Briceville, Tennessee facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Briceville
|
|
|---|---|
View from the Briceville Community Church Cemetery
|
|
| Country | United States |
| State | Tennessee |
| County | Anderson |
| Area | |
| • Total | 0.48 sq mi (1.25 km2) |
| • Land | 0.48 sq mi (1.25 km2) |
| • Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 909 ft (277 m) |
| Population
(2020)
|
|
| • Total | 334 |
| • Density | 691.51/sq mi (267.21/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (CDT) |
| ZIP code |
37710
|
| Area code(s) | 865 |
| FIPS code | 47-08400 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1278326 |
Briceville is a small place in Anderson County, Tennessee, that doesn't have its own local government. It's part of the larger Knoxville, Tennessee Metropolitan Statistical Area. The community got its name from Calvin S. Brice, a powerful railroad owner and a U.S. Senator from Ohio. He helped bring train service to the area.
The zip code for Briceville, 37710, also covers a big mountain area nearby. In 2000, about 1,441 people lived in this larger zip code area.
Long ago, Briceville's main industry was coal mining. This community was important in three big events related to coal mining around the late 1800s and early 1900s. These were the Coal Creek War in 1891, the Fraterville Mine disaster in 1902, and the Cross Mountain Mine disaster in 1911.
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 2020 | 334 | — | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
Contents
Briceville's Story
The Knoxville Iron Company started mining coal in the Coal Creek Valley in the late 1860s. At first, they used wagons to move the coal. Later, trains helped after a railroad line was finished in 1869.
Over time, more companies opened mines in the valley. In 1888, a special train track was built to connect Coal Creek with Slatestone Hollow. After this track was built, Slatestone Hollow was renamed "Briceville" in honor of Senator Calvin Brice.
Briceville and the Coal Creek Valley grew very fast in the 1890s. This was because people needed a lot more coal. By 1900, over 4,000 people lived in the valley. By 1910, Briceville was the biggest community in Anderson County.
The most famous building in Briceville is the Briceville Community Church. Volunteers built it in 1887 on a hill. It was first open to all Christian groups. As more people moved in, other churches were built. In 1896, the Briceville Community Church became a Methodist church.
The Coal Creek War
In the early 1890s, Briceville was a key place in the Coal Creek War. This was a big fight between coal miners and the state. Miners were upset because the state allowed businesses to use prisoners for labor. This meant fewer jobs for regular miners.
Three important leaders of this conflict lived in Briceville. They were Eugene Merrell, George Irish, and S. D. Moore. Merrell was a worker's rights activist. Irish and Moore ran stores in the community. Moore was also a local preacher.
In 1891, miners at the Tennessee Coal Mining Company (TCMC) in Briceville went on strike. This happened because the company wanted them to sign a special contract. To end the strike, TCMC brought in prisoners from the state. They built a prison camp in Briceville for them.
On July 14, 1891, about 300 armed miners attacked the prison camp. They marched the prisoners out of the valley. This made the state governor, John P. Buchanan, send the state army to Briceville.
On July 16, Governor Buchanan met with the miners. He asked them to be calm. But Merrell spoke up, demanding that the governor protect the miners' rights.
The miners took over the prison camp again on July 20. Governor Buchanan then asked for a two-month break to talk about the problem. However, the state government did not agree with the miners' demands. On October 31, the miners burned the Briceville prison camp and freed all the prisoners.
The conflict spread across the state. In August 1892, the army arrested many miners. Merrell left the state, and Irish and Moore were arrested. Even though the uprising was stopped, it led the state to end the system of using prisoners for labor.
Fraterville Mine Disaster
In 1902, a terrible explosion happened at a mine in Fraterville. This town is very close to Briceville. The explosion killed 216 miners, and some of them lived in Briceville. A large memorial service was held for the victims at the Briceville church on June 8, 1902. At least one person who died in the explosion is buried in the church's cemetery.
Cross Mountain Mine Disaster
On December 9, 1911, another explosion happened at the Cross Mountain Mine. This mine was in the far western part of Briceville. The explosion killed or trapped 89 miners. However, five miners were saved by a quick rescue effort.
Many miners killed in this explosion were buried in a special circle shape. This area is called the Cross Mountain Miners' Circle. It is in Circle Cemetery near Highway 116. Other miners were buried in the Briceville Community Church's cemetery.
Briceville Post Office
The Briceville post office opened in 1888. As of 2011, it served about 1,400 people in Briceville and nearby areas. It had 332 post office boxes and one mail delivery route. In 2011, the U.S. Postal Service thought about closing it. But as of December 2018, it is still open and working.
