Fentress County, Tennessee

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Fentress County, Tennessee
Fentress County Courthouse in Jamestown
Location in the state of Tennessee
Tennessee's location in the U.S.
Founded	November 28, 1823
Named for	James Fentress, state legislator
Seat	Jamestown
Largest city	Jamestown
Area  - Total  - Land  - Water	499 sq mi (1,292 km²) 499 sq mi (1,292 km²) 0.3 sq mi (1 km²), 0.06%
Population  - (2020)  - Density	18,489 36/sq mi (14/km²)
Congressional district	6th
Time zone	Central: UTC-6/-5
Website	www.fentresscountytn.gov
Footnotes:

Fentress County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2020 census, the population was 18,489. Its county seat is Jamestown.

History

Pumping water by hand in 1942 from the sole water supply in this section of Wilder, Tennessee in Fentress County

Fentress County was formed on November 28, 1823, from portions of Morgan, Overton and White counties. The resulting county was named for James Fentress (1763–1843), who served as speaker of the state house, chairman of Montgomery County Court, and commissioner to select seats for Haywood, Carroll, Gibson and Weakley counties in West Tennessee.

Fentress County was the site of several saltpeter mines. Saltpeter is the main ingredient of gunpowder and was obtained by leaching the earth from local caves. The largest mine was in York Cave, near the Wolf River Post Office. At one time, twenty-five large leaching vats were in operation in this cave. According to Barr (1961) this cave was mined during the Civil War. Buffalo Cave near Jamestown was also a major mine with twelve leaching vats. Manson Saltpeter Cave in Big Indian Creek Valley was a smaller operation with four leaching vats. These caves may also have been mined during the War of 1812, as saltpeter mining was widespread in Kentucky and Tennessee during that era.

In the runup to the American Civil War, when Tennessee Governor Harris asked the State Legislature for a vote of secession, the two representatives from Fentress County (Reese T. Hildreth and R. H. Bledsoe) voted for Secession.

Alvin York (1887–1964), a hero at the Meuse-Argonne Offensive during World War I, was born and lived in Fentress County. He established the Alvin C. York Agricultural Institute in Jamestown in 1924. York's house and farm are part of Sgt. Alvin C. York State Historic Park in Pall Mall.

County Officials

County Executive: Jimmy Johnson
County Sheriff: Michael Reagon
County Register of Deeds: Trish Slaven
County Road Supervisor: Joey Reagan
County Property Assessor: Melynda Sullivan
County Trustee: Angie Sweet
Circuit Court Clerk: Gina Miller
County Clerk: Marylin Stephens
County Emergency Management Director: James Bilbrey
County 911 Director: Richard Cross
County Fire Chief: Scott King
County Emergency Services Director: Micah Dunford
County Finance Director: Tyler Arms
Clerk and Master: Linda Smith
Election Commission Director: Joey Williams
General Sessions Judge: Todd Burnett
Solid Waste Director: Michael Rick
Library Director: Donna Conatser

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 499 square miles (1,290 km²), of which 499 square miles (1,290 km²) is land and 0.3 square miles (0.78 km²) (0.06%) is water.

Fentress County includes part of Dale Hollow Reservoir and is drained by forks of the Obey and Cumberland Rivers.

The county is the easternmost county in the United States to observe Central Time.

Adjacent counties

Valley of the Three Forks near Pall Mall, with the Cumberland Plateau dominating the horizon

• Pickett County (north)
• Scott County (east/EST Border)
• Morgan County (southeast/EST Border)
• Cumberland County (south)
• Overton County (west)
• Putnam County (southwest)

National protected area

• Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area (part)

State protected areas

• Catoosa Wildlife Management Area (part)
• Colditz Cove State Natural Area
• Pickett State Forest (part)
• Pogue Creek Canyon State Natural Area
• Scott State Forest (part)
• Sgt. Alvin C. York State Historic Park
• Skinner Mountain Wildlife Management Area
• Twin Arches State Natural Area (part)

Demographics

Historical populations
Census	Pop.		%±
1830	2,748		—
1840	3,550		29.2%
1850	4,454		25.5%
1860	5,054		13.5%
1870	4,717		−6.7%
1880	5,941		25.9%
1890	5,226		−12.0%
1900	6,106		16.8%
1910	7,446		21.9%
1920	10,435		40.1%
1930	11,036		5.8%
1940	14,262		29.2%
1950	14,917		4.6%
1960	13,288		−10.9%
1970	12,593		−5.2%
1980	14,826		17.7%
1990	14,669		−1.1%
2000	16,625		13.3%
2010	17,958		8.0%
U.S. Decennial Census 1790-1960 1900-1990 1990-2000 2010-2020

Age pyramid Fentress County

2020 census

Fentress County racial composition

Race	Number	Percentage
White (non-Hispanic)	17,541	94.87%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic)	25	0.14%
Native American	26	0.14%
Asian	33	0.18%
Other/Mixed	548	2.96%
Hispanic or Latino	316	1.71%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 18,489 people, 7,443 households, and 4,929 families residing in the county.

2010 census

As of the 2010 census, there were 17,959 people, 7,326 households, and 4,818 families residing in the county. The population density was 36 people per square mile (13/km²). There were 8,927 housing units at an average density of 15 per square mile (6/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 98.1% White, 0.2% Black or African American, 0.2% Native American, 0.2% Asian, 0.4% from other races, and 0.9% from two or more races. 1.1% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

In the county's 7,326 households, 23.1% had children under the age of 18, 57.30% were married couples living together, 11.30% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.00% were non-families. 25.50% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 2.94.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 24.20% under the age of 18, 8.00% from 18 to 24, 28.10% from 25 to 44, 26.10% from 45 to 64, and 13.70% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 96.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.10 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $23,238, and the median income for a family was $28,856. Males had a median income of $23,606 versus $18,729 for females. The per capita income for the county was $12,999. 19.50% of families and 23.10% of the population were below the poverty line, including 27.80% of those under age 18 and 20.50% of those over age 64.

Communities

Cities

• Allardt
• Jamestown

Census-designated places

• Clarkrange
• Grimsley

Unincorporated communities

• Armathwaite
• Banner Springs
• Forbus
• Pall Mall
• Sharp Place
• Wilder
• Zenith

Politics

Fentress County has been heavily Republican since the Civil War. Since then, only two Democrats, Southerners Jimmy Carter in 1976 and Bill Clinton in 1992 and 1996 have carried Fentress County. Since 2000, the county has shifted further and further to the right.

United States presidential election results for Fentress County, Tennessee

Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party
	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2020	7,441	85.24%	1,214	13.91%	74	0.85%
2016	6,038	82.34%	1,100	15.00%	195	2.66%
2012	5,243	76.04%	1,561	22.64%	91	1.32%
2008	4,789	71.06%	1,831	27.17%	119	1.77%
2004	4,293	64.07%	2,371	35.39%	36	0.54%
2000	3,417	56.68%	2,529	41.95%	83	1.38%
1996	2,307	45.63%	2,332	46.12%	417	8.25%
1992	2,391	41.52%	2,730	47.40%	638	11.08%
1988	3,103	62.16%	1,856	37.18%	33	0.66%
1984	2,922	62.18%	1,755	37.35%	22	0.47%
1980	2,493	60.76%	1,543	37.61%	67	1.63%
1976	1,767	47.02%	1,953	51.97%	38	1.01%
1972	2,154	75.50%	665	23.31%	34	1.19%
1968	2,026	57.80%	671	19.14%	808	23.05%
1964	1,969	55.95%	1,550	44.05%	0	0.00%
1960	2,726	71.89%	1,014	26.74%	52	1.37%
1956	2,233	69.52%	934	29.08%	45	1.40%
1952	2,143	69.65%	934	30.35%	0	0.00%
1948	1,587	60.25%	962	36.52%	85	3.23%
1944	1,696	71.38%	657	27.65%	23	0.97%
1940	1,365	58.91%	919	39.66%	33	1.42%
1936	1,299	61.53%	743	35.20%	69	3.27%
1932	1,383	56.31%	961	39.13%	112	4.56%
1928	1,398	77.97%	375	20.91%	20	1.12%
1924	1,197	70.16%	420	24.62%	89	5.22%
1920	1,808	71.66%	694	27.51%	21	0.83%
1916	925	70.08%	348	26.36%	47	3.56%
1912	444	37.60%	399	33.78%	338	28.62%
1908	894	72.56%	332	26.95%	6	0.49%
1904	724	72.18%	278	27.72%	1	0.10%
1900	782	70.90%	320	29.01%	1	0.09%
1896	798	72.02%	301	27.17%	9	0.81%
1892	525	58.53%	223	24.86%	149	16.61%
1888	602	70.33%	249	29.09%	5	0.58%
1884	454	67.36%	220	32.64%	0	0.00%
1880	511	61.94%	314	38.06%	0	0.00%

See also

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Fentress County, Tennessee

Further reading

• Duke, Jason. Tennessee Coal Mining, Railroading & Logging in Cumberland, Fentress, Overton & Putnam. Nashville: Turner Publishing (2004). ISBN 1-56311-932-3
• Hogue, Albert R. History of Fentress County, Tennessee. Santa Maria: Janaway Publishing (2010). ISBN 1-59641-220-8
• Hogue, Albert R. History of Fentress County, Tennessee; The Old Home of Mark Twain's Ancestors. Memphis: General Books (2010). ISBN 1-150-82647-9

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Fentress County, Tennessee

• [http:// Official website]
• Fentress County Chamber of Commerce
• Fentress County Schools
• Fentress County, TNGenWeb – genealogy resources
• Fentress County Landforms
• Fentress County at Curlie

Template:Fentress County, Tennessee