White County, Tennessee

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White County, Tennessee
Map
Location in the state of Tennessee
Tennessee's location in the U.S.
Statistics
Founded	September 11, 1806
Seat	Sparta
Largest city	Sparta
Area - Total - Land - Water	379 sq mi (983 km²) 377 sq mi (975 km²) 3 sq mi (7 km²), .74%
Population - (2000) - Density	23,102 61/sq mi (24/km²)
Time zone	Central: UTC-6/-5
Website: www.sparta-chamber.net
White County Courthouse in Sparta, TN

White County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of 2000, the population was 23,102. Its county seat is Sparta.^[1]

1 History
2 Geography
3 Demographics
4 Cities and towns
- 4.1 Cities and towns
- 4.2 Unincorporated communities
5 Education
- 5.1 Public schools
- 5.2 Private schools
6 Local culture
7 Notable residents
8 References
9 External links

[edit] History

On September 11, 1806, an act of the Tennessee General Assembly created White County out of Smith and Jackson 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 and Warren Counties, as well as parts of modern Cannon, Coffee, DeKalb, Franklin, Grundy, Putnam, and Van Buren counties.^[2]

The origin of the county name is in dispute. The county is officially and widely held to be named for John White (1751-1846), a Revolutionary War soldier, surveyor, and frontiersman who was the first known white settler of the area. White had moved his family to the Cumberland Mountains from Virginia in 1789.^[2] However, some historians instead suggest that the county was named for Revolutionary War General James White, founder of Knoxville.^[2]

A temporary county seat was established near Rock Island, now in Warren County. Three years later a permanent county seat was established on the banks of the Calfkiller River and named Sparta.

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, a part of the Cumberland Plateau. The hotel was located near some mineral springs as well as being at a high altitude, both thought to be health-bringing, and those with ailments came from far and wide to partake of the "cures" advertised by the resort. During this time, the Tennessee Supreme Court (including then-Judge Andrew Jackson) often met in Sparta, and the town was even considered by the Legislature as a potential site for the state capital, narrowly losing out to Nashville.

The Civil War impacted White County heavily, even though no major battles were fought in the area. Being on the border between the pro-Union East Tennessee and pro-Confederate Middle Tennessee, the county was the scene of bloodshed from partisans (called "bushwhackers") of both sides. One famous Confederate guerrilla was Champ Ferguson, who caused much mayhem and destruction before he was arrested on May 28, 1865. During the War, White County provided the Confederacy with 19 companies, and the Federals with one.

Over the following decades, White County slowly rebuilt from the ashes of war. The county was connected to the outside world by railroad, mainly because of the booming coal mining industries being started on Bon Air Mountain. The mountain was rich in bituminous 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, including Bon Air, Eastland, and Ravenscroft. The coal mining industry employed thousands of White County men for decades, but as the 20th century went on, the mines started to close and the people started to move away, and the industry had vanished by the time of World War II.

[edit] Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 379 square miles (983 km²), of which, 377 square miles (975 km²) of it is land and 3 square miles (7 km²) of it (0.74%) is water.

[edit] Geographic features

[edit] Major highways

U.S. Highway 70
State Highway 26
State Highway 84
State Highway 111
State Highway 135
State Highway 136
State Highway 285
State Highway 289

[edit] Adjacent counties

Putnam County (North)
Cumberland County (East)
Bledsoe County (Southeast)
Van Buren County (South)
Warren County (Southwest)
DeKalb County (West)

[edit] Demographics

Age pyramid White County^[3]

As of the census^[4] of 2000, there were 23,102 people, 9,229 households, and 6,774 families residing in the county. The population density was 61 people per square mile (24/km²). There were 10,191 housing units at an average density of 27 per square mile (10/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 96.63% White, 1.64% Black or African American, 0.20% Native American, 0.23% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 0.46% from other races, and 0.79% from two or more races. 1.03% of the population were Hispanic or Latino 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% were married 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. The per capita income for the county was $14,791. About 11.20% of families and 14.30% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.90% of those under age 18 and 13.90% of those age 65 or over.

[edit] Cities and towns

Doyle
Sparta

[edit] Unincorporated communities

Bon Air
Cassville
DeRossett
Quebeck
Ravenscroft
Walling

[edit] Education

[edit] Public schools

White County High School
White County Middle School
BonDeCroft Elementary School
Cassville Elementary School
Central View Elementary School
Doyle Elementary School
Findlay Elementary School
Northfield Elementary School
Woodland Park Elementary School

[edit] Private schools

Heritage Christian Academy

[edit] Local culture

Like many rural areas, White County has developed a few unique cultural features. One prominent feature is the term "yert," the use of which is believed to be solely found in White County residents and former residents. It is used primarily as a form of greeting, but sometimes is used to show elation or as a euphemism for other four letter words. "Yert" is usually accompanied by a motion of the arm that resembles the act of pulling a tractor-trailer horn. The origin of the term is not known.

[edit] Notable residents

Black Fox - Cherokee chief
George Gibbs Dibrell - Confederate General 8th TN Cavalry; successor to Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest's Brigade; Escorted President Jefferson Davis from Greensboro, NC to Washington, GA after the fall of Richmond
Champ Ferguson - Confederate guerilla
Lester Flatt - Bluegrass legend
Kellie Harper - women's basketball head coach at Western Carolina University
Benny Martin - Bluegrass Legend; invented the eight string fiddle
Tommy Morrison - former world heavyweight boxing champion
Carl Rowan - journalist, author, U.S. Ambassador to Finland
Troy D. Smith - author, historian, Spur Award winner 2001, Medicine Pipe Bearer's Award finalist
Earl Webb - Major League Baseball record holder for most doubles in a season