Greene County developed from the "Nolichucky settlement," established by pioneer Jacob Brown on land leased in the early 1770s from the Cherokee people. The Nolichucky settlement was aligned with the Watauga settlement, centered in modern Elizabethton.
Greene County is the home of Tusculum College, the oldest college in Tennessee; the state's oldest Methodist congregation (the Ebenezer Methodist Church, near Chuckey), and the state's second oldest continuously cultivated farm (Elmwood Farm, part of the Earnest Farms Historic District). Revolutionary War veteran, and state legislator, Col. Joseph Hardin made Greene County his home for a period of time, serving as justice of the peace and as one of the original trustees of Tusculum (then Greeneville) College.
As with yeomen farmers in much of East Tennessee, those in Greene County were generally Unionist and opposed to secession on the eve of the Civil War. In Tennessee's Ordinance of Secession referendum on June 8, 1861, Greene Countians voted against secession by a vote of 2,691 to 744.[5] Following the vote (the call for secession was passed statewide), the second session of the East Tennessee Convention convened in Greeneville. It called for a separate, Union-aligned state to be formed in East Tennessee.
A railroad bridge near Mosheim was among those destroyed by the East Tennessee bridge-burning conspiracy in November 1861. Several of the conspirators who had taken part in the burning of this bridge were later captured and executed by Confederate supporters, including Jacob Hensie, Henry Fry, Jacob and Henry Harmon, and noted local potter Alex Haun.[6]
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 624 square miles (1,620 km2), of which 622 square miles (1,610 km2) is land and 2.0 square miles (5.2 km2) (0.3%) is water.[7] Most of Greene County is located within the Ridge-and-Valley Appalachians, a range characterized by long, narrow ridges alternating with similarly shaped valleys. Bays Mountain, a prominent ridge in this range, forms much of Greene's northern border with Hawkins County. The extreme southeastern part of Greene County is located within the Blue Ridge Mountains, specifically a subrange of the Blue Ridge known as the Bald Mountains.[8] This range straddles Greene's border with North Carolina, and includes the county's two highest points: Gravel Knob, which rises to over 4,840 feet (1,480 m), and 4,844-foot (1,476 m) Camp Creek Bald (it's uncertain which is higher due to lack of an exact measurement for Gravel Knob's elevation).[9]
Kevin Morrison was elected County Mayor in August 2018 and began as mayor on September 1, 2018.
County Commission
Members of the county commission are elected by geographic district. They are as follows:
District 1: Baileyton, Ottway, West Pines
Charles Tim White
Dale Tucker
Kathy Crawford
District 2: Chuckey, Chuckey Doak
Brad Peters
Kaleb Powell
Joshua Arrowood
District 3: Doak, Tusculum View
Robin Quillen
Jason Cobble
Clifford "Doc" Bryant
District 4: Camp Creek, Courthouse
George Clemmer
Bill Dabbs
Lyle Parton
District 5: Debusk, Nolachuckey, Middle School, South Greene
Lloyd "Hoot" Bowers
Pamela Carpenter
Gary Shelton
District 6: McDonald, Mosheim
Jeffrey Bible
Josh Kesterson
John Waddle
District 7: Glenwood, Greeneville High School
Teddy Lawing
Paul Burkey
Lisa Anderson
Constables
Constables are elected law enforcement officials pursuant to T.C.A. 8-1-101. Constables, much like County Commissioners are elected by geographic district. They are as follows:
District 1: Baileyton, Ottway, West Pines
Travis Dearstone
District 2: Chuckey, Chuckey Doak
Wayne Wilhoit
District 3: Doak, Tusculum View
Kenneth Bitner
District 4: Camp Creek, Courthouse
William Parton
District 5: Debusk, Nolachuckey, Middle School, South Greene
Freddie Sams
District 6: McDonald, Mosheim
Matthew Brobeck
District 7: Glenwood, Greeneville High School
Timothy Vonglis
Presidential elections
Like all of East Tennessee, Greene County is a Republican stronghold. The last Democratic presidential candidate to carry this county was Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1936.
United States presidential election results for Greene County, Tennessee[10]
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 70,152 people, 28,323 households, and 18,481 families residing in the county.
2000 census
As of the census[19] of 2000, there were 62,909 people, 25,756 households, and 18,132 families residing in the county. The population density was 101 people per square mile (39 people/km2). There were 28,116 housing units at an average density of 45 units per square mile (17/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 96.42% White, 2.11% Black or African American, 0.18% Native American, 0.27% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.43% from other races, and 0.56% from two or more races. 1.02% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
Farm in eastern Greene County
There were 25,756 households, out of which 29.20% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.70% were married couples living together, 10.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.60% were non-families. 25.80% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.70% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 2.84.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 22.20% under the age of 18, 8.10% from 18 to 24, 28.70% from 25 to 44, 26.10% from 45 to 64, and 14.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 95.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.40 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $30,382, and the median income for a family was $36,889. Males had a median income of $26,331 versus $20,304 for females. The per capita income for the county was $15,746. About 11.20% of families and 14.50% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.00% of those under age 18 and 16.70% of those age 65 or over.
Two hospitals are located in Greene County, Greeneville Community Hospital West campus and Greeneville Community East campus. These hospitals were formally Takoma Regional Hospital and Laughlin Memorial Hospital, respectively, after Ballad Health formed from the merger between Mountain States Health Alliance and Wellmont Health System.
^Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, et al., "Ambient Air Monitoring Plan," Environmental Protection Agency website, July 1, 2010, p. 6. Accessed: March 18, 2015.
