Haywood County, Tennessee

Haywood County, Tennessee
Location in the state of Tennessee
Tennessee's location in the U.S.
Founded	1823
Named for	John Haywood
Seat	Brownsville
Largest city	Brownsville
Area  - Total  - Land  - Water	534 sq mi (1,383 km²) 533 sq mi (1,381 km²) 1 sq mi (2 km²), .18%
Population  - (2010)  - Density	18,787 37/sq mi (14/km²)
Time zone	Central: UTC-6/-5

Haywood County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. In 2010, its population was 18,787. Its county seat and largest city is Brownsville.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 534 square miles (1,383.1 km²), of which 533 square miles (1,380.5 km²) is land and 1 square mile (2.6 km²) (0.18%) is water.

Haywood County is situated on the southeastern edge of the New Madrid Seismic Zone, an area with a high earthquake risk.

Adjacent counties

• Crockett County (north)
• Madison County (east)
• Hardeman County (southeast)
• Fayette County (south)
• Tipton County (west)
• Lauderdale County (northwest)

National protected area

• Hatchie National Wildlife Refuge

Demographics

Age pyramid Haywood County

As of the census of 2000, there were 19,797 people, 7,558 households, and 5,419 families residing in the county. The population density was 37 people per square mile (14/km²). There were 8,086 housing units at an average density of 15 per square mile (6/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 46.73% White, 51.05% Black or African American, 0.12% Native American, 0.09% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 1.38% from other races, and 0.58% from two or more races. 2.65% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. Haywood County is the only county in Tennessee with a Black majority. There were 7,558 households out of which 33.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.80% were married couples living together, 22.00% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.30% were non-families. 25.40% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.59 and the average family size was 3.09.

In the county, the population was spread out with 27.20% under the age of 18, 9.80% from 18 to 24, 27.30% from 25 to 44, 21.90% from 45 to 64, and 13.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 87.80 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.40 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $27,671, and the median income for a family was $32,597. Males had a median income of $27,333 versus $21,361 for females. The per capita income for the county was $14,669. About 16.30% of families and 19.50% of the population were below the poverty line, including 24.00% of those under age 18 and 25.70% of those age 65 or over.

Cities and towns

Trinity Cemetery in Nutbush provides a final resting place for more than 50 Civil War soldiers. (2007)

• Brownsville
• Stanton
• Nutbush (unincorporated)
• Belle Eagle (unincorporated)

Economy

The largest industry in Haywood County is agriculture. Haywood County grows more cotton that any other county in Tennessee and produced 189,000 bales in 2003 on 103,000 acres (420 km²). With its rich, fertile soil, the county's heritage began on the farm and several generations later, it remains on the farm. Soybeans are the county's #2 crop, followed by corn. Haywood County also has an abundance of flower and vegetable gardens in the area that provide everyone with fresh vegetables for their summertime pleasure and for canning or freezing. Haywood County also has fruit farms, and growers are more than happy to share their products with residents and visitors alike.

Agriculture and agri-related businesses contributed more than $130,000 million to the Haywood County economy in 2004.

In 2009, under the leadership of Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen and Haywood County Mayor Franklin Smith, a 3,836-acre (1,552 ha) tract in southwestern Haywood County near Stanton has been designated for a state-supported industrial "megasite," intended for a large-scale industrial or business development such as an automobile assembly plant. In September 2009, Tennessee's State Building Commission authorized spending of $40 million for purchase of the land.

Notable residents

One of Haywood County's most notable residents was Sleepy John Estes, a blues guitarist songwriter and vocalist. Born in 1899 or 1904 in Ripley, Tennessee, he lived most of his life in Brownsville. He died on June 5, 1977, in Brownsville. Sleepy John is buried at Elam Baptist Church Cemetery in Durhamville, Lauderdale County.

Other notable county residents include:

• Hambone Willie Newbern, blues musician from the Brownsville area
• Singer Tina Turner spent her childhood in Nutbush, Haywood County
• Tony Delk, a first round NBA draft pick spent his adolescent years in Brownsville.

See also

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

Further reading

Scenic view in Haywood County (2004)

• West, Carroll Van & Duncan Binnicker, Margaret (2004). A History of Tennessee Arts. Knoxville, TN: The University of Tennessee Press. ISBN 1-57233-239-5. 
• Norris, Sharon (2000). Black America Series: Haywood County Tennessee. Mount Pleasant, SC: Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 0-7385-0605-2. 

External links

• Haywood County Official Web Site
• Haywood County, TNGenWeb - free genealogy resources for the county
• Haywood County at the Open Directory Project
• The Goodspeed History Haywood County, Tennessee, 1887
• The Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture