Rockwood, Tennessee | |
|---|---|
 Rockwood Street | |
 Location of Rockwood in Roane County, Tennessee. | |
| Coordinates:35°52′9″N84°40′31″W / 35.86917°N 84.67528°W /35.86917; -84.67528 | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Tennessee |
| County | Roane |
| Founded | 1868 |
| Incorporated | 1890[1] |
| Named after | William O. Rockwood |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Jason Jolly |
| Area | |
• Total | 8.04 sq mi (20.83 km2) |
| • Land | 8.02 sq mi (20.76 km2) |
| • Water | 0.031 sq mi (0.08 km2) |
| Elevation | 892 ft (272 m) |
| Population | |
• Total | 5,444 |
| • Density | 679.2/sq mi (262.25/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP code | 37854 |
| Area code | 865 |
| FIPS code | 47-64440[5] |
| GNIS feature ID | 1299838[3] |
| Website | City website |
Rockwood is a city inRoane County, Tennessee, United States. As of the2020 census, Rockwood had a population of 5,444.[6] It is included in theHarriman, TennesseeMicropolitan Statistical Area.
Rockwood is located at35°52′9″N84°40′31″W / 35.86917°N 84.67528°W /35.86917; -84.67528 (35.869147, -84.675176).[7] The city is situated at the base of the eastern escarpment of theCumberland Plateau, known locally asWalden Ridge. The boundary between theEastern Time Zone andCentral Time Zone runs along Rockwood's western boundary. TheWatts Bar Lake impoundment of theTennessee River provides much of Rockwood's southern boundary.
Rockwood is situated around a series of roads which intersectU.S. Route 70 between its junction withState Route 29 in the northeast andState Route 27 to the southwest. In recent years, the town has expanded towardInterstate 40 to the northeast. Rockwood is a familiar site to travelers who frequent I-40 betweenKnoxville andNashville, as dramatic views of Rockwood and the Tennessee Valley beyond line the interstate just before it peaks at the edge of the Cumberland Plateau.
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 7.9 square miles (20 km2), of which 7.9 square miles (20 km2) is land and 0.1 square miles (0.26 km2) (0.63%) is water.
| Climate data for Rockwood, Tennessee (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1962–2012) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 74 (23) | 78 (26) | 86 (30) | 91 (33) | 93 (34) | 100 (38) | 107 (42) | 102 (39) | 98 (37) | 89 (32) | 81 (27) | 77 (25) | 107 (42) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 64.9 (18.3) | 69.3 (20.7) | 78.2 (25.7) | 85.0 (29.4) | 87.1 (30.6) | 92.0 (33.3) | 95.0 (35.0) | 93.4 (34.1) | 90.5 (32.5) | 82.1 (27.8) | 75.0 (23.9) | 65.6 (18.7) | 95.7 (35.4) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 46.7 (8.2) | 51.2 (10.7) | 60.6 (15.9) | 70.3 (21.3) | 77.7 (25.4) | 84.5 (29.2) | 87.5 (30.8) | 86.5 (30.3) | 81.8 (27.7) | 70.7 (21.5) | 58.9 (14.9) | 49.8 (9.9) | 68.8 (20.4) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 37.2 (2.9) | 40.4 (4.7) | 48.5 (9.2) | 56.9 (13.8) | 65.4 (18.6) | 73.3 (22.9) | 76.8 (24.9) | 75.7 (24.3) | 70.1 (21.2) | 58.4 (14.7) | 47.1 (8.4) | 40.1 (4.5) | 57.5 (14.2) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 27.7 (−2.4) | 29.6 (−1.3) | 36.3 (2.4) | 43.5 (6.4) | 53.1 (11.7) | 62.1 (16.7) | 66.2 (19.0) | 64.9 (18.3) | 58.4 (14.7) | 46.1 (7.8) | 35.3 (1.8) | 30.4 (−0.9) | 46.1 (7.8) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | 8.2 (−13.2) | 13.0 (−10.6) | 20.9 (−6.2) | 28.9 (−1.7) | 38.8 (3.8) | 50.9 (10.5) | 57.2 (14.0) | 56.4 (13.6) | 43.5 (6.4) | 30.8 (−0.7) | 22.1 (−5.5) | 13.8 (−10.1) | 4.6 (−15.2) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −12 (−24) | −10 (−23) | 1 (−17) | 21 (−6) | 28 (−2) | 36 (2) | 46 (8) | 44 (7) | 28 (−2) | 21 (−6) | 8 (−13) | −8 (−22) | −12 (−24) |
| Averageprecipitation inches (mm) | 5.41 (137) | 5.43 (138) | 5.46 (139) | 5.63 (143) | 4.73 (120) | 5.46 (139) | 5.96 (151) | 3.82 (97) | 4.45 (113) | 3.48 (88) | 4.62 (117) | 6.01 (153) | 60.46 (1,536) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 0.7 (1.8) | 1.2 (3.0) | 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) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.1 (0.25) | 2.0 (5.1) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 0.01 in) | 9.9 | 9.4 | 10.5 | 9.6 | 10.3 | 11.3 | 11.3 | 8.9 | 7.5 | 6.5 | 7.7 | 10.1 | 113.0 |
| Average snowy days(≥ 0.1 in) | 0.4 | 0.5 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 1.2 |
| Source:NOAA (mean maxima/minima 1981–2010)[8][9] | |||||||||||||
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1880 | 1,011 | — | |
| 1890 | 2,305 | 128.0% | |
| 1900 | 2,899 | 25.8% | |
| 1910 | 3,660 | 26.3% | |
| 1920 | 4,652 | 27.1% | |
| 1930 | 3,808 | −18.1% | |
| 1940 | 3,981 | 4.5% | |
| 1950 | 4,272 | 7.3% | |
| 1960 | 5,345 | 25.1% | |
| 1970 | 5,259 | −1.6% | |
| 1980 | 5,687 | 8.1% | |
| 1990 | 5,348 | −6.0% | |
| 2000 | 5,774 | 8.0% | |
| 2010 | 5,562 | −3.7% | |
| 2020 | 5,444 | −2.1% | |
| 2023 (est.) | 5,635 | 3.5% | |
| Sources:[10][11][4] | |||
As of the2020 census, Rockwood had a population of 5,444, with 1,175 families residing in the city. The median age was 43.0 years. 21.7% of residents were under the age of 18 and 22.5% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 88.3 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 82.1 males age 18 and over.[12]
94.9% of residents lived in urban areas, while 5.1% lived in rural areas.[13]
There were 2,304 households in Rockwood, of which 26.0% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 33.0% were married-couple households, 20.9% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 36.8% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 36.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 20.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[12]
There were 2,664 housing units, of which 13.5% were vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 3.2% and the rental vacancy rate was 8.2%.[12]
| Race | Number | Percent |
|---|---|---|
| White | 4,770 | 87.6% |
| Black or African American | 227 | 4.2% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 23 | 0.4% |
| Asian | 37 | 0.7% |
| Native Hawaiian andOther Pacific Islander | 1 | 0.0% |
| Some other race | 58 | 1.1% |
| Two or more races | 328 | 6.0% |
| Hispanic or Latino (of any race) | 132 | 2.4% |
As of thecensus[5] of 2000, there were 5,774 people, 2,478households, and 1,558 families residing in the city. The population density was 731.4 inhabitants per square mile (282.4/km2). There were 2,729 housing units at an average density of 345.7 per square mile (133.5/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 92.86%White, 5.44%African American, 0.26%Native American, 0.29%Asian, 0.21% fromother races, and 0.94% from two or more races.Hispanic/Latino/Tejano of any race were 0.81% of the population.
There were 2,478 households, out of which 25.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.8% were married couples living together, 14.7% had a female households with no husband present, and 37.1% were non-families. 34.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The averagehousehold size was 2.25 and the average family size was 2.87.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 21.5% under the age of 18, 7.8% from 18 to 24, 25.0% from 25 to 44, 25.0% from 45 to 64, and 20.7% who were 65 years of age or older. Themedian age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 83.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 78.1 males.
Themedian income for a household in the city was $23,986, and the median income for a family was $32,237. Males had a median income of $27,188 versus $20,755 for females. Theper capita income for the city was $13,106. About 17.4% of families and 21.9% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 30.4% of those under age 18 and 17.6% of those age 65 or over.
ACherokee village situated in what is now Rockwood was the headquarters of Chief Tallentuskie, a Cherokee leader in the late 18th and early 19th centuries.[15]
Union generalJohn T. Wilder, who in the 1850s had managed afoundry in Indiana, noted theiron ore and coal deposits of the Cumberland Plateau region while operating in the area during the Civil War. After the war, Wilder and Ohio-bornKnoxville Iron Company founderHiram Sanborn Chamberlain purchased 900 acres (360 ha) at what is now Rockwood, selecting the location due to the ore and coal resources at the base of Walden Ridge, the proximity to the Tennessee River, and an assumption that the encroaching railroads would descend the Plateau at nearby Emory Gap. Wilder and Chamberlain enlisted several other investors from Indiana and Ohio, and the Roane Iron Company was chartered on June 18, 1867.[1] By late 1868, the company had constructed ablast furnace with a capacity of 15 tons per day between the ridge and the end of what is now Rockwood Street.[16]
The company mined coal and iron ore along the ridge, which it transported by narrow-gauge rail to the furnace site. The coal was delivered to coking ovens, where it was converted intocoke, and the coke was then used to generate the temperatures needed to convert the iron ore intopig iron. The pig iron was then shipped by river to rolling mills in Knoxville andChattanooga, and was used primarily in railroad construction. In the early 1880s, Roane Iron purchased a rolling mill in Chattanooga and experimented with steel production, but the Walden Ridge ore proved to be too low-quality for such a process, and the company abandoned its steel venture in 1889.[17]
Roane Iron's Rockwood furnace employed a mix of local labor (both caucasian and African-American) and immigrants (especiallyWelsh immigrants), and did not practice wage discrimination.[1] The company paid workers either cash, which was issued on paydays, orscrip, which could be issued anytime at the worker's request. Other than a miners' strike in 1904, Roane Iron experienced relatively few labor disputes, even though labor organizations were active in Rockwood. A series of mining accidents— namely a 1926 mine explosion— damaged the company's image and led to out-of-control workers' compensation payments, however, and in 1929 Roane Iron shut down operations.[1]
Worried that the region's Confederate-sympathizers might shun an operation led by a well-known Union general, Wilder decided to name Roane Iron's company town after one of its lesser-known Indiana investors, William O. Rockwood. In spite of the name, William Rockwood played only a minor role in Roane Iron's affairs, and the early development of the town was largely the work of Wilder and Chamberlain. Unlike the "boom" towns in nearbyCardiff andHarriman, Rockwood's growth was gradual. Rockwood's population grew from 696 in 1870 to 1,011 in 1880. By 1890, the city's population had swelled to 2,305.[1]
For the first 50 years of its existence, Rockwood was polarized by thetemperance issue. Wilder, a prohibitionist, banned alcoholic beverages on company property, and tried in vain to prevent drunkenness in the town throughout the 1870s. Saloons became commonplace in Rockwood in the 1880s, however, and Roane Iron began to struggle withabsenteeism, as many employees worked for just a few days per week in order to make enough money for a "weekend of drinking and fighting."[1] In 1887, after the state's "four-mile" law effectively banned saloons inunincorporated areas, a section of the town incorporated as "East Rockwood" to dodge the law. Rockwood, which incorporated in 1890, passed an ordinance banning the sale of alcohol in 1903, but the ordinance didn't apply to railroads, and the so-called "jug train" from Chattanooga continued supplying Rockwood with liquor until the statewide prohibition law took effect in 1909.[1]
Noting the success of land auctions in nearby Cardiff and Harriman, Roane Iron held its own land auction for Rockwood in May 1890, selling several hundred lots and raising $600,000. To promote the city, the company laid out new streets, built new hotels, and allowed general stores to set up shop in the city and compete with the company store.[1] These de-paternalization measures helped Rockwood survive thePanic of 1893, which doomed neighboring Cardiff.[1]
In the early 20th century, Rockwood's economy further diversified. Former Roane Iron employee James Tarwater founded Rockwood Mills, which manufactured hosiery, in 1905. Another former Roane Iron employee, Sewell Howard, established Rockwood Stove Works in 1916.
On October 4, 1926, twenty-eight people were killed in a mine explosion in the area.[18]
After Roane Iron's collapse in 1929, Rockwood struggled with unemployment. At the outbreak ofWorld War II, however, the Tennessee Products Corporation reopened the iron works to produceferromanganese for the wartime effort.[1] Like other Roane County communities, Rockwood's economy was boosted by the government's construction of nearbyOak Ridge during World War II.
Municipalities and communities ofRoane County, Tennessee,United States | ||
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| CDP | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
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| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
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| National | |
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