Jonesborough, Tennessee

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Jonesborough, Tennessee's oldest town, serves as the county seat of Washington County, Tennessee. The population was 4,168 at the 2000 census.

1 History
2 Geography
3 Demographics
4 External links

[edit] History

Jonesborough was founded in 1779, seventeen years before Tennessee was granted statehood. It was named after North Carolina legislator, Willie Jones, who supported North Carolina's westward expansion over the Appalachian Mountains.

The town was originally considered a part of North Carolina. In 1784, Jonesborough was one of the towns that attempted to create a new state called the State of Franklin, named after American founding father Benjamin Franklin. The State of Franklin, however, was never recognized by Congress, and was re-claimed by North Carolina by 1788.

Jonesborough is often considered to be the center of the abolitionist movement within the states that would join the Confederacy during the American Civil War. Elihu Embree printed his publication, The Emancipator, from the town of Jonesborough. Circulation began in 1820, making "The Emancipator" the first periodical to be dedicated exclusively to the issue of the abolition of slavery. While Tennessee would later join the Confederacy, most East Tennesseans had Union leanings, which is perhaps not surprising given the fact that East Tennessee was not suited to large-scale agricultural production, such as cotton, and very few people in the region other than the very wealthy owned slaves.

Today, Jonesborough draws a good deal of tourism because of its historical status as Tennessee's oldest town and its significant preservation efforts. The town's museum describes local heritage of tobacco farming. The historic Chester Inn downtown was built in 1797.

Jonesborough is also the home to the National Storytelling Festival, drawing people nationwide to participate in the unique event. The festival takes place in October of each year. Large tents are pitched in parks around town and storytellers sit on stages or at the head of the tent to perform. Occasionally performances are interrupted for a moment by a passing Norfolk Southern Railway train. Some stories have morals, define cultural traditions, or entertain. Stories about tribal nations, telling right from wrong, and small-town culture have been past topics. Some storytellers write musical scores which are incorporated into their stories. The Festival partly ties into an Appalachian cultural tradition of storytelling. The existence of a storytelling graduate degree program at a nearby university reflects this tradition.

While exploring some of the most historic streets in the state, visitors can even have ghostly adventure. Andrew Jackson had strong ties to Jonesborough, Tennessee. It was here that he began his law practice in the late 1700s. And during that time, he stayed at the cabin belonging to Christopher Taylor, located about a mile outside of town. Recently the cabin was removed from its original spot and reconstructed in the town's park. The ghost of former U.S. president Andrew Jackson has occasionally been spotted there--usually on foggy nights. The ghost walks up to the front door and disappears into the building. The ghost has also been seen walking down the street, in the direction of the old courthouse.

[edit] Geography

Jonesborough is located at 36°17′39″N, 82°28′21″W (36.294305, -82.472466)^GR1.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 11.2 km² (4.3 mi²), all land.

[edit] Demographics

As of the census^GR2 of 2000, there were 4,168 people, 1,660 households, and 1,107 families residing in the town. The population density was 371.7/km² (963.2/mi²). There were 1,771 housing units at an average density of 157.9/km² (409.3/mi²). The racial makeup of the town was 93.43% White, 5.54% African American, 0.10% Native American, 0.17% Asian, 0.19% from other races, and 0.58% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.82% of the population.

There were 1,660 households out of which 27.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.3% were married couples living together, 11.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.3% were non-families. 30.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.26 and the average family size was 2.80.

In the town the population was spread out with 19.5% under the age of 18, 8.7% from 18 to 24, 29.9% from 25 to 44, 25.6% from 45 to 64, and 16.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 101.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.6 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $32,132, and the median income for a family was $44,167. Males had a median income of $28,906 versus $26,192 for females. The per capita income for the town was $18,768. About 11.0% of families and 16.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 25.7% of those under age 18 and 22.5% of those age 65 or over.