Henderson County, TN
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Henderson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2020 census, the population was 27,842. Its county seat is Lexington. The county was founded in 1821 and named for James Henderson, a soldier in the War of 1812.W.C. Crooks,
Henderson County
" ''Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture''. Retrieved: 17 October 2013.


History

Henderson County was established in 1821; it was named for Lt. Colonel James Henderson, Jr. (1775-1814), of the Tennessee State Militia, who was killed in late December 1814 below New Orleans during a clash with the British Army. Henderson is said to have served in earlier conflicts such as the
Creek Indian war The Creek War (1813–1814), also known as the Red Stick War and the Creek Civil War, was a regional war between opposing Indigenous American Creek factions, European empires and the United States, taking place largely in modern-day Alabama ...
, which took place during the same overall time period as the War of 1812. After the Battle of New Orleans, Major General William Carroll's Tennessee brigade, which was the largest single force under General Andrew Jackson's command in Louisiana, established their outgoing camp upriver from New Orleans and named it ''Camp Henderson''. General Carroll's first term as
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 ...
began the same year that Henderson County was established. The county seat, Lexington, was laid out in 1822. Like many Tennessee counties, Henderson was divided during the Civil War.
Confederate Confederacy or confederate may refer to: States or communities * Confederate state or confederation, a union of sovereign groups or communities * Confederate States of America, a confederation of secessionist American states that existed between ...
sentiment was strongest in the western half of the county (where most of the county's plantations were located), while Union support was strongest in the hilly eastern half.


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 (1.1%) is water. The county straddles the Tennessee Valley Divide, with waters east of the divide flowing into the Tennessee River, and waters west of the divide flowing into the Mississippi River. Primary streams include the Beech River, which flows through the county's largest lake Beech Lake, and the Forked Deer River.


Adjacent counties

* Carroll County (north) *
Decatur County Decatur County is the name of various past and present counties in the United States, all named for Stephen Decatur: *Decatur County, Georgia *Decatur County, Indiana *Decatur County, Iowa *Decatur County, Kansas *Decatur County, Tennessee *Decatur ...
(east) * Hardin County (southeast) *
Chester County Chester County may refer to: * Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States * Chester County, South Carolina, United States * Chester County, Tennessee, United States * Cheshire or the County Palatine of Chester, a ceremonial county in the North Wes ...
(southwest) * Madison County (west)


State protected areas

*
Natchez Trace State Forest Natchez may refer to: Places * Natchez, Alabama, United States * Natchez, Indiana, United States * Natchez, Louisiana, United States * Natchez, Mississippi, a city in southwestern Mississippi, United States * Grand Village of the Natchez, a site o ...
(part) * Natchez Trace State Park (part)


Climate and weather

The climate in Henderson County is characterized by relatively high temperatures and evenly distributed precipitation throughout the year. In summer, these regions are largely under the influence of moist, maritime airflow from the western side of the subtropical anticyclonic cells over low-latitude ocean waters. Temperatures are high and can lead to warm, oppressive nights. Summers are usually a bit drier than winters, with much of the rainfall coming from convectional thunderstorm activity; tropical cyclones may also enhance warm-season rainfall. The coldest month is usually quite mild, although freezes are not uncommon, and winter precipitation is derived primarily from frontal cyclones along the polar front. The Köppen Climate Classification subtype for this climate is "Cfa". (Humid Subtropical Climate).


Major Highways

* * * * * *


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 27,842 people, 10,711 households, and 7,113 families residing in the county.


2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 25,522 people, 10,306 households, and 7,451 families residing in the county. The population density was 49 people per square mile (19/km2). There were 11,446 housing units at an average density of 22 per square mile (8/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 90.45% White, 8.00% Black or African American, 0.13% Native American, 0.14%
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, 0.33% from other races, and 0.94% from two or more races. 0.97% 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 10,306 households, out of which 32.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.90% 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, 11.70% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.70% were non-families. 24.90% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.70% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 2.90. In the county, the population was spread out, with 24.30% under the age of 18, 8.70% from 18 to 24, 28.80% from 25 to 44, 23.90% from 45 to 64, and 14.20% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 92.90 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.00 males. The median income for a household in the county was $32,057, and the median income for a family was $38,475. Males had a median income of $28,598 versus $21,791 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,019. About 9.20% of families and 12.40% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.60% of those under age 18 and 14.50% of those age 65 or over.


Transportation

The
Beech River Regional Airport Beech River Regional Airport is a public-use airport in Henderson County, Tennessee, United States. It is located five nautical miles (5.8 mi, 9.3 km) northwest of the central business district of Parsons, a city in Decatur County. The airport ...
is a public-use airport located five nautical miles northwest (5.8 mi, 9.3 km) northwest of the central business district of Parsons, a city in Decatur County. The airport is located in Darden, Tennessee.


Communities


City

* Lexington (county seat) * Parkers Crossroads


Town

* Sardis * Scotts Hill


Census-designated places

*
Chesterfield Chesterfield may refer to: Places Canada * Rural Municipality of Chesterfield No. 261, Saskatchewan * Chesterfield Inlet, Nunavut United Kingdom * Chesterfield, Derbyshire, a market town in England ** Chesterfield (UK Parliament constitue ...
* Darden


Unincorporated communities

* Cedar Grove * Crucifer *
Huron Huron may refer to: People * Wyandot people (or Wendat), indigenous to North America * Wyandot language, spoken by them * Huron-Wendat Nation, a Huron-Wendat First Nation with a community in Wendake, Quebec * Nottawaseppi Huron Band of Potawatomi ...
* Independence *
Juno Juno commonly refers to: *Juno (mythology), the Roman goddess of marriage and queen of the gods *Juno (film), ''Juno'' (film), 2007 Juno may also refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Fictional characters *Juno, in the film ''Jenny, Juno'' *Ju ...
* Life *
Luray Luray may refer to: * Luray, Eure-et-Loir, a commune in the Eure-et-Loir ''département'', France * Luray, Indiana * Luray, Kansas * Luray, Missouri * Luray, Ohio * Luray, South Carolina Luray is a town in Hampton County, South Carolina, United ...
* Middle Fork * Mount Gilead *
Reagan Ronald Wilson Reagan ( ; February 6, 1911June 5, 2004) was an American politician, actor, and union leader who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He also served as the 33rd governor of California from 1967 ...
* Wildersville


Politics

Henderson County is overwhelmingly Republican, and, even before the rapid trend of the upland South away from the Democratic Party, was a Unionist Republican enclave in historically Democratic West Tennessee. This is due to the shallow, humus-poor and easily erodible
Highland Rim The Highland Rim is a geographic term for the area in Tennessee surrounding the Central Basin. Nashville is largely surrounded by higher terrain in all directions. Geologically, the Central Basin is a dome. The Highland Rim is a cuesta surround ...
soils, which were much less suitable for plantation farming than the rest of Middle and West Tennessee.Wright, John K.; ‘Voting Habits in the United States: A Note on Two Maps’; ''Geographical Review'', vol. 22, no. 4 (October 1932), pp. 666-672 Henderson County has not voted for a Democratic candidate since Samuel Tilden in the 1876 election, and the last time it didn't vote Republican was in 1912, when the county supported Progressive candidate Theodore Roosevelt; Henderson County was the only county in the state outside of
East Tennessee East Tennessee is one of the three Grand Divisions of Tennessee defined in state law. Geographically and socioculturally distinct, it comprises approximately the eastern third of the U.S. state of Tennessee. East Tennessee consists of 33 count ...
for vote for Roosevelt in that election.


See also

* National Register of Historic Places listings in Henderson County, Tennessee


References


External links


Official site

Henderson County Chamber of Commerce
* {{authority control 1821 establishments in Tennessee Populated places established in 1821 West Tennessee