Moore County, Tennessee: History and Information

Moore County is a county located in the state of Tennessee. Based on the 2010 census, the population was 6,362, making it the third-least populous county in Tennessee. It forms a consolidated city-county government with its county seat of Lynchburg. With 130 square miles (340 km²), it is the second-smallest county in Tennessee, behind only Trousdale. The county was created in 1871.

Moore County is part of the Tullahoma-Manchester, TN Micropolitan Statistical Area.

Etymology - Origin of Moore County Name

Named in honor of William Moore (1786- 1871), early settler, Lincoln County justice of the peace, War of 1812 officer, turnpike company president, state legislator.

Demographics:

History of Moore County

Created 1871 from Bedford, Lincoln and Franklin counties; named in honor of William Moore (1786- 1871), early settler, Lincoln County justice of the peace, War of 1812 officer, turnpike company president, state legislator.

Moore County was formed in 1871 from Bedford, Franklin and Lincoln counties. (Acts of Tennessee 1871, Chapter 96).

Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture
With a total area of only 129 square miles, Moore County is the second smallest county in the state. Set in the heart of agrarian Middle Tennessee, Moore County contains a diverse landscape, with nearly one half of the county lying along the Highland Rim and most of the remaining area part of the Central Basin. The Elk and Mulberry Rivers create fertile, heavily timbered ridges and farmland that contribute to the agricultural production as well as the lucrative whiskey industry that remains an integral part of the county's heritage.

The first settlements in modern-day Moore County were initially part of Lincoln, Bedford, Franklin, and Coffee Counties. After the Civil War, residents of the remote parts of these contiguous counties petitioned the state legislature for the creation of a new county. To support their demand for a new county, the rural petitioners pointed to the distances to the county seats and described the treacherous road system that made travel difficult, and very often impossible. They argued that the distances and hazardous road conditions made legal protection offered by the courts and grand juries inaccessible to rural residents.

The Tennessee General Assembly established Moore County in 1871 in honor of General William Moore, who was one of Lincoln County's first settlers and a long-time member of the general assembly. The new county originally surveyed at 300 square miles, but the Constitution of 1870 stipulated that no established county should contain less than 275 square miles, and that no new county line could be closer than 11 miles from the courthouse of an old county. Since the Moore County boundaries reduced Lincoln County to 255 square miles, the new act violated the constitution. Lincoln County sued to reclaim its land, and Moore County was reduced to a mere 129 square miles. Find more from the Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture: MOORE COUNTY

Geography: Land and Water

As reported by the Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 130 square miles (338 km²), of which, 129 square miles (335 km²) of it is land and 1 square miles (3 km²) of it (0.93%) is water.

Neighboring Counties

Education

Schools in Moore County are apart Lynchburg-Moore County Schools:

Lynchburg Elementary School - grades PreK–6
Lynchburg-Moore County High School - grades 7–12
Motlow State Community College is located in northern part of Moore County.

Tennessee State

Tennessee Counties