Dickson County, Tennessee

Dickson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2010 census, the population was 49,666.[2] Its county seat is Charlotte.[3]

Dickson County
U.S. county
County of Dickson
War Memorial Building in Dickson
Location within the U.S. state of Tennessee
Tennessee's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 36°09′N 87°22′W
Country United States
State Tennessee
FoundedOct. 25, 1803
Named forWilliam Dickson[1]
SeatCharlotte
Largest cityDickson
Area
 • Total491 sq mi (1,270 km2)
 • Land490 sq mi (1,300 km2)
 • Water1.4 sq mi (4 km2)  0.3%%
Population
 • Estimate 
(2019)
53,948
 • Density101/sq mi (39/km2)
Time zoneUTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district5th
Websitedicksoncountytn.gov

Dickson County is part of the Nashville-Davidson–Murfreesboro–Franklin, TN Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Dickson County is home to Tennessee's oldest courthouse in continuous use, built in 1835. This is the second courthouse in Charlotte as the first one, a log building, was destroyed in the Tornado of 1833, which destroyed all but one building on the courthouse square.

History

October 25, 1803 the Tennessee General Assembly passed a bill creating Dickson County, the 25th of Tennessee's 95 counties. It was formed from parts of Montgomery and Robertson counties, and was named for William Dickson, a Nashville physician then serving in the United States Congress.[1] Dickson never lived in the county, but his relatives were prominent in its early development. Dickson was a close friend of President Andrew Jackson.

General James Robertson built the first iron works in west Tennessee in Dickson County. Robertson sold his furnace in 1804 to Montgomery Bell who later sold it to Anthony Wayne Van Leer(1769–1855), who became one of the state's wealthiest capitalists and industrialists.[1]

The Ruskin Colony and The Coming Nation
Julius Wayland, publisher of The Coming Nation and the Appeal to Reason.

The Ruskin Colony (or Ruskin Commonwealth Association) was a 250-member, utopian socialist cooperative established in Dickson County in 1894. Initially located near Tennessee City, it relocated to what is now Ruskin. Internal conflict had brought about the dissolution of the colony by 1899.[1]

The Coming Nation, a socialist communalist paper established by Julius Augustus Wayland in Greensburg, Indiana, was relocated to the Ruskin Colony. It was the forerunner of the Appeal to Reason, which later became a weekly political newspaper published in the American Midwest from 1895 until 1922. The Appeal to Reason was known for its politics, giving support to the Farmers' Alliance and People's Party, before becoming a mainstay of the Socialist Party of America following its establishment in 1901. Using a network of highly motivated volunteers known as the "Appeal Army" to increase its subscription sales, the Appeal's paid circulation climbed to over a quarter million by 1906, and half a million by 1910, making it the largest-circulation socialist newspaper in American history.[4][5]

U.S. Route 70

In July 1917, a mass meeting was held in the Alamo Theatre in Dickson to raise $760 (equivalent to $25,000 in 2016) to pay for the surveying of the Bristol to Memphis Highway through Dickson County. The money was raised in less than 15 minutes by donations from those present at the meeting. State highway surveyors began surveying the route on August 14, 1917. The building of this highway put the county along the route known as the “Broadway of America,” Highway 70.

Governor Frank G. Clement

On November 4, 1952, Frank G. Clement (1920–1969) of Dickson was elected Governor of Tennessee. He served as governor from 1953 to 1959, and again from 1963 to 1967. Known for his energetic speaking ability, he delivered the keynote address at the 1956 Democratic National Convention. The Hotel Halbrook, where Clement was born, still stands in Dickson, and has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 491 square miles (1,270 km2), of which 490 square miles (1,300 km2) is land and 1.4 square miles (3.6 km2) (0.3%) is water.[6]

Dickson County is bordered on the northeast by the Cumberland River. The Harpeth River passes along the county's eastern border.

Ruskin Cave, site of the former socialist colony, is located 8 miles (13 km) northwest of Dickson.

Adjacent counties

State protected areas

Demographics
Historical population
CensusPop.%±
18104,516—
18205,19014.9%
18307,26540.0%
18407,074−2.6%
18508,40418.8%
18609,98218.8%
18709,340−6.4%
188012,46033.4%
189013,6459.5%
190018,63536.6%
191019,9557.1%
192019,342−3.1%
193018,491−4.4%
194019,7186.6%
195018,805−4.6%
196018,8390.2%
197021,97716.7%
198030,03736.7%
199035,06116.7%
200043,15623.1%
201049,66615.1%
2019 (est.)53,948[7]8.6%
U.S. Decennial Census[8]
1790-1960[9] 1900-1990[10]
1990-2000[11] 2010-2014[2]
Age pyramid Dickson County[12]

As of the census[13] of 2000, there were 43,156 people, 16,473 households, and 12,173 families residing in the county. The population density was 88 people per square mile (34/km2). There were 17,614 housing units at an average density of 36 per square mile (14/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 93.25% European American, 4.58% Black or African American, 0.40% Native American, 0.27% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.47% from other races, and 1.01% from two or more races. 1.12% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 16,473 households, out of which 35.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.30% were married couples living together, 11.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.10% were non-families. 22.30% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.90% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.59 and the average family size was 3.02.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 26.60% under the age of 18, 8.10% from 18 to 24, 30.70% from 25 to 44, 22.90% from 45 to 64, and 11.70% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.90 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $39,056, and the median income for a family was $45,575. Males had a median income of $32,252 versus $23,686 for females. The per capita income for the county was $18,043. About 8.10% of families and 10.20% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.90% of those under age 18 and 11.80% of those age 65 or over.

By 2005 the county had a population that was 92.0% non-Hispanic white, 4.4% African-American and 1.7% Latino.

Government

Historically, Dickson County has been a Democratic stronghold; Ulysses Grant carried it in 1868, but after that, it did not vote Republican again until Nixon's 1972 landslide.[14] However, like most majority white counties in the South, it has trended powerfully Republican starting in the beginning of the 21st century. An early sign of this could be seen in its back-to-back votes for Reagan in 1984 and George H. W. Bush in 1988, even though it had generally voted Democratic in elections in which the Democratic nominee was losing substantially worse nationally than Dukakis was in 1988 (for example, giving Adlai Stevenson over 70% of its vote in both of his runs). Not only this, but George H. W. Bush was even able to slightly improve on Reagan's vote share, despite the substantial national swing towards the Democrats in 1988.

However, in the subsequent three elections, Bill Clinton recaptured the county by double digit margins, and Tennessee native Al Gore carried it by over 8%. In 2004, it switched to giving George W. Bush a 10.2% margin, however, and, as of 2020, has voted Republican in every subsequent election, giving the Republican nominee an increased vote share every time. Neither former Arkansas First Lady Hillary Clinton in 2016 nor Delaware native Joe Biden in 2020 was able to reach so much as a third of the county's vote.

Presidential election results
Presidential Elections Results[15]
Year Republican Democratic Third Parties
2020 72.5% 17,643 25.1% 6,106 2.4% 574
2016 70.8% 13,233 25.3% 4,722 4.0% 744
2012 63.3% 11,296 35.0% 6,233 1.7% 306
2008 59.8% 11,677 38.5% 7,506 1.7% 336
2004 54.8% 10,567 44.6% 8,597 0.7% 134
2000 45.1% 7,016 53.6% 8,332 1.3% 208
1996 38.2% 5,283 53.9% 7,458 7.9% 1,088
1992 31.6% 4,450 55.8% 7,863 12.6% 1,780
1988 50.7% 5,343 48.7% 5,129 0.6% 64
1984 49.5% 5,846 49.2% 5,809 1.3% 150
1980 34.7% 3,636 63.3% 6,622 2.0% 209
1976 25.6% 2,285 73.4% 6,551 1.0% 86
1972 56.6% 3,645 40.6% 2,619 2.8% 182
1968 19.0% 1,291 29.9% 2,034 51.1% 3,475
1964 21.3% 1,281 78.7% 4,724
1960 32.7% 1,928 66.7% 3,930 0.6% 36
1956 24.4% 1,247 74.3% 3,799 1.3% 68
1952 25.2% 1,415 74.8% 4,196
1948 15.4% 485 74.3% 2,337 10.3% 323
1944 20.1% 600 79.6% 2,379 0.4% 11
1940 15.9% 527 83.9% 2,784 0.2% 8
1936 16.5% 402 83.0% 2,022 0.5% 13
1932 15.5% 369 84.3% 2,007 0.2% 4
1928 38.4% 891 61.6% 1,428
1924 22.7% 516 72.6% 1,648 4.7% 106
1920 39.7% 1,412 60.3% 2,145
1916 32.0% 1,008 66.7% 2,105 1.3% 41
1912 18.0% 448 68.0% 1,689 14.0% 348

County Commission

The 12-member county commission is the legislative body of Dickson County. One commissioner is elected from each of the county's 12 commission districts. The county mayor chairs the commission.

Responsibilities

Commissioners are charged with appropriating funds for the county departments, setting the property tax rate and creating personnel policies for county employees.

Terms

The commissioners are chosen in the August general elections and serve four-year terms. These elections coincide with the state's gubernatorial primaries and begin September 1 of each non-presidential even-numbered year.

Commission meetings

The county commission meets for a work session the first Monday evening of each month. Regular sessions are held the third Monday evening of each month. At this meeting, matters are brought before the commission for action. When meeting dates fall on holidays, the meeting is generally held the next evening.

Current Commissioners
County Commissioners (2018–present)[16]
District Commissioner
1 Randy Simpkins
2 Jeff Eby
3 Dwight McIllwain
4 Stacey Batey
5 James Dawson
6 Becky Spicer
7 Carl Buckner
8 Clayton Ellis
9 David Shepard
10 Jeff Corlew[17][18]
11 Linda Hayes
12 Jeff Spencer

County Officials

Dickson County has various elected officials to carry out the necessary duties of the county government.

Elected officials are chosen in the August general elections, along with commissioners, and serve four-year terms. These elections coincide with the state's gubernatorial primaries and begin September 1 of each non-presidential even-numbered year.

Current County Officials
Office Name Duties Citation
County Mayor Bob Rial chief executive officer of the county; manages the day-to-day operation of the office and any aspect of county government that is not specifically designated to another elected official; appoints members of county boards and commissions and county department heads (subject to confirmation by the County Commission)

serves as a nonvoting member of each committee of the county commission and of each board, commission or authority of the county government

 [19]
Assessor of Property Jenny Heath Martin discovering, listing, classifying, and valuing all taxable property in the county for tax purposes [20]
County Clerk Luanne Greer numerous duties, including: overseeing vehicle, marriage, county beer, and business licenses; handling the issuance of Notary Publics; titling of vehicles.

Also: clerk of the County Commission, maintaining the official County Commission Minutes

 [21]
Register of Deeds Shelly Yates primary function: recording and preserving documents, including, but not limited to: deeds, powers of attorneys, mortgages, liens, contracts, leases, military discharges, judgments, greenbelt assessments, and subdivision plats; provides information to attorneys, realtors, surveyors, appraisers, lending institutions and the general public [22]
Road Superintendent Jerry Burgess oversee the Highway Department; maintain county roads, including paving, grading, tar & sealing, ditching, salting and snow removal [23] This office will become an appointive office effective with the expiry of the current term on September 1, 2022.
County Sheriff Jeff Bledsoe [24]
County Trustee Glynda Barrett Pendergrass acts as treasurer of Dickson County Government, including the Dickson County School System; collects all real and personal property taxes; keeps an account of all money received for County Government; invests temporarily idle County funds; disperses sales tax revenues [25]

Department Heads

The Mayor appoints citizens to lead county government departments, subject to approval by the County Commission.

Dickson County Government Department Heads[26]
Department Head
Accounts and Budgets Don Hall Accounts Manager: Lori Whitaker
Ambulance Service Donny Bear
Archives Pam Edwards
Emergency Management Agency Rob Fisher
Maintenance W. H. Batey
Planning and Zoning David Darnell
Solid Waste Management Jinn Lunn

Judicial Branch Officials

The judicial officials are chosen in the August general elections, along with other elected officials and county commissioners, and serve four-year terms (with the exception of the General Sessions Judge, who serves an eight-year term, with elections coinciding with every other gubernatorial primary). These elections coincide with the state's gubernatorial primaries and begin September 1 of each non-presidential even-numbered year. All Dickson County elected offices are nonpartisan.

Current Judicial Officials
Office Name Duties Citation
Circuit Court Clerk Pam Lewis acts as the principal administrative aide to the Circuit Court; provides assistance in the areas of the courtroom administration and records management, docket maintenance, revenue management, maintenance of court minutes; holds the position of jury coordinator for the court system. [27]
Clerk and Master Nancy Miller deals with all types of civil cases such as divorces, custody, child support, adoptions, worker's compensation, contracts, debts, and property disputes; acts as the principal administrative aide to the Chancery Court; provides assistance in the areas of the courtroom administration and records management, docket maintenance, revenue management, maintenance of court minutes; collects Delinquent Taxes [28]
General Sessions Court Clerk Leslie Shelton some of the entities served: Dickson County Sheriff's Office, TN Department of Safety Troopers, Judicial Drug Task Force, TWRA, Department of Conservation, Tennessee ABC, TBI, Burns City Officers, Cities of Charlotte and Vanleer [29]
General Sessions Court Judge Craig Monsue files and manages the court files and dockets for both criminal and civil cases; attends court session, administers oaths, and retains, preserves, and files all papers. [29]
Juvenile Court Judge Michael Meise handles cases for: probate of decedent's estates and all other related matters to probate; conservatorships, guardianships, paternity, legitimation, name changes, minors settlement cases, and child support; custody cases involving dependent and neglected children and cases of termination of parental rights; delinquent, unruly and traffic cases for juveniles and contributing cases for adults [30]

Education

The Dickson County School District serves the entirety of the county. Since 2012, the current Director of Schools is Dr. Danny L. Weeks.[31]

Serving around 8,500 students, the Dickson County School System ranks 23rd in student population among 142 school districts in Tennessee. The District employs around 1,200 people.[32]

Board of Education

The Board of Education is elected to govern the education system in Dickson County, through setting its budget, planning for future developments, and setting policies. The Board meets every 4th Thursday of the month.[33]

The Board also chooses the Director of Schools. Each member represents one of the six districts. Each district is composed of two county commission districts.

Current Board Members[34]
District Name Notes
1 Kirk Vandivort Chair[35]
2 Sonya Brogdon
3 Steve Haley
4 Patricia Hudson Legislative Liaison[36]
5 Phil Buckner
6 Josh Lewis Vice Chair[36]

History

Prior to the 1920s, numerous private high schools and colleges existed in Dickson County. These included the Tracy Academy, Charlotte Female School, Alexander Campbell School, Edgewood Academy and Normal College, the Dickson Academy, Dickson Normal School (where Hattie Carraway, the first woman elected to the U.S. Senate, was educated), Glenwylde Academy, and Ruskin Cave College. Most of these closed before or during the Great Depression.[37] As is typical of most Tennessee counties, all public schools of the county are currently operated by a single county-wide school district.

Schools

As of 2019 Dickson County Schools operate 14 schools.[38]

Elementary

  • Centennial Elementary School
  • Charlotte Elementary School
  • Dickson Elementary School
  • Oakmont Elementary School
  • The Discovery School
  • Sullivan Central Elementary School
  • Stuart-Burns Elementary School
  • Vanleer Elementary School
  • White Bluff Elementary School

Middle

  • Charlotte Middle School
  • Burns Middle School
  • Dickson Middle School
  • William James Middle School

High

  • Creek Wood High School
  • Dickson County High School

Alternative School

  • New Directions Academy

Higher Education

Dickson is home to three campuses for higher education.

The Tennessee College of Applied Technology – Dickson, under the Tennessee Board of Regents, provides career and technical education programs. Some programs include administrative office technology, automotive technology, computer information technology, cosmetology, various health programs (dental, nursing, etc.), digital graphic design, HVAC/refrigeration, mechatronics, and welding, among many others.[39]

Nashville State Community College maintains a satellite campus in Dickson at the Renaissance Center, offering associate degrees to prepare students to transfer to four-year universities or enter the workforce.[40]

Freed Hardeman University owns the Renaissance Center but shares it with NSCC, offering bachelor's degrees in accounting, business management, elementary education, nursing (BSN), psychology, and social work.[41]

Communities

City

Towns

Unincorporated communities

See also

References
  1. George E. Jackson, "Dickson County," Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture. Retrieved: 26 June 2013.
  2. "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on June 7, 2011. Retrieved November 29, 2013.
  3. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on 2011-05-31. Retrieved 2011-06-07.
  4. Tim Davenport, "The Appeal to Reason: Forerunner of Haldeman-Julius Publications" Archived 2013-09-14 at the Wayback Machine, Big Blue Newsletter No. 3 (2004). Retrieved November 16, 2009.
  5. John Simkin, "Appeal to Reason Archived 2013-10-15 at the Wayback Machine," Spartacus Educational. Retrieved: 26 June 2013.
  6. "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Retrieved April 4, 2015.
  7. "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". Retrieved July 20, 2019.
  8. "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 4, 2015.
  9. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved April 4, 2015.
  10. Forstall, Richard L., ed. (March 27, 1995). "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 4, 2015.
  11. "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. April 2, 2001. Retrieved April 4, 2015.
  12. Based on 2000 census data
  13. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2011-05-14.
  14. "County winners, 1836-2016". Google Docs. Retrieved 2021-01-14.
  15. Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved 2018-03-10.
  16. "Dickson County, TN". dicksoncountytn.gov. Archived from the original on 2019-02-18. Retrieved 2019-02-18.
  17. "Jeff Corlew chosen to fill Reed's former Dickson County Commission seat – WDKN". Retrieved 2019-08-27.
  18. This mandate will expire with the August, 2020 county general election, at which time a successor will be elected by the voters to fill the balance of Reed's unexpired term. The Dickson Herald, August 28, 2019, p. 1
  19. "Dickson County, TN". dicksoncountytn.gov. Retrieved 2019-02-18.
  20. "Dickson County, TN". dicksoncountytn.gov. Retrieved 2019-02-18.
  21. "Dickson County, TN". dicksoncountytn.gov. Retrieved 2019-02-18.
  22. "Dickson County, TN". dicksoncountytn.gov. Retrieved 2019-02-18.
  23. "Dickson County, TN". dicksoncountytn.gov. Retrieved 2019-02-18.
  24. "Dickson County, TN". dicksoncountytn.gov. Retrieved 2019-02-18.
  25. "Dickson County, TN". dicksoncountytn.gov. Retrieved 2019-02-18.
  26. "Dickson County, TN". dicksoncountytn.gov. Retrieved 2019-02-18.
  27. "Dickson County, TN". dicksoncountytn.gov. Retrieved 2019-02-18.
  28. "Dickson County, TN". dicksoncountytn.gov. Retrieved 2019-02-18.
  29. "Dickson County, TN". dicksoncountytn.gov. Retrieved 2019-02-18.
  30. "Dickson County, TN". dicksoncountytn.gov. Retrieved 2019-02-18.
  31. "Director of Schools". www.dcstn.org. Retrieved 2019-02-18.
  32. "About Us". www.dcstn.org. Retrieved 2019-02-18.
  33. "School Board". www.dcstn.org. Retrieved 2019-02-18.
  34. "Board Members". www.dcstn.org. Retrieved 2019-02-18.
  35. "Vandivort is new Dickson Co. School Board chairman". The Tennessean. Retrieved 2019-02-18.
  36. "Board Minutes from Sept. 27, 2018" (PDF). Dickson County School District. Retrieved 17 Feb 2019.
  37. Tennessee Encyclopedia entry on Dickson County history
  38. "Schools". www.dcstn.org. Retrieved 2019-02-18.
  39. "Programs | TCAT Dickson". tcatdickson.edu. Retrieved 2019-02-18.
  40. College, Nashville State Community (2019-02-17). "Dickson". Nashville State Community College. Retrieved 2019-02-18.
  41. "FHU / Dickson". www.fhu.edu. Retrieved 2019-02-18.

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