Tipton County, Tennessee

Infobox U.S. County
county = Tipton County
state = Tennessee


seallink =
founded = Oct. 29, 1823
seat = Covington
largest city = Covington
area_total_sq_mi = 475
area_total_km2 = 1230
area_land_sq_mi = 459
area_land_km2 = 1190
area_water_sq_mi = 15
area_water_km2 = 40
area percentage = 3.23%
census yr = 2000
pop = 51271
density_sq_mi = 112
density_km2 = 43
time zone = Central
UTC offset = -6
DST offset= -5
footnotes =
web = |

Tipton County is a county located on the western end of the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of 2000, the population was 51,271. Its county seat is CovingtonGR|6. Tipton County is part of the Memphis, TN–MS–AR Metropolitan Statistical Area, centered on Shelby County, which borders Tipton on the south.

Geography

The major north-south route, U.S. Highway 51, bisects Tipton County into a western half and eastern half, and passes through Covington. The western boundary of Tipton County is the Mississippi River, where Tennessee meets Arkansas.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 475 square miles (1,230 km²), of which, 459 square miles (1,190 km²) of it is land and 15 square miles (40 km²) of it (3.23%) is water.

Tipton County is situated on the southeastern edge of the New Madrid Seismic Zone, an area with a high earthquake risk.

Adjacent counties

*Lauderdale County (north)
*Haywood County (east)
*Fayette County (southeast)
*Shelby County (south)
*Crittenden County, Arkansas (southwest)
*Mississippi County, Arkansas (northwest)

History

Tipton County was estabished on October 29, 1823 from parts of Shelby County, which borders Tipton County in the south. The land was derived from what previously had been Chickasaw Indian lands. The county was named for Jacob Tipton, father of Armistead Blevins, who supervised the organization of Shelby County. Tipton was killed by Native Americans in 1791 in a conflict over the Northwest Territory. [ [http://tennesseeencyclopedia.net/imagegallery.php?EntryID=T097 Tipton County] in the Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture]

Early Mississippi River steamboat commerce flourished in Tipton County. In 1830, the community of Randolph, one of the earliest settlements in Tipton County, was the most important shipping point in Tennessee and an early rival of Memphis over commercial supremacy, but the fortunes declined in later years.Citation
title = Tennessee Historical Markers
place =
publisher = Tennessee Historical Commission
year = 1996
edition = 8th
isbn = 0874020212] Two Civil War forts were built near the settlement because of its strategical location on top of the second Chickasaw Bluff of the Mississippi River.

The first rail service in Tipton County was established in December 1855, when the Memphis and Ohio Railroad completed the route from Memphis to Nashville, running through what is now Mason. The Memphis and Paducah Railroad completed the tracks to Covington in July 1873.

A telegraph line between Memphis and Covington was opened in 1882. In 1894, Covington was connected to electricity. Forced water mains provided residents of Covington with water since 1898. In 1922, street paving began in the county seat and since 1929, residents of Covington have access to natural gas.

In the South Main Historic District in Covington, about 50 residences from the late 1800's and the early 1900's are still intact.Citation
title = Covington-Tipton County Community Guide
place = Covington, Tennessee
publisher = Tipton County Chamber of Commerce
year = 2005]

Demographics

Historical populations|align=left
1900 |29273
1910 |29459
1920 |30258
1930 |27498
1940 |28036
1950 |29782
1960 |28564
1970 |28001
1980 |32930
1990 |37568
2000 |51271
footnote=Source: cite web|url=http://www.census.gov/population/www/censusdata/hiscendata.html|publisher=USCB|title=Historical Decennial Census PopulationAs of the censusGR|2 of 2000, there were 51,271 people, 18,106 households, and 14,176 families residing in the county. The population density was 112 people per square mile (43/km²). There were 19,064 housing units at an average density of 42 per square mile (16/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 77.86% White, 19.90% Black or African American, 0.38% Native American, 0.37% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 0.38% from other races, and 1.04% from two or more races. 1.21% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. By 2005 1.6% of the county's population was Latino.

There were 18,106 households out of which 39.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.20% were married couples living together, 13.90% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.70% were non-families. 18.70% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.40% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.78 and the average family size was 3.17.

In the county, the population was spread out with 29.30% under the age of 18, 8.60% from 18 to 24, 30.40% from 25 to 44, 21.80% from 45 to 64, and 9.90% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 97.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.20 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $41,856, and the median income for a family was $46,807. Males had a median income of $35,611 versus $23,559 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,952. About 10.30% of families and 12.10% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.30% of those under age 18 and 17.70% of those age 65 or over.

In 2006, according to the U.S. Census Bureau population estimate, 57,380 people reside in 22,551 housing units in Tipton County. In comparison to a population of 51,271 in the year 2000, the county population increased by 11.9% in six years. 50.7% of the population in 2006 are female, 49.3% are male. Of the population in 2006, 79.2% are White, 18.8% are Black, .4% are of Native American or Alaska Native race and 1.6% are of another ethnicity. [cite web |url=http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/47/47167.html |title=Tipton County QuickFacts from the U.S. Census Bureau |accessdate=2008-10-04 |work= |publisher=U.S. Census Bureau |date= ]

Parks and recreation

Tipton County Museum

The Tipton County Museum is located in Covington. The museum houses military displays and exhibits from the Civil War history of the county. Taxidermies of local species and mastodon bone fragments give insight into the natural history. Adjecent to the museum, a convert|20|acre|ha|0 park with a convert|.5|mi|m|-1 long walking trail can be found. Natural woodland and man-made wetlands house a few smaller local species like turtles and birds. The Veterans Memorial in front of the museum commemorates the soldiers from the county who lost their lives in wars. The museum is closed on Sundays and Mondays, admission to the museum and the park is free. []

County Parks

Several parks in the county invite visitors to enjoy nature.
* Atoka Community Park houses four softball fields. It was built in 1992.
* Court Square Park is s city park with fountains and brick dedication walls.
* Frazier Park is a convert|10|acre|ha|0 park wth a convert|.5|mi|m|-1 fitness trail, playgrounds and ballfields.
* Munford City Park hosts independence festivities every year.
* Patriot Park as opened in 2004. Centerpiece is a A-4 Skyhawk attack bomber.
* Poplar Park offers a covered picknic area, ball fields and a playground.
* Shelton Park is a convert|1|acre|ha|1 landscaped garden park with gazebo and picknic tables.
* Valentine Regional Park is a family park with picknic pavillion and playgrounds.

Cities and towns

*Atoka
*Brighton
*Burlison
*Covington
*Drummonds
*Garland
*Gilt Edge
*Mason
*Munford
*Randolph (unincorporated)
*Reverie (unincorporated)

ee also

*Island 35 Mastodon

References

External links

*dmoz|Regional/North_America/United_States/Tennessee/Counties/Tipton/|Tipton County
* [http://tennesseeencyclopedia.net/imagegallery.php?EntryID=T097 Tipton County] , The Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture