Bradley County, Tennessee

Coordinates: 35°09′N 84°52′W / 35.15°N 84.86°W / 35.15; -84.86
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Bradley County
County
The Bradley County courthouse in Cleveland
The Bradley County courthouse in Cleveland
UTC−4 (EDT)
ZIP Codes
37310, 37311, 37312, 37320, 37323, 37353, 37364[3]
Congressional district3rd
Websitewww.bradleycountytn.gov

Bradley County is a

Combined Statistical Area
.

History

Meeleny Bell, located on the former Bradley County Courthouse from 1893 to 1963.
See also: Cleveland, Tennessee § History

Indigenous peoples occupied this territory, especially along the waterways, for thousands of years before European contact. The first Europeans to see this area were likely

South Appalachian Mississippian culture
.

The historic

Muscogee Creek and Yuchi occupied areas of what became Tennessee. The Yuchi town of Chestowee was located on the south bank of the lower Hiwassee River. They later moved from Tennessee into Georgia and South Carolina under pressure from the Cherokee, who were rising to power in the region. Cherokee warriors from the Middle Towns destroyed Chestowee in 1714, encouraged by English fur traders from South Carolina. Archeological surveys suggest that Chestowee was located at what is known as the Rymer archeological site, identified in later studies as within the European-American J.P. Rymer farm.[7]

The Cherokee became predominant in this area and referred to a large region in present-day Bradley County as

Muscogee Creek
when moving into their territory in Georgia and Alabama.

In anticipation of forced removal of the Cherokee by treaty cession in this area north of the Hiwassee River, white settlers began to move here. In 1821, the Cherokee Agency, the official liaison between the U.S. Government and the Cherokee Nation, was moved to present-day

Red Clay State Park
.

The

Cherokee Removal began after some of their leaders signed the Treaty of New Echota, signed on December 29, 1835. The government had earlier tried to persuade them to move to Indian Territory; these leaders signed the treaty while trying to gain the best conditions for their people, as they believed it was inevitable.[10]

General Winfield Scott was directed to remove the Cherokee from the Southeast, and set up the headquarters at Fort Cass in Charleston.[10] Several internment camps were established in Bradley County in the valleys between Charleston and Cleveland, Tennessee, where the Cherokee were held in preparation for the journey westward. This became known as the Trail of Tears.[10] Two of the largest internment camps were located at Rattlesnake Springs.[11]

European-American development of Bradley County

Bradley County was established by the legislature on February 10, 1836.[12] It was named to honor Colonel Edward Bradley who served in the War of 1812.[13] The first election in Bradley County took place on April 2, 1836.[14] On May 2, 1836, the location for the county seat of Cleveland was chosen.[12] On January 20, 1838, Cleveland, which had a population of 400, was formally recognized by the state legislature as the seat of Bradley County.[15] Cleveland was incorporated on February 2, 1842.[15]

Like most East Tennessee counties, the voters of Bradley County were largely opposed to secession on the eve of the Civil War. In Tennessee's Ordinance of Secession referendum on June 8, 1861, the county's residents voted against secession - 1,382 to 507.[16] No major battles were fought in Bradley County, but several major skirmishes between Union and Confederate troops took place there. In 1864, Confederate soldiers failed in an attempt to destroy a Union train near the Tasso community, an effort that resulted in destroying a Confederate train instead.[17]

The bridge over the

33rd Regiment Alabama Infantry, who were being transported to Chattanooga.[19] Union soldiers under the command of William Tecumseh Sherman camped at Cleveland, Tasso, and Blue Springs on multiple occasions during the latter half of the war.[20][21] The city of Cleveland was occupied by the Confederate Army from 1861 to 1863.[22]

Geography

According to the

springs in the county, which made the area favorable to early settlers. The highest point in the county is located on the Hamilton County line along White Oak Mountain. The county is bordered on the north by the Hiwassee River.[25] The majority of the county is located in the Tennessee Valley drainage basin, except for approximately the southeastern third, which is located in the Mobile Bay Watershed and contains the Conasauga River.[26] This river is the only river in Tennessee that is not part of the Mississippi River Watershed.[27]

Adjacent counties

State protected areas

  • Chickamauga Wildlife Management Area (part)
  • Charlotte Anne Finnell Neal Wildlife Management Area
  • Red Clay State Park

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
18407,385—
185012,25966.0%
186011,701−4.6%
187011,652−0.4%
188012,1244.1%
189013,60712.2%
190015,75915.8%
191016,3363.7%
192018,65214.2%
193022,87022.6%
194028,49824.6%
195032,33813.5%
196038,32418.5%
197050,68632.3%
198067,54733.3%
199073,7129.1%
200087,96519.3%
201098,96312.5%
2020108,6209.8%
U.S. Decennial Census[28]
1790-1960[29] 1900-1990[30]
1990-2000[31] 2010-2020[4]
Age pyramid Bradley County[33]

2020 census

Bradley County racial composition[34]
Race Number Percentage
White
(non-Hispanic) 		87,830 80.86%
Black or African American
(non-Hispanic) 		5,105 4.7%
Native American
 271 0.25%
Asian
 1,188 1.09%
Pacific Islander
 117 0.11%
Other/Mixed
 5,648 5.2%
Latino
 8,461 7.79%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 108,620 people, 39,992 households, and 26,516 families residing in the county.

2010 census

As of the census of 2010,[35][36] there were 98,963 people, 37,947 households, and 26,867 families residing in the county. The population density was 298.98 persons per square mile. There were 41,395 housing units at an average density of 125.06 per square mile. The racial makeup of the county was 92.10% White, 4.27% Black or African American, 0.33% Native American, 0.86% Asian, 0.06% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, and 1.45% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos (of any race) were 4.71% of the population. The largest ancestral groups were Irish 14.27%, German 12.62%, English 8.91%, Italian 2.39%, and Dutch 2.18%. An estimated 3.90% of the population was foreign-born, and an estimated 7.54% were veterans.

Of all of the households, 29.07% had children under the age of 18 living in them, 53.58% were married couples living together, 4.78% had a male householder with no wife present, 12.44% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.2% were non-family households, with 23.8% of householders living alone. 33.27% of all households had individuals under the age of 18 living in them, and 26.36% had individuals aged 65 and older living in them. The average household size was 2.54 persons, and the average family size was 2.98 persons.

The population was spread out, with 22.97% under the age of 18, 62.88% ages 18 to 64, and 14.15% over the age of 65. The median age was 37.9 years. 51.32% of the population was female and 48.68% was male.

The median household income was $40,032, and the average per capita income was approximately $21,444. Males had a median income of $37,735 versus $28,585 for females. Approximately 11.6% of families and 16.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.2% of those under the age of 18 and 10.8% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

With thirteen

Mars, Incorporated, Procter & Gamble, Duracell, Hardwick Clothes, and Cleveland Chair Company.[38] Wacker Polysilicon, Olin Corporation, Amazon, and Arch Chemicals have factories and distribution centers in Charleston.[39] Resolute Forest Products, formerly Bowater, has a plant across the river from Charleston in Calhoun.[40]

Agriculture in Bradley County has an annual market value of over $105 million.

broilers, most of which is raised in the southern half of the county.[41] Bradley County is also home to farms which raise beef cattle, dairy, and crops, such as corn, soybeans, and fruits and vegetables.[42]

Government

United States presidential election results for Bradley County, Tennessee[43][44]
Year Republican Democratic Third party
No.  % No.  % No.  %
2020 35,204 76.76% 9,851 21.48% 810 1.77%
2016 29,768 76.99% 7,070 18.28% 1,828 4.73%
2012 27,422 75.97% 8,037 22.27% 637 1.76%
2008 28,333 74.19% 9,357 24.50% 501 1.31%
2004 25,951 72.82% 9,431 26.46% 255 0.72%
2000 20,167 68.50% 8,768 29.78% 508 1.73%
1996 15,478 58.13% 9,095 34.16% 2,055 7.72%
1992 16,528 55.66% 9,889 33.30% 3,279 11.04%
1988 15,829 71.85% 6,122 27.79% 80 0.36%
1984 16,322 72.54% 6,085 27.04% 95 0.42%
1980 11,869 59.63% 7,638 38.37% 398 2.00%
1976 9,136 50.61% 8,776 48.62% 139 0.77%
1972 10,440 77.26% 2,804 20.75% 269 1.99%
1968 6,924 50.01% 2,762 19.95% 4,159 30.04%
1964 6,717 54.13% 5,693 45.87% 0 0.00%
1960 7,865 69.69% 3,307 29.30% 113 1.00%
1956 6,247 65.00% 3,225 33.56% 139 1.45%
1952 4,606 63.36% 2,646 36.40% 17 0.23%
1948 2,942 57.10% 2,036 39.52% 174 3.38%
1944 2,616 66.21% 1,312 33.21% 23 0.58%
1940 2,617 56.71% 1,976 42.82% 22 0.48%
1936 2,561 47.64% 2,806 52.19% 9 0.17%
1932 1,570 54.10% 1,295 44.62% 37 1.27%
1928 2,854 75.70% 913 24.22% 3 0.08%
1924 1,779 63.13% 999 35.45% 40 1.42%
1920 2,255 67.33% 1,058 31.59% 36 1.07%
1916 1,482 64.72% 784 34.24% 24 1.05%
1912 485 28.73% 645 38.21% 558 33.06%
1908 1,063 62.02% 620 36.17% 31 1.81%
1904 1,242 62.85% 701 35.48% 33 1.67%
1900 1,579 61.68% 909 35.51% 72 2.81%
1896 1,725 60.91% 1,057 37.32% 50 1.77%
1892 1,522 60.52% 871 34.63% 122 4.85%
1888 1,518 59.72% 991 38.99% 33 1.30%
1884 1,304 58.95% 892 40.33% 16 0.72%
1880 932 53.62% 665 38.26% 141 8.11%

Bradley County has a 14-member

register of deeds, assessor of property, trustee, and road superintendent. Elections take place every even year, with primaries in the first week of May and general elections in the first week of August, along with the state primary.[48]

District[45] Seat A[45] Seat B[45]
District 1 Daniel Beaty Mike Hughes
District 2 Louie Alford Tom Crye
District 3 Milan Blake Denny Collins
District 4 Scott Gilbert Howard Thompson
District 5 Bobby Goins Cindy Slater
District 6 Tim Mason Tommy Ledford
District 7 Josh Rogers Bill Winters

Bradley County is located in Tennessee's 3rd congressional district, represented by Republican Chuck Fleischmann.[49] For the Tennessee House of Representatives, Bradley County is part of both District 22, represented by Republican Dan Howell,[50] and District 24, represented by Republican Kevin Raper.[51] Bradley County is represented in the Tennessee Senate, by Republican J. Adam Lowe

Cleveland and Bradley County have always been majority-Republican, as has most of

1936.[52]
In both the 2000 and 2004 Presidential elections, the Republican candidate received the highest percentage of the popular vote in Bradley County out of all of Tennessee's counties.[43]

Infrastructure

Transportation

Air

Hardwick Field, also known as Cleveland Municipal Airport, was the county's principal airport from 1955 to 2013.[53][54] Cleveland Regional Jetport, located approximately two miles east of Hardwick Field opened on January 25, 2013, replacing Hardwick Field.[55] It consists of a 6,200-by-100-foot (1,890 by 30 m) runway.[55]

Rail

The county is served by the Norfolk Southern Railway, which forks in Cleveland and provides logistics for industries.[56]

Highways

Interstate 75 traverses the county from the southwest to the north, passing through the western edge of Cleveland. There are four exits on I-75 in Bradley County: three in Cleveland and one in Charleston. U.S. Route 11 and U.S. Route 64 intersect in downtown Cleveland. U.S. 11 connects to Chattanooga to the southwest and Athens to the north. U.S. 64 connects to Murphy, North Carolina to the east. S.R. 60 connects Cleveland to Dayton to the northwest and Dalton, Georgia to the south. APD-40, made up of the U.S. 64 Bypass and a section of S.R. 60 forms a beltway and bypass route around the business district of Cleveland. The U.S. 11 Bypass bypasses downtown Cleveland to the west.[56]

Principal highways
Historic U.S. Route 11 in Charleston.
Aerial view of the cloverleaf interchange of APD-40 (U.S. 64 Byp./S.R. 60) and U.S. Route 64 (Inman Street/Waterlevel Highway).
Secondary highways

Utilities

Cleveland Utilities is a city-owned corporation which provides electricity, water, and sewer service to the city of Cleveland and surrounding areas.[57] The Calhoun-Charleston Utilities District provides water to Charleston.[58] Volunteer Electric Cooperative (VEC) provides electricity to Charleston and the rest of Bradley County, except for a small portion in the southwestern part of the county along U.S. 11/64, including McDonald, which receives its electricity from Chattanooga-based EPB.[58] The rest of the county is provided water by the Hiwassee Utilities Commission, Ocoee Utility District, Eastside Utility District, and Savannah Valley Utility District.[58] Cleveland Utilities, VEC, and EPB all purchase their power from the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), which also provides power directly to heavy industries Olin, United Hydrogen, and Wacker. Chattanooga Gas, a subsidiary of Southern Company, provides natural gas to Cleveland and surrounding areas.[59]

Healthcare

Prior to 2008, the county's two main hospitals were Bradley Memorial Hospital and Cleveland Community Hospital. They ran independently until 2008 when they were both purchased by SkyRidge Medical Center.

emergency medical service (EMS) agency of the county government that was established in 1972 and consists of six stations, eight ambulances, and two ancillary vehicles, along with more than 60 full-time employees and more than 25 part-time employees.[62]

Education

Cleveland State Community College and Lee University are located in Bradley County. Public schools in the county are managed by the Bradley County Schools school district or the Cleveland City Schools school district. The county district has four public high schools: Bradley Central High School, Walker Valley High School, GOAL Academy, and REACH Adult High school. Cleveland High School is operated by the city school district. There is one State-accredited private Christian college preparatory school: Tennessee Christian Preparatory School.

Private schools

Higher education

Media

Newspapers

The Cleveland Daily Banner is the county's primary newspaper. The paper was first published in 1854, making it one of the oldest in the state.[63] Additionally, the Chattanooga Times Free Press, a paper based in Chattanooga, also serves as a primary source of news for Bradley County residents.

Radio

Several

radio stations located within Chattanooga and neighboring cities serve Bradley County, along with others licensed to Cleveland, which are listed below:[64]

Call sign Frequency Format
W207C1
(WAYW)		 89.3 FM Contemporary Christian
WSAA 93.1 FM
Air 1
, Contemporary Christian
WALI 97.1
Lite rock
WOOP-LP 99.9 FM Country
WUSY 100.7 FM Country
W267BI
 101.3 FM Talk
WCLE-FM 104.1 FM
Adult contemporary
W290CA (WTSE) 105.9 FM Contemporary Christian
WBAC 1340 AM News/Talk
WCLE-AM 1570 AM Talk

Television

Bradley County is served by several TV stations licensed both in the county and in neighboring counties. Stations licensed in Cleveland include:

Call sign[65] Channel Network
WPDP-CD
 25
My Network TV
WTNB-CD 27 Heartland
WFLI-TV 42, 53
Me-TV

Communities

Cleveland
Charleston

Cities

Census-designated places

Unincorporated communities

See also

References

  • Corn, James F. (1959). Red Clay and Rattlesnake Springs: A History of the Cherokee Indians of Bradley County, Tennessee. Marceline, MO: Walsworth Publishing Company.
  • Lillard, Roy G. (1980). Bradley County. Dunn, Joy Bailey., Crawford, Charles Wann, 1931-. Memphis, Tenn.: Memphis State University Press.
    OCLC 6934932
    .

Notes

  1. ^ Seal of Bradley County, Tennessee
  2. ^ a b John C. Bowman, "Bradley County," Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture. Retrieved: March 31, 2013.
  3. ^ "Bradley County, TN - Tennessee ZIP Codes". www.zip-codes.com.
  4. ^ a b "Bradley County, Tennessee". quickfacts.census.gov. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 29, 2021.
  5. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  6. ^ Lillard 1980, p. 15-16.
  7. ^ Corn 1959, p. 4.
  8. ^ Lillard 1980, p. 37.
  9. ^ Lillard 1980, p. 11.
  10. ^ a b c d Lillard 1980, p. 12.
  11. ^ Higgins, Randall (August 24, 2011). "Drive seeks $95,000 for historic Bradley site Rattlesnake Springs". Chattanooga Times Free Press. Chattanooga, Tennessee. Archived from the original on February 25, 2019. Retrieved February 23, 2019.
  12. ^ a b " Goodspeed's History of Bradley County, Tennessee," published in 1887. Transcribed for web content and maintained by TNGenWeb - Bradley County. Retrieved: December 30, 2007.
  13. ^ Lillard 1980, p. 17.
  14. ^ "Our Hometown 2016". Cleveland Daily Banner. Cleveland, Tennessee. August 6, 2016. Retrieved September 13, 2019.
  15. ^ a b William Snell, "Cleveland," An Encyclopedia of East Tennessee (Children's Museum of Oak Ridge, 1981), pp. 108-111.
  16. ^ Temple, Oliver Perry (1899). East Tennessee and the Civil War. R. Clarke Company. p. 199 – via Internet Archive.
  17. ISBN 1493040758
    – via Google Books.
  18. ^ Temple, East Tennessee and the Civil War, pp. 370-406.
  19. ^ W.E. Mathews Preston Diary and Regimental History, SPR393, Alabama Dept. of Archives and History, page 14. Archived February 25, 2014, at the Wayback Machine
  20. ^ Hardy, Lucina Welch (March 1962). An Album of Historical Memories: Chatata - Tasso, Bradley County, Tennessee, 1830 -1961. Hardy & Randolph. p. 53.
  21. ^ Shemo, Christina (October 14, 2005). "Legends abound". Cleveland Daily Banner.
  22. ^ "Tennessee Civil War Trails Program," June 9, 2011, pp. 1-2. Accessed: March 12, 2015.
  23. ^ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Retrieved April 1, 2015.
  24. US Geological Survey
    . 1976. Retrieved November 12, 2017.
  25. U.S. Department of the Interior
    . Retrieved November 11, 2017.
  26. U.S. Department of the Interior
    . Retrieved November 11, 2017.
  27. ^ Carey, Bill (October 2017). "Conasauga River nearly became important in Tennessee history". Tennessee Magazine. Retrieved June 23, 2020.
  28. ^ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 1, 2015.
  29. ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved April 1, 2015.
  30. ^ Forstall, Richard L., ed. (March 27, 1995). "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 1, 2015.
  31. ^ "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.
  32. ^ "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". Retrieved July 20, 2019.
  33. 2000 census
    data
  34. ^ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 25, 2021.
  35. ^ "Community Facts". data.census.gov. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 22, 2019.
  36. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 22, 2019.
  37. ^ "Welcome to Cleveland, Tennessee!". clevelandtn.gov. November 2, 2012. Archived from the original on August 5, 2013. Retrieved July 6, 2013.
  38. ^ a b "Archived copy". Archived from the original on March 23, 2006. Retrieved December 29, 2005.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) Cleveland Chamber of Commerce
  39. ^ Pare, Mike (June 2, 2017). "Wacker starts work on $150 million plant expansion in Bradley County". Chattanooga Times-Free Press. Retrieved October 26, 2017.
  40. ^ Flessner, Dave (March 13, 2013). "Paper mill in Calhoun, Tenn., once known as Bowater, idles its last newsprint machine". Chattanooga Times Free Press. Retrieved November 11, 2017.
  41. ^ a b "Bradley County, Tennessee - 2017 Census of Agriculture" (PDF). National Agricultural Statistics Service. U.S. Department of Agriculture. 2018. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 9, 2022. Retrieved July 3, 2021.
  42. U.S. Department of Agriculture. 2012. Archived
    (PDF) from the original on October 9, 2022. Retrieved June 18, 2018.
  43. ^ a b Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved March 10, 2018.
  44. ^ "Our Campaigns - U.S. President". Retrieved January 22, 2021.
  45. ^ a b c d e County Commission - County Commissioners bradleycountytn.gov
  46. ^ Constables by District bradleycountytn.gov
  47. ^ County Mayor, Gary Davis bradleycountytn.gov
  48. ^ "Key Dates for Voters" (PDF). bradleyelections.com. Bradley County Election Commission. 2018. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 9, 2022. Retrieved September 11, 2019.
  49. ^ "Congressman Chuck Fleischmann". United States House of Representatives. Retrieved November 19, 2017.
  50. ^ Tennessee General Assembly (2017). State House District 22 (PDF) (Map). Nashville: Tennessee General Assembly. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 9, 2022. Retrieved November 19, 2017.
  51. ^ Tennessee General Assembly (2017). State House District 24 (PDF) (Map). Nashville: Tennessee General Assembly. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 9, 2022. Retrieved July 7, 2014.
  52. ISBN 0-87870-099-4
    .
  53. ^ Love, Joyanna (December 29, 2013). "Cleveland's Hardwick Field officially closes Tuesday". Clevelandbanner.com. Cleveland Daily Banner. Archived from the original on March 17, 2014. Retrieved March 16, 2014.
  54. ^ Leach, Paul (December 27, 2013). "Cleveland's oldest airport, Hardwick Field, to close at year's end". Timesfreepress.com. Chattanooga Times Free Press. Retrieved March 16, 2014.
  55. ^ a b "FAA Information, Cleveland Regional Jetport". airnav.com. Retrieved December 8, 2013.
  56. ^ a b Official Transportation Map (back) (PDF) (Map). TDOT. 2016. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 25, 2016. Retrieved November 1, 2017.
  57. ^ "About CU". clevelandutilities.com. Cleveland Utilities. Retrieved February 15, 2019.
  58. ^ a b c "Bradley County Comprehensive Plan" (PDF). bradleycountytn.gov. 2013. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 9, 2022. Retrieved February 26, 2019.
  59. ^ "Chattanooga Gas". aglresources.com. Southern Company. Archived from the original on February 23, 2019. Retrieved February 23, 2019.
  60. ^ "Community forms Sky Ridge Medical Center". Medical News. Medical News. 2008. Archived from the original on April 7, 2014. Retrieved April 6, 2014.
  61. ^ Staff Report (September 30, 2015). "SkyRidge hospital renamed Tennova Healthcare-Cleveland". Chattanooga Times Free Press. Retrieved November 11, 2017.
  62. ^ "Bradley County EMS". Bradleyco.net. Bradley County, TN. 2014.
  63. ^ "Cleveland Daily Banner - Bradley County News Online Magazine". Archived from the original on October 10, 2007. Retrieved December 15, 2007.
  64. ^ "Radio Stations in Cleveland, Tennessee". radiolocator.com. Radio Locator. Retrieved December 15, 2013.
  65. ^ Pro Content and Design. "Television station listings in Cleveland, Tennessee". tvstations.procontentanddesign.com. Pro Content and Design. Archived from the original on December 1, 2008. Retrieved December 28, 2013.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Bradley County, Tennessee.

35°09′N 84°52′W / 35.15°N 84.86°W / 35.15; -84.86

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