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Liberty, Tennessee
Liberty's Town Hall
Liberty's Town Hall
Location of Liberty in DeKalb County, Tennessee.
Location of Liberty in DeKalb County, Tennessee.
Country United States
State Tennessee
County DeKalb
Settled 1790s
Incorporated 1850
Area
 • Total 1.16 sq mi (2.99 km2)
 • Land 1.16 sq mi (2.99 km2)
 • Water 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation
610 ft (186 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 334
 • Density 289.18/sq mi (111.69/km2)
Time zone UTC-6 (Central (CST))
 • Summer (DST) UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code
37095
Area code(s) 615
FIPS code 47-42040
GNIS feature ID 1313986

Liberty is a small town located in DeKalb County, Tennessee, in the United States. In 2020, about 334 people lived there. Liberty's main street is quite special. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1987. This means it's an important historical area.

History of Liberty, Tennessee

Early Settlement and Growth

Liberty was first settled around 1797. An American Revolutionary War veteran named Adam Dale started the community. He came from Maryland and built a mill on Smith Fork Creek. This mill helped the town grow.

Historic Buildings and Places

Many buildings on Main Street in Liberty are part of an historic district. This district is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. One important building is the Liberty High School. It was built using limestone found in the area. The Salem Baptist Church and its cemetery are also part of this historic area.

Tornado of 1889

On March 23, 1889, a strong tornado hit Liberty. It knocked down many trees and badly damaged homes. A local church was completely destroyed. Luckily, no one was reported to have died in the storm.

Geography of Liberty

Liberty is located in the central part of Tennessee. Its exact location is 36.004959 degrees north and 85.972816 degrees west. The town covers about 1.0 square mile (2.99 square kilometers) of land. There is no water area within the town limits.

People Living in Liberty

Historical population
Census Pop.
1880 285
1950 314
1960 293 −6.7%
1970 332 13.3%
1980 365 9.9%
1990 391 7.1%
2000 367 −6.1%
2010 310 −15.5%
2020 334 7.7%
Sources:

In 2000, there were 367 people living in Liberty. These people made up 160 households and 112 families. The town's population density was about 354.5 people per square mile.

About 31.9% of households had children under 18. Most households (53.1%) were married couples living together. The average household had 2.29 people. The average family had 2.70 people.

The population was spread out by age. About 22.1% were under 18 years old. About 10.4% were 65 years or older. The average age in Liberty was 40 years old.

The Allen Bluff Mule

Liberty tn mule
The Allen Bluff Mule

The "Allen Bluff Mule" is a famous painting on a limestone cliff. It's located on U.S. Route 70 in Liberty. People in Liberty have different stories about who painted it. Some say a local man named Lavader Woodard did it. Others think it was an advertisement for a local farm.

Dr. Wayne T. Robinson said he painted the original mule. He claimed he did it in October 1906. He was a 21-year-old college student at the time. He was inspired by a comic strip character named Maud the Mule. This character was from a comic strip called And Her Name Was Maud.

In 2003, residents worried that a road expansion might harm the painting. They wrote letters to the Tennessee Department of Transportation. They also put up "Save the Mule" signs. Luckily, the road expansion was far enough away. The mule painting was never in danger.

Famous People from Liberty

  • Bob Griffith – A baseball player.
  • Justin Potter (also known as "Jet" Potter) (1898–1961) – A notable person from the area.

See also

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

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