Sparta, Tennessee

Sparta, Tennessee
City
White County Courthouse in Sparta
Nickname(s): Bluegrass USA
Location of Sparta, Tennessee
Coordinates: 35°55′56″N 85°28′11″W / 35.93222°N 85.46972°W / 35.93222; -85.46972Coordinates: 35°55′56″N 85°28′11″W / 35.93222°N 85.46972°W / 35.93222; -85.46972
Country	United States
State	Tennessee
County	White
Founded	1809[1]
Incorporated	1813[1]
Named for	Sparta, Greece
Government
• Mayor	Jeff Young
Area
• Total	6.3 sq mi (16.4 km2)
• Land	6.3 sq mi (16.4 km2)
• Water	0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2)
Elevation	922 ft (281 m)
Population (2000)
• Total	4,599
• Density	725.2/sq mi (280.0/km2)
Time zone	Central (CST) (UTC-6)
• Summer (DST)	CDT (UTC-5)
ZIP code	38583
Area code(s)	931
FIPS code	47-70180[2]
GNIS feature ID	1269179[3]
Website	http://spartatn.com/

Sparta is a city in White County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 4,599 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of White County^[4].

The Calfkiller River flows through the community.

Seven sites in Sparta are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

History

Sparta was established in 1809 as a county seat for White County, which had been created in 1806. The city was named after the ancient Greek city-state Sparta.^[5]

The Sparta Rock House

Sparta nearly became the capital of the state of Tennessee, as, early in the history of Tennessee, the state legislature voted to choose a location for the permanent state capital. The final vote resulted in a near tie between Sparta and Nashville. Sparta lost to Nashville by one vote.^[5]

Sparta grew quickly due to its location along the stage road between Knoxville and Nashville. In the 1830s, brothers Barlow and Madison Fisk built the Sparta Rock House, which served as an inn along the stage road. The Rock House, strategically situated in an area where the Cumberland Plateau gives way to the Calfkiller valley, was a common stopover for figures important to the early history of the state, including Andrew Jackson and Sam Houston.^[6] The building is now a state historic site and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Sparta in notable as a place where two renowned airmen lost their lives. Hawthorne C. Gray, an aviation record holder, died in a balloon-basket mishap over Sparta in 1927, and Lansing Holden, a World War I flying ace, crashed his plane near Sparta in 1938.

Geography

Sparta is located at 35°55′56″N 85°28′11″W / 35.93222°N 85.46972°W / 35.93222; -85.46972 (35.932335, -85.469837)^[7], approximately fifteen miles south of Cookeville. The city is situated on the Highland Rim, near the base of the western escarpment of the Cumberland Plateau. The Calfkiller River traverses Sparta north-to-south en route to its confluence with the Caney Fork several miles to the south.

Sparta is centered just east of the junction of U.S. Route 70, which connects Sparta with Knoxville to the east and Nashville to the west, and State Route 111, which connects Sparta with Kentucky to the north and Chattanooga to the south. The Upper Cumberland Regional Airport is 11 mi (18 km) north of Sparta.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 6.3 square miles (16 km²), all land.

Demographics

As of the census^[2] of 2000, there were 4,599 people, 1,952 households, and 1,270 families residing in the city. The population density was 725.2 people per square mile (280.1/km²). There were 2,192 housing units at an average density of 345.7 per square mile (133.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 91.82% White, 5.28% African American, 0.20% Native American, 0.65% Asian, 0.13% Pacific Islander, 0.67% from other races, and 1.24% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.15% of the population.

There were 1,952 households out of which 27.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.7% were married couples living together, 17.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.9% were non-families. 32.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 17.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.24 and the average family size was 2.81.

In the city the population was spread out with 21.8% under the age of 18, 7.7% from 18 to 24, 25.0% from 25 to 44, 22.9% from 45 to 64, and 22.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 85.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 77.7 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $23,775, and the median income for a family was $33,060. Males had a median income of $26,970 versus $20,295 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,340. About 16.2% of families and 21.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 30.3% of those under age 18 and 14.3% of those age 65 or over.

Notable people

Lester Flatt Memorial in Sparta

• Foster V. Brown, U.S. Representatives from Tennessee.^[10]
• David Culley, assistant head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs.^[11]
• John D. Defrees, newspaperman and politician.
• George Gibbs Dibrell, U.S. Representatives from Tennessee.^[10]
• Dale Farley, American football player.
• The Features, Indie rock band featuring locals Don Sergio and Parrish Yaw.^[12]
• Lester Flatt, bluegrass musician in the Foggy Mountain Boys.
• John C. Floyd, U.S. Representative from Arkansas.^[13]
• Erasmus Lee Gardenhire, politician and judge who served in the Confederate States Congress, and Tennessee House of Representatives; lived his adult life in Sparta.^[14]
• Kellie Harper, head coach of the Missouri State University Lady Bears; grew up in Sparta.^[15]
• Benny Martin, bluegrass musician who invented the eight string fiddle.^[16]
• Tom Rogers, baseball player.
• Alicia Selby, 2003 Miss Tennessee Teen USA.
• Charles Edward Snodgrass, U.S. Representatives from Tennessee; uncle of Henry C. Snodgrass.^[17]
• Henry C. Snodgrass, U.S. Representatives from Tennessee.^[18]
• Lefty Stewart, professional baseball pitcher.^[19]
• James W. Throckmorton, 12th Governor of Texas.^[20]

References

External links

• City of Sparta - Official Website
• Sparta - White County Chamber of Commerce
• White County High School
• White County Sheriff's Office
• Sparta Expositor Official Site
• White County Elections Office

v t e Municipalities and communities of White County, Tennessee, United States County seat: Sparta City Sparta Town Doyle Unincorporated communities Macedonia Quebeck Ravenscroft Shady Grove Walling