Bell Buckle, Tennessee

Bell Buckle, Tennessee
Town
Downtown Bell Buckle
Location of Bell Buckle in Bedford County, Tennessee.
Coordinates: 35°35′27″N86°21′15″W / 35.59083°N 86.35417°W / 35.59083; -86.35417
Country	United States
State	Tennessee
County	Bedford
Government
Area [1]
• Total	0.51 sq mi (1.32 km2)
• Land	0.51 sq mi (1.32 km2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation	856 ft (261 m)
Population  (2020) [2]
• Total	410
• Density	803.92/sq mi (310.61/km2)
Time zone	UTC-6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code	37020
Area code	931
FIPS code	47-04460 [3]
GNIS feature ID	1276910 [4]
Website	townofbellbuckle.com

Bell Buckle is a town in Bedford County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 410 at the 2020 census. ^[5] The downtown area is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the Bell Buckle Historic District.

History

The origin of the town's unusual name is not known. According to the local chamber of commerce, one story says that one of the first white men to travel through the area found a tree with carvings of a cowbell and a buckle, possibly carved by Indians to warn white settlers away, or possibly carved by surveyors to mark the area as good pasture. Another form of the legend holds that a bell and buckle were tied around a tree. In any case, the nearby creek was named Bell Buckle Creek, and the town later took the name of the creek. ^[6]

The Bell Buckle area was settled in the early 19th century. A bustling town grew up after the Nashville and Chattanooga Railroad came through the area in 1852. A railroad depot was built in 1853, and the town was incorporated in 1856. Bell Buckle had its period of greatest prosperity after about 1870, becoming the major stockyard between Nashville and Chattanooga and growing to a population of more than 1,000. ^[6]

The town name was spelled Belle Buckle until the early 1900s, as that was the spelling by the post office and on cancellation devices (1896), by the Nashville, Chattanooga and St. Louis Railway on its 1903 route map, ^[7] and on the sign on an undated photo of the train station. It is not known exactly when the spelling was changed to Bell Buckle, but it was sometime before 1935 when Tennessee started issuing delayed birth certificates for residents who needed them to apply for Social Security.

In June 1940, US Army maneuvers centered on the area. A tank of General George S. Patton's Second Armored Division ran into the two-story town hall, bringing the building down. ^[8]

Geography

Bell Buckle is located in northeastern Bedford County at 35°35′27″N86°21′15″W / 35.59083°N 86.35417°W / 35.59083; -86.35417 (35.590749, -86.354047). ^[9] Tennessee State Routes 82 and 269 cross at the town's center. TN 82 leads east 8 miles (13 km) to Beechgrove and Interstate 24, and west 5 miles (8 km) to U.S. Route 231 at a point 7 miles (11 km) north of Shelbyville, the county seat. TN 269 leads south 5 miles (8 km) to Wartrace and north 11 miles (18 km) to U.S. 231 near Christiana.

According to the United States Census Bureau, Bell Buckle has a total area of 0.58 square miles (1.5 km²), all land. ^[5]

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1880	298		—
1890	715		139.9%
1900	665		−7.0%
1910	466		−29.9%
1920	471		1.1%
1930	378		−19.7%
1940	355		−6.1%
1950	341		−3.9%
1960	318		−6.7%
1970	393		23.6%
1980	450		14.5%
1990	326		−27.6%
2000	391		19.9%
2010	500		27.9%
2020	410		−18.0%
Sources: [10] [11] [2]

As of the census ^[3] of 2000, there were 391 people, 167 households, and 105 families residing in the town. The population density was 813.6 inhabitants per square mile (314.1/km²). There were 183 housing units at an average density of 380.8 per square mile (147.0/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.95% White and 2.05% African American.

There were 167 households, out of which 25.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.9% were married couples living together, 9.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.1% were non-families. 35.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.2% 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 2.91.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 19.7% under the age of 18, 9.5% from 18 to 24, 26.1% from 25 to 44, 28.1% from 45 to 64, and 16.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 109.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 107.9 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $27,188, and the median income for a family was $40,000. Males had a median income of $30,417 versus $15,556 for females. The per capita income for the town was $16,235. About 8.2% of families and 15.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.4% of those under age 18 and 18.3% of those age 65 or over.

2010 census

The 2010 census showed the population of Bell Buckle to have risen to 500 people, with a total population growth of 27.9%. The census documented 62.8% of the population as being 18 years of age or above, and 37.2% as under 18. The racial makeup of the town was 84.8% White, 8.2% Asian, 3.2% Hispanic, 2.8% African American and 1% from two or more races.

The 2010 census documented 164 housing units, 87.2% of which were occupied, and 12.8% were vacant.

Sightseeing and tourism

Bell Buckle is noted for the many preserved and restored Victorian homes, shops, and churches located in and around downtown. Bell Buckle is a center for antiques, quilts, and various handmade crafts. The town hosts two yearly festivals: the RC Cola & Moon Pie festival ^[12] and the Webb School Arts & Crafts Fair.

A member of Tennessee Backroads, Bell Buckle has the distinction of being the smallest town in Tennessee to be a Tree City USA. Bell Buckle is the home of The Webb School (which relocated from Culleoka in 1886), a college preparatory boarding and day school which plays an integral part in the ambience of the town.

Notable residents

• Molly Bee, country music singer – On January 11, 1975, on Hee Haw , Molly Bee saluted her home town of Bell Buckle, population 393. ^[13]
• Keon Johnson, basketball player – Johnson was born in nearby Shelbyville and played basketball for The Webb School in Bell Buckle and played one season with the University of Tennessee Volunteers prior to being drafted by the New York Knicks of the National Basketball Association with the 21st pick of the 2021 NBA draft. The Knicks subsequently traded Johnson to the Los Angeles Clippers, with whom he made his NBA debut during the 2021–22 season.
• Gary "Lazarus Lake" Cantrell, designer and director of endurance races, including Barkley Marathons and Big's Backyard Ultra. ^[14]
• Holly Finley, professional disc golfer and model is from Bell Buckle, as per her PDGA profile. ^[15]

References

1. "ArcGIS REST Services Directory". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 15, 2022.
2. "Census Population API". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 15, 2022.
3. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved January 31, 2008.
4. "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. October 25, 2007. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
5. "Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Bell Buckle town, Tennessee". U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder. Archived from the original on February 12, 2020. Retrieved April 8, 2014.
6. Local History Archived January 13, 2008, at the Wayback Machine and Bell Buckle Past and Present Archived November 15, 2007, at the Wayback Machine on Bell Buckle Chamber of Commerce website (accessed December 19, 2007).
7. Nashville, Chattanooga and St. Louis Railway/History, accessed September 5, 2022
8. Dickson, Paul (July 7, 2020). The Rise of the G.I. Army, 1940-1941: The Forgotten Story of How America Forged a Powerful Army Before Pearl Harbor (Kindle ed.). 2809: Atlantic Monthly Press. ISBN   978-0802147677.
9. "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
10. "Census of Population and Housing: Decennial Censuses". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved March 4, 2012.
11. "Incorporated Places and Minor Civil Divisions Datasets: Subcounty Resident Population Estimates: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2012". Population Estimates. U.S. Census Bureau. Archived from the original on June 11, 2013. Retrieved December 11, 2013.
12. "RC Cola and Moon Pie Festival". Bell Buckle Chamber of Commerce. Archived from the original on November 19, 2007. Retrieved November 21, 2007.
13. Hee Haw Season 6 Episode 18
14. Gintzler, Ariella (March 28, 2019). "Meet Lazarus Lake, the Man Behind the Barkley Marathons". outsideonline.com/.
15. Holly Finley #51277 | Professional Disc Golf Association. https://www.pdga.com/player/51277/

External links

• Town of Bell Buckle official website
• Bell Buckle Chamber of Commerce
• Municipal Technical Advisory Service entry for Bell Buckle — information on local government, elections, and link to charter
• The Webb School

35°35′27″N86°21′15″W / 35.590749°N 86.354047°W / 35.590749; -86.354047