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Camden
Downtown Camden
Downtown Camden
Location of Camden in Benton County, Tennessee.
Location of Camden in Benton County, Tennessee.
Country United States
State Tennessee
County Benton
Founded 1836
Incorporated 1838
Named for Camden, South Carolina
Area
 • Total 5.68 sq mi (14.70 km2)
 • Land 5.68 sq mi (14.70 km2)
 • Water 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation
449 ft (137 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 3,674
 • Density 647.17/sq mi (249.88/km2)
Time zone UTC-6 (Central (CST))
 • Summer (DST) UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code
38320
Area code(s) 731
FIPS code 47-10560
GNIS feature ID 1305616

Camden is a small city in Tennessee, located in Benton County. It is the main town, also known as the county seat, of Benton County. In 2020, about 3,674 people lived here.

History of Camden

Patsy Cline Memorial Camden TN 09
Patsy Cline Memorial at the 1963 crash site near Camden

People have lived in the Camden area for a very long time. Native Americans were here as early as the Archaic period, which was from about 8000 to 1000 BC. A special place called the Eva Site has been found nearby. It shows signs of people living there for 7,000 years. This site is now under Kentucky Lake.

The first European settlers came to Benton County around 1818. This was shortly after the land was bought from the Chickasaw people. Camden started as a resting stop for stagecoaches traveling between Nashville and Memphis.

At first, the community was called "Tranquility." By the 1830s, it was known as "Camden." This name was inspired by the Revolutionary War and the Battle of Camden. When Benton County was created in 1835, Camden was chosen as its county seat. The city of Camden officially became a city in 1838.

A sad event happened near Camden on March 5, 1963. Famous country music stars Patsy Cline, Cowboy Copas, and Hawkshaw Hawkins died in a plane crash here.

Geography of Camden

Camden is located along Cypress Creek. This creek flows into Kentucky Lake, which is a large lake formed by the Tennessee River. The lower 10 miles (16 km) of Cypress Creek were covered by the lake when Kentucky Dam was finished in 1944.

The area around Camden has low hills to the north and west. To the east, there are wetlands, which are areas of land covered by water. Many of these wetlands are protected by the Camden Wildlife Management Area.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city covers an area of 5.7 square miles (14.7 km2). All of this area is land.

Camden's Population

Historical population
Census Pop.
1850 176
1860 159 −9.7%
1870 148 −6.9%
1880 200 35.1%
1890 330 65.0%
1900 399 20.9%
1910 692 73.4%
1920 800 15.6%
1930 955 19.4%
1940 992 3.9%
1950 2,029 104.5%
1960 2,774 36.7%
1970 3,052 10.0%
1980 3,279 7.4%
1990 3,643 11.1%
2000 3,828 5.1%
2010 3,582 −6.4%
2020 3,674 2.6%
Sources:

People in Camden (2020)

Camden racial composition
Race Num. Perc.
White (non-Hispanic) 3,168 86.23%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic) 158 4.3%
Native American 10 0.27%
Asian 49 1.33%
Other/Mixed 149 4.06%
Hispanic or Latino 140 3.81%

In 2020, there were 3,674 people living in Camden. There were 1,516 households, which are groups of people living together. There were also 759 families.

Camden's Economy

Farming is a very important part of the economy in Camden and Benton County. Sorghum was once a major crop here. Sorghum is a type of grain used for food and other products. The last place that processed sorghum closed in 2001.

Jones Plastic and Engineering has a large factory in Camden. It covers about 60,000-square-foot (5,600 m2).

Camden is also a bedroom community. This means many people who live in Camden travel to other towns for work. Some work for the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), which provides electricity. Others work at the DuPont factory in nearby New Johnsonville. This factory makes titanium dioxide.

Parks and Recreation

  • Birdsong Trail Ride
  • Camden Speedway

Education in Camden

The Benton County School System serves Camden. The schools include:

  • Camden Elementary
  • Camden Junior High School
  • Camden Central High School

Media in Camden

Radio Stations

  • WRJB-FM 95.9 "Magic 95.9 the Valley"

Newspapers

  • The Camden Chronicle
  • The Marketplace
  • Tennessee Magnet Publications

Transportation in Camden

Roads and Highways

  • U.S. Route 70 connects Camden to Nashville in the east and Memphis in the west. There is also a business route (US 70 Business) that goes through the center of town. The main highway goes around Camden to the south.
  • Tennessee State Route 191 connects Camden to Eva and to Nathan Bedford Forrest State Park to the northeast. It also connects to Interstate 40 to the southeast.
  • U.S. Route 641 crosses US 70 Business in the western part of Camden. It also crosses US 70 south of Camden. This route connects the area to Paris and Kentucky to the north. To the south, it connects to I-40 and Parsons.
  • Tennessee State Route 69A starts in Camden. It begins where US 70 Business and TN 191 meet. It then goes north to Big Sandy.

Notable People from Camden

  • Nyman Furr, a musician known as "The Tennessee Fiddler"
  • Tanner Hudson, an NFL tight end who plays for the Cincinnati Bengals
  • Frank P. Lashlee, a member of the Tennessee General Assembly
  • Col. Littleton, a fashion designer
  • Charles F. Pendleton, who received a Medal of Honor for his brave actions in the Korean War

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Camden (Tennessee) para niños

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