Giles County, Tennessee

Giles County Education, Geography, and History

Giles County is a county located in the state of Tennessee. Based on the 2010 census, the population was 29,485. Its county seat is Pulaski.

Etymology - Origin of Giles County Name

Named in honor of William B. Giles (1762-1830), Virginia state legislator, US congressman and senator from Virginia who advocated admission of Tennessee into the Union in 1796, governor of Virginia.

Demographics:

County QuickFacts: CensusBureau Quick Facts

History of Giles County

Created 1809 from Indian lands; named in honor of William B. Giles (1762-1830), Virginia state legislator, US congressman and senator from Virginia who advocated admission of Tennessee into the Union in 1796, governor of Virginia.

Giles County was formed in 1809 from Indian lands (Private Acts of Tennessee 1809, Chapter 55).

There were fires at the Giles County courthouse in 1813, 1857 and 1907.

Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture
The Tennessee General Assembly created Giles County in 1809 from land once part of North Carolina. Andrew Jackson suggested the name "Giles" to the legislature in recognition of the strong support Congressman William Branch Giles had given to Tennessee in the successful bid for statehood in 1796. Since Indian treaties had not been finalized, settlers were not permitted to move onto their land until 1806.

Both Elkton and Prospect claim the designation of first settlement in the county; they were followed by Lynn Creek, Campbellsville, Pulaski, Bodenham, Crosswater, Aspen Hill, and Blooming Grove. Of these, Pulaski and Lynnville exist today as incorporated towns. Other incorporated towns are Minor Hill and Ardmore.

Pulaski was designated the county seat and a courthouse erected on a square in the center of the county in 1811. The present neoclassical beauty, erected in 1909, has been placed in the National Register of Historic Places. Busts of three natives who served as governors of the state, Aaron V. Brown, Neill Smith Brown, and John C. Brown, were placed in the foyer as a bicentennial project. Find more from the Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture: GILES COUNTY

Geography: Land and Water

As reported by the Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 611 square miles (1,583 km²), of which, 611 square miles (1,582 km²) of it is land and 0 square miles (1 km²) of it (0.04%) is water.

Neighboring Counties

Bordering counties are as follows:

• Maury County (north)
• Marshall County (northeast)
• Lincoln County (east)
• Limestone County, Alabama (south)
• Lawrence County (west)

Education

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