Editing Roane County, Tennessee

{{short description|County in Tennessee, United States}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2024}}
{{Infobox U.S. county
 | county               = Roane County
 | state                = Tennessee
 | seal                 = 
 | founded              = 1801
 | named for            = [[Archibald Roane]]<ref name=tehc>Jere Hall and Rachel Parker, "[http://tennesseeencyclopedia.net/entry.php?rec=1133 Roane County]," ''Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture''. Retrieved: March 21, 2013.</ref>
 | seat wl              = Kingston
 | largest city wl      = Kingston
 | area_total_sq_mi     = 395
 | area_land_sq_mi      = 361
 | area_water_sq_mi     = 34
 | area percentage      = 8.7%
 | census yr            = 2020
 | pop                  = 53404 {{decrease}}
 | density_sq_mi        = 150
 | time zone            = Eastern
 | footnotes            = 
 | web                  = http://roanecountytn.gov/
 | ex image             = Roane-county-tennessee-courthouse1.jpg
 | ex image cap         = Roane County Courthouse in Kingston
 | district             = 3rd 
}}

'''Roane County''' is a [[County (United States)|county]] of the [[U.S. state]] of [[Tennessee]]. As of the 2020 [[2010 United States Census|census]], the population was 53,404.<ref name="QF">{{cite web|title=State & County QuickFacts|url=http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/47/47145.html|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=December 7, 2013|archive-date=June 7, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110607144612/http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/47/47145.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> Its [[county seat]] is [[Kingston, Tennessee|Kingston]].<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> Roane County is included in the [[Knoxville, Tennessee|Knoxville]], TN [[Knoxville metropolitan area|Metropolitan Statistical Area]].

==History==

Roane County was formed in 1801, and named for [[Archibald Roane]], the second Governor of Tennessee.<ref name=tehc />  Upon the creation of the [[Southwest Territory]] in 1790, the territory's governor, [[William Blount]], initially wanted to locate the territorial capital at the mouth of the [[Clinch River]], but was unable to obtain title to the land from the [[Cherokee]]. Kingston, Roane's county seat, is rooted in [[Fort Southwest Point]], a frontier fort constructed in the early 1790s.<ref name=tehc />

During the Civil War, Roane County, like many East Tennessee counties, was largely pro-Union. When Tennessee voted on the Ordinance of Secession on June 8, 1861, Roane Countians voted 1,568 to 454 in favor of remaining in the Union.<ref>Oliver Perry Temple, ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=g8xYAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA199 East Tennessee and the Civil War]'' (R. Clarke Company, 1899), p. 199.</ref>  In October 1861, Union guerrilla William B. Carter organized the [[East Tennessee bridge-burning conspiracy]] from a command post in Kingston.<ref>David Madden, "Unionist Resistance to Confederate Occupation: The Bridge Burners of East Tennessee," East Tennessee Historical Society Publications, Vols. 52-53 (1980–1981), pp. 22-40.</ref>  During the [[Knoxville Campaign]] in December 1863, a Union force led by General [[James G. Spears]] scattered a small Confederate force led by John R. Hart near Kingston.<ref>Earl J. Hess, ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=3raeHWhCVZcC&pg=PA198 The Knoxville Campaign: Burnside and Longstreet in East Tennessee]'' (University of Tennessee Press, 2012), p. 198.</ref>

In the years following the Civil War, Rockwood grew into a major iron and coal mining center with the establishment of the Roane Iron Company by General [[John T. Wilder]]. Iron ore and coal were mined on Walden Ridge and shipped to Rockwood, where the ore was converted into pig iron. The pig iron was then shipped to rolling mills in Knoxville or Chattanooga.<ref name=tehc />

[[File:ETTP 2006 (8003095461).jpg|thumb|K-25, site of uranium enrichment for the "Little Boy" bomb dropped on Hiroshima]]

During the late 19th century, northern investors established two planned cities in Roane County&mdash; [[Cardiff, Tennessee|Cardiff]] and [[Harriman, Tennessee|Harriman]]. Cardiff, located northeast of Rockwood, was planned as a company town to support several proposed mining industries in the area. Harriman was planned as a [[Temperance Towns|Temperance Town]]. Both ventures suffered critical setbacks as a result of the [[Panic of 1893]]. Harriman survived, but never grew in the manner its planners had envisioned, while Cardiff failed altogether.<ref>John Benhart, ''Appalachian Aspirations: The Geography of Urbanization and Development in the Upper Tennessee River Valley, 1865-1900'' (Knoxville, Tenn.: University of Tennessee Press, 2007), pp. 5-10.</ref>  During World War II, the federal government created the city of [[Oak Ridge, Tennessee|Oak Ridge]] as a planned community as part of the [[Manhattan Project]] to develop the atomic bomb. As a result of the Project, both the [[K-25|K-25 gaseous diffusion plant]] and the [[Oak Ridge National Laboratory]] are located in the county.

==Geography==
[[File:Roane-walden-ridge-tn1.jpg|right|240px|thumb|Walden Ridge, with lower Roane County on the right]]

According to the [[U.S. Census Bureau]], the county has a total area of {{convert|395|sqmi}}, of which {{convert|361|sqmi}} is land and {{convert|34|sqmi}} (8.7%) 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 14, 2015|date=August 22, 2012|title=2010 Census Gazetteer Files}}</ref> Three rivers&mdash; the [[Tennessee River]], the [[Clinch River]], and the [[Emory River]]&mdash; pass through Roane County. The Emory empties into the Clinch near Kingston, and the Clinch empties into the Tennessee just downstream from Kingston. The rivers in Roane are mostly part of [[Watts Bar Dam|Watts Bar Lake]]. One notable valley is [[Suck-egg Hollow]].

Roane County straddles the geographical boundary between the [[Tennessee Valley]] and the [[Cumberland Plateau]], with the latter's [[Walden Ridge]] escarpment visible from much of the county.

===Adjacent counties===
{{div col}}
*[[Morgan County, Tennessee|Morgan County]] (north)
*[[Anderson County, Tennessee|Anderson County]] (northeast)
*[[Knox County, Tennessee|Knox County]] (east)
*[[Loudon County, Tennessee|Loudon County]] (southeast)
*[[McMinn County, Tennessee|McMinn County]] (south)
*[[Meigs County, Tennessee|Meigs County]] (southwest)
*[[Rhea County, Tennessee|Rhea County]] (southwest)
*[[Cumberland County, Tennessee|Cumberland County]] (west/CST Border)
{{div col end}}

===State protected areas===
*Campbell Bend Barrens State Natural Area
*Crowder Cemetery State Natural Area
*Kingston Refuge
*McGlothin-Largen Wildlife Management Area
*Mount Roosevelt Wildlife Management Area (part)
*Paint Rock Refuge
*Watts Bar Wildlife Management Area

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1810= 5581
|1820= 7895
|1830= 11341
|1840= 10948
|1850= 12185
|1860= 13583
|1870= 15622
|1880= 15237
|1890= 17418
|1900= 22738
|1910= 22860
|1920= 24624
|1930= 24477
|1940= 27795
|1950= 31665
|1960= 39133
|1970= 38831
|1980= 48425
|1990= 47227
|2000= 51910
|2010= 54181
|2020= 53404
|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 14, 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 14, 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 14, 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 14, 2015}}</ref> 2010-2014<ref name="QF"/>
}}
{{Stack|[[Image:USA Roane County, Tennessee.csv age pyramid.svg|thumb|150px|left|Age pyramid Roane County<ref>Based on 2000 [[census]] data</ref>]]}}

===2020 census===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:right"
|+Roane County racial composition<ref>{{Cite web|title=Explore Census Data|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?g=0500000US47145&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)
| 48,094
| 90.06%
|-
!scope="row"| [[African American (U.S. Census)|Black or African American]] (non-Hispanic)
| 1,302
| 2.44%
|-
!scope="row"| [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]]
| 161
| 0.3%
|-
!scope="row"| [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]]
| 341
| 0.64%
|-
!scope="row"| [[Pacific Islander (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]]
| 19
| 0.04%
|-
!scope="row"| [[Race (United States Census)|Other/Mixed]]
| 2,476
| 4.64%
|-
!scope="row"| [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]]
| 1,011
| 1.89%
|}
As of the [[2020 United States census]], there were 53,404 people, 20,901 households, and 13,948 families residing in the county.

===2010 census===
As of the [[census]]<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 2010, there were 54,181 people, 22,376 households, and 15,450 families residing in the county. The [[population density]] was {{convert|150|/mi2|/km2|disp=preunit|people&nbsp;|people|}}. There were 25,716 housing units at an average density of {{convert|71|/mi2|/km2|adj=pre|units&nbsp;}}. The racial makeup of the county was 94.4% [[Race (United States Census)|White]], 2.7% [[Race (United States Census)|Black]] or [[Race (United States Census)|African American]], 0.3% [[Race (United States Census)|Native American]], 0.5% [[Race (United States Census)|Asian]], 0.0003% [[Race (United States Census)|Pacific Islander]], 0.17% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 1.6% from two or more races. 1.3% of the population were [[Race (United States Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Race (United States Census)|Latino]] of any race.

There were 22,376 households, out of which 23.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.8% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 10.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31% were non-families. 26.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 2.88.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 20.8% under the age of 18 and 18.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44.9 years. For every 100 females there were 96.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.85 males.

As of the [[census]]<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> of 2000, the median income for a household in the county was $33,226, and the median income for a family was $41,399. Males had a median income of $32,204 versus $22,439 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the county was $18,456. About 10.30% of families and 13.90% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 18.80% of those under age 18 and 13.80% of those age 65 or over.

The Census Bureau has defined the Harriman-Kingston-Rockwood area as a contiguous [[List of United States urban areas|urban cluster]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/dc10map/UAUC_RefMap/uc/uc36946_harriman--kingston--rockwood_tn/DC10UC36946.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/http://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/dc10map/UAUC_RefMap/uc/uc36946_harriman--kingston--rockwood_tn/DC10UC36946.pdf |archive-date=October 9, 2022 |url-status=live |title=URBAN CLUSTER REFERENCE MAP: Harriman--Kingston--Rockwood, TN}}</ref>

==Media==
Several movies have been filmed in Roane County, including ''Boys of Summerville'', ''That Evening Sun'' and ''[[October Sky]]''. Roane County was the childhood home of actress [[Megan Fox]], who lived in [[Kingston, Tennessee|Kingston]]. She attended elementary school, took dance classes, and was on the swim team in Roane County. The 2010 film, ''[[Get Low (film)|Get Low]]'', starring [[Bill Murray]], [[Robert Duvall]], and [[Sissy Spacek]], was based on the true story of a Roane County man, Felix Breazeale. Breazeale was a local hermit who opted to throw himself a funeral while he was still alive. The funeral intrigued many, making it a gathering of thousands. Roane County has produced thousands of successful athletes. One of Roane County's most recent athletes is Tyler Thompson of Kingston. Thompson played Division I basketball in the Ohio Valley Conference for Tennessee Technological University.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ttusports.com/sports/mbkb/2018-19/bios/thompson_tyler_41ql|title = Tyler Thompson}}</ref>

==Communities==
[[File:Kingston-US70-tn1.jpg|right|210px|thumb|[[Kingston, Tennessee|Kingston]]]]
[[File:Rockwood-Street-tn2.jpg|right|210px|thumb|[[Rockwood, Tennessee|Rockwood]]]]

===Cities===
*[[Harriman, Tennessee|Harriman]] (small part in [[Morgan County, Tennessee|Morgan County]])
*[[Kingston, Tennessee|Kingston]] (county seat)
*[[Oak Ridge, Tennessee|Oak Ridge]] (partial)
*[[Rockwood, Tennessee|Rockwood]]
*[[Lenoir City, Tennessee|Lenoir City]] (partial)

===Town===
*[[Oliver Springs, Tennessee|Oliver Springs]] (partial)

===Unincorporated communities===
* [[Blair, Tennessee|Blair]]
*[[Cave Creek, Tennessee|Cave Creek]]
* [[Cedar Grove, Roane County, Tennessee|Cedar Grove]]
* [[Midway, Roane County, Tennessee|Midway]]
* [[Ten Mile, Tennessee|Ten Mile]] (partial)
* [[Postoak, Tennessee|Postoak]]
* Paintrock

===Former communities===
* [[Cardiff, Tennessee|Cardiff]]
* [[Wheat, Tennessee|Wheat]]

==Politics==
{{PresHead|place=Roane 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 12, 2018}}</ref>}}
<!-- PresRow should be {{PresRow|Year|Winning party|GOP vote #|Dem vote #|3rd party vote #|State}} -->
{{PresRow|2024|Republican|21,011|6,073|328|Tennessee}}
{{PresRow|2020|Republican|19,230|6,043|644|Tennessee}}
{{PresRow|2016|Republican|15,880|4,837|952|Tennessee}}
{{PresRow|2012|Republican|14,724|6,018|348|Tennessee}}
{{PresRow|2008|Republican|15,658|7,224|394|Tennessee}}
{{PresRow|2004|Republican|14,467|8,706|165|Tennessee}}
{{PresRow|2000|Republican|11,345|9,575|406|Tennessee}}
{{PresRow|1996|Democratic|9,044|9,744|1,697|Tennessee}}
{{PresRow|1992|Democratic|8,719|9,812|2,468|Tennessee}}
{{PresRow|1988|Republican|10,881|6,535|81|Tennessee}}
{{PresRow|1984|Republican|11,882|6,623|109|Tennessee}}
{{PresRow|1980|Republican|11,096|6,473|613|Tennessee}}
{{PresRow|1976|Democratic|7,121|9,216|154|Tennessee}}
{{PresRow|1972|Republican|8,742|3,433|295|Tennessee}}
{{PresRow|1968|Republican|6,033|3,258|3,898|Tennessee}}
{{PresRow|1964|Democratic|5,735|6,108|0|Tennessee}}
{{PresRow|1960|Republican|6,540|4,953|133|Tennessee}}
{{PresRow|1956|Republican|6,147|4,531|140|Tennessee}}
{{PresRow|1952|Republican|5,583|3,702|0|Tennessee}}
{{PresRow|1948|Republican|3,236|2,306|239|Tennessee}}
{{PresRow|1944|Republican|2,711|1,971|17|Tennessee}}
{{PresRow|1940|Democratic|2,245|2,384|21|Tennessee}}
{{PresRow|1936|Republican|2,757|2,467|11|Tennessee}}
{{PresRow|1932|Republican|2,036|1,625|48|Tennessee}}
{{PresRow|1928|Republican|2,955|755|24|Tennessee}}
{{PresRow|1924|Republican|1,635|795|147|Tennessee}}
{{PresRow|1920|Republican|1,974|838|0|Tennessee}}
{{PresRow|1916|Republican|1,341|667|66|Tennessee}}
{{PresFoot|1912|Progressive|482|570|896|Tennessee}}

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

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
* [http://roanecountytn.gov/ Official site]
* [http://www.roanecounty.com/ Roane County News] - Twice-weekly community newspaper covering Harriman, Kingston, Oliver Springs, Rockwood and Roane County, Tennessee
* [http://www.roanealliance.org/ The Roane Alliance] - Roane County's umbrella economic development organization over both public and private organizations, including the Roane County Chamber of Commerce and others, each with a separate board and budget.
* [http://www.roanetnhistory.org Roane County Tennessee Family History Project] - Provides scans and searchable transcriptions of old documents and books relating to history and genealogy of past or present Roane County families.
* [http://www.tngenweb.org/roane Roane County, TNGenWeb] - free genealogy resources for the county

{{Geographic Location
|Centre    = Roane County, Tennessee
|North     = [[Morgan County, Tennessee|Morgan County]]
|Northeast = [[Anderson County, Tennessee|Anderson County]]
|East      = [[Knox County, Tennessee|Knox County]]
|Southeast = [[Loudon County, Tennessee|Loudon County]]
|South     = [[McMinn County, Tennessee|McMinn County]]
|Southwest = [[Rhea County, Tennessee|Rhea County]] and [[Meigs County, Tennessee|Meigs County]]
|West      = [[Cumberland County, Tennessee|Cumberland County]]
|Northwest =
}}

{{Roane County, Tennessee}}
{{Knoxville Metro}}
{{Tennessee}}
{{Authority control}}
{{Coord|35|52|12|N|84|30|6|W|source:svwiki_region:US_type:adm1st|display=title}}

[[Category:Roane County, Tennessee| ]]
[[Category:1801 establishments in Tennessee]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1801]]
[[Category:Second Amendment sanctuaries in Tennessee]]
[[Category:East Tennessee]]