Smithville, Tennessee
Smithville, Tennessee | |
|---|---|
 Smithville Watertower | |
 Location of Smithville in DeKalb County, Tennessee. | |
| Coordinates: 35°57′26″N 85°49′15″W / 35.95722°N 85.82083°WCoordinates: 35°57′26″N 85°49′15″W / 35.95722°N 85.82083°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Tennessee |
| County | DeKalb |
| Founded | 1838[1] |
| Incorporated | 1843[2] |
| Named for | Samuel Granville Smith, local politician[1] |
| Government | |
| • Type | Mayor-Aldermanic |
| Area | |
| • Total | 5.85 sq mi (15.16 km2) |
| • Land | 5.85 sq mi (15.16 km2) |
| • Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 1,037 ft (316 m) |
| Population (2010) | |
| • Total | 4,530 |
| • Estimate (2019)[6] | 4,886 |
| • Density | 834.64/sq mi (322.27/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP code | 37166 |
| Area code(s) | 615 |
| FIPS code | 47-69320[4] |
| GNIS feature ID | 1313778[5] |
| Website | smithvillecityhall |
Smithville is a city in DeKalb County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 4,793 at the 2018 census,[7] up from 3,994 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of DeKalb County.[8] Smithville is home to the Smithville Fiddler's Jamboree, which it has hosted annually since 1972.
Geography[]
Smithville is located in central DeKalb County at 35°57′26″N 85°49′15″W / 35.95722°N 85.82083°W (35.957191, -85.820756).[9] U.S. Route 70 passes through the town as Broad Street, leading east 21 miles (34 km) to Sparta and northwest 36 miles (58 km) to Lebanon. Tennessee State Route 56 (Congress Boulevard) crosses US 70 a few blocks southeast of the center of town and leads north 13 miles (21 km) to Interstate 40 at Silver Point and 19 miles (31 km) south to McMinnville. Cookeville is 28 miles (45 km) to the northeast, and Nashville is 65 miles (105 km) to the west.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 5.9 square miles (15.3 km2), all land.[7]
Demographics[]
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1890 | 572 | — | |
| 1920 | 687 | — | |
| 1930 | 886 | 29.0% | |
| 1940 | 919 | 3.7% | |
| 1950 | 1,558 | 69.5% | |
| 1960 | 2,348 | 50.7% | |
| 1970 | 2,997 | 27.6% | |
| 1980 | 3,839 | 28.1% | |
| 1990 | 3,791 | −1.3% | |
| 2000 | 3,994 | 5.4% | |
| 2010 | 4,530 | 13.4% | |
| 2019 (est.) | 4,886 | [6] | 7.9% |
| Sources:[10][11] | |||
As of the census[4] of 2000, there were 3,994 people, 1,675 households, and 1,065 families residing in the city. The population density was 679.4 people per square mile (262.3/km2). There were 1,837 housing units at an average density of 312.5 per square mile (120.6/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 94.34% White, 2.73% African American, 0.15% Native American, 0.10% Asian, 1.65% from other races, and 1.03% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.06% of the population.
There were 1,675 households, out of which 27.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.0% were married couples living together, 16.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.4% were non-families. 33.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.27 and the average family size was 2.85.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 22.9% under the age of 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 26.4% from 25 to 44, 22.3% from 45 to 64, and 19.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 83.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 78.0 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $22,482, and the median income for a family was $30,179. Males had a median income of $29,231 versus $20,705 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,854. About 15.4% of families and 22.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 28.3% of those under age 18 and 25.8% of those age 65 or over.
In popular culture[]
Smithville is referred to by a local-boy Marine talking to a girl and pointing to labels on a map during a dance hall scene, 17 minutes into the 1949 World War II John Wayne film, Sands of Iwo Jima, where it is mentioned, apart from everybody in his family being related to much of Tennessee, as being famous for "corn tobacco" and "more fertilizer than any other place in the world".
Fiddler's Jamboree[]
| Smithville Fiddler's Jamboree & Crafts Festival | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Bluegrass music, old-time music |
| Years active | 1972-present |
| Attendance | 100,000+ |
| Website | www |
Joe L. Evins helped start the world-famous Smithville Fiddler's Jamboree & Crafts Festival. The first Jamboree was held in July 1972 on a stage built on the steps of the DeKalb County Courthouse, and has been held there annually on the weekend nearest to July 4. The first Jamboree attracted 714 musicians from 16 states, and was attended by an estimated audience of 8,000. Present day audiences are estimated to be well over 100,000 from all over the U.S., and many from abroad. [12]
Notable people[]
- Bob Allen, Major League Baseball pitcher
- John Anderson, country music singer
- James Edgar Evins, Tennessee state senator, mayor of Smithville for 16 years.[13]
- Joe L. Evins, U.S. representative
- Alan Jackson, country music singer; former resident[citation needed]
- Lonnie Mack, pioneering blues-rock guitar soloist; died here
- Aaron Tippin, country music singer
- Dottie West, American country music singer and songwriter
Gallery[]
Dekalb County Courthouse in Smithville, Tennessee
Smithville City Hall
See also[]
References[]
- ^ Jump up to: a b Thomas Gray Webb, "City of Smithville - History, 1995. Retrieved: 7 February 2013.
- ^ Tennessee Blue Book, 2005-2006, pp. 618-625.
- ^ "2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 30, 2020.
- ^ Jump up to: a b "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ Jump up to: a b "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". United States Census Bureau. May 24, 2020. Retrieved May 27, 2020.
- ^ Jump up to: a b "Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Smithville city, Tennessee". U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved January 6, 2016.
- ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved 2011-06-07.
- ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
- ^ "Census of Population and Housing: Decennial Censuses". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2012-03-04.
- ^ "Incorporated Places and Minor Civil Divisions Datasets: Subcounty Resident Population Estimates: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2012". Population Estimates. U.S. Census Bureau. Archived from the original on 11 June 2013. Retrieved 11 December 2013.
- ^ Information paraphrased from: http://www.smithvilletn.com/jamboree/ . See also: http://www.smithvilletn.com/jamboree/congress.htm Archived 2006-05-09 at the Wayback Machine and http://www.smithvilletn.com/jamboree/2006.htm Archived 2006-05-09 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "James Edgar Evins". The Jackson Sun. March 23, 1954. p. 10. Retrieved December 23, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
External links[]
- City of Smithville official website
- City charter
Media related to Smithville, Tennessee at Wikimedia Commons
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