Lenoir City is a suburban city located in

Loudon County, Tennessee Loudon County is a county in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is located in the central part of East Tennessee. As of the 2020 census, the population was 54,886. Its county seat is Loudon. Loudon County is included in the Knoxville, TN Metro ...

. The population was 10,117 at the 2020 census. It is included in the Knoxville metropolitan area in

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 coun ...

, along the

Tennessee River The Tennessee River is a long river located in the Southern United States, southeastern United States in the Tennessee Valley. Flowing through the states of Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, and Kentucky, it begins at the confluence of Fren ...

southwest of

Knoxville Knoxville is a city in Knox County, Tennessee, United States, and its county seat. It is located on the Tennessee River and had a population of 190,740 at the 2020 United States census. It is the largest city in the East Tennessee Grand Division ...

History

Native Americans were living in the Lenoir City area for thousands of years before the arrival of the first European settlers. On Bussell Island, which lies across the Tennessee River to the south, archaeologists have discovered evidence of habitation dating to as early as the Archaic Period (8000–1000 B.C.). The island is also believed to have been the location of "Coste", a village visited by Spanish explorer

Hernando de Soto Hernando de Soto (; ; 1497 – 21 May 1542) was a Spanish explorer and conquistador who was involved in expeditions in Nicaragua and the Yucatan Peninsula. He played an important role in Francisco Pizarro's conquest of the Inca Empire in Peru, ...

in 1540. The

Cherokee The Cherokee (; , or ) people are one of the Indigenous peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands of the United States. Prior to the 18th century, they were concentrated in their homelands, in towns along river valleys of what is now southwestern ...

called the Lenoir City area ''Wa'ginsi'' and believed it to be the home of a large serpent that brought bad luck to anyone who saw it. By the early 19th century, an early East Tennessee pioneer, Judge David Campbell, had laid claim to part of what is now Lenoir City, where he built a log cabin and a

gristmill A gristmill (also: grist mill, corn mill, flour mill, feed mill or feedmill) grinds cereal grain into flour and Wheat middlings, middlings. The term can refer to either the grinding mechanism or the building that holds it. Grist is grain that h ...

.Gail Guymon
National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form for Lenoir Cotton Mill Warehouse
February 2006. Retrieved: March 3, 2010. In the early 19th century, the state of North Carolina granted General William Lenoir a tract of land—which included what developed as Lenoir City—as payment for his services in the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was the armed conflict that comprised the final eight years of the broader American Revolution, in which Am ...

. David Campbell and another early settler, Alexander Outlaw, filed a case against Lenoir in court, arguing they had already laid claim to parts of the Lenoir tract. After the case was settled in favor of Lenoir in 1809, Lenoir deeded the tract to his eldest son, William Ballard Lenoir. In 1810 the younger Lenoir moved to the tract with his wife and established a large plantation. His workforce was composed of enslaved African Americans. Lenoir's agricultural enterprise included producing hams from a herd of Berkshire hogs. He also developed several small-scale industries, including a sawmill and flour mill. In the early 1830s, he built the Lenoir Cotton Mill—one of the earliest in the South—sited along the banks of Town Creek, a tributary of the Tennessee River. After Lenoir's death, his estate was divided among his children. His sons formed the William Lenoir and Brothers Company to manage the family's businesses. When the railroad reached the Lenoir plantation in 1855, a depot was constructed. The community of Lenoir Station developed around it. During the Civil War, the Lenoirs supported the Confederacy, due in part to associations with Confederate-leaning business interests in

. (One of Lenoir's sons was married to the daughter of J. G. M. Ramsey, a Knoxville historian and banker, and an ardent Confederate). On June 20, 1863, a Union scouting expedition led by General William P. Sanders arrived at Lenoir Station after having failed to destroy the railroad trestle at Loudon. Sanders burned the depot and the Lenoirs' sawmill and flour mill. He spared the cotton mill because there were few such mills in the area to provide cloth for the army. In addition, both he and the Lenoirs were Masons.

Lenoir City Company

In the late 1880s, an abundance of financial capital, the popularity of social theories regarding

planned cities A planned community, planned city, planned town, or planned settlement is any community that was carefully planned from its inception and is typically constructed on previously undeveloped land. This contrasts with settlements that evolve ...

, and a thriving coal mining industry in East Tennessee's

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 led to the development of several

company town A company town is a place where all or most of the stores and housing in the town are owned by the same company that is also the main employer. Company towns are often planned with a suite of amenities such as stores, houses of worship, schoo ...

s to support coal mining throughout the upper

Tennessee Valley The Tennessee Valley is the drainage basin of the Tennessee River and is largely within the U.S. state of Tennessee. It stretches from southwest Kentucky to north Alabama and from northeast Mississippi to the mountains of Virginia and North C ...

. Most of these were funded by investors from the Northeastern United States or Knoxville. In 1889, Knoxville railroad magnate Charles McClung McGhee and his friend and associate Edward J. Sanford formed the Lenoir City Company. They believed the Lenoir plantation would be the ideal location to develop such a town. The company incorporated in April 1890 with $800,000 in stock and purchased the Lenoir estate, which then consisted of , for $300 per acre. When the company issued the stock to the public, the investors each received stock in the company and a lot in the planned town.John Benhart, ''Appalachian Aspirations: The Geography of Urbanization and Development in the Upper Tennessee River Valley, 1865–1900'' (Knoxville, Tenn.: University of Tennessee Press, 2007), pp. 74–79, 90–92, 97. Lenoir City was laid out in a grid pattern with four quadrants, west of Town Creek and north of the railroad tracks. The city's northwest quadrant was planned for middle class and affluent residents, whereas the northeast quadrant would be for the city's wage-workers. The southwest quadrant would contain heavy industry, such as blast furnaces, steel works, and other large factories, while the southeast quadrant would contain woodworking, furniture, and canning factories. Influenced by late 19th-century reform movements that stressed health and temperance, the developers set aside several lots for public parks, and a large garden area was planned between the railroad tracks and the river. A recession in the early 1890s froze financial markets. By 1892, the company had sold only 144 of the town's 3,448 lots. McGhee and Sanford persisted, however, and while Lenoir City never developed as fully as they had conceived, it survived. McGhee convinced a rail car company to open a factory in Lenoir City, and a short time later a knitting mill was established. Both establishments still employed several hundred workers in 1910.

20th century

Beginning in the 1930s during the

Great Depression The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...

, a series of federal government projects provided a needed boost to Lenoir City's economy and invested in regional infrastructure. 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 ...

's construction of Fort Loudoun Dam and reservoir, which began in 1940, provided hundreds of locals with jobs. It also resulted in numerous road improvements and generation of hydropower for electrification of the region. In the 1950s and 1960s, construction associated with the

Interstate Highway System The Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, commonly known as the Interstate Highway System, or the Eisenhower Interstate System, is a network of controlled-access highways that forms part of the National Hi ...

resulted in building

I-75 Interstate 75 (I-75) is a major north–south Interstate Highway System, Interstate Highway in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes and Southeastern United States, Southeastern regions of the United States. As with most Interstates that end ...

and I-40—two trans-national highways that intersect just northeast of Lenoir City. U.S. Highway 321 was built through Lenoir City in the 1980s primarily to provide greater access to the

Great Smoky Mountains National Park Great Smoky Mountains National Park is a List of national parks of the United States, national park of the United States in the southeastern United States, southeast, with parts in North Carolina and Tennessee. The park straddles the ridgeline o ...

, some southeast. In April 1985, Alice Clayton was elected Lenoir City's first woman city council member. Clayton came in second in the election and served a four-year term. Clayton was appointed by Mayor Charles Eblen as the street commissioner and served on the planning commission, the finance committee and the celebration committee for Homecoming '86, a celebration of Tennessee's 100th anniversary. On February 21, 1993, an F-3 tornado touched down in eastern Roane County (just west of town) and tracked east-southeast directly toward the city. The tornado devastated parts of the city. Parts of downtown, as well as the area near A Street and 5th Avenue, were destroyed. The Lenoir City High School/Middle School property suffered major damage (it was redeveloped as River Oaks Place). The tornado continued east-southeastward, going through the town of Friendsville before lifting in western Maryville. One person died in Lenoir City, and 55 people were injured. In March 1998, a historic landmark, the William B. Lenoir Hotel, the block of Broadway (US 11) between A and B streets, was destroyed by a massive fire. The entire block was lost as it had been built with a common attic and basement, meaning there were no firewalls between buildings. Wilburn's Barbershop, the Lenoir City Public Library, a Mexican grocery, offices for ''TV Readers'' magazine and Habitat for Humanity, a school photography company and photo finishing lab, and several apartments, were all destroyed by the blaze. This block was redeveloped for Roane State Community College, Tennessee Career Center, and a new Lenoir City Public Library.

21st century

In the early 2000s, Lenoir City's economy expanded and many new businesses developed along U.S. Highway 321. Fort Loudoun Medical Center was built to replace the old Fort Sander's Loudon Hospital in nearby Loudon. In the late 2000s, two major commercial developments were announced. Creekwood Park is located parallel to I-75 between US-321 and US-70. A new four-lane road was built between the two highways. A luxury apartment complex was built on part of the site. In 2014, business development finally started in the area, with a few medical offices completed. From 2016 to 2017, the city constructed a new community center called "The Venue", and a new headquarters here for the Lenoir City Utilities Board here. Dr. Bob Overholt, a local physician and TV personality, announced another development: The Market at Town Creek, planned to connect US-321 and Harrison Road near the Lenoir City High School and Middle School property. In 2013 Town Creek Parkway, a four-lane road connecting US-321 and Harrison Road, was completed. In 2016, the city appointed the second female city councilwoman, Jennifer Wampler. She was appointed to complete the remainder of the term vacated by the death of her late husband, Harry Wampler. The first woman elected to Lenoir City Council was Alice Clayton in April 1985.

Geography

The Tennessee River and TVA's Fort Loudoun and Watts Bar reservations provide the city's southern boundary. Four major federal highways pass through Lenoir City: U.S. Route 11, which runs roughly parallel to the river shore, traverses the city east-to-west; U.S. Route 321, which crosses Fort Loudon Dam south of the city, traverses the city north-to-south.

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 ...

and U.S. Route 70 intersect US-321 in the northern part of the city. I-75 provides access to the city from exit 81, and leads northeast to downtown

(via a connection with I-40), and southwest to

Chattanooga Chattanooga ( ) is a city in Hamilton County, Tennessee, United States, and its county seat. It is located along the Tennessee River and borders Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the south. With a population of 181,099 in 2020, it is Tennessee ...

. U.S. 321 runs through the center of town from southeast to northwest, leading northwest to I-40 at exit 364 (the highway's northern terminus), and east to Maryville. U.S. 70 runs to the north of the city, leading northeast to Farragut and northwest to

Kingston Kingston may refer to: Places * List of places called Kingston, including the six most populated: ** Kingston, Jamaica ** Kingston upon Hull, England ** City of Kingston, Victoria, Australia ** Kingston, Ontario, Canada ** Kingston upon Thames, ...

. U.S. 11 runs through the center of the city, leading northeast to Farragut and Knoxville, and southwest to the city of Loudon. Lenoir City is traditionally spread out along US-11, west of the road's junction with US-321. This section of the city still roughly follows a grid plan laid out in the 1890s. In recent decades, Lenoir City has annexed a corridor of land along US-321 between its US-11 intersection and I-40 intersection. This corridor contains the city's newer, commercial area which caters to the high volume of traffic brought to the area by I-75 and I-40.

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 10,117 people, 3,479 households, and 2,198 families residing in the city.

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 8,642 people, 3,369 households, and 2,183 families residing in the city. There were 3,703 housing units. The racial makeup of the city was 87.30%

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 ...

, 1.60%

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 ...

, 0.50% Native American, 0.60% Asian, 0.30%

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 ...

, 8.0% from other races, and 1.80% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race were 17.50% of the population. As of the 2000

, there were 2,910 households, out of which 30.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.5% 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, 13.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.6% were non-families. 33.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.33 and the average family size was 2.95. In the city, the population was spread out, with 25.0% under the age of 18, 9.3% from 18 to 24, 30.3% from 25 to 44, 20.8% from 45 to 64, and 14.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every hundred females, there were 90.3 males; for every hundred females age 18 and over, there were 85.5 males. The median income for a household in the city was $28,889, and the median income for a family was $33,462. Males had a median income of $27,229 versus $20,744 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 $16,632. About 13.4% of families and 16.0% 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 22.1% of those under age 18 and 8.9% of those age 65 or over.

Government

The City of Lenoir City operates under a Mayor/City Council Form. The mayor is elected on four-year terms. The City Council is elected every four years.

Education

Residents are zoned to both city and county schools. Because of the proximity of the county schools to Lenoir City and the distance to the county high schools ( Loudon High School and Greenback School), most students who attend county schools within the city through elementary and middle grades (

Kindergarten Kindergarten is a preschool educational approach based on playing, singing, practical activities such as drawing, and social interaction as part of the transition from home to school. Such institutions were originally made in the late 18th cen ...

through eighth) transfer to the city school system upon enrolling in high school.

Lenoir City Schools

*Lenoir City Elementary School *Lenoir City Middle School *Lenoir City High School

Loudon County Schools within Lenoir City

*Eaton Elementary School *North Middle School *Highland Park Elementary School

Climate

The climate in this area is characterized by relatively high temperatures and evenly distributed precipitation throughout the year. According to the

Köppen Climate Classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...

system, Lenoir City has a

Humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a subtropical -temperate climate type, characterized by long and hot summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between ...

, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.

Notable people

* Tommy Bartlett, basketball coach * John Bowers, author *

Tom Collins The Tom Collins is a Collins cocktail made from gin, lemon juice, sugar, and carbonated water. This "gin and sparkling lemonade" drink is typically served in a Collins glass over ice with a cherry garnish. A non-alcoholic "Collins mix" drink mi ...

, music producer * Claire Donahue, Olympic gold-medal swimmer * Lee Guetterman, baseball pitcher *

Graig Nettles Graig Nettles (born August 20, 1944), nicknamed "Puff", is an American former Major League Baseball third baseman. During a 22-year baseball career, he played for the Minnesota Twins (1967–1969), Cleveland Indians (1970–1972), New York Yankee ...

, baseball player * Kenny Roberts, country musician

References

External links

Official Website of Lenoir City

City charter
{{authority control Cities in Tennessee Cities in Loudon County, Tennessee Cities in Roane County, Tennessee Knoxville metropolitan area Company towns in Tennessee U.S. Route 11 Tennessee populated places on the Tennessee River