Wilder, Tennessee facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Wilder, Tennessee
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Wilder Post Office in 2010
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 Wilder, Tennessee
Location in Tennessee
Wilder, Tennessee
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Tennessee |
| County | Fentress |
| Founded | 1902 |
| Founded by | John T. Wilder |
| Named for | John T. Wilder |
| Elevation | 1,506 ft (459 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP Code |
38589
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| Area code(s) | 931 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1274557 |
Wilder is an unincorporated community in Fentress County, Tennessee, United States. The community is in the Cumberland Mountains near Cookeville, Tennessee.
History
Early development
Wilder was a planned company town, intended to provide housing for employees of the Fentress Coal and Coke Company. Town planning began in 1901, and the first coal mine opened in 1902. The town was named for the company owner, John T. Wilder. It was well established by 1903, including the first school in the area. The town church, Boyer's Chapel, was built in 1922. In 1923, the school began adding high school classes, and the first high school graduates were the class of 1932.
Demographics
The community reached a population of 2,350 in 1924 as a coal-mining town with over 10,000 people living in the general area, but had declined to about 400 by 1957, and an estimated population of 249 in 2013.
Notable people
- Bettye Fahrenkamp (1923–1991), Alaska state senator and educator, was born in Wilder.
Gallery
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Coal company store in 1974, after it had been gutted by fire
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Abandoned cars in Wilder, 1974
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Flip Co-Op Store in Wilder next to the old company store, 1974
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Wilder Post Office in 1974
