Smithville, Tennessee facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Smithville, Tennessee
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Smithville Watertower
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Location of Smithville in DeKalb County, Tennessee.
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| Country | United States |
| State | Tennessee |
| County | DeKalb |
| Founded | 1838 |
| Incorporated | 1843 |
| Named for | Samuel Granville Smith, local politician |
| Government | |
| • Type | Mayor-Aldermanic |
| Area | |
| • Total | 5.85 sq mi (15.16 km2) |
| • Land | 5.85 sq mi (15.16 km2) |
| • Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 1,037 ft (316 m) |
| Population
(2010)
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| • Total | 4,530 |
| • Estimate
(2019)
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4,886 |
| • Density | 834.64/sq mi (322.27/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP code |
37166
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| Area code(s) | 615 |
| FIPS code | 47-69320 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1313778 |
Smithville is a city in DeKalb County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 4,793 at the 2018 census, up from 3,994 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of DeKalb County. Smithville is home to the Smithville Fiddler's Jamboree, which it has hosted annually since 1972.
Contents
Geography
Smithville is located in central DeKalb County at 35°57′26″N 85°49′15″W / 35.95722°N 85.82083°W (35.957191, -85.820756). U.S. Route 70 passes through the town as Broad Street, leading east 21 miles (34 km) to Sparta and northwest 36 miles (58 km) to Lebanon. Tennessee State Route 56 (Congress Boulevard) crosses US 70 a few blocks southeast of the center of town and leads north 13 miles (21 km) to Interstate 40 at Silver Point and 19 miles (31 km) south to McMinnville. Cookeville is 28 miles (45 km) to the northeast, and Nashville is 65 miles (105 km) to the west.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 5.9 square miles (15.3 km2), all land.
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1890 | 572 | — | |
| 1920 | 687 | — | |
| 1930 | 886 | 29.0% | |
| 1940 | 919 | 3.7% | |
| 1950 | 1,558 | 69.5% | |
| 1960 | 2,348 | 50.7% | |
| 1970 | 2,997 | 27.6% | |
| 1980 | 3,839 | 28.1% | |
| 1990 | 3,791 | −1.3% | |
| 2000 | 3,994 | 5.4% | |
| 2010 | 4,530 | 13.4% | |
| 2019 (est.) | 4,886 | 7.9% | |
| Sources: | |||
2020 census
| Race | Number | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 3,994 | 79.82% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 101 | 2.02% |
| Native American | 11 | 0.22% |
| Asian | 37 | 0.74% |
| Pacific Islander | 5 | 0.1% |
| Other/Mixed | 206 | 4.12% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 650 | 12.99% |
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 5,004 people, 1,631 households, and 1,090 families residing in the city.
In popular culture
Smithville is referred to by a local-boy Marine talking to a girl and pointing to labels on a map during a dance hall scene, 17 minutes into the 1949 World War II John Wayne film, Sands of Iwo Jima, where it is mentioned, apart from everybody in his family being related to much of Tennessee, as being famous for "corn tobacco" and "more fertilizer than any other place in the world".
Fiddler's Jamboree
| Smithville Fiddler's Jamboree & Crafts Festival | |
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| Genre | Bluegrass music, old-time music |
| Years active | 1972-present |
| Attendance | 100,000+ |
Joe L. Evins helped start the world famous Smithville Fiddler's Jamboree & Crafts Festival. The first Jamboree was held in July 1972 on a stage built on the steps of the DeKalb County Courthouse, and has been held there annually on the weekend nearest to July 4. The first Jamboree attracted 714 musicians from 16 states, and was attended by an estimated audience of 8,000. Present day audiences are estimated to be well over 100,000 from all over the U.S., and many from abroad.
Gallery
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Dekalb County Courthouse in Smithville, Tennessee
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Smithville City Hall
Notable people
- Bob Allen, Major League Baseball pitcher
- John Anderson, country music singer
- James Edgar Evins, Tennessee state senator, mayor of Smithville for 16 years.
- Joe L. Evins, U.S. representative
- Alan Jackson, country music singer; former resident
- Lonnie Mack, pioneering blues-rock guitar soloist; died here
- Aaron Tippin, country music singer
- Dottie West, American country music singer and songwriter
See also
In Spanish: Smithville (Tennessee) para niños
