Mountain City is a town in and the county seat of

Johnson County, Tennessee Johnson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2010 census, the population was 18,244. Its county seat is Mountain City. It is the state's northeasternmost county, sharing borders with Virginia and North Carolina. ...

, United States. The population was 2,383 at the 2000 census and 2,531 at the 2010 census. It is the northeasternmost

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...

in Tennessee. In addition, at an elevation of , it has the distinction of being the highest incorporated city in the state.

History

When the first Euro-American explorers arrived in what is now the Mountain City area in the late 17th century, well-worn Native American trails passed through the area. In 1949, workers at the Maymead quarry (just south of Mountain City) discovered a cave with several early Mississippian-era (ca. 1000 A.D.) burials inside. The Needham and Arthur expedition of 1673 is believed to have passed through the area, making use of the gap at

Trade Trade involves the transfer of goods and services from one person or entity to another, often in exchange for money. Economists refer to a system or network that allows trade as a market. An early form of trade, barter, saw the direct excha ...

to the south. Explorer

Daniel Boone Daniel Boone (September 26, 1820) was an American pioneer and frontiersman whose exploits made him one of the first folk heroes of the United States. He became famous for his exploration and settlement of Kentucky, which was then beyond the we ...

made use of the same gap on an expedition to what is now

Kentucky Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia to ...

in 1769, and today part of the Daniel Boone Heritage Trail— which follows Boone's route— passes through Mountain City.Carolyn Sakowski, Touring the East Tennessee Backroads (Winston-Salem, N.C.: J.F. Blair, 1993), pp. 23-28, 40-41. The first permanent Euro-American settlers arrived in the Mountain City area in the late 18th century, among them Leonard Shoun and Revolutionary War veteran Alexander Doran. The area was initially part of Carter County, but the difficulty of reaching Elizabethton (the county seat) led to the creation of Johnson County in 1836. That year, a county seat for the new county was platted on land purchased from William Vaught, and named Taylorsville after Colonel James P. Taylor.Jewell Hamm
Johnson County
''Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture'', 2002. Retrieved: 16 June 2009. The name of the town was changed to "Mountain City" in 1885, presumably at the urging of Roderick R. Butler (1827–1902), a prominent citizen and U.S. Congressman, who wanted the town's name to reflect its situation amidst one of the highest valleys in Tennessee. Butler's mansion, now listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

, still stands near the center of the town.

Music

In May 1925, Mountain City was the site of a musical gathering, the first

Mountain City Fiddlers Convention The Mountain City Fiddlers Convention was held in the East Tennessee town of Mountain City, in May 1925. The gathering was attended by many acclaimed Appalachian musicians, and pioneers of bluegrass and country music, such as G. B. Grayson, Cha ...

, that is considered a landmark event in the modern history of

Appalachian traditional music Appalachian music is the music of the region of Appalachia in the Eastern United States. Traditional Appalachian music is derived from various influences, including the ballads, hymns and fiddle music of the British Isles (particularly Scotland), ...

. The gathering contributed significantly to the development of

country music Country (also called country and western) is a genre of popular music that originated in the Southern and Southwestern United States in the early 1920s. It primarily derives from blues, church music such as Southern gospel and spirituals, ...

, and is commemorated every summer, at the Old Time Fiddler's Convention in nearby Laurel Bloomery.

RedTail Mountain Resort

Since 1982, Mountain City has been home to a luxury inn and country club, now known as the

RedTail Mountain Resort RedTail Mountain Resort is a luxury lodge and country club located in Mountain City, Tennessee. A gated community in the far northeastern corner of the state, it is the only golf club in Johnson County. The mountain resort is known for its high ...

. It is the northeasternmost gated community in Tennessee.

Geography

Mountain City is located at (36.468444, -81.803856). 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 town has a total area of 3.3 square miles (8.6 km²), all land. At just over , Mountain City is situated in one of the highest valleys in the state of Tennessee. Doe Mountain rises to the southwest, Forge Mountain rises to the east, and the Iron Mountains rise prominently to the north. The Tennessee-

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 ...

border runs opposite Forge Mountain approximately east of Mountain City, and the Tennessee-

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

border passes about to the north.

U.S. Route 421 U.S. Route 421 (also U.S. Highway 421, US 421) is a diagonal northwest–southeast United States Numbered Highway in the states of North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, Kentucky, and Indiana. The highway runs for from Fort Fisher, North Caro ...

(Shady Street) connects Mountain City with

Bristol, Tennessee Bristol is a city in the State of Tennessee. Located in Sullivan County, its population was 26,702 at the 2010 census. It is the twin city of Bristol, Virginia, which lies directly across the state line between Tennessee and Virginia. The ...

, to the northwest and

Boone, North Carolina Boone is a town in and the county seat of Watauga County, North Carolina, United States. Located in the Blue Ridge Mountains of western North Carolina, Boone is the home of Appalachian State University and the headquarters for the disaster a ...

, to the southeast.

Tennessee State Route 67 State Route 67 (SR 67) is a state-maintained highway in northeastern Tennessee, including a four-lane divided highway segments in both Washington County and Carter County, and part of a significant two-lane segment passing over the Butler Brid ...

traverses the Doe Creek Valley on the north side of Doe Mountain, and connects Mountain City with Carter County and the

Watauga Lake Watauga Lake, located east of Elizabethton, Tennessee, is the local name of the Watauga Reservoir created by the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) with the 1948 completion of the TVA Watauga Dam. The Cherokee National Forest surrounds both the Ten ...

areas to the west. A spur of S.R. 67, S.R. 167, follows the

Roan Creek Roan Creek is a tributary of the Watauga River that rises near the border between the U.S. states of Tennessee and North Carolina. Its source is located along the slopes of Snake Mountain near Trade in Johnson County, Tennessee. From its source, ...

Valley on the south side of Doe Mountain, rejoining S.R. 67 at Shouns in the southern part of Mountain City.

Tennessee State Route 91 State Route 91 (SR 91) is a state highway in the northeastern portion of the U.S. state of Tennessee, in the area known as the Tri-Cities region. The route connects Johnson City with Damascus, Virginia via Elizabethton, Hunter, and Mountai ...

connects Mountain City to

Laurel Bloomery, Tennessee Laurel Bloomery is an unincorporated community in Johnson 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

Damascus, Virginia Damascus is a town in Washington County, Virginia, United States. The population was 814 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Kingsport– Bristol (TN)– Bristol (VA) Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is a component of the Johnson ...

, to the north (the road becomes

Virginia State Route 91 State Route 91 (SR 91) is a primary state highway in the U.S. state of Virginia. The state highway runs from the Tennessee state line near Damascus, where the highway continues as Tennessee State Route 91 (SR 91), north to U.S. Route 19 Bu ...

at the state line).

Demographics

2020 census

As of the

2020 United States census The United States census of 2020 was the twenty-fourth decennial United States census. Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2020. Other than a pilot study during the 2000 census, this was the first U.S. census to of ...

, there were 2,415 people, 873 households, and 458 families residing in the town.

2000 census

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 2,383 people, 1,136 households, and 664 families residing in the town. 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 720.8 people per square mile (278.0/km²). There were 1,250 housing units at an average density of 378.1 per square mile (145.8/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.86%

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 ...

, 0.92%

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 ...

, 0.25% Native American, 0.25%

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 ...

, 0.29% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 0.42% 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 0.80% of the population. There were 1,136 households, out of which 22.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.3% 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, 12.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.5% were non-families. 38.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 18.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.05 and the average family size was 2.71. In the town, the population was spread out, with 19.2% under the age of 18, 7.0% from 18 to 24, 26.4% from 25 to 44, 26.7% from 45 to 64, and 20.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.9 males. The median income for a household in the town was $16,587, and the median income for a family was $31,406. Males had a median income of $26,042 versus $19,145 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 town was $17,202. About 21.6% of families and 27.1% 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 37.4% of those under age 18 and 20.6% of those age 65 or over.

Climate

The all-time record low in Mountain City on December 30, 1917, at , is tied with Mount Le Conte for Tennessee's statewide record low. Mountain City has a subtropical highland (

Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (born 1951), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author and ...

''Cfb'') with monthly averages ranging from to in January and July, respectively. Under the

Trewartha climate classification The Trewartha climate classification (TCC) or the Köppen–Trewartha climate classification (KTC) is a climate classification system first published by American geographer Glenn Thomas Trewartha in 1966. It is a modified version of the Köppen ...

, it is a temperate oceanic (''Do'') climate due to only 7 months having a mean or higher.

Arts and culture

Mountain City is the location of the Johnson County Welcome Center & Museum. The center offers tourism information about the county and the museum showcases the history of the area and has a large collection of Native American and

pioneer Pioneer commonly refers to a settler who migrates to previously uninhabited or sparsely inhabited land. In the United States pioneer commonly refers to an American pioneer, a person in American history who migrated west to join in settling and de ...

objects. The

Steve Earle Stephen Fain Earle (; born January 17, 1955) is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, author, and actor. Earle began his career as a songwriter in Nashville and released his first EP in 1982. Initially working in the country music g ...

song "

Copperhead Road ''Copperhead Road'' is the third studio album by Steve Earle, released in 1988. The album is often referred to as Earle's first "rock record"; Earle himself calls it the world's first blend of heavy metal and bluegrass, and the January 26, 19 ...

" is set in the vicinity of Mountain City.
Johnson County Center for the Arts
is a comprehensive arts center serving the residents of Johnson County and the surrounding area
Long Journey Home
is Johnson County's Heritage Arts and music celebration held every Labor Day weekend.

Notable people

* Clarence Ashley (1895–1967), old-time musician * * Roderick R. Butler (1827–1902), U.S. congressman *

Dave Loggins David Allen Loggins (born November 10, 1947) is an American singer, songwriter, and musician. Musical career Loggins is best known for his 1974 song composition "Please Come to Boston", which was a No. 5 popular music success (No. 1 Easy Listen ...

(b. 1947), musician and songwriter best known for the song "

Please Come to Boston "Please Come to Boston" is a song that was recorded and written by American singer-songwriter Dave Loggins. It was released in April 1974 as the first single from his album ''Apprentice (In a Musical Workshop)'' and was produced by Jerry Crutchf ...

" *

Jeff Reynolds Jeffrey Lee Reynolds (born September 7, 1956) is an American college basketball coach. He is a special assistant basketball coach under Brad Brownell at Clemson. Reynolds served as the head men's basketball coach at North Carolina Wesleyan Col ...

(b. 1956),

college basketball In United States colleges, top-tier basketball is governed by collegiate athletic bodies including National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), the United States Collegiate Athleti ...

coach(April 17, 2007)
Air Force Names Jeff Reynolds Men's Basketball Coach
''goairforcefalcons.com''. Retrieved December 16, 2020. *

Clyde Shoun Clyde Mitchell Shoun (March 20, 1912 – March 20, 1968) was an American professional baseball player. A left-handed pitcher, he was born in Mountain City, Tennessee, and known as "Hardrock", due to his fastball. He was the younger brother of pro ...

(1912–1968),

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...

pitcher

Gallery

File:US Post Office, Mountain City, TN.jpg, U.S. Post Office, Mountain City File:Johnson County Visitors Center, Mountain City, TN.jpg, Johnson County Welcome Center, Mountain City File:Johnson County High School, Mountain City, TN.jpg, Johnson County High School, Mountain City, home of the Longhorns File:Daniel Boone's 1769 trail marker, Mountain City, TN.jpg, Daniel Boone trail marker on Forge Creek Road (Hwy 167), Mountain City File:Mountain-City-Town-Hall-tn1.jpg, Town hall

References

External links

Johnson County, Tennessee
— official county website
Municipal Technical Advisory Service entry for Mountain City
— information on local government, elections, and link to charter {{authority control Towns in Johnson County, Tennessee Towns in Tennessee County seats in Tennessee