Giles County, Tennessee
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Giles County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of 2000, the population was 29,447. Its county seat is Pulaski6.
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[edit] Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,583 km² (611 mi²). 1,582 km² (611 mi²) of it is land and 1 km² (0 mi²) of it (0.04%) is water.
[edit] Adjacent Counties
- Maury County (north)
- Marshall County (northeast)
- Lincoln County (east)
- Limestone County, Alabama (south)
- Lawrence County (west)
[edit] Demographics
As of the census² of 2000, there were 29,447 people, 11,713 households, and 8,363 families residing in the county. The population density was 19/km² (48/mi²). There were 13,113 housing units at an average density of 8/km² (22/mi²). The racial makeup of the county was 86.44% White, 11.80% Black or African American, 0.30% Native American, 0.35% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.21% from other races, and 0.89% from two or more races. 0.90% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 11,713 households out of which 31.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.80% were married couples living together, 11.90% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.60% were non-families. 25.70% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.20% 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 2.96.
In the county, the population was spread out with 24.50% under the age of 18, 8.30% from 18 to 24, 27.90% from 25 to 44, 24.80% from 45 to 64, and 14.50% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 94.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.20 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $34,824, and the median income for a family was $41,714. Males had a median income of $31,221 versus $22,221 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,543. About 9.00% of families and 11.70% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.50% of those under age 18 and 14.80% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] Local History
Giles County is named afer William Branch Giles who was Senator of Virginia and sponsored the admission of Tennessee as the sixteenth state into the Union. He also sponsored the building of the city and courthouse which has burned four times. The current courthouse was built in 1859 by the George Moore and Sons company. IT cost about thirty thousand dollars to complete. Though it stood through the Civil War it suffered many damages. One of Giles County's local heroes is James McCullam who served as Grandmaster of the Tennessee Masons, a member of the Confederate Congress and mayor. He lived in giles County for seventy years before dying.
[edit] Cities and towns
[edit] External links
[edit] Tragedies
On November 19, 1995, a school shooting occurred at Richland School in Giles County, when 17-year-old Jamie Rouse shot two teachers in the head, fatally wouding one, and also shot and wounded one 14-year-old student. The shooting was the first in a seeming epidemic of school shootings in the United States from 1995-1999.
