PERRY County, TN

Perry County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2020 census, the population was 8,366. Its county seat and largest town is Linden.

Mousetail Landing State Park is located in the county. The county is bisected east-to-west by US Highway 412 and north-to-south by State Route 13. Perry County is the most sparsely populated county in Tennessee, with an average population density of 18.6 persons/square mile.

History

Pre-Historic Settlement

Little information exists on the settlement of the area that would become Perry County by non-native persons prior to 1818. Archeological evidence suggests a significant population of mound building Native Americans in the county, however, with a number of mounds located near the Tennessee River at Lady's Bluff. Additionally, large numbers of flint arrow heads and tools have been recovered from numerous sites in the county.

Formation and Early History

Permanent settlement by Europeans and enslaved Africans began shortly after 1806, when the area that would become Perry County was acquired from Native Americans. The area was found to have very productive bottom lands with an abundance of water, timber, and wild game. The earleist settlers likely arrived from nearby counties in middle Tennessee, although some did immigrate to the area from North Carolina, Alabama, and Kentucky.

The settlers had established themselves by 1818, probably on Toms Creek, with the first known European birth in the county in that year. Some of the early settlers were veterans of the War of 1812, and some had probably received land grants in the area from the state of North Carolina for service in the American Revolution. In 1819, the Tennessee General Assembly passed an act providing "that a new county be established north of Wayne, west of Hickman, and south of Humphreys, by the name of Perry County, beginning at the southeast corner of Humphreys, running west, thence south, thence east, thence north to place of beginning, and to include all the territory lying between Humphreys, Hardin, Wayne and Hickman Counties." Perry County was officially organized that same year in the home of James Dixon. It was named in honor of Oliver Hazard Perry.

In 1820, the first court in the county was held in the same house under a Judge Humphreys, and the first school was established by Ferney Stanley on Toms Creek. In 1821, the county seat was established in Perryville, located on the west bank of the Tennessee River. In 1830, the settlement of Beardstown was established on a high bluff overlooking the Buffalo River. In 1846, Decatur County was formed from the portions of Perry County west of the Tennessee River. The seat of government and courts were then temporarily relocated to a small town known as Harrisburg, located near the geographic center of the county. In 1847, forty acres located approximately three miles north of Harrisburg on the west bank of the Buffalo River were donated to the county by David B. Harris for the building of a new county seat named Linden. The land was divided into plots and a public square, and the plots were sold off to provide funds for the construction of public buildings. Linden was established as the county seat in 1848, where it remains today, and is the largest municipality in the county. A temporary structure to house the court was built in 1848, and was replaced by a wooden frame buiding in 1849. Harrisburg no longer exists as a organized entity or recognized location. In 1854, Lobelville was established as a post-village on the west bank of the Buffalo River about five miles north of Beardstown by a French trader named Henri de Lobel.

By the early 1830s, significant deposits of iron ore had been discovered in the county. Sufficient quantities were being extracted to justify the construction of a large iron ore furnace on Cedar Creek near the Tennessee River between 1832 and 1834. At its peak, it processed 1,400 tons of pig iron annually. The furnace shut down in 1862, during the Civil War, and was never brought back in to service. The Cedar Grove Iron Furnace is the only twin-stack iron furnace remaining in Tennessee. In addition to iron ore, some marble mining was conducted in the county in the middle of the 19th century.

Civil War

In 1861, Perry County voted in favor of secession by a margin of 780 to 168. Even though the vast majority was pro-secession, the Unionist sentiment was strong and pervasive throughout the war, with men from the county volunteering for both sides in the conflict. About 300 men joined the Confederate Army, with about 200 joining the Union Army. Due to the rural, isolated nature of the region, away from the major railway lines and with only limited access to large landings on the Tennessee River, there were no large-scale engagements in the county. In February 1862, the Cedar Grove Iron Furnace was partially destroyed when it was shelled by Union gunboats USS Conestoga, USS Tyler, and USS Lexington. In the spring of 1863, elements of the Union Army's 6th Tennessee Cavalry Regiment conducted a raid on Linden, which was controlled by a small force of about 120 Confederates. The Union cavalry took the Confederates by surprise, capturing their commanding officer and over 100 men, as well as horses, mules, and armaments. During this engagement, the county courthouse, which was being held by the Confederate forces, was burned, destroying most of the records of the early history of the county. Near the end of the war, a detachment of Confederate cavalry conducted a raid on the county when most of the Federal force had been withdrawn, re-taking control.

Reconstruction and the Modern Era

Martial law was lifted in the county in April 1865, when the civil court held its first session since the beginning of the war. In 1868, a new two-story brick courthouse was built to replace the one burned during the Civil War. From 1881 to 1884, a weekly newspaper entitled the Linden Times was published. No regular paper had been published prior to this, and no paper was published again in the county until the Buffalo River Review was established in 1976.

In the late 19th century, the county was largely known for its tanneries and peanut cultivation, producing over 500,000 bushels of peanuts per year by 1886. In 1887, Congress authorized the construction of a railroad bridge across the Tennessee River connecting Perry and Decatur County. The Tennessee Midland Railroad laid tracks from Lexington, Tennessee to Perryville, and while a terminal allowing the transfer of goods from rail to river shipping was constructed in Perryville, the bridge was never built and the railroad was never extended into Perry County.

By 1910, the population of the county peaked at 8,815. It then proceeded to decline to a low of 5,238 individuals in 1970, a number not seen since the census of 1830.

In 1928, a new court house was built in Linden after the one built in 1868 burned in the early 20th century. Also opening in 1928 was the first bridge across the Tennessee River, connecting Perry County with Decatur County. The bridge, named after World War I Medal of Honor recipient Alvin C. York, was opened on July 5, 1930, as part of a major road building program to provide additional links between Memphis and Nashville. This bridge was later demolished and replaced by a modern concrete bridge in the 1980s. The construction of the road bridge and completion of the highway reduced demand for rail service in the area. Service to the rail terminal at Perryville was discontinued in 1936.

The low population and lack of significant transportation connections in the county never allowed economic activity to expand significantly beyond agriculture and forestry, with some limited light industry and tourism.

In 2007, the Perry County Chamber of Commerce began a concentrated marketing effort to increase nature tourism in the area, using the slogan "Perry County: It's Just Our Nature". In 2008, the first annual Blooming Arts Festival was held in Linden.

Geography

The topography of Perry County is highlighted by high ridges separating creeks flowing into the county's two rivers, typical of the Western Highland Rim region of Tennessee. About 80% of the county is wooded.

Weather and climate

Perry County has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa), characterized by hot, humid summers and cold winters. The average winter temperature is 47.8 degrees Fahrenheit, and the average summer temperature is 75.7 degrees Fahrenheit. The record low of -18 degrees Fahrenheit occurred on January 24, 1963, and the record high of 105 degrees Fahrenheit occurred on July 17, 1980. Average seasonal snowfall is 5.5 inches. Thunderstorms are relatively common in the county, with an average of 53 days per year seeing thunderstorm activity, usually between May and August.

Sixteen tornadoes have been reported in Perry County since the first was recorded in 1909. Of these, 14 have been reported since 1999. The deadliest tornado recorded in the county happened on May 27, 1917, when five people were killed and 67 injured in an estimated EF/4 scale event. Perry County was struck during the May 5, 1999, tornado outbreak, being hit by the strongest tornado reported during the outbreak, killing three people and causing substantial damage to the town of Linden. Another deadly tornado hit the county during the December 23, 2015, outbreak with two killed.

Soil and geology

Soil deposits from the three river drainages located in the county have created fertile bottom lands that are used intensively for agricultural purposes. The soil profile is generally very deep, with slopes suitable for agriculture and building construction. The ridge tops are well drained, loamy, with significant chert rock deposits. Reserves of chert, sand, gravel, limestone, and phosphate can be found in the county. Cherty limestone deposits are the most extensive geologic feature of the county, and an impermiable siltstone and shale base below the chert formations has led to the emergence of numerous fresh water springs.

Hydrography

Two rivers are found in the county. The county's western border is formed by the Tennessee River, which drains most of the western part of the county. The Buffalo River runs south to north through the middle of the county, and empties into the Duck River just north of the county line in Humphreys County. A small portion of the northwest corner of the county drains into the Duck River, outside of the county. The water table is high due to the hard substrate, creating numerous springs and shallow wells.

Protected areas

National protected are

State protected area

Adjacent counties

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 8,366 people, 3,073 households, and 2,068 families residing in the county.

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 7,915 people, and 2,977 households residing in the county. The average household size was 2.55. The population density was 19.1 people per square mile. There were 4,599 housing units. The racial makeup of the county was 95.8% White, 1.5% Black or African American, 0.6% Native American, 0.2% Asian, and 1.5% from two or more races. 1.7% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

Economy

In 2019, the poverty rate in the county was estimated at 16.1%, three percent higher than the statewide average. The median household income was $41,034, and the per capita income was $27,970. Typical of many rural counties, the rate of broadband internet adoption and availability remains low, with about 59% of households reporting access to broadband internet, compared to 78% statewide.

Property values in the county are significantly below the statewide average. In 2019, the median value of owner-occupied housing was $88,100, compared to $167,200 statewide. The rate of owner-occupied housing however, was significantly higher at 82% versus 66%.

Perry County was severely impacted by the economic recession of 2008 and 2009. Unemployment reached nearly 29%, making it the highest in the state of Tennessee, and one of the highest in the United States. The massive amount of unemployment was due to the closure of a major automotive parts plant that employed a significant portion of the county's residents. In April 2020, seasonally unadjusted unemployment peaked again at over 24%, compared to the state average of 15.6%. In 2020, a rubber parts manufacturer that was the largest employer in Lobelville shut down, significantly adding to the county's unemployment rate. As of December 2021 unemployment had fallen to 7.9%, which was still substantially higher than the state average of 3.3%.

Government

The government of Perry County is overseen by a County Mayor and a County Commission. The County Mayor is elected at-large every four years. The County is divided into six districts, each of which elect two Commissioners to the County Commission. Commission meetings are held monthly. Additional elected officials include the property assessor, register of deeds, sheriff, county trustee, and road superintendent.

Politics

Historically, like most of Middle Tennessee, Perry County was overwhelmingly Democratic. It did vote for Warren G. Harding in his record popular vote landslide of 1920, but otherwise no Republican presidential candidate managed to carry the county up to 2004. It did, though, give a plurality to segregationist Alabama Governor George Wallace in 1968, but became one of only six Wallace counties to vote for George McGovern against Richard Nixon’s 3,000-plus-county landslide of 1972.

Since 2000, Perry County has seen a very rapid trend towards the Republican Party. In 2016, indeed, this historically Democratic county was only marginally less Republican than traditional Unionist Republican bastions of East Tennessee.

Cities and towns

City

Town

Unincorporated communities

Incorporated communities by population

Transportation

Transportation infrastructure in Perry County includes one federal highway, numerous state highways, and one general aviation airport. No railroads or interstate highways are present within the county.

Major highways

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Airports

Perry County is served by a small public general aviation airport, James Tucker Airport, located south of Linden. Previously, a private-use helipad (FAA identifier 5TN8) was located at the now-closed Perry Community Hospital in Linden.

Pipelines

Tennessee Gas Pipeline operates a natural gas pipeline that bisects Perry County. A pumping station along the line that is a listed EPA Supefund site is located in Lobelville. This pipeline and pumping station was the subject of a suit against Tennessee Gas Pipeline alleging the release of PCB contaminates into the local environment.

Education

Perry County has one unified school district, the Perry County School System, with four schools. It is managed by the Perry County Board of Education.

Approximately 75% of the population over age 25 has a high school diploma or equivalent, while 12% have a bachelor's degree or higher. Both are significantly below the statewide average of 87% and 27%, respectively.

High schools

Primary schools

Healthcare

In November 2020, the sole hospital in the county, Perry Community Hospital in Linden, announced it would be closing temporarily. Shortly prior to this, the hospital had announced cessation of all services except for the emergency room. The hospital did not re-open, however, and as of 2022 there were no plans to re-open. Prior to its closure, the hospital had over $2 million in accounts payable due. In 2019, the hospital had come under investigation by insurance provider BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee for over $4.5 million in overpayments due to improper billing practices.

Perry County is served by a local health department that provides basic healthcare services, including vaccinations, disease testing, primary care, and pediatrics. In addition to services provided by the health department, a small clinic funded by a Rural Health Initiative Grant was constructed in 1979 to provide essential outpatient services in the county.

As of 2019, 14.5% of the county's population under the age of 65 lacked health insurance. Additionally, 15.6% of the population under the age of 65 was disabled.

COVID-19 Pandemic

As of early March 2022, Perry County has experienced a total of 2,327 COVID-19 cases, along with 48 deaths and 59 hospitalizations. Additionally, as of March 7, 2022, Perry County had the 6th lowest vaccination rate in the state, with only 41% of the population fully vaccinated, over 10 percent lower than the state average.

Notable individuals