Pikeville, Tennessee
Encyclopedia
Pikeville is a city in Bledsoe County, Tennessee
, United States
. The population was 1,781 at the 2000 census
. It is also the county seat
of Bledsoe County.
, a deep fertile valley that presents as a large rupture in the southern Cumberland Plateau
. The walls of the plateau - namely Walden Ridge
and Little Mountain - rise prominently to the east and west, respectively. The Sequatchie River
passes through the eastern section of Pikeville.
Pikeville is centered just east of the junction of U.S. Route 127
, which connects the valley to Crossville
to the north and Chattanooga
to the south, and State Route 30, which connects Pikeville with Spencer
to the west. Fall Creek Falls State Park
is located atop the plateau to the west.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 2.4 square miles (6.2 km²), all of it land.
As of the census
of 2000, there were 1,785 people, 748 households, and 479 families residing in the city. The population density
was 734.5 people per square mile (284.2/km²). There were 859 housing units at an average density of 354.3 per square mile (137.1/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 94.95% White, 3.09% African American, 0.28% Native American, 0.39% Asian, 0.28% from other races
, and 1.01% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.84% of the population.
There were 747 households out of which 29.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.1% were married couples
living together, 14.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.0% were non-families. 34.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.30 and the average family size was 2.94.
In the city the population was spread out with 26.3% under the age of 18, 7.0% from 18 to 24, 26.6% from 25 to 44, 22.7% from 45 to 64, and 17.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 87.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 77.8 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $23,438, and the median income for a family was $30,365. Males had a median income of $27,500 versus $19,097 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $12,754. About 19.5% of families and 25.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 29.3% of those under age 18 and 22.3% of those age 65 or over.
lands until 1805, when the Cherokee ceded it to the U.S. as part of the Treaty of Tellico. The valley was probably named after a Cherokee Chief, but the name has also been rumored to mean "beautiful valley" in the Cherokee language. By the late 18th century, the valley had been identified by long hunters
, one of whom, Anthony Bledsoe, became the county's namesake. Bledsoe County was formed in 1807, with the small town of Madison as its county seat.
Pikeville was established in 1816 on lands donated by Charles Love, an early Sequatchie settler. The origin of the town's name is unknown, although some have suggested that it was named for explorer General Zebulon Pike
(1779–1813). By 1818, the Bledsoe County seat had been moved from Madison to Pikeville. The town was incorporated
in 1830.
J.V. Wigle (1890–1970), a combustion engineer from Michigan and lab assistant at Eastern Michigan State, met a local woman, Mattie Lawson, and settled down in Pikeville. He first brought electricity to town when he electrified the house where he lived near the corner of Poplar & Wiegle streets. (Wiegle Street, named after J.V. Wigle, is misspelled) Later electricity was brought to other parts of Pikeville. In addition to bringing electricity to Pikeville, he bottled Coca-cola and made wrought iron railings in the community. He was granted two U.S. patents in 1931 (1,798,289 & 1,814,535) for a coin selecting device and a braking mechanism. His two sons attended the engineering school at Vanderbilt University. His son, Tom Wigle (1933–2006), helped build US route 127 heading north out of town as it rises up the mountain near the county line during a summer job between semesters at Vanderbilt. J.V. Wigle is buried with his wife in Pikeville City Cemetery. His son, Tom Wigle, is also buried in the family plot.
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
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 1,781 at the 2000 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 also 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....
of Bledsoe County.
Geography
Pikeville is located at 35°36′27"N 85°11′29"W (35.607470, -85.191340). The city is situated in the northern half of the Sequatchie ValleySequatchie Valley
Sequatchie Valley is a relatively long and narrow valley in the U.S. state of Tennessee and, in some definitions, Alabama. It is generally considered to be part of the Cumberland Plateau region of the Appalachian Mountains; it was probably formed by erosion of a compression anticline, rather than...
, a deep fertile valley that presents as a large rupture in the southern Cumberland Plateau
Cumberland Plateau
The Cumberland Plateau is the southern part of the Appalachian Plateau. It includes much of eastern Kentucky and western West Virginia, part of Tennessee, and a small portion of northern Alabama and northwest Georgia . The terms "Allegheny Plateau" and the "Cumberland Plateau" both refer to the...
. The walls of the plateau - namely Walden Ridge
Walden Ridge
Walden Ridge is a mountain ridge and escarpment located in Tennessee, in the United States. It marks the eastern edge of the Cumberland Plateau and is generally considered part of it. Walden Ridge is about long, running generally north-south...
and Little Mountain - rise prominently to the east and west, respectively. The Sequatchie River
Sequatchie River
The Sequatchie River is a waterway that drains the Sequatchie Valley, a large valley in the Cumberland Plateau in Middle Tennessee.-Hydrography:The Sequatchie River's source is a massive spring which flows out of Head of Sequatchie Spring...
passes through the eastern section of Pikeville.
Pikeville is centered just east of the junction of U.S. Route 127
U.S. Route 127
U.S. Route 127 is a long north–south United States highway in the eastern half of the United States. The southern terminus of the route is at U.S. Route 27 in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The northern terminus is at Interstate 75 near Grayling, Michigan...
, which connects the valley to Crossville
Crossville, Tennessee
Crossville is a city in and the county seat of Cumberland County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 10,795 at the 2010 Census.-Geography:Crossville is located at...
to the north and Chattanooga
Chattanooga, Tennessee
Chattanooga is the fourth-largest city in the US state of Tennessee , with a population of 169,887. It is the seat of Hamilton County...
to the south, and State Route 30, which connects Pikeville with Spencer
Spencer, Tennessee
Spencer is a town in Van Buren County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 1,713 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Van Buren County.-Geography:...
to the west. Fall Creek Falls State Park
Fall Creek Falls State Park
Fall Creek Falls State Resort Park is a state park in Middle Tennessee, located between Pikeville and Spencer. The park spans the boundary between Van Buren and Bledsoe counties....
is located atop the plateau to the west.
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 city has a total area of 2.4 square miles (6.2 km²), all of it land.
Demographics
Census
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 1,785 people, 748 households, and 479 families residing in the city. 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 734.5 people per square mile (284.2/km²). There were 859 housing units at an average density of 354.3 per square mile (137.1/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 94.95% White, 3.09% African American, 0.28% Native American, 0.39% Asian, 0.28% 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 1.01% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.84% of the population.
There were 747 households out of which 29.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.1% 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, 14.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.0% were non-families. 34.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.30 and the average family size was 2.94.
In the city the population was spread out with 26.3% under the age of 18, 7.0% from 18 to 24, 26.6% from 25 to 44, 22.7% from 45 to 64, and 17.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 87.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 77.8 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $23,438, and the median income for a family was $30,365. Males had a median income of $27,500 versus $19,097 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 city was $12,754. About 19.5% of families and 25.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 29.3% of those under age 18 and 22.3% of those age 65 or over.
History
The Sequatchie Valley was part of CherokeeCherokee
The Cherokee are a Native American people historically settled in the Southeastern United States . Linguistically, they are part of the Iroquoian language family...
lands until 1805, when the Cherokee ceded it to the U.S. as part of the Treaty of Tellico. The valley was probably named after a Cherokee Chief, but the name has also been rumored to mean "beautiful valley" in the Cherokee language. By the late 18th century, the valley had been identified by long hunters
Longhunter
A Longhunter was an 18th-century explorer and hunter who made expeditions into the American frontier wilderness for as much as six months at a time...
, one of whom, Anthony Bledsoe, became the county's namesake. Bledsoe County was formed in 1807, with the small town of Madison as its county seat.
Pikeville was established in 1816 on lands donated by Charles Love, an early Sequatchie settler. The origin of the town's name is unknown, although some have suggested that it was named for explorer General Zebulon Pike
Zebulon Pike
Zebulon Montgomery Pike Jr. was an American officer and explorer for whom Pikes Peak in Colorado is named. As a United States Army captain in 1806-1807, he led the Pike Expedition to explore and document the southern portion of the Louisiana Purchase and to find the headwaters of the Red River,...
(1779–1813). By 1818, the Bledsoe County seat had been moved from Madison to Pikeville. The town was incorporated
Municipal corporation
A municipal corporation is the legal term for a local governing body, including cities, counties, towns, townships, charter townships, villages, and boroughs. Municipal incorporation occurs when such municipalities become self-governing entities under the laws of the state or province in which...
in 1830.
J.V. Wigle (1890–1970), a combustion engineer from Michigan and lab assistant at Eastern Michigan State, met a local woman, Mattie Lawson, and settled down in Pikeville. He first brought electricity to town when he electrified the house where he lived near the corner of Poplar & Wiegle streets. (Wiegle Street, named after J.V. Wigle, is misspelled) Later electricity was brought to other parts of Pikeville. In addition to bringing electricity to Pikeville, he bottled Coca-cola and made wrought iron railings in the community. He was granted two U.S. patents in 1931 (1,798,289 & 1,814,535) for a coin selecting device and a braking mechanism. His two sons attended the engineering school at Vanderbilt University. His son, Tom Wigle (1933–2006), helped build US route 127 heading north out of town as it rises up the mountain near the county line during a summer job between semesters at Vanderbilt. J.V. Wigle is buried with his wife in Pikeville City Cemetery. His son, Tom Wigle, is also buried in the family plot.
Notable residents
- Josiah M. AndersonJosiah M. AndersonJosiah McNair Anderson was an American politician and a member of the United States House of Representatives for Tennessee's 3rd congressional district. He was born near Pikeville, Tennessee in Bledsoe County on November 29, 1807...
— born near Pikeville, United States Congressman from TennesseeTennesseeTennessee 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... - Theron HaleTheron HaleTheron Hale was an American old-time fiddle and banjo player. He was a member of the Grand Ole Opry in the late 1920s and 1930s, and is often remembered as a more laid back and sedate alternative to the raucous dance and "hoedown" music that dominated the Opry in its early days...
— Grand Ole OpryGrand Ole OpryThe Grand Ole Opry is a weekly country music stage concert in Nashville, Tennessee, that has presented the biggest stars of that genre since 1925. It is also among the longest-running broadcasts in history since its beginnings as a one-hour radio "barn dance" on WSM-AM...
fiddler, born in Pikeville in 1883.