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Jamestown, Tennessee facts for kids

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Jamestown, Tennessee
Buildings along Main Street
Buildings along Main Street
Location of Jamestown in Fentress County, Tennessee.
Location of Jamestown in Fentress County, Tennessee.
Country United States
State Tennessee
County Fentress
Founded 1823
Incorporated 1837
Named for James Fentress
Area
 • Total 3.11 sq mi (8.07 km2)
 • Land 3.11 sq mi (8.07 km2)
 • Water 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation
1,716 ft (523 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 1,935
 • Density 621.39/sq mi (239.90/km2)
Time zone UTC-6 (Central (CST))
 • Summer (DST) UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code
38556
Area code(s) 931
FIPS code 47-37780
GNIS feature ID 1289287

Jamestown is a city in Tennessee, located in Fentress County. It is the main town, or county seat, of Fentress County. In 2020, about 1,935 people lived there.

History of Jamestown

How Jamestown Was Founded

Jamestown was started in 1823 to be the main town for Fentress County. It became an official city in 1837. Both the county and the city are named after James Fentress, a local politician. He helped make Fentress County a new county.

Early Days and Mark Twain's Family Connection

Mark-twain-spring-jamestown-tn1
Mark Twain Spring in Jamestown, used by Twain's parents around 1827-1832

Before Jamestown was built, the area was called "Sand Springs." This was because of many natural springs that bubbled up from the ground. One of these springs is still in Mark Twain City Park today. It provided water for the family of John M. Clemens. He was the father of the famous writer Samuel L. Clemens, also known as Mark Twain. John Clemens was the first court clerk in the area. He also designed the first courthouse and jail.

Jamestown During the Civil War

During the American Civil War, Fentress County had people fighting on both sides. Four groups joined the Confederate Army, and three groups joined the Union Army. Local leaders like "Tinker Dave" Beaty (for the Union) and Champ Ferguson (for the Confederates) led their own groups. These groups often fought each other.

World War I Hero: Alvin York

World War I hero Sgt. Alvin C. York grew up in Fentress County. He built the Alvin C. York Agricultural Institute, which is a high school in Jamestown. It is one of only four state-funded schools in Tennessee.

Geography and Location

Where is Jamestown Located?

Jamestown is located at 36°25′45″N 84°55′57″W / 36.42917°N 84.93250°W / 36.42917; -84.93250. The city is on the western edge of the Cumberland Plateau. This is a large, flat area of land that is higher than the surrounding land. Streams in the eastern part of the city flow into the Big South Fork of the Cumberland River. Streams in the western part flow into the Obey River.

Major Roads and Nearby Areas

Jamestown is at the meeting point of two important roads. U.S. Route 127 connects the city to Crossville to the south and Kentucky to the north. State Route 52 connects Jamestown to Livingston to the west and Allardt to the southeast. Another road, State Route 154, links the Jamestown area to Pickett State Park.

City Size

According to the United States Census Bureau, Jamestown covers about 2.9 square miles (7.5 square kilometers) of land. There is no water area within the city limits.

Climate in Jamestown

Jamestown has a climate with warm summers and mild winters. It gets a good amount of rain throughout the year.

Climate data for Jamestown, Tennessee, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1969–2022
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 74
(23)
74
(23)
84
(29)
87
(31)
89
(32)
103
(39)
101
(38)
100
(38)
95
(35)
92
(33)
81
(27)
75
(24)
103
(39)
Mean maximum °F (°C) 64.5
(18.1)
68.5
(20.3)
75.8
(24.3)
82.8
(28.2)
85.0
(29.4)
89.5
(31.9)
90.4
(32.4)
90.0
(32.2)
88.0
(31.1)
82.2
(27.9)
74.6
(23.7)
65.4
(18.6)
91.8
(33.2)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) 44.6
(7.0)
48.6
(9.2)
57.8
(14.3)
67.5
(19.7)
74.7
(23.7)
81.8
(27.7)
84.3
(29.1)
84.0
(28.9)
78.1
(25.6)
68.8
(20.4)
57.3
(14.1)
48.0
(8.9)
66.3
(19.1)
Daily mean °F (°C) 34.7
(1.5)
37.9
(3.3)
46.0
(7.8)
54.8
(12.7)
63.6
(17.6)
71.1
(21.7)
74.1
(23.4)
73.5
(23.1)
67.0
(19.4)
56.2
(13.4)
45.6
(7.6)
38.2
(3.4)
55.2
(12.9)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) 24.9
(−3.9)
27.3
(−2.6)
34.2
(1.2)
42.2
(5.7)
52.5
(11.4)
60.4
(15.8)
63.9
(17.7)
63.1
(17.3)
55.9
(13.3)
43.7
(6.5)
34.0
(1.1)
28.3
(−2.1)
44.2
(6.8)
Mean minimum °F (°C) 3.3
(−15.9)
8.6
(−13.0)
17.8
(−7.9)
26.7
(−2.9)
34.9
(1.6)
48.7
(9.3)
54.3
(12.4)
53.8
(12.1)
42.7
(5.9)
28.3
(−2.1)
18.1
(−7.7)
11.5
(−11.4)
1.5
(−16.9)
Record low °F (°C) −8
(−22)
−7
(−22)
7
(−14)
16
(−9)
27
(−3)
42
(6)
49
(9)
46
(8)
32
(0)
23
(−5)
11
(−12)
−3
(−19)
−8
(−22)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 5.03
(128)
4.86
(123)
5.52
(140)
5.46
(139)
5.31
(135)
5.52
(140)
5.29
(134)
4.64
(118)
4.00
(102)
3.18
(81)
4.11
(104)
6.26
(159)
59.18
(1,503)
Average snowfall inches (cm) 3.2
(8.1)
5.7
(14)
4.8
(12)
0.1
(0.25)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.3
(0.76)
4.8
(12)
18.9
(47.11)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) 13.8 12.7 13.3 12.2 12.7 12.4 11.6 9.8 9.0 8.9 10.3 13.7 140.4
Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) 3.5 3.0 1.9 0.2 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.4 2.5 11.5
Source 1: NOAA
Source 2: National Weather Service

Population and Demographics

How Many People Live in Jamestown?

Historical population
Census Pop.
1880 86
1890 84 −2.3%
1930 857
1940 1,230 43.5%
1950 2,115 72.0%
1960 1,727 −18.3%
1970 1,899 10.0%
1980 2,364 24.5%
1990 1,862 −21.2%
2000 1,839 −1.2%
2010 1,959 6.5%
2020 1,935 −1.2%
Sources:

The population of Jamestown has changed over the years. In 2020, the city had 1,935 residents. There were 875 households and 396 families living in the city at that time.

Jamestown's Population Makeup (2020)

Jamestown racial composition
Race Number Percentage
White (non-Hispanic) 1,792 92.61%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic) 8 0.41%
Native American 6 0.31%
Asian 10 0.52%
Other/Mixed 72 3.72%
Hispanic or Latino 47 2.43%

Most of the people living in Jamestown are White. There are also smaller groups of Black or African American, Native American, and Asian residents. Some people identify with more than one race. About 2.43% of the population is of Hispanic or Latino background.

Local Media and News

Jamestown has several radio stations: WCLC-FM/105.1, WDEB/1500, and WDEB-FM/103.9. There is also a low-power FM station, WSAB-LP/92.5. The local newspaper is called the Fentress Courier. It is published every Wednesday in print and online.

Community Events

Jamestown is famous for being the starting point of the World's Longest Yardsale. This event is also known as the 127 Corridor Sale.

See also

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

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