Claiborne County, Tennessee facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Claiborne County
U.S. county
Claiborne County Courthouse in Tazewell
Seal
Location within the U.S. state of Tennessee
Tennessee's location within the U.S.
Country	United States
State	Tennessee
Founded	October 29, 1801
Named for	William C. C. Claiborne
Seat	Tazewell
Largest city	Harrogate
Area
• Total	442 sq mi (1,140 km2)
• Land	435,043 sq mi (1,126,760 km2)
• Water	7.0 sq mi (18 km2)  1.6%%
Population  (2020)
• Total	32,043
• Density	74/sq mi (29/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district	2nd

Claiborne County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2020 census, the population was 32,043. Its county seat is Tazewell and its largest city is Harrogate.

History

Claiborne County was established on October 29, 1801, created from Grainger and Hawkins counties and extended the southern boundary to Anderson County. It was named for Virginia tidewater aristocrat William C. C. Claiborne, one of the first judges of the Tennessee Superior Court and one of the first representatives in U.S. Congress from Tennessee.

Like a few other East Tennessee counties, Claiborne County was largely opposed to secession on the eve of the Civil War. In Tennessee's Ordinance of Secession referendum on June 8, 1861, the county's residents voted against secession by a margin of 1,243 to 250.

The Four Seasons Hotel was built on the location of present-day Lincoln Memorial University in 1892 by an English land company, the American Association Limited, which was led locally by flamboyant businessman Alexander Arthur. At the time, it was reported by its promoters to be the largest hotel in the United States. The main building was four stories high with a lobby 75 feet square and a dining room 50 feet by 160 feet. It was reported to contain 700 rooms. Also included in the complex were a hospital, an inn, a sanitarium, and other smaller buildings. The hotel was not a success and was demolished in 1895. During its operation, the Four Seasons Hotel offered buggy rides to nearby English Cave, which had been improved with wooden stairways, walkways, and bridges. The rotting remains of these wooden structures can still be seen in the cave.

Notable people

from Claiborne County include State Representative Boyd C. Fugate (1884–1967) and Tennessee's first female sheriff Della Riley. Claiborne County's musical heritage includes musicians Rodney Atkins, Cindy Morgan and Michael McMeel as well as bluegrass musicians Steve Gulley, Milton Estes, CF Bailey and Shadow Ridge, Vic Graves, Scott and Alan Powers, The Honeycutt Brothers, Buster Turner and the Turner Brothers, Bryan Turner, Patrick Beeler, Larry Carter, Randall Massengill, and Jerry Cole. Notable Old-Time musicians from Claiborne County include Fiddling Bob Rogers, as well as ballad singers Mae Ray, Alice Parsons, Chester Lewis, and Kinley Brooks, whose repertoires are included in Cecil Sharp's English Folk Songs from the Southern Appalachians. Other ballad collectors in Claiborne County include Artus Moser, C P Cambiaire, and Tillman Cadle. Local African American musicians include gospel singers Ralph Ford and Rick Gregory.

Lincoln Memorial University's literary heritage includes authors Silas House, James Still, and Jesse Stuart.

Geography

Farmlands near Speedwell

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 442 square miles (1,140 km²), of which 435 square miles (1,130 km²) is land and 7.0 square miles (18 km²) (1.6%) is water. Major Waterways include the Powell River and Clinch River, which forms part of Norris Lake. Major high points are Bryson Mountain, Powell Mountain, Lone Mountain, Raven Hill, and Wallen Ridge.

Adjacent counties

• Bell County, Kentucky (north)
• Lee County, Virginia (northeast)
• Hancock County (east)
• Grainger County (southeast)
• Union County (southwest)
• Campbell County (west)
• Whitley County, Kentucky (northwest)

National protected area

• Cumberland Gap National Historical Park (part)

State protected areas

• Cumberland Trail (part)
• Powell River Preserve State Natural Area

Demographics

Age pyramid Claiborne County

2020 census

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 32,043 people, 13,281 households, and 8,683 families residing in the county.

Tourism

Recent Awards and Recognition

• Received Chuck Davis award in 2013 for “Best Practices” in Tourism development.
• The Claiborne County Fair Association was awarded the 2014 “Most Improved Fair in Tennessee” by the TN State Fair Association.  
• Cumberland Gap Genealogy Jamboree and Pioneer Days was named one of the top 20 events in the Southeast for June in: 2015 and 2017 by the Southeast Tourism Society.
• The White Lightning Trail Festival was named one of the top 20 events in the Southeast for June in: 2013, 2014, and 2015 by the Southeast Tourism Society.
• The Claiborne County Fair Association was awarded the 2016 “Merit Award” by the Tennessee Department of Agriculture.  
• Cumberland Gap National Historic Park received the 2017 “Keeper of the Light Award” as part of the National Park Service Centennial celebration.
• The Powell River Blueway Trail received the 2018 “Excellence Award” from the East Tennessee Development District.
• The Powell River Blueway Trail received the 2018 “Excellence in Communication and Outreach Award” from the Tennessee River Basin Network.

Communities

Cities

• Harrogate
• New Tazewell

Towns

• Cumberland Gap
• Tazewell (county seat)

Unincorporated communities

Infrastructure

Transportation

U.S. Route 25E near the Cumberland Gap

U.S. Routes 25E, and State Route 63 are the major arterial roadways in the county. US 25E, established as the East Tennessee Crossing Byway and Appalachian Development Corridor S, provides four-lane expressway north-south access to Grainger County and the Kentucky-Tennessee state-line. SR 63, provides two-lane access from the city of Harrogate to Campbell County.

See also

In Spanish: Condado de Claiborne (Tennessee) para niños