Roan Mountain, Tennessee
Encyclopedia
Roan Mountain is a census-designated place
(CDP) in Carter County
, Tennessee
, United States
. The population was 1,360 at the 2010 census
. It is part of the Johnson City
Metropolitan Statistical Area
, which is a component of the Johnson City–Kingsport
–Bristol
, TN-VA
Combined Statistical Area
– commonly known as the "Tri-Cities
" region.
, 7 miles (11.3 km) away by air.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the CDP has a total area of 7.4 square miles (19.2 km²).
The Doe River
flows from the northern slopes of Roan Mountain, through Roan Mountain State Park
and the center of town, and into the confluence
with the Watauga River
at Elizabethton
.
Elk Park, North Carolina
is found on the opposite (southern) side of Roan Mountain and across the Tennessee-North Carolina state line.
passed through the town until it ceased operations in 1950.
As of 2004, US 19 splits into US 19E and US 19W in Bluff City, Tennessee
. north of Elizabethton. The routes rejoin in rural Yancey County, North Carolina
. While US 19W heads directly for Interstate 26
at Exits 35 and 36 in Johnson City, Tennessee
, US 19E takes a 70-mile (113 km) path through the Great Smoky Mountains
. US 19W doesn't completely avoid the mountains, however. It breaks off I-26 shortly before the Tennessee
-North Carolina
border, and takes a tortuous path through the mountains of Yancey County, North Carolina.
US 19 breaks away from the interstate, but alternate route US 19W is co-signed with Interstate 26
for much of its Tennessee length. US 19E in Tennessee is the same highway as State Route 37.
of 2000, there were 1,160 people, 484 households, and 351 families residing in the CDP. The population density
was 60.4/km² (156.4/sq mi) and there were 539 housing units at an average density of 72.7/sq mi (28.0/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 99.48% White, 0.26% African American, 0.09% Native American, and 0.17% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.17% of the population.
There were 484 households out of which 31.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.0% were married couples
living together, 14.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.3% were non-families. 24.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 2.86.
In the CDP the population was spread out with 23.6% under the age of 18, 7.2% from 18 to 24, 30.1% from 25 to 44, 24.1% from 45 to 64, and 15.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 96.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.6 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $17,813, and the median income for a family was $24,524. Males had a median income of $19,044 versus $20,792 for females. The per capita income
for the CDP was $12,046. About 23.4% of families and 27.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 35.4% of those under age 18 and 26.4% of those age 65 or over.
, offering visitors opportunities to sample traditional foods, purchase locally handmade crafts, and listen to a variety of traditional Southern Appalachian musicians, as well as to view the alpine catawba rhododendron
gardens whose blooming season usually peaks during the third or fourth weekend in June.
The Roan Mountain Hilltoppers, a well-known old-time
string band performing traditional Appalachian music, hail from the Roan Mountain area. This family band has been featured at venues including the Smithsonian Museum's American Folklife Festival
, the 1982 World's Fair
in Knoxville, Tennessee
, and the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville. The band has received numerous awards and recognitions, and acquired an unexpected audience after Malcolm McLaren
sampled some of its music in his 1982 hit song, "Buffalo Girls." Later the Hilltoppers' home was visited by the Sex Pistols
and Boy George
.
Census-designated place
A census-designated place is a concentration of population identified by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes. CDPs are delineated for each decennial census as the statistical counterparts of incorporated places such as cities, towns and villages...
(CDP) in Carter County
Carter County, Tennessee
Carter County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of 2010, the population was 57,424. Its county seat is Elizabethton.Carter County is part of the Johnson City Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is a component of the Johnson City–Kingsport–Bristol, TN-VA Combined...
, 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...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 1,360 at the 2010 census
United States Census, 2010
The Twenty-third United States Census, known as Census 2010 or the 2010 Census, is the current national census of the United States. National Census Day was April 1, 2010 and is the reference date used in enumerating individuals...
. It is part of the Johnson City
Johnson City, Tennessee
Johnson City is a city in Carter, Sullivan, and Washington counties in the U.S. state of Tennessee, with most of the city being in Washington County...
Metropolitan Statistical Area
Johnson City metropolitan area
The Johnson City Metropolitan Statistical Area, as defined by the United States Census Bureau, is an area consisting of three counties in eastern Tennessee, anchored by the city of Johnson City...
, which is a component of the Johnson City–Kingsport
Kingsport, Tennessee
Kingsport is a city located mainly in Sullivan County with some western portions in Hawkins County in the US state of Tennessee. The majority of the city lies in Sullivan County...
–Bristol
Bristol, Tennessee
Bristol is a city in Sullivan County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 26,702 at the 2010 census. It is the twin city of Bristol, Virginia, which lies directly across the state line between Tennessee and Virginia. The boundaries of both cities run parallel to each other along State...
, TN-VA
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
Combined Statistical Area
Combined Statistical Area
The United States Office of Management and Budget defines micropolitan and metropolitan statistical areas. Metropolitan and micropolitan statistical areas consist of one or more counties...
– commonly known as the "Tri-Cities
Tri-Cities, Tennessee
In Tennessee and Virginia the name "Tri-Cities" refers to the region comprising the cities of Kingsport, Johnson City and Bristol and the surrounding smaller towns and communities in Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia...
" region.
Geography
Roan Mountain is located in northeast Tennessee at 36°11′39"N 82°4′6"W (36.194219, -82.068417). The elevation at Roan Mountain varies from 2550 feet (777.2 m) in the center of the CDP to 6285 feet (1,915.7 m) at the alpine summit of Roan MountainRoan Mountain (Roan Highlands)
Roan Mountain is the highpoint of the Roan-Unaka Range of the Southern Appalachian Mountains, located in the Southeastern United States. The mountain is clad in a dense stand of Southern Appalachian spruce-fir forest, and includes the world's largest natural rhododendron garden, and the longest...
, 7 miles (11.3 km) away by air.
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 CDP has a total area of 7.4 square miles (19.2 km²).
The Doe River
Doe River
The Doe River is a naturally flowing river in northeast Tennessee that forms in Carter County near the North Carolina line, just south of Roan Mountain State Park.-Hydrography:...
flows from the northern slopes of Roan Mountain, through Roan Mountain State Park
Roan Mountain State Park
Roan Mountain State Park is a Tennessee state park in Carter County in Northeast Tennessee along the Tennessee-North Carolina border near the community of Roan Mountain, Tennessee. Situated in the Blue Ridge of the Appalachian Mountains, the park preserves woodlands near 6,285 foot Roan Mountain...
and the center of town, and into the confluence
Confluence
Confluence, in geography, describes the meeting of two or more bodies of water.Confluence may also refer to:* Confluence , a property of term rewriting systems...
with the Watauga River
Watauga River
The Watauga River is a large stream of western North Carolina and East Tennessee. It is 60 miles long with its headwaters on the slopes of Grandfather Mountain and Peak Mountain in Watauga County, North Carolina.-Hydrography:...
at Elizabethton
Elizabethton, Tennessee
Elizabethton is the county seat of Carter County, Tennessee, United States. Elizabethton is also the historical site both of the first independent American government located west of both the Eastern Continental Divide and the original thirteen British American colonies.Elizabethton is also the...
.
Elk Park, North Carolina
Elk Park, North Carolina
Elk Park is a town in Avery County, North Carolina, United States. The town was so named because of the number of Elk killed there. The population was 459 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Elk Park is located at ....
is found on the opposite (southern) side of Roan Mountain and across the Tennessee-North Carolina state line.
History
The East Tennessee and Western North Carolina Railroad ("Tweetsie")East Tennessee and Western North Carolina Railroad
The East Tennessee and Western North Carolina Railroad , affectionately called the "Tweetsie" in reference to the sound of its steam whistles, was primarily a railroad established in 1866 for the purpose of serving the mines at Cranberry, North Carolina.The narrow gauge portion of the ET&WNC was...
passed through the town until it ceased operations in 1950.
Transportation
-
Interstate 26Interstate 26Interstate 26 is a nominally east–west main route of the Interstate Highway System in the Southeastern United States. I-26 runs from the junction of U.S. Route 11W and U.S. Route 23 in Kingsport, Tennessee, generally southeastward to U.S. Route 17 in Charleston, South Carolina...
to Exit 31 (Elizabethton); -
U.S. Route 321U.S. Route 321U.S. Route 321 is a spur of U.S. Route 21. It runs for 526 miles from South Carolina to Tennessee. The northern terminus of U.S. 321 is between Lenoir City and Oak Ridge, Tennessee, at Interstate 40 exit 364, which is about 4 miles west of Interstate 40's junction with Interstate 75...
east to Elizabethton, and; -
US Highway 19-EU.S. Route 19U.S. Route 19 is a north–south U.S. Highway. Despite encroaching Interstate Highways, the route has remained a long-haul route, connecting the Gulf of Mexico with Lake Erie....
at Elizabethton then south into Roan Mountain, Tennessee.
As of 2004, US 19 splits into US 19E and US 19W in Bluff City, Tennessee
Bluff City, Tennessee
Bluff City is a city in Sullivan County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 1,733 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Kingsport–Bristol –Bristol Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is a component of the Johnson City–Kingsport–Bristol, TN-VA Combined Statistical...
. north of Elizabethton. The routes rejoin in rural Yancey County, North Carolina
Yancey County, North Carolina
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 17,774 people, 7,472 households, and 5,372 families residing in the county. The population density was 57 people per square mile . There were 9,729 housing units at an average density of 31 per square mile...
. While US 19W heads directly for Interstate 26
Interstate 26
Interstate 26 is a nominally east–west main route of the Interstate Highway System in the Southeastern United States. I-26 runs from the junction of U.S. Route 11W and U.S. Route 23 in Kingsport, Tennessee, generally southeastward to U.S. Route 17 in Charleston, South Carolina...
at Exits 35 and 36 in Johnson City, Tennessee
Johnson City, Tennessee
Johnson City is a city in Carter, Sullivan, and Washington counties in the U.S. state of Tennessee, with most of the city being in Washington County...
, US 19E takes a 70-mile (113 km) path through the Great Smoky Mountains
Great Smoky Mountains
The Great Smoky Mountains are a mountain range rising along the Tennessee–North Carolina border in the southeastern United States. They are a subrange of the Appalachian Mountains, and form part of the Blue Ridge Physiographic Province. The range is sometimes called the Smoky Mountains or the...
. US 19W doesn't completely avoid the mountains, however. It breaks off I-26 shortly before the 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...
-North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
border, and takes a tortuous path through the mountains of Yancey County, North Carolina.
US 19 breaks away from the interstate, but alternate route US 19W is co-signed with Interstate 26
Interstate 26
Interstate 26 is a nominally east–west main route of the Interstate Highway System in the Southeastern United States. I-26 runs from the junction of U.S. Route 11W and U.S. Route 23 in Kingsport, Tennessee, generally southeastward to U.S. Route 17 in Charleston, South Carolina...
for much of its Tennessee length. US 19E in Tennessee is the same highway as State Route 37.
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 1,160 people, 484 households, and 351 families residing in the CDP. 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 60.4/km² (156.4/sq mi) and there were 539 housing units at an average density of 72.7/sq mi (28.0/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 99.48% White, 0.26% African American, 0.09% Native American, and 0.17% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.17% of the population.
There were 484 households out of which 31.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.0% 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, 14.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.3% were non-families. 24.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 2.86.
In the CDP the population was spread out with 23.6% under the age of 18, 7.2% from 18 to 24, 30.1% from 25 to 44, 24.1% from 45 to 64, and 15.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 96.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.6 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $17,813, and the median income for a family was $24,524. Males had a median income of $19,044 versus $20,792 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 CDP was $12,046. About 23.4% of families and 27.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 35.4% of those under age 18 and 26.4% of those age 65 or over.
Culture
The Roan Mountain Rhododendron Festival is held each summer at the lower elevation of Roan Mountain State ParkRoan Mountain State Park
Roan Mountain State Park is a Tennessee state park in Carter County in Northeast Tennessee along the Tennessee-North Carolina border near the community of Roan Mountain, Tennessee. Situated in the Blue Ridge of the Appalachian Mountains, the park preserves woodlands near 6,285 foot Roan Mountain...
, offering visitors opportunities to sample traditional foods, purchase locally handmade crafts, and listen to a variety of traditional Southern Appalachian musicians, as well as to view the alpine catawba rhododendron
Rhododendron
Rhododendron is a genus of over 1 000 species of woody plants in the heath family, most with showy flowers...
gardens whose blooming season usually peaks during the third or fourth weekend in June.
The Roan Mountain Hilltoppers, a well-known old-time
Old-time music
Old-time music is a genre of North American folk music, with roots in the folk music of many countries, including England, Scotland, Ireland and countries in Africa. It developed along with various North American folk dances, such as square dance, buck dance, and clogging. The genre also...
string band performing traditional Appalachian music, hail from the Roan Mountain area. This family band has been featured at venues including the Smithsonian Museum's American Folklife Festival
Smithsonian Folklife Festival
The Smithsonian Folklife Festival, launched in 1967, is an international exhibition of living cultural heritage presented annually in the summer in Washington, D.C. in the United States. It is held for two weeks around the Fourth of July holiday...
, the 1982 World's Fair
1982 World's Fair
The 1982 World's Fair, formally known as the Knoxville International Energy Exposition, was held in Knoxville, Tennessee, in the United States. The theme of the exposition was "Energy Turns the World."...
in Knoxville, Tennessee
Knoxville, Tennessee
Founded in 1786, Knoxville is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Tennessee, U.S.A., behind Memphis and Nashville, and is the county seat of Knox County. It is the largest city in East Tennessee, and the second-largest city in the Appalachia region...
, and the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville. The band has received numerous awards and recognitions, and acquired an unexpected audience after Malcolm McLaren
Malcolm McLaren
Malcolm Robert Andrew McLaren was an English performer, impresario, self-publicist and manager of the Sex Pistols and the New York Dolls...
sampled some of its music in his 1982 hit song, "Buffalo Girls." Later the Hilltoppers' home was visited by the Sex Pistols
Sex Pistols
The Sex Pistols were an English punk rock band that formed in London in 1975. They were responsible for initiating the punk movement in the United Kingdom and inspiring many later punk and alternative rock musicians...
and Boy George
Boy George
Boy George is a British singer-songwriter who was part of the English New Romantic movement which emerged in the early 1980s. He helped give androgyny an international stage with the success of Culture Club during the 1980s. His music is often classified as blue-eyed soul, which is influenced by...
.
See also
- Overmountain Victory National Historic TrailOvermountain Victory National Historic TrailThe Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail is part of the U.S. National Trails System. It recognizes the Revolutionary War Overmountain Men, Patriots from what is now East Tennessee who crossed the Great Smoky Mountains and then fought in the Battle of Kings Mountain in South...
- Overmountain MenOvermountain MenThe Overmountain Men were American frontiersmen from west of the Appalachian Mountains who took part in the American Revolutionary War. While they were present at multiple engagements in the war's southern campaign, they are best known for their role in the American victory at the Battle of Kings...
- James Robertson (early American)James Robertson (early American)James Robertson was an explorer and pioneer active primarily in what is now the State of Tennessee during the second half of the 18th century. An early companion of explorer Daniel Boone, Robertson helped establish the Watauga Association in the early 1770s, and helped defend Fort Watauga from an...
- John SevierJohn SevierJohn Sevier served four years as the only governor of the State of Franklin and twelve years as Governor of Tennessee. As a U.S. Representative from Tennessee from 1811 until his death...
- Isaac ShelbyIsaac ShelbyIsaac Shelby was the first and fifth Governor of the U.S. state of Kentucky and served in the state legislatures of Virginia and North Carolina. He was also a soldier in Lord Dunmore's War, the Revolutionary War, and the War of 1812...
Wild Flowers
- Roan Mountain Rhododendron Festival (third or fourth weekend in June)
- Association of Southern Biologists - 2002 Field Trips (Roan Mountain)
Roan Mountain Tourism and Recreation
- Roan Mountain State Park - Tennessee State Parks.
- Northeast Tennessee Tourism Association - Online Visitor's Guide
- The Roan
- "Explore The Trail - Tennessee." Appalachian Trail Conservancy.
- The Wataugans - The Official Outdoor Drama of the State of Tennessee
- Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail - National Park Service.
- The Overmountain Victory Trail Association.
- Sycamore Shoals State Park (Elizabethton)- Tennessee Park Service.
- National Register of Historical Places - TENNESSEE (TN), Carter County.