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Hamblen County is a
county A county () is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesL. Brookes (ed.) '' Chambers Dictionary''. Edinburgh: Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, 2005. in some nations. The term is derived from the Old French denoti ...
located in the
U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its so ...
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. It borders Kentucky to the north, Virginia to the northeast, North Carolina t ...
. As of the 2020 census, the population was 64,499. Its
county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...
and only incorporated city is Morristown. Hamblen County is the core county of the Morristown, Tennessee Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes Hamblen and Jefferson counties. The county and the Morristown MSA are included in the Knoxville-Morristown-Sevierville, TN Combined Statistical Area.


History

Hamblen County was created in 1870 from parts of Jefferson, Grainger, and Hawkins counties. The county is named in honor of Hezekiah Hamblen (1775–1854), an early settler, landowner, attorney, and member of the Hawkins County Court for many years. Governor
Dewitt Clinton Senter Dewitt Clinton Senter (March 26, 1830June 14, 1898) was an American politician who served as the 18th Governor of Tennessee from 1869 to 1871. He had previously served in the Tennessee House of Representatives (1855–1861), where he opposed ...
, a resident of the county, used his influence to assist in its establishment.Hamblen's History
" Morristown ''Citizen Tribune'', September 12, 2012. Retrieved: October 16, 2013.
The Hamblen County Courthouse was completed in 1874. During
World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
, Hamblen County was the only county in the
United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
to have two
Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest Awards and decorations of the United States Armed Forces, military decoration and is awarded to recognize American United States Army, soldiers, United States Navy, sailors, Un ...
recipients. Edward R. Talley and Calvin Ward both earned them while fighting on the Western Front. During
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, the
attack transport Attack transport is a United States Navy ship classification for a variant of ocean-going troopship adapted to transporting invasion forces ashore. Unlike standard troopships – often drafted from the Merchant navy, merchant fleet &ndash ...
naval ship USS ''Hamblen'' was named after the county.


Historic sites

* Bethesda Presbyterian Church * Crockett Tavern Museum * Morristown College, now Fulton-Hill Park * Morristown Main Street Historic District * Rose Center


Geography

According to the
U.S. Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, 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 U.S. Census Bureau is part of the U ...
, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (8.3%) is water. It is the third-smallest county in
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. It borders Kentucky to the north, Virginia to the northeast, North Carolina t ...
by land area and fourth-smallest by total area.


Adjacent counties

* Hawkins County (northeast) * Greene County (east) * Cocke County (south) * Jefferson County (southwest) * Grainger County (northwest)


State protected areas

* Panther Creek State Park *Rankin Wildlife Management Area (partial)


Major highways

* * * * * * * * * * *


Waterways

The main source of water on Hamblen County is the man-made Cherokee Lake. Cherokee Lake was created during WWII as part of the TVA hydroelectric project. The lake is fed by multiple sources, including a series of natural creeks and runoff waters. The lake begins with its first source at Poor Valley Creek in Hawkins County, extends through neighboring Grainger County and then Hamblen County. Cherokee Lake then ends with Cherokee Dam where the water is drained into the Holston River. In total, Cherokee Lake has 28,780 acres of surface area and extends for 400 miles of shoreline, though only a portion of this resides in Hamblen County.


Demographics


2020 census

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 64,499 people, 24,456 households, and 16,391 families residing in the county.


2010 census

As of the
census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...
of 2010, there were 62,544 people, 29,693 households, and 17,161 families residing in the county. The
population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), 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 geog ...
was . There were 24,560 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 91.74%
White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...
, 4.22%
African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...
, 0.20% Native American, 0.70% Asian, 0.09%
Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...
, and 1.42% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origins constituted 10.73% of the population. There were 24,560 households, out of which 28.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.3% were
married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...
living together, 13.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.1% were non-families. 25.70% of all households were made up of individuals living alone, and 11.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 2.98. In the county, the population was spread out, with 23.30% under the age of 20, 5.7% from 20 to 24, 25.7% from 25 to 44, 26.7% from 45 to 64, and 15.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39.6 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.30 males. The median income for a household in the county was $39,807, and the median income for a family was $48,353. Males had a median income of $36,166 versus $27,094 for females. The
per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...
for the county was $21,162. 17.7% of the population and 13.2% of families were below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 15.7% are under the age of 65 and 19.3% are 65 or older.


Economy

Hamblen County's economic development in recent decades has been phenomenal. Several large industrial parks on the eastern, western, and southern parts of the county are home to manufacturing facilities for regionally, nationally, and internationally based corporations.


Government

The Hamblen County government consists of 26 elected officials, twelve appointed officials, and the staffing and offices therein. In addition to these offices, the county also houses a liaison office with the University of Tennessee for its Agricultural Extension office.


Elected officials

* County Mayor - Bill Brittain * Sheriff - Chad Mullins * Register of Deeds - Jim Clawson * Circuit Court Clerk - Teresa West * Trustee - Scotty Long * Assessor of Property - Keith Ely * Road Superintendent - Barry Poole * County Clerk - Penny Petty * General Sessions Judge Division 1 - Doug Collins * General Sessions Judge Division 2 - Janice Snider * Chancellor – 3rd Judicial District - Douglas Jenkins * Criminal Court Judge - John Dugger * County Commissioners (14 in total)


Appointed officials

* Finance Director * Emergency Mgmt. Director * Cherokee Park Director * Director of Schools * Administrator of Elections * Clerk & Master * Juvenile Services Director * Veteran's Service Officer * Planning Director * Work Program Director * Human Resource Manager * Drug Court Director


Communities


City

* Morristown (county seat, small portions in Jefferson)


Town

* White Pine (mostly in Jefferson)


Census-designated place

* Russellville


Unincorporated communities

*
Lowland Upland and lowland are conditional descriptions of a plain based on elevation above sea level. In studies of the ecology of freshwater rivers, habitats are classified as upland or lowland. Definitions Upland and lowland are portions of a ...
* Talbott (partial) * Whitesburg * Witt


Public Education

The Hamblen County Department of Education has two high schools, four middle schools, eleven elementary/intermediate schools, and one alternative-placement school. The
Tennessee Board of Regents The Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR or The College System of Tennessee) is a system of community and technical colleges in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is one of two public higher education systems in the state, the other being the Universit ...
also has a community college located in Morristown, as well as a technical college for vocational training. Hamblen County's department of education's current mission statement, as of the 2019–2020 school year, is, "The mission of Hamblen County Department of Education is to educate students so they can be challenged to successfully compete in their chosen fields." The current superintendent of Hamblen County Schools is Arnold Bunch As of the 2019–2020 school year, Hamblen County Department of Education has 10,424 students enrolled.


Elementary schools

* Alpha Elementary School * Alpha Intermediate School * Fairview-Marguerite Elementary School * Hillcrest Elementary School * John Hay Elementary * Lincoln Heights Elementary School * Manley Elementary * Russellville Elementary School * Russellville Intermediate School * Union Heights Elementary * West Elementary School * Whitesburg Elementary School * Witt Elementary School


Middle schools

* East Ridge Middle School * Lincoln Heights Middle School * Meadowview Middle School * West View Middle School


High schools

* Morristown-Hamblen High School East * Morristown-Hamblen High School West


Community college

* Walters State Community College


Technical college

* Tennessee College of Applied Technology, Morristown


Alternative school

* Miller Boyd Alternative School


Private education


Lakeway Christian Schools

Lakeway Christian Schools is a private school system that contains three schools in Hamblen County. Cornerstone Christian Academy enrolls students from grades PreK through 5. Lakeway Christian Academy enrolls students from grades 6 through 12. Tri-Cities Cristian Academy enrolls students from grades 9 through 12. The current mission statement is, "Partnering with families to provide a Christ-centered and academically challenging education, equipping students with a biblical worldview and a heart for Christ, that they may grow in wisdom, stature and in favor with God and man."


All Saints' Episcopal School

All Saints' Episcopal School was founded in 1967 as a preschool. In 1985, the school was expanded to include first grade. Since then, the school has further expanded (completion in 1992) to enroll students from PreK to 8th grade.


Faith Christian Academy

Faith Christian Academy enrolls students from grades 1 through 12.


Morristown Covenant Academy

Morristown Covenant Academy was founded in 1985 and enrolls students in grades Kindergarten through 12. In their high school educational program, students can choose an educational path for general education, college/university readiness, or vocational readiness. The Morristown Covenant Academy also houses a day care and PreK program.


Politics

Like almost all of East Tennessee, Hamblen County has long voted overwhelmingly Republican, starting with its powerful Unionist sentiment during the Civil War. The last Democratic candidate to carry the county was
Jimmy Carter James Earl Carter Jr. (October 1, 1924December 29, 2024) was an American politician and humanitarian who served as the 39th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party ...
in
1976 Events January * January 2 – The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights enters into force. * January 5 – The Pol Pot regime proclaims a new constitution for Democratic Kampuchea. * January 18 – Full diplomatic ...
.


See also

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


References


External links


Official site

Morristown Area Chamber of Commerce

''The Citizen Tribune'', Morristown's newspaper

Hamblen County Board of Education

Hamblen County TNGenWeb site

The Morristown-Hamblen Public Library website
{{authority control 1870 establishments in Tennessee Populated places established in 1870 Morristown metropolitan area, Tennessee East Tennessee