Jefferson City, Tennessee
Jefferson City (originally named Mossy Creek) is a city in Jefferson County, Tennessee, United States.[6] It is part of the Morristown Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2020 census the population was 8,419.[10]
History[edit]
Heading southwest along the Holston River from Virginia, Adam and Elizabeth Peck arrived on the banks of Mossy Creek in 1788, soon settling the area with a fort, a house of worship, and a gristmill.[1]
It is suggested that the original name of the city, Mossy Creek, originated due to the first settlers' description of the 'vivid' green moss developed around a creek near the settlement.[11] By 1797, Mossy Creek had around 75 to 100 families with a four-mile-radius of the city.
Around the beginnings of the American Civil War in September 1861, Union Army General Ambrose Burnside liberated the city from the Confederacy, but was attacked in an unsuccessful siege by Confederate General James Longstreet. Several skirmishes took place around Mossy Creek, most notably the Battle of Mossy Creek on December 19, 1863.[1]
In the later 19th century, two communities formed around Mossy Creek, Frame Addition and Carsonville. In 1890, the historically segregated African American school of Nelson Merry College was founded in Mossy Creek.[12][13] In 1901, Mossy Creek merged with the two communities, incorporating as Jefferson City.[1]
In 1940, the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) began purchasing property in Jefferson City for the construction of Cherokee Dam and the impounding of the Holston River for Cherokee Lake. Many residents reluctantly gave up their farms and homes for the promise of flood control and electricity offered by the TVA. Construction brought many new residents to the city, and Cherokee Lake made Jefferson City a popular recreational hub for locals and tourists alike.[1]
In the late 20th century, Jefferson City became industrialized with the zinc mining industry after geologists discovered valuable zinc ore deposits around the city earlier in the century.[14][1]
Since 2010, redevelopment and revitalization efforts have been underway in the downtown district of Jefferson City. The Mossy Creek Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization, was established in 2012 to advance these efforts, receiving funding a for a public park with a mock train depot pavilion on the original site of the Mossy Creek station, and facade grants for existing structures downtown.[15]
Government[edit]
Municipal[edit]
Jefferson City uses the council-manager government system, which was established in 1901 when the city was incorporated. It is governed by a five-member city council composed of the mayor and four council members.[22]
State[edit]
Jefferson City is represented in the Tennessee House of Representatives in the 17th and 11th districts by Representatives Andrew Farmer and Jeremy Faison respectively, both Republican.[23][24]
In the Tennessee State Senate, Jefferson City is represented by the 8th district by Republican Frank Niceley.[25]
Federal[edit]
Jefferson City is represented in the United States House of Representatives by Republican Tim Burchett of the 2nd congressional district.[26]
Education[edit]
Public schools[edit]
Public schools in Jefferson City are operated by the Jefferson County Department of Education. Elementary students attend Jefferson Elementary, middle school students attend Jefferson Middle, and high school students attend Jefferson County High School in neighboring Dandridge along with other students in the Jefferson County Schools District.[27]
Carson-Newman University[edit]
Carson-Newman University, a private Southern Baptist liberal arts university, is located in Jefferson City adjacent to its downtown district. It was founded in 1851, and has a student enrollment of over 2,500.[28]