Denmark, Tennessee

Denmark is an unincorporated community and former city in Madison County, Tennessee, United States roughly 14 miles southwest of Jackson.[1] The zip code is 38391.[2] Although it was once a thriving farming community, a combination of man-made and natural disasters has reduced Denmark to a few remaining houses as well as the historic antebellum Denmark Presbyterian Church.[3]

Denmark, Tennessee
Unincorporated community
Denmark, Tennessee
Denmark, Tennessee
Coordinates: 35°31′58″N 89°00′14″W
CountryUnited States
StateTennessee
CountyMadison
Elevation
459 ft (140 m)
Time zoneUTC-6 (Central (CST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code
38391
Area code(s)731
GNIS feature ID1282335[1]

History

Denmark was one of the first-settled places in Madison County; the land on which it was incorporated in 1854 was opened by Thomas Sanders in 1822. Presbyterian and Methodist churches were established in the area in 1833 and 1842.[4] By January 1844, the community had been sufficiently populated that an academy was incorporated by the Tennessee General Assembly.[5] Prior to the Civil War, Denmark flourished and rivaled neighboring Jackson in size.[3]

During the American Civil War, Union soldiers repulsed a Confederate raid near Denmark in the Battle of Britton's Lane in September 1861.[6][7]

Following the Civil War, Denmark's economy experienced a pronounced decline after being bypassed by all of the railroads built through Madison County. Although its population was about 250 in 1886,[4] Denmark's population declined such that its municipal charter was revoked on 28 April 1983 by a chancery court order after the Tennessee legislature passed a statute providing for the forfeiting of charters of any city with a population under 100.[8] The local high school, chartered in 1885,[4] was merged into South Side High School in 1992.[9] The local middle school was disestablished and its campus became the West Tennessee Regional Training Center.[10] Denmark Elementary is the community's only remaining school.[11]

Destructive weather

Denmark's repeated weather catastrophes have historically contributed to the community's decline.[3] A devastating tornado on 14 October 1909, accompanied by a thunderstorm and subsequent fires, inflicted immense damage.[12] Another, in 2003, was similarly destructive to its counterpart of a century before.[13]

Climate

Denmark's climate is characterized by relatively high temperatures and evenly distributed precipitation throughout the year. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Denmark has a Humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.[14]

Climate data for Denmark, Tennessee
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Average high °C (°F) 9
(48)		 12
(53)		 17
(62)		 22
(72)		 27
(80)		 31
(88)		 33
(91)		 32
(90)		 29
(84)		 23
(74)		 16
(61)		 11
(51)		 22
(71)
Average low °C (°F) −2
(29)		 0
(32)		 4
(40)		 9
(49)		 14
(58)		 19
(66)		 21
(69)		 20
(68)		 16
(60)		 9
(48)		 4
(39)		 0
(32)		 9
(49)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 120
(4.6)		 110
(4.3)		 130
(5)		 130
(5)		 130
(5.3)		 110
(4.3)		 110
(4.4)		 76
(3)		 89
(3.5)		 81
(3.2)		 120
(4.7)		 130
(5)		 1,340
(52.6)
Source: Weatherbase [14]

Notable people

Two mystery novels take place in part in a fictional version of Denmark: Such Vicious Minds: A Murder Mystery Featuring Elvis Presley by Daniel Klein, and Something Rotten by Alan Gratz.

References
  1. "Denmark, Tennessee". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey.
  2. United States Postal Service. "Look Up a ZIP Code". Retrieved 11 August 2020.
  3. Tennessee Encyclopedia. "Madison County". Retrieved 11 August 2020.
  4. History of Tennessee from the Earliest Time to the Present. Goodspeed Publishing. 1886.
  5. "Chapter LXXXVI: An act to incorporate the Denmark male academy in the county of Madison," in Acts Passed at the First Session of the General Assembly of the State of Tennessee 1843–44. Nashville: L. Gifford and E. G. Eastman, Prs., 1844; pp. 101–102.
  6. waymarking.com. "Battle of Britton's Lane". Retrieved 11 August 2020.
  7. Big Black Creek Historical Association. "The Battle of Britton's Lane". Retrieved 11 August 2020.
  8. "Part 3: Forfeiture of Charter: 6-52-301 through 6-52-304" Tennessee Code Annotated, Volume 2B, 2011 Replacement. Nashville: Tennessee Code Commission, 2011; pp. 221–223.
  9. Jackson-Madison County School System. "About The School". Archived from the original on 23 July 2012. Retrieved 11 August 2020.
  10. "Training center is supposed to be a 'money saver,' not a 'moneymaker,' Mehr says". The Jackson Sun. 23 June 2020. Retrieved 11 August 2020.
  11. Jackson-Madison County School System. "Denmark Elementary School". Retrieved 11 August 2020.
  12. The Ogdensburg Journal (16 October 1909). "Forty Is Death Toll of Storm" (PDF). Retrieved 11 August 2020.
  13. Coggins, Allen R. (2012). Tennessee Tragedies: Natural, Technological, and Societal Disasters in the Volunteer State. University of Tennessee Press. p. 73.
  14. weatherbase.com. "Denmark, Tennessee". Retrieved 11 August 2020.
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