Warren County, Tennessee

Warren County
Warren County
County
	Warren County Courthouse in McMinnville
	Flag
	Location within the U.S. state of Tennessee
	Tennessee's location within the U.S.
	Coordinates: 35°41′N 85°47′W / 35.68°N 85.78°W
Country	United States
State	Tennessee
Founded	1807
Named for	Joseph Warren
Seat	McMinnville
Largest city	McMinnville
Area
• Total	434 sq mi (1,120 km2)
• Land	433 sq mi (1,120 km2)
• Water	1.4 sq mi (4 km2) 3%
Population (2020)
• Total	40,953
• Density	92/sq mi (36/km2)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional districts	4th, 6th
Website	www.warrencountytn.gov

Warren County is a county located on the Cumberland Plateau in Middle Tennessee, one of the three Grand Divisions of the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2020 census, the population was 40,953.^[2] Its county seat is McMinnville.^[3] Warren County comprises the McMinnville, TN Micropolitan Statistical Area.

History

Warren County was created in 1807 from a portion of White County, and named for Joseph Warren (1741–1775), a militiaman and major general in the American Revolution.^[1] The revised Tennessee State Constitution of 1834 stated that no new county could be within 12 miles (19 km) of the county seat of the county from which it was formed. The boundaries of five counties formed from Warren— Grundy, Van Buren, Cannon, Coffee and DeKalb— were exactly 12 miles from Warren's county seat, McMinnville, giving the county its distinctive round shape.^[1] Warren County was the site of several saltpeter mines. Saltpeter is the main ingredient of gunpowder and was obtained by leaching the earth from several local caves. Hubbards Cave, near Camp Woodlee, was a major operation. Henshaw Cave on Cardwell Mountain (now part of Cumberland Caverns) and Solomon Saltpeter Cave on Ben Lomond Mountain were relatively small mining operations. Most saltpeter mining occurred during the War of 1812 and in the Civil War.^[4]

The county was largely developed for farming of such crops as tobacco and hemp. While numerous families held enslaved African Americans as workers, they were a minority of the population. Warren County citizens voted to secede from the Union before the American War Between the States in February 1861 in a state referendum. Voters in Tennessee overall decided to remain in the Union in that time. When President Abraham Lincoln demanded that Tennessee provide troops to fight against the Southern states in April 1861, it was viewed as a violation of Article 3, Section 3 of the U.S. Constitution. At a new referendum in June 1861, Warren County again, along with a majority of Tennessee's counties, voted for secession. Unlike in some states, slavery was not listed as one of the reasons in Tennessee's secession proclamation.^[5]

Men from Warren County and surrounding upper Cumberland region formed and served in many units in Tennessee's defense, including the 16th Tennessee Infantry ^[6] Archived February 14, 2017, at the Wayback Machine led by McMinnville resident Col. John Houston Savage. The Confederate monument ^[7] next to the county courthouse is dedicated in the memory of the men who served and died in the 16th and lists their names.

Men from Warren County and upper Cumberland area joined the 16th TN Infantry Regiment, among others. Their flag is on display at the Texas 'Civil War' Museum in Fort Worth TX.^[8]

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 434 square miles (1,120 km²), of which 433 square miles (1,120 km²) is land and 1.4 square miles (3.6 km²) (0.3%) is water.^[9] The county lies long the Eastern Highland Rim, near the Cumberland Plateau.

The Caney Fork forms part of the county's borders with White and DeKalb counties to the north. The Rocky River, a tributary of the Caney Fork, forms part of the county's eastern border with Van Buren County. The Collins River, also a tributary of the Caney Fork, flows through the county, and the Barren Fork, a tributary of the Collins, flows through McMinnville.

Cardwell Mountain is an imposing natural feature located five miles due east of McMinnville. It is an erosional remnant of the nearby Cumberland Plateau. Cardwell Mountain is noted for Cumberland Caverns, an exceptionally long cave which lies underneath the mountain.

Adjacent counties

DeKalb County (north)
White County (northeast)
Van Buren County (east)
Sequatchie County (southeast)
Grundy County (south)
Coffee County (southwest)
Cannon County (northwest)

Major highways

State protected areas

Hubbard's Cave State Natural Area
Morrison Meadow State Natural Area
Rock Island State Park (part)

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1810	5,725	—
1820	10,348	80.8%
1830	15,210	47.0%
1840	10,803	−29.0%
1850	10,179	−5.8%
1860	11,147	9.5%
1870	12,714	14.1%
1880	14,079	10.7%
1890	14,413	2.4%
1900	16,410	13.9%
1910	16,534	0.8%
1920	17,306	4.7%
1930	20,209	16.8%
1940	19,764	−2.2%
1950	22,271	12.7%
1960	23,102	3.7%
1970	26,972	16.8%
1980	32,653	21.1%
1990	32,992	1.0%
2000	38,276	16.0%
2010	39,839	4.1%
2020	40,953	2.8%
U.S. Decennial Census^[10] 1790-1960^[11] 1900-1990^[12] 1990-2000^[13] 2010-2014^[14]

2020 census

Warren County racial composition^[16]
Race	Number	Percentage
White (non-Hispanic)	33,980	82.97%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic)	1,090	2.66%
Native American	84	0.21%
Asian	258	0.63%
Pacific Islander	10	0.02%
Other/Mixed	1,588	3.88%
Hispanic or Latino	3,943	9.63%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 40,953 people, 15,727 households, and 10,167 families residing in the county.

2000 census

As of the census^[17] of 2000, there were 38,276 people, 15,181 households, and 10,824 families residing in the county. The population density was 88 people per square mile (34 people/km²). There were 16,689 housing units at an average density of 39 units per square mile (15/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 91.66% White, 3.16% Black or African American, 0.21% Native American, 0.42% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 3.56% from other races, and 0.94% from two or more races. 4.92% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 15,181 households, out of which 31.90% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.20% were married couples living together, 11.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.70% were non-families. 25.00% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 2.93.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 24.20% under the age of 18, 9.10% from 18 to 24, 29.40% from 25 to 44, 23.40% from 45 to 64, and 13.90% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 96.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.70 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $30,920, and the median income for a family was $37,835. Males had a median income of $28,409 versus $20,863 for females. The per capita income for the county was $15,759. About 13.00% of families and 16.60% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.40% of those under age 18 and 17.20% of those age 65 or over.

Recreation

Rock Island State Park is located on the northeastern border with White County. This park is the site of the Tennessee Valley Authority's Great Falls Dam, includes many hiking trails, and offers whitewater rafting.

Cumberland Caverns, located east of McMinnville under Cardwell Mountain, is Tennessee's largest show cave. It is the second longest mapped cave in Tennessee with 27.6 miles (44.4 km) of passages, and displays some of the largest cave rooms in eastern North America.^[18] Cumberland Caverns is the 15th longest cave in the United States.^[19]

Hubbard's Cave, the largest gray bat hibernaculum in Tennessee, with over 100,000 bats, is located in the county. The cave is owned by the Nature Conservancy and it is securely gated to protect the bats, which are an Endangered Species.

Falcon Rest, an 1896 Victorian mansion in McMinnville built by local manufacturer Clay Faulkner, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). It is open to the public as a historic house museum.^[20] His father's mansion in the same city, Falconhurst, is also on the NRHP.

Communities

City

McMinnville (county seat)

Towns

Unincorporated communities

Politics

United States presidential election results for Warren County, Tennessee^[21]
Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party
Year	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2020	11,850	74.02%	3,924	24.51%	235	1.47%
2016	9,540	70.09%	3,535	25.97%	537	3.95%
2012	8,010	61.54%	4,752	36.51%	253	1.94%
2008	8,562	59.46%	5,515	38.30%	323	2.24%
2004	7,503	52.10%	6,808	47.28%	89	0.62%
2000	5,552	42.28%	7,378	56.19%	201	1.53%
1996	4,226	36.33%	6,389	54.92%	1,018	8.75%
1992	3,704	29.98%	7,189	58.19%	1,462	11.83%
1988	4,529	49.13%	4,646	50.40%	43	0.47%
1984	4,811	49.64%	4,813	49.66%	67	0.69%
1980	3,680	37.16%	6,021	60.79%	203	2.05%
1976	2,364	25.94%	6,666	73.13%	85	0.93%
1972	3,565	60.49%	2,118	35.93%	211	3.58%
1968	1,858	24.07%	2,046	26.51%	3,814	49.42%
1964	1,754	25.87%	5,027	74.13%	0	0.00%
1960	2,682	45.92%	3,119	53.40%	40	0.68%
1956	1,954	32.58%	4,014	66.92%	30	0.50%
1952	1,912	34.68%	3,568	64.72%	33	0.60%
1948	807	18.08%	2,969	66.51%	688	15.41%
1944	848	24.73%	2,560	74.66%	21	0.61%
1940	546	18.91%	2,323	80.46%	18	0.62%
1936	553	19.27%	2,304	80.28%	13	0.45%
1932	410	14.83%	2,325	84.09%	30	1.08%
1928	923	45.18%	1,111	54.38%	9	0.44%
1924	490	26.15%	1,356	72.36%	28	1.49%
1920	1,010	33.53%	1,986	65.94%	16	0.53%
1916	624	24.98%	1,855	74.26%	19	0.76%
1912	339	14.43%	1,745	74.26%	266	11.32%

Warren County was a Democratic stronghold for most of the 20th century. The last Democrat to win Warren County was Al Gore in 2000.^[22] After the 2000 election, Warren County began to trend Republican, with each passing election having an increasing margin for the Republican candidate.^[23]^[24] Donald Trump won Warren county in 2016^[25] by 42%, compared to Mitt Romney's margin of 25% in 2012.^[26]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c James Dillon, "Warren County," Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture. Retrieved: April 23, 2013.
^ "Census - Geography Profile: Warren County, Tennessee". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 7, 2023.
^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
^ Thomas C. Barr, Jr., "Caves of Tennessee", Bulletin 64 of the Tennessee Division of Geology, 1961, 568 pages.
^ "Ordinances of Secession". Retrieved March 4, 2017.
^ "El Real Madrid Muere Y Renace". www.16thtenn.com (in Spanish). June 23, 2022.
^ "CW Monument".
^ FreeUK^{[dead link]}
^ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Retrieved April 14, 2015.
^ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 14, 2015.
^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved April 14, 2015.
^ Forstall, Richard L., ed. (March 27, 1995). "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 14, 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 14, 2015.
^ "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on June 7, 2011. Retrieved December 7, 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.
^ "Cumberland Caverns" by Larry E. Matthews, Second Edition, 2005, ISBN 978-0-9663547-2-0
^ USA Long Cave List, October 19, 2010, by Bob Gulden.
^ Falcon Rest official site. Retrieved: April 23, 2013.
^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved March 12, 2018.
^ "Election Results | Tennessee Secretary of State". sos.tn.gov. Retrieved March 6, 2021.
^ "Election Results | Tennessee Secretary of State". sos.tn.gov. Retrieved March 6, 2021.
^ "Election Results | Tennessee Secretary of State". sos.tn.gov. Retrieved March 6, 2021.
^ "Election Results | Tennessee Secretary of State". sos.tn.gov. Retrieved March 6, 2021.
^ "Election Results | Tennessee Secretary of State". sos.tn.gov. Retrieved March 6, 2021.