White County, Tennessee | |
|---|---|
 White County Courthouse in Sparta | |
 Flag  Logo | |
 Location within the U.S. state ofTennessee | |
| Coordinates:35°56′N85°27′W / 35.93°N 85.45°W /35.93; -85.45 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Tennessee |
| Founded | September 11, 1806 |
| Named after | John White, early settler[1] |
| Seat | Sparta |
| Largest city | Sparta |
| Area | |
• Total | 379 sq mi (980 km2) |
| • Land | 377 sq mi (980 km2) |
| • Water | 2.8 sq mi (7.3 km2) 0.7% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 27,351 |
| • Density | 72.5/sq mi (28.0/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| ZIP Codes | 38583 |
| Congressional district | 6th |
| Website | whitecountytn |
White County is acounty located in theU.S. state ofTennessee. As of the2020 census, the population was 27,351.[2] Itscounty seat isSparta.[3] White County is in theCookeville Micropolitan Statistical Area.[4]
On September 11, 1806, an act of theTennessee General Assembly created White County out ofSmith andJackson counties, responding to a petition signed by 155 residents of the area. The county's original geographic area included all of what are now White andWarren counties, as well as parts of modernCannon,Coffee,DeKalb,Franklin,Grundy,Putnam, andVan Buren counties.[5]
The origin of the county's name is disputed. The county is officially held to be named for John White (1751–1846), aRevolutionary War soldier,surveyor, andfrontiersman who was the first known white settler of the area. White had moved his family to theCumberland Mountains fromVirginia in 1789.[5] However, some historians suggest the county was named for Revolutionary War soldierJames White, the founder ofKnoxville.[5]
A temporarycounty seat was established nearRock Island, now inWarren County. Three years later a permanent county seat was established on the banks of theCalfkiller River and namedSparta.
In 1840, White County became a destination for people from all over the country when Christopher Haufmann erected a large hotel on Bon Air Mountain, part of theCumberland Plateau. The hotel was near somemineral springs as well as being at a high altitude; both were thought to promote health, and people came from far and wide for the "cures" advertised by the resort.[6]
White County was the site of a very largesaltpeter mining operation during the Civil War. The Cave Hill Saltpeter Pits (No. 1 and No. 2), located on Cave Hill near the mouth of England Cove, were intensively mined. Relics remain from that operation. Saltpeter is the main ingredient of gunpowder and was obtained by leaching the earth from these caves.[7]
TheCivil War deeply affected White County, although no major battles were fought in the area. As it was on the border between the largely pro-UnionEast Tennessee and pro-ConfederateMiddle Tennessee, the county was the scene of bloodshed frompartisans (called "bushwhackers") of both sides.[1] One famous Confederateguerrilla operating in the area wasChamp Ferguson, who caused much mayhem and destruction before he was arrested after the war on May 28, 1865. Ferguson was tried by a military court, convicted and executed by hanging, one of only two Confederates executed for war crimes. He is buried in France Cemetery near Sparta.
Over the subsequent decades, White County slowly rebuilt from the ashes of war. The county was connected to the outside world by railroad, mainly because of the boomingcoal mining industries being started on Bon Air Mountain. The mountain was rich inbituminous coal, and enterprising local businessmen were quick to realize the profit potential that represented. Several mining towns sprang up on the plateau part of the county, includingBon Air,Eastland, andRavenscroft.[8]
In 1981, a dispute between a local mining company and residents escalated and later became a Tennessee Supreme Court case known as Doochin v. Rackley. The disagreement began when the local coal companies began to strip mine residents' private land. The court ruled in favor of the defendants because theBroad Form Deed did not recognize strip mining as a legal form of mining.[9]
According to theU.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 379 square miles (980 km2), of which 377 square miles (980 km2) is land and 2.8 square miles (7.3 km2) (0.7%) is water.[10] The eastern part of the county lies atop theCumberland Plateau, while the western portion is situated on theHighland Rim, at a lower elevation. The Plateau Escarpment is visible from much of the western part of the county.
TheCaney Fork, the county's primary drainage, flows across the southern portion of the county, and forms part the county's border withVan Buren,Warren andDeKalb. The river descends from the Cumberland Plateau to the Highland Rim throughScott's Gulf, a dramatic gorge noted for scenic waterfalls, most notably the 110-foot (34 m)Virgin Falls. The section of the Caney Fork in southern White County is part of Great Falls Lake, an artificial reservoir created byGreat Falls Dam atRock Island State Park. Downstream from this dam, the river enters a second reservoir,Center Hill Lake.
TheCalfkiller River, a tributary of the Caney Fork, flows through the central part of White County, and drains the county seat, Sparta. TheFalling Water River, also a tributary of the Caney Fork, flows through the northwestern part of the county, and forms part of the county's border withPutnam County. The Falling Water River is noted for its 136-foot (41 m) waterfall,Burgess Falls, which straddles the Putnam-White line.
White County also boasts over 1,200 documented caves (over 3.17 caves per square mile), which makes White County one of the most cave-dense regions in the world.[11]
The following counties are adjacent to White.[12]
Blue Spring Cave, located five miles northeast of Sparta, is the longest mapped cave in Tennessee and the tenth longest cave in the United States, with 38 miles (61 km) of passages. The footprints of extinct Pleistocene (Ice Age) jaguars were discovered in the cave in 1990 by Bill Walter.[13]
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1810 | 4,028 | — | |
| 1820 | 8,701 | 116.0% | |
| 1830 | 9,967 | 14.6% | |
| 1840 | 10,747 | 7.8% | |
| 1850 | 11,444 | 6.5% | |
| 1860 | 9,381 | −18.0% | |
| 1870 | 9,375 | −0.1% | |
| 1880 | 11,176 | 19.2% | |
| 1890 | 12,348 | 10.5% | |
| 1900 | 14,157 | 14.7% | |
| 1910 | 15,420 | 8.9% | |
| 1920 | 15,701 | 1.8% | |
| 1930 | 15,543 | −1.0% | |
| 1940 | 15,983 | 2.8% | |
| 1950 | 16,204 | 1.4% | |
| 1960 | 15,577 | −3.9% | |
| 1970 | 17,088 | 9.7% | |
| 1980 | 19,567 | 14.5% | |
| 1990 | 20,090 | 2.7% | |
| 2000 | 23,102 | 15.0% | |
| 2010 | 25,841 | 11.9% | |
| 2020 | 27,351 | 5.8% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[14] 1790-1960[15] 1900-1990[16] 1990-2000[17] 2010-2014[18] | |||
| Race | Number | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 24,833 | 90.79% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 405 | 1.48% |
| Native American | 75 | 0.27% |
| Asian | 132 | 0.48% |
| Pacific Islander | 10 | 0.04% |
| Other/Mixed | 1,160 | 4.24% |
| Hispanic orLatino | 736 | 2.69% |
As of the2020 census, the county had a population of 27,351 and the median age was 43.8 years; 21.9% of residents were under the age of 18 and 21.3% were 65 years of age or older, with 97.4 males for every 100 females and 95.3 males for every 100 females age 18 and over.[20]
The racial makeup of the county was 91.5%White, 1.5%Black or African American, 0.3%American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%Asian, <0.1%Native Hawaiian andPacific Islander, 0.8% from some other race, and 5.3% fromtwo or more races.Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 2.7% of the population.[21]
20.8% of residents lived in urban areas, while 79.2% lived in rural areas.[22]
There were 10,865 households in the county, of which 29.4% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 50.4% were married-couple households, 18.1% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 25.1% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 26.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[20]
There were 11,938 housing units, of which 9.0% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 76.7% were owner-occupied and 23.3% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.8% and the rental vacancy rate was 5.9%.[20]
As of thecensus[23] of 2000, there were 23,102 people, 9,229 households, and 6,774 families residing in the county. Thepopulation density was 61 people per square mile (24 people/km2). There were 10,191 housing units at an average density of 27 units per square mile (10/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 96.63%White, 1.64%Black orAfrican American, 0.20%Native American, 0.23%Asian, 0.05%Pacific Islander, 0.46% fromother races, and 0.79% from two or more races. 1.03% of the population wereHispanic orLatino of any race.
There were 9,229 households, out of which 30.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.50% weremarried couples living together, 10.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.60% were non-families. 23.40% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.80% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 2.90.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 23.50% under the age of 18, 7.90% from 18 to 24, 27.90% from 25 to 44, 25.40% from 45 to 64, and 15.30% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 96.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.40 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $29,383, and the median income for a family was $34,854. Males had a median income of $26,706 versus $20,346 for females. Theper capita income for the county was $14,791. About 11.20% of families and 14.30% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 16.90% of those under age 18 and 13.90% of those age 65 or over.
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1912 | 330 | 17.48% | 1,222 | 64.72% | 336 | 17.80% |
| 1916 | 587 | 28.94% | 1,407 | 69.38% | 34 | 1.68% |
| 1920 | 1,456 | 39.81% | 2,201 | 60.19% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1924 | 452 | 27.29% | 1,162 | 70.17% | 42 | 2.54% |
| 1928 | 776 | 43.26% | 1,018 | 56.74% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1932 | 390 | 16.66% | 1,938 | 82.79% | 13 | 0.56% |
| 1936 | 591 | 41.80% | 814 | 57.57% | 9 | 0.64% |
| 1940 | 657 | 22.44% | 2,256 | 77.05% | 15 | 0.51% |
| 1944 | 668 | 33.22% | 1,339 | 66.58% | 4 | 0.20% |
| 1948 | 635 | 23.68% | 1,719 | 64.09% | 328 | 12.23% |
| 1952 | 1,374 | 37.00% | 2,319 | 62.44% | 21 | 0.57% |
| 1956 | 1,346 | 35.81% | 2,378 | 63.26% | 35 | 0.93% |
| 1960 | 1,725 | 43.15% | 2,207 | 55.20% | 66 | 1.65% |
| 1964 | 1,199 | 28.64% | 2,987 | 71.36% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1968 | 1,423 | 29.91% | 1,584 | 33.30% | 1,750 | 36.79% |
| 1972 | 2,252 | 60.42% | 1,392 | 37.35% | 83 | 2.23% |
| 1976 | 1,382 | 26.01% | 3,874 | 72.90% | 58 | 1.09% |
| 1980 | 2,100 | 37.41% | 3,415 | 60.84% | 98 | 1.75% |
| 1984 | 2,895 | 48.59% | 3,033 | 50.91% | 30 | 0.50% |
| 1988 | 2,646 | 50.41% | 2,562 | 48.81% | 41 | 0.78% |
| 1992 | 2,118 | 29.94% | 4,102 | 57.99% | 854 | 12.07% |
| 1996 | 2,498 | 37.65% | 3,592 | 54.14% | 545 | 8.21% |
| 2000 | 3,525 | 45.34% | 4,135 | 53.18% | 115 | 1.48% |
| 2004 | 5,269 | 55.49% | 4,147 | 43.68% | 79 | 0.83% |
| 2008 | 6,103 | 63.26% | 3,372 | 34.95% | 172 | 1.78% |
| 2012 | 6,197 | 67.80% | 2,795 | 30.58% | 148 | 1.62% |
| 2016 | 7,671 | 78.08% | 1,845 | 18.78% | 309 | 3.15% |
| 2020 | 9,606 | 80.76% | 2,143 | 18.02% | 146 | 1.23% |
| 2024 | 10,717 | 82.88% | 2,105 | 16.28% | 109 | 0.84% |
Places adjacent to White County, Tennessee | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ||||||||||||||||
Municipalities and communities ofWhite County, Tennessee,United States | ||
|---|---|---|
| City |  | |
| Town | ||
| CDPs | ||
| Other communities | ||
35°56′N85°27′W / 35.93°N 85.45°W /35.93; -85.45
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
