Cumberland Gap

Cumberland Gap, one of the clearest passes through the Cumberland Mountains in the Appalachian Range, lies where Kentucky, Tennessee, and Virginia meet. First used to connect the vast system of trails used by the Indians to the game-rich country of Kentucky, the pass became, by the ninteenth century, one of the most significant gateways for white hunters. Dr. Thomas Walker named the gap in 1750 when he and his party went through it while speculating for the Loyal Land Company. In 1775, Daniel Boone and his party marked out the Wilderness Road through the Gap to the Kentucky River for the Transylvania Company, which facilitated both settlers and commerce through the mountains.

Cumberland Gap was a strategic point during the Civil War. The Confederates occupied it very early, but retired in June 1862 to strengthen their hold on Chattanooga. Soon thereafter Gen. George W. Morgan, who had been trying to dislodge Gen. Kirby Smith, then in command there, fortified his position and from it distributed supplies to East Tennessee until after Smith's victory at Richmond on 30 August 1862, when the Confederates occupied the pass again. Gen. Braxton Bragg retreated through the defile after his defeat at Perryville in October 1862, but Union forces did not retake it until September 1863. They retained possession until the end of the war.

The Southern and the Louisville and Nashville Railroads reached the pass in 1889 and 1890, respectively, and today a major highway also uses the gateway.

Bibliography

Chinn, George Morgan. Kentucky Settlement and Statehood, 1750–1800. Frankfort: Kentucky Historical Society, 1975.

Faragher, John Mack. Daniel Boone: The Life and Legend of an American Pioneer. New York: Holt, 1992.

Friend, Craig Thompson, ed. The Buzzel about Kentuck: Settling the Promised Land. Lexington: University Press of Kentucky, 1999.

—Jonathan T. Dorris/H. S.

Pass through the Cumberland Mountains between Virginia and Kentucky that was used by early settlers to move west.

CLOUDY

Temperature: 29°F / -1°C RealFeel Temperature™: 18°F / -7°C Humidity: 66% Winds: WSW 12 mph / 19 kmh Pressure: 29.90" Visibility: 10 mi. / 16 km

AccuWeather^® 5-Day Forecast

Wednesday		HI:  60°F / 15°C LO: 20°F / -6°C
Thursday		HI:  34°F / 1°C LO: 15°F / -9°C
Friday		HI:  41°F / 5°C LO: 23°F / -5°C
Saturday		HI:  43°F / 6°C LO: 31°F / 0°C
Sunday		HI:  46°F / 7°C LO: 34°F / 1°C

Cumberland Gap, Tennessee
—  Town  —
Location of Cumberland Gap, Tennessee
Coordinates: 36°35′56″N 83°40′2″W / 36.59889°N 83.66722°W / 36.59889; -83.66722
Country	United States
State	Tennessee
County	Claiborne
Area
- Total	0.3 sq mi (0.8 km2)
- Land	0.3 sq mi (0.8 km2)
- Water	0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2)
Elevation	1,299 ft (396 m)
Population (2000)
- Total	204
- Density	629.9/sq mi (243.2/km2)
Time zone	Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
- Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP codes	37724, 37752
Area code(s)	423
FIPS code	47-18880[1]
GNIS feature ID	1281829[2]

Cumberland Gap is a town in Claiborne County, Tennessee, near the Cumberland Gap pass and the Cumberland Gap National Historical Park. The population was 204 at the 2000 census.

Contents 1 Geography 2 Demographics 3 Notable Residents 4 References 5 External links

Geography

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)^[3].

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 0.3 square miles (0.8 km²), all of it land.

Demographics

As of the census^[1] of 2000, there were 204 people, 89 households, and 51 families residing in the town. The population density was 629.9 people per square mile (246.1/km²). There were 111 housing units at an average density of 342.8/sq mi (133.9/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 99.02% White and 0.98% Native American.

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 non-families. 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.

The age distribution was 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 eighteen and 28.6% of those sixty five or over.

Notable Residents

• Rodney Atkins - country singer with five number 1 singles

References

1. ^ ^{a b} "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved on 2008-01-31. 
2. ^ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. http://geonames.usgs.gov. Retrieved on 2008-01-31. 
3. ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2000 and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2005-05-03. http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/gazette.html. Retrieved on 2008-01-31. 

External links

• Cumberland Gap, Tennessee is at coordinates 36°35′56″N 83°40′02″W / 36.598976°N 83.667318°W / 36.598976; -83.667318 (Cumberland Gap, Tennessee)Coordinates: 36°35′56″N 83°40′02″W / 36.598976°N 83.667318°W / 36.598976; -83.667318 (Cumberland Gap, Tennessee)

v • d • e Municipalities and communities of Claiborne County, Tennessee County seat: Tazewell City Harrogate Towns Cumberland Gap | New Tazewell | Tazewell Unincorporated communities Arthur | Clairfield | Eagan | Hopewell | Lone Mountain | Speedwell

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