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Bledsoe County, Tennessee
Bledsoe-County-Courthouse-tn2
Bledsoe County Courthouse in Pikeville
Seal of Bledsoe County, Tennessee
Seal
Map of Tennessee highlighting Bledsoe County
Location in the state of Tennessee
Map of the U.S
Tennessee's location in the U.S.
Founded 1807
Named for Anthony Bledsoe[1]
Seat Pikeville
Largest city Pikeville
Area
 - Total
 - Land
 - Water

407 sq mi (1,054 km²)
406 sq mi (1,052 km²)
0.3 sq mi (1 km²), 0.08%
Population
 - (2020)
 - Density

14,913 increase
36.73/sq mi (14/km²)
Congressional district 4th
Time zone Central: UTC-6/-5

Bledsoe County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2020 census, the population was 14,913.[2] Its county seat is Pikeville.[3]

History[]

Bledsoe County was formed in 1807 from land that was formerly Indian Land as well as land carved from Roane County. The county was named for Anthony Bledsoe (1739–1788), a soldier in the Revolutionary War and was an early settler of Sumner County. He was killed in an Indian attack at Bledsoe's Station.[4]

Like many East Tennessee counties, Bledsoe County opposed secession on the eve of the Civil War. In Tennessee's Ordinance of Secession on June 8, 1861, the county's residents voted against secession by a margin of 500 to 197.[5] General James G. Spears, a resident of Bledsoe, served as a vice president at the pro-Union East Tennessee Convention in May and June 1861, and fought for the Union Army in the war.[6]

Geography[]

Bledsoe-County-from-Edmons-tn1

Northern Bledsoe County, with the Cumberland Plateau on the horizon

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 407 square miles (1,050 km2), of which 406 square miles (1,050 km2) is land and 0.3 square miles (0.78 km2) (0.08%) is water.[7]

Adjacent counties[]

State protected areas[]

  • Bledsoe State Forest (part)
  • Fall Creek Falls State Natural Area (part)
  • Fall Creek Falls State Park (part)

Demographics[]

Historical populations
Census Pop.
1820 4,005
1830 4,648 16.1%
1840 5,676 22.1%
1850 5,959 5.0%
1860 4,459 −25.2%
1870 4,870 9.2%
1880 5,617 15.3%
1890 6,134 9.2%
1900 6,626 8.0%
1910 6,329 −4.5%
1920 7,218 14.0%
1930 7,128 −1.2%
1940 8,358 17.3%
1950 8,561 2.4%
1960 7,811 −8.8%
1970 7,643 −2.2%
1980 9,478 24.0%
1990 9,669 2.0%
2000 12,367 27.9%
2010 12,876 4.1%
U.S. Decennial Census[8]
1790-1960[9] 1900-1990[10]
1990-2000[11] 2010-2020[2]
USA Bledsoe County, Tennessee

Age pyramid Bledsoe County[12]

2020 census[]

Bledsoe County racial composition[13]
Race Number Percentage
White (non-Hispanic) 13,129 88.04%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic) 781 5.24%
Native American 48 0.32%
Asian 37 0.25%
Other/Mixed 459 3.08%
Hispanic or Latino 459 3.08%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 14,913 people, 4,894 households, and 3,473 families residing in the county.

2000 census[]

As of the census[14] of 2000, there were 12,367 people, 4,430 households, and 3,313 families residing in the county. The population density was 30 people per square mile (12/km2). There were 5,142 housing units at an average density of 13 per square mile (5/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 94.44% White, 3.70% Black or African American, 0.38% Native American, 0.11% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.19% from other races, and 1.15% from two or more races. 1.12% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 4,430 households, out of which 31.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.50% were married couples living together, 9.10% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.20% were non-families. 22.10% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.20% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 2.94.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 23.10% under the age of 18, 8.40% from 18 to 24, 31.30% from 25 to 44, 25.80% from 45 to 64, and 11.40% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 121.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 121.30 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $28,982, and the median income for a family was $34,593. Males had a median income of $26,648 versus $20,639 for females. The per capita income for the county was $13,889. About 14.90% of families and 18.10% of the population were below the poverty line, including 21.00% of those under age 18 and 23.20% of those age 65 or over.

Recreation[]

Bledsoe County is home to a portion of Fall Creek Falls State Resort Park.

Prisons[]

Bledsoe County Correctional Complex (BCCX) covers about 2,500 acres between Pikeville and Spencer. The prison is a level 3 facility which houses about 2,539 offenders in three separate facilities: Site 1; Site 2 (formerly Southeast Tennessee State Regional Correctional Facility); and Unit 28 (houses female offenders.)[15]

Communities[]

City[]

Bellview-school-bledsoe-tn1

Old Bellview School in northwestern Bledsoe County

  • Pikeville (county seat)

Unincorporated communities[]

  • Cold Spring
  • Dill
  • Lees Station
  • Lusk
  • Melvine
  • Mount Crest
  • New Harmony
  • Pailo
  • Summer City
  • Tiptop, Tennessee

Politics[]

Bledsoe County has long been a Republican stronghold, although it was not historically as Republican as the counties to its northeast. The last Democrat to carry this county was Bill Clinton in 1992. In 1988, it was one of two counties that didn't vote for Democratic Senator Jim Sasser, but two years later, it backed Governor Ned McWherter.[16][17]

United States presidential election results for Bledsoe County, Tennessee[18]
Year Republican Democratic Third party
No.  % No.  % No.  %
2020 4,725 82.06% 971 16.86% 62 1.08%
2016 3,622 77.66% 897 19.23% 145 3.11%
2012 3,022 69.33% 1,267 29.07% 70 1.61%
2008 3,166 66.18% 1,517 31.71% 101 2.11%
2004 2,849 59.24% 1,927 40.07% 33 0.69%
2000 2,380 56.72% 1,756 41.85% 60 1.43%
1996 1,626 46.04% 1,621 45.89% 285 8.07%
1992 1,776 44.20% 1,884 46.89% 358 8.91%
1988 1,858 59.04% 1,274 40.48% 15 0.48%
1984 1,950 59.34% 1,316 40.05% 20 0.61%
1980 1,970 54.94% 1,585 44.20% 31 0.86%
1976 1,620 47.63% 1,757 51.66% 24 0.71%
1972 1,952 65.90% 899 30.35% 111 3.75%
1968 1,477 46.65% 957 30.23% 732 23.12%
1964 1,431 50.33% 1,412 49.67% 0 0.00%
1960 1,439 58.69% 981 40.01% 32 1.31%
1956 1,429 56.57% 1,079 42.72% 18 0.71%
1952 1,229 50.85% 1,158 47.91% 30 1.24%
1948 1,103 49.07% 1,092 48.58% 53 2.36%
1944 1,187 59.89% 795 40.11% 0 0.00%
1940 1,317 46.31% 1,527 53.69% 0 0.00%
1936 1,178 48.70% 1,218 50.35% 23 0.95%
1932 960 48.14% 1,034 51.86% 0 0.00%
1928 901 60.11% 598 39.89% 0 0.00%
1924 690 58.28% 485 40.96% 9 0.76%
1920 1,198 71.31% 482 28.69% 0 0.00%
1916 681 61.68% 423 38.32% 0 0.00%
1912 379 30.22% 464 37.00% 411 32.78%
1908 425 58.70% 295 40.75% 4 0.55%
1904 718 57.35% 534 42.65% 0 0.00%
1900 734 59.43% 498 40.32% 3 0.24%
1896 785 61.57% 478 37.49% 12 0.94%
1892 720 58.11% 505 40.76% 14 1.13%
1888 653 57.53% 482 42.47% 0 0.00%
1884 572 57.89% 416 42.11% 0 0.00%
1880 484 55.82% 372 42.91% 11 1.27%



See also[]

  • National Register of Historic Places listings in Bledsoe County, Tennessee
  • USS Bledsoe County (LST-356)

References[]

  1. ^ Elizabeth Robnett, "Bledsoe County," Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture. Retrieved: 31 March 2013.
  2. ^ a b "Bledsoe County, Tennessee". United States Census Bureau. https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/bledsoecountytennessee/. 
  3. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx. 
  4. ^ Origins Of Tennessee County Names, Tennessee Blue Book 2005-2006, pages 508-513
  5. ^ Oliver Perry Temple, East Tennessee and the Civil War (R. Clarke Company, 1899), p. 199.
  6. ^ Oliver Perry Temple, Mary Boyce Temple (ed.), "General James G. Spears," Notable Men of Tennessee (Cosmopolitan Press, 1912), pp. 186-190.
  7. ^ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. http://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/counties_list_47.txt. 
  8. ^ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html. 
  9. ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. http://mapserver.lib.virginia.edu. 
  10. ^ Forstall, Richard L., ed (March 27, 1995). "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. https://www.census.gov/population/cencounts/tn190090.txt. 
  11. ^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000". United States Census Bureau. April 2, 2001. https://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/briefs/phc-t4/tables/tab02.pdf. 
  12. ^ Based on 2000 census data
  13. ^ "Explore Census Data". https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?g=0500000US47007&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2. 
  14. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. https://www.census.gov. 
  15. ^ See "Bledsoe County Correctional Complex" (2020)
  16. ^ "1988 Senatorial General Election Results - Tennessee". https://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/state.php?fips=47&year=1988&f=0&off=3&elect=0. 
  17. ^ "1990 Gubernatorial General Election Results - Tennessee". https://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/state.php?fips=47&year=1990&f=0&off=5&elect=0. 
  18. ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS. 

External links[]

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Template:Bledsoe County, Tennessee

Coordinates: 35°36′N 85°13′W / 35.60, -85.21

This page uses content from the English language Wikipedia. The original content was at Bledsoe County, Tennessee. The list of authors can be seen in the page history. As with this Familypedia wiki, the content of Wikipedia is available under the Creative Commons License.
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