LaFollette is a city in Campbell County, Tennessee, United States. Its population was 7,456 at the 2010 census, with an estimated population in 2018 of 6,737. It is the principal city of the LaFollette, Tennessee micropolitan statistical area, which includes all of Campbell County, and is a component of the Knoxville Metropolitan Area. While the city's official spelling is one word ("LaFollette")—after its founders, Harvey Marion LaFollette and his younger brother Grant LaFollette—several federal agencies spell the city's name with two words ("La Follette").

History

Harvey and Grant LaFollette purchased at Big Creek Gap, where the present community lies, around 1890. They founded the LaFollette Coal, Iron, and Railway Company to exploit mineral resources they had found. Although the business failed during the 1920s, the community continued to grow. The city of LaFollette was incorporated in 1897. On May 10, 1904, a major fire that started in the Cumberland Inn burned down most of the downtown area, with a reported 31 businesses destroyed.Dallas Bogan, "Unprecedented LaFollette Fire of 1904 Left 31 Businesses, 10 Saloons in Ashes," ''LaFollette Press'', n.d., https://www.tngenweb.org/campbell/hist-bogan/fire.html.

Geography

LaFollette is located near the geographic center of Campbell County at (36.375006, −84.127623). The city is situated in Powell Valley, where the Appalachian Ridge-and-Valley province gives way to the

Cumberland Plateau The Cumberland Plateau is the southern part of the Appalachian Plateau in the Appalachian Mountains of the United States. It includes much of eastern Kentucky and Tennessee, and portions of northern Alabama and northwest Georgia. The terms " Al ...

region. Cumberland Mountain, a ridge stretching from

Cumberland Gap The Cumberland Gap is a Mountain pass, pass in the Eastern United States, eastern United States through the long ridge of the Cumberland Mountains, within the Appalachian Mountains and near the tripoint of Kentucky, Virginia, and Tennessee. At&n ...

in the east to Bruce Gap in the west, rises north of LaFollette. Norris Lake dominates the area to the south. Jacksboro lies adjacent to LaFollette to the southwest. A leg of the Cumberland Trail is accessible off Tennessee Avenue at the north end of LaFollette. According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the city has a total area of , all land. The elevation varies around the city, around in the valley areas to on ridge tops. The average elevation is around . U.S. Route 25W and State Routes 9 and 63 run concurrently through the community.

Interstate 75 Interstate 75 (I-75) is a major north–south Interstate Highway in the Great Lakes and Southeastern regions of the United States. As with most Interstates that end in 5, it is a major cross-country, north–south route, traveling from S ...

is to the southwest, beyond Jacksboro. Jellico is to the north via US 25W, over the Cumberland Plateau.

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 7,430 people, 2,797 households, and 1,821 families residing in the city.

2000 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 2000, 7,926 people, 3,422 households, and 2,135 families were residing in the city. 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 1,624.7 people/sq mi (627.1/km²). The 3,779 housing units averaged 774.6/sq mi (299.0/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 97.89% White, 0.54% African American, 0.40% Native American, 0.18% Asian, 0.22% from other races, and 0.77% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 0.42% of the population. Cumberland-trail-lafallotte-tn1

Of the 3,422 households, 26.5% had children under 18 living with them, 39.8% were married couples living together, 17.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.6% were not families. About 34.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.5% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.24, and the average family size was 2.86. In the city, the age distribution was 22.0% under 18, 8.7% from 18 to 24, 25.5% from 25 to 44, 22.6% from 45 to 64, and 21.2% who were 65 or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 82.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 78.1 males. The median income for a household in the city was $18,370, and for a family was $24,235. Males had a median income of $25,541 versus $18,835 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 city was $13,355. About 28.3% of families and 33.1% 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 48.7% of those under age 18 and 21.1% of those age 65 or over.

Notable people

* Adele Arakawa, television news anchor * Howard "Louie Bluie" Armstrong, musician * Haskel Ayers, businessman and politician * The Isaacs, a Southern gospel/ bluegrass family singing group * Carl Stiner, U.S. Army general * J. Will Taylor, congressman

References

External links

*
Municipal Technical Advisory Service entry for LaFollette
— information on local government, elections, and link to charter
''LaFollette Press''
newspaper * An essay on local radio in LaFollette in the 1950s and 1960s, including original audio: Hanson, Bradley
"''The Tennessee Jamboree'': Local Radio, the Barn Dance, and Cultural Life in Appalachian East Tennessee,"
''Southern Spaces,'' November 20, 2008. {{authority control Cities in Tennessee Cities in Campbell County, Tennessee Populated places established in 1897 Coal towns in Tennessee Cities in Knoxville metropolitan area