Lewis County, Tennessee

Lewis County
County
Lewis County Courthouse, April 2014
Lewis County Courthouse, April 2014
Flag of Lewis County
Flag
Official seal of Lewis County
Seal
Map of Tennessee highlighting Lewis County
Location within the U.S. state of Tennessee
Map of the United States highlighting Tennessee
Tennessee's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 35°31′N 87°29′W / 35.52°N 87.49°W / 35.52; -87.49
Country United States
State Tennessee
FoundedDecember 23, 1843
Named forMeriwether Lewis[1]
SeatHohenwald
Largest cityHohenwald
Area
 • Total
282 sq mi (730 km2)
 • Land282 sq mi (730 km2)
 • Water0.4 sq mi (1 km2)  0.1%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total
12,582 Increase
 • Density43/sq mi (17/km2)
Time zoneUTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district5th
Websitewww.lewiscountytn.com

Lewis County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2020 census, the population was 12,582.[2] Its county seat is Hohenwald.[3] The county is named for explorer Meriwether Lewis, who died and was buried at Grinder's Stand near Hohenwald in 1809.

History

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Meriwether Lewis National Monument and Gravesite, April 2014.

Lewis County was formed in 1843 from parts of Perry, Hickman, Lawrence, Maury and Wayne counties.[1] It was named for explorer Meriwether Lewis of the Lewis and Clark Expedition.[4] Lewis's grave is located at the geographic center of the county. The bill for its creation was proposed by Powhatan Gordon in the Tennessee State Senate.[5]

On October 7, 2009, a ceremony was held at the cemetery to commemorate the bicentennial of Lewis's death. A bust of Lewis was presented to the National Park Service, which manages the site.[6]

Lewis County was the site of the Cane Creek Massacre.

Geography

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According to the U.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.[7]

Adjacent counties

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National protected area

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State protected areas

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  • Auntney Hollow State Natural Area
  • Devil's Backbone State Natural Area
  • Dry Branch State Natural Area
  • Hick Hill Wildlife Management Area
  • Langford Branch State Natural Area
  • Laurel Hill Wildlife Management Area
  • Lewis State Forest

Major highways

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Demographics

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Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
18504,438—
18602,241−49.5%
18701,986−11.4%
18802,1819.8%
18902,55517.1%
19004,45574.4%
19106,03335.4%
19205,707−5.4%
19305,258−7.9%
19405,84911.2%
19506,0783.9%
19606,2693.1%
19706,7617.8%
19809,70043.5%
19909,247−4.7%
200011,36722.9%
201012,1617.0%
202012,5823.5%
U.S. Decennial Census[8]
1790-1960[9] 1900-1990[10]
1990-2000[11] 2010-2014[12]
Age pyramid Lewis County[13]

2020 census

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Lewis County racial composition[14]
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 or Latino 326 2.59%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 12,582 people, 4,715 households, and 3,175 families residing in the county.

2000 census

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As of the census[15] of 2000, there were 11,367 people, 4,381 households, and 3,215 families residing in the county. The population 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 or African American, 0.20% Native American, 0.18% Asian, 0.29% from other races, and 0.80% from two or more races. 1.20% of the population were Hispanic or Latino 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% were married 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. The per capita income for the county was $14,664. About 10.30% of families and 13.40% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.60% of those under age 18 and 12.20% of those age 65 or over.

Communities

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City

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Census-designated place

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Unincorporated communities

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Politics

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United States presidential election results for Lewis County, Tennessee[16]
Year Republican Democratic Third party(ies)
No.  % No.  % No.  %
2024 4,852 82.38% 991 16.83% 47 0.80%
2020 4,474 79.76% 1,072 19.11% 63 1.12%
2016 3,585 77.56% 890 19.26% 147 3.18%
2012 3,117 66.40% 1,447 30.83% 130 2.77%
2008 2,951 61.05% 1,804 37.32% 79 1.63%
2004 2,819 55.78% 2,192 43.37% 43 0.85%
2000 2,037 46.09% 2,281 51.61% 102 2.31%
1996 1,298 36.08% 1,971 54.78% 329 9.14%
1992 1,218 29.34% 2,491 60.00% 443 10.67%
1988 1,324 47.95% 1,419 51.39% 18 0.65%
1984 1,733 52.42% 1,556 47.07% 17 0.51%
1980 1,076 32.52% 2,190 66.18% 43 1.30%
1976 617 20.32% 2,391 78.75% 28 0.92%
1972 1,056 46.98% 1,138 50.62% 54 2.40%
1968 455 17.91% 1,088 42.83% 997 39.25%
1964 388 15.84% 2,061 84.16% 0 0.00%
1960 580 25.09% 1,723 74.52% 9 0.39%
1956 522 28.16% 1,321 71.25% 11 0.59%
1952 540 29.05% 1,308 70.36% 11 0.59%
1948 381 23.29% 1,148 70.17% 107 6.54%
1944 252 20.88% 955 79.12% 0 0.00%
1940 368 21.45% 1,343 78.26% 5 0.29%
1936 331 23.66% 1,068 76.34% 0 0.00%
1932 137 14.64% 799 85.36% 0 0.00%
1928 269 39.39% 414 60.61% 0 0.00%
1924 191 36.31% 310 58.94% 25 4.75%
1920 446 52.29% 403 47.25% 4 0.47%
1916 414 51.30% 387 47.96% 6 0.74%
1912 126 19.50% 370 57.28% 150 23.22%
1908 354 43.12% 465 56.64% 2 0.24%
1904 220 33.54% 415 63.26% 21 3.20%
1900 202 33.44% 400 66.23% 2 0.33%
1896 204 38.27% 329 61.73% 0 0.00%
1892 95 26.24% 231 63.81% 36 9.94%
1888 132 33.93% 254 65.30% 3 0.77%
1884 64 23.36% 209 76.28% 1 0.36%
1880 37 15.55% 200 84.03% 1 0.42%
1876 12 5.50% 206 94.50% 0 0.00%
1872 34 20.36% 133 79.64% 0 0.00%
1868 33 100.00% 0 0.00% 0 0.00%
1860 8 2.64% 0 0.00% 295 97.36%
1856 0 0.00% 242 90.64% 25 9.36%
1852 43 18.78% 186 81.22% 0 0.00%

Historically, like all of secessionist Middle Tennessee, Lewis County was overwhelmingly Democratic. Although it did vote for Charles Evans Hughes in 1916 and Warren 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 both Hubert Humphrey in 1968 and George McGovern in 1972. Ronald Reagan broke this Democratic sequence with a 177-vote majority over Walter 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.[17]

Education

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The county is served by Lewis County High School.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b Marjorie Graves, "Lewis County," Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture. Retrieved: October 21, 2013.
  2. ^ "Census - Geography Profile: Lewis County, Tennessee". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 7, 2023.
  3. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  4. ^ Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. U.S. Government Printing Office. p. 185.
  5. ^ White, John A. (June 26, 1910). "Lewis. Awful Tragedy Connected With Name of the County". The Tennessean. p. 30. Retrieved September 28, 2016 – via Newspapers.com. 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.
  6. ^ "First National Memorial Service for Meriwether Lewis Archived July 12, 2011, at the Wayback Machine, August 21, 2009. Retrieved: October 21, 2013.
  7. ^ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Retrieved April 7, 2015.
  8. ^ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 7, 2015.
  9. ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved April 7, 2015.
  10. ^ Forstall, Richard L., ed. (March 27, 1995). "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 7, 2015.
  11. ^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. April 2, 2001. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 9, 2022. Retrieved April 7, 2015.
  12. ^ "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on June 7, 2011. Retrieved December 3, 2013.
  13. ^ Based on 2000 census data
  14. ^ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 27, 2021.
  15. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 14, 2011.
  16. ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved March 11, 2018.
  17. ^ Cohn, Nate; ‘Demographic Shift: Southern Whites’ Loyalty to G.O.P. Nearing That of Blacks to Democrats’, New York Times, April 24, 2014
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35°31′N 87°29′W / 35.52°N 87.49°W / 35.52; -87.49

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