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Fentress County, Tennessee facts for kids

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Fentress County
Fentress County Courthouse in Jamestown
Fentress County Courthouse in Jamestown
Map of Tennessee highlighting Fentress County
Location within the U.S. state of Tennessee
Map of the United States highlighting Tennessee
Tennessee's location within the U.S.
Country  United States
State  Tennessee
Founded November 28, 1823
Named for James Fentress, state legislator
Seat Jamestown
Largest city Jamestown
Area
 • Total 499 sq mi (1,290 km2)
 • Land 499 sq mi (1,290 km2)
 • Water 0.3 sq mi (0.8 km2)  0.06%%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 18,489 Increase
 • Density 36/sq mi (14/km2)
Time zone UTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district 6th

Fentress County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2020 census, the population was 18,489. Its county seat is Jamestown.

History

Pumping water in Wilder, Fentress County TN 1942
Pumping water by hand in 1942 from the sole water supply in this section of Wilder, Tennessee in Fentress County

Fentress County was formed on November 28, 1823, from portions of Morgan, Overton and White counties. The resulting county was named for James Fentress (1763–1843), who served as speaker of the state house, chairman of Montgomery County Court, and commissioner to select seats for Haywood, Carroll, Gibson and Weakley counties in West Tennessee.

Fentress County was the site of several saltpeter mines. Saltpeter is the main ingredient of gunpowder and was obtained by leaching the earth from local caves. The largest mine was in York Cave, near the Wolf River Post Office. At one time, twenty-five large leaching vats were in operation in this cave. According to Barr (1961) this cave was mined during the Civil War. Buffalo Cave near Jamestown was also a major mine with twelve leaching vats. Manson Saltpeter Cave in Big Indian Creek Valley was a smaller operation with four leaching vats. These caves may also have been mined during the War of 1812, as saltpeter mining was widespread in Kentucky and Tennessee during that era.

In the runup to the American Civil War, when Tennessee Governor Harris asked the State Legislature for a vote of secession, the two representatives from Fentress County (Reese T. Hildreth and R. H. Bledsoe) voted for secession. Nevertheless, in Tennessee's Ordinance of Secession referendum on June 8, 1861, Fentress County voted by a margin of 651 to 128 to remain in the Union. However, earlier on February 9, 1861, Fentress County voters had voted to hold a secession convention by a very narrow margin of 334 to 325, becoming the only county that voted for the convention in February but to remain in the Union in June.

Alvin York (1887–1964), a hero at the Meuse-Argonne Offensive during World War I, was born and lived in Fentress County. He established the Alvin C. York Agricultural Institute in Jamestown in 1924. York's house and farm are part of Sgt. Alvin C. York State Historic Park in Pall Mall.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 499 square miles (1,290 km2), of which 499 square miles (1,290 km2) is land and 0.3 square miles (0.78 km2) (0.06%) is water.

Fentress County includes part of Dale Hollow Reservoir and is drained by forks of the Obey and Cumberland Rivers.

The county is the easternmost county in the United States to observe Central Time.

Adjacent counties

Fentress-county-cumberland-plateau-tn1
Valley of the Three Forks near Pall Mall, with the Cumberland Plateau dominating the horizon

National protected area

  • Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area (part)

State protected areas

  • Catoosa Wildlife Management Area (part)
  • Colditz Cove State Natural Area
  • Pickett State Forest (part)
  • Pogue Creek Canyon State Natural Area
  • Scott State Forest (part)
  • Sgt. Alvin C. York State Historic Park
  • Skinner Mountain Wildlife Management Area
  • Twin Arches State Natural Area (part)

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1830 2,748
1840 3,550 29.2%
1850 4,454 25.5%
1860 5,054 13.5%
1870 4,717 −6.7%
1880 5,941 25.9%
1890 5,226 −12.0%
1900 6,106 16.8%
1910 7,446 21.9%
1920 10,435 40.1%
1930 11,036 5.8%
1940 14,262 29.2%
1950 14,917 4.6%
1960 13,288 −10.9%
1970 12,593 −5.2%
1980 14,826 17.7%
1990 14,669 −1.1%
2000 16,625 13.3%
2010 17,958 8.0%
2020 18,489 3.0%
U.S. Decennial Census
1790-1960 1900-1990
1990-2000 2010-2014
USA Fentress County, Tennessee.csv age pyramid
Age pyramid Fentress County

2020 census

Fentress County racial composition
Race Number Percentage
White (non-Hispanic) 17,541 94.87%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic) 25 0.14%
Native American 26 0.14%
Asian 33 0.18%
Other/Mixed 548 2.96%
Hispanic or Latino 316 1.71%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 18,489 people, 7,443 households, and 4,929 families residing in the county.

2010 census

As of the 2010 census, there were 17,959 people, 7,326 households, and 4,818 families residing in the county. The population density was 36 people per square mile (14 people/km2). There were 8,927 housing units at an average density of 15 units per square mile (5.8/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 98.1% White, 0.2% Black or African American, 0.2% Native American, 0.2% Asian, 0.4% from other races, and 0.9% from two or more races. 1.1% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

In the county's 7,326 households, 23.1% had children under the age of 18, 57.30% were married couples living together, 11.30% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.00% were non-families. 25.50% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 2.94.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 24.20% under the age of 18, 8.00% from 18 to 24, 28.10% from 25 to 44, 26.10% from 45 to 64, and 13.70% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 96.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.10 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $23,238, and the median income for a family was $28,856. Males had a median income of $23,606 versus $18,729 for females. The per capita income for the county was $12,999. 19.50% of families and 23.10% of the population were below the poverty line, including 27.80% of those under age 18 and 20.50% of those over age 64.

Communities

Cities

Census-designated places

Unincorporated communities

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Condado de Fentress para niños

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