Van Buren County, Tennessee

Van Buren County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2010 census, the population was 5,548,[2] making it the second-least populous county in Tennessee. Its county seat is Spencer.[3]

Van Buren County
U.S. county
Van Buren County Courthouse in Spencer
Location within the U.S. state of Tennessee
Tennessee's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 35°41′N 85°28′W
Country United States
State Tennessee
FoundedJanuary 3, 1840
Named forMartin Van Buren[1]
SeatSpencer
Largest townSpencer
Area
 • Total275 sq mi (710 km2)
 • Land273 sq mi (710 km2)
 • Water1.1 sq mi (3 km2)  0.4%%
Population
 • Estimate 
(2018)
5,762
 • Density20/sq mi (8/km2)
Time zoneUTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional districts4th, 6th
Websitevanburencountytn.com

History

Van Buren County was formed in 1840 from parts of White, Warren and Bledsoe counties. It was named for President Martin Van Buren.[1] The county seat, Spencer, was home to Burritt College, one of the South's first coeducational colleges, during the 19th and early 20th centuries.[1]

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 275 square miles (710 km2), of which 273 square miles (710 km2) is land and 1.1 square miles (2.8 km2) (0.4%) is water.[4] The county straddles the western edge of the Cumberland Plateau, with the eastern portion of the county lying atop the Plateau, and the western portion lying on the lower Highland Rim.[1] The Caney Fork, the county's primary drainage, forms part of its northern border with White County. The Rocky River, a tributary of the Caney Fork, forms part of the county's western border with Warren. Cane Creek, another tributary of the Caney Fork, drains the Fall Creek Falls area.

Fall Creek Falls
Hills near Spencer

Big Bone Cave is located in the northwest corner of Van Buren County. It is one of the best-known and most historic caverns in Tennessee. It was mined by prehistoric Indians for gypsum and salts and was the site of the largest saltpeter mine in Tennessee during the War of 1812 and again during the American Civil War. The cave is named for the discovery of the skeleton of a Giant Ground Sloth (Megalonyx jeffersoni) by saltpeter miners in 1811. Many of the wooden saltpeter mining artifacts in the cave remain in a remarkable state of preservation, due to the extreme dryness of the cave.[5] [6]

Van Buren County boasts over 850 documented caves (over 3.09 caves per square mile), making it one of the most cave dense regions in the world (nearby White County has over 3.17 caves per square mile).[7]

Adjacent counties

State protected areas

Demographics
Historical population
CensusPop.%±
18502,674—
18602,581−3.5%
18702,7255.6%
18802,9337.6%
18902,863−2.4%
19003,1269.2%
19102,784−10.9%
19202,624−5.7%
19303,51634.0%
19404,09016.3%
19503,985−2.6%
19603,671−7.9%
19703,7582.4%
19804,72825.8%
19904,8462.5%
20005,50813.7%
20105,5480.7%
Est. 20185,762[8]3.9%
U.S. Decennial Census[9]
1790-1960[10] 1900-1990[11]
1990-2000[12] 2010-2014[2]
Age pyramid Van Buren County[13]

As of the 2010 census,[14] there were 5,548 people and 2,096 households in the county. The population density was 20.3 people per square mile (8/km²). There were 2,673 housing units at an average density of 9.8 per square mile (3/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 97.5% White, 0.7% Black or African American, 0.3% Native American, 0.2% Asian, and 0.9% from two or more races. 0.9% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 2,096 households out of which 29.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.9% were married couples living together, 11.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.0% were non-families. 24.3% of all households were made up of individuals, while 30.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43. 82.6% of occupied housing units were owner-occupied, meaning that 17.4% were renter-occupied.

In the county, the population was spread out with 23.2% up to the age of 19, 8.8% from 20 to 29, 12.4% from 30 to 39, 13.4% from 40 to 49, 16.8% from 50 to 59, 14.7% from 60 to 69, and 10.7% who were 70 years of age or older. The median age was 44.5 years. Women make up 50.2% of the population.

The median income for a household in the county was $29,087. The per capita income for the county was $17,160. 24.6% of the population were below the poverty line.

Recreation

Van Buren County is home to a portion of Fall Creek Falls State Resort Park.

Communities

Town

Unincorporated communities

Education

Van Buren County Schools operates public schools.

Notable people
  • James Monroe Smith (1888–1949), educator

Politics
Presidential election results
Presidential Elections Results[15]
Year Republican Democratic Third Parties
2016 75.2% 1,820 22.3% 539 2.5% 60
2012 60.3% 1,386 38.0% 875 1.7% 39
2008 58.7% 1,294 38.5% 849 2.9% 63
2004 47.7% 1,120 51.5% 1,209 0.8% 18
2000 39.7% 845 58.9% 1,255 1.5% 31
1996 30.3% 504 60.7% 1,010 9.0% 149
1992 26.7% 555 63.9% 1,329 9.4% 196
1988 49.4% 780 50.4% 796 0.3% 4
1984 46.8% 718 52.8% 810 0.5% 7
1980 35.5% 499 63.1% 886 1.4% 19
1976 24.0% 346 75.2% 1,085 0.8% 11
1972 61.6% 629 35.7% 364 2.7% 28
1968 29.3% 327 25.3% 282 45.4% 507
1964 25.3% 293 74.7% 865
1960 40.3% 401 58.0% 577 1.7% 17
1956 38.5% 381 60.8% 602 0.8% 8
1952 36.1% 393 62.0% 674 1.9% 21
1948 30.5% 298 65.0% 636 4.5% 44
1944 35.5% 291 64.2% 526 0.4% 3
1940 30.2% 318 69.5% 732 0.3% 3
1936 26.7% 251 73.3% 690
1932 23.5% 196 73.6% 613 2.9% 24
1928 49.7% 257 50.3% 260
1924 25.5% 123 73.9% 357 0.6% 3
1920 38.3% 223 60.3% 351 1.4% 8
1916 26.6% 151 71.3% 405 2.1% 12
1912 27.5% 106 58.4% 225 14.0% 54
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See also
  • National Register of Historic Places listings in Van Buren County, Tennessee

References
  1. Margaret Binnicker, "Van Buren County," Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture. Retrieved: 19 April 2013.
  2. "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved December 7, 2013.
  3. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved 2011-06-07.
  4. "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Retrieved April 14, 2015.
  5. Thomas C. Barr, Jr., Caves of Tennessee, Tennessee Division of Geology, Bulletin 64, 1961.
  6. Larry E. Matthews, Big Bone Cave, National Speleological Society, 220 pp, 2006. ISBN 978-1-879961-24-1
  7. "Tennessee Cave Survey". www.subworks.com. Retrieved 2016-03-29.
  8. "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". Retrieved July 20, 2019.
  9. "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 14, 2015.
  10. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved April 14, 2015.
  11. Forstall, Richard L., ed. (March 27, 1995). "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 14, 2015.
  12. "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. April 2, 2001. Retrieved April 14, 2015.
  13. Based on 2000 census data
  14. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2011-05-14.
  15. Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved 2018-03-12.

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