Union County is a

county A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposes Chambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...

located in the U.S. state of

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. Tennessee is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 36th-largest by ...

. As of the 2010 census, its population was 19,109. Its

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 ...

is Maynardville. Union County is included in the Knoxville

metropolitan statistical area In the United States, a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) is a geographical region with a relatively high population density at its core and close economic ties throughout the area. Such regions are neither legally incorporated as a city or tow ...

History

Union County was formed in 1850 from portions of Grainger, Claiborne, Campbell, Anderson, and Knox Counties. At least two theories are given on the source of its name. The name may commemorate the "union" of sections of five counties, or it may reflect

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 ...

's support for the preservation of the Union in the years before and during the

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same 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 polici ...

. The enabling legislation was initially passed January 3, 1850, but due to legal challenges and complications, the county was not formally created until January 23, 1856. The county seat was originally named "Liberty", but renamed "Maynardville" in honor of attorney and congressman

Horace Maynard Horace Maynard (August 30, 1814 – May 3, 1882) was an American educator, attorney, politician and diplomat active primarily in the second half of the 19th century. Initially elected to the House of Representatives from Tennessee's 2nd Con ...

, who had defended the county in a court case that sought to block its formation. In the 1930s, the damming of the Clinch River by the construction of

Norris Dam Norris Dam is a hydroelectric and flood control structure located on the Clinch River in Anderson County and Campbell County, Tennessee, United States. The dam was the first major project for the Tennessee Valley Authority, which had been create ...

by the

Tennessee Valley Authority The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) is a federally owned electric utility corporation in the United States. TVA's service area covers all of Tennessee, portions of Alabama, Mississippi, and Kentucky, and small areas of Georgia, North Carolin ...

(TVA) to form Norris Lake inundated a large part of the county, including the community of Loyston, and displaced many residents. "The Move," what many displaced families called the forced relocation by TVA, would encounter criticism, as the promise of electrification of Union County would not come after the completion of Norris Dam, but two decades later in the mid-1950s. With assistance from the

National Park Service The National Park Service (NPS) is an agency of the United States federal government within the U.S. Department of the Interior that manages all national parks, most national monuments, and other natural, historical, and recreational properti ...

and the

Civilian Conservation Corps The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) was a voluntary government unemployment, work relief program that ran from 1933 to 1942 in the United States for unemployed, unmarried men ages 18–25 and eventually expanded to ages 17–28. The CCC was a ...

, the TVA developed

Big Ridge State Park Big Ridge State Park is a state park in Union County, Tennessee, in the southeastern United States. The park consists of on the southern shore of the Norris Reservoir, an impoundment of the Clinch River created by the completion of Norris Da ...

as a demonstration park on the shore of Norris Lake in Union County. The park's recreational facilities opened in May 1934.

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 are land and (9.5%) are covered by water. The county is situated in the

Ridge-and-Valley Appalachians The Ridge-and-Valley Appalachians, also called the Ridge and Valley Province or the Valley and Ridge Appalachians, are a physiographic province of the larger Appalachian division and are also a belt within the Appalachian Mountains extending ...

, a range characterized by long, narrow ridges alternating with similarly shaped valleys. Prominent ridges in Union County include Copper Ridge, Hinds Ridge, and Lone Mountain. The southern end of

Clinch Mountain Clinch Mountain is a mountain ridge in the U.S. states of Tennessee and Virginia, lying in the ridge-and-valley section of the Appalachian Mountains. From its southern terminus at Kitts Point, which lies at the intersection of Knox, Union and Gr ...

forms part of the county's border with Grainger County to the east. Norris-lake-big-ridge-tn1

The Clinch River, Union County's primary stream, flows through the northern part of the county. This section of the river is part of Norris Lake. Big Ridge Dam, a small, nongenerating dam, impounds an inlet of Norris Lake, creating Big Ridge Lake at Big Ridge State Park. The "Loyston Sea", one of the widest sections of Norris Lake, is located in Union County just north of the state park.Michelle Gibson,
Waterside at Norris Lake
" ''Knoxnews.com'', 16 May 2008. Retrieved: 7 November 2013.

Adjacent counties

* Claiborne County (north) *

Grainger County Grainger County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2020 census, the population was 23,527. Its county seat is Rutledge. Grainger County is a part of both the Knoxville Metropolitan Statistical Area and Morristown ...

(east) * Knox County (south) * Anderson County (southwest) * Campbell County (northwest)

State protected areas

*Chuck Swan State Forest (part)

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 off ...

, there were 19,802 people, 7,405 households, and 5,471 families residing in the county.

2000 census

At the 2000

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 inc ...

, 17,808 people, 6,742 households and 5,191 families were residing in the county. 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 RosenberPopu ...

was 80 per square mile (31/km²). The 7,916 housing units averaged 35 per sq mi (14/km²). The

racial makeup A race is a categorization of humans based on shared physical or social qualities into groups generally viewed as distinct within a given society. The term came into common usage during the 1500s, when it was used to refer to groups of variou ...

of the county was 98.46% White, 0.10% African American, 0.23% Native American, 0.16% Asian, 0.19% from other races, and 0.86% from two or more races. About 0.79% of the population were Hispanics or Latinos of any race. Of the 6,742 households, 35.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.20% were married couples living together, 10.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.00% were not families. About 19.80% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.40% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.62, and the average family size was 2.99. The age distribution was 25.70% under 18, 8.90% from 18 to 24, 31.00% from 25 to 44, 23.60% from 45 to 64, and 10.80% who were 65 or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.80 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.60 males. The

median household income The median income is the income amount that divides a population into two equal groups, half having an income above that amount, and half having an income below that amount. It may differ from the mean (or average) income. Both of these are ways ...

was $27,335 and the median family income was $31,843. Males had a median income of $26,436 versus $18,665 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 county was $13,375. About 16.80% of families and 19.60% 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 25.10% of those under age 18 and 27.80% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

Top employers

According to a data profile produced by the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development in 2018, the top employers in the county are:

Education

* Big Ridge Elementary School * Horace Maynard Middle School (previously Horace Maynard High School until 1997) * Luttrell Elementary School * Maynardville Elementary School * Paulette Elementary School * Sharps Chapel Elementary School * Tennessee Virtual Academy * Union County Alternative Center, grades 6-12 * Union County High School

Attractions

* Roy Acuff Museum * Big Ridge State Park

Communities

Cities

* Luttrell * Maynardville (county seat) * Plainview

Unincorporated communities

* Alder Springs * Braden * Sharps Chapel

Ghost town

* Loyston

Notable people

Roy Acuff Roy Claxton Acuff (September 15, 1903 – November 23, 1992) was an American country music singer, fiddler, and promoter. Known as the "King of Country Music", Acuff is often credited with moving the genre from its early string band and "hoedow ...

, entertainer *

Chet Atkins Chester Burton Atkins (June 20, 1924 – June 30, 2001), known as "Mr. Guitar" and "The Country Gentleman", was an American musician who, along with Owen Bradley and Bob Ferguson, helped create the Nashville sound, the country music ...

, entertainer * Jake Butcher, former banker and politician, convicted of fraud *

Kenny Chesney Kenneth Arnold Chesney (born March 26, 1968) is an American country music singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He has recorded more than 20 albums and has produced more than 40 Top 10 singles on the US ''Billboard'' Hot Country Songs and Country ...

, entertainer * John Rice Irwin, historian and founder of Museum of Appalachia *

Florence Reece Florence Reece (April 12, 1900 – August 3, 1986) was an American social activist, poet, and folksong writer. She is best known for the song " Which Side Are You On?" which she originally wrote at the age of twelve while her father was out ...

, who wrote the song "

Which Side Are You On? "Which Side Are You On?" is a song written in 1931 by activist Florence Reece, who was the wife of Sam Reece, a union organizer for the United Mine Workers in Harlan County, Kentucky. Background In 1931, the miners and the mine owners in south ...

", was born in Sharps Chapel in 1900. * Carl Smith, entertainer

Government and politics

Union County's current mayor is Jason Bailey. The county has 17 commissioners, with two-to-three from each of its seven districts.

References

External links

Official site

Union County Chamber of Commerce

Union County Public Schools

TNGenWeb
* {{Coord, 36.28, -83.84, display=title, type:adm2nd_region:US-TN_source:UScensus1990 Knoxville metropolitan area Counties of Appalachia 1850 establishments in Tennessee Populated places established in 1850 East Tennessee