Editing Cumberland Gap, Tennessee

{{short description|Town in Claiborne County, Tennessee, United States}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2024}}
{{Infobox settlement
|name                     = Cumberland Gap, Tennessee
|settlement_type          = [[Town]]
|nickname                 = The Gap<ref name="masterplan"/>
|motto                    = 
|named_for                = [[Cumberland Gap]] mountain pass

<!-- Images -->
|image_skyline            = Pinacles P9040352 Cumberland Gap, TN.JPG
|imagesize                = 
|image_caption            = Cumberland Gap, as viewed from the Pinnacle Overlook
|image_seal               =

<!-- Maps -->
|image_map                = File:Claiborne County Tennessee Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Cumberland Gap Highlighted 4718880.svg
|mapsize                  = 250px
|map_caption              = Location of Cumberland Gap in Claiborne County, Tennessee.
|image_map1               = 
|mapsize1                 = 
|map_caption1             =

<!-- Location -->
|subdivision_type         = Country
|subdivision_name         = United States
|subdivision_type1        = [[U.S. state|State]]
|subdivision_name1        = [[Tennessee]]
|subdivision_type2        = [[List of counties in Tennessee|County]]
|subdivision_name2        = [[Claiborne County, Tennessee|Claiborne]]

<!-- Government -->
|government_footnotes     = <ref name="mtas">{{cite web |title=Cumberland Gap |url=http://www.mtas.tennessee.edu/city/cumberland-gap |website=Municipal Technical Advisory Service |publisher=[[University of Tennessee]] |access-date=August 20, 2020}}</ref>
|government_type          = [[Mayor council government|Mayor-council]]
|leader_title             = [[Mayor]]
|leader_name              = Neal Pucciarelli
|leader_title1            = [[Town Council]]
|leader_name1             = {{Collapsible list
|title = Aldermen
|frame_style = border:none; padding: 0;
|list_style = text-align:left;display:none;
|1 = Susan Bain
|2 = John Douglas
|3 = Teresa Fuson
|4 = Kathy Maxwell
|5 = John Ravnum
|6 = Phillip Waller
}}
|established_title        = Settled
|established_date         = 1770s<ref name="claiborneencyclopedia">{{cite web |last1=Kivett |first1=John |title=Claiborne County |url=https://tennesseeencyclopedia.net/entries/claiborne-county/ |website=[[Tennessee Encyclopedia]] |publisher=[[Tennessee Historical Society]] |access-date=August 20, 2020 |date=October 8, 2017 |url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180418162636/https://tennesseeencyclopedia.net/entries/claiborne-county/ |archive-date=April 18, 2018 }}</ref>
|established_title1       = [[Municipal corporation|Incorporated]]
|established_date1        = 1907<ref name="mtas"/>

<!-- Area -->
|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_magnitude           = 
|area_total_km2           = 0.85
|area_land_km2            = 0.85
|area_water_km2           = 0.00
|area_total_sq_mi         = 0.33
|area_land_sq_mi          = 0.33
|area_water_sq_mi         = 0.00

<!-- Population -->
|population_as_of         = [[2020 United States Census|2020]]
|population_footnotes     = <ref name="USCensusDecennial2020CenPopScriptOnly"/>
|population_total         = 313
|population_density_km2   = 367.34
|population_density_sq_mi = 951.37

<!-- General information -->
|timezone                 = [[North American Eastern Time Zone|Eastern (EST)]]
|utc_offset               = -5
|timezone_DST             = EDT
|utc_offset_DST           = -4
|elevation_footnotes      = <ref name=gnis/>
|elevation_ft             = 1417
|elevation_m              = 
|coordinates              = {{coord|36|35|56|N|83|40|2|W|region:US_type:city|display=inline,title}}
|postal_code_type         = [[ZIP code]]s
|postal_code              = 37724, 37752
|area_code                = [[Area code 423|423]] 
|blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
|blank_info               = 47-18880<ref name="GR2">{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=January 31, 2008 |title=U.S. Census website }}</ref>
|blank1_name              = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
|blank1_info              = 2406347<ref name=gnis>{{GNIS|2406347}}</ref>
|website                  = {{URL|townofcumberlandgap.com}}
|pop_est_as_of = 
|pop_est_footnotes = 
|population_est = 
}}

'''Cumberland Gap''' is a town in [[Claiborne County, Tennessee]], United States.<ref name="gnis"/>  Its population was 313 at the 2020 census, and estimated to be 315 in 2023.<ref name="USCensusEst2023CenPopScriptOnlyDirtyFixDoNotUse">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/data/tables.2023.html|date=Jun 12, 2024|title=Population and Housing Unit Estimates|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=Jun 12, 2024}}</ref> The town is located below the [[Cumberland Gap]], a historic [[mountain pass]] for which is the town's namesake, and inside of the boundaries of [[Cumberland Gap National Historical Park]].<ref name="masterplan"/>

The majority of the town's downtown area is listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]] as the '''Cumberland Gap Historic District'''.<ref name="district">{{cite web |title=Cumberland Gap National Historic District |url=https://npgallery.nps.gov/NRHP/AssetDetail?assetID=786caf03-3abe-4f4c-891a-40bff9b72567 |website=[[National Register of Historic Places]] |publisher=[[National Park Service]] |access-date=August 21, 2020}}</ref>

==History==
The [[Cherokee]] and [[Shawnee]] Native American tribes traveled through a game trail known to the Shawnee as ''Athiamiowee''. The tribes often fought each other and white settlers called the trail The Warriors' Path. The area that came to be known as the Cumberland Gap was a gateway on the trail through the mountains.<ref>{{cite web |title=Warrior's Path |url=https://www.nps.gov/cuga/learn/historyculture/warriors-path.htm |website=Cumberland Gap |publisher=National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior |access-date=October 26, 2022}}</ref> Although many settlers had traveled through the pass and their reports had traveled back east, [[Thomas Walker (explorer)|Thomas Walker]] is credited as the settler who discovered the pass. Walker was hired by the Loyal Land Company to search for a suitable site for a settlement on the western side of the mountains.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Luckett |first1=William |title=Cumberland Gap National Historic Park |journal=Tennessee Historical Quarterly |date=1964 |volume=23 |issue=4 |url=https://www.nps.gov/parkhistory/online_books/cuga/luckett/index.htm |access-date=October 26, 2022}}</ref> It became a postal town in 1803, and was officially incorporated as a city in 1907.

The town changed hands four times during the [[American Civil War|Civil War]], but no battles actually took place there.

In 1888, a work camp was established at Cumberland Gap by Scottish-born entrepreneur [[Alexander Arthur]] (1846&ndash;1912) to house workers needed to build a tunnel for the Knoxville, Cumberland Gap & Louisville Railroad. Arthur, who was attempting to establish a large-scale iron production operation in the Cumberland Gap region, founded the nearby cities of [[Middlesboro, Kentucky|Middlesboro]], [[Kentucky]], and [[Harrogate, Tennessee|Harrogate]], [[Tennessee]], and the nearby community of [[Arthur, Tennessee|Arthur]].<ref>Carolyn Sakowski, ''Touring the East Tennessee Backroads'' (Winston-Salem: J.F. Blair, 1993), pp. 178–179.</ref>

In 1996, the completion of the [[Cumberland Gap Tunnel]] re-routed US 25E, bypassing the town's [[central business district]]. This bypassing of the town caused the local economy to decline as annual payrolls for Cumberland Gap dropped 40% in a ten-year span from 1994 (two years before the tunnel's completion) to 2004.<ref name="masterplan">{{cite web |title=Cumberland Gap Master Plan and Trailhead Development Plan |url=http://www.townofcumberlandgap.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/FINAL-Cumberland-Gap-Master-Plan-and-Trailhead-Plan.pdf |website=Town of Cumberland Gap |publisher=Community Development Partners |access-date=August 21, 2020 |date=December 1, 2019 }}</ref>

==Geography==
Cumberland Gap is located at {{coord|36|35|56|N|83|40|2|W|type:city}} (36.598976, -83.667318).<ref name="GR1">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/geographies/reference-files/time-series/geo/gazetteer-files.html|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=April 23, 2011|date=February 12, 2011|title=US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990}}</ref>

According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the town has a total area of {{convert|0.3|sqmi|km2}}, all land.

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1910= 347
|1920= 304
|1930= 369
|1940= 409
|1950= 403
|1960= 291
|1970= 231
|1980= 263
|1990= 210
|2000= 204
|2010= 494
|2020= 313
|footnote=Sources:<ref name="GR9">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=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|access-date=December 11, 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130611010502/http://www.census.gov/popest/data/cities/totals/2012/SUB-EST2012.html|archive-date=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>
}}

===2020 census===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:right"
|+Cumberland Gap racial composition<ref>{{Cite web|title=Explore Census Data|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?g=1600000US4718880&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2|access-date=December 27, 2021|website=data.census.gov}}</ref>
!scope="col"| Race
!scope="col"| Number
!scope="col"| Percentage
|-
!scope="row"| [[White (U.S. Census)|White]] (non-Hispanic)
| 265
| 84.66%
|-
!scope="row"| [[African American (U.S. Census)|Black or African American]] (non-Hispanic)
| 9
| 2.88%
|-
!scope="row"| [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]]
| 1
| 0.32%
|-
!scope="row"| [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]]
| 22
| 7.03%
|-
!scope="row"| [[Race (United States Census)|Other/Mixed]]
| 10
| 3.19%
|-
!scope="row"| [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]]
| 6
| 1.92%
|}
As of the [[2020 United States census]], there were 313 people, 115 households, and 48 families residing in the town.

===2000 census===
As of the [[census]] of 2000, there were 204 people, 89 households, and 51 families residing in the town. The [[population density]] was {{convert|629.9|pd/sqmi}}. There were 111 housing units at an average density of {{cvt|342.8|/sqmi}}. The racial makeup of the town was 99.02% [[Race (U.S. Census)|White]] and 0.98% [[Race (U.S. Census)|Native American]]. Cumberland Gap ranks 289th in city size in Tennessee according to the 2017 U.S. Census Bureau.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/updates-acs-summary-file|title=ACS Summary File Table-Based Format|publisher=United States Census Bureau|website=Census.gov}}</ref>

There were 89 households, out of which 25.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.2% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 6.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.6% were nonfamilies. 34.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.29 and the average family size was 3.06.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 21.1% under the age of 18, 10.3% from 18 to 24, 30.9% from 25 to 44, 23.0% from 45 to 64, and 14.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.0 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $36,250, and the median income for a family was $40,625. Males had a median income of $36,250 versus $17,083 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the town was $12,005. About 9.3% of families and 23.3% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 26.7% of those under the age of 18 and 28.6% of those 65 or over.

==Economy==
The major industry sectors employing Cumberland Gap residents are healthcare, education, arts, and service.<ref name="masterplan"/> Food preparation and service-related jobs have become the fastest growing within the town of Cumberland Gap. However, according to the [[American Community Survey]], 10% of Cumberland Gap residents work inside of the town limits, with most commuting to other parts of Claiborne County, [[Middlesboro, Kentucky|Middlesboro]], and [[Campbell County, Tennessee|Campbell County]].<ref name="masterplan"/>

==Arts and culture==
===Festivals===
There are several festivals and events held in Cumberland Gap,<ref name="masterplan"/> some of the more notable events include:

*White Lightning Trail Festival - festival held every May celebrating [[East Tennessee]], folk and pioneer life, and [[Southern Appalachia]]n
culture.<ref name="wltf">{{cite web |title=White Lightning Trail Festival |url=https://www.claibornepartnership.com/events/wltf/ |website=Claiborne Economic Partnership |date=May 25, 2016 |access-date=January 10, 2021}}</ref>

*Mountain Heritage Literary Festival - festival held every June drawing in writers from throughout the country to celebrate writing,
music, and [[Appalachia]]n heritage.<ref name="mhlf">{{cite web |title=Mountain Heritage Literary Festival |url=https://www.lmunet.edu/community/mountain-heritage-literary-festival/index.php |website=[[Lincoln Memorial University]] |access-date=January 10, 2021}}</ref>

*The Mountain Fiesta - celebration of [[Latin American culture|Latin American]] and [[Appalachian culture]] held every April, includes professional dance classes, live music, art demonstrations, and a variety of Latin American and Appalachian cultural activities.<ref name="tmfcg">{{cite web |title=Mountain Fiesta - CUMBERLAND GAP |url=http://www.cumberlandgapregion.com/events-2/2019/4/20/mountain-fiesta-cumberland-gap |website=Cumberland Gap Region |access-date=January 10, 2021}}</ref>

===Historic sites===
* Cumberland Gap Historic District<ref name="npscghd">{{cite web |title=NPGallery Asset Detail |url=https://npgallery.nps.gov/AssetDetail/NRIS/90000321 |website=National Park Gallery |publisher=[[National Park Service]] |access-date=January 10, 2021}}</ref>
* [[Cumberland Gap National Historical Park]]

==Education==
There are no schools in the town limits, but Cumberland Gap High School located southwest of [[Harrogate, Tennessee]], is in Cumberland Gap's 37724 zip code.

[[Lincoln Memorial University]] is located in nearby Harrogate.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
* Sweet, Natalie. ''Harrogate and Cumberland Gap.'' (Arcadia Publishing, 2014).

==External links==
{{commons category|Cumberland Gap, Tennessee}}
*{{official website|http://www.townofcumberlandgap.com/}}
*[https://www.claibornepartnership.com/ Claiborne County Chamber of Commerce]
*[http://www.mtas.tennessee.edu/public/CHARTERS.nsf/0/A49CC9B7F888E73C85256ED7006CBC63/$File/cumberlndgap.cht.pdf?OpenElement Town charter]

{{Claiborne County, Tennessee}}
{{authority control}}

[[Category:Cumberland Gap]]
[[Category:Towns in Claiborne County, Tennessee]]
[[Category:Towns in Tennessee]]
[[Category:1907 establishments in Tennessee]]
[[Category:Company towns in Tennessee]]