Bledsoe County, Tennessee

Bledsoe County
Bledsoe County
County
	Bledsoe County Courthouse in Pikeville
	Seal
	Location within the U.S. state of Tennessee
	Tennessee's location within the U.S.
	Coordinates: 35°36′N 85°13′W / 35.6°N 85.21°W
Country	United States
State	Tennessee
Founded	1807
Named for	Anthony Bledsoe
Seat	Pikeville
Largest city	Pikeville
Area
• Total	407 sq mi (1,050 km2)
• Land	406 sq mi (1,050 km2)
• Water	0.3 sq mi (0.8 km2) 0.08%
Population (2020)
• Total	14,913
• Density	36.73/sq mi (14.18/km2)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district	4th

Bledsoe County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2020 census, the population was 14,913.^[2] Its county seat is Pikeville.^[3]

History

Bledsoe County was formed in 1807 from land that was formerly Indian Land as well as land carved from Roane County. The county was named for Anthony Bledsoe (1739–1788), a soldier in the Revolutionary War and was an early settler of Sumner County. He was killed in an Indian attack at Bledsoe's Station.^[4]

Like many East Tennessee counties, Bledsoe County opposed secession on the eve of the Civil War. In Tennessee's Ordinance of Secession on June 8, 1861, the county's residents voted against secession by a margin of 500 to 197.^[5] General James G. Spears, a resident of Bledsoe, served as a vice president at the pro-Union East Tennessee Convention in May and June 1861, and fought for the Union Army in the war.^[6]

Geography

Northern Bledsoe County, with the Cumberland Plateau on the horizon

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 407 square miles (1,050 km²), of which 406 square miles (1,050 km²) is land and 0.3 square miles (0.78 km²) (0.08%) is water.^[7]

Adjacent counties

Cumberland County (north)
Rhea County (east/EST Border)
Hamilton County (southeast/EST Border)
Sequatchie County (southwest)
Van Buren County (west)

State protected areas

Bledsoe State Forest (part)
Fall Creek Falls State Natural Area (part)
Fall Creek Falls State Park (part)

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1820	4,005	—
1830	4,648	16.1%
1840	5,676	22.1%
1850	5,959	5.0%
1860	4,459	−25.2%
1870	4,870	9.2%
1880	5,617	15.3%
1890	6,134	9.2%
1900	6,626	8.0%
1910	6,329	−4.5%
1920	7,218	14.0%
1930	7,128	−1.2%
1940	8,358	17.3%
1950	8,561	2.4%
1960	7,811	−8.8%
1970	7,643	−2.2%
1980	9,478	24.0%
1990	9,669	2.0%
2000	12,367	27.9%
2010	12,876	4.1%
2020	14,913	15.8%
U.S. Decennial Census^[8] 1790-1960^[9] 1900-1990^[10] 1990-2000^[11] 2010-2020^[2]

2020 census

Bledsoe County racial composition^[13]
Race	Number	Percentage
White (non-Hispanic)	13,129	88.04%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic)	781	5.24%
Native American	48	0.32%
Asian	37	0.25%
Other/Mixed	459	3.08%
Hispanic or Latino	459	3.08%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 14,913 people, 4,894 households, and 3,473 families residing in the county.

2000 census

As of the census^[14] of 2000, there were 12,367 people, 4,430 households, and 3,313 families residing in the county. The population density was 30 people per square mile (12 people/km²). There were 5,142 housing units at an average density of 13 units per square mile (5.0/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 94.44% White, 3.70% Black or African American, 0.38% Native American, 0.11% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.19% from other races, and 1.15% from two or more races. 1.12% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 4,430 households, out of which 31.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.50% were married couples living together, 9.10% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.20% were non-families. 22.10% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.20% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 2.94.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 23.10% under the age of 18, 8.40% from 18 to 24, 31.30% from 25 to 44, 25.80% from 45 to 64, and 11.40% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 121.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 121.30 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $28,982, and the median income for a family was $34,593. Males had a median income of $26,648 versus $20,639 for females. The per capita income for the county was $13,889. About 14.90% of families and 18.10% of the population were below the poverty line, including 21.00% of those under age 18 and 23.20% of those age 65 or over.

Recreation

Bledsoe County is home to a portion of Fall Creek Falls State Resort Park.

Prisons

Bledsoe County Correctional Complex (BCCX) covers about 2,500 acres between Pikeville and Spencer. The prison is a level 3 facility which houses about 2,539 offenders in three separate facilities: Site 1; Site 2 (formerly Southeast Tennessee State Regional Correctional Facility); and Unit 28 (houses female offenders.)^[15]

Communities

City

Old Bellview School in northwestern Bledsoe County

Pikeville (county seat)

Unincorporated communities

Politics

The last Democrat to carry this county was Bill Clinton in 1992. In 1988, it was one of two counties that didn't vote for Democratic Senator Jim Sasser, but two years later, it backed Governor Ned McWherter.^[16]^[17]

It backed Donald Trump with a historic 82% of the vote in 2020, the largest vote share ever recorded for a presidential candidate.

United States presidential election results for Bledsoe County, Tennessee^[18]
Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party(ies)
Year	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2020	4,725	82.06%	971	16.86%	62	1.08%
2016	3,622	77.66%	897	19.23%	145	3.11%
2012	3,022	69.33%	1,267	29.07%	70	1.61%
2008	3,166	66.18%	1,517	31.71%	101	2.11%
2004	2,849	59.24%	1,927	40.07%	33	0.69%
2000	2,380	56.72%	1,756	41.85%	60	1.43%
1996	1,626	46.04%	1,621	45.89%	285	8.07%
1992	1,776	44.20%	1,884	46.89%	358	8.91%
1988	1,858	59.04%	1,274	40.48%	15	0.48%
1984	1,950	59.34%	1,316	40.05%	20	0.61%
1980	1,970	54.94%	1,585	44.20%	31	0.86%
1976	1,620	47.63%	1,757	51.66%	24	0.71%
1972	1,952	65.90%	899	30.35%	111	3.75%
1968	1,477	46.65%	957	30.23%	732	23.12%
1964	1,431	50.33%	1,412	49.67%	0	0.00%
1960	1,439	58.69%	981	40.01%	32	1.31%
1956	1,429	56.57%	1,079	42.72%	18	0.71%
1952	1,229	50.85%	1,158	47.91%	30	1.24%
1948	1,103	49.07%	1,092	48.58%	53	2.36%
1944	1,187	59.89%	795	40.11%	0	0.00%
1940	1,317	46.31%	1,527	53.69%	0	0.00%
1936	1,178	48.70%	1,218	50.35%	23	0.95%
1932	960	48.14%	1,034	51.86%	0	0.00%
1928	901	60.11%	598	39.89%	0	0.00%
1924	690	58.28%	485	40.96%	9	0.76%
1920	1,198	71.31%	482	28.69%	0	0.00%
1916	681	61.68%	423	38.32%	0	0.00%
1912	379	30.22%	464	37.00%	411	32.78%

References

^ Elizabeth Robnett, "Bledsoe County," Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture. Retrieved: March 31, 2013.
^ ^a ^b "Bledsoe County, Tennessee". quickfacts.census.gov. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 29, 2021.
^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
^ Origins Of Tennessee County Names, Tennessee Blue Book 2005-2006, pages 508-513
^ Oliver Perry Temple, East Tennessee and the Civil War (R. Clarke Company, 1899), p. 199.
^ Oliver Perry Temple, Mary Boyce Temple (ed.), "General James G. Spears," Notable Men of Tennessee (Cosmopolitan Press, 1912), pp. 186-190.
^ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Retrieved April 1, 2015.
^ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 1, 2015.
^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved April 1, 2015.
^ Forstall, Richard L., ed. (March 27, 1995). "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 1, 2015.
^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. April 2, 2001. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 9, 2022. Retrieved April 1, 2015.
^ Based on 2000 census data
^ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 26, 2021.
^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 14, 2011.
^ See "Bledsoe County Correctional Complex" (2020)
^ "1988 Senatorial General Election Results - Tennessee". Archived from the original on May 14, 2015.
^ "1990 Gubernatorial General Election Results - Tennessee". Archived from the original on May 28, 2013.
^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved March 9, 2018.