Bledsoe County, Tennessee
Bledsoe County | |
|---|---|
 Bledsoe County Courthouse in Pikeville | |
 Seal | |
 Location within the U.S. state of Tennessee | |
 Tennessee's location within the U.S. | |
| Coordinates: 35°36′N 85°13′W / 35.6°N 85.21°W | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Tennessee |
| Founded | 1807 |
| Named for | Anthony Bledsoe[1] |
| Seat | Pikeville |
| Largest city | Pikeville |
| Area | |
• Total | 407 sq mi (1,050 km2) |
| • Land | 406 sq mi (1,050 km2) |
| • Water | 0.3 sq mi (0.8 km2) 0.08% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 14,913  |
| • Density | 36.73/sq mi (14.18/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| Congressional district | 4th |
| Website | https://bledsoetn.com/ |
Bledsoe County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2020 census, the population was 14,913.[2] Its county seat is Pikeville.[3]
History
[edit]Bledsoe County was formed in 1807 from land that was formerly Indian Land as well as land carved from Roane County. The county was named for Anthony Bledsoe (1739–1788), a soldier in the Revolutionary War and was an early settler of Sumner County. He was killed in an Indian attack at Bledsoe's Station.[4]
Like many East Tennessee counties, Bledsoe County opposed secession on the eve of the Civil War. In Tennessee's Ordinance of Secession on June 8, 1861, the county's residents voted against secession by a margin of 500 to 197.[5] General James G. Spears, a resident of Bledsoe, served as a vice president at the pro-Union East Tennessee Convention in May and June 1861, and fought for the Union Army in the war.[6]
The Lynching of James Scales
[edit]James Scales was incarcerated at the Training and Agricultural School for Colored Boys in Bledsoe County after he was convicted for armed robbery. At the reformatory James was tasked with cooking and building fires for the Superintendent Henry Eugene Scott's family, namely his wife Notie Bell Lewis Scott and their daughter Gwendolyn Scott McKinney, whose home resided on the grounds of the reformatory.
On November 23rd 1944, the Assistant Superintendent William S. Neil and a guard George Vergil Davis, discovered a violent murder scene wherein Gwendolyn Scott McKinney had died and her mother was severely injured and would later succumb to her injuries.
James Scales was suspected immediately of the double murder but could not be located at the reformatory, and was later found, wearing a coat worn by Henry Scott, in later testimony many employees of the reformatory states Henry Scott may have leant Scales the coat. The local farmers who found Scales returned him to the reformatory seeking a reward for returning an inmate. Scales was confronted upon his arrival by William S. Neil, who told the FBI that when he asked scales "boy, why'd you do it," Scales responded, "I just don't know." Neil took Scales' response as an admission of guilt to the murders and Scale was driven to the local jail in Pikeville
At the jail Scales was placed in a cell by the jail cook Ruth Douglas, Sherriff Henry Goforth later arrived to see Scales. After around an hour the Sherriff had left and men came to the jail to kidnap Scales, they told Douglas that they were taking him back to reformatory. Douglas unlocked the cell and let the men take Scales.
Between twenty and forty people gathered to watch the lynching that was set to take place on reformatory grounds, reformatory employees, workers on a nearby construction project, and other local residents all took part. According to the FBI report, the construction workers had kidnapped Scales and prepared the tree for a lynching by placing a barrel under it.
The lynching took place less than one hundred yards from the scene of the crime, the Assistant Superintendent Neil saw the lynching from his house and ordered the lynch mob to stop but while trying to stop the lynching James Scales was shot upwards of 6 times by a member of the lynch mob dying at age 16.
Soon after, the FBI had begun an investigation into the lynching. Initially the FBI looked for a motive for the double murder and reported to the DOJ that "motive for killing Mrs. McKinney was alleged by him as being based upon the refusal of use of the car." But Scales did not take the car when he fled the reformatory, sexual assault arose as another motive once the story went national, stating that Scales had stolen clothes and left his bloodied clothes. The story was so large that Time Magazine published an article on it.[7]
The FBI interviews with Neil and Davis, the two that discovered the crime scene, revealed no possible motive; the interviewees did not report any findings of Scales' bloodies clothing in their reports.
The Governor of Tennessee, Prentice Cooper, offered a $500 reward for the "arrest and the conviction of 'those guilty in this lynching." and ordered the Department of Safety Director, Lynn Bomar, as well as Department of Safety Attorney, J.J. Dolan, to begin a full investigation.
The NAACP also began their investigation into the lynching, the civil rights lawyer Z. Alexander Looby, led the investigation. Looby published a report following a series of informal interviews, which raised doubts about Scales' participation in the double murder. Looby made note of his lack of concrete evidence but reported the following based on his interviews:
"Someone else other than James Scales committed the crime,
probably one of the guards. James was forced to leave the
school under threat, was later captured and lynched under the
guidance of School authorities to cover up the original
crime... . It seems to me that this is basically an
"institutional" crime which is covered up by the lynching and
until the original crime is solved there is little hope of dealing
with the lynching."
On December 14th an Agent Ruggles reported that the FBI "...knew who did the actual shooting." But had not yet interviewed any perpetrators or the suspected shooter, Felix Morris. Later in that day J. Egdar Hoover sent an order stating "[c]onduct no further investigation and expedite the typing of a report setting forth all information obtained to date." The case was soon relinquished to local authorities, where there was much opposition to persecuting James Scales' killers, Agent Ruggles reported that:
[T]he [inmates] who gave the information are frightened
because they realize if the subjects found out what they told
their lives would be in danger. Mr. Ruggles said as far as
getting the boys to testify in state or federal court they would
be extremely reluctant to do so and their life wouldn't be
worth too much if they did testify. Mr. Ruggles stated all of
the white people, including the girl at the jail and the sheriff
would naturally be expected to say they didn't know any of
the subjects.
Robert Lucas, a reporter, traveled to Pikeville to write about the lynching, Lucas reported that:
[T]he "valley folk" of Pikeville don't talk, and the one person
who could identify the men who spirited Scales "up the
mountain" and put four slugs through his head is a typical
"valley" girl. She is Ruth Douglas .
"Could you identify those men?" I asked her.
Deputy Sheriff A. F. Goforth answered quickly, "No, she couldn't."
"That's raht," drawled the teen-aged cook .... She did not look at me.
It is still unknown who murdered Gwendolyn and Notie, and those that lynched James Scales. [8]
Geography
[edit]
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 407 square miles (1,050 km2), of which 406 square miles (1,050 km2) is land and 0.3 square miles (0.78 km2) (0.08%) is water.[9]
Adjacent counties
[edit]- Cumberland County (north)
- Rhea County (east/EST Border)
- Hamilton County (southeast/EST Border)
- Sequatchie County (southwest)
- Van Buren County (west)
State protected areas
[edit]- Bledsoe State Forest (part)
- Fall Creek Falls State Natural Area (part)
- Fall Creek Falls State Park (part)
Demographics
[edit]| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1820 | 4,005 | — | |
| 1830 | 4,648 | 16.1% | |
| 1840 | 5,676 | 22.1% | |
| 1850 | 5,959 | 5.0% | |
| 1860 | 4,459 | −25.2% | |
| 1870 | 4,870 | 9.2% | |
| 1880 | 5,617 | 15.3% | |
| 1890 | 6,134 | 9.2% | |
| 1900 | 6,626 | 8.0% | |
| 1910 | 6,329 | −4.5% | |
| 1920 | 7,218 | 14.0% | |
| 1930 | 7,128 | −1.2% | |
| 1940 | 8,358 | 17.3% | |
| 1950 | 8,561 | 2.4% | |
| 1960 | 7,811 | −8.8% | |
| 1970 | 7,643 | −2.2% | |
| 1980 | 9,478 | 24.0% | |
| 1990 | 9,669 | 2.0% | |
| 2000 | 12,367 | 27.9% | |
| 2010 | 12,876 | 4.1% | |
| 2020 | 14,913 | 15.8% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[10] 1790-1960[11] 1900-1990[12] 1990-2000[13] 2010-2020[2] | |||
2020 census
[edit]| Race | Number | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 13,129 | 88.04% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 781 | 5.24% |
| Native American | 48 | 0.32% |
| Asian | 37 | 0.25% |
| Other/Mixed | 459 | 3.08% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 459 | 3.08% |
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 14,913 people, 4,894 households, and 3,473 families residing in the county.
2000 census
[edit]As of the census[16] of 2000, there were 12,367 people, 4,430 households, and 3,313 families residing in the county. The population density was 30 people per square mile (12 people/km2). There were 5,142 housing units at an average density of 13 units per square mile (5.0/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 94.44% White, 3.70% Black or African American, 0.38% Native American, 0.11% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.19% from other races, and 1.15% from two or more races. 1.12% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 4,430 households, out of which 31.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.50% were married couples living together, 9.10% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.20% were non-families. 22.10% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.20% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 2.94.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 23.10% under the age of 18, 8.40% from 18 to 24, 31.30% from 25 to 44, 25.80% from 45 to 64, and 11.40% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 121.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 121.30 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $28,982, and the median income for a family was $34,593. Males had a median income of $26,648 versus $20,639 for females. The per capita income for the county was $13,889. About 14.90% of families and 18.10% of the population were below the poverty line, including 21.00% of those under age 18 and 23.20% of those age 65 or over.
Recreation
[edit]Bledsoe County is home to a portion of Fall Creek Falls State Resort Park.
Prisons
[edit]Bledsoe County Correctional Complex (BCCX) covers about 2,500 acres between Pikeville and Spencer. The prison is a level 3 facility which houses about 2,539 offenders in three separate facilities: Site 1; Site 2 (formerly Southeast Tennessee State Regional Correctional Facility); and Unit 28 (houses female offenders.)[17]
Communities
[edit]City
[edit]
- Pikeville (county seat)
Unincorporated communities
[edit]Politics
[edit]The last Democrat to carry this county was Bill Clinton in 1992. In 1988, it was one of two counties that didn't vote for Democratic Senator Jim Sasser, but two years later, it backed Governor Ned McWherter.[18][19]
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 2024 | 5,254 | 84.87% | 891 | 14.39% | 46 | 0.74% |
| 2020 | 4,725 | 82.06% | 971 | 16.86% | 62 | 1.08% |
| 2016 | 3,622 | 77.66% | 897 | 19.23% | 145 | 3.11% |
| 2012 | 3,022 | 69.33% | 1,267 | 29.07% | 70 | 1.61% |
| 2008 | 3,166 | 66.18% | 1,517 | 31.71% | 101 | 2.11% |
| 2004 | 2,849 | 59.24% | 1,927 | 40.07% | 33 | 0.69% |
| 2000 | 2,380 | 56.72% | 1,756 | 41.85% | 60 | 1.43% |
| 1996 | 1,626 | 46.04% | 1,621 | 45.89% | 285 | 8.07% |
| 1992 | 1,776 | 44.20% | 1,884 | 46.89% | 358 | 8.91% |
| 1988 | 1,858 | 59.04% | 1,274 | 40.48% | 15 | 0.48% |
| 1984 | 1,950 | 59.34% | 1,316 | 40.05% | 20 | 0.61% |
| 1980 | 1,970 | 54.94% | 1,585 | 44.20% | 31 | 0.86% |
| 1976 | 1,620 | 47.63% | 1,757 | 51.66% | 24 | 0.71% |
| 1972 | 1,952 | 65.90% | 899 | 30.35% | 111 | 3.75% |
| 1968 | 1,477 | 46.65% | 957 | 30.23% | 732 | 23.12% |
| 1964 | 1,431 | 50.33% | 1,412 | 49.67% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1960 | 1,439 | 58.69% | 981 | 40.01% | 32 | 1.31% |
| 1956 | 1,429 | 56.57% | 1,079 | 42.72% | 18 | 0.71% |
| 1952 | 1,229 | 50.85% | 1,158 | 47.91% | 30 | 1.24% |
| 1948 | 1,103 | 49.07% | 1,092 | 48.58% | 53 | 2.36% |
| 1944 | 1,187 | 59.89% | 795 | 40.11% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1940 | 1,317 | 46.31% | 1,527 | 53.69% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1936 | 1,178 | 48.70% | 1,218 | 50.35% | 23 | 0.95% |
| 1932 | 960 | 48.14% | 1,034 | 51.86% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1928 | 901 | 60.11% | 598 | 39.89% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1924 | 690 | 58.28% | 485 | 40.96% | 9 | 0.76% |
| 1920 | 1,198 | 71.31% | 482 | 28.69% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1916 | 681 | 61.68% | 423 | 38.32% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1912 | 379 | 30.22% | 464 | 37.00% | 411 | 32.78% |
See also
[edit]- National Register of Historic Places listings in Bledsoe County, Tennessee
- USS Bledsoe County (LST-356)
References
[edit]- ^ Elizabeth Robnett, "Bledsoe County," Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture. Retrieved: March 31, 2013.
- ^ a b "Bledsoe County, Tennessee". quickfacts.census.gov. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 29, 2021.
- ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
- ^ Origins Of Tennessee County Names, Tennessee Blue Book 2005-2006, pages 508-513
- ^ Oliver Perry Temple, East Tennessee and the Civil War (R. Clarke Company, 1899), p. 199.
- ^ Oliver Perry Temple, Mary Boyce Temple (ed.), "General James G. Spears," Notable Men of Tennessee (Cosmopolitan Press, 1912), pp. 186-190.
- ^ TIME (December 4, 1944). "Morning in Bledsoe County". TIME. Retrieved February 12, 2025.
- ^ Cohen, Andrew (April 1, 2014). The Lynching of James Scales: How the FBI, the DOJ, and State Authorities "Whitewashed" Racial Violence in Bledsoe County, Tennessee. Texas Journal on Civil Liberties & Civil Rights. pp. 295–314.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: year (link) - ^ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Retrieved April 1, 2015.
- ^ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 1, 2015.
- ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved April 1, 2015.
- ^ Forstall, Richard L., ed. (March 27, 1995). "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 1, 2015.
- ^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. April 2, 2001. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 9, 2022. Retrieved April 1, 2015.
- ^ Based on 2000 census data
- ^ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 26, 2021.
- ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 14, 2011.
- ^ See "Bledsoe County Correctional Complex" (2020)
- ^ "1988 Senatorial General Election Results - Tennessee". Archived from the original on May 14, 2015.
- ^ "1990 Gubernatorial General Election Results - Tennessee". Archived from the original on May 28, 2013.
- ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved March 9, 2018.
External links
[edit]
- Bledsoe County Chamber of Commerce
- TNGenweb
- Blesoe County – genealogical resources
Places adjacent to Bledsoe County, Tennessee | ||||||||||||||||
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Municipalities and communities of Bledsoe County, Tennessee, United States | ||
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| City |  | |
| Unincorporated communities | ||
35°36′N 85°13′W / 35.60°N 85.21°W
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