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Cumberland Gap, Tennessee

Coordinates: 36°35′56″N 83°40′2″W / 36.59889°N 83.66722°W / 36.59889; -83.66722
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Cumberland Gap, Tennessee
Town
Cumberland Gap, as viewed from the Pinnacle Overlook
Cumberland Gap, as viewed from the Pinnacle Overlook
Nickname: 
The Gap[1]
Location of Cumberland Gap in Claiborne County, Tennessee.
Location of Cumberland Gap in Claiborne County, Tennessee.
Coordinates: 36°35′56″N 83°40′2″W / 36.59889°N 83.66722°W / 36.59889; -83.66722
CountryUnited States
StateTennessee
CountyClaiborne
Settled1770s[2]
Incorporated1907[3]
Named forCumberland Gap mountain pass
Government
[3]
 • TypeMayor-council
 • MayorNeal Pucciarelli
 • Town Council
Aldermen
Area
[4]
 • Total
0.33 sq mi (0.85 km2)
 • Land0.33 sq mi (0.85 km2)
 • Water0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation
[5]
1,417 ft (432 m)
Population
 (2020)[6]
 • Total
313
 • Density951.37/sq mi (367.34/km2)
Time zoneUTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP codes
37724, 37752
Area code423
FIPS code47-18880[7]
GNIS feature ID2406347[5]
Websitetownofcumberlandgap.com

Cumberland Gap is a town in Claiborne County, Tennessee, United States.[5] Its population was 313 at the 2020 census, and estimated to be 315 in 2023.[8] The town is located below the Cumberland Gap, a historic mountain pass for which is the town's namesake, and inside of the boundaries of Cumberland Gap National Historical Park.[1]

The majority of the town's downtown area is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the Cumberland Gap Historic District.[9]

History

[edit]

The Cherokee and Shawnee Native American tribes traveled through a game trail known to the Shawnee as Athiamiowee. The tribes often fought each other and white settlers called the trail The Warriors' Path. The area that came to be known as the Cumberland Gap was a gateway on the trail through the mountains.[10] Although many settlers had traveled through the pass and their reports had traveled back east, Thomas Walker is credited as the settler who discovered the pass. Walker was hired by the Loyal Land Company to search for a suitable site for a settlement on the western side of the mountains.[11] It became a postal town in 1803, and was officially incorporated as a city in 1907.

The town changed hands four times during the Civil War, but no battles actually took place there.

In 1888, a work camp was established at Cumberland Gap by Scottish-born entrepreneur Alexander Arthur (1846–1912) to house workers needed to build a tunnel for the Knoxville, Cumberland Gap & Louisville Railroad. Arthur, who was attempting to establish a large-scale iron production operation in the Cumberland Gap region, founded the nearby cities of Middlesboro, Kentucky, and Harrogate, Tennessee, and the nearby community of Arthur.[12]

In 1996, the completion of the Cumberland Gap Tunnel re-routed US 25E, bypassing the town's central business district. This bypassing of the town caused the local economy to decline as annual payrolls for Cumberland Gap dropped 40% in a ten-year span from 1994 (two years before the tunnel's completion) to 2004.[1]

Geography

[edit]

Cumberland Gap is located at 36°35′56″N 83°40′2″W / 36.59889°N 83.66722°W / 36.59889; -83.66722 (36.598976, -83.667318).[13]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 0.3 square miles (0.78 km2), all land.

Demographics

[edit]
Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
1910347—
1920304−12.4%
193036921.4%
194040910.8%
1950403−1.5%
1960291−27.8%
1970231−20.6%
198026313.9%
1990210−20.2%
2000204−2.9%
2010494142.2%
2020313−36.6%
Sources:[14][15][6]

2020 census

[edit]
Cumberland Gap racial composition[16]
Race Number Percentage
White (non-Hispanic) 265 84.66%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic) 9 2.88%
Native American 1 0.32%
Asian 22 7.03%
Other/Mixed 10 3.19%
Hispanic or Latino 6 1.92%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 313 people, 115 households, and 48 families residing in the town.

2000 census

[edit]

As of the census of 2000, there were 204 people, 89 households, and 51 families residing in the town. The population density was 629.9 inhabitants per square mile (243.2/km2). There were 111 housing units at an average density of 342.8/sq mi (132.4/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 99.02% White and 0.98% Native American. Cumberland Gap ranks 289th in city size in Tennessee according to the 2017 U.S. Census Bureau.[17]

There were 89 households, out of which 25.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.2% were married couples living together, 6.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.6% were nonfamilies. 34.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.29 and the average family size was 3.06.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 21.1% under the age of 18, 10.3% from 18 to 24, 30.9% from 25 to 44, 23.0% from 45 to 64, and 14.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.0 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $36,250, and the median income for a family was $40,625. Males had a median income of $36,250 versus $17,083 for females. The per capita income for the town was $12,005. About 9.3% of families and 23.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 26.7% of those under the age of 18 and 28.6% of those 65 or over.

Economy

[edit]

The major industry sectors employing Cumberland Gap residents are healthcare, education, arts, and service.[1] Food preparation and service-related jobs have become the fastest growing within the town of Cumberland Gap. However, according to the American Community Survey, 10% of Cumberland Gap residents work inside of the town limits, with most commuting to other parts of Claiborne County, Middlesboro, and Campbell County.[1]

Arts and culture

[edit]

Festivals

[edit]

There are several festivals and events held in Cumberland Gap,[1] some of the more notable events include:

culture.[18]

  • Mountain Heritage Literary Festival - festival held every June drawing in writers from throughout the country to celebrate writing,

music, and Appalachian heritage.[19]

  • The Mountain Fiesta - celebration of Latin American and Appalachian culture held every April, includes professional dance classes, live music, art demonstrations, and a variety of Latin American and Appalachian cultural activities.[20]

Historic sites

[edit]

Education

[edit]

There are no schools in the town limits, but Cumberland Gap High School located southwest of Harrogate, Tennessee, is in Cumberland Gap's 37724 zip code.

Lincoln Memorial University is located in nearby Harrogate.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d e f "Cumberland Gap Master Plan and Trailhead Development Plan" (PDF). Town of Cumberland Gap. Community Development Partners. December 1, 2019. Retrieved August 21, 2020.
  2. ^ Kivett, John (October 8, 2017). "Claiborne County". Tennessee Encyclopedia. Tennessee Historical Society. Archived from the original on April 18, 2018. Retrieved August 20, 2020.
  3. ^ a b "Cumberland Gap". Municipal Technical Advisory Service. University of Tennessee. Retrieved August 20, 2020.
  4. ^ "ArcGIS REST Services Directory". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 15, 2022.
  5. ^ a b c U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Cumberland Gap, Tennessee
  6. ^ a b "Census Population API". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 15, 2022.
  7. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  8. ^ "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". United States Census Bureau. June 12, 2024. Retrieved June 12, 2024.
  9. ^ "Cumberland Gap National Historic District". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. Retrieved August 21, 2020.
  10. ^ "Warrior's Path". Cumberland Gap. National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior. Retrieved October 26, 2022.
  11. ^ Luckett, William (1964). "Cumberland Gap National Historic Park". Tennessee Historical Quarterly. 23 (4). Retrieved October 26, 2022.
  12. ^ Carolyn Sakowski, Touring the East Tennessee Backroads (Winston-Salem: J.F. Blair, 1993), pp. 178–179.
  13. ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
  14. ^ "Census of Population and Housing: Decennial Censuses". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 4, 2012.
  15. ^ "Incorporated Places and Minor Civil Divisions Datasets: Subcounty Resident Population Estimates: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2012". Population Estimates. U.S. Census Bureau. Archived from the original on June 11, 2013. Retrieved December 11, 2013.
  16. ^ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 27, 2021.
  17. ^ "ACS Summary File Table-Based Format". Census.gov. United States Census Bureau.
  18. ^ "White Lightning Trail Festival". Claiborne Economic Partnership. May 25, 2016. Retrieved January 10, 2021.
  19. ^ "Mountain Heritage Literary Festival". Lincoln Memorial University. Retrieved January 10, 2021.
  20. ^ "Mountain Fiesta - CUMBERLAND GAP". Cumberland Gap Region. Retrieved January 10, 2021.
  21. ^ "NPGallery Asset Detail". National Park Gallery. National Park Service. Retrieved January 10, 2021.

Further reading

[edit]
  • Sweet, Natalie. Harrogate and Cumberland Gap. (Arcadia Publishing, 2014).
[edit]
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