest Correctional Complex, a maximum security prison, known for once housing mass murderer Jessie Dotson, Jr.
History
According to the Tennessee Historical Society, Tiptonville was established in 1857 but was not incorporated until 1900.Tiptonville was the scene of the surrender of 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...
forces at the end of the
1862 Battle of Island Number Ten
Battle of Island Number Ten
The Battle of Island Number Ten was an engagement at the New Madrid or Kentucky Bend on the Mississippi River during the American Civil War, lasting from February 28 to April 8, 1862. The position, an island at the base of a tight double turn in the course of the river, was held by the Confederates...
in 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...
. The monument for this battle is located on State Route 22 approximately three miles north of Tiptonville - since the island itself, main scene of the battle, has been eroded by the flow of the Mississippi River and no longer exists.
Geography
New Madrid Seismic Zone
The New Madrid Seismic Zone , sometimes called the New Madrid Fault Line, is a major seismic zone and a prolific source of intraplate earthquakes in the southern and midwestern United States, stretching to the southwest from New Madrid, Missouri.The New Madrid fault system was responsible for the...
. The Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
is to the west and north, the Kentucky Bend
Kentucky Bend
The Kentucky Bend, variously called the New Madrid Bend, Madrid Bend, Bessie Bend, or Bubbleland, is an exclave of Fulton County, Kentucky, in the United States....
is to the north, and Reelfoot Lake
Reelfoot Lake
Reelfoot Lake is a shallow natural lake located in the northwest portion of Tennessee, United States of America. Much of it is really more of a swamp, with bayou-like ditches connecting more open bodies of water called basins, the largest of which is called Blue Basin. Reelfoot Lake is noted for...
is to the east.
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 1.4 square miles (3.6 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 2,439 people, 918 households, and 570 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 1,704.0 people per square mile (658.5/km²). There were 992 housing units at an average density of 693.1 per square mile (267.8/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 62.57% White, 36.16% African American, 0.33% Native American, 0.08% Asian, 0.12% 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 0.74% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.82% of the population.
There were 918 households out of which 26.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.5% 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, 19.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.9% were non-families. 35.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 19.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.23 and the average family size was 2.87.
In the town the population was spread out with 20.7% under the age of 18, 9.4% from 18 to 24, 28.3% from 25 to 44, 23.2% from 45 to 64, and 18.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 102.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 103.9 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $19,475, and the median income for a family was $24,929. Males had a median income of $25,089 versus $18,333 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 $11,843. About 21.1% of families and 26.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 43.0% of those under age 18 and 28.7% of those age 65 or over.
Education
Lake County High SchoolLake County High School (Tiptonville, Tennessee)
Lake County High School is a secondary school in Tiptonville, Tennessee. Established in 1963, the school serves students in grades 9-12.-History:...
is located in Tiptonville.
Notable people
Tiptonville is the birthplace of musician Carl PerkinsCarl Perkins
Carl Lee Perkins was an American rockabilly musician who recorded most notably at Sun Records Studio in Memphis, Tennessee, beginning during 1954...
, former Commandant of the Marine Corps
Commandant of the Marine Corps
The Commandant of the Marine Corps is normally the highest ranking officer in the United States Marine Corps and is a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff...
Clifton B. Cates
Clifton B. Cates
General Clifton Bledsoe Cates , USMC, was the 19th Commandant of the United States Marine Corps...
, and general manager of the New York Giants
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
Jerry Reese
Jerry Reese
Jerry Reese is the current General Manager of the New York Giants. He succeeded Ernie Accorsi as general manager on January 16, 2007, having been with the Giants since 1994...
.