Lewis County, Tennessee | |
|---|---|
 Lewis County Courthouse, April 2014 | |
 Flag  Seal | |
 Location within the U.S. state ofTennessee | |
 Tennessee's location within theU.S. | |
| Coordinates:35°31′N87°29′W / 35.52°N 87.49°W /35.52; -87.49 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Tennessee |
| Founded | December 23, 1843 |
| Named after | Meriwether Lewis[1] |
| Seat | Hohenwald |
| Largest city | Hohenwald |
| Area | |
• Total | 282 sq mi (730 km2) |
| • Land | 282 sq mi (730 km2) |
| • Water | 0.4 sq mi (1.0 km2) 0.1% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 12,582 |
| • Density | 43/sq mi (17/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| Congressional district | 5th |
| Website | www |
Lewis County is acounty located in theU.S. state ofTennessee. As of the2020 census, the population was 12,582.[2] Itscounty seat isHohenwald.[3] The county is named for explorerMeriwether Lewis, who died and was buried atGrinder's Stand near Hohenwald in 1809.
Lewis County was formed in 1843 from parts ofPerry,Hickman,Lawrence,Maury andWayne counties.[1] It was named for explorer Meriwether Lewis of theLewis and Clark Expedition.[4] Lewis's grave is located at the geographic center of the county. The bill for its creation was proposed byPowhatan Gordon in the Tennessee State Senate.[5]
On August 10, 1884, a mob attacked a worship service of theChurch of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in what is known as theCane Creek Massacre. Four Latter-day Saints and one member of the mob were killed.[6]
On October 7, 2009, a ceremony was held at the cemetery to commemorate the bicentennial of Meriwether Lewis's death. A bust of Lewis was presented to theNational Park Service, which manages the site.[7]
According to theU.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 282 square miles (730 km2), of which 282 square miles (730 km2) is land and 0.4 square miles (1.0 km2) (0.1%) is water.[8]
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1850 | 4,438 | — | |
| 1860 | 2,241 | −49.5% | |
| 1870 | 1,986 | −11.4% | |
| 1880 | 2,181 | 9.8% | |
| 1890 | 2,555 | 17.1% | |
| 1900 | 4,455 | 74.4% | |
| 1910 | 6,033 | 35.4% | |
| 1920 | 5,707 | −5.4% | |
| 1930 | 5,258 | −7.9% | |
| 1940 | 5,849 | 11.2% | |
| 1950 | 6,078 | 3.9% | |
| 1960 | 6,269 | 3.1% | |
| 1970 | 6,761 | 7.8% | |
| 1980 | 9,700 | 43.5% | |
| 1990 | 9,247 | −4.7% | |
| 2000 | 11,367 | 22.9% | |
| 2010 | 12,161 | 7.0% | |
| 2020 | 12,582 | 3.5% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[9] 1790-1960[10] 1900-1990[11] 1990-2000[12] 2010-2014[13] | |||
| Race | Number | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 11,510 | 91.48% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 184 | 1.46% |
| Native American | 31 | 0.25% |
| Asian | 55 | 0.44% |
| Pacific Islander | 5 | 0.04% |
| Other/Mixed | 471 | 3.74% |
| Hispanic orLatino | 326 | 2.59% |
As of the2020 United States census, there were 12,582 people, 4,715 households, and 3,175 families residing in the county.
As of thecensus[16] of 2000, there were 11,367 people, 4,381 households, and 3,215 families residing in the county. Thepopulation density was 40 people per square mile (15 people/km2). There were 4,821 housing units at an average density of 17 units per square mile (6.6/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 97.07%White, 1.45%Black orAfrican American, 0.20%Native American, 0.18%Asian, 0.29% fromother races, and 0.80% from two or more races. 1.20% of the population wereHispanic orLatino of any race.
There were 4,381 households, out of which 33.20% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.90% weremarried couples living together, 10.70% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.60% were non-families. 23.50% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.54 and the average family size was 2.98.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 25.80% under the age of 18, 8.30% from 18 to 24, 27.40% from 25 to 44, 24.80% from 45 to 64, and 13.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 96.90 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.80 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $30,444, and the median income for a family was $35,972. Males had a median income of $27,060 versus $19,847 for females. Theper capita income for the county was $14,664. About 10.30% of families and 13.40% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 16.60% of those under age 18 and 12.20% of those age 65 or over.
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1852 | 43 | 18.78% | 186 | 81.22% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1856 | 0 | 0.00% | 242 | 90.64% | 25 | 9.36% |
| 1860 | 8 | 2.64% | 0 | 0.00% | 295 | 97.36% |
| 1868 | 33 | 100.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1872 | 34 | 20.36% | 133 | 79.64% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1876 | 12 | 5.50% | 206 | 94.50% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1880 | 37 | 15.55% | 200 | 84.03% | 1 | 0.42% |
| 1884 | 64 | 23.36% | 209 | 76.28% | 1 | 0.36% |
| 1888 | 132 | 33.93% | 254 | 65.30% | 3 | 0.77% |
| 1892 | 95 | 26.24% | 231 | 63.81% | 36 | 9.94% |
| 1896 | 204 | 38.27% | 329 | 61.73% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1900 | 202 | 33.44% | 400 | 66.23% | 2 | 0.33% |
| 1904 | 220 | 33.54% | 415 | 63.26% | 21 | 3.20% |
| 1908 | 354 | 43.12% | 465 | 56.64% | 2 | 0.24% |
| 1912 | 126 | 19.50% | 370 | 57.28% | 150 | 23.22% |
| 1916 | 414 | 51.30% | 387 | 47.96% | 6 | 0.74% |
| 1920 | 446 | 52.29% | 403 | 47.25% | 4 | 0.47% |
| 1924 | 191 | 36.31% | 310 | 58.94% | 25 | 4.75% |
| 1928 | 269 | 39.39% | 414 | 60.61% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1932 | 137 | 14.64% | 799 | 85.36% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1936 | 331 | 23.66% | 1,068 | 76.34% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1940 | 368 | 21.45% | 1,343 | 78.26% | 5 | 0.29% |
| 1944 | 252 | 20.88% | 955 | 79.12% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1948 | 381 | 23.29% | 1,148 | 70.17% | 107 | 6.54% |
| 1952 | 540 | 29.05% | 1,308 | 70.36% | 11 | 0.59% |
| 1956 | 522 | 28.16% | 1,321 | 71.25% | 11 | 0.59% |
| 1960 | 580 | 25.09% | 1,723 | 74.52% | 9 | 0.39% |
| 1964 | 388 | 15.84% | 2,061 | 84.16% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1968 | 455 | 17.91% | 1,088 | 42.83% | 997 | 39.25% |
| 1972 | 1,056 | 46.98% | 1,138 | 50.62% | 54 | 2.40% |
| 1976 | 617 | 20.32% | 2,391 | 78.75% | 28 | 0.92% |
| 1980 | 1,076 | 32.52% | 2,190 | 66.18% | 43 | 1.30% |
| 1984 | 1,733 | 52.42% | 1,556 | 47.07% | 17 | 0.51% |
| 1988 | 1,324 | 47.95% | 1,419 | 51.39% | 18 | 0.65% |
| 1992 | 1,218 | 29.34% | 2,491 | 60.00% | 443 | 10.67% |
| 1996 | 1,298 | 36.08% | 1,971 | 54.78% | 329 | 9.14% |
| 2000 | 2,037 | 46.09% | 2,281 | 51.61% | 102 | 2.31% |
| 2004 | 2,819 | 55.78% | 2,192 | 43.37% | 43 | 0.85% |
| 2008 | 2,951 | 61.05% | 1,804 | 37.32% | 79 | 1.63% |
| 2012 | 3,117 | 66.40% | 1,447 | 30.83% | 130 | 2.77% |
| 2016 | 3,585 | 77.56% | 890 | 19.26% | 147 | 3.18% |
| 2020 | 4,474 | 79.76% | 1,072 | 19.11% | 63 | 1.12% |
| 2024 | 4,852 | 82.38% | 991 | 16.83% | 47 | 0.80% |
Historically, like all of secessionist Middle Tennessee, Lewis County was overwhelmingly Democratic. Although it did vote forCharles Evans Hughes in 1916 andWarren G. Harding in 1920, Lewis County would be firmly Democratic for the next six decades, being one of only two Tennessee counties to remain loyal to bothHubert Humphrey in 1968 andGeorge McGovern in 1972.Ronald Reagan broke this Democratic sequence with a 177-vote majority overWalter Mondale in his 1984 landslide, but Lewis County would subsequently remain Democratic up to 2000. Since then, however, like much of the rural white South, it has become overwhelmingly Republican due to opposition to the Democratic Party's liberal views on social issues.[18]
The county is served byLewis County High School.
The bill creating the County of Lewis was introduced by the Hon. Powhatan Gordon, of Maury County, the main purpose of the bill being to perpetuate the name of Lewis.
Places adjacent to Lewis County, Tennessee | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ||||||||||||||||
Municipalities and communities ofLewis County, Tennessee,United States | ||
|---|---|---|
| City |  | |
| Unincorporated communities | ||
35°31′N87°29′W / 35.52°N 87.49°W /35.52; -87.49
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
