Tullahoma, Tennessee
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Tullahoma is a city located in Coffee County, Tennessee, in the south-central part of the state. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 17,994. The 2004 census estimate is 18,677. It is recognized as one of the country's micropolitan areas, smaller towns which nevertheless function as significant economic hubs.
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History
Tullahoma was founded in 1852 as a work camp along the new Nashville and Chattanooga Railroad. Its name is taken from a local Native American language, probably Choctaw, but its exact meaning is uncertain. Consequently, it is one of the few towns in the world which shares its name with no other place. An alternative explanation (see Sam Davis Elliott's Soldier of Tennessee and sources cited therein) of the name is that Peter Decherd, who donated the land for the railroad right-of-way (and was therefore given the right to name two stations along the line), named one station Decherd, and the other Tulkahoma (later corrupted to Tullahoma). Tulkahoma was the name of Decherd's favorite horse, which was itself named for an Indian chief his grandfather had captured.
Tullahoma became highly significant during the Civil War, and served as the headquarters for the Confederate Army of Tennessee in 1863. The campaign of that year, which ultimately delivered control of Middle Tennessee to the Union and opened the door to Atlanta, is known as the Tullahoma Campaign. The town was then still little more than a rough outpost, with no paved streets. 1863 was a wet year, and the place became known to the bedraggled troops of both sides as a place of endless mud. One witty officer on General Hardee's staff is said to have written his own account of the origin of the name: "It is from two Greek words - 'Tulla' meaning mud, and 'Homa,' meaning more mud." The selection of Tullahoma as a headquarters by General Braxton Bragg has since been much criticized by military historians. Although the location was strategic with regard to the road and rail network, it had no strong natural defenses and eventually the town was evacuated without a battle.
After the war, Tullahoma recovered slowly, but began to prosper from its vital railroad link. During this period, Tullahoma became renowned for its educational facilities, a rarity in the area at the time. At the turn of the 20th century, Tullahoma became a popular health destination, with many spas across town. Manufacturing grew up in the area, notably of shoes, clothing, and sporting goods. In 1924, the General Shoe Corporation was established there, which would eventually grow into Genesco, a diversified apparel firm which is Tennessee's oldest listed firm on the New York Stock Exchange. In 1939, U.S. Highway 41A was built through town, giving it access to Nashville and Chattanooga.
In the early to mid-20th century, the area benefited from considerable federal investment and development, from the Tennessee Valley Authority to the establishment of Camp Forrest, an infantry training center and later POW camp, and Arnold Engineering Development Center (AEDC), where the Air Force and NASA did early wind tunnel testing. Later the state located two significant institutions of higher learning there, Motlow State Community College, and the University of Tennessee's Space Institute.
Today manufacturing is a smaller part of the Tullahoma economy, but the town's growth has been steady, although slow, based on a mixture of education, services, tourism, and retail. The presence of AEDC and the Space Institute, combined with a convenient proximity to the aerospace center of Huntsville, Alabama, has bred a small but thriving aeronautical industry as well.
Geography
Image:TNMap-doton-Tullahoma.PNG Tullahoma is located at 35°22'7" North, 86°12'48" West (35.368511, -86.213258)Template:GR. It sits on the edge of the Highland Rim, where the topography is somewhat flatter than in the surrounding area. The region was known as the Pine Barrens to the first settlers.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 57.8 km² (22.3 mi²). 57.6 km² (22.2 mi²) of it is land and 0.3 km² (0.1 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 0.45% water.
Demographics
As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 17,994 people, 7,336 households, and 5,039 families residing in the city. The 2004 census estimate population is 18,677, making Tullahoma one of Tennessee's slowest growing cities. The population density was 312.5/km² (809.6/mi²). There were 7,890 housing units at an average density of 137.0/km² (355.0/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 89.69% White, 6.76% African American, 0.28% Native American, 1.01% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 0.64% from other races, and 1.57% from two or more races. 1.71% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 7,336 households out of which 32.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.9% were married couples living together, 13.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.3% were non-families. 27.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 2.94.
In the city the population was spread out with 25.4% under the age of 18, 8.6% from 18 to 24, 26.9% from 25 to 44, 23.0% from 45 to 64, and 16.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 90.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.6 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $34,119, and the median income for a family was $39,797. Males had a median income of $33,662 versus $20,962 for females. The per capita income for the city was $20,002. 17.2% of the population and 14.2% of families were below the poverty line. 25.0% of those under the age of 18 and 13.0% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.
Trivia
A famous brand of whiskey has its roots in Tullahoma, George Dickel.
External links
- City of Tullahoma website
- AEDC website
- University of Tennessee Space Institute
- Motlow State Community College
- Civil War Trail in Tullahoma
- Eyewitness account of the Tullahoma Campaign
- Logistical aspects of the Tullahoma Campaign
- The Tullahoma Campaign on the Tennessee Encyclopedia
- Genesco.com
- U.S. Micropolitan Areas table
- NASA contract won by Tullahoma corporation
- Middle Tennessee Industrial Development Assoc.'s Tullahoma fact sheet (PDF)
- Coffee County and Tullahoma on the Tennessee Encyclopedia
