Waverly, Tennessee
Encyclopedia
Waverly is a city in Humphreys County
, Tennessee
, United States
. The population was 4,028 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat
of Humphreys County
.
impoundment of the Tennessee River
. The low ridges that "wall in" Waverly to the north and south represent the fringe of the western section of the Highland Rim
.
Waverly is centered around the junction of U.S. Route 70
, which connects the city to Nashville
to the east and Memphis
to the west, and State Route 13, which connects the city to Hurricane Mills and Interstate 40
to the south and the rural areas around Erin
to the north.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 8.1 square miles (21 km²), all of it land.
of 2000, there were 4,028 people, 1,716 households, and 1,118 families residing in the city. The population density
was 495.7 people per square mile (191.3/km²). There were 1,887 housing units at an average density of 232.2 per square mile (89.6/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 88.75% White, 9.51% African American, 0.15% Native American, 0.22% Asian, 0.37% from other races
, and 0.99% from two or more races. 1.17% of the population is Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 1,716 households out of which 27.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.7% were married couples
living together, 14.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.8% were non-families. 31.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.27 and the average family size was 2.81.
In the city the population was spread out with 22.2% under the age of 18, 7.5% from 18 to 24, 26.7% from 25 to 44, 24.4% from 45 to 64, and 19.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 89.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.5 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $32,614, and the median income for a family was $44,375. Males had a median income of $30,610 versus $19,297 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $18,139. About 10.9% of families and 15.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 21.0% of those under age 18 and 15.1% of those age 65 or over.
Waverly was established by Steven Pavatt as a stop along the stage coach road between Nashville and Memphis in the early 19th century. Pavatt was a fan of the author Sir Walter Scott, and named the community after Scott's Waverley Novels
. When Humphreys County was created in 1803, Reynoldsburg, located northwest of Waverly along the Tennessee River, was chosen as the county seat. However, when county lands on the west bank of the Tennessee split off to become part of the newly-created Benton County in 1835, the Humphreys County seat was moved to Waverly, which had become the more central location in the county. A courthouse was built in 1836, and the town was officially incorporated in 1838.
Like most of Middle and West Tennessee, Waverly was staunchly pro-Confederacy
during the U.S. Civil War. Humphreys County voted unanimously in favor of secession
in 1861. Union
troops occupied the town in 1863 to guard the railroad between White Bluff and Johnsonville (now Old Johnsonville), the latter being a Federal supply depot and transfer station. The Union troops managed to build a fort at the courthouse square, although they were constantly harassed by Confederate guerillas. On November 4, 1864, Confederate troops under Nathan Bedford Forrest
attacked and destroyed the Federal depot in what became known as the Battle of Johnsonville
. The battle occurred approximately 10 miles (16.1 km) west of Waverly at the mouth of Trace Creek.
Hurricane Mills
, located a few miles south of Waverly along TN-13, was the site of a substantial mill and carding
factory in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. A Mississippian-era
prehistoric village (known as the Duck River Temple Mounds) and a farm owned by Jesse James
were both located near the Link farm site in the vicinity of Hurricane Mills.
On February 22, 1978, a propane tank car explosion
occurred in downtown Waverly when an L&N
train derailed. The explosion, which killed 16 people, led to an overhaul of the methods used by the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency when responding to hazardous material spills.
Humphreys County, Tennessee
Humphreys County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of 2000, the population was 17,929. The 2005 Census Estimate placed the population at 18,212. Its county seat is Waverly.-Geography:According to the U.S...
, 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...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 4,028 at the 2000 census. It is 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 Humphreys County
Humphreys County, Tennessee
Humphreys County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of 2000, the population was 17,929. The 2005 Census Estimate placed the population at 18,212. Its county seat is Waverly.-Geography:According to the U.S...
.
Geography
Waverly is located at 36°5′9"N 87°47′13"W (36.085847, -87.786917). The city is situated in the Trace Creek Valley, just over 10 miles (16.1 km) east of the creek's confluence with the Kentucky LakeKentucky Lake
Kentucky Lake is a major navigable reservoir along the Tennessee River in Kentucky and Tennessee. Created in 1944 by the Tennessee Valley Authority's impounding of the Tennessee River by Kentucky Dam, the lake is the largest artificial lake by surface area in the United States east of the...
impoundment of the Tennessee River
Tennessee River
The Tennessee River is the largest tributary of the Ohio River. It is approximately 652 miles long and is located in the southeastern United States in the Tennessee Valley. The river was once popularly known as the Cherokee River, among other names...
. The low ridges that "wall in" Waverly to the north and south represent the fringe of the western section of the Highland Rim
Highland Rim
The Highland Rim is a geographic term for the area in Tennessee surrounding the Central Basin. Nashville is largely surrounded by higher terrain in all directions....
.
Waverly is centered around the junction of U.S. Route 70
U.S. Route 70
U.S. Route 70 is an east–west United States highway that runs for 2,385 miles from eastern North Carolina to east-central Arizona. As can be derived from its number, it is a major east–west highway of the Southern and Southwestern United States...
, which connects the city to Nashville
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
to the east and Memphis
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
to the west, and State Route 13, which connects the city to Hurricane Mills and Interstate 40
Interstate 40
Interstate 40 is the third-longest major east–west Interstate Highway in the United States, after I-90 and I-80. Its western end is at Interstate 15 in Barstow, California; its eastern end is at a concurrency of U.S. Route 117 and North Carolina Highway 132 in Wilmington, North Carolina...
to the south and the rural areas around Erin
Erin, Tennessee
Erin is a city in Houston County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 1,490 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Houston County.-Geography:Erin is located at...
to the north.
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 8.1 square miles (21 km²), all of it land.
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 4,028 people, 1,716 households, and 1,118 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 495.7 people per square mile (191.3/km²). There were 1,887 housing units at an average density of 232.2 per square mile (89.6/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 88.75% White, 9.51% African American, 0.15% Native American, 0.22% Asian, 0.37% 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 0.99% from two or more races. 1.17% of the population is Hispanic or Latino of any race.
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, 14.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.8% were non-families. 31.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.27 and the average family size was 2.81.
In the city the population was spread out with 22.2% under the age of 18, 7.5% from 18 to 24, 26.7% from 25 to 44, 24.4% from 45 to 64, and 19.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 89.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.5 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $32,614, and the median income for a family was $44,375. Males had a median income of $30,610 versus $19,297 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 $18,139. About 10.9% of families and 15.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 21.0% of those under age 18 and 15.1% of those age 65 or over.
History
Waverley Novels
The Waverley Novels are a long series of books by Sir Walter Scott. For nearly a century they were among the most popular and widely-read novels in all of Europe. Because he did not publicly acknowledge authorship until 1827, they take their name from Waverley , which was the first...
. When Humphreys County was created in 1803, Reynoldsburg, located northwest of Waverly along the Tennessee River, was chosen as the county seat. However, when county lands on the west bank of the Tennessee split off to become part of the newly-created Benton County in 1835, the Humphreys County seat was moved to Waverly, which had become the more central location in the county. A courthouse was built in 1836, and the town was officially incorporated in 1838.
Like most of Middle and West Tennessee, Waverly was staunchly pro-Confederacy
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
during the U.S. Civil War. Humphreys County voted unanimously in favor of secession
Secession
Secession is the act of withdrawing from an organization, union, or especially a political entity. Threats of secession also can be a strategy for achieving more limited goals.-Secession theory:...
in 1861. Union
Union (American Civil War)
During the American Civil War, the Union was a name used to refer to the federal government of the United States, which was supported by the twenty free states and five border slave states. It was opposed by 11 southern slave states that had declared a secession to join together to form the...
troops occupied the town in 1863 to guard the railroad between White Bluff and Johnsonville (now Old Johnsonville), the latter being a Federal supply depot and transfer station. The Union troops managed to build a fort at the courthouse square, although they were constantly harassed by Confederate guerillas. On November 4, 1864, Confederate troops under Nathan Bedford Forrest
Nathan Bedford Forrest
Nathan Bedford Forrest was a lieutenant general in the Confederate Army during the American Civil War. He is remembered both as a self-educated, innovative cavalry leader during the war and as a leading southern advocate in the postwar years...
attacked and destroyed the Federal depot in what became known as the Battle of Johnsonville
Battle of Johnsonville
The Battle of Johnsonville was fought November 4–5, 1864, in Benton County, Tennessee and Humphreys County, Tennessee, during the American Civil War. Confederate cavalry commander Maj. Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest culminated a 23-day raid through western Tennessee by attacking the Union supply...
. The battle occurred approximately 10 miles (16.1 km) west of Waverly at the mouth of Trace Creek.
Hurricane Mills
Hurricane Mills, Tennessee
Hurricane Mills is an unincorporated community in Humphreys County, Tennessee, United States. It is the home of Loretta Lynn's ranch, which serves as the center of the community. While residential in nature, there are some businesses in the area, several of which are located in the "downtown" area...
, located a few miles south of Waverly along TN-13, was the site of a substantial mill and carding
Carding
Carding is a mechanical process that breaks up locks and unorganised clumps of fibre and then aligns the individual fibres so that they are more or less parallel with each other. The word is derived from the Latin carduus meaning teasel, as dried vegetable teasels were first used to comb the raw wool...
factory in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. A Mississippian-era
Mississippian culture
The Mississippian culture was a mound-building Native American culture that flourished in what is now the Midwestern, Eastern, and Southeastern United States from approximately 800 CE to 1500 CE, varying regionally....
prehistoric village (known as the Duck River Temple Mounds) and a farm owned by Jesse James
Jesse James
Jesse Woodson James was an American outlaw, gang leader, bank robber, train robber, and murderer from the state of Missouri and the most famous member of the James-Younger Gang. He also faked his own death and was known as J.M James. Already a celebrity when he was alive, he became a legendary...
were both located near the Link farm site in the vicinity of Hurricane Mills.
On February 22, 1978, a propane tank car explosion
Waverly tank car explosion
The Waverly tank car explosion was an explosion that occurred at approximately 2:58 p.m. on Friday, February 24, 1978, in Waverly, Tennessee following a train derailment incident days earlier. A tank car containing liquefied petroleum gas exploded as a result of cleanup related to this...
occurred in downtown Waverly when an L&N
Louisville and Nashville Railroad
The Louisville and Nashville Railroad was a Class I railroad that operated freight and passenger services in the southeast United States.Chartered by the state of Kentucky in 1850, the L&N, as it was generally known, grew into one of the great success stories of American business...
train derailed. The explosion, which killed 16 people, led to an overhaul of the methods used by the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency when responding to hazardous material spills.