Lawrence County, Tennessee | |
|---|---|
 Lawrence County Courthouse, January 2015 | |
 Seal | |
 Location within the U.S. state ofTennessee | |
 Tennessee's location within theU.S. | |
| Coordinates:35°13′N87°23′W / 35.22°N 87.39°W /35.22; -87.39 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Tennessee |
| Founded | 1817 |
| Named after | James Lawrence[1] |
| Seat | Lawrenceburg |
| Largest city | Lawrenceburg |
| Area | |
• Total | 618 sq mi (1,600 km2) |
| • Land | 617 sq mi (1,600 km2) |
| • Water | 0.9 sq mi (2.3 km2) 0.1% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 44,159 |
• Estimate (2024)[2] | 46,467 |
| • Density | 75.3/sq mi (29.1/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| Congressional district | 4th |
| Website | www |
Lawrence County is acounty located in theU.S. state ofTennessee. As of the2020 census, the population was 44,159.[3] Itscounty seat and largest city isLawrenceburg.[4] Lawrence County comprises the Lawrenceburg, TNMicropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in theNashville-Davidson-Murfreesboro, TNCombined Statistical Area.
Created by an act of theTennessee General Assembly on October 21, 1817, Lawrence County was formed from lands previously part ofHickman andGiles counties.[1]
It was named in honor of CaptainJames Lawrence (1781–1813),[1] who while commanding theUSSChesapeake in an 1813 battle with theRoyal NavyfrigateHMSShannon, issued his famous command: "Don't give up the ship! Blow her up." His men did anyway and Lawrence died of wounds.
Lawrenceburg was chosen as the county seat in 1819 as it was near the center of the county and becauseJackson's Military Road ran just east of the town. In April 1821, the road was redirected through the center of the Lawrenceburg. The military road, the main route fromNew Orleans, Louisiana, toNashville, Tennessee, played a significant role in the county's development.[1]
An early resident wasDavid Crockett, who served as one of the county's first commissioners and justices of the peace. Crockett lived in the county for several years and ran awater-poweredgrist mill,powder mill anddistillery onShoal Creek, (originally called the Sycamore River) whereDavid Crockett State Park is now located.[5]
In the early 1870s, manyGermanCatholics moved into the area, including skilled tradesmen.[6] After the arrival of the railroad in 1883, the county became a major source ofiron ore.[1]
Between 1908 and 1915, there was an influx of settlers fromAlabama. Most werecotton growers or worked in thetimber industry. Logging soon declined, since the forests were not replanted after trees were harvested; however, cotton continued to be a major crop until the 1960s.[1]
In 1944,Amish people moved to the area and established a community in the north of the county.[1] The Old Order Amish community has now become a tourist attraction.
The county has been struck by two killer tornadoes. OnMay 18, 1995 a F4 tornado struck the county. On April 16, 1998, an F5 tornado hit the county, part of the1998 Nashville tornado outbreak.
In June 2010, theTennessee Commission of Indian Affairs gave official recognition to six Native American groups, including the Central Band ofCherokee, also known as the Cherokee of Lawrence County.[7] The recognition of these tribes at a state level has stirred much controversy among federally recognized Indian tribes, who claim the recognition by a state is unconstitutional and threatens the status of existing tribes.[8]
In July 2017, the Hope Botanical Garden was formed in the Leoma community.[9]
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According to theU.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 618 square miles (1,600 km2), of which 617 square miles (1,600 km2) is land and 0.9 square miles (2.3 km2) (0.1%) is water.[10]
U.S. Route 43
U.S. Route 64
Tennessee State Route 20
Tennessee State Route 98
Tennessee State Route 227
Tennessee State Route 240
Tennessee State Route 241
Tennessee State Route 242
Natchez Trace Parkway| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1820 | 3,271 | — | |
| 1830 | 5,411 | 65.4% | |
| 1840 | 7,121 | 31.6% | |
| 1850 | 9,280 | 30.3% | |
| 1860 | 9,320 | 0.4% | |
| 1870 | 7,601 | −18.4% | |
| 1880 | 10,383 | 36.6% | |
| 1890 | 12,286 | 18.3% | |
| 1900 | 15,402 | 25.4% | |
| 1910 | 17,569 | 14.1% | |
| 1920 | 23,593 | 34.3% | |
| 1930 | 26,776 | 13.5% | |
| 1940 | 28,726 | 7.3% | |
| 1950 | 28,818 | 0.3% | |
| 1960 | 28,049 | −2.7% | |
| 1970 | 29,097 | 3.7% | |
| 1980 | 34,110 | 17.2% | |
| 1990 | 35,303 | 3.5% | |
| 2000 | 39,926 | 13.1% | |
| 2010 | 41,869 | 4.9% | |
| 2020 | 44,159 | 5.5% | |
| 2024 (est.) | 46,467 | 5.2% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[11] 1790-1960[12] 1900-1990[13] 1990-2000[14] 2010-2015[15] 2020[3] 2024[2] | |||
| Race | Number | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 40,368 | 91.42% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 694 | 1.57% |
| Native American | 92 | 0.21% |
| Asian | 167 | 0.38% |
| Pacific Islander | 1 | 0.0% |
| Other/Mixed | 1,720 | 3.9% |
| Hispanic orLatino | 1,117 | 2.53% |
As of the2020 United States census, there were 44,159 people, 15,960 households, and 11,028 families residing in the county.
As of thecensus[18] of 2000, there were 39,926 people, 15,480 households, and 11,362 families residing in the county. Thepopulation density was 65 people per square mile (25 people/km2). There were 16,821 housing units but as of 2010 that had jumped to over 19,000 at an average density of 27 per square mile (10/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 96.83%White, 1.47%Black orAfrican American, 0.32%Native American, 0.24%Asian, 0.02%Pacific Islander, 0.39% fromother races, and 0.73% from two or more races. 1.00% of the population wereHispanic orLatino of any race.
There were 15,480 households, out of which 33.70% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.10% were married couples living together, 10.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.60% were non-families. 23.70% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.40% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 3.02.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 26.20% under the age of 18, 8.40% from 18 to 24, 28.10% from 25 to 44, 23.00% from 45 to 64, and 14.40% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 94.30 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.20 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $30,498, and the median income for a family was $35,326. Males had a median income of $27,742 versus $20,928 for females. Theper capita income for the county was $15,848. About 10.70% of families and 14.60% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 19.20% of those under age 18 and 16.30% of those age 65 or over.
Lawrence County's chief executive officer is the County Executive. Along with the County Executive, the county has a total of 18 county commissioners which control the county's finances. Every fiscal year the Board must adopt a budget which appropriates funds to the many departments and agencies of the Lawrence County Government; and, at the same time, provides sufficient revenue to meet these appropriations.
The Board of County Commissioners serves as the legislative and policy setting body of Lawrence County. As such, the Board enacts all legislation and authorizes programs and expenditures within Lawrence County.[19]
For the term starting in 2014, the officials for Lawrence County are:
In Tennessee, a state defined for nearly a century after the civil war by Republican landslides in the east of the state balanced out by Democratic landslides in the middle and west of the state,[20] Lawrence County was a rare swing county. Lawrence only voted for two losers between1904 and2004,Charles Evans Hughes in1916 andRichard Nixon in1960. Since2008, the county has rapidly become overwhelmingly Republican, as has most of Tennessee.[21]
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1896 | 1,203 | 46.52% | 1,376 | 53.21% | 7 | 0.27% |
| 1900 | 1,327 | 47.26% | 1,481 | 52.74% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1904 | 1,359 | 51.13% | 1,299 | 48.87% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1908 | 1,726 | 51.82% | 1,591 | 47.76% | 14 | 0.42% |
| 1912 | 878 | 27.29% | 1,504 | 46.75% | 835 | 25.96% |
| 1916 | 1,837 | 50.55% | 1,787 | 49.17% | 10 | 0.28% |
| 1920 | 3,843 | 59.55% | 2,610 | 40.45% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1924 | 2,375 | 51.45% | 2,185 | 47.34% | 56 | 1.21% |
| 1928 | 3,581 | 56.23% | 2,779 | 43.63% | 9 | 0.14% |
| 1932 | 1,684 | 34.03% | 3,240 | 65.48% | 24 | 0.49% |
| 1936 | 3,342 | 40.94% | 4,773 | 58.46% | 49 | 0.60% |
| 1940 | 1,877 | 32.16% | 3,936 | 67.44% | 23 | 0.39% |
| 1944 | 4,359 | 48.32% | 4,662 | 51.68% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1948 | 3,837 | 42.24% | 4,854 | 53.43% | 393 | 4.33% |
| 1952 | 4,561 | 51.07% | 4,299 | 48.14% | 71 | 0.79% |
| 1956 | 4,588 | 51.67% | 4,227 | 47.60% | 65 | 0.73% |
| 1960 | 5,709 | 53.66% | 4,862 | 45.70% | 68 | 0.64% |
| 1964 | 4,590 | 45.72% | 5,449 | 54.28% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1968 | 4,343 | 41.26% | 2,191 | 20.81% | 3,993 | 37.93% |
| 1972 | 6,438 | 67.90% | 2,824 | 29.78% | 220 | 2.32% |
| 1976 | 4,967 | 40.75% | 7,140 | 58.57% | 83 | 0.68% |
| 1980 | 6,532 | 48.47% | 6,082 | 45.13% | 863 | 6.40% |
| 1984 | 6,034 | 52.18% | 5,458 | 47.20% | 71 | 0.61% |
| 1988 | 6,273 | 56.09% | 4,903 | 43.84% | 7 | 0.06% |
| 1992 | 5,608 | 40.45% | 6,816 | 49.16% | 1,440 | 10.39% |
| 1996 | 6,115 | 45.77% | 6,188 | 46.32% | 1,056 | 7.90% |
| 2000 | 7,613 | 52.61% | 6,643 | 45.91% | 214 | 1.48% |
| 2004 | 9,959 | 59.79% | 6,592 | 39.57% | 107 | 0.64% |
| 2008 | 10,566 | 65.96% | 5,161 | 32.22% | 293 | 1.83% |
| 2012 | 10,770 | 70.77% | 4,237 | 27.84% | 212 | 1.39% |
| 2016 | 12,420 | 79.28% | 2,821 | 18.01% | 425 | 2.71% |
| 2020 | 15,334 | 81.92% | 3,195 | 17.07% | 189 | 1.01% |
| 2024 | 16,429 | 84.11% | 2,939 | 15.05% | 165 | 0.84% |
Places adjacent to Lawrence County, Tennessee | ||||||||||||||||
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Municipalities and communities ofLawrence County, Tennessee,United States | ||
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| Cities |  | |
| Town | ||
| CDPs | ||
| Other communities | ||
| Ghost town | ||
35°13′N87°23′W / 35.22°N 87.39°W /35.22; -87.39
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