West Tennessee
Encyclopedia
West Tennessee is one of the three Grand Divisions
of the State of Tennessee
. Of the three, it is the one that is most sharply defined geographically. Its boundaries are the Mississippi River
on the west and the Tennessee River
on the east. This region's boundaries have been expanded slightly to include all of Hardin County
, which is bisected by the Tennessee River.
Unlike the geographic divisions of most American states, the term West Tennessee has a legal as well as a socio-economic meaning. West Tennessee, East Tennessee
, and Middle Tennessee
are Tennessee's three Grand Divisions
. According to the State Constitution
, no more than two of Tennessee Supreme Court
's five Justices can be residents of any one Grand Division, and the Supreme Court rotates meeting in courthouses in each of the three divisions. The State Supreme Court building for West Tennessee is in Jackson, Tennessee
. Similar rules apply to certain other State Commissions and Boards, as well, to prevent them from showing any geographical biases.
West Tennessee also corresponds to telephone company Area Codes. Until the year 2001, West Tennessee, including all of Hardin County, was in the Area Code 901
. After a large amount of population growth necessatated two Area Codes for West Tennessee, Memphis
and its northern and eastern suburbs retained the 901 Area Code, with the remainder of West Tennessee being placed into Area Code 731.
West Tennessee is by slight amounts less populous and smaller in land area than the other two Grand Divisions. At the time of the 2000 U.S. Census West Tennessee had 1,499,802 inhabitants living in its 21 counties, and these have a combined land area of approx. 27,582 km² (10,650 square mi). West Tennessee's population was about 26.4 percent of the state's total, and its land area is about 25.8 percent of the state's land area. West Tennessee's population density
was about 140 persons per square mile (54.4 persons per square kilometer) at the time of the 2000 United States Census.
s by the Chickasaw
Indians in 1818, an acquisition known as the Jackson Purchase
, named for Andrew Jackson
, one of the officials involved. The purchase also included the westmost area of Kentucky
as well as a part of northern Mississippi
. Although the vast majority of the purchases lie in Tennessee, the term "Jackson Purchase
" is used today mostly to refer solely to the Kentuckian portion of the acquisition. This term is also somewhat misleading. Jackson, a military officer at the time, was one of several Federal treaty commissioners. He did not personally negotiate the whole land cession, nor was it done in a single treaty.
. Outside the greater Memphis area, the West Tennessee region is mostly agricultural and residential. The western portion of the West Tennessee region lies geologically within the Mississippi embayment
.
Among the region's smaller cities and towns (not including the Memphis suburban area), the more prominent ones are Jackson
and Dyersburg
, the only ones having populations over 15,000 people. (Only Jackson has a Federally recognized Standard Metropolitan Statistical Area.)
The principal public universities in West Tennessee are the University of Memphis
and the University of Tennessee Health Science Center
in Memphis, which has state medical, dental, nursing, and pharmacy schools, as well as a graduate program in health sciences. Also, there is the University of Tennessee at Martin
and Jackson State Community College
.
Private institutions of higher education located in the region include Christian Brothers University
and Rhodes College
in Memphis. Jackson is the home of Union University
, and Lane College
. A few other private institutions of higher education lie in other areas of West Tennessee, such as Bethel University and Freed-Hardeman University
.
s. This area is at the edge of the New Madrid Seismic Zone
. In 1811 and 1812, three of the largest quakes in American history
hit this region back when it had few European settlers. By some reports, the earthquakes briefly reversed the flow of the Mississippi River. A lasting legacy of the earthquakes is the Reelfoot Lake
, a large but shallow body of water in northwestern Tennessee that was created by the earthquakes.
Grand Divisions (Tennessee)
The Grand Divisions are geographic, cultural, and legally recognized regions, each constituting roughly one-third of the State of Tennessee. The Grand Divisions are represented prominently by the three stars on the flag of Tennessee...
of the State 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...
. Of the three, it is the one that is most sharply defined geographically. Its boundaries are 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...
on the west and 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 the east. This region's boundaries have been expanded slightly to include all of Hardin County
Hardin County, Tennessee
Hardin County is a county located in the U.S. State of Tennessee. As of 2010, the population was 26,026. The Hardin County seat is Savannah. The county was named posthumously for Col. Joseph Hardin, a Revolutionary War soldier and a legislative representative for the Province of North Carolina and...
, which is bisected by the Tennessee River.
Unlike the geographic divisions of most American states, the term West Tennessee has a legal as well as a socio-economic meaning. West Tennessee, East Tennessee
East Tennessee
East Tennessee is a name given to approximately the eastern third of the U.S. state of Tennessee, one of the three Grand Divisions of Tennessee defined in state law. East Tennessee consists of 33 counties, 30 located within the Eastern Time Zone and three counties in the Central Time Zone, namely...
, and Middle Tennessee
Middle Tennessee
Middle Tennessee is a distinct portion of the state of Tennessee, delineated according to state law as the 41 counties in the Middle Grand Division of Tennessee....
are Tennessee's three Grand Divisions
Grand Divisions (Tennessee)
The Grand Divisions are geographic, cultural, and legally recognized regions, each constituting roughly one-third of the State of Tennessee. The Grand Divisions are represented prominently by the three stars on the flag of Tennessee...
. According to the State Constitution
Constitution
A constitution is a set of fundamental principles or established precedents according to which a state or other organization is governed. These rules together make up, i.e. constitute, what the entity is...
, no more than two of Tennessee Supreme Court
Tennessee Supreme Court
The Tennessee Supreme Court is the state supreme court of the state of Tennessee. Cornelia Clark is the current Chief Justice.Unlike other states, in which the state attorney general is directly elected or appointed by the governor or state legislature, the Tennessee Supreme Court appoints the...
's five Justices can be residents of any one Grand Division, and the Supreme Court rotates meeting in courthouses in each of the three divisions. The State Supreme Court building for West Tennessee is in Jackson, Tennessee
Jackson, Tennessee
Jackson is a city in Madison County, Tennessee, United States. The total population was 65,211 at the 2010 census. Jackson is the primary city of the Jackson, Tennessee metropolitan area, which is included in the Jackson-Humboldt, Tennessee Combined Statistical Area...
. Similar rules apply to certain other State Commissions and Boards, as well, to prevent them from showing any geographical biases.
West Tennessee also corresponds to telephone company Area Codes. Until the year 2001, West Tennessee, including all of Hardin County, was in the Area Code 901
Area code 901
Area code 901 is an area code in the U.S. state of Tennessee. Originally it was the area code for the entire state, but now it is limited to the southwest corner of the state, including the city of Memphis.-Original assignment:...
. After a large amount of population growth necessatated two Area Codes for West Tennessee, Memphis
Memphis, 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....
and its northern and eastern suburbs retained the 901 Area Code, with the remainder of West Tennessee being placed into Area Code 731.
West Tennessee is by slight amounts less populous and smaller in land area than the other two Grand Divisions. At the time of the 2000 U.S. Census West Tennessee had 1,499,802 inhabitants living in its 21 counties, and these have a combined land area of approx. 27,582 km² (10,650 square mi). West Tennessee's population was about 26.4 percent of the state's total, and its land area is about 25.8 percent of the state's land area. West Tennessee's 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 about 140 persons per square mile (54.4 persons per square kilometer) at the time of the 2000 United States Census.
History
While the region of Tennessee west of the Tennessee River was technically part of Tennessee at its statehood in 1796, it did not come under definitive American control until it was obtained in a series of cessionCession
The act of Cession, or to cede, is the assignment of property to another entity. In international law it commonly refers to land transferred by treaty...
s by the Chickasaw
Chickasaw
The Chickasaw are Native American people originally from the region that would become the Southeastern United States...
Indians in 1818, an acquisition known as the Jackson Purchase
Jackson Purchase (U.S. historical region)
The Jackson Purchase is a region of western Tennessee and southwestern Kentucky, bounded by the Tennessee River on the east, the Ohio River on the north, and the Mississippi River on the west, that was ceded to the United States by the Chickasaw Peoples in 1818...
, named for Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson was the seventh President of the United States . Based in frontier Tennessee, Jackson was a politician and army general who defeated the Creek Indians at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend , and the British at the Battle of New Orleans...
, one of the officials involved. The purchase also included the westmost area of 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...
as well as a part of northern Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
. Although the vast majority of the purchases lie in Tennessee, the term "Jackson Purchase
Jackson Purchase
The Jackson Purchase is a region in the state of Kentucky bounded by the Mississippi River to the west, the Ohio River to the north, and Tennessee River to the east. Although technically part of Kentucky at its statehood in 1792, the land did not come under definitive U.S. control until 1818, when...
" is used today mostly to refer solely to the Kentuckian portion of the acquisition. This term is also somewhat misleading. Jackson, a military officer at the time, was one of several Federal treaty commissioners. He did not personally negotiate the whole land cession, nor was it done in a single treaty.
Cities and landmarks
By far the largest city in West Tennessee, and tied for the most populous in the state (in practical terms), is the City of Memphis, TennesseeMemphis, 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....
. Outside the greater Memphis area, the West Tennessee region is mostly agricultural and residential. The western portion of the West Tennessee region lies geologically within the Mississippi embayment
Mississippi embayment
The Mississippi Embayment is a physiographic feature in the south-central United States, part of the Mississippi Alluvial Plain. It is essentially a northward continuation of the fluvial sediments of the Mississippi River Delta to its confluence with the Ohio River at Cairo, Illinois. The embayment...
.
Among the region's smaller cities and towns (not including the Memphis suburban area), the more prominent ones are Jackson
Jackson, Tennessee
Jackson is a city in Madison County, Tennessee, United States. The total population was 65,211 at the 2010 census. Jackson is the primary city of the Jackson, Tennessee metropolitan area, which is included in the Jackson-Humboldt, Tennessee Combined Statistical Area...
and Dyersburg
Dyersburg, Tennessee
Dyersburg is a city in and the county seat of Dyer County, Tennessee, United States, north-northeast of Memphis on the Forked Deer River. The population was 17,145 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Dyersburg is located at...
, the only ones having populations over 15,000 people. (Only Jackson has a Federally recognized Standard Metropolitan Statistical Area.)
The principal public universities in West Tennessee are the University of Memphis
University of Memphis
The University of Memphis is an American public research university located in the Normal Station neighborhood of Memphis, Tennessee and is the flagship public research university of the Tennessee Board of Regents system....
and the University of Tennessee Health Science Center
University of Tennessee Health Science Center
The University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis includes the Colleges of Allied Health Sciences, Dentistry, Graduate Health Sciences, Medicine, Nursing and Pharmacy. Its pediatric residency program is affiliated with Le Bonheur Children's Medical Center and residents in pediatrics,...
in Memphis, which has state medical, dental, nursing, and pharmacy schools, as well as a graduate program in health sciences. Also, there is the University of Tennessee at Martin
University of Tennessee at Martin
The University of Tennessee at Martin is a campus in the University of Tennessee system. Other campuses include the flagship campus in Knoxville, the Chattanooga campus, the Center for the Health Sciences in Memphis, and the Space Institute in Tullahoma...
and Jackson State Community College
Jackson State Community College
Jackson State Community College is a publicly-supported community college located in Jackson, Tennessee and operated under the auspices of the Tennessee Board of Regents. The college offers a range of two-year associate degrees in arts, science and applied-science programs...
.
Private institutions of higher education located in the region include Christian Brothers University
Christian Brothers University
Christian Brothers University is the oldest collegiate degree-granting institution in the city of Memphis. The university is run by the Christian Brothers, a Roman Catholic religious order founded by St. John Baptist de la Salle, the patron saint of teachers...
and Rhodes College
Rhodes College
Rhodes College is a private, predominantly undergraduate, liberal arts college located in Memphis, Tennessee, USA. Originally founded by freemasons in 1848, Rhodes became affiliated with the Presbyterian Church in 1855. Rhodes enrolls approximately 1,700 students pursuing bachelor's and master's...
in Memphis. Jackson is the home of Union University
Union University
Union University is a private, evangelical Christian, liberal arts university located in Jackson, Tennessee, with additional campuses in Germantown, Tennessee, and Hendersonville, Tennessee...
, and Lane College
Lane College
-Namesake:SS Lane Victory, a World War II Victory Ship, and one of the few such ships surviving, was named for Lane College. It is now docked in San Pedro, California . It is now open as a museum.-External links:*...
. A few other private institutions of higher education lie in other areas of West Tennessee, such as Bethel University and Freed-Hardeman University
Freed-Hardeman University
Freed-Hardeman University is a primarily undergraduate university in Henderson, Tennessee. The university is located within a short distance of the town's central area. The university traces its heritage to the members of the Churches of Christ who helped build it...
.
Demographics
West Tennessee is distinct from Middle and East Tennessee in that African-Americans make up a large percent of its population.Geology
The entire West Tennessee region, especially the area closest to the Mississippi River, lies in a zone of fairly high estimated risk for earthquakeEarthquake
An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust that creates seismic waves. The seismicity, seismism or seismic activity of an area refers to the frequency, type and size of earthquakes experienced over a period of time...
s. This area is at the edge of the New Madrid Seismic Zone
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...
. In 1811 and 1812, three of the largest quakes in American history
New Madrid earthquake
The 1811-1812 New Madrid earthquakes were an intense intraplate earthquake series beginning with an initial pair of very large earthquakes on December 16, 1811. These earthquakes remain the most powerful earthquakes ever to hit the eastern United States in recorded history...
hit this region back when it had few European settlers. By some reports, the earthquakes briefly reversed the flow of the Mississippi River. A lasting legacy of the earthquakes is the 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...
, a large but shallow body of water in northwestern Tennessee that was created by the earthquakes.