Giles County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2020 census, the population was 30,346. Its county seat is

Pulaski Pulaski may refer to: Places * Pulaski Heights, a section of the city of Little Rock, Arkansas * Pulaski Shoal, an underwater landform west of the Florida Keys * Pulaski, Georgia, a town * Pulaski Square, one of the "Squares of Savannah" in t ...

History

Giles County is named after William Branch Giles, a Senator from Virginia who sponsored the admission of Tennessee as the sixteenth state into the Union. He also sponsored the building of the city and courthouse, which has burned four times. The current courthouse was built in 1909. One of Giles County's local heroes is James McCallum, who served as Grandmaster of the Tennessee Masons, a member of the Confederate Congress, and mayor. He lived in Giles County for seventy years. Until Maury County was established in November 1807, the area of the future Giles County was part of Williamson County. Two years after the formation of Maury County, Giles County was created from southern Maury County on November 14, 1809, by an act of the State Legislature. Nearly half of the new county lay in Chickasaw territory until September 1816.

Geography

According to the

U.S. 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 county has a total area of , of which is land and (0.04%) is water.

Adjacent counties

Maury County Maury County ( ) is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee, in the Middle Tennessee region. As of the 2020 census, the population was 100,974. Its county seat is Columbia. Maury County is part of the Nashville-Davidson–Murfreesboro ...

(north) * Marshall County (northeast) * Lincoln County (east) * Limestone County, Alabama (south) * Lauderdale County, Alabama (southwest) * Lawrence County (west)

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 30,346 people, 11,904 households, and 7,807 families residing in the county.

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 29,447 people, 11,713 households, and 8,363 families residing in the county. The population density was 48 people per square mile (19/km²). There were 13,113 housing units at an average density of 22 per square mile (8/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 86.44% White, 11.80% Black or African American, 0.30% Native American, 0.35%

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 ...

, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.21% from other races, and 0.89% from two or more races. 0.90% of the population were Hispanic or

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. There were 11,713 households, out of which 31.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.80% 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, 11.90% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.60% were non-families. 25.70% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.20% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 2.96. In the county, the population was spread out, with 24.50% under the age of 18, 8.30% from 18 to 24, 27.90% from 25 to 44, 24.80% from 45 to 64, and 14.50% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 94.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.20 males. The median income for a household in the county was $34,824, and the median income for a family was $41,714. Males had a median income of $31,221 versus $22,221 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,543. About 9.00% of families and 11.70% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.50% of those under age 18 and 14.80% of those age 65 or over.

Crime

On November 15, 1995, Giles County received minor notoriety after a shooting occurred at Richland High School in the community of Lynnville. A senior student named Jamie Rouse shot two teachers and a student in the north entrance of the school. One teacher (Carolyn Foster) and the student (Diane Collins) were killed, while teacher Carolyn Yancey was wounded in the crime. Rouse was convicted of the shooting and sentenced to life in prison without parole. In 2000, there were 1,268 arrests made in Giles County, with 781 arrests in the city of

. One homicide occurred in that year. Based on a 2003 recording conducted by the Uniform Crime Report, the delinquency rate dropped to 71 arrests being made, with 8.8 percent of the county population being arrested that year. No homicides occurred in Giles County in 2003.

Transportation

Airport

Abernathy Field Abernathy Field is a public use airport located three nautical miles (6 km) southwest of the central business district of Pulaski, a city in Giles County, Tennessee, United States. It is owned by the City of Pulaski and Giles County. Accordin ...

is a public use airport owned by Giles County and the City of Pulaski. It is located three nautical miles (6 km) southwest of the

central business district A central business district (CBD) is the commercial and business centre of a city. It contains commercial space and offices, and in larger cities will often be described as a financial district. Geographically, it often coincides with the "city ...

of Pulaski.

Communities

Cities

* Ardmore (partial) * Elkton * Minor Hill *

(county seat)

Town

* Lynnville

Unincorporated communities

* Aspen Hill * Aymett Town * Beech Hill *

Berea Berea may refer to: Places Greece * Beroea, a place mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles, now known as Veria or Veroia Lesotho * Berea District Romania * Berea, a village in Ciumești Commune, Satu Mare County * Berea, a tributary of the Va ...

Campbellsville Campbellsville is a city in central Kentucky founded in 1817 by Andrew Campbell. It is known for Campbellsville University, Taylor Regional Hospital health care system, its historic downtown, and the proximity to Green River Lake State Park. C ...

* Five Points * Frankewing * Goodspring * Liberty Hill * Olivet *

Prospect Prospect may refer to: General * Prospect (marketing), a marketing term describing a potential customer * Prospect (sports), any player whose rights are owned by a professional team, but who has yet to play a game for the team * Prospect (mining ...

* Waco * Weakley

Politics

Although historically part of overwhelmingly Democratic and secessionist Middle Tennessee, Giles County has, like much of the rural white South, become overwhelmingly Republican since 2000 due to opposition to the Democratic Party's liberal views on social issues.

Notable people

Aaron V. Brown Aaron Venable Brown (August 15, 1795 – March 8, 1859) was an American politician. He served as the 11th Governor of Tennessee from 1845 to 1847, and as United States Postmaster General from 1857 until his death in 1859. He also served three te ...

Governor of Tennessee The governor of Tennessee is the head of government of the U.S. state of Tennessee. The governor is the only official in Tennessee state government who is directly elected by the voters of the entire state. The current governor is Bill Lee, a ...

from 1845 to 1847; resident of Giles County, Tennessee. *

Neill S. Brown Neill Smith Brown (April 18, 1810January 30, 1886) was an American politician and diplomat who served as the 12th Governor of Tennessee from 1847 to 1849, and as the United States Minister to Russia from 1850 to 1853. He also served several term ...

, Governor of Tennessee from 1847 to 1849; born in Giles County. *

John C. Brown John Calvin Brown (January 6, 1827August 17, 1889) was a Confederate Army officer and an American politician and businessman. Although he originally opposed secession, Brown fought for the Confederacy during the American Civil War, eventually ...

, Governor of Tennessee from 1871 to 1875; born in Giles County. *

Cully Cobb Cully may refer to: Places *Cully, Calvados, a former commune in the Allier department, France *Cully, Switzerland, a municipality in the canton of Vaud *Cully, Portland, Oregon, United States, a neighborhood in northeast Portland People Given na ...

, Southern agriculture pioneer and publisher, editor of '' Progressive Farmer'' * Walter Herschel Beech, co-founder of Beechcraft Aircraft; born in Giles County. *

John Crowe Ransom John Crowe Ransom (April 30, 1888 – July 3, 1974) was an American educator, scholar, literary critic, poet, essayist and editor. He is considered to be a founder of the New Criticism school of literary criticism. As a faculty member at Kenyon ...

, educator, scholar, literary critic, poet, essayist and editor; born in Giles County. * James McCallum, Grandmaster of the Tennessee Masons, a member of the Confederate Congress, and mayor. He lived in Giles County for 70 years. *

James David Vaughan James David Vaughan (December 14, 1864 – February 9, 1941) was an American music teacher, composer, song book publisher, the founder of the Vaughan Conservatory of Music and the James D. Vaughan Publishing Company. Biography Vaughan was b ...

, music teacher, composer, song book publisher, the founder of the Vaughan Conservatory of Music and the James D. Vaughan Publishing Company; born in Giles County. * Archibald Wright, Justice of the Tennessee Supreme Court from 1858 to 1885; raised in Giles County.Albert D. Marks, "The Supreme Court of Tennessee", Part II, '' The Green Bag'', Volume 5 (1893), p. 180-82.

References

External links

Official site

Giles County Chamber of Commerce

Giles County, TNGenWeb
– genealogy resources * {{authority control 1809 establishments in Tennessee Populated places established in 1809 Middle Tennessee