Carter County, Tennessee
Carter County | |
|---|---|
 Carter County Courthouse in Elizabethton | |
|
UTC−4 (EDT) | |
| Congressional district | 1st |
| Website | www |
Carter County is a
History
The area was originally claimed by Britain as part of the Clarendon settlements of the Province of Carolina, although actually populated at the time by the Cherokee.
The area was part of (though seldom actually administered by) the following jurisdictions in its early history:
- New Hanover Precinct (1729-1734)
- Bladen County (1734-1749)
- Anson County (1749-1753)
- Rowan County (1753-1775)
Watauga Association
The county is named for
As Wayne County in the State of Franklin
J. G. M. Ramsey records within his 1853 Annals of Tennessee that the State of Franklin established Wayne County from sections of both Washington County and a part of Wilkes County "lying west of the extreme heights of the Apalachian or Alleghany Mountains, into a separate and distinct county by the name of Wayne... This new county covered the same territory now embraced in the limits of Carter and Johnson counties."[5]
The county seat, Elizabethton, is named for Carter's wife, Elizabeth MacLin Carter.[6]
Civil War
Like most East Tennessee counties, Carter Countians opposed secession on the eve of the Civil War. In Tennessee's Ordinance of Secession referendum on June 8, 1861, Carter Countians rejected secession by a vote of 1,343 to 86.[7] A railroad bridge at Carter's Depot (modern Watauga) was among those targeted by the East Tennessee bridge-burning conspiracy in November 1861.[8]
Early railroad
Carter County was served by the
Geography
According to the
Carter County is situated entirely within the Blue Ridge Mountains, specifically the Unaka Range and the Iron Mountains.[10] Roan Mountain, which at 6,285 feet (1,916 m) is the highest point in Tennessee outside the Great Smoky Mountains, straddles the county's eastern border with North Carolina. The county's boundary with Sullivan County is defined as the ridgeline of Holston Mountain.
Lakes
- Watauga Lake
- Wilbur Reservoir (immediately below the TVA Watauga Dam Lat: 36.3408 Lon: -82.1203]
- Ripshin Lake (6 km southwest of Roan Mountain Lat: 36.1838646 Lon: -82.1356583)[11]
Rivers
Waterfalls
- CTF015 Big Laurel Br. Falls 50'
lake - CTF001 Blue Hole Falls (4) 45'
Cherokee National Forest - CTF018 Hardcore Cascades 12'
Cherokee National Forest - CTF002 Coon Den Falls 50'
Cherokee National Forest - CTF003 Dennis Cove Falls 25'
wilderness - CTF005 Firescald Branch Falls
wilderness - CTF016 Five Eights
lake - CTF006 Jones Falls 100'
Cherokee National Forest - CTF007 Laurel Falls 55'
wilderness - CTF010 Laurel Falls (m) 25'
wilderness - CTF011 Laurel Falls (u) 25'
wilderness - CTF014 Mountaineer Falls 20'
Cherokee National Forest - CTF012 North Fork Stony Creek Falls 30'
Cherokee National Forest - CTF008 Sally Cove Creek Falls 25'
- CTF009 Twisting Falls 30'
Cherokee National Forest - CTF013 Splash Dam Falls 25'
Cherokee National Forest - CTF017 Hays Branch Falls 18'
Cherokee National Forest
Adjacent counties
- Sullivan County (north)
- Johnson County (northeast)
- Avery County, North Carolina (southeast)
- Mitchell County, North Carolina (south)
- Unicoi County (southwest)
- Washington County (west)
National protected areas
- Appalachian Trail (part)
- Cherokee National Forest (part)
State protected areas
- Sycamore Shoals State Historic Area
- Roan Mountain State Park
- Sabine Hill State Historic Site
- Hampton Creek Cove State Natural Area
- Watauga River Bluffs State Natural Area
Major highways
Law enforcement
Carter County is served by the Carter County Sheriff's Office, located in Elizabethton. During the Local General Election on August 4, 2022, Mike Fraley overcame the Independent candidate to become Sheriff of Carter County. Sheriff Fraley took over Official Duties as Sheriff on September 1.[12] Sheriff Fraley's term will run September 1, 2022, to August 31, 2026. Its duties include patrol of the county and all jail and prisoner matters.[13]
The Elizabethton Police Department services the City of Elizabethton inside Carter County. As of 2018, the Chief of Police is Jason Shaw.[14]
Climate
| Climate data for Carter County, Tennessee (Bristol-Johnson City) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 43.7 (6.5) |
48.0 (8.9) |
58.9 (14.9) |
67.4 (19.7) |
75.2 (24.0) |
82.2 (27.9) |
84.6 (29.2) |
84.1 (28.9) |
79.1 (26.2) |
69.1 (20.6) |
58.2 (14.6) |
48.1 (8.9) |
66.6 (19.2) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 34.0 (1.1) |
37.4 (3.0) |
47.2 (8.4) |
55.2 (12.9) |
63.4 (17.4) |
71.1 (21.7) |
74.4 (23.6) |
73.6 (23.1) |
67.9 (19.9) |
56.7 (13.7) |
47.0 (8.3) |
38.2 (3.4) |
55.5 (13.1) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 24.3 (−4.3) |
26.8 (−2.9) |
35.4 (1.9) |
43.0 (6.1) |
51.6 (10.9) |
59.9 (15.5) |
64.1 (17.8) |
63.1 (17.3) |
56.6 (13.7) |
44.2 (6.8) |
35.9 (2.2) |
28.2 (−2.1) |
44.4 (6.9) |
| Average rainfall inches (mm) | 3.2 (81) |
3.4 (86) |
3.7 (94) |
3.3 (84) |
3.8 (97) |
3.5 (89) |
4.3 (110) |
3.2 (81) |
3.3 (84) |
2.6 (66) |
2.9 (74) |
3.4 (86) |
40.7 (1,030) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 5.2 (13) |
4.2 (11) |
2.3 (5.8) |
0.4 (1.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.9 (2.3) |
2.6 (6.6) |
15.6 (40) |
| Average relative humidity (%)
|
59.0 | 71.5 | 69.0 | 67.0 | 69.5 | 73.0 | 75.0 | 76.5 | 76.5 | 74.0 | 68.5 | 69.5 | 74.0 |
| Source: Climate-zone.com[15] | |||||||||||||
Demographics
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1800 | 4,813 | — | |
| 1810 | 4,190 | −12.9% | |
| 1820 | 4,835 | 15.4% | |
| 1830 | 6,414 | 32.7% | |
| 1840 | 5,372 | −16.2% | |
| 1850 | 6,296 | 17.2% | |
| 1860 | 7,124 | 13.2% | |
| 1870 | 7,909 | 11.0% | |
| 1880 | 10,019 | 26.7% | |
| 1890 | 13,389 | 33.6% | |
| 1900 | 16,688 | 24.6% | |
| 1910 | 19,838 | 18.9% | |
| 1920 | 21,488 | 8.3% | |
| 1930 | 29,223 | 36.0% | |
| 1940 | 35,127 | 20.2% | |
| 1950 | 42,432 | 20.8% | |
| 1960 | 41,578 | −2.0% | |
| 1970 | 42,575 | 2.4% | |
| 1980 | 50,205 | 17.9% | |
| 1990 | 51,505 | 2.6% | |
| 2000 | 56,742 | 10.2% | |
| 2010 | 57,424 | 1.2% | |
| 2020 | 56,356 | −1.9% | |
| 2022 (est.) | 56,410 | 0.1% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[16] 1790-1960[17] 1900-1990[18] 1990-2000[19] 2010-2014[20] | |||
2020 census
| Race | Number | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
White (non-Hispanic)
|
51,790 | 91.9% |
Black or African American (non-Hispanic)
|
702 | 1.25% |
Native American
|
153 | 0.27% |
Asian
|
231 | 0.41% |
Pacific Islander
|
7 | 0.01% |
Other/Mixed
|
2,292 | 4.07% |
Latino
|
1,181 | 2.1% |
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 56,356 people, 23,784 households, and 15,256 families residing in the county.
2000 census
As of the
There were 23,486 households, out of which 28.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.90% were married couples living together, 11.00% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.40% were non-families. 26.50% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.00% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.83.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 21.40% under the age of 18, 9.20% from 18 to 24, 29.00% from 25 to 44, 25.40% from 45 to 64, and 15.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.60 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $27,371, and the median income for a family was $33,825. Males had a median income of $26,394 versus $19,687 for females. The
Education
- Central Elementary School
- Cloudland Elementary School
- Cloudland High School
- East Side Elementary School (city)
- Elizabethton High School (city)
- Hampton Elementary School
- Hampton High School
- Happy Valley Elementary School
- Happy Valley Middle School
- Happy Valley High School
- Harold McCormick Elementary School (city)
- Hunter Elementary School
- Keenburg Elementary School
- Little Milligan Elementary School
- T.A. Dugger Junior High School (city)
- Unaka Elementary School
- Unaka High School
- Valley Forge Elementary
- West Side Elementary School (city)
Colleges
- Northeast State Community College and the Tennessee Colleges of Applied Technology have satellite campuses in Elizabethton.
- Milligan College's main campus and Emmanuel Christian Seminary are located in the community of Milligan College, part of Elizabethton.
Communities
Cities
- Elizabethton (county seat)
- Johnson City (mostly in Washington County and a small portion in Sullivan County)
- Watauga (small part in Washington County)
Census-designated places
Other unincorporated communities
Politics
Carter County is a Republican stronghold, and, like most of East Tennessee, has voted consistently Republican since the Civil War. Carter County is even more heavily Republican than many other counties in East Tennessee and has not been won by a Democratic presidential candidate since before the Civil War. Since then, only one Democrat, southerner Jimmy Carter in 1976 (who also won several traditionally Republican counties in East Tennessee), has received over 40% of the popular vote.
Most recent Carter County Mayor Rusty Barnett died on September 21, 2020.[25]
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 2020 | 19,584 | 79.96% | 4,529 | 18.49% | 379 | 1.55% |
| 2016 | 16,898 | 80.15% | 3,453 | 16.38% | 733 | 3.48% |
| 2012 | 15,503 | 75.20% | 4,789 | 23.23% | 325 | 1.58% |
| 2008 | 15,852 | 72.82% | 5,587 | 25.66% | 330 | 1.52% |
| 2004 | 15,768 | 70.67% | 6,395 | 28.66% | 150 | 0.67% |
| 2000 | 12,111 | 63.40% | 6,724 | 35.20% | 267 | 1.40% |
| 1996 | 10,540 | 57.65% | 6,218 | 34.01% | 1,524 | 8.34% |
| 1992 | 10,712 | 55.82% | 6,502 | 33.88% | 1,976 | 10.30% |
| 1988 | 12,036 | 71.74% | 4,634 | 27.62% | 108 | 0.64% |
| 1984 | 13,153 | 73.35% | 4,642 | 25.89% | 138 | 0.77% |
| 1980 | 11,648 | 64.44% | 6,006 | 33.22% | 423 | 2.34% |
| 1976 | 8,934 | 54.11% | 7,443 | 45.08% | 133 | 0.81% |
| 1972 | 11,102 | 82.15% | 2,191 | 16.21% | 221 | 1.64% |
| 1968 | 9,467 | 64.68% | 2,160 | 14.76% | 3,009 | 20.56% |
| 1964 | 8,472 | 61.40% | 5,326 | 38.60% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1960 | 12,214 | 77.31% | 3,412 | 21.60% | 172 | 1.09% |
| 1956 | 11,218 | 78.80% | 2,933 | 20.60% | 85 | 0.60% |
| 1952 | 9,019 | 76.15% | 2,707 | 22.86% | 118 | 1.00% |
| 1948 | 4,943 | 70.94% | 1,809 | 25.96% | 216 | 3.10% |
| 1944 | 4,873 | 74.33% | 1,662 | 25.35% | 21 | 0.32% |
| 1940 | 4,238 | 65.40% | 2,171 | 33.50% | 71 | 1.10% |
| 1936 | 4,858 | 72.27% | 1,837 | 27.33% | 27 | 0.40% |
| 1932 | 5,055 | 76.26% | 1,574 | 23.74% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1928 | 4,934 | 90.40% | 512 | 9.38% | 12 | 0.22% |
| 1924 | 3,657 | 86.33% | 551 | 13.01% | 28 | 0.66% |
| 1920 | 6,059 | 89.99% | 674 | 10.01% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1916 | 2,961 | 85.60% | 498 | 14.40% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1912 | 1,243 | 34.08% | 478 | 13.11% | 1,926 | 52.81% |
See also
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Carter County, Tennessee
- List of counties in Tennessee
References
- ^ Van West, Carroll. "Carter County". Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture. Retrieved June 22, 2013.
- ^ "Census - Geography Profile: Carter County, Tennessee". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved December 31, 2022.
- ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
- OCLC 1156805.
- OCLC 11827530.
- ^ "History of Elizabethton". Elizabethton.org. Retrieved November 5, 2015.
- ^ Oliver Perry Temple, East Tennessee and the Civil War (R. Clarke Company, 1899), p. 199.
- ^ David Madden, "Unionist Resistance to Confederate Occupation: The Bridge Burners of East Tennessee," East Tennessee Historical Society Publications, Vols. 52-53 (1980-1981), pp. 22-40.
- ^ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Retrieved April 2, 2015.
- ^ Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, et al., "Ambient Air Monitoring Plan," Environmental Protection Agency website, July 1, 2010. Accessed: March 18, 2015.
- USGS via Microsoft Research Maps
- ^ "Carter County's next sheriff will be Mike Fraley". WJHL | Tri-Cities News & Weather. August 5, 2022. Retrieved September 28, 2022.
- ^ "Carter County TN Sheriff's Office – Service Before Self * Integrity * Courage * Leadership". Retrieved May 6, 2022.
- ^ "A Message from the Chief of Police". Elizabethton.org. Archived from the original on May 12, 2018. Retrieved May 11, 2018.
- ^ "Bristol - Johnson City". Climate-zone.com. Retrieved August 16, 2013.
- ^ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 2, 2015.
- ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved April 2, 2015.
- ^ Forstall, Richard L., ed. (March 27, 1995). "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 2, 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 2, 2015.
- ^ "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on August 6, 2011. Retrieved November 29, 2013.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Brown, Emily; DeBarros, Anthony; DeRamus, Kristin; et al. (2011). "Census 2010: Tennessee". USA Today. Retrieved March 17, 2011.
- ^ Lee, Murray (September 21, 2020). "Carter County Mayor Rusty Barnett passes away Monday". WJHL. Retrieved September 21, 2020.
- ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved March 10, 2018.
External links
- Official site
- Elizabethton-Carter County Chamber of Commerce
- Carter County History.com
- Carter County, TNGenWeb - free genealogy resources for the county
- Carter County Landforms
- Cy Crumley ET&WNC Photo Collection
- Carter County Sheriff's Department
- Carter County at Curlie
Places adjacent to Carter County, Tennessee | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ||||||||||||||||
Municipalities and communities of Carter County, Tennessee, United States | ||
|---|---|---|
| Cities |  | |
| CDPs | ||
| Unincorporated communities |
| |
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
| ||
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Geographic | |
