Sevier County, Tennessee
Encyclopedia
Sevier County is a county
of the state
of Tennessee
, United States. Its population was 71,170 at the 2000 United States Census
. It is included in the Sevierville, Tennessee
, Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is included in the Knoxville
-Sevierville-La Follette, TN Combined Statistical Area
. The county seat
is at Sevierville, the largest city in the county.
. In the mid-16th century, Spanish expeditions led by Hernando de Soto
(1540) and Juan Pardo
(1567) passed through what is now Sevier County, reporting that the region was part of the domain of Chiaha
, a minor Muskogean chiefdom centered around a village located on a now-submerged island just upsteam from modern Douglas Dam
. By the late 17th-century, however, the Cherokee
— whose ancestors were living in the mountains at the time of the Spaniards' visit— had become the dominant tribe in the region. Although they used the region primarily as hunting grounds, the Chicakamauga
faction of the Cherokee vehemently fought white settlement in their territory, frequently leading raids on households, even through the signing of various peace treaties, alternating short periods of peace with violent hostility, until forcibly marched from their territory by the U.S. government on the "Trail of Tears
".http://www.nps.gov/trte/
Sevier County as it is known today was formed on September 18, 1794 from part of neighboring Jefferson County, and has retained its original boundaries ever since. The county takes its name from John Sevier
, governor of the failed State of Franklin
and first governor of Tennessee, who played a prominent role during the early years of settlement in the region. Since its establishment in 1795, the county seat has been situated at Sevierville (also named for Sevier), the eighth-oldest city in Tennessee.
Prior to the late 1930s, Sevier County's population, economy, and society— which relied primarily on subsistence agriculture
— held little significance vis-à-vis any other county in the rural South. However, with the creation of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park
in the early 1930s, the destiny of Sevier County (within which lies thirty percent of the total area of the national park) changed drastically. Today, tourism supports the county's economy.
Larry Waters is the current county mayor.
the highest percentage of any county in the nation. In 1932 Herbert Hoover
reportedly received 77.01% of the vote and in 1936 Alf Landon
received 77.73%. Since 1992 no Republican candidate has received less than 55% of the county's vote and in 2008 John McCain
received 73.4%.
, which is dominates the southern portion of the county. One of the very reasons for the park's creation, however, was also one of the county's first major economic engines: the lumber industry. Establishments in what is now the national park felled large amounts of timber in the early 1900s. Though the park effectively killed the then-lagging industry in the late 1930s, it spurred the development of one of the largest tourist resorts in the United States of America, as the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is now the most visited national park in the country.http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0004743.html In recent years the tourism bubble has expanded beyond the city of Gatlinburg, which borders the Northwestern segment of the national park, and into the nearby cities of Pigeon Forge and Sevierville.
The commercial cabin rental
industry has grown tremendously in recent years.
, the county has a total area of 598 square miles (1,548.8 km²), of which 592 square miles (1,533.3 km²) is land and 5 square miles (12.9 km²) (0.91%) is water.
As one of the largest counties in Tennessee, Sevier County's terrain varies from one of the most rugged portions of the Appalachian Mountains to the river valley of the French Broad River and Douglas Lake. The maximum elevation differential in Sevier County is the greatest in Tennessee, ranging from a high of 6,643 feet (2,025 m) at Clingmans Dome (the highest natural point in the state) to a low of 850 feet (259 m) at the French Broad River http://www.cs.utk.edu/~dunigan/cohp/.
of 2000, there were 71,170 people, 28,467 households, and 20,837 families residing in the county. The population density
was 120 people per square mile (46/km²). There were 37,252 housing units at an average density of 63 per square mile (24/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 97.27% White
, 0.56% Black
or African American
, 0.32% Native American
, 0.55% Asian
, 0.02% Pacific Islander
, 0.42% from other races
, and 0.85% from two or more races. 1.24% of the population were Hispanic
or Latino
of any race.
There were 28,467 households out of which 30.70% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.30% were married couples
living together, 10.10% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.80% were non-families. 22.00% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.90% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 2.88.
In the county, the population was spread out with 23.00% under the age of 18, 8.30% from 18 to 24, 29.80% from 25 to 44, 26.30% from 45 to 64, and 12.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 95.90 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.20 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $34,719, and the median income for a family was $40,474. Males had a median income of $27,139 versus $20,646 for females. The per capita income
for the county was $18,064. About 8.20% of families and 10.70% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.10% of those under age 18 and 10.10% of those age 65 or over.
Sevier County was Tennessee's third fastest-growing county by percentage change in population between the 1990 census and 2000 census.
Sevier County School Board personnel include:
School board members:
Head Start:
Preschool:
Elementary/middle schools:
High schools:
Other schools:
of the Morristown
-based Walters State Community College
.
A combination of many of these highways linked together as they run from Tenneessee Exit 407 of Interstate-40 through the cities of Sevierville, Pigeon Forge, and Gatlinburg to the entrance of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park functions as the Great Smoky Mountains Parkway
. Along this stretch of U.S. and Tennessee highways a major, nearly uninterrupted tourist center (separated only by a spur route of the Foothills Parkway
, known as "the spur") has emerged in the three communities.
County (United States)
In the United States, a county is a geographic subdivision of a state , usually assigned some governmental authority. The term "county" is used in 48 of the 50 states; Louisiana is divided into parishes and Alaska into boroughs. Parishes and boroughs are called "county-equivalents" by the U.S...
of the 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...
, United States. Its population was 71,170 at the 2000 United States Census
United States Census, 2000
The Twenty-second United States Census, known as Census 2000 and conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2% over the 248,709,873 persons enumerated during the 1990 Census...
. It is included in the Sevierville, Tennessee
Sevierville, Tennessee
Sevierville is a city in Sevier County, Tennessee, located in the Southeastern United States. Its population was 11,757 at the 2000 United States Census; in 2004 the estimated population was 14,101. Sevierville is the county seat of Sevier County, Tennessee....
, Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is included in the Knoxville
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...
-Sevierville-La Follette, TN 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...
. The 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 at Sevierville, the largest city in the county.
History
Prior to the encroachment of white settlers in present day Sevier County in the mid-18th century, the area had been inhabited for as many as 20,000 years by nomadic and semi-nomadic Native AmericansNative 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...
. In the mid-16th century, Spanish expeditions led by Hernando de Soto
Hernando de Soto (explorer)
Hernando de Soto was a Spanish explorer and conquistador who, while leading the first European expedition deep into the territory of the modern-day United States, was the first European documented to have crossed the Mississippi River....
(1540) and Juan Pardo
Juan Pardo (explorer)
Juan Pardo was a Spanish explorer and conquistador who was active in the later half of the sixteenth century. He led a Spanish expedition through what is now North and South Carolina and into eastern Tennessee. He established Fort San Felipe, South Carolina , and the village of Santa Elena on...
(1567) passed through what is now Sevier County, reporting that the region was part of the domain of Chiaha
Chiaha
Chiaha was a horticultural Native American chiefdom located in the lower French Broad River valley in modern East Tennessee, in the southeastern United States. They lived in raised structures within boundaries of several stable villages. These overlooked the fields of maize, beans, squash, and...
, a minor Muskogean chiefdom centered around a village located on a now-submerged island just upsteam from modern Douglas Dam
Douglas Dam
Douglas Dam is a hydroelectric dam on the French Broad River in Sevier County, Tennessee, in the southeastern United States. The dam is operated by the Tennessee Valley Authority , which built the dam in record time in the early 1940s to meet emergency energy demands at the height of World War II...
. By the late 17th-century, however, the 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...
— whose ancestors were living in the mountains at the time of the Spaniards' visit— had become the dominant tribe in the region. Although they used the region primarily as hunting grounds, the Chicakamauga
Chickamauga Indian
The Chickamauga or Lower Cherokee, were a band of Cherokee who supported Great Britain at the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War. They were followers of the Cherokee chief Dragging Canoe...
faction of the Cherokee vehemently fought white settlement in their territory, frequently leading raids on households, even through the signing of various peace treaties, alternating short periods of peace with violent hostility, until forcibly marched from their territory by the U.S. government on the "Trail of Tears
Trail of Tears
The Trail of Tears is a name given to the forced relocation and movement of Native American nations from southeastern parts of the United States following the Indian Removal Act of 1830...
".http://www.nps.gov/trte/
Sevier County as it is known today was formed on September 18, 1794 from part of neighboring Jefferson County, and has retained its original boundaries ever since. The county takes its name from John Sevier
John Sevier
John 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...
, governor of the failed State of Franklin
State of Franklin
The State of Franklin, known also as the Free Republic of Franklin or the State of Frankland , was an unrecognized autonomous United States territory created in 1784 from part of the territory west of the Appalachian Mountains that had been offered,...
and first governor of Tennessee, who played a prominent role during the early years of settlement in the region. Since its establishment in 1795, the county seat has been situated at Sevierville (also named for Sevier), the eighth-oldest city in Tennessee.
Prior to the late 1930s, Sevier County's population, economy, and society— which relied primarily on subsistence agriculture
Subsistence agriculture
Subsistence agriculture is self-sufficiency farming in which the farmers focus on growing enough food to feed their families. The typical subsistence farm has a range of crops and animals needed by the family to eat and clothe themselves during the year. Planting decisions are made with an eye...
— held little significance vis-à-vis any other county in the rural South. However, with the creation of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Great Smoky Mountains National Park is a United States National Park and UNESCO World Heritage Site that straddles the ridgeline of the Great Smoky Mountains, part of the Blue Ridge Mountains, which are a division of the larger Appalachian Mountain chain. The border between Tennessee and North...
in the early 1930s, the destiny of Sevier County (within which lies thirty percent of the total area of the national park) changed drastically. Today, tourism supports the county's economy.
Government
The head of the Sevier County government, the county mayor, is elected in county-wide elections. The mayor serves along with a 25 member commission of elected officials representing the many small communities spread across the county. http://www.seviercountytn.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=4&Itemid=8.Larry Waters is the current county mayor.
Presidential elections
The county tends to go strongly Republican in Presidential elections. In 1916 it may have given Charles HughesCharles Evans Hughes
Charles Evans Hughes, Sr. was an American statesman, lawyer and Republican politician from New York. He served as the 36th Governor of New York , Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States , United States Secretary of State , a judge on the Court of International Justice , and...
the highest percentage of any county in the nation. In 1932 Herbert Hoover
Herbert Hoover
Herbert Clark Hoover was the 31st President of the United States . Hoover was originally a professional mining engineer and author. As the United States Secretary of Commerce in the 1920s under Presidents Warren Harding and Calvin Coolidge, he promoted partnerships between government and business...
reportedly received 77.01% of the vote and in 1936 Alf Landon
Alf Landon
Alfred Mossman "Alf" Landon was an American Republican politician, who served as the 26th Governor of Kansas from 1933–1937. He was best known for being the Republican Party's nominee for President of the United States, defeated in a landslide by Franklin D...
received 77.73%. Since 1992 no Republican candidate has received less than 55% of the county's vote and in 2008 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....
received 73.4%.
Economy
From its beginnings as a traditional subsistence-based farming society, Sevier County has grown into a major tourist destination since the establishment of the Great Smoky Mountains National ParkGreat Smoky Mountains National Park
Great Smoky Mountains National Park is a United States National Park and UNESCO World Heritage Site that straddles the ridgeline of the Great Smoky Mountains, part of the Blue Ridge Mountains, which are a division of the larger Appalachian Mountain chain. The border between Tennessee and North...
, which is dominates the southern portion of the county. One of the very reasons for the park's creation, however, was also one of the county's first major economic engines: the lumber industry. Establishments in what is now the national park felled large amounts of timber in the early 1900s. Though the park effectively killed the then-lagging industry in the late 1930s, it spurred the development of one of the largest tourist resorts in the United States of America, as the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is now the most visited national park in the country.http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0004743.html In recent years the tourism bubble has expanded beyond the city of Gatlinburg, which borders the Northwestern segment of the national park, and into the nearby cities of Pigeon Forge and Sevierville.
The commercial cabin rental
Vacation rental
Vacation rental is the renting out of a furnished apartment or house on a temporary basis to tourists as an alternative to a hotel. The term vacation rental is mainly used in the US. In Europe the term villa rental or villa holiday is preferred for rentals of detached houses in warm climates...
industry has grown tremendously in recent years.
Tourist attractions
The tourism industry drives the county's economy. The following destinations are among the most lucrative for the area:- Great Smoky Mountains National ParkGreat Smoky Mountains National ParkGreat Smoky Mountains National Park is a United States National Park and UNESCO World Heritage Site that straddles the ridgeline of the Great Smoky Mountains, part of the Blue Ridge Mountains, which are a division of the larger Appalachian Mountain chain. The border between Tennessee and North...
, southern Sevier County: Established in 1936 and propelling the tourism industry in Sevier County ever since, the national park is the most visited in the entire system, welcoming over 10 million nature enthusiasts every year, most of which arrive through Sevier County http://www.timeforkids.com/TFK/magazines/story/0,6277,95185,00.html.
- DollywoodDollywoodDollywood is a theme park owned by entertainer Dolly Parton and the Herschend Family Entertainment Corporation. It is located in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. Dollywood has 3,000 people on its payroll, making it the largest employer in that community....
, Pigeon Forge: The theme park named for part-owner Dolly PartonDolly PartonDolly Rebecca Parton is an American singer-songwriter, author, multi-instrumentalist, actress and philanthropist, best known for her work in country music. Dolly Parton has appeared in movies like 9 to 5, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Steel Magnolias and Straight Talk...
(who was born in Sevierville) admits 2.2 million guests a year, making it both the most popular theme park and most frequented attraction (after the Great Smoky Mountains National Park) in Tennessee http://www.tennessean.com/entertainment/news/archives/05/03/67993168.shtml?Element_ID=67993168.
- Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies, Gatlinburg: Opened in 2000 and designated the most visited aquarium in the United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in 2001, when over 2 million tourists passed through its galleries, Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies is the largest single tourist draw in Gatlinburg http://www.cnn.com/2005/TRAVEL/DESTINATIONS/11/21/ga.aquarium.tourism/index.html.
- Ober GatlinburgOber GatlinburgOber Gatlinburg is an amusement park and ski area, located in the mountains overlooking Gatlinburg, Tennessee, USA. Established in 1962, the area contains a large mall with indoor amusements, a skating rink, snack bars, a full-service lounge, restaurant, and gift and clothing stores. Outside there...
, Gatlinburg: The Ober Gatlinburg ski resort sits above Gatlinburg, offering numerous attractions for visitors unique to the county, including winter ski slopes and an indoor ice skating rink. The tramway that takes visitors to and from the resort is touted as "America's Largest Aerial Tramway" http://skiing.about.com/od/tennesseeskiresorts/p/obergatlinburg.htm
Geography
According to the U.S. Census BureauUnited 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 598 square miles (1,548.8 km²), of which 592 square miles (1,533.3 km²) is land and 5 square miles (12.9 km²) (0.91%) is water.
As one of the largest counties in Tennessee, Sevier County's terrain varies from one of the most rugged portions of the Appalachian Mountains to the river valley of the French Broad River and Douglas Lake. The maximum elevation differential in Sevier County is the greatest in Tennessee, ranging from a high of 6,643 feet (2,025 m) at Clingmans Dome (the highest natural point in the state) to a low of 850 feet (259 m) at the French Broad River http://www.cs.utk.edu/~dunigan/cohp/.
Geographic features
- Appalachian MountainsAppalachian MountainsThe Appalachian Mountains #Whether the stressed vowel is or ,#Whether the "ch" is pronounced as a fricative or an affricate , and#Whether the final vowel is the monophthong or the diphthong .), often called the Appalachians, are a system of mountains in eastern North America. The Appalachians...
- Clingmans DomeClingmans DomeClingmans Dome is a mountain in the Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee and North Carolina, in the southeastern United States. At an elevation of , it is the highest mountain in the Smokies, the highest point in the state of Tennessee, and the highest point along the Appalachian Trail...
- Douglas LakeDouglas DamDouglas Dam is a hydroelectric dam on the French Broad River in Sevier County, Tennessee, in the southeastern United States. The dam is operated by the Tennessee Valley Authority , which built the dam in record time in the early 1940s to meet emergency energy demands at the height of World War II...
- French Broad RiverFrench Broad RiverThe French Broad River flows from near the village of Rosman in Transylvania County, North Carolina, into the state of Tennessee. Its confluence with the Holston River at Knoxville is the beginning of the Tennessee River....
- Great Smoky MountainsGreat Smoky MountainsThe 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...
- Little Pigeon RiverLittle Pigeon River (Tennessee)The Little Pigeon River is a river located entirely within Sevier County, Tennessee.It rises from a series of streams which flow together on the dividing ridge between the states of Tennessee and North Carolina inside the boundary of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The river is subdivided...
- Mount Le Conte
Adjacent counties
- Jefferson County, TennesseeJefferson County, Tennessee*...
- north - Cocke County, Tennessee - east
- Haywood County, North CarolinaHaywood County, North Carolina-National protected areas:* Blue Ridge Parkway * Great Smoky Mountains National Park * Pisgah National Forest -Major Highways & Roads:* Interstate 40* U.S. Highway 19* U.S. Highway 23* U.S. Highway 74* U.S...
- southeast - Swain County, North CarolinaSwain County, North CarolinaSwain County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of 2000, the population was 12,968. Its county seat is Bryson City.Swain County is home of the Nantahala River . The Nantahala is one of the most popular whitewater rafting rivers in the nation...
- south - Blount County, TennesseeBlount County, TennesseeBlount County is a U.S. county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. Its population was 123,010 at the United States Census, 2010. The county seat is at Maryville, which is also the county's largest city....
- west - Knox County, TennesseeKnox County, TennesseeKnox County is a county in the U.S. state of Tennessee. Its 2007 population was estimated at 423,874 by the United States Census Bureau. Its county seat is Knoxville, as it has been since the creation of the county. The county is at the geographical center of the Great Valley of East Tennessee...
- northwest
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 71,170 people, 28,467 households, and 20,837 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 120 people per square mile (46/km²). There were 37,252 housing units at an average density of 63 per square mile (24/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 97.27% 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...
, 0.56% 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...
, 0.32% 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...
, 0.55% 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...
, 0.02% 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...
, 0.42% 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 0.85% from two or more races. 1.24% 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 28,467 households out of which 30.70% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.30% 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, 10.10% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.80% were non-families. 22.00% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.90% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 2.88.
In the county, the population was spread out with 23.00% under the age of 18, 8.30% from 18 to 24, 29.80% from 25 to 44, 26.30% from 45 to 64, and 12.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 95.90 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.20 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $34,719, and the median income for a family was $40,474. Males had a median income of $27,139 versus $20,646 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 $18,064. About 8.20% of families and 10.70% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.10% of those under age 18 and 10.10% of those age 65 or over.
Sevier County was Tennessee's third fastest-growing county by percentage change in population between the 1990 census and 2000 census.
Education
The Sevier County School System is composed of thirty-two public and private institutions ranging from Head Start programs through a number of secondary schools. One post-secondary institution is also located within the county.Sevier County School Board personnel include:
- Director of Schools: Jack Parton
- Director of Instruction: Debra Cline
- Director of Finance: Karen King
- Purchasing/Personnel: Jim Wade
School board members:
- District 1: Mike Oakley
- District 2: John McClure
- District 3: Stanley Moore
- District 4: Charles Temple
- District 5: Becky Barnes
Head Start:
- Boyds Creek Headstart, on Boyds Creek Highway
- Douglas Dam Headstart, in Sevierville
- Harrisburg Headstart, on Old Harrisburg Road
- Wearwood Headstart, in Sevierville
Preschool:
- Trula Lawson Early Childhood Center, in Sevierville
Elementary/middle schools:
- Boyds Creek Elementary, in Sevierville
- Caton's Chapel Elementary, on Caton's Chapel Road
- Jones Cove Elementary, on Jones Cove Road
- New Center School, in Sevierville
- Northview Elementary, in Kodak
- Pi Beta Phi Elementary, in Gatlinburg
- Pigeon Forge Middle, in Pigeon Forge
- Pigeon Forge Primary, in Pigeon Forge
- Pittman Center School, in Pittman Center
- Sevierville Intermediate, in Sevierville
- Sevierville Middle, in Sevierville
- Sevierville Primary, in Sevierville
- Seymour Middle, Seymour
- Seymour Intermediate, Seymour
- Seymour Primary, Seymour
- Wearwood Elementary, Sevierville
High schools:
- Gatlinburg-Pittman High SchoolGatlinburg-Pittman High SchoolGatlinburg-Pittman High School is a public high school located in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, USA. Current enrollment is estimated at 619 students in grades 9 to 12. It also serves the neighboring town of Pittman Center, and is a part of the Sevier County school system....
, in Gatlinburg - Pigeon Forge High School, in Pigeon Forge
- Sevier County High School, in Sevierville ::
- Seymour High School, in Seymour
- Vocational Center (at Sevier County High School), in Sevierville
Other schools:
- Covenant Christian Academy, on Old Newport Highway
- Day School, in Sevierville
- King's Academy, in Seymour
- My Audie's Place, in Pigeon Forge
- New Hope Church of God, in Sevierville
- Raggedy Andy's Playhouse Inc., in Sevierville
- Riverside Academy, in Sevierville
Colleges and universities
The one post-secondary institution in the county is a satellite campusSatellite campus
A satellite campus or branch campus is a campus of a college or university that is physically detached from the main university or college area, and is often smaller than the main campus of an institution....
of the Morristown
Morristown, Tennessee
Morristown is a city in, and the county seat of, Hamblen County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 29,137 at the 2010 United States Census. It is the principal city of the Morristown, Tennessee Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Grainger, Hamblen and Jefferson counties...
-based Walters State Community College
Walters State Community College
Walters State Community College is a state-supported community college operated by the Tennessee Board of Regents. It was established in 1970 in located Morristown, Tennessee and was named in honor of former United States Senator Herbert S...
.
Parks
In addition to the federally operated Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Sevier County is home to numerous smaller community parks, primarily within the cities of Sevierville http://www.seviervilletn.org/Departments.htm#Parks%20&%20Recreation, Pigeon Forge http://www.cityofpigeonforge.com/cs/parksandrec/index.htm, and Gatlinburg http://www.ci.gatlinburg.tn.us/parksrec/cityparks.htm. The most significant of them are listed as follows:- Sevierville City Park
- Pigeon Forge City Park
- Patriot Park (Pigeon Forge)
- Holt Park (Gatlinburg)
- Mills Park (Gatlinburg)
- Mynatt Park (Gatlinburg)
Transportation
The massive development of the tourism industry in Sevier County in recent years, while blessing the county with good economic fortunes, has indeed put a major stress on the county's roadways. In effort to control this the county has put forth numerous projects to widen existing highways, and the cities of Pigeon Forge http://www.pigeonforgetrolley.org and Gatlinburg http://www.ci.gatlinburg.tn.us/transit/trolley.htm have also implemented a bus service oriented towards visitors, which ferries tourists to and from various popular destinations throughout the towns via decorated buses referred to as "trolleys."Highways
- Interstate highways:
- Interstate 40Interstate 40Interstate 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...
- Interstate 40
- U.S. highways:
- 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...
- U.S. Route 411U.S. Route 411U.S. Highway 411 is an alternate parallel-highway associated with U.S. Highway 11. U.S. 411 extends for about 313 miles from U.S. Route 78 in Leeds, Jefferson County, Alabama, to U.S. Highway 25 in Newport, Cocke County, Tennessee. U.S. 411 passes through the northeastern State of Alabama, the...
- U.S. Route 441U.S. Route 441U.S. Route 441 is a spur route of U.S. Route 41. It currently runs for 939 miles from U.S. Route 41 in Miami, Florida to U.S. Route 25W in Lake City, Tennessee. Between its termini, US 441 passes through the states of Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, and Tennessee...
- U.S. Route 321
- State highways:
- State Route 35
- State Route 66
- State Route 71
- State Route 73
- State Route 139
- State Route 338
- State Route 339
- State Route 416
A combination of many of these highways linked together as they run from Tenneessee Exit 407 of Interstate-40 through the cities of Sevierville, Pigeon Forge, and Gatlinburg to the entrance of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park functions as the Great Smoky Mountains Parkway
Great Smoky Mountains Parkway
The Great Smoky Mountains Parkway runs 23.5 miles from Interstate 40 at exit 407 in Sevierville, Tennessee, south to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park...
. Along this stretch of U.S. and Tennessee highways a major, nearly uninterrupted tourist center (separated only by a spur route of the Foothills Parkway
Foothills Parkway
The Foothills Parkway is a national parkway which, if completed, will traverse the foothills of the northern Great Smoky Mountains in East Tennessee, located in the Southeastern United States. The 71-mile parkway will ideally connect U.S...
, known as "the spur") has emerged in the three communities.
In popular culture
- Sevier County is the setting for the novel Child of GodChild of GodChild of God is the third novel by American author Cormac McCarthy.Though the novel received critical praise, it was not a financial success. Like its predecessor, Outer Dark, Child of God established McCarthy's interest in using extreme isolation, perversity, and violence to represent normal...
by Cormac McCarthyCormac McCarthyCormac McCarthy is an American novelist and playwright. He has written ten novels, spanning the Southern Gothic, Western, and modernist genres. He received the Pulitzer Prize and the James Tait Black Memorial Prize for Fiction for The Road...
. - Gatlinburg was the site of the showdown between Sue and his father in the Johnny CashJohnny CashJohn R. "Johnny" Cash was an American singer-songwriter, actor, and author, who has been called one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century...
hit single A Boy Named SueA Boy Named Sue"A Boy Named Sue" is a song written by Shel Silverstein and performed by Johnny Cash. Cash was at the height of his popularity when he recorded the song live at California's San Quentin State Prison at a concert on 24 February 1969. The concert was filmed by Granada Television for later...
. - Entertainer Dolly PartonDolly PartonDolly Rebecca Parton is an American singer-songwriter, author, multi-instrumentalist, actress and philanthropist, best known for her work in country music. Dolly Parton has appeared in movies like 9 to 5, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Steel Magnolias and Straight Talk...
was born and grew up in Sevierville, and many of her early songs drew on her experiences there, perhaps most notably "My Tennessee Mountain HomeMy Tennessee Mountain Home-Personnel:*Dolly Parton – vocals, guitar*Jimmy Colvard – guitar*Jimmy Capps – guitar*Dave Kirby – guitar*Bobby Thompson – guitar*Chip Young – guitar*Pete Drake – pedal steel guitar*Don Warden – dobro*Bobby Dyson – bass*Jerry Carrigan – drums...
".
Cities and towns
Sevier County, like much of rural Tennessee, consists relatively few incorporated municipalities and numerous unincorporated settlements. The cities of Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge, Pittman Center, and Sevierville (the four incorporated cities) account for only a small portion of the total population of over 70,000 http://www.insiders.com/smokymt/main-overviews.htm#tod.Incorporated
- GatlinburgGatlinburg, TennesseeGatlinburg is a mountain resort city in Sevier County, Tennessee, United States. As of the 2000 U.S. Census, Gatlinburg had a population of 3,828. The city is a popular vacation resort, as it rests on the border of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park along U.S...
- Pigeon ForgePigeon Forge, TennesseePigeon Forge is a mountain resort city in Sevier County, Tennessee, located in the southeastern United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 5,875....
- Pittman CenterPittman Center, TennesseePittman Center is a town in Sevier County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 477 at the 2000 census.Pittman Center is situated in Emert's Cove, a broad valley along the Middle Fork of the Little Pigeon River...
- SeviervilleSevierville, TennesseeSevierville is a city in Sevier County, Tennessee, located in the Southeastern United States. Its population was 11,757 at the 2000 United States Census; in 2004 the estimated population was 14,101. Sevierville is the county seat of Sevier County, Tennessee....
Other communities
- Alder BranchAlder Branch, TennesseeAlder Branch is an unincorporated community in Sevier County, Tennessee, United States. It is accessible via Tennessee Secondary Primary Route 338, outside of the city of Sevierville...
- Beech SpringsBeech Springs, TennesseeBeech Springs is an unincorporated community in Sevier County, Tennessee, United States. Accessible by Tennessee Secondary Primary Route 139, it lies just south of Kodak....
- Boyds CreekBoyds Creek, TennesseeBoyds Creek is an unincorporated community in Sevier County, Tennessee, United States. It is named for a small southward-flowing tributary of the French Broad River of the same name, which itself derives its name from a Virginian trader killed by a band of Cherokee Indians whose body was thrown...
- Cartertown
- CatlettsburgCatlettsburg, TennesseeCatlettsburg is an unincorporated community in Sevier County, Tennessee, United States. It is accessible via Tennessee Route 66 and Tennessee Secondary Primary Route 338, north of downtown Sevierville....
- CatonCaton, TennesseeCaton is an unincorporated community in Sevier County, Tennessee, United States. It is accessible via Birds Creek Road and Catons Chapel Road, near Tennessee Secondary Primary Route 416....
- Cherokee HillsCherokee Hills, TennesseeCherokee Hills is an unincorporated community in Sevier County, Tennessee, United States. It is accessible via U.S. Route 411, near extreme eastern Sevierville....
- Cedar Bluff
- Cobbly Knob
- Conner Heights
- Cusick
- DuPontDupont, TennesseeDupont is a rural community within the small town of Seymour, Tennessee, within Sevier County, Tennessee, in the eastern division of the State of Tennessee, United States....
- DuPont Springs
- East Fork
- Glade
- Harrisburg
- Hatchertown
- Henderson Springs
- Hickory
- Hornet
- Jones Cove
- Knob Creek
- Kodak
- LaurelLaurel, TennesseeLaurel is an unincorporated settlement, in Sevier County, Tennessee, on State Route 416 , north of U.S. Route 321, in the Great Smoky Mountains.-External links:...
- Little Cove
- Little Sicily
- McCookville
- McMahan
- Middle Creek
- Millican Grove
- New Center
- New Era
- OldhamOldham, TennesseeOldham is a rural community in Sevier County, Tennessee. Alternative names for the area are Oldham's Creek and Boogertown. - References :...
- Park Settlement
- Pine Grove
- Pinnacle
- Pleasant Hill
- Richardson Cove
- Rocky Cove
- Seaton Spring
- SeymourSeymour, TennesseeSeymour is an unincorporated community and a census-designated place in Blount and Sevier counties in the U.S. state of Tennessee, United States. The CDP population was 8,850 at the 2000 U.S. census...
- Shady Grove
- Shady Thickett
- Starkeytown
- Trundles CrossroadsSeymour, TennesseeSeymour is an unincorporated community and a census-designated place in Blount and Sevier counties in the U.S. state of Tennessee, United States. The CDP population was 8,850 at the 2000 U.S. census...
- Union Grove
- Union Valley
- Walden Creek
- Walnut Grove
- Wears ValleyWears Valley, TennesseeWears Valley is an unincorporated area in Sevier County, Tennessee, treated by the U.S. Census Bureau as a census county division. As of the 2000 Census, the population of Wears Valley was 6,486....
- Whites School
- Yettland Park
- Zion Grove
External links
- Sevier County Genealogy & History
- Sevier county landforms