Adamsville, Tennessee
Encyclopedia
Adamsville is a town in Hardin
and McNairy counties in the U.S. state
of Tennessee
. The population was 2,207 at the 2010 census. Adamsville is named after George D. Adams, who operated an inn and stagecoach stop in the 1840s. Adamsville's nickname is the "Biggest Little Town in Tennessee" and was the home for Sheriff Buford Pusser
.
would be opened, just north of where the Adamsville Cemetery is today. The trading post served the local Native
communities and Anglo settlers. In 1838 the Bell's detachment of the Trail of Tears
traveled through Adamsville. Settlers from North Carolina
and Maury County, Tennessee migrated to the area and the settlement developed an agricultural economy. When the Battle of Shiloh
took place in 1862, Union Army
soldiers were located in Adamsville.
Adamsville was incorporated in 1870. The town struggled to grow until roads were improved in the early 20th-century. Agriculture remained the main economic developer until the textile industry
came into the area with Myrna Mills factory opening, and then other factories following.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the town has a total area of 6.9 square miles (18.0 km²), of which, 6.9 square miles (17.9 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.1 km²) of it (0.72%) is water.
Adamsville is located primarily in McNairy County; only a small part of the municipal area lies in Hardin County.
of 2000, there were 1,983 people, 835 households, and 552 families residing in the town. The population density
was 287.3 people per square mile (111.0/km²). There were 937 housing units at an average density of 135.8 per square mile (52.4/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 98.13% White, 1.01% African American, 0.05% Native American, 0.10% Asian, and 0.71% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.50% of the population.
There were 835 households out of which 25.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.2% were married couples
living together, 10.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.8% were non-families. 31.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 18.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.20 and the average family size was 2.73.
In the town the population was spread out with 20.5% under the age of 18, 6.1% from 18 to 24, 23.4% from 25 to 44, 24.2% from 45 to 64, and 25.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 45 years. For every 100 females there were 72.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 70.6 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $30,929, and the median income for a family was $37,993. Males had a median income of $31,154 versus $21,250 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $18,806. About 13.0% of families and 16.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.9% of those under age 18 and 36.0% of those age 65 or over.
and four miles east of the town proper is the Tennessee Technology Center. Masco
's southern unit for their bath accessories and products is located in Adamsville. Riley Industries, a parts supplier for the automotive industry and related industrial fabricators, has it's corporate headquarters in the town. Jones Exhaust Systems, engineering consultants Aqua Dynamics Group, Langley Wire Cloth Products, and Better Source Supply Company all have major locations in the town, as well. The Adamsville Partnership organization was formed by local businesses, property owners, professionals and related parties to promote the community.
s", a delicacy found in west Tennessee, north east Mississippi and north west Alabama. The Fat Cat slugburger consists of a hamburger
patty made of beef and soy grits which is then deep fried and served on a bun with condiments. Another local delicacy is the baked cabbage
at the Saw Meal Restaurant and Steakhouse.
weekend the four day Buford Pusser Festival is held at the Buford Pusser Memorial Park. The local preliminary for Miss Tennessee
, the Miss Walking Tall Pageant is held at the Marty community center. A number of other cultural events such as the HeeHaw Show, the Adamsville Music Fest, the Miss Adamsville Music Fest Pageant, the Buford Pusser Horse Show, a fall festival and two Christmas events also take place.
Home and Museum is located in Adamsville in the former home of the county sheriff. Pusser is also buried in the Adamsville Cemetery. Gibb's Gas & Oil Collectibles is an appointment only museum of old gas pumps, gas and oil signs, oil can
s, and other service station
memorabilia. Adamsville's public library is the Irving Meek Jr. Memorial Library. The local War Memorial Park is located off of Highway 64 and Old Stage. It commemorates veterans and those who died from Adamsville in World War I and II, the Korean War
and Vietnam War
. The Old Home Motel was built in 1960 by Joe and Juanita Richardson. Buford Pusser lived at the hotel for a time, and Elvis Presley
stayed the night there.
and American football
leagues, a cheerleading
team, basketball
and soccer teams. The town also offers other sports for youth and adults including softball
and baseball. Every year the department plans a 5K run to coincide with the annual Buford Pusser Memorial Festival. The city park, also named after Buford Pusser, sits on land that was founded as a sandlot
and horse barn by Pusser and the Adamsville Jaycees in 1973. The city park formed out of a fundraiser which featured musicians George Jones
and Tammy Wynette
, and continued funding and grants go towards improving the park. The city park has a lighted basketball court and tennis courts, a playground, three ball fields, an open air pavilion, grills and picnic tables, and a walking track. Shiloh Golf Course is an 18-hole golf course
. The golf course is on historical land: the number two and number four greens lie along the road where General Lew Wallace
marched his three brigades to the Battle of Shiloh
on April 6, 1852.
The department also maintains a senior center which distributes Meals on Wheels
and related services. The Marty community center is also maintained by the Recreation & Parks department for public use and also has live entertainment, including the monthly Adamsville Bluegrass Jamboree.
and serves pre-kindergarten to 6th graders. The high school provides education to 7-12th graders in the county. The school has been listed as one of U.S. News & World Report
's best high schools in America. The school mascot is the cardinal
.
Buford Pusser
lived in Adamsville. The 44th Governor of Tennessee, Ray Blanton
, lived in Adamsville and is buried in Shiloh National Military Park
. Miss Tennessee USA
2011 and Miss Tennessee Teen USA
2006, Ashley Durham
, is from Adamsville. Rock n' roll disc jockey Dewey Phillips
was born in Adamsville and is buried in nearby Crump Cemetery.
Hardin County, Tennessee
Hardin County is a county located in the U.S. State of Tennessee. As of 2010, the population was 26,026. The Hardin County seat is Savannah. The county was named posthumously for Col. Joseph Hardin, a Revolutionary War soldier and a legislative representative for the Province of North Carolina and...
and McNairy counties in the U.S. 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...
. The population was 2,207 at the 2010 census. Adamsville is named after George D. Adams, who operated an inn and stagecoach stop in the 1840s. Adamsville's nickname is the "Biggest Little Town in Tennessee" and was the home for Sheriff Buford Pusser
Buford Pusser
Buford Hayse Pusser was the Sheriff of McNairy County, Tennessee , from 1964 to 1970. Pusser is known for his virtual one-man war on moonshining, prostitution, gambling, and other vices on the Mississippi-Tennessee state-line. His story has directly inspired several books, songs, movies and at...
.
History
The area in and around Adamsville was first surveyed by David Crocket. Just after 1818, George C. Adams and his family were the first settlers of European ancestry to locate to the area. A trading postTrading post
A trading post was a place or establishment in historic Northern America where the trading of goods took place. The preferred travel route to a trading post or between trading posts, was known as a trade route....
would be opened, just north of where the Adamsville Cemetery is today. The trading post served the local Native
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
communities and Anglo settlers. In 1838 the Bell's detachment of 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...
traveled through Adamsville. Settlers from 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...
and Maury County, Tennessee migrated to the area and the settlement developed an agricultural economy. When the Battle of Shiloh
Battle of Shiloh
The Battle of Shiloh, also known as the Battle of Pittsburg Landing, was a major battle in the Western Theater of the American Civil War, fought April 6–7, 1862, in southwestern Tennessee. A Union army under Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant had moved via the Tennessee River deep into Tennessee and...
took place in 1862, Union Army
Union Army
The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
soldiers were located in Adamsville.
Adamsville was incorporated in 1870. The town struggled to grow until roads were improved in the early 20th-century. Agriculture remained the main economic developer until the textile industry
Textile industry
The textile industry is primarily concerned with the production of yarn, and cloth and the subsequent design or manufacture of clothing and their distribution. The raw material may be natural, or synthetic using products of the chemical industry....
came into the area with Myrna Mills factory opening, and then other factories following.
Geography
Adamsville is located at 35°15′0"N 88°23′25"W (35.250124, -88.390311).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 town has a total area of 6.9 square miles (18.0 km²), of which, 6.9 square miles (17.9 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.1 km²) of it (0.72%) is water.
Adamsville is located primarily in McNairy County; only a small part of the municipal area lies in Hardin County.
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 1,983 people, 835 households, and 552 families residing in the town. 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 287.3 people per square mile (111.0/km²). There were 937 housing units at an average density of 135.8 per square mile (52.4/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 98.13% White, 1.01% African American, 0.05% Native American, 0.10% Asian, and 0.71% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.50% of the population.
There were 835 households out of which 25.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.2% 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, 10.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.8% were non-families. 31.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 18.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.20 and the average family size was 2.73.
In the town the population was spread out with 20.5% under the age of 18, 6.1% from 18 to 24, 23.4% from 25 to 44, 24.2% from 45 to 64, and 25.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 45 years. For every 100 females there were 72.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 70.6 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $30,929, and the median income for a family was $37,993. Males had a median income of $31,154 versus $21,250 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 town was $18,806. About 13.0% of families and 16.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.9% of those under age 18 and 36.0% of those age 65 or over.
Economy
Adamsville has an 85 acre industrial parkIndustrial park
An industrial park is an area zoned and planned for the purpose of industrial development...
and four miles east of the town proper is the Tennessee Technology Center. Masco
Masco
-Plumbing products:-Decorative architectural products:North America* Behr Process Corporation* Franklin Brass Mfg. Corp. * Ginger* Liberty Hardware* Masterchem Industries LLC* Melard Manufacturing Corp....
's southern unit for their bath accessories and products is located in Adamsville. Riley Industries, a parts supplier for the automotive industry and related industrial fabricators, has it's corporate headquarters in the town. Jones Exhaust Systems, engineering consultants Aqua Dynamics Group, Langley Wire Cloth Products, and Better Source Supply Company all have major locations in the town, as well. The Adamsville Partnership organization was formed by local businesses, property owners, professionals and related parties to promote the community.
Arts and culture
Adamsville's Fat Cat Grill serves "slugburgerSlugburger
A slugburger is a traditional southern delicacy found in northeast Mississippi, particularly Corinth, Iuka and northwest Alabama. Consisting of a patty made from a mixture of beef or pork and an inexpensive extender such as soybeans, it is deep fried in oil...
s", a delicacy found in west Tennessee, north east Mississippi and north west Alabama. The Fat Cat slugburger consists of a hamburger
Hamburger
A hamburger is a sandwich consisting of a cooked patty of ground meat usually placed inside a sliced bread roll...
patty made of beef and soy grits which is then deep fried and served on a bun with condiments. Another local delicacy is the baked cabbage
Cabbage
Cabbage is a popular cultivar of the species Brassica oleracea Linne of the Family Brassicaceae and is a leafy green vegetable...
at the Saw Meal Restaurant and Steakhouse.
Annual events
Adamsville holds a large number of annual events. Every Memorial DayMemorial Day
Memorial Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the last Monday of May. Formerly known as Decoration Day, it originated after the American Civil War to commemorate the fallen Union soldiers of the Civil War...
weekend the four day Buford Pusser Festival is held at the Buford Pusser Memorial Park. The local preliminary for Miss Tennessee
Miss Tennessee
The Miss Tennessee competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of Tennessee in the Miss America pageant.-History:...
, the Miss Walking Tall Pageant is held at the Marty community center. A number of other cultural events such as the HeeHaw Show, the Adamsville Music Fest, the Miss Adamsville Music Fest Pageant, the Buford Pusser Horse Show, a fall festival and two Christmas events also take place.
Points of interest
The Buford PusserBuford Pusser
Buford Hayse Pusser was the Sheriff of McNairy County, Tennessee , from 1964 to 1970. Pusser is known for his virtual one-man war on moonshining, prostitution, gambling, and other vices on the Mississippi-Tennessee state-line. His story has directly inspired several books, songs, movies and at...
Home and Museum is located in Adamsville in the former home of the county sheriff. Pusser is also buried in the Adamsville Cemetery. Gibb's Gas & Oil Collectibles is an appointment only museum of old gas pumps, gas and oil signs, oil can
Oil can
An oil can is a can that holds oil for lubricating machines. An oil can can also be used to fill oil-based lanterns...
s, and other service station
Service station
Service station may refer to:* Filling station, a gasoline or petrol station* Automobile repair shop, a place where automobiles are repaired* Rest area, a public facility on motorways or controlled-access highways for resting or refuelling...
memorabilia. Adamsville's public library is the Irving Meek Jr. Memorial Library. The local War Memorial Park is located off of Highway 64 and Old Stage. It commemorates veterans and those who died from Adamsville in World War I and II, the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
and Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
. The Old Home Motel was built in 1960 by Joe and Juanita Richardson. Buford Pusser lived at the hotel for a time, and Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
stayed the night there.
Parks and recreation
Established in 1998, the Adamsville Recreation & Parks Department maintains flagFlag football
Flag football is a version of Canadian football or American football that is popular worldwide. The basic rules of the game are similar to those of the mainstream game , but instead of tackling players to the ground, the defensive team must remove a flag or flag belt from the ball carrier to end...
and American football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
leagues, a cheerleading
Cheerleading
Cheerleading is a physical activity, sometimes a competitive sport, based on organized routines, usually ranging from one to three minutes, which contain the components of tumbling, dance, jumps, cheers, and stunting to direct spectators of events to cheer on sports teams at games or to participate...
team, basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
and soccer teams. The town also offers other sports for youth and adults including softball
Softball
Softball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of 10 to 14 players. It is a direct descendant of baseball although there are some key differences: softballs are larger than baseballs, and the pitches are thrown underhand rather than overhand...
and baseball. Every year the department plans a 5K run to coincide with the annual Buford Pusser Memorial Festival. The city park, also named after Buford Pusser, sits on land that was founded as a sandlot
Sandlot
Sandlot may refer to:* The Sandlot, a 1993 film about young baseball players, and its sequels** The Sandlot 2, a 2005 film** The Sandlot: Heading Home, a 2007 film* Sandlot , a Japanese game developer...
and horse barn by Pusser and the Adamsville Jaycees in 1973. The city park formed out of a fundraiser which featured musicians George Jones
George Jones
George Glenn Jones is an American country music singer known for his long list of hit records, his distinctive voice and phrasing, and his marriage to Tammy Wynette....
and Tammy Wynette
Tammy Wynette
Virginia Wynette Pugh, known professionally as Tammy Wynette , was an American country music singer-songwriter and one of the genre's best-known artists and biggest-selling female vocalists....
, and continued funding and grants go towards improving the park. The city park has a lighted basketball court and tennis courts, a playground, three ball fields, an open air pavilion, grills and picnic tables, and a walking track. Shiloh Golf Course is an 18-hole golf course
Golf course
A golf course comprises a series of holes, each consisting of a teeing ground, fairway, rough and other hazards, and a green with a flagstick and cup, all designed for the game of golf. A standard round of golf consists of playing 18 holes, thus most golf courses have this number of holes...
. The golf course is on historical land: the number two and number four greens lie along the road where General Lew Wallace
Lew Wallace
Lewis "Lew" Wallace was an American lawyer, Union general in the American Civil War, territorial governor and statesman, politician and author...
marched his three brigades to the Battle of Shiloh
Battle of Shiloh
The Battle of Shiloh, also known as the Battle of Pittsburg Landing, was a major battle in the Western Theater of the American Civil War, fought April 6–7, 1862, in southwestern Tennessee. A Union army under Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant had moved via the Tennessee River deep into Tennessee and...
on April 6, 1852.
The department also maintains a senior center which distributes Meals on Wheels
Meals on Wheels
Meals on Wheels are programs that deliver meals to individuals at home who are unable to purchase or prepare their own meals. The name is often used generically to refer to home-delivered meals programs, not all of which are actually named "Meals on Wheels"...
and related services. The Marty community center is also maintained by the Recreation & Parks department for public use and also has live entertainment, including the monthly Adamsville Bluegrass Jamboree.
Government
Adamsville's government consists of a City Commission: a mayor and four commissioners. Every two years elections are held on the first Saturday of October, and the mayor and commissioners serve four year staggered terms. The town also has a city administrator, who serves in a full time paid position overseeing general day to day needs of the city business.Education
The town is served by two public schools: Adamsville Elementary School and Adamsville Jr/Sr High School. The elementary school is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and SchoolsSouthern Association of Colleges and Schools
The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools is one of the six regional accreditation organizations recognized by the United States Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation...
and serves pre-kindergarten to 6th graders. The high school provides education to 7-12th graders in the county. The school has been listed as one of U.S. News & World Report
U.S. News & World Report
U.S. News & World Report is an American news magazine published from Washington, D.C. Along with Time and Newsweek it was for many years a leading news weekly, focusing more than its counterparts on political, economic, health and education stories...
's best high schools in America. The school mascot is the cardinal
Cardinal (bird)
The Cardinals or Cardinalidae are a family of passerine birds found in North and South America. The South American cardinals in the genus Paroaria are placed in another family, the Thraupidae ....
.
Notable people
McNairy County sheriffSheriff
A sheriff is in principle a legal official with responsibility for a county. In practice, the specific combination of legal, political, and ceremonial duties of a sheriff varies greatly from country to country....
Buford Pusser
Buford Pusser
Buford Hayse Pusser was the Sheriff of McNairy County, Tennessee , from 1964 to 1970. Pusser is known for his virtual one-man war on moonshining, prostitution, gambling, and other vices on the Mississippi-Tennessee state-line. His story has directly inspired several books, songs, movies and at...
lived in Adamsville. The 44th Governor of Tennessee, Ray Blanton
Ray Blanton
Leonard Ray Blanton was the 44th Governor of Tennessee from 1975 to 1979. Blanton's administration was rife with corruption.-Early life and Congress:...
, lived in Adamsville and is buried in Shiloh National Military Park
Shiloh National Military Park
Shiloh National Military Park preserves the American Civil War Shiloh and Corinth battlefields. The main section of the park is in the unincorporated town of Shiloh, about nine miles south of Savannah, Tennessee, with an additional area located in the city of Corinth, Mississippi, 23 miles ...
. Miss Tennessee USA
Miss Tennessee USA
The Miss Tennessee USA competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of Tennessee in the Miss USA pageant.Since 2001 the pageant has been held in the auditorium at Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, Tennessee....
2011 and Miss Tennessee Teen USA
Miss Tennessee Teen USA
The Miss Tennessee Teen USA competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state Tennessee in the Miss Teen USA pageant....
2006, Ashley Durham
Ashley Durham
Ashley Elizabeth Durham is a beauty queen from Tennessee who won Miss Tennessee Teen USA 2006 and Miss Tennessee USA 2011....
, is from Adamsville. Rock n' roll disc jockey Dewey Phillips
Dewey Phillips
"Daddy-O" Dewey Phillips was one of rock 'n' roll's pioneering disk jockeys, along the lines of Cleveland's Alan Freed, before Freed came along.-Early life:...
was born in Adamsville and is buried in nearby Crump Cemetery.