Bolivar, Tennessee

Bolivar, Tennessee
City
Bolivar Town Square
Location of Bolivar, Tennessee
Country	United States
State	Tennessee
County	Hardeman
Area
• Total	8.5 sq mi (22.0 km2)
• Land	8.5 sq mi (22.0 km2)
• Water	0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2)
Elevation	446 ft (136 m)
Population  (2000)
• Total	5,802
• Density	684.4/sq mi (264.3/km2)
Time zone	UTC-6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP codes	38008, 38074
Area code	731
FIPS code	47-07180Template:GR
GNIS feature ID	1269372Template:GR

Bolivar is a city in Hardeman County, Tennessee. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 5,802. It is the county seat of Hardeman CountyTemplate:GR. The town was named for South American revolutionary leader Simón Bolívar, but is pronounced to rhyme with the name Oliver. [1]

Bolivar is served by William L. Whitehurst Field.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 8.5 square miles (22 km²), of which 8.5 square miles (22 km²) is land and 0.12% is water.

Demographics

Maxwell's Big Star and theater

As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 5,802 people, 2,161 households, and 1,462 families residing in the city. The population density was 684.4 people per square mile (264.2/km²). There were 2,352 housing units at an average density of 277.4 per square mile (107.1/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 42.33% White, 56.39% African American, 0.07% Native American, 0.50% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.07% from other races, and 0.62% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.60% of the population.

There were 2,161 households out of which 31.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.0% were married couples living together, 24.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.3% were non-families. 30.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 3.03.

In the city the population was spread out with 26.7% under the age of 18, 9.0% from 18 to 24, 25.6% from 25 to 44, 21.5% from 45 to 64, and 17.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 83.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 75.1 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $28,651, and the median income for a family was $35,298. Males had a median income of $30,442 versus $21,544 for females. The per capita income for the city was $14,973. About 19.5% of families and 23.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 28.7% of those under age 18 and 28.6% of those age 65 or over.

History

The first people to come to Hardeman County looking for permanent residence came in 1819-20. They came from middle Tennessee, Virginia, South Carolina, North Carolina and Kentucky. The first town in Hardeman County was established in 1823 on the banks of the Big Hatchie, the Indian name for the river, and was called Hatchie Town. The new site, the county seat, bore the name Hatchie until by Act of the Tennessee State Legislature, on October 18, 1825, it was changed to Bolivar. Bolivar was named for Gen. Simon Bolivar, the South American patriot and liberator.

Hardeman County was officially organized on October 16, 1823, and was named for Thomas Jones Hardeman, a veteran of the War of 1812, who served as the first county court clerk and a commissioner for Bolivar before moving to Texas in 1835.

Natives

• Wayne Chism, former basketball player for the University of Tennessee Volunteers, lived in Bolivar and played high school basketball at Bolivar Central High School.

External links

• On The Ball Magazine - Bolivar Central Tigers