Dickson County, Tennessee facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Dickson County
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| County of Dickson | |
War Memorial Building in Dickson
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Location within the U.S. state of Tennessee
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 Tennessee's location within the U.S. |
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| Country |  United States |
| State |  Tennessee |
| Founded | Oct. 25, 1803 |
| Named for | William Dickson |
| Seat | Charlotte |
| Largest city | Dickson |
| Area | |
| • Total | 491 sq mi (1,270 km2) |
| • Land | 490 sq mi (1,300 km2) |
| • Water | 1.4 sq mi (4 km2) 0.3%% |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 54,315  |
| • Density | 101/sq mi (39/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| Congressional district | 5th |
Dickson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2010 census, the population was 49,666. Its county seat is Charlotte.
Dickson County is part of the Nashville-Davidson–Murfreesboro–Franklin, TN Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Dickson County is home to Tennessee's oldest courthouse in continuous use, built in 1835. This is the second courthouse in Charlotte as the first one, a log building, was destroyed in the Tornado of 1833, which destroyed all but one building on the courthouse square.
Contents
History
October 25, 1803 the Tennessee General Assembly passed a bill creating Dickson County, the 25th of Tennessee's 95 counties. It was formed from parts of Montgomery and Robertson counties, and was named for William Dickson, a Nashville physician then serving in the United States Congress. Dickson never lived in the county, but his relatives were prominent in its early development. Dickson was a close friend of President Andrew Jackson.
General James Robertson built the first iron works in west Tennessee in Dickson County. Robertson sold his furnace in 1804 to Montgomery Bell (1769–1855), who became one of the state's wealthiest capitalists and industrialists.
Educational institutions
Prior to the 1920s, numerous private high schools and colleges existed in Dickson County. These included the Tracy Academy, Charlotte Female School, Alexander Campbell School, Edgewood Academy and Normal College, the Dickson Academy, Dickson Normal School (where Hattie Carraway, the first woman elected to the U.S. Senate, was educated), Glenwylde Academy, and Ruskin Cave College. Most of these closed before or during the Great Depression. As is typical of most Tennessee counties, all public schools of the county are currently operated by a single county-wide school district.
The Ruskin Colony and The Coming Nation
The Ruskin Colony (or Ruskin Commonwealth Association) was a 250-member, utopian socialist cooperative established in Dickson County in 1894. Initially located near Tennessee City, it relocated to what is now Ruskin. Internal conflict had brought about the dissolution of the colony by 1899.
The Coming Nation, a socialist communalist paper established by Julius Augustus Wayland in Greensburg, Indiana, was relocated to the Ruskin Colony. It was the forerunner of the Appeal to Reason, which later became a weekly political newspaper published in the American Midwest from 1895 until 1922. The Appeal to Reason was known for its politics, giving support to the Farmers' Alliance and People's Party, before becoming a mainstay of the Socialist Party of America following its establishment in 1901. Using a network of highly motivated volunteers known as the "Appeal Army" to increase its subscription sales, the Appeal's paid circulation climbed to over a quarter million by 1906, and half a million by 1910, making it the largest-circulation socialist newspaper in American history.
U.S. Route 70
In July 1917, a mass meeting was held in the Alamo Theatre in Dickson to raise $760 (equivalent to $25,000 in 2016) to pay for the surveying of the Bristol to Memphis Highway through Dickson County. The money was raised in less than 15 minutes by donations from those present at the meeting. State highway surveyors began surveying the route on August 14, 1917. The building of this highway put the county along the route from New York to San Francisco known as the “Broadway of America,” now Highway 70.
Governor Frank G. Clement
On November 4, 1952, Frank G. Clement (1920–1969) of Dickson was elected Governor of Tennessee. He served as governor from 1953 to 1959, and again from 1963 to 1967. Known for his energetic speaking ability, he delivered the keynote address at the 1956 Democratic National Convention. The Hotel Halbrook, where Clement was born, still stands in Dickson, and has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 491 square miles (1,270 km2), of which 490 square miles (1,300 km2) is land and 1.4 square miles (3.6 km2) (0.3%) is water.
Dickson County is bordered on the northeast by the Cumberland River. The Harpeth River passes along the county's eastern border.
Ruskin Cave, site of the former socialist colony, is located 8 miles (13 km) northwest of Dickson.
Adjacent counties
- Montgomery County (north)
- Cheatham County (east)
- Williamson County (southeast)
- Hickman County (south)
- Humphreys County (southwest)
- Houston County (northwest)
State protected areas
- Cheatham Lake Wildlife Management Area (part)
- Hotel Halbrook Railroad and Local History Museum (state historic site)
- Montgomery Bell State Natural Area
- Montgomery Bell State Park
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1810 | 4,516 | — | |
| 1820 | 5,190 | 14.9% | |
| 1830 | 7,265 | 40.0% | |
| 1840 | 7,074 | −2.6% | |
| 1850 | 8,404 | 18.8% | |
| 1860 | 9,982 | 18.8% | |
| 1870 | 9,340 | −6.4% | |
| 1880 | 12,460 | 33.4% | |
| 1890 | 13,645 | 9.5% | |
| 1900 | 18,635 | 36.6% | |
| 1910 | 19,955 | 7.1% | |
| 1920 | 19,342 | −3.1% | |
| 1930 | 18,491 | −4.4% | |
| 1940 | 19,718 | 6.6% | |
| 1950 | 18,805 | −4.6% | |
| 1960 | 18,839 | 0.2% | |
| 1970 | 21,977 | 16.7% | |
| 1980 | 30,037 | 36.7% | |
| 1990 | 35,061 | 16.7% | |
| 2000 | 43,156 | 23.1% | |
| 2010 | 49,666 | 15.1% | |
| 2020 | 54,315 | 9.4% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census 1790-1960 1900-1990 1990-2000 2010-2014 |
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2020 census
| Race | Number | Percentage |
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| White (non-Hispanic) | 46,994 | 86.52% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 1,931 | 3.56% |
| Native American | 181 | 0.33% |
| Asian | 310 | 0.57% |
| Pacific Islander | 4 | 0.01% |
| Other/Mixed | 2,313 | 4.26% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 2,582 | 4.75% |
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 54,315 people, 19,198 households, and 13,030 families residing in the county.
Communities
City
Towns
- Burns
- Charlotte (county seat)
- Slayden
- Vanleer
- White Bluff
Unincorporated communities
Education
The Dickson County School District serves the entirety of the county. Since 2012, the current Director of Schools is Dr. Danny L. Weeks.
Serving around 8,500 students, the Dickson County School System ranks 23rd in student population among 142 school districts in Tennessee. The District employs around 1,200 people.
Board of Education
The Board of Education is elected to govern the education system in Dickson County, through setting its budget, planning for future developments, and setting policies. The Board meets every 4th Thursday of the month.
The Board also chooses the Director of Schools. Each member represents one of the six districts. Each district is composed of two county commission districts.
| District | Name | Notes |
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| 1 | Kirk Vandivort | Chair |
| 2 | Sonya Brogdon | |
| 3 | Steve Haley | |
| 4 | Patricia Hudson | Legislative Liaison |
| 5 | Phil Buckner | |
| 6 | Josh Lewis | Vice Chair |
History
Prior to the 1920s, numerous private high schools and colleges existed in Dickson County. These included the Tracy Academy, Charlotte Female School, Alexander Campbell School, Edgewood Academy and Normal College, the Dickson Academy, Dickson Normal School (where Hattie Carraway, the first woman elected to the U.S. Senate, was educated), Glenwylde Academy, and Ruskin Cave College. Most of these closed before or during the Great Depression. As is typical of most Tennessee counties, all public schools of the county are currently operated by a single county-wide school district.
Schools
As of 2019[update] Dickson County Schools operate 14 schools.
Elementary
- Centennial Elementary School
- Charlotte Elementary School
- Dickson Elementary School
- Oakmont Elementary School
- The Discovery School
- Sullivan Central Elementary School
- Stuart-Burns Elementary School
- Vanleer Elementary School
- White Bluff Elementary School
Middle
- Charlotte Middle School
- Burns Middle School
- Dickson Middle School
- William James Middle School
High
- Creek Wood High School
- Dickson County High School
Alternative School
- New Directions Academy
Higher Education
Dickson is home to three campuses for higher education.
The Tennessee College of Applied Technology – Dickson, under the Tennessee Board of Regents, provides career and technical education programs. Some programs include administrative office technology, automotive technology, computer information technology, cosmetology, various health programs (dental, nursing, etc.), digital graphic design, HVAC/refrigeration, mechatronics, and welding, among many others.
Nashville State Community College maintains a satellite campus in Dickson at the Renaissance Center, offering associate degrees to prepare students to transfer to four-year universities or enter the workforce.
Freed Hardeman University owns the Renaissance Center but shares it with NSCC, offering bachelor's degrees in accounting, business management, elementary education, nursing (BSN), psychology, and social work.
See also
In Spanish: Condado de Dickson para niños
