Oliver Springs is a town located in Tennessee. As of the 2000 census, the town had a total population of 3,303. Oliver Springs is divided among three counties: Anderson County, Morgan County, and Roane County.
Oliver Springs is located at 36°2'17" North, 84°20'13" West (36.038060, -84.336891).
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 13.3 km2 (5.2 mi2). None of the area is covered with water.
As of the census of 2000, there are 3,303 people, 1,369 households, and 958 families residing in the town. The population density is 247.6/km2 (642.0/mi2). There are 1,459 housing units at an average density of 109.4/km2 (283.6/mi2). The racial makeup of the town is 94.85% White, 3.48% African American, 0.30% Native American, 0.12% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.06% from other races, and 1.15% from two or more races. 0.36% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 1,369 households out of which 28.9% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.2% are married couples living together, 12.9% have a female householder with no husband present, and 30.0% are non-families. 27.0% of all households are made up of individuals and 13.3% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.41 and the average family size is 2.93.
In the town the population is spread out with 23.2% under the age of 18, 8.1% from 18 to 24, 27.9% from 25 to 44, 24.5% from 45 to 64, and 16.3% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 39 years. For every 100 females there are 87.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 86.0 males.
The median income for a household in the town is $32,620, and the median income for a family is $39,066. Males have a median income of $28,233 versus $22,500 for females. The per capita income for the town is $15,818. 15.1% of the population and 10.9% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 13.7% of those under the age of 18 and 22.5% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
Oliver Springs was founded in 1830 as Winter's Gap. It was named for its first permanent settler of European descent, Major Moses Winter. Before that time, the area around Oliver Springs had been used by Native Americans as Indian hunting ground and, as a campsite. However, it was its natural mineral springs and abundance of wildlife on Windrock Mountain that encouraged them to stay.
The springs, whose reputation for miraculous medicinal properties lasted until the 20th century, were called as "Tah-hah-lehaha", which meant "healing waters" in the Cherokee language. The land remained unexplored until 1761. At this time Elisha Walden explored through the Clinch and Powell River valleys. However, settlement in the area did not begin in earnest until the 1790s. Growth remained slow.
In 1826, Richard Oliver became the town's first postmaster. The town was re-named Oliver's Springs in his honor, then to briefly to Poplar Springs, and then to Oliver Springs. Oliver provided mail service from his 35-room mansion, which also served as an inn. He was the first to develop the commercial potential of the mineral springs. He would transport his guests between the springs and the inn. During the American Civil War, the inn was used as a hospital by both sides.
Joseph Richards bought Oliver's land in 1873. He built the first resort hotel, which was replaced in 1894, when a palatial 150-room hotel with then-modern amenities opened. Oliver Springs became a hugely popular resort town. The Oliver Springs Hotel catered to wealthy guests, who came from all over the the U.S. and Europe to drink the waters and bathe in the springs. In 1888, the railroad came to Oliver Springs and brought thousands of visitors to the springs. Unfortunately, the hotel burned in 1905. It was decided to cover the springs rather than rebuild the hotel. Evidence of water conduits and reservoirs can still be seen on the site.
In the early part of the twentieth century, the area became dependent on the coal industry. According to historian Keith Glass. The Windrock Coal and Coke Company, a subsidiary of the Bessemer Coal, Iron and Land Company of Birmingham, Alabama began operations of a coalmine near Oliver Springs in approximately 1904.
In 1942, during World War II, the U.S. Government went in to the neighboring communities of Robertsville, Edgemoor, East Fork, Elza, Bethel, Scarborough, and Wheat. and built the secret city of Oak Ridge as part of the Manhattan Project. Eventually, the economy of Oliver Springs would grow to be dependent to the government employment there. These effects were particularly strong at the end of the Cold War when weapons manufacturing was scaled back significantly.
In the years following the end of Cold War hostilities, Oliver Springs and its neighbors have struggled to re-establish a solid foundation on which to base their economies. Some on the Oak Ridge facilities have been re-organized for peaceful scientific research while others are being decommissioned. Oliver Springs has experimented with several industries. In the late 1990s, the film October Sky was filmed in the city's old coal mining areas as well as its downtown area. Currently, the local economy is beginning to take advantage of the mountains, which are very popular among ATV riders.
Source:
OliverSprings.com
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