Estill Springs, Tennessee
|
|
Estill Springs is a town located in Franklin County, Tennessee. As of the 2000 census, the town had a total population of 2,152. It is the fourth largest in the county, and is usually referred to as simply "Estill" by its inhabitants.
| Contents |
History and development
Founding
The town dates from about 1840, when the Estill family, which owned considerable property in the area, donated a right-of-way for railroad construction. Mineral springs in the area had been long been known to the Native Americans. The combination of mineral water, which was much in vogue as a health remedy at the time, and convenient rail access caused the settlement to develop as a small-scale spa town and eventually gave it its name.
Civil War era
During the Civil War, however, it was generally known as Allisonia, for another family which had settled in the area. It was the site of a Confederate training camp, Camp Harris, named for Isham G. Harris, the Confederate governor of Tennessee, who was a native of the county. Southern forces retreated through the town during the 1863 Tullahoma campaign, named for the nearby community which served as Confederate headquarters.
20th Century
The fad for bathing in and drinking spring waters eventually passed, and local lore has it that the long-awaited construction of State Highway 41-A through the town in 1940 caused the springs to substantially dry up. Whatever the cause, the spa era passed by midcentury, and the hotels were torn down.
The community did not wither away, though. The new highway connected it to sources of employment in neighboring communities, and gave it a strategic position on the main road artery between Nashville and Chattanooga. The development of local lakes by the Tennessee Valley Authority generated recreational business as well.
The Yellowhammer's Nest, which at the turn of the century was the home of noted local author Will Allen Dromgoole, was destroyed by fire in 1972.
Estill Springs was bypassed by the interstate construction of the 1960s, but did not suffer too badly as a result.
In 1987, national fame of a sort came to the town when a resident noticed what she took to be an image of Jesus appearing on an upright freezer on the porch of her trailer, although other witnesses believed it more closely resembled Willie Nelson. The artifact became known as the Freezer Jesus and briefly became a tourist attraction.
Recent history
Today Highway 41-A is being upgraded to nearly interstate quality and is expected to provide a new economic boost to the town.
Geography
Estill Springs is located at 35°16'13" North, 86°7'58" West (35.270394, -86.132783)Template:GR.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 12.9 km² (5.0 mi²). 12.2 km² (4.7 mi²) of it is land and 0.7 km² (0.3 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 5.61% water.
Demographics
As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there are 2,152 people, 827 households, and 654 families residing in the town. The population density is 176.4/km² (456.8/mi²). There are 917 housing units at an average density of 75.2/km² (194.6/mi²). The racial makeup of the town is 97.77% White, 0.79% African American, 0.23% Native American, 0.14% Asian, 0.00% Pacific Islander, 0.74% from other races, and 0.33% from two or more races. 1.35% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 827 households out of which 35.4% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.6% are married couples living together, 10.3% have a female householder with no husband present, and 20.8% are non-families. 17.9% of all households are made up of individuals and 7.4% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.60 and the average family size is 2.92.
In the town the population is spread out with 25.1% under the age of 18, 7.4% from 18 to 24, 29.1% from 25 to 44, 23.7% from 45 to 64, and 14.7% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 39 years. For every 100 females there are 98.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 96.5 males.
The median income for a household in the town is $40,365, and the median income for a family is $44,527. Males have a median income of $31,632 versus $20,994 for females. The per capita income for the town is $18,757. 10.8% of the population and 8.8% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 13.1% of those under the age of 18 and 6.1% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
External links
- Estill Springs site (http://www.franklincountychamber.com/estill.html)
- Civil War Trail through Estill Springs (http://www.tennesseebackroads.org/battle8.htm)
- A lecture which mentions the Freezer Jesus (http://www.ondoctrine.com/2mac0078.htm)
- Will Allen Dromgoole on the Tennessee Encyclopedia. (http://160.36.208.47/FMPro?-db=tnencyc.fp5&-format=tdetail.htm&-lay=web&entryname=Will%20Allen%20Dromgoole&-recid=33041&-find=)