Athens, Tennessee | |
|---|---|
 McMinn County Courthouse in Athens | |
| Nickname: "The Friendly City"[1] | |
| Motto: "Progress Since 1822" | |
 Location of Athens in McMinn County, Tennessee. | |
  Athens Location in Tennessee Show map of Tennessee Athens Athens (the United States) Show map of the United States Athens Athens (North America) Show map of North America | |
| Coordinates:35°26′53″N84°36′7″W / 35.44806°N 84.60194°W /35.44806; -84.60194 | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Tennessee |
| County | McMinn |
| Founded | 1822 |
| Incorporated | 1870[2] |
| Named after | Athens, Greece |
| Government | |
| • Type | Council-manager |
| • Mayor | Larry Eaton |
| • City Manager | Randall Dowling |
| Area | |
• Total | 15.51 sq mi (40.17 km2) |
| • Land | 15.51 sq mi (40.17 km2) |
| • Water | 0 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 860 ft (262 m) |
| Population | |
• Total | 14,084 |
| • Density | 908.2/sq mi (350.65/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP codes | 37303 & 37371 |
| Area code | 423 |
| FIPS code | 47-02320[6] |
| GNIS feature ID | 1304889[7] |
| Website | www |
Athens is thecounty seat ofMcMinn County, Tennessee, United States[8] and the principal city of the Athens Micropolitan Statistical Area has a population of 53,569. The city is located almost equidistantly between the major cities ofKnoxville andChattanooga.[9] The population was 14,084 at the 2020 census. The population of the zipcode area is at 23,726[10]
TheCherokee were living in McMinn County at the time of the arrival of the first Euro-American explorers. The Athens area was situated nearly halfway between theOverhill Cherokee villages ofGreat Tellico to the north inMonroe County andGreat Hiwassee along the Hiwassee River to the south. In 1819, the Cherokee signed the Calhoun Treaty, selling the land north of the Hiwassee (including all of modern McMinn County) to the United States. McMinn County was organized on November 13, 1819, at the home of John Walker in what is nowCalhoun. The Native American village, Pumpkintown (a corruption of Potemkin town), was located on a farm about two miles east of present-day Athens. It is sometimes incorrectly identified as a forerunner of Athens. Athens was laid out and chosen as the county seat in 1822.[11] The name "Athens" may have been chosen due to perceived topographical similarities toAthens, Greece.[12]
By 1834, the population of Athens had grown to over 500.[13] Prominent early settlers included William Henry Cooke, who operated an iron forge near modernEtowah, and Samuel Clegg (or Cleage), a construction entrepreneur. Jesse Mayfield, whose descendants foundedMayfield Dairy Farms, arrived in the early 1820s.[14] The Hiwassee Railroad received a charter in the mid-1830s to build a railroad connecting Knoxville, Tennessee, andDalton, Georgia. The railroad began construction in 1837, although financial and legal problems delayed its completion until 1851.[12] In 1836,General John Wool arrived in Athens to help coordinate theCherokee Removal. Although initially voluntary, the operation became a forced removal in 1838 when many Cherokee refused to leave. The removal culminated in the forced march west that became known as theTrail of Tears. Wool set up his headquarters at the Bridges Hotel, which was located across the street from the McMinn County Courthouse.[15]
McMinn County was divided during theAmerican Civil War. The well-established railroad brought numerous pro-secessionist and anti-secessionist speakers to the county, includingAndrew Johnson,Horace Maynard,John Bell, andWilliam "Parson" Brownlow. In 1861, McMinn County voted against secession by a narrow 1,144-904 margin. The county sent 12 units to theUnion army and 8 units to theConfederate army. GeneralWilliam Tecumseh Sherman was briefly headquartered at the Bridges Hotel in McMinn County while preparing his "March to the Sea."[16]
After the Civil War, the railroad lured business opportunists to McMinn County. In 1887, several investors established the Athens Mining and Manufacturing Company with plans to convert the town into a model industrial community and initiate large-scale mining operations in the area. Textile mills, flour mills, and timber mills dominated the county's industry by the late 19th century, complemented by furniture and appliance factories in the 1920s.[17]
In 1946, several McMinn CountyWorld War II veterans ran for local office in hopes of removing a county government deemed corrupt. On August 1, local authorities locked themselves in the county jail along with the ballot boxes. Suspecting foul play, the veterans armed themselves in revolt and assembled on a hill across the street from the jail. After an exchange of gunfire, the county authorities surrendered. The ballots were counted, and the veterans' ticket was elected, ending theBattle of Athens.[18]
Athens is located at35°26′53″N84°36′7″W / 35.44806°N 84.60194°W /35.44806; -84.60194 (35.448171, -84.602069).[19] The city is situated amidst a series of narrow, elongate ridges and low hills that are characteristic of theAppalachian Ridge-and-Valley Province. TheUnicoi Mountains rise roughly 20 miles (32 km) east of Athens, and theTennessee River flows nearly 20 miles (32 km) to the west. Starr Mountain, one of the more noticeable ridges in McMinn County, is located roughly 15 miles (24 km) southeast of Athens.
Oostanaula Creek (sometimes spelled "Eastanalle" or a similar variation) rises in the hills north of Athens and traverses the city approximately 30 miles (48 km) upstream from its mouth alongHiwassee River. Other major streams in the area include Mouse Creek, which parallels Oostanaula to the west, and Chestuee Creek, which parallels Oostanaula to the east.
Athens is centered around the junction ofU.S. Route 11, which connects the city toSweetwater to the north andCleveland to the south, andState Route 30, which connects Athens toEtowah andU.S. Route 411 to the southeast andDecatur to the west.Interstate 75 passes west of Athens.
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 13.5 square miles (35 km2), all land.
As is typical for theSouthern United States, Athens has ahumid subtropical climate (KöppenCfa) featuring hot, humid summers and cool to cold, though not severe, winters.
| Climate data for Athens, Tennessee (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1962–present) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 74 (23) | 81 (27) | 85 (29) | 91 (33) | 95 (35) | 103 (39) | 105 (41) | 103 (39) | 99 (37) | 98 (37) | 86 (30) | 77 (25) | 105 (41) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 48.6 (9.2) | 53.0 (11.7) | 61.7 (16.5) | 71.3 (21.8) | 78.8 (26.0) | 85.4 (29.7) | 88.4 (31.3) | 88.1 (31.2) | 83.1 (28.4) | 72.6 (22.6) | 60.9 (16.1) | 51.6 (10.9) | 70.3 (21.3) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 38.4 (3.6) | 41.9 (5.5) | 49.5 (9.7) | 58.3 (14.6) | 66.8 (19.3) | 74.4 (23.6) | 77.9 (25.5) | 77.2 (25.1) | 71.5 (21.9) | 59.9 (15.5) | 48.6 (9.2) | 41.5 (5.3) | 58.8 (14.9) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 28.2 (−2.1) | 30.9 (−0.6) | 37.3 (2.9) | 45.3 (7.4) | 54.8 (12.7) | 63.4 (17.4) | 67.5 (19.7) | 66.3 (19.1) | 59.9 (15.5) | 47.2 (8.4) | 36.2 (2.3) | 31.3 (−0.4) | 47.4 (8.6) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −16 (−27) | −14 (−26) | 2 (−17) | 22 (−6) | 29 (−2) | 36 (2) | 48 (9) | 48 (9) | 29 (−2) | 23 (−5) | 9 (−13) | −4 (−20) | −16 (−27) |
| Averageprecipitation inches (mm) | 5.56 (141) | 5.07 (129) | 5.51 (140) | 5.50 (140) | 4.59 (117) | 5.03 (128) | 5.52 (140) | 4.03 (102) | 5.20 (132) | 3.58 (91) | 4.88 (124) | 5.91 (150) | 60.38 (1,534) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 1.0 (2.5) | 1.3 (3.3) | 0.8 (2.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.1 (0.25) | 0.4 (1.0) | 3.6 (9.1) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 0.01 in) | 11.6 | 11.9 | 12.4 | 10.9 | 11.5 | 11.7 | 12.1 | 10.3 | 8.4 | 8.2 | 9.6 | 12.4 | 131.0 |
| Average snowy days(≥ 0.1 in) | 0.7 | 0.7 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.3 | 2.0 |
| Source:NOAA[20][21] | |||||||||||||
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1860 | 678 | — | |
| 1870 | 974 | 43.7% | |
| 1880 | 1,100 | 12.9% | |
| 1890 | 2,224 | 102.2% | |
| 1900 | 1,849 | −16.9% | |
| 1910 | 2,264 | 22.4% | |
| 1920 | 2,580 | 14.0% | |
| 1930 | 5,385 | 108.7% | |
| 1940 | 6,930 | 28.7% | |
| 1950 | 8,618 | 24.4% | |
| 1960 | 12,103 | 40.4% | |
| 1970 | 11,790 | −2.6% | |
| 1980 | 12,080 | 2.5% | |
| 1990 | 12,054 | −0.2% | |
| 2000 | 13,220 | 9.7% | |
| 2010 | 13,458 | 1.8% | |
| 2020 | 14,084 | 4.7% | |
| Sources:[6][22][23][5] | |||
As of the2020 census, Athens had a population of 14,084, a median age of 38.4 years, with 21.4% of residents under the age of 18 and 18.8% of residents 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 92.0 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 87.4 males.[24]
97.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 3.0% lived in rural areas.[25]
There were 5,710 households in Athens, of which 29.1% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 39.9% were married-couple households, 18.6% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 34.6% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 34.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[24]
There were 6,470 housing units, of which 11.7% were vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.7% and the rental vacancy rate was 7.1%.[24]
| Race | Number | Percent |
|---|---|---|
| White | 11,246 | 79.8% |
| Black or African American | 1,071 | 7.6% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 53 | 0.4% |
| Asian | 197 | 1.4% |
| Native Hawaiian andOther Pacific Islander | 7 | 0.0% |
| Some other race | 429 | 3.0% |
| Two or more races | 1,081 | 7.7% |
| Hispanic or Latino (of any race) | 1,041 | 7.4% |
As of thecensus of 2010,[27] there was a population of 13,458, with 5,704 households and 3,498 families residing in the city. The racial makeup of the city was 84.87%White, 9.12%Black, 0.35%Native American, 1.64%Asian, 0.04%Pacific Islander, and 2.61% fromtwo or more races. Those ofHispanic or Latino origins constituted 5.27% of the population.
Out of all of the households, 61.33% were family households, 42.39% were married couples living together, 26.30% had children under the age of 18 living in them, 4.33% had a male householder with no wife present, and 14.60% had a female householder with no husband present. 34.52% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.39% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.27 and the average family size was 2.91.
The population was spread out, with 22.69% under the age of 18, 59.97% ages 18 to 64, and 17.34% age 65 and over. The median age was 39.1 years. 53.52% of the population were females and 46.48% were males.
Themedian household income was $31,062 and themedian family income was $44,419. Males had a median income of $37,120 versus $28,889 for females. Theper capita income for the city was $18,259. About 22.2% of families and 24.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 35.8% of those under the age of 18 and 17.2% of those age 65 and over
As of thecensus[6] of 2000, there was a population of 13,220, with 5,550 households and 3,590 families residing in the city. The population density was 976.3 inhabitants per square mile (377.0/km2). There were 6,086 housing units at an average density of 449.4 per square mile (173.5/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 86.33%White, 9.32%African American, 0.23%Native American, 1.38%Asian, 0.07%Pacific Islander, 1.34% fromother races, and 1.33% from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino of any race were 3.01% of the population.
There were 5,550 households, out of which 30.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.2% weremarried couples living together, 14.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.3% were non-families. 31.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.29 and the average family size was 2.89.
The population consisted of 23.9% under the age of 18, 10.1% from 18 to 24, 28.3% from 25 to 44, 21.4% from 45 to 64, and 16.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 84.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.2 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $29,277, and the median income for a family was $39,563. Males had a median income of $32,170 versus $20,917 for females. Theper capita income for the city was $16,877. About 14.6% of families and 18.4% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 22.6% of those under age 18 and 22.1% of those age 65 or over.
The City of Athens employs a Council-Manager form of government. Citizens elect a five-member council. Councilmembers are elected to four year terms, which are staggered. The Council is responsible for approving budgets, passing local ordinances, and setting policy, but members are forbidden by the City Charter from giving direct orders to city staff. The Council hires a City Manager, who is responsible for hiring, firing, and managing city staff. A Council Study Session takes place once per month, and a City Council Meeting takes place once per month.
Law enforcement services in Athens are provided by the City of Athens Police Department. The Department's authorized strength is thirty-two sworn officers.
| City Council Role | Name |
|---|---|
| Mayor | Larry D. Eaton |
| Vice Mayor | Jordan Curtis |
| Council Member | John M. Duggan |
| Council Member | Steven S. Sherlin |
| Council Member | Perry McCowan |
University and vocational school:
McMinn County Schools operates public high schools serving the city.[29]
High schools:
Athens City Schools operates public elementary and middle schools.[29]
Middle schools:
Elementary schools:
Rogers Creek and E.K. Baker schools, operated by McMinn Schools, are not in the Athens city limits, despite having Athens postal addresses.[30][31]
Private schools:
Fairview Christian Academy ( K-12)
Christ Legacy Academy (K-12)
McMinn County is covered by both the Chattanooga and Knoxville[35] media markets. Athens is served by one daily newspaper publication,The Daily Post Athenian as well as seven radio stations, (four FM, and three AM), and one Comcast TV channel, 95.
Isahaya, Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan[36]
{{cite web}}:Missing or empty|title= (help)E.K. Baker Elementary 1044 County Road 172 Athens, Tennessee 37303- It is not in theAthens city limits, despite the "Athens, Tennessee" postal address.
Rogers Creek Elementary 137 County Road 82 Athens, Tennessee 37303- It is not in the city limits, despite the "Athens, Tennessee" postal address.
35°26′53″N84°36′07″W / 35.448171°N 84.602069°W /35.448171; -84.602069
Municipalities and communities ofMcMinn County, Tennessee,United States | ||
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| Other communities | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
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