Editing Macon County, Tennessee

{{short description|County in Tennessee, United States}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2024}}
{{Infobox U.S. county
 | county               = Macon County
 | state                = Tennessee 
 | seal                 = Macon County tn seal.jpg
 | founded              = 1842
 | named for            = [[Nathaniel Macon]]<ref name=tehc>Martha Carver, "[http://tennesseeencyclopedia.net/entry.php?rec=822 Macon County]," ''Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture''. Retrieved: March 11, 2013.</ref>
 | seat wl              = Lafayette
 | largest city wl      = Lafayette
 | area_total_sq_mi     = 307
 | area_land_sq_mi      = 307
 | area_water_sq_mi     = 0.1
 | area percentage      = 0.03%
 | census yr            = 2020
 | pop                  = 25216 {{increase}}
 | density_sq_mi        = 72
 | web                  = maconcountytn.gov
 | ex image             = Macontncourthouse.jpg
 | ex image cap         = Macon County Courthouse in Lafayette
 | time zone            = Central
 | district             = 6th
}}

'''Macon County''' is a [[County (United States)|county]] located in the [[U.S. state]] of [[Tennessee]] As of the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]], the population was 25,216.<ref name="QF">{{cite web|title=State & County QuickFacts |url=http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/47/47111.html |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=December 6, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110607143136/http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/47/47111.html |archive-date=June 7, 2011 }}</ref> Its [[county seat]] is [[Lafayette, Tennessee|Lafayette]].<ref name="GR6">{{cite web|url=http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx|access-date=June 7, 2011|title=Find a County|publisher=National Association of Counties}}</ref> Macon County is part of the [[Nashville, Tennessee|Nashville-Davidson]]&ndash;[[Murfreesboro, Tennessee|Murfreesboro]]&ndash;[[Franklin, Tennessee|Franklin]], TN [[Nashville Metropolitan Statistical Area|Metropolitan Statistical Area]].

==History==
[[File:Galen-elementary-school-tn1.jpg|right|220px|thumb|Old Galen Elementary School building near Lafayette]]

Macon County was formed in 1842 from parts of [[Smith County, Tennessee|Smith]] and [[Sumner County, Tennessee|Sumner]] counties. It was named in honor of the late Revolutionary War veteran and United States Senator, [[Nathaniel Macon]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Gannett|first=Henry|author-link=Henry Gannett|title=The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States|url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_9V1IAAAAMAAJ|year=1905|publisher=U.S. Government Printing Office|page=[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_9V1IAAAAMAAJ/page/n194 195]}}</ref>  The county seat was named in honor of the [[Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette|Marquis de Lafayette]].<ref name=tehc />

Unlike adjacent counties of [[Middle Tennessee]], which were generally pro-[[Confederate States of America|Confederate]], but like neighbouring [[list of counties in Kentucky|counties in Kentucky]],<ref name="Where">{{cite journal|last=Copeland|first=James E.|title=Where Were the Kentucky Unionists and Secessionists|journal=The Register of the Kentucky Historical Society|volume=71|issue=4|date=October 1973|pages=344–363}}</ref> Macon County was largely pro-[[Union (American Civil War)|Union]] during [[American Civil War|the Civil War]]. In Tennessee's Ordinance of Secession referendum on June 8, 1861, Macon County voted to remain in the Union by a margin of 697 to 447.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://votearchive.com/tn-sec-ref-1861/|publisher=Vote Archive|title=Tennessee Secession Referendum, 1861}}</ref> Macon was one of only eight counties in [[West Tennessee|West]] or Middle Tennessee to support the Union. Earlier on February 9, 1861, Macon County voters had voted against holding a secession convention by a margin of 960 to 73.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://votearchive.com/tn-sec-conv-vote-1861/|title=Tennessee Vote on Secession Convention, 1861|publisher=[[The Fayetteville Observer|Fayetteville Observer]]|date=March 21, 1861}}</ref> Many Macon Countians served in [[List of Kentucky Union Civil War units|Kentucky Union regiments]], especially [[9th Kentucky Infantry Regiment (Union)|the Ninth Infantry Regiment]], because secessionists in surrounding Tennessee counties drove them over the state line.<ref>{{cite book|last=Noe|first=Kenneth W.|chapter=“Battle Against the Traitors”: Unionist Middle Tennesseeans in the Ninth Kentucky Infantry and What They Fought For|pages=125–129|editor-last1=Dollar|editor-first1=Kent|editor-last2=Whiteaker|editor-first2=Larry|editor-last3=Dickinson|editor-first3=W. Calvin|title= Sister States, Enemy States: The Civil War in Kentucky and Tennessee|date=July 17, 2007|publisher=[[University Press of Kentucky]]|isbn=9780813125411}}</ref>

The county's second-largest city, [[Red Boiling Springs, Tennessee|Red Boiling Springs]], thrived as a [[mineral springs]] resort in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Three hotels from this period — the [[Donoho Hotel]], the [[Thomas House Hotel]] (previously the Cloyd Hotel), and the [[Armour's Hotel]] (previously the Counts Hotel) — are still open, though only the Armour's still offers mineral water treatments.

==Geography==
According to the [[U.S. Census Bureau]], the county has a total area of {{convert|307|sqmi}}, of which {{convert|307|sqmi}} is land and {{convert|0.1|sqmi}} (0.03%) is water.<ref name="GR1">{{cite web|url=http://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/counties_list_47.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=April 9, 2015|date=August 22, 2012|title=2010 Census Gazetteer Files}}</ref> Macon County is located amidst the northeastern [[Highland Rim]], and is generally rugged and hilly.

===Adjacent counties===
*[[Monroe County, Kentucky]] (northeast)
*[[Clay County, Tennessee|Clay County]] (east)
*[[Jackson County, Tennessee|Jackson County]] (southeast)
*[[Smith County, Tennessee|Smith County]] (south)
*[[Trousdale County, Tennessee|Trousdale County]] (southwest)
*[[Sumner County, Tennessee|Sumner County]] (west)
*[[Allen County, Kentucky]] (northwest)

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1850= 6948
|1860= 7290
|1870= 6633
|1880= 9321
|1890= 10878
|1900= 12881
|1910= 14559
|1920= 14922
|1930= 13872
|1940= 14904
|1950= 13599
|1960= 12197
|1970= 12315
|1980= 15700
|1990= 15906
|2000= 20386
|2010= 22248
|2020= 25216
|estref=<ref name="USCensusEst2018">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/data/tables.2018.html|title=Population and Housing Unit Estimates|access-date=July 20, 2018}}</ref>
|align-fn=center
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=U.S. Decennial Census|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=April 9, 2015}}</ref><br />1790-1960<ref>{{cite web|url=http://mapserver.lib.virginia.edu|title=Historical Census Browser|publisher=University of Virginia Library|access-date=April 9, 2015}}</ref> 1900-1990<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/population/cencounts/tn190090.txt|title=Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990|publisher=United States Census Bureau|editor-last=Forstall|editor-first=Richard L.|date=March 27, 1995|access-date=April 9, 2015}}</ref><br />1990-2000<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/briefs/phc-t4/tables/tab02.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/https://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/briefs/phc-t4/tables/tab02.pdf |archive-date=October 9, 2022 |url-status=live|title=Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000|publisher=United States Census Bureau|date=April 2, 2001|access-date=April 9, 2015}}</ref> 2010-2014<ref name="QF"/>
}}
{{Stack|[[Image:USA Macon County, Tennessee.csv age pyramid.svg|thumb|150px|left|Age pyramid Macon County<ref>Based on [[2000 United States Census|2000 census]] data</ref>]]}}

===2020 census===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:right"
|+Macon County racial composition<ref>{{Cite web|title=Explore Census Data|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?g=0500000US47111&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2|access-date=December 26, 2021|website=data.census.gov}}</ref>
!scope="col"| Race
!scope="col"| Number
!scope="col"| Percentage
|-
!scope="row"| [[White (U.S. Census)|White]] (non-Hispanic)
| 22,439
| 88.99%
|-
!scope="row"| [[African American (U.S. Census)|Black or African American]] (non-Hispanic)
| 120
| 0.48%
|-
!scope="row"| [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]]
| 60
| 0.24%
|-
!scope="row"| [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]]
| 44
| 0.17%
|-
!scope="row"| [[Pacific Islander (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]]
| 8
| 0.03%
|-
!scope="row"| [[Race (United States Census)|Other/Mixed]]
| 861
| 3.41%
|-
!scope="row"| [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]]
| 1,684
| 6.68%
|}
As of the [[2020 United States census]], there were 25,216 people, 9,170 households, and 6,215 families residing in the county.

===2010 census===
At the [[2010 United States Census|2010 census]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.census.gov|title=U.S. Census website|publisher=United States Census Bureau|website=[[United States Census Bureau]]|language=en|access-date=March 11, 2018}}</ref> there were 22,248 people, 8,561 households, and 6,112 families living in the county. The population density was {{convert|72|/mi2|/km2|disp=preunit|people&nbsp;|people|}}. There were 9,861 housing units at an average density of {{convert|32|/mi2|/km2|adj=pre|units&nbsp;}}. The [[Race and ethnicity in the United States Census#2010 census|racial makeup]] of the county was 96.03% White, 0.42% Black or African American, 0.35% Native American, 0.20% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 1.96% from other races, and 1.04% from two or more races. 4.13% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

Of the 8,561 households 30.16% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.55% were married couples living together, 5.58% had a male householder with no wife present, 11.26% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.61% were non-families. 24.27% of households were one person and 10.86% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 3.02.

The age distribution was 25.02% under the age of 18, 8.39% from 18 to 24, 31.59% from 25 to 44, 20.69% from 45 to 64, and 14.09% 65 or older. The median age was 38.7 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.08 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.21 males.

===2000 census===
At the [[2000 United States Census|2000 census]] there were 20,386 people, 7,916 households, and 5,802 families living in the county. The population density was {{convert|66|/mi2|/km2|disp=preunit|people&nbsp;|people|}}. There were 8,894 housing units at an average density of {{convert|29|/mi2|/km2|adj=pre|units&nbsp;}}. The [[Race and ethnicity in the United States Census#2000 census|racial makeup]] of the county was 97.86% White, 0.22% Black or African American, 0.42% Native American, 0.24% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 0.77% from other races, and 0.44% from two or more races. 1.71% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.<ref name="GR8">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=May 14, 2011|title=U.S. Census website}}</ref>
Of the 7,916 households 35.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.70% were married couples living together, 8.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.70% were non-families. 23.80% of households were one person and 10.70% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.55 and the average family size was 3.00.

The age distribution was 26.10% under the age of 18, 8.50% from 18 to 24, 29.40% from 25 to 44, 23.30% from 45 to 64, and 12.70% 65 or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.10 males.

The median household income was $29,867 and the median family income was $37,577. Males had a median income of $28,170 versus $20,087 for females. The per capita income for the county was $15,286. About 11.30% of families and 15.10% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 17.00% of those under age 18 and 25.40% of those age 65 or over.

==Communities==
===Cities===
*[[Lafayette, Tennessee|Lafayette]] (county seat)
*[[Red Boiling Springs, Tennessee|Red Boiling Springs]]

===Unincorporated communities===
*[[Beech Bottom, Tennessee|Beech Bottom]]
*[[Beech Hill, Macon County, Tennessee|Beech Hill]]
*[[Hillsdale, Tennessee|Hillsdale]]
*[[Siloam, Tennessee|Siloam]]
*[[Webbtown, Tennessee|Webbtown]]
*[[Willette, Tennessee|Willette]]

==Transportation==
===Highways===
*{{jct|state=TN|SR|10}}
*{{jct|state=TN|SR|52}}
*{{jct|state=TN|SR|56}}
*{{jct|state=TN|SR|80}}
*{{jct|state=TN|Sec|141}}
*{{jct|state=TN|SR|151}}
*{{jct|state=TN|Sec|261}}
*{{jct|state=TN|Sec|262}}

===Airport===
[[Lafayette Municipal Airport (Tennessee)|Lafayette Municipal Airport]]

==Politics==
{{PresHead|place=Macon County, Tennessee|source=<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS|title=Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections|last=Leip|first=David|website=uselectionatlas.org|access-date=March 11, 2018}}</ref>}}
<!-- PresRow should be {{PresRow|Year|Winning party|GOP vote #|Dem vote #|3rd party vote #|State}} -->
{{PresRow|2024|Republican|8,958|1,277|111|Tennessee}}
{{PresRow|2020|Republican|8,096|1,307|84|Tennessee}}
{{PresRow|2016|Republican|6,263|1,072|169|Tennessee}}
{{PresRow|2012|Republican|5,260|1,552|93|Tennessee}}
{{PresRow|2008|Republican|5,145|2,060|155|Tennessee}}
{{PresRow|2004|Republican|4,670|2,738|25|Tennessee}}
{{PresRow|2000|Republican|3,366|3,059|66|Tennessee}}
{{PresRow|1996|Republican|2,481|2,240|445|Tennessee}}
{{PresRow|1992|Democratic|2,299|2,961|466|Tennessee}}
{{PresRow|1988|Republican|2,962|1,538|31|Tennessee}}
{{PresRow|1984|Republican|3,330|1,747|28|Tennessee}}
{{PresRow|1980|Republican|2,925|1,947|89|Tennessee}}
{{PresRow|1976|Republican|2,063|1,951|37|Tennessee}}
{{PresRow|1972|Republican|2,295|653|85|Tennessee}}
{{PresRow|1968|Republican|2,173|530|1,041|Tennessee}}
{{PresRow|1964|Republican|1,846|1,446|0|Tennessee}}
{{PresRow|1960|Republican|2,829|915|38|Tennessee}}
{{PresRow|1956|Republican|2,207|1,069|20|Tennessee}}
{{PresRow|1952|Republican|2,602|1,158|0|Tennessee}}
{{PresRow|1948|Republican|1,708|738|64|Tennessee}}
{{PresRow|1944|Republican|2,322|701|22|Tennessee}}
{{PresRow|1940|Republican|1,730|711|4|Tennessee}}
{{PresRow|1936|Republican|1,402|876|12|Tennessee}}
{{PresRow|1932|Republican|1,123|885|10|Tennessee}}
{{PresRow|1928|Republican|1,937|419|0|Tennessee}}
{{PresRow|1924|Republican|1,808|689|15|Tennessee}}
{{PresRow|1920|Republican|3,208|1,066|2|Tennessee}}
{{PresRow|1916|Republican|1,600|980|0|Tennessee}}
{{PresFoot|1912|Republican|1,251|787|194|Tennessee}}

Although part of the [[Middle Tennessee]] Grand Division, Macon County is geographically firmly a part of Kentucky's [[Pennyroyal Plateau]] and has much more historically in common with adjacent Bluegrass State counties like [[Monroe County, Kentucky|Monroe]], [[Clinton County, Kentucky|Clinton]] and [[Cumberland County, Kentucky|Cumberland]], or with counties in [[East Tennessee]]. Those Pennyroyal counties were overwhelmingly opposed to secession,<ref name="Where"/> and a large majority of residents fought their Civil War in [[Union Army|Union blue]] rather than [[Confederate States Army|Confederate gray]]. Consequently, after the Civil War, Macon County became an isolated powerfully Republican County in then-Democratic Middle Tennessee. Since 1884, the only Democratic presidential candidate to carry Macon County has been [[Bill Clinton]] in 1992, when he had Tennessee Senator [[Al Gore]] – who lived in neighbouring [[Smith County, Tennessee|Smith County]] as a child – as his running mate. In the 2000 election, Gore's local popularity was sufficient to give him the third-highest Democratic percentage of the past 132 years despite losing the state, but since then like all of Appalachia and surrounding regions the county has shown an extremely rapid trend to the Republican Party due to powerful opposition to the Democratic Party's liberal views on social issues.<ref>{{cite web|last=Cohn|first=Nate|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/24/upshot/southern-whites-loyalty-to-gop-nearing-that-of-blacks-to-democrats.html|title=Demographic Shift: Southern Whites' Loyalty to G.O.P. Nearing That of Blacks to Democrats|work=[[New York Times]]|date=April 24, 2014}}</ref>

In other statewide elections, Macon County has shown a similar rapid Republican trend. It voted for a Democratic Senator as recently as the 2002 election, when [[Bob Clement]] defeated [[Lamar Alexander]] by a mere nineteen votes,<ref>{{cite web|publisher=Dave Leip’s U.S. Election Atlas|url=http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/statesub.php?year=2002&fips=47111&f=0&off=3&elect=0&class=2|title=2002 Senatorial General Election Results – Macon County, TN}}</ref> but for the last three senatorial elections the Democratic candidate has not obtained more than 22.09 percent of the county's vote. Although [[Phil Bredesen]] carried the county in both 2002 and 2006, he is the last Democratic gubernatorial candidate to top thirty percent.

===County government officials===
* County Mayor: Steve Jones<ref>{{cite web |title=County Mayor |url=http://www.maconcountytn.gov/government/county_mayor/index.php |website=www.maconcountytn.gov |access-date=November 19, 2019}}</ref>
* Assessor of Property: Rick Shoulders<ref>{{cite web |title=Property Assessor |url=http://www.maconcountytn.gov/government/property_assessor/index.php |website=www.maconcountytn.gov}}</ref>
* Trustee: Kim Parks<ref>{{cite web |title=Trustee |url=http://www.maconcountytn.gov/government/trustee/index.php |website=www.maconcountytn.gov}}</ref>
* Sheriff: Joey Wilburn<ref>{{cite web |title=Sheriff s Office |url=http://www.maconcountytn.gov/government/sheriff_department/index.php |website=www.maconcountytn.gov}}</ref>
* County Clerk: Connie Blackwell<ref>{{cite web |title=County Clerk |url=http://www.maconcountytn.gov/government/county_court_clerk/index.php |website=www.maconcountytn.gov}}</ref>
* Register of Deeds: Cynthia Jones<ref>{{cite web |title=Register of Deeds |url=http://www.maconcountytn.gov/government/register_of_deeds/index.php |website=www.maconcountytn.gov}}</ref>

===County commission members===
* Phillip Snow
* Todd Gentry
* Keith Newberry
* Mike Jenkins
* Benton Bartley
* Ethan Phillips
* Billy Wilmore
* Justin Dyer
* Dan Hill
* Barry Marshall
* Tony Wix
* Michael Slayton
* Jeff Hughes
* Barry King
* Bobby Ray King
* Kyle Petty
* Wendell Jones
* Jarhea Wilmore
* Helen Hesson
* Larry West
<ref>{{cite web |title=County Commission |url=http://www.maconcountytn.gov/government/county_commission/index.php |website=www.maconcountytn.gov}}</ref>

===State and federal representation===
* [[Tennessee House of Representatives|State Representative]]: [[Kelly Keisling]]<ref>{{cite web |title=Representatives - TN General Assembly |url=http://www.capitol.tn.gov/house/members/h38.html |website=www.capitol.tn.gov |access-date=November 19, 2019}}</ref>
* [[Tennessee Senate|State Senator]]: [[Mark Pody]]<ref>{{cite web |title=Senators - TN General Assembly |url=http://www.capitol.tn.gov/senate/members/s17.html |website=www.capitol.tn.gov |access-date=November 19, 2019}}</ref>
* [[United States House of Representatives|Congressional Representative]]: [[John Rose (Tennessee politician)|John Rose]]<ref>{{cite web |title=Our District |url=https://johnrose.house.gov/about/our-district |website=Representative John Rose |access-date=November 19, 2019 |language=en |date=December 4, 2012}}</ref>

==Media==
===Newspapers===
* [https://www.maconcountychronicle.com/ Macon County Chronicle]
* [https://maconcountytimes.com/ Macon County Times]

===Radio===
* [[WEEN|WEEN 1460 AM and 97.5 FM]]
* [[WLCT|WLCT 102.1 FM]]

===Television===
Macon County is part of the Nashville media market. North Central Telephone Cooperative is the main [[cable television]] provider in the county.

==See also==
*[[National Register of Historic Places listings in Tennessee#Macon County|National Register of Historic Places listings in Macon County, Tennessee]]

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

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
*[http://maconcountytn.gov/ Official site]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20131023055134/http://www.maconcountytn.com/chamber_of_commerce.htm Macon County Chamber of Commerce]
*[http://tennesseecentral.org/ Tennessee Central Economic Alliance for Macon County] 
* [http://www.tngenweb.org/macon Macon County, TNGenWeb] - free genealogy resources for the county

{{Geographic Location
|Centre    = Macon County, Tennessee
|North     =
|Northeast = [[Monroe County, Kentucky]]
|East      = [[Clay County, Tennessee|Clay County]]
|Southeast = [[Jackson County, Tennessee|Jackson County]]
|South     = [[Smith County, Tennessee|Smith County]]
|Southwest = [[Trousdale County, Tennessee|Trousdale County]]
|West      = [[Sumner County, Tennessee|Sumner County]]
|Northwest = [[Allen County, Kentucky]]
}}

{{Macon County, Tennessee}}
{{Nashville Metro}}
{{Tennessee}}

{{coord|36.53|-86.01|display=title|type:adm2nd_region:US-TN_source:UScensus1990}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Macon County, Tennessee| ]]
[[Category:1842 establishments in Tennessee]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1842]]
[[Category:Nashville metropolitan area]]
[[Category:Middle Tennessee]]