Lewis County, Tennessee

{{Infobox U.S. county

| county = Lewis County

| state = Tennessee

| flag = Flag of Lewis County, Tennessee.png

| seal = Seal of Lewis County, Tennessee.png

| founded = December 23, 1843

| named for = Meriwether LewisMarjorie Graves, "[http://tennesseeencyclopedia.net/entry.php?rec=782 Lewis County]," Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture. Retrieved: October 21, 2013.

| seat wl = Hohenwald

| largest city wl = Hohenwald

| area_total_sq_mi = 282

| area_land_sq_mi = 282

| area_water_sq_mi = 0.4

| area percentage = 0.1%

| census yr = 2020

| pop = 12582 {{increase}}

| density_sq_mi = 43

| web = www.lewiscountytn.com

| time zone = Central

| ex image = Lewis County Courthouse, Tennessee.JPG

| ex image cap = Lewis County Courthouse, April 2014

| ex image size = 200px

| district = 5th

}}

Lewis County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2020 census, the population was 12,582.{{cite web|title=Census - Geography Profile: Lewis County, Tennessee|url=https://data.census.gov/profile/Lewis_County,_Tennessee?g=0500000US47101|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=January 7, 2023}} Its county seat is Hohenwald.{{cite web|url=http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx|access-date=June 7, 2011|title=Find a County|publisher=National Association of Counties}} The county is named for explorer Meriwether Lewis, who died and was buried at Grinder's Stand near Hohenwald in 1809.

History

File:Meriwether Lewis National Monument and Gravesite.jpg National Monument and Gravesite, April 2014.]]

Lewis County was formed in 1843 from parts of Perry, Hickman, Lawrence, Maury and Wayne counties. It was named for explorer Meriwether Lewis of the Lewis and Clark Expedition.{{cite book|last=Gannett|first=Henry|title=The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States|url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_9V1IAAAAMAAJ|year=1905|publisher=U.S. Government Printing Office|page=[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_9V1IAAAAMAAJ/page/n134 185]}} 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.{{cite news|last1=White|first1=John A.|title=Lewis. Awful Tragedy Connected With Name of the County|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/119324332/?terms=%22Powhatan%2BGordon%22|access-date=September 28, 2016|work=The Tennessean|date=June 26, 1910|page=30|via=Newspapers.com|url-access=registration |quote=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.}}

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."[http://news.tn.gov/node/2414 First National Memorial Service for Meriwether Lewis] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110712025019/http://news.tn.gov/node/2414 |date=July 12, 2011 }}, August 21, 2009. Retrieved: October 21, 2013.

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 {{convert|282|sqmi}}, of which {{convert|282|sqmi}} is land and {{convert|0.4|sqmi}} (0.1%) is water.{{cite web|url=http://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/counties_list_47.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=April 7, 2015|date=August 22, 2012|title=2010 Census Gazetteer Files}}

=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 =

{{jct|state=TN|US|412}}
{{jct|state=TN|TN|20}}
{{jct|state=TN|TN|48}}
{{jct|state=TN|TN|99}}

Demographics

{{US Census population

|1850= 4438

|1860= 2241

|1870= 1986

|1880= 2181

|1890= 2555

|1900= 4455

|1910= 6033

|1920= 5707

|1930= 5258

|1940= 5849

|1950= 6078

|1960= 6269

|1970= 6761

|1980= 9700

|1990= 9247

|2000= 11367

|2010= 12161

|2020= 12582

|estref=

|align-fn=center

|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=U.S. Decennial Census|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=April 7, 2015}}
1790-1960{{cite web|url=http://mapserver.lib.virginia.edu|title=Historical Census Browser|publisher=University of Virginia Library|access-date=April 7, 2015}} 1900-1990{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/population/cencounts/tn190090.txt|title=Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990|publisher=United States Census Bureau|editor-last=Forstall|editor-first=Richard L.|date=March 27, 1995|access-date=April 7, 2015}}
1990-2000{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/briefs/phc-t4/tables/tab02.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/https://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/briefs/phc-t4/tables/tab02.pdf |archive-date=October 9, 2022 |url-status=live|title=Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000|publisher=United States Census Bureau|date=April 2, 2001|access-date=April 7, 2015}} 2010-2014{{cite web|title=State & County QuickFacts|url=http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/47/47101.html|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=December 3, 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110607142920/http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/47/47101.html|archive-date=June 7, 2011}}

}}

{{Stack|Image:USA Lewis County, Tennessee.csv age pyramid.svg data]]}}

=2020 census=

class="wikitable" style="text-align:right" \|+Lewis County racial composition{{Cite web\|title=Explore Census Data\|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?g=0500000US47101&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2\|access-date=December 27, 2021\|website=data.census.gov}} !scope="col"\| Race !scope="col"\| Number !scope="col"\| Percentage
scope="row"\| White (non-Hispanic) \| 11,510 \| 91.48%
scope="row"\| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) \| 184 \| 1.46%
scope="row"\| Native American \| 31 \| 0.25%
scope="row"\| Asian \| 55 \| 0.44%
scope="row"\| Pacific Islander \| 5 \| 0.04%
scope="row"\| Other/Mixed \| 471 \| 3.74%
scope="row"\| Hispanic or Latino \| 326 \| 2.59%

class="wikitable" style="text-align:right"

|+Lewis County racial composition{{Cite web|title=Explore Census Data|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?g=0500000US47101&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2|access-date=December 27, 2021|website=data.census.gov}}

!scope="col"| Race

!scope="col"| Number

!scope="col"| Percentage

scope="row"| White (non-Hispanic)

| 11,510

| 91.48%

scope="row"| Black or African American (non-Hispanic)

| 184

| 1.46%

scope="row"| Native American

| 31

| 0.25%

scope="row"| Asian

| 55

| 0.44%

scope="row"| Pacific Islander

| 5

| 0.04%

scope="row"| Other/Mixed

| 471

| 3.74%

scope="row"| 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{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=May 14, 2011|title=U.S. Census website}} of 2000, there were 11,367 people, 4,381 households, and 3,215 families residing in the county. The population density was {{convert|40|/mi2|/km2|disp=preunit|people |people|}}. There were 4,821 housing units at an average density of {{convert|17|/mi2|/km2|adj=pre|units }}. 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

{{PresHead|place=Lewis County, Tennessee|whig=no|source={{Cite web|url=http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS|title=Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections|last=Leip|first=David|website=uselectionatlas.org|access-date=March 11, 2018}}}}

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.Cohn, Nate; [https://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/24/upshot/southern-whites-loyalty-to-gop-nearing-that-of-blacks-to-democrats.html ‘Demographic Shift: Southern Whites’ Loyalty to G.O.P. Nearing That of Blacks to Democrats’], New York Times, April 24, 2014