Bristol, Tennessee

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Bristol, Tennessee
City
A sign welcomes visitors to the twin cities of Bristol, Virginia and Bristol, Tennessee.
A sign welcomes visitors to the twin cities of Bristol, Virginia and Bristol, Tennessee.
Flag of Bristol, Tennessee
Flag
Nickname(s): The Birthplace of Country Music
Motto: A Good Place To Live
Location of Bristol, Tennessee
Location of Bristol, Tennessee
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Country United States
State Tennessee
County Sullivan
Incorporated 1856[1]
Named for Bristol, England[2]
Government
 • Mayor Lea Powers
 • City Manager Jeff Broughton
Area
 • Total 29.5 sq mi (76.4 km2)
 • Land 29.4 sq mi (76.1 km2)
 • Water 0.1 sq mi (0.3 km2)
Elevation 1,676 ft (511 m)
Population (2012)[3]
 • Total 26,675
 • Density 908.2/sq mi (350.9/km2)
Time zone Eastern (UTC-5)
 • Summer (DST) EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP codes 37617, 37620, 37621 & 37625
Area code(s) 423
FIPS code 47-08540
GNIS feature ID 1327702[4]
Website www.bristoltn.org
State Street separates Virginia (left) and Tennessee (right).

Bristol is a city in Sullivan County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 26,702 at the 2010 census. It is the twin city of Bristol, Virginia, which lies directly across the state line between Tennessee and Virginia. The boundary between the two cities is also the state line, which runs along State Street in their common downtown district. Bristol is a principal city of the Kingsport−Bristol−Bristol, TN-VA Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is a component of the Johnson City−Kingsport−Bristol, TN-VA Combined Statistical Area − commonly known as the "Tri-Cities" region.

Bristol is probably best known for being the site of some of the first commercial recordings of country music, showcasing Jimmie Rodgers and the Carter Family, and later a favorite venue of the mountain musician Uncle Charlie Osborne. The U.S. Congress recognized Bristol as the "Birthplace of Country Music" in 1998.[5] Bristol is the birthplace of Tennessee Ernie Ford.

Bristol is the site of Bristol Motor Speedway, a NASCAR short track, that normally sells out more than 160,000 seats twice annually, but attendance has come up short in recent years.[6]

Culture

"Birthplace of Country Music"

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The Grand Guitar on West State Street.

The U.S. Congress declared Bristol to be the "Birthplace of Country Music", according to a resolution passed in 1998, recognizing its contributions to early country music recordings and influence.[5]

In 1927 record producer Ralph Peer of Victor Records began recording local musicians in Bristol, to attempt to capture the local sound of traditional "folk" music of the region. One of these local sounds was created by the Carter Family, which got its start on July 31, 1927, when A.P. Carter and his family journeyed from Maces Spring, Virginia, to Bristol to audition for Ralph Peer, who was seeking new talent for the relatively embryonic recording industry. They received $50 for each song they recorded. That same visit by Peer to Bristol also resulted in the first recordings by Jimmie Rodgers.[7]

Since 1994, the Birthplace of Country Music Alliance[8] has promoted the city as a destination to learn about country music and the city's role in the creation of an entire music genre. Currently, the Alliance is organizing the building of a new Cultural Heritage Center to help educate the public about the history of country music in the region.[8]

Every year, during the third weekend in September, a music festival called the Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion takes place. The festival is held downtown, where Tennessee and Virginia meet, and it celebrates Bristol's heritage as the Birthplace of Country Music.[9]

Retail

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The Pinnacle

In late 2014 and early 2015 The Pinnacle a brand new shopping center opened off Interstate 81 exit 74 with Bass Pro Shops, Belk, Dick's Sporting Goods and Marquee Cinemas as anchor stores.[10][11]

Geography

Bristol is located in the northeast corner of Tennessee, at Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. (36.569135, -82.197489).[12]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 29.5 square miles (76.4 km2), of which 29.4 square miles (76.1 km2) is land and 0.1 square miles (0.3 km2) (0.44%) is water.

Climate

Climate data for Bristol, Tennessee
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 79
(26)		 80
(27)		 85
(29)		 89
(32)		 92
(33)		 97
(36)		 102
(39)		 101
(38)		 100
(38)		 90
(32)		 81
(27)		 78
(26)		 102
(39)
Average high °F (°C) 43.7
(6.5)		 48.0
(8.9)		 58.9
(14.9)		 67.4
(19.7)		 75.2
(24)		 82.2
(27.9)		 84.6
(29.2)		 84.1
(28.9)		 79.1
(26.2)		 69.1
(20.6)		 58.2
(14.6)		 48.1
(8.9)		 66.6
(19.2)
Average low °F (°C) 24.3
(−4.3)		 26.8
(−2.9)		 35.4
(1.9)		 43.0
(6.1)		 51.6
(10.9)		 59.9
(15.5)		 64.1
(17.8)		 63.1
(17.3)		 56.6
(13.7)		 44.2
(6.8)		 35.9
(2.2)		 28.2
(−2.1)		 44.4
(6.9)
Record low °F (°C) −21
(−29)		 −15
(−26)		 −2
(−19)		 21
(−6)		 30
(−1)		 38
(3)		 48
(9)		 43
(6)		 34
(1)		 20
(−7)		 5
(−15)		 −9
(−23)		 −21
(−29)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 3.37
(85.6)		 3.57
(90.7)		 3.44
(87.4)		 3.33
(84.6)		 3.80
(96.5)		 3.90
(99.1)		 4.69
(119.1)		 3.47
(88.1)		 2.99
(75.9)		 2.10
(53.3)		 3.10
(78.7)		 3.37
(85.6)		 41.13
(1,044.7)
Average snowfall inches (cm) 5.2
(13.2)		 4.2
(10.7)		 2.3
(5.8)		 0.4
(1)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 0.9
(2.3)		 2.6
(6.6)		 15.6
(39.6)
Source #1: http://www.climate-zone.com/climate/united-states/tennessee/bristol-johnson-city/
Source #2: http://www.weather.com/outlook/health/fitness/wxclimatology/monthly/graph/USTN0055

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop. %±
1880 1,647 —
1890 3,324 101.8%
1900 5,271 58.6%
1910 7,148 35.6%
1920 8,047 12.6%
1930 12,005 49.2%
1940 14,004 16.7%
1950 16,771 19.8%
1960 17,582 4.8%
1970 20,064 14.1%
1980 23,986 19.5%
1990 23,421 −2.4%
2000 24,821 6.0%
2010 26,702 7.6%
Est. 2014 26,729 [13] 0.1%
U.S. Decennial Census[14]
2012 Estimate[15]

The population was 26,702 in 2010. However, as of the census of 2000, there were 24,821 people, 10,648 households, and 6,825 families residing in the city. The population density in 2000 was 846 people per square mile (326.5/km²). There were 11,511 housing units at an average density of 392.2 per square mile (151.4/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 95.15% White, 2.97% African American, 0.31% Native American, 0.64% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.23% from other races, and 0.70% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.68% of the population.

There were 10,648 households, out of which 26.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.0% were married couples living together, 11.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.9% were non-families. Nearly 32% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.26, and the average family size was 2.84.

In the city the population was spread out, with 21.1% under the age of 18, 9.1% from 18 to 24, 27.2% from 25 to 44, 24.7% from 45 to 64, and 17.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 90.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.3 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $30,039, and the median income for a family was $37,341. Males had a median income of $28,210 versus $21,173 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,535. About 11.5% of families and 15.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.4% of those under age 18 and 12.0% of those age 65 or over.

Government

As of July 2013, the following individuals were major figures in Bristol's government:

  • Mayor, Michelle Dolan, co-owner of Lighthouse Supply[16]
  • Vice Mayor, Lea Powers
  • Councilman, Jack Young
  • Councilwoman, Margaret Feierabd
  • Councilman, Chad Keen

Professional sports

Bristol Motor Speedway

Bristol is the location of Bristol Motor Speedway, a NASCAR Sprint Cup track. Bristol is also home to Bristol Dragway, which hosts the Ford Thunder Valley Nationals, an NHRA national event.

A Pittsburgh Pirates R-league minor league affiliate, the Bristol Pirates, plays its home games at DeVault Memorial Stadium in Bristol, Virginia.

Media

Television:

Note-WEMT is Licensed to Greeneville, Tennessee, but co-located with sister station WCYB-TV.

Radio:

  • WZAP (AM 690 kHz) Christian
  • WFHG (FM 92.7 MHz) SuperTalk WFHG
  • WFHG (AM 980 kHz) The Sports Fox
  • WXBQ (FM 96.9 MHz) Twenty-four Carrot Country
  • WAEZ (FM 94.9 MHz) Electric 94.9
  • WEXX (FM 99.3 MHz) Z-Rock 99.3
  • WTFM (FM 98.5 MHz) WTFM 98.5
  • WBCM-LP (FM 100.1 MHz) WBCM Radio Bristol

Newspaper:

Library:

Education

Universities

Colleges

  • Graham Bible College

High schools

Middle school

  • Vance Middle School

Elementary schools

  • Anderson Elementary School
  • Avoca Elementary School
  • Fairmount Elementary School
  • Haynesfield Elementary School
  • Holston View Elementary School

Police department

Bristol Police Department
Abbreviation BPD
Agency overview
Legal personality Governmental: Government agency
Jurisdictional structure
Operations jurisdiction* City of Bristol in the state of Tennessee, United States
General nature
Operational structure
Sworn members 69
Unsworn members 25
Agency executive Blaine E. Wade, Chief
Website
www.bristoltn.org/police.cfm
Footnotes
* Divisional agency: Division of the country, over which the agency has usual operational jurisdiction.

The Bristol, Tennessee Police Department is the municipal law enforcement agency for the city. The BPD has 69 sworn officers and 25 civilian supportive staff. It also makes use of citizen volunteers as an auxiliary staff that saves the department over $100,000 annually.[17]

Notable people

References

  1. ↑ Tennessee Blue Book, 2005-2006, pp. 618-625.
  2. ↑ Bristol Chamber of Commerce, "About Bristol." Retrieved: 17 January 2013.
  3. ↑ U.S. Census Quickfacts. Retrieved: 8 July 2013.
  4. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Birthplace of Country Music", AmericasLibrary.gov, 2011, web: AL.
  6. ↑ ESPN NASCAR: Empty seats a sad sight at hallowed Bristol
  7. ↑ David Sanjek, "All the Memories Money Can Buy: Marketing Authenticity and Manufacturing Authorship", p. 155–172 in Eric Weisbard, ed., This is Pop, Harvard University Press, 2004. ISBN 0-674-01321-2 (cloth), ISBN 0-674-01344-1 (paper). p. 158.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 "BCMA - Birthplace of Country Music Alliance", BCMA, 2012, webpage: BCMA.
  9. ↑ "Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion", BristolRhythm.com, 2011, webpage: BR
  10. ↑ http://www.thepinnacle.com/isotope.html
  11. ↑ http://www.thepinnacle.com/index.html
  12. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  13. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  14. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  15. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  16. ↑ Bristol, TN City Council Members
  17. ↑ Bristol Police Department website

Further reading

  • Phillips, V.N. Bud. Bristol Tennessee/Virginia: A History-1852-1900. Johnson City: Overmountain Press (1992). ISBN 0-932807-63-1

External links

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