Moscow ( ) is a city in
Fayette County,
Tennessee
Tennessee (, ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Kentucky to the north, Virginia to the northeast, North Carolina t ...
, United States. The population was 568 at the 2020 census, 556 at the 2010 census,
and 422 at the 2000 census. The town was named after
Moscow, Russia
Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...
, by its founder J. A. Dilliard to honor his wife Alexandra, a native of the Russian city, whom he met on a business trip to Russia in 1834. Moscow, Tennessee maintained close relations with Russia in the years leading to the Civil War, which led to Dilliard’s niece,
Lucy Pickens born in
La Grange, Tennessee, along with her husband serving as the US ambassador to Russia then after secession serving as Confederate representative to the
Russian Emperor
The emperor and autocrat of all Russia (, ), also translated as emperor and autocrat of all the Russias, was the official title of the Russian monarch from 1721 to 1917.
The title originated in connection with Russia's victory in the Great Nor ...
during the Civil War. Moscow is also known as the “Land Between Two Rivers,” due to its location after the
Army Corps of Engineers rerouted the waterways, moving the main channel west to its current location.
Geography
Moscow is located in southern Fayette County at (35.060976, -89.399649),
at the confluence of the
Wolf River with its North Fork.
Tennessee State Route 57
State Route 57 (SR 57) is an east–west highway that runs from Memphis, Tennessee, Memphis to the Mississippi state line near Pickwick Dam and Pickwick Landing State Park. Except for in Shelby County, Tennessee, Shelby County and western ...
passes through the city, leading east to
Grand Junction and west to
Collierville. Downtown
Memphis is to the west.
Tennessee State Route 76
State Route 76 (SR 76) is a state highway in Tennessee, traversing the state in a northeast-southwest axis from east of Memphis to north of Nashville. SR 76 is unique in that it actually changes its cardinal directions (from North-South t ...
leads north from Moscow to
Somerville, the Fayette County seat.
According to the
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...
, the city of Moscow has a total area of , of which , or 0.73%, is water.
Climate
According to the
Köppen Climate Classification
The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...
system, Moscow has a
humid subtropical climate
A humid subtropical climate is a subtropical -temperate climate type, characterized by long and hot summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between ...
, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps. The hottest temperature recorded in Moscow was on July 28, 1952, while the coldest temperature recorded was on February 2, 1951.
[
]
Demographics
As of the census
A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...
White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...
, 29.15% African American
African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...
, 0.24% Native American, 0.47% from other races, and 1.18% from two or more races. Hispanic
The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...
or Latino of any race were 1.18% of the population.
There were 172 households, out of which 18.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.9% were married couples
Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...
living together, 18.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.2% were non-families. 36.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 23.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 3.24.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 20.9% under the age of 18, 10.9% from 18 to 24, 25.6% from 25 to 44, 22.3% from 45 to 64, and 20.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 76.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 70.4 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $33,021, and the median income for a family was $46,875. Males had a median income of $35,417 versus $21,346 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year.
In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...
for the city was $14,772. About 16.3% of families and 21.0% 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 ...
, including 21.1% of those under age 18 and 24.2% of those age 65 or over.
Battle of Moscow
Moscow was the site of a skirmish during the Civil War
A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, 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.J ...
on December 4, 1863. Confederate
A confederation (also known as a confederacy or league) is a political union of sovereign states united for purposes of common action. Usually created by a treaty, confederations of states tend to be established for dealing with critical issu ...
cavalry under the command of Gen. Stephen D. Lee attempted to burn the railroad bridge over the Wolf River, in order to aid Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest
Nathan Bedford Forrest (July 13, 1821October 29, 1877) was an List of slave traders of the United States, American slave trader, active in the lower Mississippi River valley, who served as a General officers in the Confederate States Army, Con ...
in returning to Tennessee from Mississippi
Mississippi ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Alabama to the east, the Gulf of Mexico to the south, Louisiana to the s ...
. They were thwarted by African-American Union troops who were stationed nearby. Union Gen. Stephen A. Hurlbut wrote of these troops in a dispatch dated December 17, 1863: "The recent affair at Moscow, Tennessee, has demonstrated the fact that colored troops, properly trained and disciplined, can and will fight well."
Famous residents
Compton Newby Crook, who was born in Rossville, Tennessee
Rossville is a town in Fayette County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 1,041 at the 2020 census, up from 664 at the 2010 census.
Geography
Rossville is located in southwestern Fayette County at (35.043935, -89.542931). It is border ...
, and who wrote science fiction under the pseudonym Stephen Tall, grew up in Moscow.[Morton 1989. pp. 56-57]
Gallery
File:Moscow TN 01-2012 001.jpg
File:Moscow TN 01-2012 002.jpg
File:Moscow TN 01-2012 007.jpg
File:Moscow TN 01-2012 008.jpg
File:Moscow TN 01-2012 013.jpg
File:Moscow TN 01-2012 014.jpg
References
External links
City of Moscow official websiteFayette County Chamber of Commerce
{{authority control
Cities in Tennessee
Cities in Fayette County, Tennessee
Memphis metropolitan area