Lewis County, Tennessee

Lewis County
County
Lewis County Courthouse, April 2014
Flag Seal
Location within the U.S. state of Tennessee
Tennessee's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 35°31′N87°29′W / 35.52°N 87.49°W / 35.52; -87.49
Country	United States
State	Tennessee
Founded	December 23, 1843
Named for	Meriwether Lewis [1]
Seat	Hohenwald
Largest city	Hohenwald
Area
• Total	282 sq mi (730 km2)
• Land	282 sq mi (730 km2)
• Water	0.4 sq mi (1 km2)  0.1%
Population  (2020)
• Total	12,582
• Density	43/sq mi (17/km2)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district	5th
Website	www.lewiscountytn.com

Lewis County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2020 census, the population was 12,582. ^[2] Its county seat is Hohenwald. ^[3] The county is named for explorer Meriwether Lewis, who died and was buried at Grinder's Stand near Hohenwald in 1809.

History

Meriwether Lewis National Monument and Gravesite, April 2014.

Lewis County was formed in 1843 from parts of Perry, Hickman, Lawrence, Maury and Wayne counties. ^[1] It was named for explorer Meriwether Lewis of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. ^[4] Lewis's grave is located at the geographic center of the county. The bill for its creation was proposed by Powhatan Gordon in the Tennessee State Senate. ^[5]

On October 7, 2009, a ceremony was held at the cemetery to commemorate the bicentennial of Lewis's death. A bust of Lewis was presented to the National Park Service, which manages the site. ^[6]

Lewis County was the site of the Cane Creek Massacre.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 282 square miles (730 km²), of which 282 square miles (730 km²) is land and 0.4 square miles (1.0 km²) (0.1%) is water. ^[7]

Adjacent counties

• Hickman County (north)
• Maury County (east)
• Lawrence County (south)
• Wayne County (southwest)
• Perry County (west)

National protected area

• Natchez Trace Parkway (part)

State protected areas

• Auntney Hollow State Natural Area
• Devil's Backbone State Natural Area
• Dry Branch State Natural Area
• Hick Hill Wildlife Management Area
• Langford Branch State Natural Area
• Laurel Hill Wildlife Management Area
• Lewis State Forest

Major highways

• US 412
• SR 20
• SR 48
• SR 99

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1850	4,438		—
1860	2,241		−49.5%
1870	1,986		−11.4%
1880	2,181		9.8%
1890	2,555		17.1%
1900	4,455		74.4%
1910	6,033		35.4%
1920	5,707		−5.4%
1930	5,258		−7.9%
1940	5,849		11.2%
1950	6,078		3.9%
1960	6,269		3.1%
1970	6,761		7.8%
1980	9,700		43.5%
1990	9,247		−4.7%
2000	11,367		22.9%
2010	12,161		7.0%
2020	12,582		3.5%
U.S. Decennial Census [8] 1790-1960 [9] 1900-1990 [10] 1990-2000 [11] 2010-2014 [12]

Age pyramid Lewis County

2020 census

Lewis County racial composition ^[14]

Race	Number	Percentage
White (non-Hispanic)	11,510	91.48%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic)	184	1.46%
Native American	31	0.25%
Asian	55	0.44%
Pacific Islander	5	0.04%
Other/Mixed	471	3.74%
Hispanic or Latino	326	2.59%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 12,582 people, 4,715 households, and 3,175 families residing in the county.

2000 census

As of the census ^[15] of 2000, there were 11,367 people, 4,381 households, and 3,215 families residing in the county. The population density was 40 people per square mile (15 people/km²). There were 4,821 housing units at an average density of 17 units per square mile (6.6/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 97.07% White, 1.45% Black or African American, 0.20% Native American, 0.18% Asian, 0.29% from other races, and 0.80% from two or more races. 1.20% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 4,381 households, out of which 33.20% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.90% were married couples living together, 10.70% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.60% were non-families. 23.50% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.54 and the average family size was 2.98.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 25.80% under the age of 18, 8.30% from 18 to 24, 27.40% from 25 to 44, 24.80% from 45 to 64, and 13.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 96.90 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.80 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $30,444, and the median income for a family was $35,972. Males had a median income of $27,060 versus $19,847 for females. The per capita income for the county was $14,664. About 10.30% of families and 13.40% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.60% of those under age 18 and 12.20% of those age 65 or over.

Communities

City

• Hohenwald (county seat)

Census-designated place

• Summertown (Mostly in Lawrence County)

Unincorporated communities

• Buffalo Valley
• Gordonsburg
• Kimmins

Politics

United States presidential election results for Lewis County, Tennessee ^[16]

Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party(ies)
	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2024	4,852	82.38%	991	16.83%	47	0.80%
2020	4,474	79.76%	1,072	19.11%	63	1.12%
2016	3,585	77.56%	890	19.26%	147	3.18%
2012	3,117	66.40%	1,447	30.83%	130	2.77%
2008	2,951	61.05%	1,804	37.32%	79	1.63%
2004	2,819	55.78%	2,192	43.37%	43	0.85%
2000	2,037	46.09%	2,281	51.61%	102	2.31%
1996	1,298	36.08%	1,971	54.78%	329	9.14%
1992	1,218	29.34%	2,491	60.00%	443	10.67%
1988	1,324	47.95%	1,419	51.39%	18	0.65%
1984	1,733	52.42%	1,556	47.07%	17	0.51%
1980	1,076	32.52%	2,190	66.18%	43	1.30%
1976	617	20.32%	2,391	78.75%	28	0.92%
1972	1,056	46.98%	1,138	50.62%	54	2.40%
1968	455	17.91%	1,088	42.83%	997	39.25%
1964	388	15.84%	2,061	84.16%	0	0.00%
1960	580	25.09%	1,723	74.52%	9	0.39%
1956	522	28.16%	1,321	71.25%	11	0.59%
1952	540	29.05%	1,308	70.36%	11	0.59%
1948	381	23.29%	1,148	70.17%	107	6.54%
1944	252	20.88%	955	79.12%	0	0.00%
1940	368	21.45%	1,343	78.26%	5	0.29%
1936	331	23.66%	1,068	76.34%	0	0.00%
1932	137	14.64%	799	85.36%	0	0.00%
1928	269	39.39%	414	60.61%	0	0.00%
1924	191	36.31%	310	58.94%	25	4.75%
1920	446	52.29%	403	47.25%	4	0.47%
1916	414	51.30%	387	47.96%	6	0.74%
1912	126	19.50%	370	57.28%	150	23.22%
1908	354	43.12%	465	56.64%	2	0.24%
1904	220	33.54%	415	63.26%	21	3.20%
1900	202	33.44%	400	66.23%	2	0.33%
1896	204	38.27%	329	61.73%	0	0.00%
1892	95	26.24%	231	63.81%	36	9.94%
1888	132	33.93%	254	65.30%	3	0.77%
1884	64	23.36%	209	76.28%	1	0.36%
1880	37	15.55%	200	84.03%	1	0.42%
1876	12	5.50%	206	94.50%	0	0.00%
1872	34	20.36%	133	79.64%	0	0.00%
1868	33	100.00%	0	0.00%	0	0.00%
1860	8	2.64%	0	0.00%	295	97.36%
1856	0	0.00%	242	90.64%	25	9.36%
1852	43	18.78%	186	81.22%	0	0.00%

Historically, like all of secessionist Middle Tennessee, Lewis County was overwhelmingly Democratic. Although it did vote for Charles Evans Hughes in 1916 and Warren G. Harding in 1920, Lewis County would be firmly Democratic for the next six decades, being one of only two Tennessee counties to remain loyal to both Hubert Humphrey in 1968 and George McGovern in 1972. Ronald Reagan broke this Democratic sequence with a 177-vote majority over Walter Mondale in his 1984 landslide, but Lewis County would subsequently remain Democratic up to 2000. Since then, however, like much of the rural white South, it has become overwhelmingly Republican due to opposition to the Democratic Party's liberal views on social issues. ^[17]

Education

The county is served by Lewis County High School.

See also

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

References

1. Marjorie Graves, "Lewis County," Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture. Retrieved: October 21, 2013.
2. "Census - Geography Profile: Lewis County, Tennessee". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved January 7, 2023.
3. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
4. Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. U.S. Government Printing Office. p.  185.
5. White, John A. (June 26, 1910). "Lewis. Awful Tragedy Connected With Name of the County" . The Tennessean. p. 30. Retrieved September 28, 2016– via Newspapers.com. The bill creating the County of Lewis was introduced by the Hon. Powhatan Gordon, of Maury County, the main purpose of the bill being to perpetuate the name of Lewis.
6. "First National Memorial Service for Meriwether Lewis Archived July 12, 2011, at the Wayback Machine , August 21, 2009. Retrieved: October 21, 2013.
7. "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Retrieved April 7, 2015.
8. "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 7, 2015.
9. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved April 7, 2015.
10. Forstall, Richard L., ed. (March 27, 1995). "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 7, 2015.
11. "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. April 2, 2001. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 9, 2022. Retrieved April 7, 2015.
12. "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on June 7, 2011. Retrieved December 3, 2013.
13. Based on 2000 census data
14. "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 27, 2021.
15. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved May 14, 2011.
16. Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved March 11, 2018.
17. Cohn, Nate; ‘Demographic Shift: Southern Whites’ Loyalty to G.O.P. Nearing That of Blacks to Democrats’, New York Times , April 24, 2014

External links

• Official site
• Lewis County, TNGenWeb - free genealogy resources for the county

35°31′N87°29′W / 35.52°N 87.49°W / 35.52; -87.49