Crab Orchard, Tennessee
Encyclopedia
Crab Orchard is a city in Cumberland County, Tennessee
, United States
. The population was 838 at the 2000 census.
in a gap amidst the Crab Orchard Mountains
, a sub-range of the Cumberland Mountains
. This gap has long been frequented by travelers between East
and Middle Tennessee
. Today, both Interstate 40
and U.S. Route 70
pass through Crab Orchard.
Big Rock Mountain (el. 2,703 ft/824m) rises prominently to the north of Crab Orchard. Haley Mountain (el. 2,660 ft/811m) and Black Mountain (2,827 ft/861m) dominate the view to the south. A section of the Cumberland Trail
will, when completed, traverse Crab Orchard from north to south.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 11.1 square miles (28.7 km²), all land.
of 2000, there were 838 people, 345 households, and 245 families residing in the city. The population density
was 75.5 people per square mile (29.1/km2). There were 448 housing units at an average density of 40.4 per square mile (15.6/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 99.40% White, 0.12% Native American, and 0.48% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.36% of the population.
There were 345 households out of which 31.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.4% were married couples
living together, 8.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.7% were non-families. 26.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 2.93.
In the city the population was spread out with 23.3% under the age of 18, 7.5% from 18 to 24, 31.0% from 25 to 44, 25.1% from 45 to 64, and 13.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 98.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 102.2 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $22,986, and the median income for a family was $29,833. Males had a median income of $24,135 versus $15,809 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $11,161. About 12.7% of families and 14.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.1% of those under age 18 and 4.5% of those age 65 or over.
trees. In the 1780s, a road was built through the gap to help provide protection for travelers migrating from East Tennessee to the Nashville area. The historian J.G.M. Ramsey reported several Cherokee
, Creek, and Shawano
attacks at "the Crab-Orchard" during a period of heightened tensions between Native Americans
and encroaching Euro-American settlers in the early 1790s. Around 1792, a small band of troops led by Captain Samuel Handley was attacked by a mixed group of Cherokee, Creek, and Shawano at Crab Orchard, ending in Handley's capture. In April of 1794, a group of travelers was ambushed by a band of Creeks, killing early Cumberland County settler Thomas "Big Foot" Spencer. A few weeks later, a "Lieutenant McClelland" was attacked and routed by a band of Creeks at Crab Orchard.
In the late 18th century, as Cherokee attacks subsided, the Walton Road was built as part of the stage road system connecting the Knoxville and Nashville areas. The road passed through Crab Orchard, bringing a steady stream of travelers and migrants to the area. Around 1800, Sidnor's Inn opened at Crab Orchard, with Bishop Francis Asbury
being among its earliest guests. In 1827, Robert Burke, whose wife operated a tavern at what is now Ozone
established the Crab Orchard Inn, which would remain open until the early 20th century.
Although one of the oldest communities in the Cumberland area, Crab Orchard was not officially incorporated until 1973.
found in its vicinity. First used in local structures and sidewalks in the late 19th century, the Crab Orchard stone gained popularity in the 1920s when it was used in the construction of Scarritt College in Nashville. Numerous buildings in Crossville, including the Cumberland County Courthouse, have been constructed with Crab Orchard stone.
Crab Orchard is also home to a large limestone
mine operated by Franklin Industrial Minerals. The mine and its accompanying plant dominate the south side of the Crab Orchard gap along Interstate 40 and US-70.
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 838 at the 2000 census.
Geography
Crab Orchard is located at 35.905965°N 84.877239°W (35.905965, -84.877239). The town is situated atop the Cumberland PlateauCumberland Plateau
The Cumberland Plateau is the southern part of the Appalachian Plateau. It includes much of eastern Kentucky and western West Virginia, part of Tennessee, and a small portion of northern Alabama and northwest Georgia . The terms "Allegheny Plateau" and the "Cumberland Plateau" both refer to the...
in a gap amidst the Crab Orchard Mountains
Crab Orchard Mountains
The Crab Orchard Mountains are a rugged, detached range of the southern Cumberland Mountains. They are situated in East Tennessee atop the Cumberland Plateau just west of the plateau's eastern escarpment, and comprise parts of Morgan, Anderson, and Cumberland counties. The Crab Orchard Mountains...
, a sub-range of the Cumberland Mountains
Cumberland Mountains
The Cumberland Mountains are a mountain range in the southeastern section of the Appalachian Mountains. They are located in southern West Virginia, western Virginia, eastern edges of Kentucky, and eastern middle Tennessee, including the Crab Orchard Mountains...
. This gap has long been frequented by travelers between East
East Tennessee
East Tennessee is a name given to approximately the eastern third of the U.S. state of Tennessee, one of the three Grand Divisions of Tennessee defined in state law. East Tennessee consists of 33 counties, 30 located within the Eastern Time Zone and three counties in the Central Time Zone, namely...
and Middle Tennessee
Middle Tennessee
Middle Tennessee is a distinct portion of the state of Tennessee, delineated according to state law as the 41 counties in the Middle Grand Division of Tennessee....
. Today, both Interstate 40
Interstate 40
Interstate 40 is the third-longest major east–west Interstate Highway in the United States, after I-90 and I-80. Its western end is at Interstate 15 in Barstow, California; its eastern end is at a concurrency of U.S. Route 117 and North Carolina Highway 132 in Wilmington, North Carolina...
and U.S. Route 70
U.S. Route 70
U.S. Route 70 is an east–west United States highway that runs for 2,385 miles from eastern North Carolina to east-central Arizona. As can be derived from its number, it is a major east–west highway of the Southern and Southwestern United States...
pass through Crab Orchard.
Big Rock Mountain (el. 2,703 ft/824m) rises prominently to the north of Crab Orchard. Haley Mountain (el. 2,660 ft/811m) and Black Mountain (2,827 ft/861m) dominate the view to the south. A section of the Cumberland Trail
Cumberland Trail
The Cumberland Trail is a hiking trail following a line of ridges and gorges along the eastern escarpment of the Cumberland Plateau in Tennessee. The trail begins at Cumberland Gap National Historical Park and ends at Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park and Prentice Cooper Wildlife...
will, when completed, traverse Crab Orchard from north to south.
According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 11.1 square miles (28.7 km²), all land.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 838 people, 345 households, and 245 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 75.5 people per square mile (29.1/km2). There were 448 housing units at an average density of 40.4 per square mile (15.6/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 99.40% White, 0.12% Native American, and 0.48% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.36% of the population.
There were 345 households out of which 31.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.4% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 8.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.7% were non-families. 26.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 2.93.
In the city the population was spread out with 23.3% under the age of 18, 7.5% from 18 to 24, 31.0% from 25 to 44, 25.1% from 45 to 64, and 13.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 98.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 102.2 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $22,986, and the median income for a family was $29,833. Males had a median income of $24,135 versus $15,809 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $11,161. About 12.7% of families and 14.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.1% of those under age 18 and 4.5% of those age 65 or over.
History
Crab Orchard's position in a gap in the Crab Orchard Mountains made it an early "gateway" to the Cumberland area as early as the late 18th century. Pioneers passing through the area named it for its abundance of wild crab appleMalus
Malus , the apples, are a genus of about 30–35 species of small deciduous trees or shrubs in the family Rosaceae. Other studies go as far as 55 species including the domesticated Orchard Apple, or Table apple as it was formerly called...
trees. In the 1780s, a road was built through the gap to help provide protection for travelers migrating from East Tennessee to the Nashville area. The historian J.G.M. Ramsey reported several Cherokee
Cherokee
The Cherokee are a Native American people historically settled in the Southeastern United States . Linguistically, they are part of the Iroquoian language family...
, Creek, and Shawano
Shawano
Shawano is a name derived from a modified Ojibwa term meaning "southern". It is the name of several geographical locations:*Shawano County, Wisconsin*Shawano, Wisconsin, county seat of Shawano County...
attacks at "the Crab-Orchard" during a period of heightened tensions between Native Americans
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
and encroaching Euro-American settlers in the early 1790s. Around 1792, a small band of troops led by Captain Samuel Handley was attacked by a mixed group of Cherokee, Creek, and Shawano at Crab Orchard, ending in Handley's capture. In April of 1794, a group of travelers was ambushed by a band of Creeks, killing early Cumberland County settler Thomas "Big Foot" Spencer. A few weeks later, a "Lieutenant McClelland" was attacked and routed by a band of Creeks at Crab Orchard.
In the late 18th century, as Cherokee attacks subsided, the Walton Road was built as part of the stage road system connecting the Knoxville and Nashville areas. The road passed through Crab Orchard, bringing a steady stream of travelers and migrants to the area. Around 1800, Sidnor's Inn opened at Crab Orchard, with Bishop Francis Asbury
Francis Asbury
Bishop Francis Asbury was one of the first two bishops of the Methodist Episcopal Church, now The United Methodist Church in the United States...
being among its earliest guests. In 1827, Robert Burke, whose wife operated a tavern at what is now Ozone
Ozone, Tennessee
Ozone is an unincorporated community in Cumberland County, Tennessee, in the Southeastern United States. Ozone is the location of Ozone Falls State Natural Area, which was established in 1973 to protect Ozone Falls, a 110-foot plunge waterfall, and its surrounding gorge.-Geography:Ozone is located...
established the Crab Orchard Inn, which would remain open until the early 20th century.
Although one of the oldest communities in the Cumberland area, Crab Orchard was not officially incorporated until 1973.
Stone quarries and mines
Crab Orchard has given its name to a rare type of durable sandstoneSandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
found in its vicinity. First used in local structures and sidewalks in the late 19th century, the Crab Orchard stone gained popularity in the 1920s when it was used in the construction of Scarritt College in Nashville. Numerous buildings in Crossville, including the Cumberland County Courthouse, have been constructed with Crab Orchard stone.
Crab Orchard is also home to a large limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
mine operated by Franklin Industrial Minerals. The mine and its accompanying plant dominate the south side of the Crab Orchard gap along Interstate 40 and US-70.