Morgan County, Tennessee

Morgan County, Tennessee
Morgan County Courthouse in Wartburg
Location in the U.S. state of Tennessee
Tennessee's location in the U.S.
Founded	1817
Named for	Daniel Morgan
Seat	Wartburg
Largest community	Coalfield
Area
• Total	522 sq mi (1,352 km2)
• Land	522 sq mi (1,352 km2)
• Water	0.3 sq mi (1 km2), 0.06%
Population
• (2010)	21,987
• Density	42/sq mi (16/km²)
Congressional district	3rd
Time zone	Eastern: UTC-5/-4
Website	www.morgancountytn.org

Morgan County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2010 census, the population was 21,987. Its county seat is Wartburg.

Morgan County is part of the Knoxville, TN Combined Statistical Area.

History

Morgan County was formed in 1817 from portions of Anderson and Roane counties. It was named in honor of Daniel Morgan (1736–1802), an American Revolutionary War officer who commanded the troops that defeated the British at the Battle of Cowpens, and who later served as a U.S. congressman from Virginia. The county had been part of lands relinquished by the Cherokee with the signing of the Third Treaty of Tellico in 1805. The original county seat was Montgomery until 1870, when it was moved to Wartburg.

Tornado

On November 10, 2002, a tornado destroyed 50 homes. At least seven people were killed in the Morgan County communities of Mossy Grove and Joyner.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 522 square miles (1,350 km²), of which 522 square miles (1,350 km²) is land and 0.3 square miles (0.78 km²) (0.06%) is water. The county, which lies on the eastern edge of the Cumberland Plateau, is known for its rugged mountain terrain, and cold mountain streams and rivers. The Crab Orchard Mountains comprise a large area of the county, which includes several designated wilderness areas, Frozen Head State Park, and Lone Mountain State Forest.

Late-Autumn foliage along the banks of the Emory River

The Emory River rises on the slopes of Bird Mountain near Wartburg. The Obed River, a designated national wild and scenic river, empties into the Emory southwest of Wartburg. The Clear Fork, which forms part of Morgan's boundary with Fentress County, joins the New River in Scott County to the north to form the Big South Fork of the Cumberland River.

The Cumberland Trail passes through Morgan County.

Adjacent counties

• Scott County (northeast)
• Anderson County (east)
• Roane County (south)
• Cumberland County (southwest)
• Fentress County (northwest)

National protected areas

• Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area (part)
• Obed Wild and Scenic River (part)

State protected areas

• Catoosa Wildlife Management Area (part)
• Cumberland Trail (part)
• Frozen Head State Natural Area
• Frozen Head State Park
• Lone Mountain State Forest
• North Cumberland Wildlife Management Area (part)
• Rugby State Natural Area

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.		%±
1820	1,676		—
1830	2,582		54.1%
1840	2,660		3.0%
1850	3,430		28.9%
1860	3,353		−2.2%
1870	2,969		−11.5%
1880	5,156		73.7%
1890	7,639		48.2%
1900	9,587		25.5%
1910	11,458		19.5%
1920	13,285		15.9%
1930	13,603		2.4%
1940	15,242		12.0%
1950	15,727		3.2%
1960	14,304		−9.0%
1970	13,619		−4.8%
1980	16,604		21.9%
1990	17,300		4.2%
2000	19,757		14.2%
2010	21,987		11.3%
Est. 2014	21,660		−1.5%
U.S. Decennial Census 1790-1960 1900-1990 1990-2000 2010-2014

Age pyramid Morgan County, based on 2000 census data

As of the census of 2000, there were 19,757 people, 6,990 households, and 5,235 families residing in the county. The population density was 38 people per square mile (15/km²). There were 7,714 housing units at an average density of 15 per square mile (6/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 96.72% White, 2.23% Black or African American, 0.20% Native American, 0.12% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.14% from other races, and 0.59% from two or more races. 0.61% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 6,990 households out of which 33.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.70% were married couples living together, 10.30% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.10% were non-families. 22.10% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.30% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.58 and the average family size was 3.01.

In the county, the population was spread out with 23.20% under the age of 18, 8.80% from 18 to 24, 31.90% from 25 to 44, 24.50% from 45 to 64, and 11.50% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 114.30 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 116.40 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $27,712, and the median income for a family was $31,901. Males had a median income of $25,683 versus $18,606 for females. The per capita income for the county was $12,925. About 13.50% of families and 16.00% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.50% of those under age 18 and 15.80% of those age 65 or over.

Communities

Thomas Hughes Library in Rugby

Cities

• Harriman (part)
• Sunbright
• Wartburg

Towns

• Oakdale
• Oliver Springs (part)

Census-designated places

• Coalfield
• Petros

Unincorporated communities

• Burrville
• Chestnut Ridge
• Deer Lodge
• Joyner
• Lancing
• Mossy Grove
• Rugby

See also

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Morgan County, Tennessee

Further reading

• Dickenson, W. Calvin (1987). Morgan County. Memphis, Tenn.: Memphis State University Press. ISBN 978-0878701575
• Humphreys, James (2012). "Becoming Americans: Social Change in Morgan County, Tennessee, 1850–1870." Journal of East Tennessee History, Vol. 84, pp. 23–39.

External links

• Official site
• Morgan County Chamber of Commerce
• Morgan County, TNGenWeb - free genealogy resources for the county
• Morgan County at DMOZ
• Morgan county landforms