Editing Bethel Springs, Tennessee

{{Short description|Town in Tennessee, United States}}
{{Use American English|date=March 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2024}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name               = Bethel Springs, Tennessee
| official_name      = Town of Bethel Springs
| settlement_type    = [[Town]]
| nickname           = 
| motto              = 
| image_skyline      = Bethel Springs City Hall and Fire Department.JPG
| image_caption      = Bethel Springs City Hall and Fire Department
| image_flag         = 
| image_seal         = 
| image_map          = McNairy County Tennessee Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Bethel Springs Highlighted 4705380.svg
| mapsize            = 260px
| map_caption        = Location of Bethel Springs in McNairy County, Tennessee.
| pushpin_map        = USA
| pushpin_label      = Bethel Springs
| pushpin_relief     = yes
| pushpin_label_position = left
| pushpin_map_caption = Location in the United States
| coordinates        = {{Coord|35.237378|-88.611429|region:US-TN_type:city|format=dms|display=inline,title}}
| subdivision_type   = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
| subdivision_name   = {{Flagu|United States}}
| subdivision_type1  = [[U.S. state|State]]
| subdivision_name1  = {{Flag|Tennessee}}
| subdivision_type2  = [[List of counties in Tennessee|County]]
| subdivision_name2  = [[McNairy County, Tennessee|McNairy]]
| government_footnotes = 
| government_type    = 
| leader_title       = 
| leader_name        = 
| leader_title1      = 
| leader_name1       = 
| established_title  = Founded
| established_date   = {{start date|1860}}
| established_title1 = [[Charter]]ed
| established_date1  = {{start date|1928}}
| founder            = John H. Bell
| unit_pref          = Imperial
| area_footnotes     = <ref name="TigerWebMapServer">{{cite web|title=ArcGIS REST Services Directory|url=https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/5/query?where=STATE='47'&outFields=NAME,STATE,PLACE,AREALAND,AREAWATER,LSADC,CENTLAT,CENTLON&orderByFields=PLACE&returnGeometry=false&returnTrueCurves=false&f=json|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=October 15, 2022}}</ref>
| area_total_km2     = 5.78
| area_land_km2      = 5.78
| area_water_km2     = 0.00
| area_total_sq_mi   = 2.23
| area_land_sq_mi    = 2.23
| area_water_sq_mi   = 0.00
| population_as_of   = [[2020 United States Census|2020]]
| population_footnotes = <ref name="USCensusDecennial2020CenPopScriptOnly"/>
| population_total   = 742
| population_density_km2 = 128.32
| population_density_sq_mi = 332.29
| timezone           = [[North American Central Time Zone|Central (CST)]]
| utc_offset         = -6
| timezone_DST       = CDT
| utc_offset_DST     = -5
| elevation_footnotes = 
| elevation_m        = 146
| elevation_ft       = 479
| postal_code_type   = [[ZIP code]]
| postal_code        = 38315
| area_code          = [[Area code 731|731]]
| blank_name         = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
| blank_info         = 47-05380<ref name="GR2">{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |accessdate=January 31, 2008 |title=U.S. Census website }}</ref>
| blank1_name        = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
| blank1_info        = 1305159<ref name="GR3">{{cite web|url=http://geonames.usgs.gov|accessdate=January 31, 2008|title=US Board on Geographic Names|publisher=[[United States Geological Survey]]|date=October 25, 2007}}</ref>
| website            = 
| footnotes          = 
| pop_est_as_of      = 
| pop_est_footnotes  = 
| population_est     = 
}}
'''Bethel Springs''', officially the '''Town of Bethel Springs''', is a [[town]] in [[McNairy County, Tennessee]]. The population was 742 at the 2020 census.

==History==
Bethel Springs was [[plat]]ted in 1860, when the railroad was extended to that point.<ref name="History">{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MJ8KT_aU9pEC&pg=PA828 | title=History of Tennessee from the Earliest Time to the Present | publisher=Southern Historical Press | year=1886 | page=828}}</ref> A post office called Bethel Springs has been in operation since 1866.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.postalhistory.com/postoffices.asp?task=display&state=TN&county=McNairy | title=Post Offices| publisher=Jim Forte Postal History | accessdate=January 5, 2017}}</ref> The community took its name from a nearby spring, which in turn was named after the Bethel Presbyterian Church. On [[Tornado outbreak of March 31 – April 1, 2023|March 31, 2023]], a tornado hit the town, killing 9 people and injuring dozens.

==Geography==
Bethel Springs is located at {{coord|35|14|15|N|88|36|41|W|type:city}} (35.237378, -88.611429).<ref name="GR1">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/geographies/reference-files/time-series/geo/gazetteer-files.html|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|accessdate=April 23, 2011|date=February 12, 2011|title=US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990}}</ref> Bethel Springs was named after a [[Bethel Springs Presbyterian Church|Presbyterian church]] that was founded in the area. Beth-El in Hebrew literally means "house of God".

According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the town has a total area of {{convert|2.2|sqmi|km2}}, all land.

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1900= 369
|1910= 364
|1930= 573
|1940= 560
|1950= 623
|1960= 533
|1970= 781
|1980= 873
|1990= 755
|2000= 763
|2010= 718
|2020= 742
|footnote=Sources:<ref name="GR9">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|accessdate=March 4, 2012|title=Census of Population and Housing: Decennial Censuses}}</ref><ref name=CensusPopEst>{{cite web|title=Incorporated Places and Minor Civil Divisions Datasets: Subcounty Resident Population Estimates: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2012|url=https://www.census.gov/popest/data/cities/totals/2012/SUB-EST2012.html|work=Population Estimates|publisher=U.S. Census Bureau|accessdate=December 11, 2013|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130611010502/http://www.census.gov/popest/data/cities/totals/2012/SUB-EST2012.html|archivedate=June 11, 2013}}</ref><ref name="USCensusDecennial2020CenPopScriptOnly">{{cite web|url=https://api.census.gov/data/2020/dec/pl?get=P1_001N,NAME&for=place:*&in=state:47&key=5ccd0821c15d9f4520e2dcc0f8d92b2ec9336108|title=Census Population API|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=October 15, 2022}}</ref>
}}
As of the [[census]]<ref name="GR2" /> of 2000, there were 763 people, 317 households, and 219 families residing in the city. The [[population density]] was 345.2 people per square mile (133.3/km<sup>2</sup>). There were 347 housing units at an average density of 157.0 per square mile (60.6/km<sup>2</sup>). The racial makeup of the town was 85.58% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 13.50% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.13% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.26% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 0.52% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 1.31% of the population.

There were 317 households, out of which 30.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.3% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 12.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.6% were non-families. 28.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.41 and the average family size was 2.96.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 24.2% under the age of 18, 10.6% from 18 to 24, 22.9% from 25 to 44, 26.2% from 45 to 64, and 16.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 86.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.7 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $27,500, and the median income for a family was $33,750. Males had a median income of $26,500 versus $19,792 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the town was $14,402. About 12.8% of families and 14.7% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 21.1% of those under age 18 and 11.4% of those age 65 or over.

==Notable people==
*[[Albert Brewer]], [[List of Governors of Alabama|47th governor of Alabama]]

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

==Further reading==
* {{cite book |last=Stillwell |first=Leander |year=1917 |title=The Story of a Common Soldier of Army Life in the Civil War |url=https://archive.org/details/storyofcommonsol00stil_0 |edition=1st |location=Erie, Kansas |publisher=Press of the Erie Record |pages=47–52 |chapter=Chapter VI. Bethal&mdash;Jackson&mdash;June and July, 1862 |lccn=17029817 |oclc=1085327623 |via=[[Internet Archive]]}}

==External links==
* {{official website}}
* {{Ballotpedia}}
* {{osmrelation-inline}}

{{McNairy County, Tennessee}}
{{portal bar|Tennessee}}
{{authority control}}

[[Category:1860 establishments in Tennessee]]
[[Category:Planned communities in the United States]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1860]]
[[Category:Railway towns in Tennessee]]
[[Category:Towns in McNairy County, Tennessee]]
[[Category:Towns in Tennessee]]