Niota, Tennessee

Niota, Tennessee
City
Niota
Nickname:  socktown
Location of Niota in McMinn County, Tennessee.
Coordinates: 35°30′51″N84°32′50″W / 35.51417°N 84.54722°W / 35.51417; -84.54722
Country	United States
State	Tennessee
County	McMinn
Settled	1850s [1]
Incorporated	1911 [2]
Named for	Ni-o-tah, a fictional Indian chief [3]
Area [4]
• Total	2.30 sq mi (5.95 km2)
• Land	2.30 sq mi (5.95 km2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation	1,007 ft (307 m)
Population  (2020) [5]
• Total	772
• Density	335.94/sq mi (129.69/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code	37826
Area code	423
FIPS code	47-53380 [6]
GNIS feature ID	1648566 [7]
Website	City website

Niota is a city in McMinn County, Tennessee, United States. The population was estimated at 772 in 2020 by the U.S. Census Bureau. ^[6]

History

The community was originally called "Mouse Creek," but was renamed in 1897 to avoid confusion with a railroad stop in Jefferson City that was named "Mossy Creek." The name "Niota" was based on the name of a fictional character in a dime novel, a Native American chief named "Nee-o-tah." ^[3]

The Niota Depot, built in 1854 for the East Tennessee and Georgia Railroad, is the oldest standing railroad depot in Tennessee. It currently serves as Niota City Hall. ^[8]

In 1988, a group of women, later dubbed the “Golden Girls of Niota”, led a successful city council election campaign and became one of the first all-female city councils in the United States and the only one at the time. The group ran as the People’s Choice Party and was led by 78-year old Mayor Effie Lones, the oldest elected female official in the country at the time of her election. Every member of the Golden Girls was a grandmother. 4 of the candidates were elected via write-in votes, and they handed out sample ballots prior to Election Day to familiarize voters with the write-in process. ^{[9] [10]}

Geography

Niota is located at 35°30′51″N84°32′50″W / 35.51417°N 84.54722°W / 35.51417; -84.54722 (35.514230, -84.547132). ^[11] The city is situated along US Route 11 between Sweetwater and Athens. Tennessee State Route 309 connects the city with Interstate 75 to the west.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 2.0 square miles (5.2 km²), all land.

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1920	467		—
1930	443		−5.1%
1940	623		40.6%
1950	956		53.5%
1960	679		−29.0%
1970	629		−7.4%
1980	765		21.6%
1990	745		−2.6%
2000	781		4.8%
2010	719		−7.9%
2020	772		7.4%
Sources: [12] [13] [5]

2020 census

Niota racial composition ^[14]

Race	Number	Percentage
White (non-Hispanic)	677	87.69%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic)	8	1.04%
Native American	3	0.39%
Asian	16	2.07%
Pacific Islander	1	0.13%
Other/Mixed	42	5.44%
Hispanic or Latino	25	3.24%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 772 people, 390 households, and 255 families residing in the city.

2000 census

As of the census ^[6] of 2000, there were 781 people, 344 households, and 231 families residing in the city. The population density was 389.0 people per square mile (150.0/km²). There were 382 housing units at an average density of 190.3 per square mile (73.4/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 91.1% White, 2.04% African American, 1.02% Asian, and 2.34% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.16% of the population.

There were 344 households, out of which 29.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.7% were married couples living together, 7.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.6% were non-families. 29.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.27 and the average family size was 2.76 .

In the city, the population was spread out, with 21.9% under age 18, 7.6% from 18 to 24, 28.7% from 25 to 44, 25.6% from 45 to 64, and 16.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.3 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $28,750, and the median income for a family was $36,136. Males had a median income of $30,119 versus $21,964 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,152. About 8.6% of families and 12.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.9% of those under age 18 and 10.3% of those age 65 or over.

Education

McMinn County Schools operates public schools, including Niota Elementary School. ^[15]

Notable people

• Harry T. Burn, member of the Tennessee General Assembly, was born in Niota and lived in the community throughout his life. He is best remembered as the state legislator whose vote secured the ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, giving U.S. women the right to vote.
• Alfred Cate, Tennessee state senator and Southern Unionist

References

1. "Goodspeed's History of McMinn County". 1887. Retrieved January 24, 2013.
2. "Tennessee Blue Book" (PDF). 2005–2006. pp. 618–625.
3. Matheny, Jim (September 10, 2010). "Niota in McMinn County". WBIR-TV. Why do they call it that?. Archived from the original on February 9, 2013.
4. "ArcGIS REST Services Directory". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 15, 2022.
5. "Census Population API". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 15, 2022.
6. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved January 31, 2008.
7. "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. October 25, 2007. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
8. van West, Carroll; Gavin, Martin T.; et al. (December 2007). Niota Train Depot Preservation Needs Report (PDF) (Report). Tennessee Civil War National Heritage Area. p. 4.
9. "THE GOLDEN GIRLS SEIZE CONTROL OF TENNESSEE TOWN". Chicago Tribune. March 19, 1989. Retrieved August 27, 2023.
10. "Niota, Nigh Onto Heaven". wellholler.tripod.com. Retrieved August 27, 2023.
11. "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
12. "Census of Population and Housing: Decennial Censuses". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved March 4, 2012.
13. "Incorporated Places and Minor Civil Divisions Datasets: Subcounty Resident Population Estimates: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2012". U.S. Census Bureau. Population Estimates. United States Department of Commerce. Archived from the original on June 11, 2013. Retrieved December 11, 2013.
14. "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 27, 2021.
15. "Home". Niota Elementary School. Retrieved January 28, 2022.

External links

• "City of Niota". Official website.
• "Niota Elementary School". Official website.
• "entry for Niota". mtas.Tennessee.edu. State/city info. Tennessee: Municipal Technical Advisory Service. — information on local government, elections, and link to charter