Pinson, Tennessee facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Pinson, Tennessee
|
|
|---|---|
Pinson's small commercial strip in 2008
|
|
 Pinson, Tennessee
Location in Tennessee
|
|
| Country | United States |
| State | Tennessee |
| County | Madison |
| Area | |
| • Total | 4.08 sq mi (10.56 km2) |
| • Land | 4.06 sq mi (10.52 km2) |
| • Water | 0.01 sq mi (0.04 km2) |
| Elevation | 381 ft (116 m) |
| Population
(2020)
|
|
| • Total | 464 |
| • Density | 114.23/sq mi (44.11/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (CST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP code |
38366
|
| Area code(s) | 731 |
| FIPS code | 47-58780 |
Pinson is a small, unincorporated community in Madison County, Tennessee. It is located along U.S. Route 45, a main road between the cities of Jackson and Henderson. Another road, State Route 197, also goes through Pinson. This community is part of the larger Jackson, Tennessee Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Pinson is famous for the Pinson Mounds, which are ancient earth mounds built by Native Americans long ago. These mounds are the largest group from the Middle Woodland period in the United States. There is a special park, the Pinson Mounds State Archaeological Park, dedicated to protecting and studying them.
Contents
Pinson's Population
Pinson is a small community. According to the 2020 census, 464 people live there.
A Look Back: Pinson's History
How Pinson Got Its Name
In 1820, a group of five surveyors, including a man named Joel Pinson, found a large platform mound in this area. They were surveying land for Colonel Thomas Henderson. The surveyors decided to call the mound "Mount Pinson" after Joel. A post office was set up there in 1827 with the same name. Later, in 1866, the post office and the new town built nearby were officially named "Pinson."
Schools in Pinson
Pinson High School opened its doors in 1873. By 1875, almost 150 students were attending the school. A famous country music singer, Eddy Arnold, went to this school and performed in the area when he was young. Pinson High School continued to operate until 1956. At that time, it joined with other local schools to form South Side High School.
The 1923 Tornado
On March 11, 1923, a very powerful tornado struck Pinson. It caused a lot of damage, destroying about 50 homes. Experts later estimated that this tornado was an F5 on the Fujita scale, which means it was one of the strongest types of tornadoes.
Exploring the Pinson Mounds
Pinson is home to the amazing Pinson Mounds. This is a huge archaeological site with three main groups of mounds from the Middle Woodland period. The entire area covers about 400 acres (1.6 square kilometers). There are at least 30 mounds, and 17 of them were built by ancient people. These mounds are located on high ground near the South Fork of the Forked Deer River. It is believed that these mounds were originally used for important religious ceremonies.
Joel Pinson, the surveyor, discovered the mounds in 1820. However, they were mostly known only to local people for many years. In the 1880s, an archaeologist from the Smithsonian Institution, William Edward Myer, created a map of the site. This helped bring more attention to the mounds.
In 1974, after local citizens asked the state to protect the land, the site officially became a Tennessee state park. The park is now called the Pinson Mounds State Archaeological Park. It spans about 1,200 acres (4.9 square kilometers) and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, which means it's a very important historical site.
Famous People from Pinson
- Eddy Arnold – A well-known country music singer who attended Pinson High School.
