Hamilton County, Tennessee
Encyclopedia
Hamilton County is a county located in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...

 of Tennessee
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...

. It was named for Alexander Hamilton
Alexander Hamilton
Alexander Hamilton was a Founding Father, soldier, economist, political philosopher, one of America's first constitutional lawyers and the first United States Secretary of the Treasury...

, the first Secretary of the Treasury. The 2005 Census Estimate placed the population at 310,935 http://www.census.gov/popest/counties/tables/CO-EST2005-01-47.xls. Its county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....

 is Chattanooga
Chattanooga, Tennessee
Chattanooga is the fourth-largest city in the US state of Tennessee , with a population of 169,887. It is the seat of Hamilton County...

.

Hamilton County is part of the Chattanooga, TN-GA Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Geography

According to the U.S. 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 county has a total area of 576 square miles (1,491.8 km²), of which 542 square miles (1,403.8 km²) is land and 33 square miles (85.5 km²) (5.78%) is water.

Adjacent counties

  • Bledsoe County, Tennessee - north
  • Rhea County, Tennessee
    Rhea County, Tennessee
    Rhea County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of 2000, the population was 28,400. Its county seat is Dayton.-Geography:According to the U.S...

     - northeast
  • Meigs County, Tennessee
    Meigs County, Tennessee
    Meigs County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of 2010, the population was 11,753. Its county seat is Decatur.-History:Before 1819, the area that is now Meigs County was Cherokee territory. White settlers established ferries to cross the Tennessee River from Rhea County as...

     - northeast
  • Bradley County, Tennessee - east
  • Whitfield County, Georgia
    Whitfield County, Georgia
    Whitfield County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. It was created on December 30, 1851. The 2010 Census shows a population of 102,599. The county seat is Dalton.It is part of the Dalton, Georgia, Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Civil War:...

     - southeast
  • Catoosa County, Georgia
    Catoosa County, Georgia
    Catoosa County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. It was created on December 5, 1853. As of 2000, the population was 53,282. The 2007 Census Estimate shows a population of 62,241...

     - south
  • Walker County, Georgia
    Walker County, Georgia
    Walker County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. It was created on December 18, 1833 from land formerly belonging to the Cherokee Indian Nation. As of 2000, the population was 61,053. The 2007 Census Estimate shows a population of 64,554...

     - south
  • Dade County, Georgia
    Dade County, Georgia
    Dade County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of 2000, the population is 15,154. The 2007 Census Estimate shows a population of 16,098...

     - southwest
  • Marion County, Tennessee
    Marion County, Tennessee
    Marion County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of 2000, the population was 27,776. Its county seat is Jasper.Marion County is part of the Chattanooga, TN–GA Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:According to the U.S...

     - west
  • Sequatchie County, Tennessee - northwest


Hamilton County is one of the few counties in the United States to border 10 other counties.

http://www.hamiltontn.gov/

National protected area

  • Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park
    Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park
    Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park, located in northern Georgia and eastern Tennessee, preserves the sites of two major battles of the American Civil War: the Battle of Chickamauga and the Chattanooga Campaign.-History:...

     (part)


Natural Areas of Interest

Raccoon Mountain Caverns
Raccoon Mountain Caverns
Raccoon Mountain CavernsRaccoon Mountain Caverns was opened in 1929 by Leo Lambert. The property was owned by the Grand Hotel and used as a farm for their restaurant. On hot afternoons, it was said that the farmers would relax in front of several cracks in the rock at the base of the mountain and...

 is a show cave located 8 miles northwest of downtown Chattanooga. It was originally explored in 1929 by Leo Lambert who developed trails and installed lights and opened the cave to the public on June 28, 1931. The cave was opened under the name Tennessee Caverns. The operators of the cave claim that its explored length is over 5.5 miles.

The Crystal Caverns Cave Spider, Nesticus furtivus, is only known from this one cave. Cave guides will occasionally spot one of these rare spiders and point it out to the tourists. (See: "Caves of Chattanooga" by Larry E. Matthews, published by the National Speleological Society, 2007, ISBN 978-1-879961-27-2, Chapter 4 - Raccoon Mountain Caverns, pages 65–84.)

Ruby Falls Cave
Ruby Falls
Ruby Falls is a 145-foot high underground waterfall located within Lookout Mountain, near Rock City and Chattanooga, Tennessee in the United States.-Geology:The cave which houses Ruby Falls was formed with the formation of Lookout Mountain...

 is a show cave located on the side of Lookout Mountain
Lookout Mountain
thumb|right|See seven statesLookout Mountain is located at the northwest corner of the U.S. state of Georgia, the northeast corner of Alabama, and along the southern border of Tennessee at Chattanooga. Lookout Mountain, along with Sand Mountain to the northwest, makes up a large portion of the...

 in downtown Chattanooga. It was discovered by accident on December 28, 1928 when it was intersected by an elevator shaft that was being drilled to develop Lookout Mountain Cave as a commercial cave. Ruby Falls Cave was intersected at a depth of 260 from the surface and Lookout Mountain Cave was reached later at a depth of 420 feet below the surface. The entire project was the work of cave developer Leo Lambert. He named the new cave's waterfall after his wife Ruby, hence the name Ruby Falls. The lower cave, Lookout Mountain Cave, opened to the public on December 30, 1929. Ruby Falls opened to the public on June 16, 1930. Ruby Falls Cave, with its spectacular waterfall proved the more popular of the two caves and it is the only one open to the public at the present time. (See: "Caves of Chattanooga", Chapter 1 - Lookout Mountain Cave, pages 13–30 and Chapter 3 - Ruby Falls Cave, pages 49–64).

Major Roads

Interstate 24
Interstate 24
Interstate 24 is an Interstate Highway in the Midwestern and Southeastern United States. It runs diagonally from Interstate 57 to Chattanooga, Tennessee, at Interstate 75....

,
Interstate 75
Interstate 75
Interstate 75 is a major north–south Interstate Highway in the Great Lakes and Southeastern regions of the United States. It travels from State Road 826 and State Road 924 in Hialeah, Florida to Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, at the Ontario, Canada, border...

,
Highway 11(Lee Highway
Lee Highway
The Lee Highway was a National Auto Trail in the United States connecting New York City and San Francisco, California via the South and Southwest. It was named after Robert E...

/Brainerd Rd),
Highway 27,
Highway 41,
Highway 64,
Highway 72,
Highway 74,
Highway 76,
Highway 127,
Highway 153,
Hixson Pike,

History

Hamilton County was formed on October 25, 1819 from portions of Rhea County and Indian land. It was named after Alexander Hamilton, an officer in the American Revolutionary War, member of Continental Congress, first US Secretary of Treasury, and one of the founding fathers of the United States.

Hamilton County was the site of an important saltpeter mine during the Civil War. Saltpeter is the main ingredient of gunpowder and was obtained by leaching the earth from caves. Lookout Mountain Cave was a major source of saltpeter during the Civil War. The mine was operated by Robert Cravens, who owned the property where the cave is located. In May, 1861, Cravens contracted with the Tennessee Military and Financial Board to deliver 20,000 pounds of saltpeter. On the 24th of the same month he reported that he had ten hoppers already set up in his cave. Cravens was also mining Nickajack Cave in nearby Marion County. In 1862 he quit mining at Lookout Mountain Cave and rented the cave to the Confederate Nitre Bureau who mined the cave from June 1862 through July 1863. Mining ceased when Chattanooga was occupied by Federal forces in 1863. (Larry E. Matthews, "Caves of Chattanooga", 2007, ISBN 978-1-879961-27-2, 194 pages.)
In 1919 James County, Tennessee
James County, Tennessee
James County was created by an act of the Tennessee General Assembly on January 30, 1871. Lands were taken from a small portion of Bradley County and the eastern third of Hamilton County. James County was named in honor of the Rev. Jesse J. James, the father of Elbert Abdiel James who introduced...

 went bankrupt and became a part of Hamilton County on April 1919. A small portion was given to Bradley County, Tennessee
The county was made by the Tennessee General Assembly
Tennessee General Assembly
The Tennessee General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Tennessee.-Constitutional structure:According to the Tennessee State Constitution of 1870, the General Assembly is a bicameral legislature and consists of a Senate of thirty-three members and a House of Representatives of...

 and named after Reverend Jesse J. James.

Demographics

As of the census
Census
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 307,896 people, 124,444 households, and 83,750 families residing in the county. 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 568 people per square mile (219/km²). There were 134,692 housing units at an average density of 248 per square mile (96/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 76.32% White
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

, 20.14% Black
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

 or African American
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

, 0.29% Native American
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

, 1.27% Asian
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

, 0.06% Pacific Islander
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

, 0.77% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

, and 1.14% from two or more races. 1.78% of the population were Hispanic
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

 or Latino
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

 of any race.

There were 124,444 households out of which 28.90% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.20% 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, 13.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.70% were non-families. 27.90% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.00% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.41 and the average family size was 2.95.

In the county, the population was spread out with 23.20% under the age of 18, 9.60% from 18 to 24, 29.00% from 25 to 44, 24.30% from 45 to 64, and 13.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 91.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.10 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $38,930, and the median income for a family was $48,037. Males had a median income of $35,413 versus $24,505 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 county was $21,593. About 9.20% of families and 12.10% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.80% of those under age 18 and 11.20% of those age 65 or over.

Politics, government, and law

Hamilton County, while experiencing problems managing their rising jail cost and population, sought help from the state. Former Tennessee governor Lamar Alexander
Lamar Alexander
Andrew Lamar Alexander is the senior United States Senator from Tennessee and Conference Chair of the Republican Party. He was previously the 45th Governor of Tennessee from 1979 to 1987, United States Secretary of Education from 1991 to 1993 under President George H. W...

 referred the county to a new concept of private prisons. In 1985 the County Commissioner voted to accept Corrections Corporation of America
Corrections Corporation of America
Corrections Corporation of America is a company that owns and manages private prisons and detention centers and operates others on a concession basis. The company is the largest private corrections company in the United States and manages more than 60 facilities with a designed capacity of 90,000...

's bid to operate and manage the Silverdale Detention Center
Silverdale Detention Center
Silverdale Detention Center is a medium security prison located in Chattanooga, Tennessee. This prison is currently in operation and is administrated by Corrections Corporation of America....

. In 2005, after several years of problems the county voted to extend the contract.

Politically, Hamilton County is conservative but it has been showing a slight trend leftward. In 2004 Republican George Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....

 defeated Democrat Al Gore
Al Gore
Albert Arnold "Al" Gore, Jr. served as the 45th Vice President of the United States , under President Bill Clinton. He was the Democratic Party's nominee for President in the 2000 U.S. presidential election....

 57% to 41%. In 2008 Republican John McCain
John McCain
John Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election....

 defeated Democrat Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...

 by a slightly smaller margin of 55% to 43%.

In February 2008, Sheriff Billy Long was arrested; he resigned four days later. In November 2008 he was sentenced to 14 years on charges of extortion and money laundering, in addition to offenses involving weapons and drugs. Jim Hammond replaced him.

Colleges and universities

  • Chattanooga State Technical Community College - website
  • Covenant College
    Covenant College
    Covenant College is a Christian liberal arts college in Lookout Mountain, Georgia, United States.-History:Founded in 1955 in Pasadena, California, Covenant College and Theological Seminary moved its campus to St. Louis, Missouri the following year, and, in 1965, separated from the seminary, moving...

     - website
  • Southern Adventist University
    Southern Adventist University
    Southern Adventist University is a college in Collegedale, Tennessee, owned and operated by the Southern Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. U.S. News & World Report categorizes it as a Southern Regional College, and the magazine has consistently ranked it as one of the top-tier schools in...

     - website
  • Tennessee Temple University
    Tennessee Temple University
    Tennessee Temple University is a four-year private Christian university, with its focus on liberal arts education, located in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Operating there, also, is Temple Baptist Seminary, the university's graduate school of Christian theology....

     - website
  • University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
    University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
    The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga is a public university located in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The University, often referred to as UTC or simply "Chattanooga" , is one of three universities and two other affiliated institutions in the University of Tennessee System; the others being in...

     - website

Cities and towns in Hamilton County

  • Apison
    Apison, Tennessee
    Apison is an unincorporated community in Hamilton County, Tennessee, United States. It is a rural area east of the city of Chattanooga, and also borders Ooltewah, Collegedale, and rural parts of north Georgia to the south...

  • Bakewell
  • Birchwood
    Birchwood, Tennessee
    Birchwood is an unincorporated community in Hamilton County, Tennessee, United States. It is a rural area of the Chattanooga area. It is part of the Chattanooga, TN–GA Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Notes:...

  • Chattanooga
    Chattanooga, Tennessee
    Chattanooga is the fourth-largest city in the US state of Tennessee , with a population of 169,887. It is the seat of Hamilton County...

  • Collegedale
    Collegedale, Tennessee
    Collegedale is a city in Hamilton County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 8,282 at the 2010 census. Collegedale is a suburb of Chattanooga and is part of the Chattanooga, TN–GA Metropolitan Statistical Area...

  • East Brainerd
    East Brainerd, Tennessee
    East Brainerd is a census-designated place in Hamilton County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 14,132 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Chattanooga, TN–GA Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...

  • East Ridge
    East Ridge, Tennessee
    East Ridge is a city in Hamilton County, Tennessee, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 20,979. East Ridge is bordered by Chattanooga to the west, north and east, and the Georgia state line to the south. It is part of the Chattanooga, TN–GA Metropolitan Statistical...

  • Fairmount
    Fairmount, Tennessee
    Fairmount is a census-designated place in Hamilton County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 2,825 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Chattanooga, TN–GA Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...

  • Falling Water
  • Georgetown
    Georgetown, Tennessee
    Georgetown is an unincorporated community at the junction of Bradley, Hamilton, and Meigs counties in the U.S. state of Tennessee. The small community is located along State Route 60....

  • Harrison
    Harrison, Tennessee
    Harrison is a census-designated place in Hamilton County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 7,769 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Chattanooga, TN–GA Metropolitan Statistical Area...

  • Hixson
    Hixson, Tennessee
    Hixson is an unincorporated community in Hamilton County, Tennessee, United States. It is a northern suburb of Chattanooga and is part of the Chattanooga, TN–GA Metropolitan Statistical Area....

  • Lakesite
    Lakesite, Tennessee
    Lakesite is a city in Hamilton County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 1,826 at the 2010 census. It is a northern suburb of the Chattanooga, TN–GA Metropolitan Statistical Area, located 15 miles north of the city.-Geography:...

  • Lookout Mountain
    Lookout Mountain, Tennessee
    Lookout Mountain is a town in Hamilton County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 1,832 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Chattanooga, TN–GA Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Lookout Mountain is located at...

  • Lupton City
  • Middle Valley
    Middle Valley, Tennessee
    Middle Valley is a census-designated place in Hamilton County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 12,684 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Chattanooga, TN–GA Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...

  • Ooltewah
    Ooltewah, Tennessee
    Ooltewah is a census-designated place in Hamilton County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 687 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Chattanooga, TN–GA Metropolitan Statistical Area.- History :...

  • Red Bank
    Red Bank, Tennessee
    Red Bank is a city in Hamilton County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 12,418 at the 2000 census. Red Bank is an enclave; its area is completely surrounded by that of Chattanooga. As of the 2010 election, the Board of Commissioners has Monty Millard , Greg JonesRed Bank is a city in...

  • Ridgeside
    Ridgeside, Tennessee
    Ridgeside is a city in Hamilton County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 389 at the 2000 census. Ridgeside is an enclave; its area is completely surrounded by the jurisidiction of Chattanooga. It is part of the Chattanooga, TN–GA Metropolitan Statistical Area. Ridgeside's name is...

  • Sale Creek
    Sale Creek, Tennessee
    Sale Creek is a small unincorporated community in northern Hamilton County, Tennessee, United States. Sale Creek is home to Sale Creek High School, The Panthers, as well as the "haunted" Shipley Hollow Road...

  • Signal Mountain
    Signal Mountain, Tennessee
    Signal Mountain is a town in Hamilton County, Tennessee, United States. The town is a suburb of Chattanooga and is located on Walden Ridge, a land mass often mistakenly referred to as "Signal Mountain" itself...

  • Soddy-Daisy
    Soddy-Daisy, Tennessee
    Soddy-Daisy is a city in Hamilton County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 11,530 at the 2000 census. The City was formed in 1969 when the communities of Soddy and Daisy, along with nearby developed areas along U.S. Highway 27, merged to form Soddy-Daisy. It is rapidly becoming a...

  • Walden
    Walden, Tennessee
    Walden is a town located atop Walden's Ridge Hamilton County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 1,960 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Chattanooga, TN–GA Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...


Further reading

  • Armstrong, Zella. The History of Hamilton County and Chattanooga, Tennessee. Savannah: Overmountain Press (1993). ISBN 0932807992

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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