LaFollette, Tennessee facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
LaFollette, Tennessee
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Buildings along Central Avenue (U.S. Route 25W)
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Location of LaFollette in Campbell County, Tennessee.
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| Country | United States |
| State | Tennessee |
| County | Campbell |
| Area | |
| • Total | 4.91 sq mi (12.73 km2) |
| • Land | 4.91 sq mi (12.73 km2) |
| • Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 1,073 ft (327 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 7,430 |
| • Density | 1,512.01/sq mi (583.74/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP code |
37766
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| Area code(s) | 423 |
| FIPS code | 47-40180 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1652480 |
LaFollette is a city in Campbell County, Tennessee, United States. Its population was 7,456 at the 2010 census, with an estimated population in 2018 of 6,737. It is the principal city of the LaFollette, Tennessee micropolitan statistical area, which includes all of Campbell County, and is a component of the Knoxville Metropolitan Area. While the city's official spelling is one word ("LaFollette")—after its founders, Harvey Marion LaFollette and his younger brother Grant LaFollette—several federal agencies spell the city's name with two words ("La Follette").
History
Harvey and Grant LaFollette purchased 37,000 acres (150 km2) at Big Creek Gap, where the present community lies, around 1890. They founded the LaFollette Coal, Iron, and Railway Company to exploit mineral resources they had found. Although the business failed during the 1920s, the community continued to grow. The city of LaFollette was incorporated in 1897. On May 10, 1904, a major fire that started in the Cumberland Inn burned down most of the downtown area, with a reported 31 businesses destroyed.
Geography
LaFollette is located near the geographic center of Campbell County at 36°22′30″N 84°7′39″W / 36.37500°N 84.12750°W (36.375006, −84.127623). The city is situated in Powell Valley, where the Appalachian Ridge-and-Valley province gives way to the Cumberland Plateau region. Cumberland Mountain, a 50 mi (80 km) ridge stretching from Cumberland Gap in the east to Bruce Gap in the west, rises north of LaFollette. Norris Lake dominates the area to the south. Jacksboro lies adjacent to LaFollette to the southwest. A leg of the Cumberland Trail is accessible off Tennessee Avenue at the north end of LaFollette.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 4.9 sq mi (12.7 km2), all land. The elevation varies around the city, around 1,050 ft (320 m) in the valley areas to 1,500 ft (460 m) on ridge tops. The average elevation is around 1,150 ft (350 m).
U.S. Route 25W and State Routes 9 and 63 run concurrently through the community. Interstate 75 is 8 mi (13 km) to the southwest, beyond Jacksboro. Jellico is 23 mi (37 km) to the north via US 25W, over the Cumberland Plateau.
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1900 | 366 | — | |
| 1910 | 2,816 | 669.4% | |
| 1920 | 3,056 | 8.5% | |
| 1930 | 2,637 | −13.7% | |
| 1940 | 4,010 | 52.1% | |
| 1950 | 5,797 | 44.6% | |
| 1960 | 6,204 | 7.0% | |
| 1970 | 6,902 | 11.3% | |
| 1980 | 8,198 | 18.8% | |
| 1990 | 7,192 | −12.3% | |
| 2000 | 7,926 | 10.2% | |
| 2010 | 7,456 | −5.9% | |
| 2020 | 7,430 | −0.3% | |
| Sources: | |||
2020 census
| Race | Number | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 6,898 | 92.84% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 37 | 0.5% |
| Native American | 14 | 0.19% |
| Asian | 24 | 0.32% |
| Other/Mixed | 299 | 4.02% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 158 | 2.13% |
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 7,430 people, 2,797 households, and 1,821 families residing in the city.
Notable people
- Adele Arakawa, television news anchor
- Howard "Louie Bluie" Armstrong, musician
- Haskel Ayers, businessman and politician
- The Isaacs, a Southern gospel/bluegrass family singing group
- Carl Stiner, U.S. Army general
- J. Will Taylor, congressman
See also
In Spanish: La Follette (Tennessee) para niños
