Van Buren County, Tennessee

Van Buren County, Tennessee
Van Buren County Courthouse in Spencer, TN
Location in the state of Tennessee
Tennessee's location in the U.S.
Founded	January 3, 1840
Seat	Spencer
Largest city	Spencer
Area  - Total  - Land  - Water	275 sq mi (711 km²) 273 sq mi (708 km²) 1 sq mi (3 km²), .42%
Population  - (2000)  - Density	5,508 20/sq mi (8/km²)
Time zone	Central: UTC-6/-5

Van Buren County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of 2000, the population was 5,508. Its county seat is Spencer.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 275 square miles (710 km²), of which 273 square miles (710 km²) is land and 1 square mile (2.6 km²) (0.42%) is water.

History

Big Bone Cave was a major saltpeter mine during the War of 1812. Mining began in 1806 and continued at least through the end of the War of 1812, which ended in 1815. The discovery of the large bones of an extinct Giant Ground Sloth by workmen in 1811 gave the cave it's name. According to Tom Barr (Caves of Tennessee, 1961), as many as 300 men worked in the cave removing the nitrous earth to the leaching vats located near the entrance. Big Bone Cave was again a major source of saltpeter during the Civil War. Extensive remains of the mining operations from both the War of 1812 and the Civil War remain in the cave in an excellent state of preservation.

Adjacent counties

• White County (north)
• Cumberland County (northeast)
• Bledsoe County (east)
• Sequatchie County (south)
• Warren County (west)

Communities

• Bone Cave — unincorporated community
• Spencer — incorporated town

Demographics

As of the 2000 census, there were 5,508 people, 2,180 households, and 1,619 families residing in the county. The population density was 20 people per square mile (8/km²). There were 2,453 housing units at an average density of 9 per square mile (3/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 99.02% White, 0.13% Black or African American, 0.18% Native American, 0.07% Asian, 0.09% from other races, and 0.51% from two or more races. 0.33% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

Age pyramid Van Buren County

There were 2,180 households out of which 30.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.50% were married couples living together, 11.00% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.70% were non-families. 21.90% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.70% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 2.90.

In the county, the population was spread out with 23.00% under the age of 18, 9.20% from 18 to 24, 27.50% from 25 to 44, 26.30% from 45 to 64, and 14.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 99.30 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.30 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $28,165, and the median income for a family was $34,949. Males had a median income of $25,938 versus $20,911 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,497. About 13.70% of families and 15.20% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.10% of those under age 18 and 21.10% of those age 65 or over.

State parks and natural features

Fall Creek Falls State Park, which straddles the county line between Van Buren and Bledsoe counties, is a major attraction for visitors to the county.

Big Bone Cave is located in the northwest corner of Van Buren County. It is one of the best-known and most historic caverns in Tennessee. It was mined by prehistoric Indians for gypsum and salts and was the site of the largest saltpeter mine in Tennessee during the War of 1812 and again during the American Civil War. The cave is named for the discovery of the skeleton of a Giant Ground Sloth (Megalonyx jeffersoni) by saltpeter miners in 1811. Many of the wooden saltpeter mining artifacts in the cave remain in a remarkable state of preservation, due to the extreme dryness of the cave.

See also

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Van Buren County, Tennessee

External links

• Van Buren County at the Open Directory Project