About Morristown & Hamblen County

Crossroads Development Partnership

Morristown, Tennessee

Quick Facts:

 

City Population:

26,187 (2006 est.)

 

County Population:

61,026 (2006 est.)

 

MSA population:

134,596 (2007 est.)

 

Population within a 50-mile radius of Exit 8 at I-81:

1,256,050 (2008 est.)

 

City & County Statistics:

 

Average Household

Income:

$42,763

 

Occupation Classification:

52.83% White Collar

30.74% Blue Collar

16.43% Farm

 

Education:

40.53% pursuing or completed college-level degrees

 

Taxes (per$100 assess.):

$1.37 City

$1.94 County

$2.20 Outside City

 

Land Area:

174 sq. miles

 

Annual Average Temp:

60 degrees

 

Maps:

Area Map.pdf

 

Morristown and Hamblen County enjoy a beautiful and strategic geographic location in upper East Tennessee. Adjacent to Interstate 81 and bisected by U.S. 25-E, Morristown is conveniently located within 60 minutes of Knoxville, the Tri-Cities and the resort areas of the Great Smoky Mountains. U.S. 25-E will soon be a completed four lane divided highway, turning this national scenic by-way into a major north-south connecter between Interstate 81 at Morristown and Interstate 75 at Corbin, Kentucky. Morristown is within one day's drive of 76% of the United States population and 19% of the Canadian population.

Outdoor enthusiasts appreciate the city's close proximity to the Cumberland Mountains, Cherokee National Forest and Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Two TVA lakes, Cherokee and Douglas, Panther Creek State Park and an extensive public recreation system encourage plenty of outdoor activities.

Attractive residential areas can be found throughout the city and county ranging from upscale gated developments to historic neighborhoods. The Morristown area is one of those rare communities where you can choose to live on a mountain, by a lake, on a mini-farm, along a golf course, in a townhouse, apartment complex or on an estate and still be within close proximity to all the city has to offer. Residents enjoy one of the lowest tax rates in the state and benefit from such services as curbside garbage, recycling and rubbish pick-up countywide and Morristown Utilities' state-of-the-art FiberNet service.

Morristown is served by two hospitals and more than 130 full-time doctors representing 24 medical specialties. Major retailers include Lowe's, Wal-Mart, Home Depot, Belk, Kohl's, T.J. Maxx, J.C. Penny and Sears. College Square is a regional mall servicing a retail trade area of 311,793 (2007 est.). Locally owned specialty shops thrive in our unique downtown and throughout the city. Major restaurant chains like O'Charley's, Ruby Tuesday and Applebee's are at home alongside locally owned establishments, many in business for decades. Two theatrical companies, a 12-screen cinema, the Great Smoky Mountains Expo Center, Cherokee Park Amphitheater and special performances at Rose Center and Walters State offer many cultural opportunities.

History

Morristown officially became a city on April 28, 1855. Today's Main Street was once known as "The Big Road", a major stagecoach route connecting Virginia to Knoxville, and was the dividing line between Jefferson and Grainger Counties before Hamblen County was created in 1870.

 

 

In the beginning, the city was centered along what is now W. Main Street. Today W. Main Street has been modernized and the area of downtown considered of historic importance lies to the east with buildings built in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. A major flood of Turkey Creek downtown occurred in 1963. It was that flood that prompted the massive urban renewal project of the 1960's which channeled and diverted Turkey Creek, demolished many old buildings along Henry Street (including the city's 1910 train depot) and constructed 'SkyMart', a second-story concrete sidewalk system along both sides of Main Street.

Many famous residents have left their mark on our city. Davy Crockett, a frontiersman, politician and warrior who won acclaim during the battle at the Alamo, grew up in Morristown where his father established a successful tavern. A reproduction of the tavern is located on Morningside Drive at the Davy Crockett Tavern Museum and is a popular tourist spot.

 

Melvin M. Murrell, a local Methodist preacher, developed his own ornithopter, a bird-like flying machine with wings that flapped, when Wilber and Orville Wright were just kids. Melvin patented his "Great American Flying Machine" in 1877. The Wright Brothers, who began glider experiments in 1900, did not accomplish their successful Army test flight until 1908, 31 years after Murrell's flying machine defied gravity. A permanent exhibit is on display at the Rose Center.

 

A modern day hero is Evelyn Johnson, a well-known aviatrix, having logged more flight hours than any other living person (nearly 58,000). Evelyn is known to many as "Mama Bird" and has been flying and instructing for decades (including administering Senator Howard Baker's flight test). She was inducted into the National Flight Instructors Hall of Fame, has been named National Flight Instructor of the Year and received a Carnegie Award in 1959 for rescuing a helicopter pilot after he crashed. She has been interviewed by NPR, CBS and USA Today, among others.

Main Street became known as "The Great White Way" during the 1930's after new street lights were installed.

Davy Crockett