Erwin | |
---|---|
Motto(s): "Where the Mountains and the People Welcome You." [1] | |
Coordinates: 36°8′42″N82°24′39″W / 36.14500°N 82.41083°W | |
Country | United States |
State | Tennessee |
County | Unicoi |
Settled | 1780s [2] |
Founded | 1876 [2] |
Incorporated | 1903 [3] |
Named for | David J.N. Ervin, early resident [4] |
Government | |
• Type | Municipal Corporation |
• Mayor | Glenn White |
• Aldermen | Gary Chandler, Gary Edwards, Mark Lafever, Virgil Moore, Rachelle Shurtz |
Area | |
• Total | 4.13 sq mi (10.70 km2) |
• Land | 4.13 sq mi (10.69 km2) |
• Water | 0.01 sq mi (0.01 km2) |
Elevation | 1,673 ft (510 m) |
Population | |
• Total | 6,083 |
• Density | 1,474.31/sq mi (569.20/km2) |
Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
ZIP code | 37650 |
Area code | 423 |
FIPS code | 47-24360 [7] |
GNIS feature ID | 1328148 [8] |
Website | erwintn.org |
Erwin is a town in and the county seat of Unicoi County, Tennessee, United States. [9] The population was 6,097 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Johnson City metropolitan area, which is a component of the "Tri-Cities" region.
The town of Erwin received its name by a mail mishap. On December 5, 1879, the name of the town was Ervin, in honor of D.J.N. Ervin, who had donated 15 acres (61,000 m2) of land for the county seat. A typo made by post office officials caused the name to be recorded as Erwin. The mistake was never corrected.[ citation needed ]
Erwin earned some notoriety in 1916 when the only known public execution of an elephant in Tennessee occurred in the community. [10] [11] Mary, an elephant in 'Sparks World Famous Shows' traveling circus, had killed her handler, Walter Eldridge, in nearby Kingsport after the inexperienced trainer allegedly struck Mary on the head with a hook. News of a killer elephant spread via rumors and sensationalist news stories, and calls for Mary's execution began. Some towns announced they would turn the circus away if it showed up with the elephant. So Mary's owner, Charlie Sparks, decided to execute Mary by hanging in order to appease the crowds. Erwin was a little more than 35 miles south of Kingsport, and as home to the region's largest railway yard they happened to have a 100-ton crane car that could lift the five-ton elephant. [12] An estimated 2,500 people turned out at the local railway yard to see Mary hoisted by a crane to meet her demise. Playwright George Brant won the 2008 Keene Prize for Literature for his a one-act play titled “Elephant’s Graveyard”, depicting this story. [12] [13] The town recently implemented a yearly festival and Elephant Art Auction; whereby, artists paint small elephant sculptures displayed around town that are then auctioned, with all proceeds donated exclusively to The Elephant Sanctuary in Hohenwald. [14] [15]
Between 1916 and 1957, the Southern Potteries plant operated in Erwin along Ohio Avenue. The plant produced a hand-painted dishware known as Blue Ridge that became popular nationwide in the late 1930s and 1940s.[ citation needed ] Blue Ridge pieces are still popular items with collectors of antique dishware.[ citation needed ]
In 1918, a group of its white citizens committed an inhumane “banishment," a violent incident that involved the murder of a black man and the violent, forcible eviction of all other black citizens from the town by a white mob. [16] In the 20th century, the town was considered a sundown town. [17]
Erwin is located at 36°8′42″N82°24′39″W / 36.14500°N 82.41083°W (36.145036, -82.410796), [18] The town is situated in a valley at the confluence of North Indian Creek, which approaches from the northeast, and the Nolichucky River, which enters the valley from the mountains to the southeast. Just before reaching Erwin, the Nolichucky passes through a narrow gorge popular with whitewater rafters.
Erwin is surrounded by the Cherokee National Forest, and mountains dominate the view in all directions. Buffalo Mountain rises to the north, Rich Mountain rises to the west, and the Unaka Mountains rise to the south and east.
The Appalachian Trail passes east of Erwin. The trail crosses the Nolichucky near the western end of the Nolichucky Gorge, at a place known as Unaka Springs. Nearby is "Moaning Rock", a large boulder near the trail that is supposed to be the site of a long ago murder of a stranger. According to local lore, the murdered man's spirit is still around, and if anyone stands on or even touches the rock, "...it moans as if under a heavy burden." [19]
Interstate 26 passes through western and southern Erwin. Tennessee State Route 107 (North Main Avenue) connects Erwin to Unicoi to the north and the Embreeville area and Washington County to the west. Tennessee State Route 395 connects Erwin with the rural parts of Mitchell and Yancey counties to the east in North Carolina, crossing the Unakas at the 3,100-foot (940 m) Indian Grave Gap (the road becomes North Carolina Highway 197 at the state line).
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 3.5 square miles (9.1 km2), of which 3.5 square miles (9.1 km2) is land and 0.28% is water.
Climate data for Erwin 1 W, Tennessee (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1979–present) | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Record high °F (°C) | 75 (24) | 82 (28) | 85 (29) | 90 (32) | 91 (33) | 101 (38) | 102 (39) | 101 (38) | 98 (37) | 92 (33) | 84 (29) | 78 (26) | 102 (39) |
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 47.3 (8.5) | 50.8 (10.4) | 58.7 (14.8) | 68.4 (20.2) | 76.2 (24.6) | 82.8 (28.2) | 85.4 (29.7) | 84.9 (29.4) | 80.2 (26.8) | 69.9 (21.1) | 58.9 (14.9) | 50.3 (10.2) | 67.8 (19.9) |
Daily mean °F (°C) | 35.9 (2.2) | 38.9 (3.8) | 45.8 (7.7) | 54.5 (12.5) | 63.0 (17.2) | 70.5 (21.4) | 73.8 (23.2) | 73.0 (22.8) | 67.6 (19.8) | 56.6 (13.7) | 45.7 (7.6) | 39.1 (3.9) | 55.4 (13.0) |
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 24.5 (−4.2) | 26.9 (−2.8) | 33.0 (0.6) | 40.7 (4.8) | 49.8 (9.9) | 58.1 (14.5) | 62.2 (16.8) | 61.1 (16.2) | 55.0 (12.8) | 43.3 (6.3) | 32.5 (0.3) | 28.0 (−2.2) | 42.9 (6.1) |
Record low °F (°C) | −20 (−29) | −11 (−24) | −5 (−21) | 19 (−7) | 24 (−4) | 37 (3) | 45 (7) | 45 (7) | 31 (−1) | 22 (−6) | 12 (−11) | −5 (−21) | −20 (−29) |
Average precipitation inches (mm) | 3.46 (88) | 3.27 (83) | 3.82 (97) | 3.99 (101) | 4.83 (123) | 5.07 (129) | 5.51 (140) | 4.76 (121) | 3.28 (83) | 2.54 (65) | 2.83 (72) | 3.64 (92) | 47.00 (1,194) |
Average snowfall inches (cm) | 3.4 (8.6) | 2.5 (6.4) | 0.9 (2.3) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.1 (0.25) | 2.4 (6.1) | 9.3 (24) |
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 12.0 | 11.0 | 11.9 | 10.9 | 13.4 | 13.3 | 13.8 | 12.3 | 9.6 | 8.4 | 9.3 | 11.6 | 137.5 |
Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 2.3 | 1.4 | 0.9 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 1.2 | 6.0 |
Source: NOAA [20] [21] |
Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
---|---|---|---|
1910 | 1,149 | — | |
1920 | 2,965 | 158.1% | |
1930 | 3,623 | 22.2% | |
1940 | 3,350 | −7.5% | |
1950 | 3,387 | 1.1% | |
1960 | 3,210 | −5.2% | |
1970 | 4,715 | 46.9% | |
1980 | 4,739 | 0.5% | |
1990 | 5,015 | 5.8% | |
2000 | 5,610 | 11.9% | |
2010 | 6,097 | 8.7% | |
2020 | 6,083 | −0.2% | |
Sources: [22] [23] [6] |
Race | Number | Percentage |
---|---|---|
White (non-Hispanic) | 5,417 | 89.05% |
Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 19 | 0.31% |
Native American | 10 | 0.16% |
Asian | 11 | 0.18% |
Other/Mixed | 185 | 3.04% |
Hispanic or Latino | 441 | 7.25% |
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 6,083 people, 2,657 households, and 1,632 families residing in the town.
At the 2000 census there were 5,610 people in 2,470 households, including 1,588 families, in the city. The population density was 1,582.8 inhabitants per square mile (611.1/km2). There were 2,645 housing units at an average density of 746.2 per square mile (288.1/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 97.77% White, 0.05% African American, 0.29% Native American, 0.11% Asian, 1.02% from other races, and 0.77% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.00%. [7]
Of the 2,470 households 23.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.6% were married couples living together, 10.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.7% were non-families. 33.6% of households were one person and 18.3% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.21 and the average family size was 2.80.
The age distribution was 19.7% under the age of 18, 6.8% from 18 to 24, 25.5% from 25 to 44, 25.1% from 45 to 64, and 22.9% 65 or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females, there were 86.3 males. [25]
The median household income was $29,644 and the median family income was $37,813. Males had a median income of $31,894 versus $20,118 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,868. About 7.5% of families and 13.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.7% of those under age 18 and 8.2% of those age 65 or over.
Nuclear Fuel Services has a major facility in Erwin. It began operation in 1957 as the Davison Chemical Division of the W.R. Grace Company. [26] Production activities at the Erwin facility include preparing enriched uranium to be processed into nuclear reactor fuel, processing uranium hexafluoride into other uranium compounds, and downblending high-enriched uranium to convert it to a low-enriched form for use in commercial nuclear reactors. Historically the facility also worked with thorium compounds. [26]
Erwin was host to a CSX rail yard, diesel shop, and car repair facility, which closed in 2015.
In 1940, the city hosted a Minor League Baseball team of the Appalachian League called the Erwin Mountaineers. [27] The same league's Erwin Aces played there in 1943 as did the Erwin Cubs in 1944, both as farm clubs of the Chicago Cubs. [27] The Aces won the 1943 Appalachian League playoff championship. [28]
Washington County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2020 census, the population was 133,001. Its county seat is Jonesborough. The county's largest city and a regional educational, medical and commercial center is Johnson City. Washington County is Tennessee's oldest county, having been established in 1777 when the state was still part of North Carolina. Washington County is part of the Johnson City, TN 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.
Unicoi County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2020 census, the population was 17,928. Its county seat is Erwin. Unicoi is a Cherokee word meaning "white," "hazy," "fog-like," or "fog draped," and refers to the mist often seen in the foothills and mountains of this far northeast county. Unicoi County 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.
Greene County is a county located on the eastern border of the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2020 census, the population was 70,152. Its county seat is Greeneville. Greene County comprises the Greeneville, TN Micropolitan Statistical Area.
Carter County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2020 census, the population was 56,356. Its county seat is Elizabethton. The county is named in honor of Landon Carter (1760–1800), an early settler active in the "Lost State of Franklin" 1784-1788 secession from the State of North Carolina. Carter County is part of the Johnson City, TN Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is a component of the Johnson City–Kingsport–Bristol, TN-VA Combined Statistical Area, located in northeastern Tennessee.
Mitchell County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 14,903. Its county seat is Bakersville.
Towns County is a county located in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 12,493. Its county seat is Hiawassee. The county was created on March 6, 1856, and named for lawyer, legislator, and politician George W. Towns.
Hiawassee is the county seat of Towns County, Georgia, United States. The community's population was 880 at the 2010 census. Its name is derived from the Cherokee—or perhaps Creek—word Ayuhwasi, which means meadow, Hiawassee is also known in the novel "Restart" by Gordon Korman.
Helen is a small city in White County, Georgia, United States, located along the Chattahoochee River. The population was 531 at the 2020 census. The city has now been made over, as a tourist attraction, to look like an old-world Bavarian village. This idea was suggested by John Kollock, an Atlanta artist.
Baileyton is a town in northern Greene County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 431 at the 2010 census, down from 504 at the 2000 census. Baileyton is located 13 miles (21 km) north of Greeneville and 18 miles (29 km) southeast of Rogersville.
Greeneville is a town in and the county seat of Greene County, Tennessee, United States. The population as of the 2020 census was 15,479. The town was named in honor of Revolutionary War hero Nathanael Greene, and it is the second oldest town in Tennessee. It is the only town with this spelling in the United States, although there are numerous U.S. towns named Greenville. The town was the capital of the short-lived State of Franklin in the 18th-century history of East Tennessee.
Huntsville is a town in Scott County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 1,270 at the 2020 census and 1,248 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Scott County.
Unicoi is a town in Unicoi County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 3,519 at the 2000 census and 3,632 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Johnson City Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is a component of the Johnson City–Kingsport–Bristol–Erwin–Flag Pond Combined Statistical Area – commonly known as the "Tri-Cities" region.
Jonesborough is a town in, and the county seat of, Washington County, Tennessee, in the Southeastern United States. Its population was 5,860 as of 2020. It is "Tennessee's oldest town".
Vonore is a town in Monroe County, Tennessee, which is located on the southeast border of the state. The population was 1,574 as of the 2020 census. The city hall, library, community center, police department, and fire department are located on Church Street.
Kingsport is a city in Sullivan and Hawkins counties in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2020 census, its population was 55,442. Lying along the Holston River, Kingsport is commonly included in what is known as the Mountain Empire, which spans a portion of southwest Virginia and the mountainous counties in northeastern Tennessee. It is the largest city in the Kingsport–Bristol metropolitan area, which had a population of 307,614 in 2020. The metro area is a component of the larger Tri-Cities region of Tennessee and Virginia, with a population of 508,260 in 2020.
The Tri-Cities is the region comprising the cities of Kingsport, Johnson City, and Bristol and the surrounding smaller towns and communities in Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia. All three cities are located in Northeast Tennessee, while Bristol has a twin city of the same name in Virginia.
The Nolichucky River is a 115-mile (185 km) river that flows through western North Carolina and East Tennessee in the southeastern United States. Traversing the Pisgah National Forest and the Cherokee National Forest in the Blue Ridge Mountains, the river's watershed includes some of the highest mountains in the Appalachians, including Mount Mitchell in North Carolina, the highest point in the eastern United States. The river is a tributary of the French Broad River and is impounded by Nolichucky Dam near Greeneville, Tennessee.
The Unaka Range is a mountain range on the border of Tennessee and North Carolina, in the southeastern United States. It is a subrange of the Appalachian Mountains and is part of the Blue Ridge Mountains physiographic province. The Unakas stretch approximately from the Nolichucky River in the south to the Watauga River in the north.
The Bald Mountains are a mountain range rising along the border between Tennessee and North Carolina in the southeastern United States. They are part of the Blue Ridge Mountain Province of the Southern Appalachian Mountains. The Bald Mountains stretch from the Pigeon River in the south to the Nolichucky River in the north, and comprise parts of Cocke County, Greene County, and Unicoi County in Tennessee and parts of Madison County and Yancey County in North Carolina. The Great Smoky Mountains border the range to the south, and the Unakas rise opposite the Nolichucky to the north. The range gets its name from the relatively frequent occurrence of grassy balds atop the more prominent summits.
The Johnson City Metropolitan Statistical Area, as defined by the United States Census Bureau, is an area consisting of three counties in East Tennessee, anchored by the city of Johnson City. As of the 2020 census, the MSA had a population of 207,285.