Hamilton County, Tennessee


Hamilton County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is located in the southern part of East Tennessee. As of the 2010 census, the population was 336,463, making it the fourth-most populous county in Tennessee. Its county seat is Chattanooga. The county was named for Alexander Hamilton, the first Secretary of the Treasury. Hamilton County is one of 95 counties within the state of Tennessee. Hamilton County is part of the Chattanooga, TN-GA Metropolitan Statistical Area. The county was created on October 25, 1819. Hamilton county extended to the state line after absorbing parts of three different counties including Bledsoe, Marion, and Rhea. The county's creation was the result of a treaty signed with the Cherokee Indians in 1817. Hamilton County is the eighth-highest income Tennessee location by per capita income.

History

Hamilton County was formed on October 25, 1819 from portions of Rhea County and Cherokee Nation land. It was named after Alexander Hamilton, an officer in the American Revolutionary War, member of the Continental Congress, the first US Secretary of Treasury, and one of the founding fathers of the United States.
The area was originally occupied by Cherokee Nation under the leadership of John Ross. What is now known as Chattanooga was formerly Ross's Landing, a busy trade post recognized as the center of the Cherokee Nation. Over a series of Treaties between 1819 and 1835, The Cherokee had been mostly moved out of the area. If any Cherokee wished to stay in the area, the head of the family would have to become a citizen of the United States. Once a citizen, they would be entitled to 640 Acres of land. At the time of death, heirs would be entitled to the land. of the 107 reservations reported to Congress in 1819, only 39 were listed as Fee Simple. The other 68 reservations were allowed to stay as long as the family stayed on the land. Once the family moved, the land could be sold. This made it easier to remove the Cherokee from the area. The treaty of Echota in 1835 providing the US government legal basis for the forced removal of the Cherokee, opening the land for settlement.
At time of the 1820 census, the County counted 821 residents, including 16 blacks, 39 slaves, and about 100 Cherokee living on 6 reservations. The original legislature says that John Gamble, William Lauderdale, and John Patterson, the 3 men who were responsible for founding the County, would conduct all county business The original County seat location was in the home of Hasten Poe, a popular tavern located near the 3 men. In 1822 the County Court was moved to the farm of Ashael Rawlings, the newly appointed County Clerk, in Dallas, TN. The town of Dallas died after the County seat had been moved later. the seat was moved to Harrison, TN and then later moved to Chattanooga in 1835.
Hamilton County was the site of an important saltpeter mine during the Civil War. Saltpeter is the main ingredient of gunpowder and was obtained by leaching the earth from caves. Lookout Mountain Cave was a major source of saltpeter during the Civil War. The mine was operated by Robert Cravens, who owned the property where the cave is located. In May 1861, Cravens contracted with the Tennessee Military and Financial Board to deliver 20,000 pounds of saltpeter. On the 24th of the same month, he reported that he had ten hoppers already set up in his cave. Cravens was also mining Nickajack Cave in nearby Marion County. In 1862 he quit mining at Lookout Mountain Cave and rented the cave to the Confederate Nitre and Mining Bureau, which mined the cave from June 1862 through July 1863. Mining ceased when Chattanooga was occupied by Federal forces in 1863.
In 1919 James County, Tennessee went bankrupt and became a part of Hamilton County in April 1919. James County had been established by the Tennessee General Assembly in January 1871 and was named after Reverend Jesse J. James. As of the 2017 census, Hamilton county is the fourth most populated county in the state with a population of 361,613. The growth rate is 1% per year over the last five years. Hamilton county has census records dating back to the 1830s. The average income of Hamilton County Tennessee is $26,560.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of, of which is land and is water. Hamilton County is one of the few counties in the United States to border 10 other counties.

Natural areas of interest

is a show cave located 8 miles northwest of downtown Chattanooga. It was originally explored in 1929 by Leo Lambert who developed trails and installed lights and opened the cave to the public on June 28, 1931. The cave was opened under the name Tennessee Caverns. The operators of the cave claim that its explored length is over 5.5 miles.
The Crystal Caverns Cave Spider, Nesticus furtivus, is only known from this one cave. Cave guides will occasionally spot one of these rare spiders and point it out to the tourists.
Ruby Falls Cave is a show cave located on the side of Lookout Mountain south of downtown Chattanooga. It was discovered by accident on December 28, 1928 when it was intersected by an elevator shaft that was being drilled to develop Lookout Mountain Cave as a commercial cave. Ruby Falls Cave was intersected at a depth of 260 from the surface and Lookout Mountain Cave was reached later at a depth of 420 feet below the surface. The entire project was the work of cave developer Leo Lambert. He named the new cave's waterfall after his wife Ruby. The lower cave, Lookout Mountain Cave, opened to the public on December 30, 1929. Ruby Falls opened to the public on June 16, 1930. Ruby Falls Cave, with its spectacular waterfall proved the more popular of the two caves and it is the only cave open to the public at the present time.
Areas such as Lookout Mountain including the famous Point Park, and Sunset Rock. Point Park is a national military park that is a tribute to the battle of Lookout mountain that took place during the American Civil War. Lookout Mountain was the area in which the last battle of the Cherokee Indians took place. It also as battlegrounds during the American Civil War and served as a base for General Ulysses S. Grant troops during the American Civil War. There are many other important areas to note on Lookout Mountain.

Adjacent counties

Government

Hamilton County has a County Mayor and nine districts, each of which elect a Commissioner to serve on the county's legislative County Commission.

Executive Branch

County Mayor

The citizens of Hamilton County elect the mayor every four years. The incumbent Hamilton County Mayor is Jim Coppinger, who has served since 2011. Prior to his service as mayor, Coppinger served as Fire Chief as a County Commissioner.
The Mayor serves as the head of the county's executive branch and as the county's Chief Fiscal Officer. He/she oversees the budget preparation process and administers the budget and financial reports. He/she also oversees the day-to-day operations of county government, including implementation of all laws and policies. The Mayor also gives the County Commission recommendations and keeps them up to date about the county's financial condition.
Chief of Staff
The current Chief of Staff is Michael Compton.
The Chief of Staff is appointed by the Mayor and is responsible for overseeing and coordinating all areas of county general government, and coordinating specific initiatives. He/she also serves as a point of contact for the County Commission and other elected officials. The office's main purpose is to assist the County Mayor carry out his initiatives in an efficient and effective manner.

Other elected officials

The Assessor of Property is elected to find and list the value of all property in Hamilton County. Property is reappraised every four year. The current Assessor of Property is Marty Haynes.
The County Clerk is elected to issue vehicle tags, marriage and business licenses, and other documents. The current County Clerk is William Knowles.
The Register of Deeds is elected to record deeds and other legal documents, including powers of attorney, mortgages, marriages, and military discharges. The Register's office also collects and accounts for all fees and taxes. The current Register of Deeds is Marc Gravitt.
The County Trustee is elected to act as the county government's treasurer. He or she collects county property taxes, accounts for money regularly, and invest temporarily idle county funds. The current County Trustee is Bill Hullander.
The County Sheriff is elected to enforce the law and protect citizens. The current Hamilton County Sheriff is Jim Hammond.

County Board of Commissioners

Hamilton County has nine elected county commissioners to make up the legislative body of the county. The citizens of Hamilton County elect commissioners for four year terms to represent their districts. The Commission chooses from among its members Commissioners to serve as Chairman and Chairman Pro Tempore, the presiding officers for the Commission. They each serve one year terms.
The incumbent County Commissioners are:
All Court Clerks are elected by the citizens of Hamilton County.

District Attorney

The Office of District Attorney General serves to prosecute all individuals who violate the criminal law in Hamilton County, which is made up of the 11th Judicial District of Tennessee. The office also prosecutes all felony, state misdemeanor, and juvenile delinquency cases brought before the Hamilton County Juvenile Court. It represents crime victims in victim compensation hearings and maintains and supervises the Victim Witness Assistance Program.
The current District Attorney is Neal Pinkston, having been elected to an 8-year term in 2014.

Chancery Court

The Chancery Court hears cases involving civil matters, including domestic relations, worker's compensation, estates, trusts, contracts, review of administrative action of governmental agencies and boards, collection of delinquent taxes, guardianships, and conservatorships, dissolution of partnerships and corporations, enforcement of liens, boundary lines, breach of contract, fraud, election contests, and other matters of a civil nature. The current Chancellors are Pamela Fleenor and Jeffrey Atherton.
The Clerk and Master handles fees and paperwork associated with the court and sometimes serves as a chancellor.

Circuit Court

The Circuit Court hears both criminal and civil cases, including adoption and divorce matters, contract disputes, name changes, as well as hearing appeals from lower courts. The current Circuit Court Judges are J.B. Bennett, Jeff Hollingsworth, Marie Williams, and Kyle Hendrick.
The Circuit Court Clerk handles the paperwork and fees associated with this court. The current Circuit Court Clerk is Larry Henry.

Criminal Court

The Criminal Court handles both felony and misdemeanor cases. Cases are brought to the criminal court after a grand jury issues an indictment, or after an appeal is granted from a lower court. Trials in this court are typically have juries, however, a judge may hear a case without a jury. The current Criminal Court Judges are Barry Steelman, Tom Greenholtz, and Don Poole.
The Criminal Court Clerk is responsible for maintaining the records of the court. The Court Clerk's office is divided into three divisions: criminal division of the General Sessions Courts, the Delinquent Collection division, and the Criminal Courts. The current Court Clerk is Vince Dean.

General Sessions Court

The General Sessions Court is composed of two divisions: Civil and Criminal. The Civil Division has limited jurisdiction with no jury trials. A person may represent her/himself without an attorney. The Criminal Division only issues judgments for misdemeanor criminal cases and traffic offenses. It only has jurisdiction for felony cases on a preliminary hearing basis to determine if there is sufficient cause for the case to be bound over to the Grand Jury. There are generally no juries in this division, either.
The current judges are Christie Mahn Sell, Alexander McVeagh, Clarence Shattuck, Lila Statom, and Gary Starnes. The court shares clerks with the Criminal Court and Circuit Court.

Juvenile Court

The Juvenile Court handles all cases which involve a minor. Children are referred to the Juvenile Court for reasons of delinquency, status offenses, and dependency and neglect issues. The current Juvenile Court Judge is Robert Philyaw. He is supported in his work by magistrates that serve in the court. They are Bruce Owens, Troy McDougal, and Chris Gott in the Juvenile Court and Kathy Clark, Autry Jones, and Marsha Smith in the Child Support division.
The Juvenile Court Clerk is elected for a four-year term by the citizens. He/she maintains and files all paperwork and fees for this court. They also act as a collection agent for the state to process child support. The current Juvenile Court Clerk is Gary Behler.
Hamilton County has an elected Sheriff. Recent past sheriffs:

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 336,463 people, 136,682 households, and 88,149 families residing in the county. The population density was 620.78 people per square mile. The racial makeup of the county was 74.75% White, 20.21% Black or African American, 0.35% Native American, 1.86% Asian, 0.09% Pacific Islander, and 1.46% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 4.46% of the population.
Out of all of the households, 25.49% had children under the age of 18 living in them, 46.34% were married couples living together, 13.86% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.29% had a male householder with no wife present, and 35.51% were non-families. 29.35% of households were made up of individuals, and 10.34% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.39, and the average family size was 2.95.
In the county, the population was spread out with 21.58% under the age of 18, 63.73% ages 18 to 64, and 14.69% aged 65 and older. The media age was 39.3 years. 51.88% of the population were females, and 48.12% were males.
The median household income in the county was $46,544, and the median family income was $60,184. Males had a median income of $45,835 versus $34,342 for females. The per capita income for the county was $27,052. About 12.1% of families and 16.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 24.5% of those under the age of 18 and 8.6% of those age 65 and over.

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 307,896 people, 124,444 households, and 83,750 families residing in the county. The population density was 568 people per square mile. There were 134,692 housing units at an average density of 248 per square mile. The racial makeup of the county was 76.32% White, 20.14% Black or African American, 0.29% Native American, 1.27% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 0.77% from other races, and 1.14% from two or more races. 1.78% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 124,444 households out of which 28.90% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.20% were married couples living together, 13.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.70% were non-families. 27.90% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.00% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.41 and the average family size was 2.95.
In the county, the population was spread out with 23.20% under the age of 18, 9.60% from 18 to 24, 29.00% from 25 to 44, 24.30% from 45 to 64, and 13.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 91.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.10 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $38,930, and the median income for a family was $48,037. Males had a median income of $35,413 versus $24,505 for females. The per capita income for the county was $21,593. About 9.20% of families and 12.10% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.80% of those under age 18 and 11.20% of those age 65 or over.

Politics

Politically, Hamilton County is conservative. Along with the rest of East Tennessee, it has been supportive of the Republican party since the Civil War, even as the rest of the Solid South voted staunchly Democratic. However, unlike most counties in East Tennessee, Hamilton County is a strong two party county, with the Democratic candidate usually receiving at least 40% of the popular vote in presidential elections, and the city of Chattanooga tending to lean slightly Democratic. In 2004, Republican George Bush defeated Democrat John Kerry 57% to 41%. The last Democrat to win the county was Harry S. Truman in 1948, although George Wallace did win a plurality in 1968.
In 2008, Republican John McCain defeated Democrat Barack Obama by a slightly smaller margin of 55% to 43%. In 2012, Republican Mitt Romney defeated incumbent Obama by a margin of 56% to 42%.
Four years later in 2016, in businessman Donald Trump's sweep of Appalachia, Hamilton County furnished the GOP with a mildly increased margin of 55% to 39% for Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

Education

Colleges and universities

Public schools in Hamilton County are operated by Hamilton County Schools.

Communities

Cities