Lynchburg, Tennessee

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Lynchburg, Tennessee
Lynchburg-tennessee-square-tn1.jpg
1913 commercial block on the courthouse square
USA Tennessee relief location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Lynchburg
Location within Tennessee
Usa edcp relief location map.png
Red pog.svg
Lynchburg
Location within the United States
Coordinates: 35°17′3″N86°21′27″W / 35.28417°N 86.35750°W / 35.28417; -86.35750
Country Flag of the United States.svg  United States
State Flag of Tennessee.svg  Tennessee
County Moore
Incorporated1841 [1]
Area
  Total130 sq mi (338 km2)
  Land129 sq mi (335 km2)
  Water1 sq mi (3 km2)
Elevation
804 ft (245 m)
Population
 (2020)
  Total6,461
  Density44/sq mi (17/km2)
Time zone UTC−06:00 (Central (CST))
  Summer (DST) UTC−05:00 (CDT)
ZIP code
37352
Area code 931
FIPS code 47-44380 [2]
GNIS feature ID1292342 [3]

Lynchburg is a city in the south-central region of the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is governed by a consolidated city-county government unit whose boundaries coincide with those of Moore County. Lynchburg is best known as the location of Jack Daniel's distillery, whose famous Tennessee whiskey is marketed worldwide as the product of a city with only one traffic light. Despite the operational distillery, which is a major tourist attraction, Lynchburg's home county of Moore is a dry county. Sampling whiskey is permitted in the distillery, however. The population was 6,461 at the 2020 census.

Contents

Lynchburg's connection to Jack Daniel's is spoofed in a 2018 national television commercial in which the city is nominated for an NBA franchise. [4]

Lynchburg is part of the Tullahoma–Manchester micropolitan area.

The downtown area is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the Lynchburg Historic District.

History

Settlers first arrived in the Lynchburg area around 1801. Main Street was originally the main road, and roughly followed the route of East Fork Mulberry Creek. Residences were generally located in the western half of Lynchburg, while industries were situated along the creek in the eastern half. One early settler, Thomas Roundtree, established a cotton mill along the creek in the vicinity of the modern Jack Daniel's Distillery. By the 1830s, another settler, William P. Long, was operating a gristmill and cotton gin. Early Lynchburg was also home to a large tannery. [5]

The origin of the city's name is unclear. An article in an 1876 issue of the Lynchburg Sentinel suggests an early settler named the city after his native Lynchburg, Virginia. [6] The WPA Guide to Tennessee (1939) states the city was named after an early resident named Tom Lynch. [7] An article by Jeanne Ridgway Bigger in the spring 1972 issue of the Tennessee Historical Quarterly states that the city was named after a "Judge Lynch", who presided over a vigilante committee that met in the city sometime after the War of 1812. [8]

During the Civil War, residents of Lynchburg generally supported the Confederacy. [5] Company E of the Confederate Army's 1st Tennessee Cavalry consisted primarily of Lynchburg residents. [8] A monument to the area's Confederate soldiers stands on the lawn of the Moore County Courthouse.

In 1871, Moore County was created from parts of Lincoln, Bedford, Coffee, and Franklin counties (Lynchburg had been part of Lincoln). In June 1873, Lynchburg was chosen as the county seat of Moore, due in part to its central location within the new county's boundaries. [5] The county commissioners established a courthouse square along Main Street, the pattern of which was influenced by the square in nearby Shelbyville. [5] Two schools, the Lynchburg Male and Female Institute and the Lynchburg Normal School, were established during this period, and several church congregations built elaborate new churches. [5]

During the 1870s, Lynchburg was situated at the center of an agrarian economic triangle consisting of Tullahoma to the northeast, Shelbyville to the northwest, and Fayetteville to the south. As such, the city developed into an important mule trading center. The city also had a rising number of distilleries. By the 1880s, fifteen registered distilleries were operating in Moore County, with the most productive being Tom Eaton's Distillery, and the second-most productive being the now-famous Jack Daniel's. [5] The distilleries provided a convenient market for local corn growers, and the leftover corn slop (after the alcohol was extracted) was used as feed for hogs and cattle. [6]

On December 4, 1883, a fire destroyed nearly half of Lynchburg, including the courthouse and much of the courthouse square. A new courthouse (the present building) was completed in 1885. A separate jail (now a museum) was erected across the street in 1893. [5] The rise of automobile traffic and the establishment of a state highway system in the early 20th century led to a commercial boom in Lynchburg, and many of the buildings on the courthouse square were built during this period. By 1920, Lynchburg had several schools and churches, a weekly newspaper, two banks, and several "flourishing business establishments". [5]

The passage of a state law barring the manufacture of liquor in 1909 effectively shut down the city's distilleries. Although prohibition was repealed at the federal level in 1933, it remained in effect in Tennessee. Lem Motlow (18691947), a state senator and nephew of Jack Daniel, led efforts to repeal the state's prohibition laws. In 1937, the state repealed the law barring the manufacture of alcoholic beverages, and Motlow reopened the Jack Daniel's Distillery. In 1939, the state passed a "local option" law, allowing each county to choose (via referendum) whether or not to allow the sale of alcoholic beverages. [9]

Motlow State Community College opened its campus in 1969 on 187 acres of land donated by Reagor Motlow and family in the northern part of Moore County in what is today part of Lynchburg.

Geography

Lynchburg is located at 35°17′3″N86°21′27″W / 35.28417°N 86.35750°W / 35.28417; -86.35750 . [10]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 130.4 square miles (337.7 km2), of which 129.2 square miles (334.6 km2) is land and 1.2 square miles (3.1 km2) (0.93%) is water. The city lies in a valley carved by East Fork Mulberry Creek (part of the Elk River watershed). State Route 55, known as Majors Boulevard in Lynchburg, is the city's main thoroughfare. Just south of Lynchburg, this highway intersects two other highways: State Route 50 (which continues southwest to Fayetteville) and State Route 129 (which continues westward to Petersburg).

Climate

Climate data for Lynchburg, Tennessee, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1999present
MonthJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecYear
Record high °F (°C)77
(25)
83
(28)
85
(29)
90
(32)
93
(34)
108
(42)
107
(42)
102
(39)
99
(37)
96
(36)
87
(31)
76
(24)
108
(42)
Mean maximum °F (°C)68.4
(20.2)
72.2
(22.3)
79.6
(26.4)
85.9
(29.9)
90.1
(32.3)
95.6
(35.3)
96.2
(35.7)
95.9
(35.5)
92.8
(33.8)
86.9
(30.5)
77.3
(25.2)
69.8
(21.0)
97.5
(36.4)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C)48.5
(9.2)
52.9
(11.6)
61.8
(16.6)
71.3
(21.8)
79.4
(26.3)
86.1
(30.1)
89.3
(31.8)
88.6
(31.4)
83.2
(28.4)
73.3
(22.9)
61.1
(16.2)
51.5
(10.8)
70.6
(21.4)
Daily mean °F (°C)37.8
(3.2)
40.9
(4.9)
48.8
(9.3)
57.2
(14.0)
66.3
(19.1)
74.2
(23.4)
77.7
(25.4)
76.4
(24.7)
70.4
(21.3)
58.9
(14.9)
47.8
(8.8)
40.4
(4.7)
58.1
(14.5)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C)27.0
(−2.8)
29.0
(−1.7)
35.8
(2.1)
43.2
(6.2)
53.1
(11.7)
62.3
(16.8)
66.0
(18.9)
64.3
(17.9)
57.5
(14.2)
44.6
(7.0)
34.5
(1.4)
29.3
(−1.5)
45.5
(7.5)
Mean minimum °F (°C)8.4
(−13.1)
12.9
(−10.6)
19.5
(−6.9)
28.6
(−1.9)
36.6
(2.6)
51.0
(10.6)
55.9
(13.3)
54.6
(12.6)
44.1
(6.7)
28.4
(−2.0)
18.4
(−7.6)
15.1
(−9.4)
6.7
(−14.1)
Record low °F (°C)−1
(−18)
1
(−17)
12
(−11)
25
(−4)
31
(−1)
45
(7)
50
(10)
47
(8)
35
(2)
21
(−6)
13
(−11)
0
(−18)
−1
(−18)
Average precipitation inches (mm)5.45
(138)
5.21
(132)
6.14
(156)
5.59
(142)
5.25
(133)
5.55
(141)
4.74
(120)
4.63
(118)
4.61
(117)
3.55
(90)
4.77
(121)
6.76
(172)
62.25
(1,580)
Average snowfall inches (cm)0.3
(0.76)
0.6
(1.5)
0.5
(1.3)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.1
(0.25)
1.5
(3.81)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in)10.911.712.011.012.311.111.610.07.89.09.912.1129.4
Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in)0.40.50.30.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.21.4
Source 1: NOAA [11]
Source 2: National Weather Service (mean maxim/minima 20062020) [12]

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note
1880 345
1890 50044.9%
1900 417−16.6%
1910 408−2.2%
1920 365−10.5%
1930 3804.1%
1940 3902.6%
1950 4012.8%
1960 396−1.2%
1970 53835.9%
1980 66824.2%
1990 4,721606.7%
2000 5,74021.6%
2010 6,31910.1%
2020 6,4612.2%
Sources: [13] [14]

The 2020 census showed 6,461 people in Lynchburg. At the 2000 census, there were 5,740 people, 2,211 households and 1,686 families residing in Lynchburg-Moore County. The population density was 44.4 inhabitants per square mile (17.1/km2). There were 2,515 housing units at an average density of 19.5 per square mile (7.5/km2). The racial makeup was 95.84% White, 2.72% African American, 0.19% Native American, 0.14% Asian, 0.51% from other races, and 0.61% from two or more races. Hispanics and Latinos of any race were 0.78% of the population.

Shops along Main Street Main-street-lynchburg-tn1.jpg
Shops along Main Street

There were 2,211 households, of which 30.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 65.1% were married couples living together, 7.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.7% were non-families. 21.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.55 and the average family size was 2.95.

The age distribution was 23.3% under the age of 18, 8.4% from 18 to 24, 26.5% from 25 to 44, 26.3% from 45 to 64, and 15.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.8 males.

The median household income in Lynchburg-Moore County was $36,591 and the median family income was $41,484. Males had a median income of $31,559 and females $20,987. The per capita income was $19,040. About 7.8% of families and 9.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.7% of those under the age of 18 and 12.1% ages 65 or older.

Government

In 1988, the Metropolitan Government of Lynchburg, Moore County, Tennessee was voted into law as the governing body of Moore County, including Lynchburg. This helped reduce costs and duplicate roles. [15]

Education

Schools in Lynchburg are a part of Lynchburg-Moore County Schools:

Notable people

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The Bobo Hotel, also known as Miss Mary Bobo's Boarding House and Grand Central Hotel, is a historic hotel and boarding house in Lynchburg, Tennessee. It was built for a Confederate veteran, and it later belonged to relatives of the owners of Jack Daniel's. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

J. Reagor Motlow was an American businessman, politician, landowner, and philanthropist. He was the owner of the Jack Daniel's distillery. He served as a member of the Tennessee House of Representatives and the Tennessee Senate. He donated the land upon which the campus of Motlow State Community College and the public library in Lynchburg were built.

References

  1. MTSU Center for Historic Preservation and Tennessee Civil War National Heritage Area, Discover Historic Lynchburg: A Self-Guided Tour . Retrieved: 21 March 2014.
  2. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  3. "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. October 25, 2007. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  4. "Brown-Forman calls for an NBA expansion — but not for Louisville" (PDF). www.bizjournals.com. 2017. Retrieved September 5, 2019.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Carroll Van West, Megan Dobbs, and Brian Eades, National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form for Lynchburg Historic District, Southern Places Database (MTSU Center for Historic Preservation), 1995.
  6. 1 2 "Historical Sketch of Moore County", Lynchburg Sentinel, 1876, p. 6. Compiled by Joan C. Ferguson. Accessed at the MTSU Center for Historic Preservation's Southern Spaces database, March 20, 2014.
  7. Cathy Summerlin, Traveling Tennessee: A Complete Tour Guide to the Volunteer State (Thomas Nelson Inc., 1999), ch. 47.
  8. 1 2 Jeanne Ridgway Bigger, "Jack Daniel's Distillery and Lynchburg: A Visit to Moore County, Tennessee", Tennessee Historical Quarterly, Vol. 31, No. 1 (Spring 1972), pp. 3-21.
  9. W. Calvin Dickinson, "Temperance", Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture. Retrieved March 20, 2014.
    - "Repeal of Prohibition", TN.gov. Retrieved March 20, 2014.
  10. "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
  11. "U.S. Climate Normals Quick Access – Station: Lynchburg, TN". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved May 22, 2023.
  12. "NOAA Online Weather Data – NWS Huntsville". National Weather Service. Retrieved May 22, 2023.
  13. "Census of Population and Housing: Decennial Censuses". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved March 4, 2012.
  14. "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 2, 2013. Retrieved December 11, 2013.
  15. Leland, Suzanne M.; Thurmaier, Kurt (2010). City–County Consolidation: Promises Made, Promises Kept?. Georgetown University Press. p. 180. ISBN   978-1589016224 . Retrieved November 16, 2017.
    - "Charter of the Lynchburg, Moore County Metropolitan Government" (PDF). University of Tennessee Municipal Technical Advisory Service. Retrieved November 16, 2017.
  16. Hevesi, Dennis. "Jimmy Bedford, Guardian of Jack Daniel’s, Dies at 69", The New York Times , August 10, 2009. Accessed August 11, 2009.
  17. "The History of Jack Daniels". January 5, 2023. Retrieved January 20, 2024.
  18. "Ex-slave who trained Jack Daniel gets new recognition". USA TODAY. Retrieved August 15, 2017.
  19. Paulson, Dave. "Little Richard dies at 87: Rock and roll legend called Tennessee home", The Tennessean , May 9, 2020. Accessed February 4, 2021.