Overton County, Tennessee

History

On May 10, 1933, a half-mile wide F4 tornado struck the small community of Beatty Swamps (also referred to as Bethsadia). The tornado destroyed every structure in the town and either killed or injured nearly every inhabitant, with 33 of the 35 deaths occurring in the area. Much of the area was swept clean of debris, a reaper-binder was thrown 500 yd, and cars were moved hundreds of feet.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 435 sqmi, of which 433 sqmi is land and 1.4 sqmi (0.3%) is water.

Overton County straddles the Eastern Highland Rim, and generally consists of low, rolling hills divided by narrow creek valleys. The backwaters of Dale Hollow Lake, namely the Mitchell Creek and Big Eagle Creek sections, spill over into the northern part of the county. The county is located on the Cumberland Plateau.

Unlike most of Tennessee, a small part of northern Overton County is outside of the Sun Belt due to a past error surveying the northern border of Middle and East Tennessee. Overton County, neighboring Jackson County to the west and neighboring Fentress County to the east are the only three Tennessee counties to have areas north of the Sun Belt without bordering Kentucky nor Virginia. The Sun Belt is defined by the Kinder Institute as being south of 36°30'N latitude, which was intended to be the northern border of Tennessee and is the actual northern border of West Tennessee.

Adjacent counties

• Pickett County (northeast)
• Fentress County (east)
• Putnam County (south)
• Jackson County (west)
• Clay County (northwest)

State protected areas

• Alpine Mountain Wildlife Management Area
• Jackson Swamp Wildlife Management Area
• Standing Stone State Forest (part)
• Standing Stone State Park

Demographics

|align-fn=center 1790-1960 1900-1990 1990-2000 2010-2014

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 22,511, with 9,147 households and 6,220 families residing in the county. The median age was 44.4 years, with 21.7% of residents under the age of 18 and 21.5% aged 65 years or older. For every 100 females there were 99.9 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 96.6 males age 18 and over.

The racial makeup of the county was 94.8% White, 0.4% Black or African American, 0.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% Asian,

Of the 9,147 households, 28.4% had children under the age of 18 living in them, 52.2% were married-couple households, 17.8% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 24.2% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 27.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. There were 10,329 housing units, of which 11.4% were vacant; among occupied housing units, 77.8% were owner-occupied and 22.2% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.3% and the rental vacancy rate was 5.6%.

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 20,118 people, 8,110 households, and 5,920 families residing in the county. The population density was 46 /mi2. There were 9,168 housing units at an average density of 21 /mi2. The racial makeup of the county was 94.59% White, 0.28% Black or African American, 2.28% Native American, 0.09% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 0.22% from other races, and 0.49% from two or more races. 2.69% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 8,110 households, out of which 29.20% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.20% were married couples living together, 9.90% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.00% were non-families. 24.10% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.00% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 2.90.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 23.00% under the age of 18, 8.40% from 18 to 24, 27.70% from 25 to 44, 25.90% from 45 to 64, and 15.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.10 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $26,915, and the median income for a family was $32,156. Males had a median income of $25,287 versus $19,674 for females. The per capita income for the county was $13,910. About 12.30% of families and 16.00% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.40% of those under age 18 and 20.50% of those age 65 or over.

Communities

Town

• Livingston (county seat)

Census-designated place

• Hilham

Unincorporated communities

• Allons
• Allred
• Alpine
• Crawford
• Hardy's Chapel
• Mineral Springs
• Monroe
• Rickman
• Timothy

Notable people

• Lester Flatt, bluegrass musician
• Thomas D. Harp, California State Senator born in Overton County
• Albert H. Roberts, 33rd Governor of Tennessee
• Roy Roberts, blues singer
• Catherine "Bonny Kate" Sevier, widow of first Governor of Tennessee John Sevier
• Cordell Hull, 47th United States Secretary of State
• Josiah Gregg, merchant, explorer, naturalist, and author of Commerce of the Prairies
• Benoni Strivson, Medal of Honor recipient who fought in the Indian Campaigns in 1868

Politics

Overton County was once a Democratic stronghold. Starting in 2008, the county has consistently voted Republican by increasing margins. In 2024, Republican Donald Trump won over 80% of the county's vote, the best-ever performance by a Republican.

References

References

1. Michael Birdwell, "[http://tennesseeencyclopedia.net/entry.php?rec=1028 Overton County]," ''Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture''. Retrieved: March 17, 2013.
2. "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau.
3. "Find a County". National Association of Counties.
4. [https://web.archive.org/web/20110606123956/http://www.srh.noaa.gov/ohx/?n=historicalevents Assorted Historical Events in Middle Tennessee]. Archived June 6, 2011.
5. Neal, Samuel K.. "20 Dead, Many Hurt in Overton Tornado".
6. Grazulis, ''Significant'', pp. 850-851
7. (August 22, 2012). "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau.
8. Herald, Bill Carey • For the. (February 19, 2020). "Tennessee History: A closer look at why state’s northern border is askew".
9. "Large, young and fast-growing Sun Belt metros need urban policy innovation | Kinder Institute for Urban Research".
10. "Population and Housing Unit Estimates".
11. "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau.
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13. (March 27, 1995). "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau.
14. (April 2, 2001). "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000". United States Census Bureau.
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16. (2021). "2020 Decennial Census Demographic Profile (DP1)".
17. (2021). "2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)".
18. (2023). "2020 Decennial Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics (DHC)".
19. "U.S. Census website". [[United States Census Bureau]].
20. Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections".
21. (December 2, 2024). "State of Tennessee General Election Results, November 5, 2024, Results By County". Secretary of State of Tennessee.