Shelbyville, Tennessee

Shelbyville
City
Downtown Shelbyville
Nickname(s):  The Walking Horse Capital of the World and The Pencil City
Location of Shelbyville in Bedford County, Tennessee.
Coordinates: 35°29′20″N86°27′8″W / 35.48889°N 86.45222°W / 35.48889; -86.45222
Country	United States
State	Tennessee
County	Bedford
Platted	1810
Incorporated	1819
Named for	Isaac Shelby [1]
Government
• Mayor	Wallace Cartright
Area [2]
• Total	18.44 sq mi (47.76 km2)
• Land	18.44 sq mi (47.76 km2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation	755 ft (230 m)
Population  (2020) [3]
• Total	23,557
• Density	1,277.56/sq mi (493.27/km2)
Time zone	UTC-6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP codes	37160-37162
Area code	931
FIPS code	47-67760 [4]
GNIS feature ID	1269993 [5]
Website	www.shelbyvilletn.org

Shelbyville is a city in and the county seat of Bedford County, Tennessee. ^[6] The town was laid out in 1810 and incorporated in 1819. ^[7] Shelbyville had a population of 20,335 residents at the 2010 census. ^[8] The town is a hub of the Tennessee Walking Horse industry and has been nicknamed "The Walking Horse Capital of the World".

Geography

Shelbyville is in Middle Tennessee on a Highland Rim limestone bluff upon the banks of Duck River, which flows around the southern and eastern sides of town. ^[9]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 18.6 square miles (48.2 km²), all land. ^[8]

Climate

Climate data for Shelbyville, Tennessee (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1951–present)
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record high °F (°C)	78 (26)	82 (28)	85 (29)	92 (33)	96 (36)	108 (42)	107 (42)	105 (41)	105 (41)	98 (37)	87 (31)	77 (25)	108 (42)
Mean maximum °F (°C)	67.5 (19.7)	71.2 (21.8)	78.8 (26.0)	84.1 (28.9)	89.1 (31.7)	94.0 (34.4)	95.9 (35.5)	95.7 (35.4)	93.1 (33.9)	85.7 (29.8)	77.5 (25.3)	69.0 (20.6)	97.5 (36.4)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C)	49.4 (9.7)	53.8 (12.1)	62.5 (16.9)	72.0 (22.2)	79.5 (26.4)	86.4 (30.2)	89.4 (31.9)	89.0 (31.7)	83.9 (28.8)	73.4 (23.0)	61.6 (16.4)	52.4 (11.3)	71.1 (21.7)
Daily mean °F (°C)	39.1 (3.9)	42.7 (5.9)	50.6 (10.3)	59.5 (15.3)	67.8 (19.9)	75.4 (24.1)	78.8 (26.0)	77.8 (25.4)	71.8 (22.1)	60.6 (15.9)	49.3 (9.6)	42.0 (5.6)	59.6 (15.3)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C)	28.9 (−1.7)	31.7 (−0.2)	38.7 (3.7)	47.1 (8.4)	56.2 (13.4)	64.3 (17.9)	68.3 (20.2)	66.6 (19.2)	59.7 (15.4)	47.9 (8.8)	37.1 (2.8)	31.7 (−0.2)	48.2 (9.0)
Mean minimum °F (°C)	9.7 (−12.4)	14.9 (−9.5)	21.3 (−5.9)	30.1 (−1.1)	40.4 (4.7)	52.9 (11.6)	59.4 (15.2)	57.4 (14.1)	44.6 (7.0)	31.6 (−0.2)	21.7 (−5.7)	16.0 (−8.9)	7.7 (−13.5)
Record low °F (°C)	−20 (−29)	−7 (−22)	3 (−16)	21 (−6)	30 (−1)	38 (3)	49 (9)	47 (8)	32 (0)	18 (−8)	9 (−13)	−9 (−23)	−20 (−29)
Average precipitation inches (mm)	5.29 (134)	5.63 (143)	5.79 (147)	4.99 (127)	5.05 (128)	5.03 (128)	5.07 (129)	4.24 (108)	4.22 (107)	3.65 (93)	4.35 (110)	6.05 (154)	59.36 (1,508)
Average snowfall inches (cm)	0.1 (0.25)	0.2 (0.51)	0.7 (1.8)	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)	1.1 (2.8)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in)	11.6	11.8	12.4	11.1	11.7	11.3	11.3	9.3	7.8	8.4	9.6	12.1	128.4
Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in)	0.2	0.3	0.3	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.2	1.0
Source: NOAA [10] [11]

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1850	1,708		—
1860	776		−54.6%
1870	1,719		121.5%
1880	1,869		8.7%
1890	1,823		−2.5%
1900	2,236		22.7%
1910	2,869		28.3%
1920	2,912		1.5%
1930	5,010		72.0%
1940	6,537		30.5%
1950	9,456		44.7%
1960	10,466		10.7%
1970	12,262		17.2%
1980	13,530		10.3%
1990	14,049		3.8%
2000	16,105		14.6%
2010	20,335		26.3%
2020	23,557		15.8%
Sources: [12] [13] [3]

2020 census

Shelbyville racial composition ^[14]

Race	Number	Percentage
White (non-Hispanic)	13,156	55.85%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic)	2,942	12.49%
Native American	65	0.28%
Asian	173	0.73%
Pacific Islander	10	0.04%
Other/Mixed	1,045	4.44%
Hispanic or Latino	6,166	26.17%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 23,557 people, 7,257 households, and 5,025 families residing in the city.

2000 census

As of the census ^[4] of 2000, there were 16,105 people, 6,066 households, and 4,155 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,041.3 inhabitants per square mile (402.0/km²). There were 6,550 housing units at an average density of 423.5 per square mile (163.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 77.14% White, 14.98% African American, 0.70% Asian, 0.35% Native American, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 5.02% from other races, and 1.78% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race made up 14.55% of the population.

Of the 6,066 households, 31.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.0% were married couples living together, 16.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.5% were non-families. A total of 26.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.59 and the average family size was 3.05.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 25.2% under the age of 18, 11.9% from 18 to 24, 28.9% from 25 to 44, 18.8% from 45 to 64, and 15.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.5 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $27,593, and the median income for a family was $30,465. Males had a median income of $23,754 versus $16,065 for females. The per capita income for the city was $11,260. About 14.4% of families and 25.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.4% of those under age 18 and 22.1% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

Town Square of Shelbyville

Shelbyville is known as "The Pencil City" because of its historical importance as a center of wood-cased pencil manufacturing. ^{[15] [16]} It is still a site for manufacture of writing instruments. In 1982, National Pen Corporation purchased its largest competitor, U.S. Pencil and Stationery Company. ^[17] Sanford Corporation produced the Sharpie, the world's top-selling writing instrument, in the city. ^[16] It was in Shelbyville in 1991 that the world's longest pencil was produced, a plastic-cased pencil 1,091 feet (333 m) long, weighing 27 pounds (12 kg). ^[18]

One of last four pencil manufacturers in the United States, Musgrave Pencil Company, is located in Shelbyville. ^[19]

Other major business operations in Shelbyville include manufacturers Calsonic Kansei, Newell Rubbermaid, Cebal America, and Jostens; it is also home to a Tyson Foods facility and a distribution center for Wal-Mart, as well as several nationwide trucking businesses. ^{[16] [20]}

Transportation

Shelbyville is at the intersection of U.S. Route 231 and U.S. Route 41A. It was the terminus of a branch line (from Wartrace ^[21] ), located along what is now known as Railroad Avenue, connecting with what was once known as the Saint Louis, Nashville and Chattanooga Railroad. ^[9]

Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration

The Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration ^[22] takes place each year during the 11 days and nights prior to Labor Day. It is the largest show for the Tennessee Walking Horse, during which the breed's World Grand Champion and over 20 World Champions are named. The Celebration is a festival event where more than $650,000 in prizes and awards are given. The Celebration began in 1939, and the first winner was Strolling Jim. ^[23]

Education

K-12 education

Bedford County School District operates primary and secondary schools. Shelbyville Central High School is the local public high school.

After the end of non-penal slavery in the United States the AME Church opened a school for African-American children. The public school system graduated its first black class in 1890. The schools for African-American children operated by the district were East Bedford School and Bedford County Training School for Negroes (a.k.a. John McAdams High School and also Harris High School for Negroes). Schools racially integrated after 1964. ^[24]

Higher education

The Tennessee College of Applied Technology - Shelbyville is one of 46 institutions in the Tennessee Board of Regents System, the seventh largest system of higher education in the nation. This system comprises six universities, fourteen community colleges, and twenty-six technology centers. More than 80 percent of all Tennessee students attending public institutions are enrolled in a Tennessee Board of Regents institution.

Shelbyville was the home of Turner College, a HBCU established in October 1885 with support from the Kentucky Annual Conference AME Church. Bishop Henry M. Turner was its founding leader, and eventually the school was renamed for him. A private school supported by local people, there was a high school, a normal school, an "industrial institute," and a Bible study institute included in the institution. ^{[25] [26]} Located in two brick buildings, between 1920 and 1924 the institution had 385 students. ^[27] Apparently the fiscal support for the school didn't continue though, and in the late 1920s the "starving little school" was permanently closed. ^[28]

Local government

Shelbyville City Hall.

The City of Shelbyville, Tennessee Government consists of an elected mayor, six member elected city council, and appointed city manager. ^[29]

• Mayor – Randy Carroll
• Council Members:
  • Henry Feldhaus
  • Marilyn Ewing
  • Gary Haile
  • William Christie
  • Stephanie Isaacs
  • Bobby Turnbow
• City Manager – Scott Collins
• City Recorder – Lisa Smith

Public media and news outlets

The Bedford County Post launched in August 2023 when the Shelbyville Times-Gazette closed its doors. ^[30]

Shelbyville has two news media outlets, "Bedford County Post" www.bedfordcountypost.com & Shelbyville Times-Gazette. ^[31]

Notable people

Congressman Jim Cooper.

• Democratic Congressman Jim Cooper (born 1954). ^[32] In Shelbyville, his family owns the historic River Side Farmhouse, built for his great-great-grandfather, Jacob Morton Shofner, in 1890, ^[33] and the Gov. Prentice Cooper House in Shelbyville, built in 1904 for his grandfather, William Prentice Cooper, who served as the mayor of Shelbyville. ^[34] His father, Prentice Cooper, who was born in the River Side Farmhouse, was the Governor of Tennessee from 1939 to 1945. ^[33]
• Robert Galbraith Allison (1897-1952), State of Tennessee budget department director. ^[35]
• Sumner Archibald Cunningham (1843-1913), founding editor of the Confederate Veteran , buried in Shelbyville's Willow Mount Cemetery. ^[36]
• Dickie Gardner, horse trainer ^[37]
• Joe Jenkins, Major League Baseball player ^[38]
• Harold A. Katz (1921-2012), Illinois state representative and lawyer ^[39]
• Sondra Locke (1944–2018), actress/director ^[40]
• Judy and Joe Martin, a married couple who trained horses together ^[41]
• Joyce Paul (1937–2016), country music singer^{[ citation needed ]}
• Ernest A. Pickup (1887-1970), printmaker
• Samuel Escue Tillman (1847–1942), U.S. Army officer and superintendent of the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York ^[42]

In popular culture

Shelbyville was featured in Miranda Lambert's video "Famous in a Small Town".^{[ citation needed ]}

The city was also profiled in the film Welcome to Shelbyville , as part of the PBS documentary film series Independent Lens. The film spotlights recent demographic changes in the community, with a focus on the growing number of immigrants from Latin America and Somalia (both Somalis and people from the Bantu minority ethnic group).

Shelbyville was also featured in GADA film's Our Very Own (2005 Film), directed by Cameron Watson. The film, dubbed "a love story to Shelbyville", highlighted some of the peculiar and humorous memories of Shelbyville in the 1970s. The film follows five teenagers who are determined to meet Shelbyville's own Sondra Locke. Filmed in 2004, it highlights the square, Capri Theater, Pope's Cafe, Central High School, Duck River Dam, TWHNC, and many other landmarks.

Shelbyville was mentioned in the lyrics of Nashville country duo Birdcloud's song "Saving Myself For Jesus"

References

1. "History of Bedford County". Archived from the original on November 10, 2013. Retrieved February 7, 2013.
2. "ArcGIS REST Services Directory". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 15, 2022.
3. "Census Population API". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 15, 2022.
4. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved January 31, 2008.
5. "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. October 25, 2007. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
6. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
7. History of Tennessee from the Earliest Time to the Present. Goodspeed Publishing Company. 1886. pp.  873–874.
8. "Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Shelbyville city, Tennessee". U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder. Archived from the original on February 12, 2020. Retrieved April 8, 2014.
9. "Chapter VIII: Tennessee Group - Bedford County". Narrative of Cholera Epidemic of 1873. U.S. Government Printing Office. 1875. p. 163.
10. "NowData - NOAA Online Weather Data". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved October 2, 2021.
11. "Station: Shelbyville Water Dept, TN". U.S. Climate Normals 2020: U.S. Monthly Climate Normals (1991-2020). National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved October 2, 2021.
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". Population Estimates. U.S. Census Bureau. Archived from the original on June 11, 2013. Retrieved December 11, 2013.
14. "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 24, 2021.
15. Musgrave Pencil Company History, Musgrave Pencil Company website, accessed April 23, 2008
16. "shelbyvilletn.org". Shelbyvilletn.org. Retrieved October 10, 2017.
17. "National Pen Company". Archived from the original on January 30, 2009. Retrieved June 15, 2009.
18. Martin, Doug. "Sanford Pencil Factory Tour". Pencilpages.com. Retrieved October 10, 2017.
19. Danny Freedman, "Inside One of America’s Last Pencil Factories". Smithsonian Magazine. 2023.
20. A Economic Development Guide Archived October 28, 2006, at the Wayback Machine , Shelbyville-Bedford County Chamber of Commerce, 2003
21. "Saber charge pushes Rebels out of Shelbyville". Murfreesboro Post. September 28, 2008. Retrieved May 2, 2010., with a link to an April 1863 Shelbyville area map Archived July 17, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
22. "The Tennessee Walking Horse Celebration Website". Twhnc.com. Retrieved October 10, 2017.
23. "Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration - About the Celebration". Archived from the original on December 16, 2011. Retrieved December 15, 2011.
24. Lovett, Bobby L. The Civil Rights Movement in Tennessee: A Narrative History. Univ. of Tennessee Press, 2005. ISBN   1572334436, 9781572334434. p. 77.
25. Gomez-Jefferson, Annetta L. (2002) The Sage of Tanawa: Reverdy Cassius Ransom, 1861-1969. Kent, OH: The Kent State University. p. 176.
26. Baxter, D. M. (1923). Bishop Richard Allen and His Spirit. United States: A.M.E. Book Concern. p. 43.
27. Dickerson, D. C. (2010). African American Preachers and Politics: The Careys of Chicago. United States: University Press of Mississippi. p. 112.
28. Dickerson, D. C. (2020). The African Methodist Episcopal Church: A History. United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press. p. 167.
29. "Shelbyville". Shelbyvilletn.org. Retrieved October 10, 2017.
30. Johnson, Cole (October 13, 2023). "New newspaper forms in Bedford County after Times-Gazette closure". www.newschannel5.com.
31. "Shelbyville Times-Gazette - Shelbyville, Tennessee". T-g.com. Retrieved October 10, 2017.
32. Dobie, Bruce (June 20, 2002). "Jim Cooper Runs Again". The Nashville Scene. Retrieved October 9, 2017. A resident of Shelbyville during his congressional days, Cooper grew up in decidedly genteel circumstances.
33. "National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: River Side Farmhouse". National Park Service. United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved October 9, 2017.
34. "National Register of Historic Places Inventory--Nomination Form: Gov. Prentice Cooper House". National Park Service. United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved October 8, 2017.
35. Tennessee Blue Book 1949-1950, Rich Printing Company, Nashville, 1950. Page 31
36. Simpson, John A. (2003). Edith D. Pope and Her Nashville Friends: Guards of the Lost Cause in the Confederate Veteran. Knoxville, Tennessee: University of Tennessee Press. p. 32. ISBN   9781572332119. OCLC   428118511.
37. "Local trainer continues history of excellence". T-g.com. February 14, 2016. Retrieved October 10, 2017.
38. "Joe Jenkins | Society for American Baseball Research". sabr.org. Retrieved October 19, 2018.
39. 'Illinois Blue Book 1981-1982,' Biographical Sketch of Harold A. Katz, pg. 71
40. Young, Josh (May 3, 1997). "THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY". The Independent . Retrieved October 10, 2017.
41. "Gadsden Times - Google News Archive Search". News.google.com. Retrieved October 10, 2017.
42. Smith, Dwight L. (1988). "An Antebellum Boyhood: Samuel Escue Tillman [1847-1942] on a Middle Tennessee Plantation". Tennessee Historical Quarterly. Vol. 47. pp. 3–9.

External links

• Official website
• Shelbyville Mainstreet