Gibson County, Tennessee
| Gibson County, Tennessee | |
 Location in the state of Tennessee |
|
 Tennessee's location in the U.S. |
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| Founded | 1823 |
|---|---|
| Named for | John H. Gibson A soldier of the Natchez Expedition and the Creek War. |
| Seat | Trenton |
| Largest city | Humboldt |
| Area - Total - Land - Water |
604 sq mi (1,563 km²) 603 sq mi (1,561 km²) 1 sq mi (2 km²), .15% |
| Population - (2010) - Density |
49,683 80/sq mi (31/km²) |
| Time zone | Central: UTC-6/-5 |
Gibson County is a county located in the US state of Tennessee. It is included in the Jackson - Humboldt, Tennessee Combined Statistical Area. Its county seat is Trenton[1]. The population in 2010 was 49,683.[2]
Contents |
Geography [edit]
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 604 square miles (1,564.4 km2), of which 603 square miles (1,561.8 km2) is land and 1 square mile (2.6 km2) (0.15%) is water.
Adjacent counties [edit]
- Weakley County (northeast)
- Carroll County (east)
- Madison County (south)
- Crockett County (southwest)
- Dyer County (west)
- Obion County (northwest)
History [edit]
Gibson County is located in what was known as "Indian Land": territory that was legally occupied by Chickasaw Native American people. The Chickasaw Cession, proclaimed on January 7, 1819, eliminated those rights and opened the region for settlement and exploitation by white settlers and speculators.[3]
Soon after the Chickasaw Cession, the first log cabin in what was to become Gibson County had been built by Thomas Fite about eight miles (13 km) east of present day Trenton. From 1819 the area was part of Carroll County but, as settlement progressed, citizens petitioned for the formation of a new county. The county was established by private act on October 21, 1823 and was named in honor of Colonel John H. Gibson[4] who had died earlier that year. Gibson was a native of Bedford County, Tennessee who was commissioned Lieutenant in the Tennessee Militia; he took part in the War of 1812, the campaign to Natchez of 1813, and fought in the Creek Wars of 1813.[5]
In its early years, Gibson County grew rapidly, chiefly because the land had less dense forest growth than some adjacent areas and was therefore more easily prepared to farm cotton and corn. By the end of 1824, the county had 273,143 acres (1,105.37 km2) of taxable land. The county's first cotton gin was built in 1826.[6]
Demographics [edit]
As of the census[8] of 2000, there were 48,152 people, 19,518 households, and 13,584 families residing in the county. The population density was 80 people per square mile (31/km²). There were 21,059 housing units at an average density of 35 per square mile (13/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 78.66% White, 19.72% Black or African American, 0.20% Native American, 0.14% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.50% from other races, and 0.76% from two or more races. 1.12% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 19,518 households out of which 30.20% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.20% were married couples living together, 13.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.40% were non-families. 27.40% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.70% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.41 and the average family size was 2.93.
In the county, the population was spread out with 24.00% under the age of 18, 8.10% from 18 to 24, 26.90% from 25 to 44, 23.30% from 45 to 64, and 17.70% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 89.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.80 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $31,105, and the median income for a family was $39,318. Males had a median income of $30,360 versus $21,351 for females. The per capita income for the county was $16,320. About 9.40% of families and 12.80% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.00% of those under age 18 and 15.30% of those age 65 or over.
Cities and towns [edit]
Unincorporated communities [edit]
Transportation [edit]
Airports [edit]
There are two airports located in Gibson County:
- Humboldt Municipal Airport (M53), which is owned by City of Humboldt.[9]
- Gibson County Airport (TGC), located midway between Trenton and Milan and owned by City Of Milan & Gibson Co.[10]
Education [edit]
High Schools [edit]
| School | Location | Mascot | Colors |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bradford High School | Bradford | Red Devils | |
| Gibson County High School | Dyer | Patriots | |
| Humboldt High School | Humboldt | Vikings | |
| Milan High School | Milan | Bulldogs | |
| Peabody High School | Trenton | Golden Tide | |
| South Gibson County High School | Medina | Hornets |
Media [edit]
Radio Stations
- Victory 93.7 The Victory 93.7 FM--WTKB ATWOOD-MILAN
- WWKF-FM 99.3 "Today's Best Music with Ace & TJ in the Morning"
- WENK-AM 1240 "The Greatest Hits of All Time"
- WTPR-AM 710 "The Greatest Hits of All Time"
- Tennessee Magnet Publications (Free monthly), based in Huntingdon, TN, but circulates in Gibson and Dyer counties
- The Tri-City Reporter, Dyer, Tennessee
- The Gazette, Trenton, Tennessee
- The Chronicle, Humboldt, Tennessee
- The Mirror-Exchange, Milan, Tennessee
Special events [edit]
The Gibson County Fair is held each August in Trenton. The fair is billed as the "oldest continuously running fair in the South."[11] The fair was first held in 1856 and has been held annually since 1869.[11]
The West Tennessee Strawberry Festival is held annually during the first full week of May in Humboldt. In the last several years, the festival has brought in up to 100,000 people from across the area.[citation needed] Popular festival events include Thursday's traditional Jr. Parade, which is The World's Largest Non-Motorized Parade, Friday's Grand Floats Parade, the Horse Show, Governor's Luncheon, Carnival, Prayer Breakfast, Car Show, 5K and 10K Runs, and Festival Beauty Reviews.
Notable natives [edit]
- Doug Atkins, football player
- W. Winfred Moore, Baptist clergyman
See also [edit]
References [edit]
- ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved 2011-06-07.
- ^ "Official US 2010 Census data - interactive map". Retrieved 2011-03-29.
- ^ "TNGenWeb: text of the Chickasaw Cession". Retrieved 2010-12-08.
- ^ "Tennessee State Archives: formation of Gibson County". Retrieved 2010-12-08.
- ^ "tnroots Gibson County genealogy: John H. Gibson". Retrieved 2010-12-08.
- ^ "tngenweb: Goodspeed's History of Tennessee". Retrieved 2010-12-08.
- ^ Based on 2000 census data
- ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ "FAA information: Humboldt City Airport". Retrieved 2010-12-01.
- ^ "FAA information: Gibson County Airport". Retrieved 2010-12-01.
- ^ a b History of the Gibson County Fair, The Gibson County Fair Association, accessed September 28, 2008
External links [edit]
- Gibson County, TNGenWeb - free genealogy resources for the county
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Gibson County, Tennessee |
- Biographies of families living in Gibson County, Tennessee in the 1880's
- Map of Gibson County, Tennessee in 1888
- Gibson County Tennessee at the Open Directory Project
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Obion County | Weakley County | |
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| Dyer County |  |
Carroll County | ||
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| Crockett County | Madison County |
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