Monroe County, Tennessee
Coordinates: 35°27′N 84°15′W / 35.45°N 84.25°W
| Monroe County, Tennessee | |
 Monroe County Courthouse in Madisonville, Tennessee
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 Location in the state of Tennessee |
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 Tennessee's location in the U.S. |
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| Founded | November 13, 1819 |
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| Named for | James Monroe[1] |
| Seat | Madisonville |
| Largest city | Sweetwater |
| Area - Total - Land - Water |
653 sq mi (1,690 km²) 635 sq mi (1,644 km²) 18 sq mi (46 km²), 2.71% |
| Population - (2000) - Density |
38,961 61/sq mi (24/km²) |
| Time zone | Eastern: UTC-5/-4 |
| Website | www.monroegovernment.org |
Monroe County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of 2000, the population was 38,961. Its county seat is Madisonville[2].
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Geography [edit]
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 653 square miles (1,690 km2), of which 635 square miles (1,640 km2) is land and 18 square miles (47 km2) (2.71%) is water. The Unicoi Mountains, part of the greater Blue Ridge chain, dominate the southeastern part of the county.
Adjacent counties [edit]
- Loudon County (north)
- Blount County (northeast)
- Graham County, North Carolina (east)
- Cherokee County, North Carolina (southeast)
- Polk County (southwest)
- McMinn County (west)
Demographics [edit]
As of the census[3] of 2000, there are 38,961 people, 15,329 households, and 11,236 families residing in the county. The population density is 61 people per square mile (24/km²). There are 17,287 housing units at an average density of 27 per square mile (11/km²). The racial makeup of the county is 94.87% White, 2.27% Black or African American, 0.36% Native American, 0.36% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.86% from other races, and 1.26% from two or more races. 1.76% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 15,329 households out of which 32.10% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.40% are married couples living together, 10.00% have a female householder with no husband present, and 26.70% are non-families. 23.30% of all households are made up of individuals and 9.40% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.51 and the average family size is 2.94.
In the county, the population is spread out with 24.70% under the age of 18, 8.70% from 18 to 24, 28.60% from 25 to 44, 24.80% from 45 to 64, and 13.20% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 37 years. For every 100 females there are 97.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 93.90 males.
The median income for a household in the county is $30,337, and the median income for a family is $34,902. Males have a median income of $29,621 versus $21,064 for females. The per capita income for the county is $14,951. 15.50% of the population and 12.00% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 19.40% of those under the age of 18 and 17.70% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
Cities and towns [edit]
History [edit]
Monroe county was established shortly after the signing of the Calhoun Treaty by the Cherokee in 1819, which relinquished the area to the United States. The Calhoun Treaty ceded all remaining Cherokee claims north of the Tennessee and Hiwassee Rivers, except a narrow strip in the mountains along the North Carolina line, between the Hiwassee River and the Little Tennessee River.
This later resulted in the complete removal of the native people in 1838 in what was called the "Trail of Tears." This transaction was known as the Hiwassee Purchase and the lands were to be later known as Hamilton, Bradley, McMinn and Monroe counties of which all were organized in 1819.
Notable residents [edit]
- William Heiskell - post-Civil War Speaker of the Tennessee House of Representatives
- Charles McClung McGhee - late 19th-century railroad tycoon
- Sequoyah - Cherokee native born Tuskegee Village (near Vonore); created the Cherokee syllabary, making reading and writing in Cherokee possible.
Parks, forests, and natural features [edit]
A portion of the county is included in the Cherokee National Forest.
The Lost Sea is a commercial cave located 7 miles southeast of Sweetwater in Monroe County. The underground lake for which it is named is the largest in North America. The cave tour features a ride on the lake in boats with electric motors. The lake was discovered by Ben Sands in 1905 when he was only 13 years old. In 1940, the skeletons and footprints of two Pleistocene jaguars (Panthera onca augusta) were discovered in the cave. They were excavated by George Gaylord Simpson of the American Museum.[5]
Transportation [edit]
The Monroe County Airport is a county-owned, public-use airport located two nautical miles (3.7 km) northwest of the central business district of Madisonville.[6]
See also [edit]
References [edit]
- ^ Carroll Van West, "Monroe County," Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture. Retrieved: 11 March 2013.
- ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved 2011-06-07.
- ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ Based on 2000 census data
- ^ Larry E. Matthews, "Caves of Knoxville and the Great Smoky Mountains", National Speleological Society, 2008, 296 pages, ISBN 978-1-879961-30-2
- ^ FAA Airport Master Record for MNV (Form 5010 PDF). Federal Aviation Administration. Effective 8 April 2010.
External links [edit]
- Monroe County, Tennessee (official site)
- Monroe County, TNGenWeb - free genealogy resources for the county
- TSLA Fact Sheet on Monroe County - Genealogical "Fact Sheets"
- Monroe County at the Open Directory Project
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Loudon County | Blount County | |
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| McMinn County |  |
Graham County, North Carolina | ||
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| Polk County | Cherokee County, North Carolina |
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