| Brownsville, Tennessee | |
|---|---|
| — City — | |
| Location of Brownsville, Tennessee | |
| Coordinates: | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Tennessee |
| County | Haywood |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Jo Matherne |
| Area | |
| • Total | 9.1 sq mi (23.6 km2) |
| • Land | 9.1 sq mi (23.6 km2) |
| • Water | 0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2) |
| Elevation | 390 ft (119 m) |
| Population (2000) | |
| • Total | 10,748 |
| • Density | 1,178.1/sq mi (454.9/km2) |
| Time zone | Central (CST) (UTC-6) |
| • Summer (DST) | CDT (UTC-5) |
| ZIP code | 38012 |
| Area code(s) | 731 |
| FIPS code | 47-08920[1] |
| GNIS feature ID | 1278634[2] |
Brownsville is a city in Haywood County, Tennessee, United States. It is the county seat of Haywood County[3]. The city is named after Jacob Jennings Brown, an officer who served during The War of 1812.[4]
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According to the United States Census Bureau, Brownsville has a total area of 9.1 square miles (24 km2), all land.
Brownsville is situated on the southeastern edge of the New Madrid Seismic Zone, an area with a high earthquake risk.
The Hatchie River runs through Brownsville. It is the longest free-flowing tributary of the lower Mississippi, and contains the largest forested floodplain in Tennessee. The river is home to hundreds of species of fish, including 11 species of catfish, and the alligator snapping turtle. The Hatchie River was named by the Nature Conservancy as one of the "great places" to save. The Hatchie is also designated as a "scenic river" under the Tennessee Wild and Scenic Rivers Act.[5]
As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 10,748 people, 4,105 households, and 2,865 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,178.1 people per square mile (455.0/km²). There were 4,372 housing units at an average density of 479.2 per square mile (185.1/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 36.52% White, 60.72% African American, 0.14% Native American, 0.10% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 1.83% from other races, and 0.61% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.61% of the population.
There were 4,105 households out of which 35.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.8% were married couples living together, 27.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.2% were non-families. 27.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.58 and the average family size was 3.11.
In the city the population was spread out with 29.5% under the age of 18, 10.4% from 18 to 24, 27.1% from 25 to 44, 19.4% from 45 to 64, and 13.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 80.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 73.3 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $27,276, and the median income for a family was $33,782. Males had a median income of $30,313 versus $22,030 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,217. About 18.0% of families and 21.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 26.3% of those under age 18 and 27.0% of those age 65 or over.
The city is named after Jacob Jennings Brown, an officer who served during The War of 1812.[4]
Brownsville's synagogue, Temple Adas Israel, was built in 1882 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The building is believed to be the oldest synagogue in Tennessee,[6] and is a rare example of a synagogue built in the Gothic Revival style.[7]
Blues singer and guitarist Sleepy John Estes (January 25, 1899 - June 5, 1977) was born in Ripley (Nutbush) and later moved to Brownsville in 1915.[8][9]
Yank Rachell, blues artist and mandolin player, was born in Brownsville in the early 1900s. He recorded, toured Europe, Japan and shortly before his death in 1997 returned to Brownsville to perform Jug Band recordings with "Lovin' Spoonful" fame, John Sabastian and the J-Band.[10]
In the song Delta Dawn (recorded by Tanya Tucker and others), the lyric "All the folks around Brownsville say she's crazy" is a reference to Brownsville, Tennessee. Credit for the writing of the song is given to songwriter Alex Harvey and former child rockabilly star Larry Collins.
According to a 1990's interview with singer Tina Turner's mother, Zelma Bullock, singer Tina Turner was born as Anna Mae Bullock in a sharecroppers cabin in Nutbush, Tennessee on Nov. 26, 1939. Her father was farm overseer. She spent her childhood in the Knoxville area, Nutbush, Ripley and Brownsville until age 16.[10][11]
“The Mindfield” is the creation and life’s work of Brownsville artist Billy Tripp. The structure was begun in 1989 and will continue to evolve until Billy’s death, at which point it will become the site of his interment. Included in the network of steel are individual pieces representing various events and periods of Billy’s life, especially the death of his father, Rev. Charles Tripp, in 2002. One of the latest additions, a water tower salvaged from a defunct factory in Western Kentucky, was dismantled, transported to Brownsville, and reconstructed single-handedly by the artist. It now stands as a memorial to Billy’s parents as well as a testimonial to his current life, his belief in the inherent beauty of our world, and the importance of tolerance in our communities and governmental systems.
Billy’s book, The Mindfield Years, is a further representation of his life told through the voices of three main characters and their efforts to find meaning, purpose, and contentment in the existence to which they were born. Written in stream of consciousness style, the novel contains elements of short story, poetry, philosophy, and psychology intermingled into a multi-layered yet deceptively simple tale. Billy is currently at work on volume two of this series, his “Goodbye”, and volume three, which is yet to be titled.
“There…is no one to relinquish tonight;
there is nothing to give up.
I…have seen the stars, and the moon, and now
I hear music. There are crickets creaking.
There are dark outlines of trees against the sky,
but the sky goes on; I have seen the heavens, and now
I can see forever; perhaps, it is all there;
perhaps, it is here. Tonight, I do not believe I will
leave anything, I will take it all, even then and tomorrow.
I shall live, and, the night, the day, is all;
I will become the Heavens; the Earth; I will not
give it up,
just quite---,
…not yet.”
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