Maynardville, Tennessee

Maynardville (originally named Liberty) is a city in and the county seat of Union County, Tennessee, United States.<ref name="GR6">Template:Cite web</ref> The city was named to honor Horace Maynard, who successfully defended the creation of Union County from a challenge from Knox County.<ref name="Maynard"/> Its population was 2,413 at the 2010 census, up from 1,782 at the 2000 census. It is included in the Knoxville metropolitan area.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

History

Maynardville began in the early 19th century as a small community known as Liberty. When Union County was created in the 1850s, Liberty, being nearest the center of the county, was chosen as the county seat. The land for the courthouse square was donated by Marcus Monroe, a local minister.<ref>"Goodspeed's History of Union County, Tennessee Template:Webarchive." Originally published in the History of Tennessee (Chicago and Nashville: Goodspeed Publishing Company, 1887), 850-853. Retrieved: February 20, 2008.</ref>

Shortly after the Tennessee General Assembly passed legislation authorizing the creation of Union County, Knox County secured an injunction blocking the creation of the new county, which would take some of its area from Knox County. To defend the new county, its supporters retained the services of Horace Maynard, a Knoxville-area attorney and later U.S. Postmaster General. After Maynard successfully defended the new county in litigation proceedings, Liberty was renamed "Maynardville" in his honor.<ref>Kathleen Zebley, "Horace Maynard." The Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture, 2002. Retrieved: February 20, 2008.</ref><ref>Jim Matheny, Why do they call it that? Maynardville in Union County, WBIR.com, June 4, 2011. Retrieved: June 8, 2011.</ref> Union County was formally recognized in 1856.<ref>Bonnie Heiskell Peters, "Union County." The Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture, 2002. Retrieved: February 20, 2008.</ref>

Country music singer Roy Acuff was born in Maynardville in 1903. The Acuff family had been well-established in Union County since the mid-19th century. When Goodspeed published its History of Tennessee in 1887, the Union County section included a brief biography of Roy's grandfather, Coram Acuff (1846–1931), who represented Union County in the state legislature.<ref>"Goodspeed's Union County, Tennessee Biographies." Originally published in the History of Tennessee (Chicago and Nashville: Goodspeed Publishing Company, 1887), 1146-1152. Retrieved: February 20, 2008.</ref><ref>"Acuff-Ecoff Family Archives." Retrieved: February 20, 2008.</ref>

Throughout the early to mid-20th century, State Route 33 through Maynardville was part of the infamous Thunder Road, which was used by bootleggers to illegally transport and trade moonshine.<ref name="Bowers">Template:Cite news</ref> This story was later fictionally adapted into a 1958 crime-drama film and song of the same name.<ref>Template:IMDb title</ref>

Since the dawn of the 21st century, Maynardville has become increasingly suburban with the widening projects of SR 33 (Maynardville Highway) providing quicker access to Knoxville.<ref name="mhtdot"/> Plans to redevelop and revitalize Maynardville have been proposed since the 2010s.<ref name="vasington">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="mhtdot">Template:Cite web</ref>

Geography

Maynardville is situated near the center of Raccoon Valley, a narrow valley stretching for roughly Template:Convert between Copper Ridge on the south and Hinds Ridge on the north. Like most mountains in the Ridge-and-Valley Appalachians, these two ridges are long and narrow, and often fractured into smaller hills and knobs. The Norris Lake impoundment of the Clinch River is located about Template:Convert north of Maynardville.

Maynardville is concentrated around a stretch of State Route 33, which connects the city to Knoxville Template:Convert to the southwest and Tazewell Template:Convert to the northeast.<ref name="planET">Template:Cite web</ref> State Route 61 connects Maynardville with Luttrell Template:Convert and Blaine Template:Convert to the south, and State Route 144 connects Maynardville with Plainview Template:Convert to the southwest.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of Template:Convert, all land.

Demographics

File:Dr-Carr-office-tn1.jpg

The old Dr. Carr office building, now an art gallery, in Maynardville

2020 census

Maynardville racial composition<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Race	Number	Percentage
White (non-Hispanic)	2,247	91.49%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic)	5	0.2%
Native American	3	0.12%
Asian	8	0.33%
Other/Mixed	114	4.64%
Hispanic or Latino	79	3.22%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 2,456 people, 896 households, and 528 families residing in the city.

2000 census

As of the census<ref name="GR2" /> of 2000, 1,782 people, 683 households, and 463 families were residing in the city. The population density was Template:Convert. The 769 housing units averaged Template:Convert. The racial makeup of the city was 98.37% White, 0.17% African American, 0.06% Native American, 0.11% Asian, and 1.29% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 0.34% of the population.

Of the 683 households, 37.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.9% were married couples living together, 14.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.1% were not families. About 28.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46, and the average family size was 3.03.

In the city, the age distribution was 26.9% under 18, 8.0% from 18 to 24, 32.7% from 25 to 44, 18.6% from 45 to 64, and 13.9% who were 65 or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.1 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $23,077, and for a family was $30,398. Males had a median income of $25,278 versus $18,603 for females. The per capita income for the city was $12,168. About 20.2% of families and 26.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 34.8% of those under age 18 and 32.9% of those age 65 or over. Template:Clear

Economy

According to 2010 Census report published by the East Tennessee Development District in 2012, the top three industries employing residents of Maynardville were professional services, trade, and manufacturing.<ref name="etddcensus">Template:Cite web</ref>

Nearly 62% of the city's population was reported to commute outside of Union County for employment in 2010.<ref name="etddcensus"/>

Government

Municipal

Maynardville uses the Council-manager government system, which was established in 1870 when the city was incorporated. It is governed locally by a five-member board. The citizens elect the board to four-year terms. The board elects a mayor and a vice mayor from among the seated board members.

State

Maynardville is represented in the 36th District of the Tennessee House of Representatives by Dennis Powers, a Republican.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

It is represented in the 8th District of the Tennessee Senate by Frank Niceley, also a Republican.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Federal

Maynardville is represented in the United States House of Representatives by Republican Chuck Fleischmann of the 3rd congressional district.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Notable people

• Roy Acuff (1903–1992), country music singer-songwriter, Grand Ole Opry regular, Governor of Tennessee candidate, and musician<ref name="glo">Template:Cite web</ref>
• Kenny Chesney
• Carl Smith (1927–2010), country music, countrypolitan, and rockabilly singer-songwriter, musician<ref name="erlewine">Template:Cite web</ref>

In popular culture

In the 2009 film Inglourious Basterds, the character of 1 SSF First Lieutenant Aldo Raine, portrayed by Brad Pitt, is said to be a moonshiner from Maynardville.<ref name="tarantinoknox">Template:Cite news</ref>

The song "The Ballad of Thunder Road", references Maynardville.<ref name="clark">Template:Cite web</ref>

External links

• Template:Official website
• Municipal Technical Advisory Service entry for Maynardville — information on local government, elections, and link to charter
• Template:Commons category-inline