Castalian Springs is an

unincorporated community An unincorporated area is a region that is not governed by a local municipal corporation. Widespread unincorporated communities and areas are a distinguishing feature of the United States and Canada. Most other countries of the world either hav ...

and

census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only. CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counterparts of incorporated places, su ...

(CDP) in Sumner 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 the 15th-most populous of the 50 states. It is bordered by Kentucky to ...

, United States.

History

In the early 19th century, it was known locally as Bledsoe's Lick, and was the location of Bledsoe's Station, a fortified trading post. As of the 2010 census, its population was 556.

Native American history

During the

Mississippian culture The Mississippian culture was a Native American civilization that flourished in what is now the Midwestern, Eastern, and Southeastern United States from approximately 800 CE to 1600 CE, varying regionally. It was known for building large, ear ...

period of prehistory, the Castalian Springs Mound Site was a major local earthwork mound center, built and occupied from about 950 into the 14th century. The Native Americans who built and occupied the complex site preceded the historic tribes later known to European-American settlers in the area. This was one of the sites constructed throughout the Mississippi Valley and its tributaries, connecting regions from the Great Lakes to the Gulf of Mexico. The site was first excavated in the 1890s. It was excavated professionally in the 2005 to 2010 archaeological field school led by Dr. Kevin E. Smith from Middle Tennessee State University. A number of important finds have been associated with the site, most particularly several examples of

Mississippian stone statuary The Mississippian stone statuary are artifacts of polished stone in the shape of human figurines made by members of the Mississippian culture (800 to 1600 CE) and found in archaeological sites in the American Midwest and Southeast. Two distin ...

and the "Castalian Springs shell gorget," now held by the

National Museum of the American Indian The National Museum of the American Indian is a museum in the United States devoted to the culture of the indigenous peoples of the Americas. It is part of the Smithsonian Institution group of museums and research centers. The museum has three ...

2008 Super Tuesday tornado

In the

2008 Super Tuesday tornado outbreak The 2008 Super Tuesday tornado outbreak was a deadly tornado outbreak which affected the Southern United States and the lower Ohio Valley on February 5 and 6, 2008. The event began on Super Tuesday, while 24 states in the United States were hol ...

of February 5–6, the tiny village was hit by a strong tornado (at least EF2) that claimed seven lives. The historic structure Wynnewood was heavily damaged by the storm and the United States post office was destroyed. Castalian Springs captured national news headlines when an 11-month-old boy, Kyson Stowell, was found alive in the debris of his house. Originally thought to be a children's doll, the boy moved just slightly and rescuer, David Harmon, noticed the movement. He had been blown 150 yards from the house. Kyson's mother had shielded him but died in the storm.Baby a Sign of Hope in Devastated South
/ref>

Demographics

Geography

Castalian Springs is located along

Tennessee State Route 25 State Route 25 (SR 25) is a east–west state highway in northern Middle Tennessee. Route description SR 25 begins as a secondary highway in Robertson County in Barren Plains at an intersection with SR 161, and goes east to an intersection ...

, about of Gallatin.

Post office

The area has its own United States post office, designated by the ZIP code 37031.

Notable sites

* Wynnwood State Historic Site – historic inn located in Castalian Springs. * Bledsoe's Fort Historical Park – public park that protects the site of the 18th-century Bledsoe's Station and several other historic structures * Cragfont State Historic Site – A historic home and the former home of

James Winchester James Winchester may refer to: * James Winchester (general) (1752–1826), an American Revolutionary War officer and brigadier general during the War of 1812 * James Winchester (Maryland judge) (1772–1806), Maryland politician and judge * James ...

Notable natives and residents

* William B. Bate, a governor of Tennessee, U.S. Senator, and Confederate

major general Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...

in the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by state ...

Humphrey Bate Humphrey Bate (May 25, 1875 – June 12, 1936) was an American harmonica player and string band leader. He was the first musician to play old-time music on Nashville-area radio. Bate and his band, which had been given the name "Dr. Humphrey ...

, an early

Grand Ole Opry The ''Grand Ole Opry'' is a weekly American country music stage concert in Nashville, Tennessee, founded on November 28, 1925, by George D. Hay as a one-hour radio "barn dance" on WSM. Currently owned and operated by Opry Entertainment (a divi ...

string band leader *

Edward W. Carmack Edward Ward Carmack (November 5, 1858November 9, 1908) was an attorney, newspaperman, and political figure who served as a U.S. Senator from Tennessee from 1901 to 1907. Following his political service, and after an unsuccessful run for Governor ...

, a U.S. Senator for Tennessee and an early editor of ''

The Tennessean ''The Tennessean'' (known until 1972 as ''The Nashville Tennessean'') is a daily newspaper in Nashville, Tennessee. Its circulation area covers 39 counties in Middle Tennessee and eight counties in southern Kentucky. It is owned by Gannett, ...

''. * William Hall, who served briefly as Governor of Tennessee in 1829. *

John W. Head John Waller Head (November 2, 1822 – November 9, 1874) was an American lawyer, legislator, and Tennessee Attorney General. Background Head was born in Castalian Springs, Tennessee. He was educated in Sumner County, Tennessee. Head studied l ...

, Tennessee Attorney General and state senator

References

{{authority control Census-designated places in Tennessee Census-designated places in Sumner County, Tennessee Unincorporated communities in Tennessee Unincorporated communities in Sumner County, Tennessee