Henning, Tennessee

Henning, Tennessee
—  Town  —
Location of Henning, Tennessee
Coordinates: 35°40′25″N 89°34′39″W
Country	United States
State	Tennessee
County	Lauderdale
Area
• Total	1.3 sq mi (3.3 km2)
• Land	1.3 sq mi (3.3 km2)
• Water	0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2)
Elevation	292 ft (89 m)
Population (2000)
• Total	970
• Density	752.3/sq mi (290.5/km2)
Time zone	Central (CST) (UTC-6)
• Summer (DST)	CDT (UTC-5)
ZIP code	38041
Area code(s)	731
FIPS code	47-33360
GNIS feature ID	1287426

Henning is a town in Lauderdale County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 970 at the 2000 census.

Geography

Henning is located at 35°40′25″N 89°34′39″W (35.673563, -89.577366).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 1.3 square miles (3.4 km²), all land.

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

History

The Battle of Fort Pillow during the Civil War, a Confederate victory, took place near Henning. Here, nearly 200 black and white troops serving the Union Army were massacred by Confederates under the command of General Nathan Bedford Forrest.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 970 people, 362 households, and 238 families residing in the town. The population density was 752.3 people per square mile (290.3/km²). There were 406 housing units at an average density of 314.9 per square mile (121.5/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 22.37% European American, 74.85% African American, 1.34% Native American, and 1.44% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.41% of the population.

Alex Haley's boyhood home and his grave beside the home (2007)

There were 362 households out of which 32.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 35.4% were married couples living together, 26.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.0% were non-families. 30.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.68 and the average family size was 3.37.

In the town the population was spread out with 32.8% under the age of 18, 10.6% from 18 to 24, 24.1% from 25 to 44, 19.2% from 45 to 64, and 13.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females there were 90.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 76.7 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $20,438, and the median income for a family was $21,776. Males had a median income of $26,500 versus $19,583 for females. The per capita income for the town was $8,413, which is the lowest in the state. About 30.9% of families and 30.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 31.9% of those under age 18 and 30.2% of those age 65 or over.

Government and infrastructure

The United States Postal Service operates the Henning Post Office.

The Tennessee Department of Corrections operates the West Tennessee State Penitentiary in unincorporated Lauderdale County, near Henning. Previously the Cold Creek Correctional Facility was located in the area.

Notable natives

Historical marker in front of Alex Haley's boyhood home (2007)

• John Henry Barbee - Blues guitarist known for his connection to Chicago's blues scene.
• Jim Hickman, baseball player
• Noah Lewis - Jug band performer.
• Alex Haley - Author, best known for Roots, Pulitzer Prize in 1976. Henning was his boyhood home.
• Ramon Foster - Offensive Lineman for Pittsburgh Steelers.