Development of County and Communities
Religious, cultural, economic, and political factors are indices to the type of educational program within a school unit. This chapter will include a description of physical features, major industries, types of communities, and the influence of Cherokee and Douglas Dams on Jefferson County.
Geographical data. Jefferson County, located in the northeastern part of Tennessee, is in the great valley of the eastern division of the State. The county is nearly semicircular in outline and lies mainly between the French Broad and Holston rivers. Part of the northern boundary of the county is formed by the Holston River. The French Broad River forms part of the eastern boundary and flows across the southeastern part of the county. About one fourth of the area of the county is dissected from the remainder by this river.
The relief is characterized by a small segment of English Mountains, Bays Mountain, a central valley, and plains that are in part thoroughly dissected. The Bays Mountain extends through the county in a northeastern-southwestern direction which causes drainage to flow in practically all directions. The general slope is southwesterly.
The elevation above sea level ranges from 800 to 1,632 feet with an average elevation of 1,300 feet. On a clear day the Great Smoky Mountains make a lovely sight in the eastern half of the county.
Much of this hill land is covered with a very fertile reddish loam while the river and creek bottom lands are covered with a silt loam which is also known for its unusual fertility. Another type of soil which is found within this county is very thin; and a third type, having some of the characteristics of fertility, is poor in production. The mineral wealth has proven to be enormous. Zinc and limestone are extensively mined, and quantities of both lead and iron are known to exist. The zinc is of high quality. Another geographical factor is climate, which is favorable for the production of staple crops. The temperature very seldom falls below zero or rises above 100 degrees Fahrenheit. The average for the year is about 59 degrees Fahrenheit.1 The climate of the county is temperate and continental. Its salient features are its moderate winters with short erratic cold spells, mild summers with cool pleasant nights, and a well distributed mean annual precipitation of nearly fifty inches, including about ten inches of snow. The average frost-free season is 212 days.2 The former boundaries of the county have been altered somewhat by the construction of two dams built by the Tennessee Valley Authority under the World War II Emergency Program. They are the first of several such dams authorized under this program. The construction of these dams not only changed the topography of the county but resulted in many economic and recreational changes for the people of the county. The Cherokee Dam is located on the Holston River three miles from Jefferson City, the largest town in the county. The dam was constructed on an emergency basis in sixteen months, being completed in 1942. Several fine farms were inundated, and the families were forced to move their homes to other parts of Jefferson or neighboring counties.
The location of this dam had very little effect on the county schools. One small, one-room school with an enrollment of twenty pupils was consolidated with the large Jefferson City Elementary School. The teacher and pupils were transported to Jefferson City by a county school bus. Douglas Dam, located on the French Broad River eight miles below Dandridge and thirty-two miles above its confluence with the Holston River, influenced the county to a larger extent. This dam was started on February 2, 1942, and in a record twelve and a half months was completed, with closure of the dam on February 19, 1943.
The building of a dam on the French Broad River was considered as early as 1936 and again in 1939. Although recognized as a project that would control a drainage greater than any project developed, recommendation for its construction was deferred by the government because of the complex problem attendant upon the creation of a large reservoir on the Lower French Broad. Above the site lay a fertile, populous, and prosperous agricultural section. This region was highly developed and adapted to the production of vegetables and other farm products. Construction of such a project would cover 15,000 acres of bottom land and 18,000 acres of less productive land with water.
Many of the people in Dandridge and Jefferson County whose homes were threatened opposed it bitterly and made repeated efforts to prevent a dam on the recommended location. However, with the outbreak of war, it was deemed to be the best site for large-scale expansion of power facilities; and, in spite of the opposition, it was written into law and construction was begun in February, 1942.
The town of Dandridge apparently was doomed by the flood waters and served to strengthen opposition. This would have had great implications for the entire county because of its function as the seat of county government. In due time the Tennessee Valley Authority engineers deemed it feasible to build a dike, which would save the historic town.
The farms, 23,870 acres or 19 per cent of arable land in the county, were bought by the government, and the migration of the families was completed early in 1943. Some of the families bought land elsewhere in the county; some migrated to other counties and states. Five small schools were covered by the reservoir; but since the children's homes were also covered, the pupils who remained in the county were absorbed into other schools and no buildings were built at that time.3
Major industries. The county is rural and has always been predominately agricultural but is fast becoming industrial due to the increase of the major industries in the last decade and the addition of two more large corporations in the past six years. The most important crops produced in the county are tobacco, corn, wheat, dairy and beef cattle. The largest cash crop is tobacco. Even though agriculture is the major industry, there are other businesses and facilities conducive to attracting people to the county. Zinc mining is important near Jefferson City and New Market and offers employment to those residents of the city and county.
During the year 1959, 2,990,485 pounds of tobacco were sold, which returned more than $1,500,000 to the farmers. Over two thousand farmers depend on Burley tobacco as their most important source of cash.4
The Bush canning factory at Chestnut Hill is one of the largest independent canneries in the nation. It was established in 1907 by Stokely Brothers of Newport and A. J. Bush of Chestnut Hill. In 1916 Stokely shares were purchased by Mr. Bush and became Bush Brothers and Co. The cannery employs over six hundred people and has a yearly output of over two million cases of canned foods. The factory supplies a convenient market for the many vegetables, fruits, and berries grown on the surrounding farms. Douglas and Cherokee lakes have become two of the most popular fishing, boating, and swimming areas in the state. Picnic areas near the shores draw many visitors in spring, summer, and fall. Providing recreational facilities has become big business in the county, and many people earn their livelihood from the industry.
The cattle, both for dairying and beef purpose, has become an increasingly important industry in the last ten years. Oats, barley, rye, peaches, apples, cherries, berries, hogs, and poultry are less important branches of the farm program.5
The timber industry may also be considered among the county's natural resources. The acreage of forest land is around 25,000 and consists mainly of the following species of trees: pine, maple, walnut, oak, hickory, and cedar. There remain only a few acres of virgin timber.6
The Jefferson City Cabinet Company, a subsidiary of The Magnavox Corporation, is located one mile north of Jefferson City. It began its operations within the county in 1955 and has had a steady and prosperous growth since that time. Expansions of building facilities are almost continuous. The company employs over 1,400 wage and salary earners from the surrounding communities and various nearby counties. The total plant area contained over 350,000 square feet and covered eight acres of land at the time of this study.
The products of the company include televisions, radios, and record
changers. Public opinion has
it that these items are among the best quality of their type. The current
number of finished goods
in units produced annually by the plant is in excess of 903,000.
