Hickman County, Tennessee | |
|---|---|
 Hickman County Courthouse in Centerville | |
 Location within the U.S. state ofTennessee | |
 Tennessee's location within theU.S. | |
| Coordinates: 35.8013° N, 87.4604° W | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Tennessee |
| Founded | 1807 |
| Named after | Edwin Hickman, explorer[1] |
| Seat | Centerville |
| Largest town | Centerville |
| Area | |
• Total | 613 sq mi (1,590 km2) |
| • Land | 612 sq mi (1,590 km2) |
| • Water | 0.1 sq mi (0.26 km2) 0.02% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 24,925 |
| • Density | 40/sq mi (15/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| ZIP Codes | 37033, 37098, 37025, 37137, 37097, 38487, 38454, 38476, 37140[2] |
| Area code | 931 |
| Congressional district | 7th |
| Website | hickmancountytn |
Hickman County is acounty located in theU.S. state ofTennessee. As of the2020 Census, the population was 24,925.[3] Itscounty seat isCenterville.[4] As of 2023, Hickman County is part of theNashville–Davidson–Murfreesboro–Franklin, TNMetropolitan Statistical Area,[5] although it was once removed in 2018.[6]
Hickman County was named for Edwin Hickman, an explorer and surveyor who was killed in an Indian attack atDefeated Creek[7] in 1791.
The county was established in 1807, and named for Hickman at the suggestion ofRobert Weakley, a legislator who had been a member of Hickman's surveying party.[1] The original county was vast, extending to the southern border of the state. Hickman County was reduced in extent when it partially contributed to the formations of four counties: Wayne and Lawrence Counties in 1817, Perry County in 1819, and Lewis County in 1843.[citation needed]
Hickman and theDuck River valley was originally claimed by theChickasaw people of West Tennessee and northern Mississippi. Among its first white settlers wasJohn Gordon, the famous "Captain of the Spies" who later fought atHorseshoe Bend and atPensacola under Andrew Jackson.
Gordon acquired land in Chickasaw territory in what is now Hickman County on the banks of the Duck River, where, in a partnership with Chief William "Chooshemataha" Colbert, he operated a ferry and Indian trading post for settlers traveling on theNatchez Trace.[8]
The trace was a war-path later made into a federal road for settlers moving from Tennessee to the lower Mississippi territory. The Chickasaw ceded the land to Tennessee in 1805 and Gordon kept the estate, moving his family there in 1812 and eventually amassing a plantation of over 1500 acres. TheGordon House still stands by the Duck River today, now maintained by theNatchez Trace National Parkway. Throughout the 19th century, the county's industry revolved around iron furnaces, which made use of the county's natural supply of high-qualityiron ore.[1]
Early furnaces included Napier's furnace near Aetna, which was destroyed by Union soldiers during theCivil War, and furnaces built by the Standard Coal Company in the 1880s.[1]
Hickman natives include songwriterBeth Slater Whitson and Grand Ole Opry personalityMinnie Pearl.[1]William F. Lyell, originally fromLyles, served as a corporal in the United States Army during theKorean War. He was posthumously awarded theMedal of Honor for his actions at theBattle of Bloody Ridge on August 31, 1951.[9]
The county is the subject of theJohnny Cash song "Saturday Night In Hickman County", and the Hickman community of Grinder's Switch is indirectly mentioned in the song, "The South's Gonna Do It Again", by theCharlie Daniels Band (one line refers to the bandGrinderswitch, and their song "Right On Time").[citation needed]
In 1939,Meriwether Lewis Electric Cooperative was chartered with its headquarters in Centerville.[10]
On October 10, 2025,an explosion at the Accurate Energetic Systems explosives facility near the border with Humphreys County left at least sixteen people dead and at least four others injured.[11]
According to theU.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 613 square miles (1,590 km2), of which 612 square miles (1,590 km2) is land and 0.1 square miles (0.26 km2) (0.02%) is water.[12] TheDuck River, thePiney River, and many creeks, large and small, run through Hickman County.
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1810 | 2,583 | — | |
| 1820 | 6,080 | 135.4% | |
| 1830 | 8,119 | 33.5% | |
| 1840 | 8,618 | 6.1% | |
| 1850 | 9,397 | 9.0% | |
| 1860 | 9,312 | −0.9% | |
| 1870 | 9,856 | 5.8% | |
| 1880 | 12,095 | 22.7% | |
| 1890 | 14,499 | 19.9% | |
| 1900 | 16,367 | 12.9% | |
| 1910 | 16,527 | 1.0% | |
| 1920 | 16,216 | −1.9% | |
| 1930 | 13,613 | −16.1% | |
| 1940 | 14,873 | 9.3% | |
| 1950 | 13,353 | −10.2% | |
| 1960 | 11,862 | −11.2% | |
| 1970 | 12,096 | 2.0% | |
| 1980 | 15,151 | 25.3% | |
| 1990 | 16,754 | 10.6% | |
| 2000 | 22,295 | 33.1% | |
| 2010 | 24,690 | 10.7% | |
| 2020 | 24,925 | 1.0% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[13] 1790–1960[14] 1900–1990[15] 1990–2000[16] 2010–2014[3] | |||
| Race | Number | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 22,086 | 88.61% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 931 | 3.74% |
| Native American | 101 | 0.41% |
| Asian | 72 | 0.29% |
| Pacific Islander | 1 | 0.0% |
| Other/Mixed | 1,053 | 4.22% |
| Hispanic orLatino | 681 | 2.73% |
As of the2020 United States census, there were 24,925 people, 8,636 households, and 5,611 families residing in the county.
As of thecensus[20] of 2000, there were 22,295 people, 8,081 households, and 5,955 families residing in the county. Thepopulation density was 36 people per square mile (14 people/km2). There were 8,904 housing units at an average density of 14 units per square mile (5.4/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 93.71%White, 4.53%Black orAfrican American, 0.48%Native American, 0.08%Asian, 0.01%Pacific Islander, 0.29% fromother races, and 0.90% from two or more races. 1.00% of the population wereHispanic orLatino of any race.
There were 8,081 households, out of which 33.90% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.40% weremarried couples living together, 9.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.30% were non-families. 22.60% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.90% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.59 and the average family size was 3.02.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 24.70% under the age of 18, 8.50% from 18 to 24, 31.00% from 25 to 44, 23.80% from 45 to 64, and 12.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 112.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 111.50 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $31,013, and the median income for a family was $36,342. Males had a median income of $29,411 versus $21,185 for females. Theper capita income for the county was $14,446. About 11.60% of families and 14.30% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 15.90% of those under age 18 and 18.40% of those age 65 or over.
Hickman County was long a Democratic stronghold, in line with much of Middle Tennessee. The county began shifting Republican in the mid-2000s, narrowly voting forGeorge W. Bush in 2004, the first time it had supported a Republican presidential candidate sinceRichard Nixon's 49-state landslide in 1972. Since then, Hickman County has become reliably Republican in elections. In 2024,Donald Trump became the first Republican nominee to receive over 80 percent of the county's vote.
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1836 | 149 | 19.35% | 621 | 80.65% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1840 | 293 | 23.53% | 952 | 76.47% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1844 | 255 | 19.78% | 1,034 | 80.22% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1848 | 301 | 23.35% | 988 | 76.65% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1852 | 241 | 22.31% | 839 | 77.69% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1856 | 0 | 0.00% | 1,086 | 82.02% | 238 | 17.98% |
| 1860 | 0 | 0.00% | 16 | 1.18% | 1,340 | 98.82% |
| 1868 | 97 | 48.26% | 104 | 51.74% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1872 | 235 | 20.87% | 891 | 79.13% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1876 | 179 | 12.33% | 1,273 | 87.67% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1880 | 392 | 24.33% | 1,157 | 71.82% | 62 | 3.85% |
| 1884 | 709 | 37.87% | 1,135 | 60.63% | 28 | 1.50% |
| 1888 | 1,187 | 43.45% | 1,509 | 55.23% | 36 | 1.32% |
| 1892 | 554 | 27.02% | 1,179 | 57.51% | 317 | 15.46% |
| 1896 | 988 | 38.50% | 1,553 | 60.52% | 25 | 0.97% |
| 1900 | 894 | 40.29% | 1,292 | 58.22% | 33 | 1.49% |
| 1904 | 922 | 41.64% | 1,231 | 55.60% | 61 | 2.76% |
| 1908 | 1,065 | 44.88% | 1,285 | 54.15% | 23 | 0.97% |
| 1912 | 868 | 38.07% | 1,288 | 56.49% | 124 | 5.44% |
| 1916 | 1,026 | 40.55% | 1,479 | 58.46% | 25 | 0.99% |
| 1920 | 1,470 | 51.63% | 1,362 | 47.84% | 15 | 0.53% |
| 1924 | 315 | 25.04% | 922 | 73.29% | 21 | 1.67% |
| 1928 | 510 | 32.95% | 1,038 | 67.05% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1932 | 385 | 17.46% | 1,812 | 82.18% | 8 | 0.36% |
| 1936 | 353 | 16.30% | 1,804 | 83.33% | 8 | 0.37% |
| 1940 | 644 | 18.75% | 2,776 | 80.84% | 14 | 0.41% |
| 1944 | 618 | 21.71% | 2,223 | 78.11% | 5 | 0.18% |
| 1948 | 478 | 16.61% | 2,140 | 74.36% | 260 | 9.03% |
| 1952 | 1,044 | 28.38% | 2,625 | 71.35% | 10 | 0.27% |
| 1956 | 1,040 | 29.75% | 2,439 | 69.77% | 17 | 0.49% |
| 1960 | 1,224 | 33.20% | 2,401 | 65.12% | 62 | 1.68% |
| 1964 | 1,019 | 26.16% | 2,877 | 73.84% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1968 | 760 | 17.33% | 1,152 | 26.27% | 2,473 | 56.40% |
| 1972 | 1,943 | 56.06% | 1,393 | 40.19% | 130 | 3.75% |
| 1976 | 1,154 | 24.11% | 3,590 | 74.99% | 43 | 0.90% |
| 1980 | 1,903 | 36.39% | 3,225 | 61.66% | 102 | 1.95% |
| 1984 | 2,370 | 44.43% | 2,941 | 55.14% | 23 | 0.43% |
| 1988 | 2,246 | 45.67% | 2,643 | 53.74% | 29 | 0.59% |
| 1992 | 1,820 | 27.06% | 4,093 | 60.84% | 814 | 12.10% |
| 1996 | 2,002 | 31.19% | 3,917 | 61.03% | 499 | 7.78% |
| 2000 | 2,914 | 40.12% | 4,239 | 58.36% | 111 | 1.53% |
| 2004 | 4,359 | 50.26% | 4,263 | 49.15% | 51 | 0.59% |
| 2008 | 4,784 | 56.30% | 3,563 | 41.93% | 151 | 1.78% |
| 2012 | 4,758 | 62.59% | 2,698 | 35.49% | 146 | 1.92% |
| 2016 | 5,695 | 72.89% | 1,824 | 23.35% | 294 | 3.76% |
| 2020 | 7,577 | 77.06% | 2,130 | 21.66% | 125 | 1.27% |
| 2024 | 8,265 | 80.17% | 1,968 | 19.09% | 76 | 0.74% |
Places adjacent to Hickman County, Tennessee | ||||||||||||||||
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Municipalities and communities ofHickman County, Tennessee,United States | ||
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