Friendsville is a city in Blount County,

Tennessee Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked state in the Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the 36th-largest by area and the 15th-most populous of the 50 states. It is bordered by Kentucky to th ...

, United States. Its population was 890 at the 2000 census and 913 at the 2010 census. It is included in the

Knoxville, Tennessee Knoxville is a city in and the county seat of Knox County, Tennessee, Knox County in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2020 United States census, Knoxville's population was 190,740, making it the largest city in the East Tennessee Grand Di ...

Metropolitan Statistical Area In the United States, a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) is a geographical region with a relatively high population density at its core and close economic ties throughout the area. Such regions are neither legally Incorporated town, incorporate ...

History

Friendsville was founded by

Quakers Quakers are people who belong to a historically Protestant Christian set of denominations known formally as the Religious Society of Friends. Members of these movements ("theFriends") are generally united by a belief in each human's abil ...

from New Garden,

North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...

, who settled in the area in the 1790s. The town is still home to a Friends Meetinghouse. In 1854, a group of British Quaker elders stayed here whilst promoting the

abolitionist Abolitionism, or the abolitionist movement, is the movement to end slavery. In Western Europe and the Americas, abolitionism was a historic movement that sought to end the Atlantic slave trade and liberate the enslaved people. The British ...

cause with American leaders. During this visit, abolitionist leader William Forster died and was buried here. In the 19th century, the Quakers wielded considerable influence in Blount County, and were partially responsible for the abolitionist movements arising in the county in the years leading up to the

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

. Along with nearby Greenback and possibly

Cades Cove Cades Cove is an isolated valley located in the Tennessee section of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The valley was home to numerous settlers before the formation of the national park. Today Cades Cove, the single most popular destinati ...

, Friendsville provided a stop on the

Underground Railroad The Underground Railroad was a network of clandestine routes and safe houses established in the United States during the early- to mid-19th century. It was used by enslaved African Americans primarily to escape into free states and Canada. T ...

. A cave (since filled in) near the Friends Meetinghouse was stocked with provisions by Quakers such as William J. Hackney to provide a stopover for fugitive slaves and later soldiers en route to join the

Union Union commonly refers to: * Trade union, an organization of workers * Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets Union may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * Union (band), an American rock group ** ''Un ...

army.Underground Railroad - Tennessee Stations
." The Center for Historic Preservation, Middle Tennessee State University (2005). Retrieved: 29 December 2007.

Friendsville today

K-5 education in Friendsville is provided by Friendsville Elementary School (part of

Blount County Schools Blount County Schools (BCS) is a school district in Blount County, Tennessee, United States. The district has 18 schools with 750 teachers/administrators serving approximately 11,000 students. The district includes all unincorporated areas and a ...

), which was once Friendsville High School. Boat launch facilities along

Fort Loudoun Lake Fort Loudoun Lake is a reservoir in east Tennessee on the upper Tennessee River, extending about along the river upstream from Fort Loudoun Dam, at Lenoir City, to Knoxville. Fort Loudoun Reservoir takes its name from the 18th-century British ...

can be found at Gallahar Creek and Whispering Cove. Friendsville is home to the

Pellissippi State Community College Pellissippi State Community College (Pellissippi State) is a public community college based in Knox and Blount counties in Tennessee. It is operated by the Tennessee Board of Regents. The college's main campus is located in west Knox County. Th ...

, Blount County Campus.

Geography

Friendsville is located in western Blount County at (35.755804, -84.131028). The town is situated along State Route 333 (Miser Station Road) and stretches from

in the north to U.S. Route 321 (Lamar Alexander Parkway). It lies at an elevation of . According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

, the city has a total area of , all land.

Demographics

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...

of 2000, there were 890 people, 362 households, and 271 families residing in the city. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...

was 281.3 people per square mile (108.7/km²). There were 395 housing units at an average density of 124.8 per square mile (48.3/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 97.42%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...

, 0.22%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 0.90% Native American, 0.90%

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

, and 0.56% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

of any race were 1.01% of the population. There were 362 households, out of which 30.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.1% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...

living together, 7.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.1% were non-families. 22.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 2.89. In the city the population was spread out, with 22.1% under the age of 18, 7.3% from 18 to 24, 29.8% from 25 to 44, 26.4% from 45 to 64, and 14.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 100.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.1 males. The median income for a household in the city was $40,833, and the median income for a family was $48,000. Males had a median income of $32,232 versus $26,382 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the city was $16,871. About 5.0% of families and 7.1% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...

, including 8.9% of those under age 18 and 9.7% of those age 65 or over.

References

External links

City charter

Underground Railroad in Tennessee
{{authority control Cities in Tennessee Cities in Blount County, Tennessee Populated places on the Underground Railroad Populated places established in the 1790s