Tennessee Colony, Texas
Encyclopedia
Tennessee Colony is an unincorporated community
in western Anderson County
, Texas
, United States
. It lies just off U.S. Highway 287 northwest of the city of Palestine
, the county seat
of Anderson County. Its elevation is 364 feet (111 m).
It is about 170 miles (273.6 km) south of Hugo, Oklahoma
.
and Alabama
, who named their settlement for one of their home states. Cotton
plantations were established, including the Jackson Plantation, which was at one time among the largest plantation
s in East Texas
.
As of 1884 Tennessee Colony boasted a population of 200 and three churches, a school, a steam-powered gristmill
, and a cotton gin
. Population declined to just 100 people by 1914, rose again to 300 in 1927, but again declined during the 1930s. In 1941 there were 150 people in Tennessee Colony. Beginning in 1965 when the Coffield Unit
was started, the construction and operation of state prison
s have increased the local population, which was 300 in 2000.
correctional facilities, the George Beto Unit
, the Coffield Unit
, the Mark W. Michael Unit
, and the Gurney Unit, are located near Tennessee Colony and use the community's name in their mailing addresses.
The United States Postal Service
operates the Tennessee Colony Post Office.
Unincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
in western Anderson County
Anderson County, Texas
Anderson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of 2000, the population was 55,109. Its county seat is Palestine. Anderson county was organized in 1846, and is named in honor of Kenneth L. Anderson who had been Vice President of the Republic of Texas.-Geography:According to the...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It lies just off U.S. Highway 287 northwest of the city of Palestine
Palestine, Texas
Palestine is a city in Anderson County, Texas, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 17,598, and 18,458 in the 2009 estimate. It is the county seat of Anderson County and is situated in East Texas...
, 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 Anderson County. Its elevation is 364 feet (111 m).
It is about 170 miles (273.6 km) south of Hugo, Oklahoma
Hugo, Oklahoma
Hugo is a city in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of Oklahoma, bordering Texas. Hugo is the county seat for Choctaw County and has a population of 5,395 as of 2009 estimates. The city serves as winter quarters for some circus performers...
.
History
Tennessee Colony was established in 1847 by settlers from TennesseeTennessee
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...
and Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
, who named their settlement for one of their home states. Cotton
Cotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective capsule, around the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. The botanical purpose of cotton fiber is to aid in seed dispersal....
plantations were established, including the Jackson Plantation, which was at one time among the largest plantation
Plantation
A plantation is a long artificially established forest, farm or estate, where crops are grown for sale, often in distant markets rather than for local on-site consumption...
s in East Texas
East Texas
East Texas is a distinct geographic and ecological area in the U.S. state of Texas.According to the Handbook of Texas, the East Texas area "may be separated from the rest of Texas roughly by a line extending from the Red River in north central Lamar County southwestward to east central Limestone...
.
As of 1884 Tennessee Colony boasted a population of 200 and three churches, a school, a steam-powered gristmill
Gristmill
The terms gristmill or grist mill can refer either to a building in which grain is ground into flour, or to the grinding mechanism itself.- Early history :...
, and a cotton gin
Cotton gin
A cotton gin is a machine that quickly and easily separates cotton fibers from their seeds, a job formerly performed painstakingly by hand...
. Population declined to just 100 people by 1914, rose again to 300 in 1927, but again declined during the 1930s. In 1941 there were 150 people in Tennessee Colony. Beginning in 1965 when the Coffield Unit
Coffield Unit
The H. H. Coffield Unit is a Texas Department of Criminal Justice prison for men in unincorporated Anderson County, Texas. The prison, near Tennessee Colony, is along Farm to Market Road 2054. The unit, on a plot of land, is co-located with Beto, Gurney, Michael, and Powledge units. With a...
was started, the construction and operation of state prison
Prison
A prison is a place in which people are physically confined and, usually, deprived of a range of personal freedoms. Imprisonment or incarceration is a legal penalty that may be imposed by the state for the commission of a crime...
s have increased the local population, which was 300 in 2000.
Government and infrastructure
Four major Texas Department of Criminal JusticeTexas Department of Criminal Justice
The Texas Department of Criminal Justice is a department of the government of the state of Texas. The TDCJ is responsible for statewide criminal justice for adult offenders, including managing offenders in state prisons, state jails and private correctional facilities, funding and certain...
correctional facilities, the George Beto Unit
George Beto Unit
The George Beto Unit is a men's prison of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice located in unincorporated Anderson County, Texas. The unit is located along Farm to Market Road 3328, south of Tennessee Colony. The prison, co-located with Coffield Unit, Michael Unit, and Powledge Unit prisons...
, the Coffield Unit
Coffield Unit
The H. H. Coffield Unit is a Texas Department of Criminal Justice prison for men in unincorporated Anderson County, Texas. The prison, near Tennessee Colony, is along Farm to Market Road 2054. The unit, on a plot of land, is co-located with Beto, Gurney, Michael, and Powledge units. With a...
, the Mark W. Michael Unit
Mark W. Michael Unit
The Mark W. Michael Unit is a Texas Department of Criminal Justice men's prison located in unincorporated Anderson County, Texas. The unit is along Farm to Market Road 2054, south of Tennessee Colony. The unit, on of land, is co-located with the Beto, Coffield, and Powledge prison units and the...
, and the Gurney Unit, are located near Tennessee Colony and use the community's name in their mailing addresses.
The United States Postal Service
United States Postal Service
The United States Postal Service is an independent agency of the United States government responsible for providing postal service in the United States...
operates the Tennessee Colony Post Office.