Gallatin, Tennessee facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Gallatin, Tennessee
City
Downtown Gallatin
Flag Seal
Location of Gallatin in Sumner County, Tennessee.
Gallatin, Tennessee Location in the United States
Country	United States
State	Tennessee
County	Sumner
Districts	3, 4, 5, 6, 7
Established	February 25, 1802; 223 years ago (1802-02-25)
Named for	Albert Gallatin
Government
• Type	Mayor–Council
Area
• Total	34.81 sq mi (90.16 km2)
• Land	34.27 sq mi (88.76 km2)
• Water	0.54 sq mi (1.40 km2)
Elevation	538 ft (164 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	44,431
• Density	1,296.50/sq mi (500.59/km2)
Time zone	UTC−6 (CST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
ZIP Code	37066
Area code	615
FIPS code	47-28540
GNIS feature ID	1285100

Gallatin is a city in Sumner County, Tennessee. It is also the main town, called the county seat. In 2020, about 44,431 people lived there. The city is named after Albert Gallatin, who was an important person in the US government. Gallatin was started in 1802 near the Cumberland River. It is about 30 miles northeast of Nashville, Tennessee, the state capital.

Many big companies have offices or factories in Gallatin. These include Facebook, Gap, Inc., Beretta, and Servpro Industries, Inc.. Gallatin was once the home of Dot Records, a famous music company. The city is also where Volunteer State Community College is located. This college offers many different study programs. In 2017, Gallatin was even called "The Nicest Place In America" by Reader's Digest magazine.

Gallatin's Early History

Gallatin was founded in 1802. It became the permanent county seat for Sumner County, Tennessee. The town was named after Albert Gallatin, who was the Secretary of Treasury for Presidents Thomas Jefferson and James Madison. Andrew Jackson, who later became president, was one of the first people to buy land in Gallatin in 1803. The town was built around a central open square. Jackson also opened the first general store in Gallatin.

In 1803, the first county courthouse and jail were built on the town square. Gallatin officially became a town in 1815.

Gallatin During the Civil War

Before the American Civil War began, people in Gallatin hoped to stay neutral. They did not want to leave the United States. However, once the war started, most people in Gallatin supported the Confederacy. Many volunteered to fight for their state.

The Union Army took control of Gallatin in February 1862. This happened after Ulysses S. Grant captured Fort Donelson. Gallatin was important because of its railroad and its location on the Cumberland River. Both were key for the Union Army to control. In July 1862, General John Hunt Morgan of the Confederacy took Gallatin back. He held it until October, when Confederate forces moved to Chattanooga.

In November 1862, Union General Eleazer A. Paine recaptured the town. Union troops stayed in Gallatin until 1867. General Paine was known for being harsh. He was replaced before the war ended because of his actions. A 16-year-old girl named Alice Williamson wrote in her diary about Paine executing people without trials. Some were killed in the public square, others by the river. The long occupation by Union troops caused many problems for the people living there.

Even before the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, many enslaved African Americans found freedom. They left farms and joined Union troops in Gallatin. The Army set up a camp for these freed people. They were given food and housing, and put to work. In 1864, schools were opened in the camp to teach both children and adults to read and write.

In July 1863, about 200 freed people from Gallatin joined the United States Colored Troops (USCT). They were among the first in Tennessee to volunteer. They joined the 13th Tennessee regiment in Nashville. About two months later, a full regiment of 1,000 men, the 14th Tennessee USCT, was formed in Gallatin. These men were recruited from freed people in Nashville, Gallatin, and Murfreesboro.

Men from Gallatin helped build a railroad line and Fort Hill for defense. The long occupation by Union troops used up many local resources. They took livestock and crops from farms. By the end of the war, there were many social and economic problems. Crime also increased. Union Army forces stayed in Gallatin until 1870.

During this time, many freed people moved from farms into town. They formed Black communities away from white control. At the same time, many white residents moved from town to farms to avoid the troops. The area lost many men in the war and took years to recover. Farming was still the main way to make money. People struggled to adapt to a system without slavery.

Cholera Epidemic of 1873

In the summer of 1873, Gallatin faced a terrible cholera outbreak. This disease was part of a worldwide sickness that started in India in 1865. It spread to Europe and then crossed the Atlantic Ocean on ships. This was the third time such a sickness reached the United States. In the Mississippi River area, cases were first seen in New Orleans in February 1873. The disease spread up the river as people traveled to different towns. Poor sanitation at the time meant water sources became dirty, which helped the disease spread.

The first case in Gallatin was on May 29, and the person died. In June, 68 people died in the small town, including many children. By August, the sickness had mostly gone away. Overall, about 120 people in Sumner County died from cholera that year. Most of them were African Americans. A report in 1874 said that cholera was found in 264 towns across 18 states.

Nashville had 603 deaths from June 7 to 29. On the worst day, 72 people died. In the United States, about 50,000 people died from cholera during this time. This included 4,000 in Saint Louis and 3,500 in New Orleans.

Slowly, Gallatin and the areas around it started to grow again in the late 1800s. The area was mostly farmland until the mid-1900s.

Recent History of Gallatin

By 1970, more people were moving to cities and working in factories. Half of the county's population lived in urban areas, including suburbs. In 1992, Hendersonville became a bigger city than Gallatin in the county. However, Gallatin is still the county seat. Today, many people who live in Gallatin travel to work in Nashville, which is about 30 miles away.

On April 7, 2006, a tornado hit Gallatin. Seven people died, and 128 were hurt. Volunteer State Community College was badly damaged. This tornado was part of a very large group of tornadoes. Another large tornado caused a lot of damage to the city on December 9, 2023.

Gallatin's Geography

Gallatin covers about 34.81 square miles (90.16 km²). Most of this is land, with a small amount of water. Gallatin has different natural areas like open fields, forests, hills, and lakes. The city is located on Station Camp Creek, about 3 miles (5 km) north of the Cumberland River. The river was very important for transportation when the county was first settled.

Old Hickory Lake is a man-made lake southwest of the city. It was created by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers with a dam and lock on the Cumberland River.

Gallatin was in the path of a total solar eclipse of August 21, 2017. People in Gallatin saw the sun completely covered for 2 minutes and 38.7 seconds. This happened just before 1:30 PM local time.

Gallatin's Climate

Temperatures in Gallatin change with the seasons. In winter, high temperatures average around 49°F (9°C). In spring, they average 69°F (21°C). Summers are warm, with highs around 88°F (31°C). Fall temperatures average 72°F (22°C). January is usually the coldest month, and July is the warmest. The lowest temperature ever recorded was -20°F (-29°C) in 1985. The highest was 106°F (41°C) in 2007. March usually has the most rain.

Gallatin's Population

In 2020, Gallatin had 44,431 people living in 14,692 households. About 9,948 of these were families.

Population Details from 2010

In 2010, there were 30,278 people in Gallatin. There were 11,871 households and 7,859 families. About 77.66% of the people were White, and 14.67% were Black or African American. About 8.04% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.

About 29.23% of households had children under 18. About 45.96% were married couples living together. The average household had 2.48 people. The average family had 3.01 people.

About 24.21% of residents were under 18. About 62.20% were between 18 and 64 years old. About 13.59% were 65 or older. The average age was 36.6 years. About 51% of residents were female, and 48% were male.

The average income for a household was $43,770. For families, it was $51,553. About 16.6% of the population lived below the poverty line. This included 24.8% of those under 18.

Gallatin's Economy

In May 2007, the unemployment rate in Sumner County was 3.8%. This was lower than the national average. About 79,620 people worked in the county.

The biggest employers in Gallatin are GAP, Inc., Sumner Regional Medical Center, Volunteer State Community College, and RR Donnelley. Gap employs 1,250 workers. The Tennessee Valley Authority also runs a power plant in Gallatin.

In 2015, the Italian gun maker Beretta moved its U.S. factory to Gallatin from Maryland.

Arts and Culture in Gallatin

Gallatin has a modern 10-screen movie theater called NCG Gallatin Cinema. It also has a restored old theater called The Palace, which was built in 1908. There is also a public city library.

Every year, Gallatin hosts several events. These include the Sumner County Fair in late August. There is also a Fall Festival on the public square and the Gallatin Christmas Parade.

The yearly Candlelight Cemetery Tour happens on the first Saturday in October. It takes place in the city's old cemetery near the town square. Actors play historical figures who lived in Gallatin. They share stories about lawyers, doctors, business people, and other important community members from the past. Information for these stories comes from old documents like legal papers and family journals. This event helps support the local county museum.

Museums and Points of Interest

The Sumner County Museum in Gallatin has many old items important to the city and county's history.

Gallatin has several buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places. These buildings are important for their design. There is also a central historic district. Some restored homes are open to visitors, such as Cragfont, Rosemont, and Trousdale Place.

Parks and Recreation in Gallatin

Parks Gallatin has six parks where people can enjoy different sports and activities. These include baseball, basketball, beach volleyball, disc golf, fishing, American football, horseshoes, skateboarding, soccer, softball, swimming, tennis, walking, and volleyball. The parks are:

• Clearview Park
• Lock 4 Park
• Municipal Park
• Rogers Field
• Thompson Park
• Triple Creek Park

Old Hickory Lake is also a great place for boating, fishing, swimming, and other water activities.

Recreation Gallatin offers Cal Ripken and Babe Ruth baseball for kids aged 5–15 through the Kiwanis Club and Little League Baseball with the American Legion. There are also slow-pitch softball leagues for girls. Basketball, American football, tennis, and soccer leagues are available for different age groups.

The Gallatin Civic Center has a swimming pool, a running/walking track, racquetball courts, and basketball courts.

Gallatin has three golf courses:

• Long Hollow Golf Club – an 18-hole public course built in 1983.
• Gallatin Country Club – a 9-hole private course built in 1948.
• The Club at Fairview – a 36-hole private course built in 2004.

Gallatin has one disc golf course:

• Triple Creek Disc Golf Course – an 18-hole public course.

The City of Gallatin maintains Triple Creek Disc Golf Course. The Sumner County Disc Golf Association (SCDGA) also helps. The SCDGA holds events there every month.

Education in Gallatin

School Board

Gallatin's schools are managed by the Sumner County Board of Education. This board has eleven elected members. They each represent one of the county's eleven areas. Members serve four-year terms. They oversee the Director of Schools, Del Phillips. The board holds public meetings every month. The school system's budget for the 2020–21 school year was about $271 million.

The county-wide school system has about 4,300 employees and 49 schools. It has over 180 bus routes, covering more than 6,000 miles (9,700 km) daily. All the county's schools together cover more than 100 acres (0.4 km²). In August 2020, about 29,400 students were enrolled in the county school system.

Schools in Gallatin

Higher Education

Volunteer State Community College is a public two-year college. People often call it Vol State. It is part of the Tennessee Board of Regents system. The main campus is in Gallatin. There are also other locations where students can earn degrees. Since it started in 1971, over 150,000 people have attended the college. In an average fall semester, more than 8,000 students are enrolled. The college has students of all ages, from teens to older adults. They come from many states and over 25 countries. Vol State offers more than 70 programs in different subjects.

Welch College is a private four-year Christian college in Gallatin. It was founded in 1942. It is connected to the National Association of Free Will Baptists. In 2019, Welch College had 431 students from many states and countries. It offers 40 main study programs. Some of its most popular programs include religious studies, pre-med/nursing, business, teaching, and music.

Media in Gallatin

Print Media

One local newspaper covers news in Gallatin: The Gallatin Newspaper. It is published every Thursday. The city's first newspaper, The Gallatin News Examiner, started in 1859 but stopped publishing in 2017.

Radio and Television

Gallatin got its first local radio station in August 1948. It was WHIN 1010 AM. This station still serves Sumner County with country music, local sports, and NASCAR racing.

WHIN only broadcast during the day. Starting in 1950, the studios at night were used to produce music for Dot Records. This record company was first based in Gallatin. Six years later, Dot Records moved to Hollywood, California.

WHIN was joined by an FM station in December 1960. This was 104.5 FM. The FM station has used many different names. It was most famous in the late 1970s and 1980s as KX (Kicks) 104. It was a popular music station that competed with Nashville stations. Today, this station is owned by Citadel. It is a sports radio station called WGFX. It focuses on the Nashville area and is the main station for the Tennessee Titans and Tennessee Volunteers sports teams.

WMRO (1560 AM) started broadcasting in 1994. It plays automated popular music and local religious programs on Sunday mornings.

Volunteer State Community College has its own radio and television station. The student-run radio station, WVCP, broadcasts on 88.5 MHz FM. It plays different types of music.

The television station is on Comcast Cable channel 19. It shows local announcements about the college and the Gallatin/Sumner County area. The sound on the TV channel is the same as the radio station. The channel also shows educational programs. Gallatin City Council meetings, Sumner County School Board meetings, and Sumner County Commission meetings are also broadcast on this station.

Gallatin's Transportation

• / U.S. Route 31E / Tennessee State Route 6 (Nashville Pike)
• / Tennessee State Route 386 / U.S. Route 31E Bypass (Vietnam Veterans Boulevard)
• Tennessee State Route 109
• Tennessee State Route 25 (Red River Road)
• Tennessee State Route 174 (Long Hollow Pike) / (Water Avenue) / (Dobbins Pike)

Major roads in and out of Gallatin include Tennessee State Route 386 ("Vietnam Veterans Boulevard"), U.S. Highway 31E, Tennessee State Route 109, and Tennessee State Route 25. U.S. 31E, also known as "Nashville Pike," is the main road through town. State Route 109 goes around the west side of downtown. State Route 386 is a highway that ends in Gallatin and connects to Interstate 65 to the west.

WeGo Public Transit offers a daily bus service from Gallatin to downtown Nashville. It makes stops along the way.

The Sumner County Regional Airport provides air travel for Gallatin. It has one 5,000-foot (1,500 m) runway. It also offers fuel and maintenance services for planes.

There are plans to extend the WeGo Star commuter railway in the future. This would include a train line between Gallatin and Nashville, with a stop in Hendersonville.

History of Roads

Tennessee State Route 6 and Tennessee State Route 25 were the first state roads in Gallatin. They were built between 1919 and 1925. US 31E was one of the first U.S. routes in November 1926. In 1980, a new four-lane highway replaced the original Main Street route for US 31E. Around 1940, State Route 109 (SR 109) was created. It first ran only between Gallatin and Portland. In the 1990s, SR 109 was changed to a bypass. This project was finished in 2012. Tennessee State Route 386 (SR 386) was completed in Gallatin in 2007.

Healthcare in Gallatin

Sumner Regional Medical Center

Highpoint Health, which used to be Sumner Regional Medical Center, is a hospital in Gallatin. It has an emergency room. It also has a cancer-treatment program, a wound care center, and a heart lab. The hospital can perform many procedures, including digital mammography and knee replacement surgery.

Notable People from Gallatin

• Joe Blanton, a Major League Baseball (MLB) pitcher
• Zach Duke, an MLB pitcher
• Mike Elizondo, a record producer
• William M. Gwin (1805–1885), a U.S. senator from California
• Bill Hagerty, a U.S. senator from Tennessee
• Huell Howser (1945–2013), a national public television personality
• Lena Terrell Jackson (1865–1943), an African-American educator
• Sondra Locke (1944–2018), an actress and director
• Jordan Mason, a National Football League (NFL) running back
• Kenneth Michael "Mookie" Moore, an NFL guard and coach
• Ray Oldham (1951–2005), an NFL defensive back
• Nacole Rice, a rhythm and blues singer
• John Rogan (1865–1905), one of the tallest verified humans ever at 8 feet 9 inches (2.67 m)
• Tennys Sandgren, a professional tennis player

See also

In Spanish: Gallatin (Tennessee) para niños