Marion County, Tennessee




Coordinates: 35°08′N 85°37′W / 35.13°N 85.61°W / 35.13; -85.61

































































Marion County, Tennessee

Marion Courthouse.jpg
Marion County Courthouse in Jasper


Map of Tennessee highlighting Marion County
Location within the U.S. state of Tennessee

Map of the United States highlighting Tennessee
Tennessee's location within the U.S.
Founded 1817
Named for
Francis Marion[1]
Seat Jasper
Largest town Jasper
Area
 • Total 512 sq mi (1,326 km2)
 • Land 498 sq mi (1,290 km2)
 • Water 14 sq mi (36 km2), 2.8%
Population
 • (2010) 28,237
 • Density 57/sq mi (22/km2)
Congressional district 4th
Time zone
Central: UTC−6/−5
Website www.marioncountytn.net

Marion County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2010 census, the population was 28,237.[2] Its county seat is Jasper.[3]


Marion County is part of the Chattanooga, TN–GA Metropolitan Statistical Area. Marion County is in the Central time zone, while Chattanooga proper is in the Eastern time zone.




Contents






  • 1 History


  • 2 Geography


    • 2.1 Adjacent counties


    • 2.2 State protected areas




  • 3 Demographics


  • 4 Education


  • 5 Media


    • 5.1 Newspapers


    • 5.2 Radio


    • 5.3 Television




  • 6 Transportation


    • 6.1 Airport


    • 6.2 Roads




  • 7 Parks and natural features


  • 8 Communities


    • 8.1 Cities


    • 8.2 Towns


    • 8.3 Unincorporated communities




  • 9 Politics


  • 10 Notable people


  • 11 See also


  • 12 References


  • 13 External links





History


Marion County was established in 1817 from lands acquired from the Cherokee.[4]


In 1779 Cherokee chief Dragging Canoe moved down the Tennessee River from Chickamauga Creek to Running Water creek, and he helped establish the town of Nickajack at the entrance of Nickajack Cave. In 1794, the town was attacked and burned by militiamen commanded by Colonel James Orr of Nashville, Tennessee. The town was rebuilt and the Chickamauga Indians continued to live here until 1838, when all of the remaining Indians were removed from Tennessee, Alabama, and Georgia by the Trail of Tears.[5]




Lock at Hales Bar Dam, 1916


During the spring of 1861, early in the American Civil War, Robert Cravens of Chattanooga began mining saltpeter, the main ingredient of gunpowder, at Nickajack Cave. The operation was soon 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. However, its operation was halted in late 1862. Nickajack Cave was visited by thousands of soldiers of both side troops, who travelled up and down the Tennessee River on steamboats.[5]


Another important mine during the Civil War was Monteagle Saltpeter Cave, located in Cave Cove, about 4 miles (6.4 km) southeast of Monteagle. During the war, it was officially referred to as Battle Creek Cave. A 1917 visitor reported that about 25 or 30 old hoppers still remained in the cave.[6]


By the late 19th and early 20th centuries, coal and iron mining industries had come to dominate Marion County's economy. Mines operated in Whitwell and Inman, while iron smelters were at South Pittsburg.[4]


Hales Bar Dam, built on the Tennessee River in Marion County between 1905 and 1913, was one of the first major dams constructed in the United States across a navigable stream. in the 1960s, the Tennessee Valley Authority replaced Hales Bar with Nickajack Dam, further downstream in the 1960s, though the Hales Bar powerhouse still stands as a boathouse.[4]



Geography




Foster Falls, at one end of the Fiery Gizzard Trail





Nickajack Lake


According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 512 square miles (1,330 km2), of which 498 square miles (1,290 km2) is land and 14 square miles (36 km2) (2.8%) is water.[7] Marion is one of three Tennessee counties, along with Bledsoe and Sequatchie, located in the Sequatchie Valley, a long, narrow valley slicing through the southeastern Cumberland Plateau. The Sequatchie River, which drains the valley, empties into the Tennessee River just south of Jasper.


Nickajack Dam is located along the Tennessee River near Jasper, creating Nickajack Lake. The section of the river immediately downstream from the dam is part of Guntersville Lake. The Raccoon Mountain Pumped-Storage Plant is located in the extreme southeastern part of the county.



Adjacent counties




  • Grundy County (north)


  • Sequatchie County (northeast)


  • Hamilton County (east/EST Border)


  • Dade County, Georgia (southeast/EST Border)


  • Jackson County, Alabama (southwest)


  • Franklin County (west)



State protected areas



  • Chimneys State Natural Area

  • Cummings Cove Wildlife Management Area

  • Franklin State Forest (part)

  • Hicks Gap State Natural Area

  • Prentice Cooper State Forest

  • Sequatchie Cave State Natural Area


  • South Cumberland State Park (part)



Demographics









































































































































Historical population
Census Pop.
%±
1820 3,888 —
1830 5,508 41.7%
1840 6,070 10.2%
1850 6,314 4.0%
1860 6,190 −2.0%
1870 6,841 10.5%
1880 10,910 59.5%
1890 15,411 41.3%
1900 17,281 12.1%
1910 18,820 8.9%
1920 17,402 −7.5%
1930 17,549 0.8%
1940 19,140 9.1%
1950 20,520 7.2%
1960 21,036 2.5%
1970 20,577 −2.2%
1980 24,416 18.7%
1990 24,860 1.8%
2000 27,776 11.7%
2010 28,237 1.7%
Est. 2016 28,446 [8] 0.7%
U.S. Decennial Census[9]
1790-1960[10] 1900-1990[11]
1990-2000[12] 2010-2014[2]



Age pyramid Marion County[13]


As of the census[14] of 2010, there were 28,237 people, 11,403 households, and 8,030 families residing in the county. The population density was 57 people per square mile (22/km²). There were 12,954 housing units at an average density of 26 per square mile (10/km²).


The racial makeup of the county was 93.9% White(non-Hispanic), 3.6% Black or African American, 0.4% Native American, 0.21% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.27% from other races, and 1.2% from two or more races. 1.3% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.


In the county, the population was spread out with 22.80% under the age of 18 and 8.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43.9 years. The female population was 50.9%.


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.



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 Middle School

  • Whitwell High School

  • Richard Hardy Memorial School



Media


Marion County is served by numerous local, regional and national media outlets which reach approximately one million people in four states including: Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia and North Carolina.



Newspapers


  • The Marion County News: Jasper Journal and South Pittsburg Hustler Combined has incorporated the Jasper Journal and the South Pittsburg Hustler into a single weekly publication. The periodical focuses its energy on highlighting events, sports and people in Marion County, TN.


Radio


Marion County is part of the Chattanooga Arbitron radio market. The following radio stations are licensed to cities within Marion County:


AM


  • WEPG 910 AM – News Talk & Variety Hits (Licensed to South Pittsburg)



FM



  • WUUQ 97.3 – Classic Country Q-97.3/99.3 (Licensed to South Pittsburg)


  • WJCR-LP-94.9 - Jasper Christ-Centered Radio (Licensed to Jasper)



Television


Marion County is part of the Chattanooga DMA. Cable TV companies in Marion County include Charter Communications and Trinity Cable



Transportation



Airport


Marion County Airport, 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.[15]



Roads




  • I-24


  • US 41


  • US 64


  • US 72


  • SR 2


  • SR 27


  • SR 28


  • SR 56


  • SR 108


  • SR 134


  • SR 156


  • SR 283


  • SR 377


  • SR 422

  • Orme Mountain Road



Parks and natural features


Nickajack Cave 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.[16] 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.[17] The cave was used by tourists and as a show cave, but in 1968 the cave was flooded when Tennessee Valley Authority constructed Nickajack Dam 6 miles (9.7 km) downstream to replace the aging Hales Bar Dam.



Communities





Jasper




Farm near Powells Crossroads



Cities



  • New Hope

  • South Pittsburg

  • Whitwell



Towns



  • Jasper

  • Kimball


  • Monteagle (also in Franklin and Grundy Counties)

  • Orme

  • Powells Crossroads



Unincorporated communities



  • Griffith Creek

  • Haletown

  • Mineral Springs

  • Sequatchie


  • Whiteside (formerly Running Water)



Politics















































































































































































Presidential Elections Results[18]
Year
Republican
Democratic
Third Parties

2016
70.9% 7,696
 26.1% 2,832
 3.1% 334

2012
60.3% 6,272
 38.0% 3,953
 1.8% 184

2008
59.0% 6,746
 39.4% 4,506
 1.6% 185

2004
51.0% 5,862
 48.3% 5,548
 0.7% 82

2000
 45.4% 4,651
53.1% 5,441
 1.5% 158

1996
 34.5% 3,166
56.5% 5,194
 9.1% 831

1992
 32.4% 3,262
55.5% 5,589
 12.1% 1,217

1988
51.1% 4,407
 48.5% 4,175
 0.4% 36

1984
52.1% 4,337
 47.3% 3,942
 0.6% 52

1980
 45.1% 3,902
53.4% 4,623
 1.5% 126

1976
 38.8% 2,965
60.4% 4,615
 0.8% 62

1972
63.6% 3,711
 33.0% 1,929
 3.4% 199

1968
 30.6% 1,959
 25.9% 1,661
43.5% 2,784

1964
 42.0% 2,728
58.1% 3,775

1960
 45.3% 2,657
53.3% 3,124
 1.4% 84

1956
50.5% 2,925
 48.0% 2,781
 1.6% 92

1952
 42.9% 2,227
56.6% 2,938
 0.5% 25

1948
 38.9% 1,738
57.2% 2,554
 3.9% 175

1944
 38.9% 1,761
58.8% 2,666
 2.3% 106

1940
 39.7% 2,158
59.7% 3,242
 0.6% 35

1936
 39.9% 1,770
60.1% 2,664

1932
 38.9% 1,406
61.1% 2,212

1928
58.8% 1,659
 41.2% 1,161

1924
48.6% 1,074
 46.8% 1,036
 4.6% 102

1920
58.1% 2,662
 40.9% 1,874
 1.0% 44

1916
54.2% 1,432
 43.7% 1,155
 2.0% 54

1912
 25.9% 463
45.3% 810
 28.9% 516


Notable people



  • Artist Jon Coffelt (b. May 16, 1963) was born in Dunlap, Tennessee, raised in Griffith Creek and now lives and works in New York City.


  • Dragging Canoe, Cherokee leader, lived in the town of Running Water at the mouth of Running Water creek on the Tennessee River.

  • Judge John T. Raulston, who presided over the Scopes Trial in 1925.


  • Sequoyah, Cherokee scholar, 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.


  • Peter Turney, Governor of Tennessee and Chief Justice of the Tennessee Supreme Court, was born in Jasper.


  • Eric Westmoreland, NFL player

  • Eddie Brown, NFL player


  • Leslie Rogers Darr, United States District Judge, Eastern District of Tennessee


  • Travis Randall McDonough, United States District Judge, Eastern District of Tennessee



See also


  • National Register of Historic Places listings in Marion County, Tennessee


References





  1. ^ Patsy Beene, "Marion County," Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture. Retrieved: 11 March 2013.


  2. ^ ab "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on July 14, 2011. Retrieved December 6, 2013..mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit}.mw-parser-output .citation q{quotes:"""""""'""'"}.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-free a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/65/Lock-green.svg/9px-Lock-green.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-registration a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-gray-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-subscription a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-red-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration{color:#555}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription span,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration span{border-bottom:1px dotted;cursor:help}.mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg/12px-Wikisource-logo.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output code.cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:inherit;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{display:none;color:#33aa33;margin-left:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration,.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-right{padding-right:0.2em}


  3. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved 2011-06-07.


  4. ^ abc William Ray Turner, "Grundy County," Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture. Retrieved: 16 October 2013.


  5. ^ ab "Caves of Chattanooga" by Larry E. Matthews, 2007, Published by the National Speleological Society,
    ISBN 978-1-879961-27-2


  6. ^ Marion O. Smith, Confederate Niter District Eight: Middle Tennessee & Northwest Georgia, 2011.


  7. ^ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Retrieved April 9, 2015.


  8. ^ "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". Retrieved June 9, 2017.


  9. ^ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 9, 2015.


  10. ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved April 9, 2015.


  11. ^ Forstall, Richard L., ed. (March 27, 1995). "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 9, 2015.


  12. ^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. April 2, 2001. Retrieved April 9, 2015.


  13. ^ Based on 2000 census data


  14. ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2011-05-14.


  15. ^ FAA Airport Master Record for APT (Form 5010 PDF). Federal Aviation Administration. Effective 11 February 2010.


  16. ^ Barr, Thomas C., Jr. (1961). Caves of Tennessee.CS1 maint: Multiple names: authors list (link)


  17. ^ Matthews, Larry E. (2007). Caves of Chattanooga. National Speleological Society. ISBN 978-1-879961-27-2.


  18. ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved 2018-03-11.




External links







  • Marion County Chamber of Commerce

  • Marion County Schools


  • Marion County, TNGenWeb - free genealogy resources for the county


  • Marion County at Curlie











-

Popular posts from this blog

Westermarck effect

Image
This article includes a list of references, but its sources remain unclear because it has insufficient inline citations . Please help to improve this article by introducing more precise citations. (November 2014) (Learn how and when to remove this template message) The Westermarck effect , or reverse sexual imprinting, is a hypothetical psychological effect through which people who live in close domestic proximity during the first few years of their lives become desensitized to sexual attraction. This phenomenon was first hypothesized by Finnish anthropologist Edvard Westermarck in his book The History of Human Marriage (1891) as one explanation for the incest taboo. Observations interpreted as evidence for the Westermarck effect have since been made in many places and cultures, including in the Israeli kibbutz system, and the Chinese Shim-pua marriage customs, as well as in biologically-related families. In the case of the Israeli kibbutzim (collective farms), children...
Read more

Orthodox Church in America

Image
For other uses, see Orthodox Church in America (disambiguation). Orthodox Church in America Recognition Autocephaly recognized by the Russian (since 1970), Bulgarian, Georgian, Polish, and Czech and Slovak Churches [1] Primate Metropolitan Tikhon (Mollard) [2] Headquarters Oyster Bay Cove, New York, United States Territory United States, Canada Possessions Mexico, formerly Australia and South America Language English, Church Slavonic, Spanish, Russian, Arabic, Koine Greek, Romanian, Bulgarian, Albanian Members 1 million adherents, [3] 90,000 (U.S. only) [a] [5] Bishops 14 [5] Parishes 700 [5] Monasteries 20 [5] Website oca.org Part of a series on the Eastern Orthodox Church Mosaic of Christ Pantocrator, Hagia Sophia Overview Structure Theology (History of theology) Liturgy Church history Holy Mysteries View of salvation View of Mary View of icons Background Crucifixion / Resurrection / Asc...
Read more

Italian cuisine

Image
"Italian restaurant" redirects here. For the television series, see Italian Restaurant. Some typical Italian gastronomic products in a window display in Imola Pizza is one of the world's most popular foods and a common fast food item Part of a series on the Culture of Italy History People Languages Traditions Mythology and folklore Mythology folklore Cuisine Festivals Religion Art Literature Music and performing arts Music Media Television Cinema Sport Monuments World Heritage Sites Symbols Flag Coat of arms Italy portal v t e Italian cuisine History Ancient Roman cuisine Medieval cuisine Early modern cuisine Contemporary cuisine Regional cuisines Apulian cuisine Lombard cuisine Neapolitan cuisine Roman cuisine Sicilian cuisine Venetian cuisine Cuisine of Abruzzo Cuisine of Sardinia Lists Chefs Dishes Pas...
Read more