Tazewell, Tennessee

In 1750, Dr. Thomas Walker of Virginia publicized the location of Cumberland Gap, which brought a stream of long hunters down the Clinch and Powell valleys into what is now Claiborne County.John Kivett, "[http://tennesseeencyclopedia.net/entry.php?rec=267 Claiborne County]." The Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture, 2002. Retrieved: February 19, 2008. The land at the time was part of Cherokee and Shawnee hunting grounds,Edgar Holt, Claiborne County (Memphis, Tenn.: Memphis State University Press, 1981), 4-6. and hostile attacks by members of these two tribes were not uncommon. To protect themselves, hunters, fur traders and early settlers erected a series of small forts and stations along the Powell and Clinch valleys. One such station, known as Fort Butler, was located just west of modern Tazewell."[http://www.joepayne.org/goodspeed.html Goodspeed's History of Claiborne County]," 1887. Transcribed for web content by Joe Payne, 2001. Retrieved: February 19, 2008.

File:Graham-Kivett-House-tn1.jpg

Among the earliest settlers in the Tazewell area was John Hunt (1750–1822), a militia captain who would later be instrumental in the founding of Huntsville, Alabama. In 1804, three years after the creation of Claiborne County, Tazewell was chosen as the county seat due in part to Hunt's influence (although a local legend states that the residents of Tazewell's rival for the seat, Springdale, were too intoxicated to vote on the day of selection). Hunt was named the county's first sheriff, and the government met at his house until a courthouse was constructed.Holt, Claiborne County, 10-12. The original courthouse was a wooden structure which had hitching posts for horses in front.

In 1862, at the height of the Civil War, Confederate troops occupied Tazewell as part of the greater struggle for the strategic Cumberland Gap. When the Confederates evacuated the town in November of that year, a fire followed, destroying much of Tazewell.[http://www.state.tn.us/environment/hist/pdf/claibornecojail.pdf National Register of Historic Places Registration Form for the Claiborne County Jail], Sec. 8: 5. September 20, 2006. Retrieved: February 19, 2008. The town retains a number of historical structures, mostly from the Victorian era, including a historic jail, built in 1819.

In 1890, plans developed for a railroad through the town, connecting nearby Cumberland Gap to Knoxville Residents protested the construction of a train depot, which led to the re-routing of the railroad and establishment of a depot several miles west, still bearing the name of the town. The area around the depot saw the birth of a new town, with businesses and homes propping in its vicinity. This town would later incorporate into what is now the city of New Tazewell.

In the early years of its incorporation, a rivalry began between the two communities, often over development projects choosing to start up in the area. In the 2000s, the rivalry subsided, and efforts to merge the two communities into one municipality were proposed, but were rejected.

File:Rose-Park-Tazewell-tn1.jpg

Tazewell is located at {{coord|36|27|16|N|83|34|16|W|type:city}} (36.454408, -83.571074).{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/geographies/reference-files/time-series/geo/gazetteer-files.html|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=April 23, 2011|date=February 12, 2011|title=US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990}} The town is situated on the northern slope of Wallen Ridge, the northernmost of a series of long, narrow ridges that comprise the Ridge and Valley Province of the Appalachian Mountains. Big Barren Creek rises in the western section of Tazewell and flows southwestward for approximately {{convert|10|mi|km}} before emptying into the Norris Lake impoundment of the Clinch River. The streams in the eastern section of Tazewell are part of the watershed of the Powell River, a Clinch tributary that flows westward a few miles north of Tazewell.

Tazewell is centered just east of the junction of {{jct|state=TN|US|25E}}, which connects the town to Morristown to the southeast and Middlesboro, Kentucky to the north, and {{jct|state=TN|TN|33}}, which connects the town to Maynardville to the southwest and Sneedville and the upper Clinch Valley to the northeast.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of {{convert|4.4|sqmi|km2}}, all land.

{{Weather box

|location = Tazewell, Tennessee (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1966–present)

|single line = Y

|width = auto

|Jan record high F = 75

|Feb record high F = 79

|Mar record high F = 85

|Apr record high F = 90

|May record high F = 91

|Jun record high F = 103

|Jul record high F = 103

|Aug record high F = 102

|Sep record high F = 96

|Oct record high F = 91

|Nov record high F = 82

|Dec record high F = 78

|year record high F = 103

|Jan high F = 43.9

|Feb high F = 48.3

|Mar high F = 57.3

|Apr high F = 67.5

|May high F = 75.1

|Jun high F = 81.9

|Jul high F = 84.7

|Aug high F = 84.2

|Sep high F = 79.4

|Oct high F = 68.9

|Nov high F = 57.1

|Dec high F = 47.2

|year high F = 66.3

|Jan mean F = 33.3

|Feb mean F = 37.0

|Mar mean F = 44.4

|Apr mean F = 53.5

|May mean F = 62.6

|Jun mean F = 70.3

|Jul mean F = 74.0

|Aug mean F = 73.0

|Sep mean F = 67.1

|Oct mean F = 55.2

|Nov mean F = 43.9

|Dec mean F = 36.6

|year mean F = 54.2

|Jan low F = 22.8

|Feb low F = 25.6

|Mar low F = 31.5

|Apr low F = 39.6

|May low F = 50.0

|Jun low F = 58.8

|Jul low F = 63.3

|Aug low F = 61.8

|Sep low F = 54.7

|Oct low F = 41.4

|Nov low F = 30.7

|Dec low F = 26.1

|year low F = 42.2

|Jan record low F = -24

|Feb record low F = -22

|Mar record low F = -10

|Apr record low F = 18

|May record low F = 25

|Jun record low F = 28

|Jul record low F = 41

|Aug record low F = 42

|Sep record low F = 29

|Oct record low F = 18

|Nov record low F = 6

|Dec record low F = −8

|year record low F = -24

|precipitation colour = green

|Jan precipitation inch = 4.73

|Feb precipitation inch = 5.06

|Mar precipitation inch = 5.25

|Apr precipitation inch = 5.30

|May precipitation inch = 4.23

|Jun precipitation inch = 5.04

|Jul precipitation inch = 5.24

|Aug precipitation inch = 3.84

|Sep precipitation inch = 3.78

|Oct precipitation inch = 3.08

|Nov precipitation inch = 3.81

|Dec precipitation inch = 5.32

|year precipitation inch = 54.68

|Jan snow inch = 2.6

|Feb snow inch = 3.0

|Mar snow inch = 0.6

|Apr snow inch = 0.1

|May snow inch = 0.0

|Jun snow inch = 0.0

|Jul snow inch = 0.0

|Aug snow inch = 0.0

|Sep snow inch = 0.0

|Oct snow inch = 0.1

|Nov snow inch = 0.1

|Dec snow inch = 1.4

|year snow inch = 7.9

|unit precipitation days = 0.01 in

|Jan precipitation days = 13.7

|Feb precipitation days = 13.8

|Mar precipitation days = 14.6

|Apr precipitation days = 12.9

|May precipitation days = 13.2

|Jun precipitation days = 13.3

|Jul precipitation days = 13.5

|Aug precipitation days = 11.1

|Sep precipitation days = 9.9

|Oct precipitation days = 10.0

|Nov precipitation days = 10.8

|Dec precipitation days = 14.5

|year precipitation days = 151.3

|unit snow days = 0.1 in

|Jan snow days = 2.1

|Feb snow days = 2.2

|Mar snow days = 0.8

|Apr snow days = 0.1

|May snow days = 0.0

|Jun snow days = 0.0

|Jul snow days = 0.0

|Aug snow days = 0.0

|Sep snow days = 0.0

|Oct snow days = 0.0

|Nov snow days = 0.1

|Dec snow days = 1.2

|year snow days = 6.5

|source 1 = NOAA

{{cite web

| url = https://www.weather.gov/wrh/Climate?wfo=mrx

| title = NowData - NOAA Online Weather Data

| publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

| access-date = October 6, 2021}}

{{cite web

| url = https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&startDate=0001-01-01&endDate=9996-12-31&stations=USC00408868&format=pdf

| title = Station: Tazewell, TN

| work = U.S. Climate Normals 2020: U.S. Monthly Climate Normals (1991-2020)

| publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

| access-date = October 6, 2021}}

}}

{{US Census population

|1870= 345

|1880= 342

|1910= 886

|1920= 424

|1960= 1264

|1970= 1860

|1980= 2090

|1990= 2150

|2000= 2165

|2010= 2218

|2020= 2348

|footnote=Sources:{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=March 4, 2012|title=Census of Population and Housing: Decennial Censuses}}{{cite web|title=Incorporated Places and Minor Civil Divisions Datasets: Subcounty Resident Population Estimates: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2012|url=https://www.census.gov/popest/data/cities/totals/2012/SUB-EST2012.html|work=Population Estimates|publisher=U.S. Census Bureau|access-date=December 11, 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130611010502/http://www.census.gov/popest/data/cities/totals/2012/SUB-EST2012.html|archive-date=June 11, 2013}}{{cite web|url=https://api.census.gov/data/2020/dec/pl?get=P1_001N,NAME&for=place:*&in=state:47&key=5ccd0821c15d9f4520e2dcc0f8d92b2ec9336108|title=Census Population API|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=October 15, 2022}}

}}

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 2,348 people, 1,022 households, and 630 families residing in the town.

As of the census of 2000, there were 2,165 people, 918 households, and 588 families residing in the town. The population density was {{convert|496.0|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 987 housing units at an average density of {{convert|226.1|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The racial makeup of the town was 94.00% White, 4.02% African American, 0.42% Native American, 0.60% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 0.05% from other races, and 0.88% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.74% of the population.

Image:Tazewell-nelson-stone-house.jpg

There were 918 households, out of which 27.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.7% were married couples living together, 16.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.9% were non-families. 32.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.20 and the average family size was 2.73.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 19.4% under the age of 18, 9.4% from 18 to 24, 26.2% from 25 to 44, 25.6% from 45 to 64, and 19.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 82.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 79.8 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $22,288, and the median income for a family was $32,813. Males had a median income of $25,721 versus $19,479 for females. The per capita income for the town was $16,688. About 20.0% of families and 22.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 29.9% of those under age 18 and 19.9% of those age 65 or over.

• Boyd C. Fugate, State Representative (1884-1967)
• Margaret Burns Fugate, Trustee U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Eastern District of Tennessee, 10.0 Avvo Rating: highest possible rating for legal ability and ethical standards

• Satellite campus of Walters State Community College
• Claiborne High School
• Soldiers Memorial Middle School
• Tazewell-New Tazewell Primary School
• AliYah Academy
• Springdale Elementary School

{{reflist}}

{{Commons category}}

• [http://www.claibornecounty.com/ Claiborne County Chamber of Commerce]
• [http://www.joepayne.org/claiborne/ Joe Payne's Claiborne County Page] — a large collection of historical documents and photographs pertaining the history of Tazewell and Claiborne County

{{Claiborne County, Tennessee}}

{{Tennessee county seats}}

{{authority control}}

Category:Towns in Claiborne County, Tennessee

Category:Towns in Tennessee

Category:County seats in Tennessee

Category:1801 establishments in Tennessee