Fruitvale, Tennessee facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Fruitvale, Tennessee
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 Fruitvale, Tennessee
Location in Tennessee
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| Country | United States |
| State | Tennessee |
| County | Crockett |
| Elevation | 358 ft (109 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP code |
38336
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| Area code(s) | 731 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1284989 |
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Fruitvale Historic District
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| Area | 1.95 acres (0.79 ha) |
| NRHP reference No. | 12000943 |
| Added to NRHP | November 14, 2012 |
Fruitvale is a small, quiet place in Crockett County, Tennessee, in the United States. It's called an "unincorporated community" because it doesn't have its own local government like a city or town. In 2012, about 65 people lived there. Fruitvale is special because a part of it, called the Fruitvale Historic District, was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2012. This means its old buildings and history are important to protect!
History
How Fruitvale Started
People first settled in the Fruitvale area in the early 1800s. It was first known as Jackson Hollow. In the 1850s, a railroad called the Memphis & Ohio (M&O) Railroad was built through the area.
The place where Fruitvale is now started to be called "The Switch." This was because a special railroad switch and a siding (a short track next to the main one) were built there. This switch made it easy to load and unload goods from the trains.
By the 1870s, the community was known as "Fruitvale." This name showed how important it was for shipping lots of fresh fruits and vegetables grown on nearby farms. The Fruitvale post office opened in 1893. Ten years later, the town had a blacksmith shop (where metal items were made), a sawmill (for cutting wood), and several stores.
The Boyd Family's Business
Two brothers, J.O. "Ollie" and Oscar Boyd, started a grocery business in Fruitvale in 1906. They grew their businesses over the years. In 1918, they opened the J.O. Boyd General Merchandise Store. Oscar sold his share to Ollie in 1920.
During the 1920s, Ollie Boyd was also Fruitvale's postmaster (the person in charge of the post office). He opened a barber shop and built special sheds for potatoes and peas. In 1930, he turned the barber shop into an office for his businesses.
Ollie Boyd bought a lot of farmland, eventually owning about 1,200 acres. He grew many different crops and raised animals like hogs, sheep, and cattle. His farms needed many seasonal migrant workers. Ollie built bunkhouses (simple buildings for sleeping) in Fruitvale for these workers to live in.
Later Years in Fruitvale
In the early 1900s, a big wooden shed was built next to the railroad track. This shed was used to load boxes of food onto train cars. A wooden crop scale was put in place in 1925 to weigh the farm products.
In the late 1930s, electricity came to Fruitvale. Ollie Boyd then built an electric-powered corn crusher to make feed for his animals. He also built a shed for his tractors.
In 1920, Fruitvale had about 200 people living there. After World War II, fewer people lived in Fruitvale, and less farm produce was shipped by train. The old fruit shed was taken down in 1965. In 1980, the railroad switch was removed.
The Fruitvale post office closed in 2010. It was thought to be the smallest in Tennessee in 1993, serving only about 30 customers. Even though the post office is closed, Fruitvale is still used as a postal place name, and its ZIP code is 38336.
The Fruitvale Historic District was added to the National Register of Historic Places in November 2012. This special area covers about 1.95 acres of land. It includes nine important buildings: two stores, the blacksmith shop, a bunkhouse, two sheds, a barn, the barbershop/office, the crusher house, and the crop scale. All these buildings were owned by the Boyd family when the district was listed.
