Unicoi County, TN
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Unicoi County () is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2010 census, the population was 18,313. Its county seat is Erwin. ''Unicoi'' is a Cherokee word meaning "white," "hazy," "fog-like," or "fog draped," and refers to the mist often seen in the foothills and mountains of this far northeast county. Unicoi County is part of the Johnson City Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is a component of the Johnson City–
Kingsport Kingsport is a city in Sullivan and Hawkins counties in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2020 census, its population was 55,442. Lying along the Holston River, Kingsport is commonly included in what is known as the Mountain Empire ...
Bristol, TN- VA Combined Statistical Area, commonly known as the "
Tri-Cities Tri-Cities most often refers to: *Tri-Cities, Tennessee, United States *Tri-Cities, Washington, United States Tri-City, Tricity or Tri-Cities may also refer to: Populated places Americas Canada *Tri-Cities (British Columbia), consisting of Co ...
" region.


History

This area was long inhabited by indigenous peoples, including the historic Cherokee who encountered European and English traders and settlers. The mountainous terrain made it less attractive to subsistence farmers. Unicoi County was created in 1875 from portions of Washington and Carter counties. Its first European-American settlers had arrived more than a century earlier but the population had been small. The county remained predominantly agrarian until the railroads were constructed in the area in the 1880s. During the 1910s, the Clinchfield Railroad established a pottery in Erwin, which eventually incorporated under the name, "Southern Potteries." This company produced a popular brand of dishware, commonly called Blue Ridge China, which featured hand-painted underglaze designs. While the company folded in the 1950s, Blue Ridge dishes remain popular with antique collectors. In 1916, a circus elephant, Mary, was hanged in Erwin for killing her trainer. Hanging was chosen as the method of execution because the animal survived being shot. She was hanged by a railroad car crane. The hanging was the subject of a book, ''The Day They Hung the Elephant'' (1992), by Charles Edwin Price.


Pronunciation


Hear it spoken
(Voice o
Unicoi County Mayor Greg Lynch
2010)


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 (0.2%) is water. It is the fifth-smallest county in Tennessee by total area. The Nolichucky River, which enters Unicoi County from North Carolina, is the county's primary drainage. Unicoi County is situated entirely within the Blue Ridge Mountains, specifically the
Bald Mountains The Bald Mountains are a mountain range rising along the border between Tennessee and North Carolina in the southeastern United States. They are part of the Blue Ridge Mountain Province of the Southern Appalachian Mountains. The Bald Mountain ...
(south of the Nolichucky) and the Unaka Range (north of the Nolichucky).
Big Bald Big Bald is a mountain in Tennessee and North Carolina, located along the Appalachian Trail. at an elevation of , it is the highest peak in the Bald Mountains, which are part of the larger Blue Ridge Mountains subrange of the Appalachian Mounta ...
, which at is the highest mountain in the Balds, is also Unicoi County's high point.Tom Dunigan
Tennessee County High Points
Tennessee Landforms. Retrieved: 7 November 2013.
Traversed by the Appalachian Trail, the mountain is topped by a
grassy bald In the Appalachian Mountains of the eastern United States, balds are mountain summits or crests covered primarily by thick vegetation of native grasses or shrubs occurring in areas where heavy forest growth would be expected. Balds are found prim ...
, allowing a 360-degree view of the surrounding mountains.


Adjacent counties

* Washington County (north) * Carter County (northeast) *
Mitchell County, North Carolina Mitchell County is a County (United States), county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 14,903. Its county seat is Bakersville, North Carolina, Bakersville, population ...
(east) *
Yancey County, North Carolina Yancey County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 18,470. Its county seat is Burnsville. This land was inhabited by the Cherokee prior to European settlement, as was much of the S ...
(south) * Madison County, North Carolina (southwest) * Greene County (west)


National protected areas

* Appalachian Trail (part) * Cherokee National Forest (part)


State protected areas

* Rocky Fork State Park


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 17,928 people, 7,658 households, and 4,953 families residing in the county.


2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 17,667 people, 7,516 households, and 5,223 families residing in the county. The population density was 95 people per square mile (37/km2). There were 8,214 housing units at an average density of 44 per square mile (17/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 97.96% White, 0.07% Black or African American, 0.25% Native American, 0.08%
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 ...
, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.95% from other races, and 0.66% from two or more races. 1.94% 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 7,516 households, out of which 26.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.40% 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, 9.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.50% were non-families. 27.50% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.40% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.31 and the average family size was 2.80. In the county, the population was spread out, with 20.50% under the age of 18, 7.50% from 18 to 24, 27.50% from 25 to 44, 26.50% from 45 to 64, and 18.10% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.60 males. The median income for a household in the county was $29,863, and the median income for a family was $36,871. Males had a median income of $30,206 versus $20,379 for females. The per capita income for the county was $15,612. About 8.70% of families and 13.10% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.70% of those under age 18 and 13.50% of those age 65 or over.


Communities


Towns

* Erwin (county seat) *
Unicoi Unicoi may refer to: *Unicoi Mountains, a mountain range rising along the border between Tennessee and North Carolina in the southeastern United States *Unicoi, Tennessee *Unicoi County, Tennessee *Unicoi State Park Unicoi State Park & Lodge is a ...


Census-designated place

* Banner Hill


Unincorporated communities

* Bumpus Cove (partial) * Clearbranch * Flag Pond * Limestone Cove * Shallowford


Politics

Voters of Unicoi County, like most of eastern Tennessee, have been strongly affiliated with the Republican Party since before the Civil War, when it was a Unionist enclave. Since its founding, it has supported the Republican presidential candidate in all but one election (
1912 Events January * January 1 – The Republic of China (1912–49), Republic of China is established. * January 5 – The Prague Conference (6th All-Russian Conference of the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party) opens. * January 6 ...
, when it backed Theodore Roosevelt's Progressive Party campaign). At the state level, Unicoi County has historically been slightly more receptive to
Democratic Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...
candidates, generally when they win by landslides. It often supported Democratic candidates for governor in the Solid South era, when white conservatives largely were affiliated as Democrats. More recently, it backed Democrat
Ned McWherter Ned Ray McWherter (October 15, 1930April 4, 2011) was an American businessman and politician who served as the 46th Governor of Tennessee, from 1987 to 1995. Prior to that, he served as Speaker of the Tennessee House of Representatives from 19 ...
in the
1986 The year 1986 was designated as the International Year of Peace by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 ** Aruba gains increased autonomy from the Netherlands by separating from the Netherlands Antilles. **Spain and Portugal ente ...
and
1990 File:1990 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 1990 FIFA World Cup is played in Italy; The Human Genome Project is launched; Voyager I takes the famous Pale Blue Dot image- speaking on the fragility of Humankind, humanity on Earth, Astroph ...
gubernatorial elections and Phil Bredesen in
2006 File:2006 Events Collage V1.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2006 Winter Olympics open in Turin; Twitter is founded and launched by Jack Dorsey; The Nintendo Wii is released; Montenegro 2006 Montenegrin independence referendum, votes to declare ...
, when he won every county in the state.


See also

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


References


External links


Official websiteUnicoi County Chamber of CommerceUnicoi County SchoolsTNGenWeb
* {{authority control 1875 establishments in Tennessee Populated places established in 1875 Tennessee placenames of Native American origin Johnson City metropolitan area, Tennessee Counties of Appalachia Second Amendment sanctuaries in Tennessee East Tennessee