Wartrace, Tennessee

Wartrace
Town
Downtown Wartrace
Nickname:  The Cradle of the Walking Horse
Location of Wartrace in Bedford County, Tennessee.
Coordinates: 35°31′37″N86°19′51″W / 35.52694°N 86.33083°W / 35.52694; -86.33083
Country	United States
State	Tennessee
County	Bedford
Incorporated	1858 [1]
Named for	Indian trail that passed through the area [2]
Government
• Mayor	TBD
Area [3]
• Total	0.88 sq mi (2.27 km2)
• Land	0.88 sq mi (2.27 km2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation	833 ft (254 m)
Population  (2020) [4]
• Total	653
• Density	745.43/sq mi (287.78/km2)
Time zone	UTC-6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code	37183
Area code	931
FIPS code	47-78120 [5]
GNIS feature ID	1304389 [6]

Wartrace is a town in Bedford County, Tennessee. The population was 653 at the 2020 census. It is located northeast of Shelbyville. The downtown area is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the Wartrace Historic District.

Wartrace is a hub of the Tennessee Walking Horse industry and has been nicknamed "the cradle of the Tennessee Walking Horse". It is home to the Wartrace Horse Show, held annually since 1906, and the Tennessee Walking Horse National Museum has been headquartered in downtown Wartrace since 2012. ^[7]

History

The name "Wartrace" is rooted in a Native American trail that once passed through the area. The town, initially known as "Wartrace Depot," was established in the early 1850s as a stop on the newly constructed Nashville and Chattanooga Railroad. ^[2]

During the Civil War, the town was the winter headquarters of Confederate General William J. Hardee during the aftermath of the Battle of Stones River, and the Old Chockley Tavern in Wartrace was a gathering place for Confederate officers during the Tullahoma Campaign. A skirmish was fought at Wartrace on April 11, 1862. ^[2]

With the increase in rail travel in the late 19th century, Wartrace experienced a boom period. At its height, the town had six inns and hotels, and serviced 13 trains per day. ^[2] One hotel, the Walking Horse Hotel, is still in business today. ^[8] One of the local historic homes is also now operated as the Blue Victorian in Wartrace B&B.

Wartrace is connected to Shelbyville by the Walking Horse and Eastern Railroad, a historic rail line that is still in part-time operation. ^[9]

In the early 1900s, Wartrace served as a breeding center for the Tennessee Walking Horse, and the Wartrace Horse Show was founded in the town. ^[10]

In 1972, Cascade K-5 opened as a result of the Bell Buckle School fire ^[11] which displaced students within city limits of Bell Buckle, Tennessee, Shelbyville, Tennessee, and Wartrace. Cascade Middle & High School have a varsity football team, drama club (The Black Curtain Players), marching band, men & women's soccer, softball, and baseball teams. In the fall of 2012, the Cascade High School Marching Band won ^[12] the Division 1 TN Marching Band State Championship at Riverdale High School (Murfreesboro, Tennessee) under the direction of former drum major and Emory University alumna Sierra Cortner.

Geography

Wartrace is located at 35°31′37″N86°19′51″W / 35.52694°N 86.33083°W / 35.52694; -86.33083 (35.526872, -86.330739). ^[13]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 0.7 square miles (1.8 km²), all of it land.

Climate

Climate is characterized by relatively high temperatures and evenly distributed precipitation throughout the year. The Köppen Climate Classification subtype for this climate is "Cfa" (Humid Subtropical Climate). ^[14]

Climate data for Wartrace, TN
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)	9 (49)	12 (53)	17 (62)	22 (72)	27 (80)	31 (87)	32 (90)	32 (89)	29 (84)	23 (73)	16 (61)	11 (52)	22 (71)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)	−2 (28)	−1 (31)	3 (38)	8 (47)	13 (55)	17 (63)	19 (67)	19 (66)	15 (59)	8 (47)	3 (38)	−1 (31)	8 (47)
Average precipitation mm (inches)	120 (4.9)	120 (4.6)	150 (5.8)	110 (4.5)	130 (5.3)	110 (4.2)	120 (4.7)	94 (3.7)	100 (4)	86 (3.4)	120 (4.6)	130 (5.2)	1,400 (55)
Average precipitation days	11	11	11	10	10	10	10	8	8	7	9	11	116
Source: Weatherbase [15]

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1880	468		—
1890	686		46.6%
1900	642		−6.4%
1910	659		2.6%
1920	619		−6.1%
1930	606		−2.1%
1940	552		−8.9%
1950	545		−1.3%
1960	545		0.0%
1970	616		13.0%
1980	540		−12.3%
1990	494		−8.5%
2000	548		10.9%
2010	651		18.8%
2020	653		0.3%
Sources: [16] [17] [4]

As of the census ^[5] of 2000, there were 548 people, 234 households, and 147 families residing in the town. The population density was 800.0 inhabitants per square mile (308.9/km²). There were 250 housing units at an average density of 365.0 per square mile (140.9/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 88.14% White, 8.94% African American, 0.73% from other races, and 2.19% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.64% of the population.

There were 234 households, out of which 30.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.3% were married couples living together, 9.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.8% were non-families. 33.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.34 and the average family size was 2.99.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 25.7% under the age of 18, 6.8% from 18 to 24, 27.7% from 25 to 44, 22.3% from 45 to 64, and 17.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 100.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.2 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $29,500, and the median income for a family was $38,472. Males had a median income of $28,409 versus $19,565 for females. The per capita income for the town was $13,459. About 14.4% of families and 14.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.3% of those under age 18 and 19.3% of those age 65 or over.

Notable person

• Sondra Locke (1944–2018), Academy Award-nominated actress, lived on Horse Mountain Road. ^[18]

References

1. Tennessee Blue Book , 2005-2006, pp. 618-625.
2. "History of Wartrace," Wartrace Chamber of Commerce website. Retrieved: March 1, 2013.
3. "ArcGIS REST Services Directory". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 15, 2022.
4. "Census Population API". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 15, 2022.
5. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved January 31, 2008.
6. "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. October 25, 2007. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
7. Pam Sohn, "Museum Holds Walking Horse Memories," Chattanooga Times Free Press, September 1, 2012.
8. "The History of Wartrace Archived 2012-12-24 at the Wayback Machine ," Wartrace Chamber of Commerce website. Accessed: April 27, 2016.
9. Russ Manning, Scenic Driving Tennessee (Globe Pequot, 2002), p. 201.
10. "100 Years Of Walking In Wartrace". www.twhbea.com. Archived from the original on November 23, 2006.
11. "Cascade High School: About the School". Archived from the original on August 29, 2018. Retrieved October 24, 2018.
12. "Riverdale Band | Division I State Championship". www.riverdaleband.com. Archived from the original on October 26, 2014.
13. "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
14. Climate Summary for Wartrace, TN
15. "Weatherbase.com". Weatherbase. 2013. Retrieved on July 13, 2013.
16. "Census of Population and Housing: Decennial Censuses". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved March 4, 2012.
17. "Incorporated Places and Minor Civil Divisions Datasets: Subcounty Resident Population Estimates: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2012". Population Estimates. U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved December 11, 2013.
18. "MTSC Presents". The Daily News Journal. November 2, 1962. p. 7.

External links

• Wartrace Chamber of Commerce
• Town charter Archived August 8, 2016, at the Wayback Machine