Marshall County, Tennessee | |
|---|---|
 Marshall County Courthouse in Lewisburg | |
 Location within the U.S. state ofTennessee | |
| Coordinates:35°28′N86°46′W / 35.47°N 86.77°W /35.47; -86.77 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Tennessee |
| Founded | February 20, 1836 |
| Named after | John Marshall[1] |
| Seat | Lewisburg |
| Largest city | Lewisburg |
| Area | |
• Total | 376 sq mi (970 km2) |
| • Land | 375 sq mi (970 km2) |
| • Water | 0.7 sq mi (1.8 km2) 0.2% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 34,318 |
| • Density | 82/sq mi (32/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| Congressional district | 5th |
| Website | marshallcountytn |
Marshall County is acounty located in theU.S. state ofTennessee. As of the2020 census, the population was 34,318.[2] Itscounty seat isLewisburg.[3] Marshall County comprises the LewisburgMicropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in theNashville-Davidson–Murfreesboro–Franklin, TNMetropolitan Statistical Area. It is in Middle Tennessee, one of the threeGrand Divisions of the state.
TheTennessee Walking Horse Breeders' and Exhibitors' Association is based here. In addition, thefainting goat is another animal breed developed here. To celebrate this unique breed, the county holds an annual festival known as "Goats, Music and More," drawing visitors from around the world.[4]
Marshall County was created in 1836 from parts ofGiles,Bedford,Lincoln, andMaury counties. Marshall County was originally to be named Cannon County, but due to a clerical error at the time of formation, the names of Marshall andCannon counties, both formed in 1836, were accidentally swapped and never corrected.[citation needed] It was named after the American juristJohn Marshall, Chief Justice of theSupreme Court of the United States.[1]
The economy was based on agriculture in the antebellum years and well into the twentieth century. Planters had depended on the labor of enslaved African Americans to work the commodity crops of tobacco and hemp, as well as care for thoroughbred horses and other quality livestock. The breed known as theTennessee Walking Horse was developed here.
After the war, blacks and whites struggled to adjust toemancipation and a free labor market.Freedmen founded Needmore as a community in Marshall County after the Civil War where they could live as neighbors and be relatively free of white supervision.[5]
Whites committed violence against freedmen to re-establish and maintain dominance after the war. In the period after Reconstruction and into the early 20th century, whites in Marshall County committed eightlynchings of African Americans. This was the fifth-highest total of any county in the state, but three other counties, including two nearby, also had eight lynchings each.[6]
Among these lynchings were the murders of John Milligan (also spelled Millikin) and John L. Hunter in the Needmore settlement near the county seat of Lewisburg in August 1903. GovernorJames B. Frazier offered a reward for information, asWhitecaps were blamed for the deaths, and the state was trying to eliminate this secret, vigilante group.[5] In the early 20th century, numerous African Americans left the county during the period of theGreat Migration to northern and midwestern industrial cities for work.
ThreeTennessee governors—Henry Horton,Jim Nance McCord, andBuford Ellington— were each living in Marshall County at the time of their election as governor.
According to theU.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 376 square miles (970 km2), of which 375 square miles (970 km2) is land and 0.7 square miles (1.8 km2) (0.2%) is water.[7] TheDuck River drains much of the county.
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1840 | 14,555 | — | |
| 1850 | 15,616 | 7.3% | |
| 1860 | 14,592 | −6.6% | |
| 1870 | 16,207 | 11.1% | |
| 1880 | 19,259 | 18.8% | |
| 1890 | 18,906 | −1.8% | |
| 1900 | 18,763 | −0.8% | |
| 1910 | 16,872 | −10.1% | |
| 1920 | 17,375 | 3.0% | |
| 1930 | 15,574 | −10.4% | |
| 1940 | 16,030 | 2.9% | |
| 1950 | 17,768 | 10.8% | |
| 1960 | 16,859 | −5.1% | |
| 1970 | 17,319 | 2.7% | |
| 1980 | 19,698 | 13.7% | |
| 1990 | 21,539 | 9.3% | |
| 2000 | 26,767 | 24.3% | |
| 2010 | 30,617 | 14.4% | |
| 2020 | 34,318 | 12.1% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[8] 1790–1960,[9] 1900–1990,[10] 1990–2000,[11] 2010-2014[2] | |||
| Race | Number | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 28,255 | 82.33% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 2,018 | 5.88% |
| Native American | 103 | 0.3% |
| Asian | 142 | 0.41% |
| Pacific Islander | 7 | 0.02% |
| Other/Mixed | 1,558 | 4.54% |
| Hispanic orLatino | 2,235 | 6.51% |
As of the2020 census, there were 34,318 people, 13,279 households, and 8,624 families residing in the county.[14]
The median age was 39.9 years. 23.4% of residents were under the age of 18 and 16.6% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 96.8 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 94.1 males age 18 and over.[14]
The racial makeup of the county was 83.6%White, 6.0%Black or African American, 0.4%American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%Asian, <0.1%Native Hawaiian andPacific Islander, 2.8% from some other race, and 6.8% fromtwo or more races.Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 6.5% of the population.[15]
34.8% of residents lived in urban areas, while 65.2% lived in rural areas.[16]
There were 13,279 households in the county, of which 32.7% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 51.4% were married-couple households, 17.0% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 24.6% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 24.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[14]
There were 14,302 housing units, of which 7.2% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 72.7% were owner-occupied and 27.3% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.4% and the rental vacancy rate was 5.4%.[14]
As of thecensus[17] of 2000, there were 26,767 people, 10,307 households, and 7,472 families residing in the county. Thepopulation density was 71 people per square mile (27 people/km2). There were 11,181 housing units at an average density of 30 units per square mile (12/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 89.42%White, 7.77%Black orAfrican American, 0.25%Native American, 0.31%Asian, 0.01%Pacific Islander, 1.46% fromother races, and 0.77% from two or more races. 2.87% of the population wereHispanic orLatino of any race.
There were 10,307 households, out of which 33.80% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.80% weremarried couples living together, 11.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.50% were non-families. 23.90% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.00% 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 25.60% under the age of 18, 8.70% from 18 to 24, 29.90% from 25 to 44, 23.20% from 45 to 64, and 12.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 95.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.90 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $38,457, and the median income for a family was $45,731. Males had a median income of $31,876 versus $22,362 for females. Theper capita income for the county was $17,749. About 7.30% of families and 10.00% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 10.80% of those under age 18 and 13.10% of those age 65 or over.
The county's political history is similar to the vast majority ofMiddle Tennessee, where it was a solidly Democratic county throughout the first half of the 20th century, but began making shifts to the Republican Party starting in the 1970s. The county is Republican, withAl Gore in2000 being the last Democratic presidential candidate to win there.
One notable result in this county came in the 1928 election, whenHerbert Hoover andAl Smith tied the county with a total of 735 votes apiece.
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1880 | 548 | 20.77% | 2,006 | 76.04% | 84 | 3.18% |
| 1884 | 728 | 25.53% | 2,084 | 73.07% | 40 | 1.40% |
| 1888 | 786 | 24.39% | 2,291 | 71.08% | 146 | 4.53% |
| 1892 | 685 | 20.18% | 2,185 | 64.36% | 525 | 15.46% |
| 1896 | 849 | 22.61% | 2,835 | 75.50% | 71 | 1.89% |
| 1900 | 763 | 24.20% | 2,184 | 69.27% | 206 | 6.53% |
| 1904 | 620 | 21.23% | 2,152 | 73.67% | 149 | 5.10% |
| 1908 | 440 | 21.31% | 1,544 | 74.77% | 81 | 3.92% |
| 1912 | 376 | 18.57% | 1,551 | 76.59% | 98 | 4.84% |
| 1916 | 461 | 21.60% | 1,652 | 77.41% | 21 | 0.98% |
| 1920 | 753 | 29.01% | 1,828 | 70.42% | 15 | 0.58% |
| 1924 | 349 | 16.74% | 1,696 | 81.34% | 40 | 1.92% |
| 1928 | 735 | 50.00% | 735 | 50.00% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1932 | 283 | 11.46% | 2,167 | 87.73% | 20 | 0.81% |
| 1936 | 300 | 10.95% | 2,431 | 88.76% | 8 | 0.29% |
| 1940 | 389 | 11.04% | 3,132 | 88.90% | 2 | 0.06% |
| 1944 | 500 | 11.59% | 3,812 | 88.34% | 3 | 0.07% |
| 1948 | 517 | 12.04% | 3,059 | 71.22% | 719 | 16.74% |
| 1952 | 1,525 | 28.44% | 3,837 | 71.56% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1956 | 1,527 | 26.58% | 4,100 | 71.37% | 118 | 2.05% |
| 1960 | 1,717 | 31.87% | 3,625 | 67.29% | 45 | 0.84% |
| 1964 | 1,340 | 25.15% | 3,989 | 74.85% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1968 | 1,202 | 19.68% | 1,527 | 25.00% | 3,379 | 55.32% |
| 1972 | 2,593 | 59.23% | 1,526 | 34.86% | 259 | 5.92% |
| 1976 | 1,674 | 26.96% | 4,457 | 71.78% | 78 | 1.26% |
| 1980 | 2,282 | 34.23% | 4,277 | 64.16% | 107 | 1.61% |
| 1984 | 3,416 | 53.43% | 2,935 | 45.91% | 42 | 0.66% |
| 1988 | 2,975 | 51.37% | 2,795 | 48.26% | 21 | 0.36% |
| 1992 | 2,516 | 31.07% | 4,491 | 55.46% | 1,091 | 13.47% |
| 1996 | 2,781 | 35.14% | 4,447 | 56.20% | 685 | 8.66% |
| 2000 | 4,105 | 43.86% | 5,107 | 54.57% | 147 | 1.57% |
| 2004 | 5,825 | 54.88% | 4,722 | 44.48% | 68 | 0.64% |
| 2008 | 6,755 | 59.84% | 4,320 | 38.27% | 214 | 1.90% |
| 2012 | 6,832 | 63.61% | 3,725 | 34.68% | 184 | 1.71% |
| 2016 | 8,184 | 71.44% | 2,852 | 24.90% | 419 | 3.66% |
| 2020 | 11,043 | 74.22% | 3,605 | 24.23% | 230 | 1.55% |
| 2024 | 12,426 | 77.85% | 3,390 | 21.24% | 146 | 0.91% |
Places adjacent to Marshall County, Tennessee | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ||||||||||||||||
Municipalities and communities ofMarshall County, Tennessee,United States | ||
|---|---|---|
| City |  | |
| Towns | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Ghost town | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
35°28′N86°46′W / 35.47°N 86.77°W /35.47; -86.77
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
