Spencer, Tennessee

Spencer is named after Thomas Sharp Spencer (d. 1794), a long hunter who passed through the Van Buren County area in the mid-18th century. The town was established in 1850 and incorporated in 1909.[1]

Burritt College was located in Spencer from 1848 until its closure in 1939.[1] In July 1946, James Monroe Smith, former president of Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, accepted the position as head of academic studies at Burritt Preparatory School for Boys, a down-graded version of Burritt College.[6]

Spencer is located at 35°44′37″N 85°27′30″W / 35.74361°N 85.45833°W / 35.74361; -85.45833 (35.743740, -85.458408).[7] The town is situated at the western edge of the Cumberland Plateau, just above the Caney Fork valley. The river forms Van Buren's boundary with White County several miles north of Spencer.

1912 United States presidential election

The United States presidential election of 1912 was the 32nd quadrennial presidential election, held on Tuesday, November 5, 1912. Democratic Governor Woodrow Wilson of New Jersey unseated incumbent Republican President William Howard Taft and defeated former President Theodore Roosevelt, who ran as the Progressive Party ("Bull Moose") nominee. Roosevelt remains the only third party presidential candidate in U.S. history to finish better than third in the popular or electoral vote.

Roosevelt had served as president from 1901 to 1909, and Taft had won the 1908 Republican presidential nomination with Roosevelt's support. Displeased with Taft's actions as president, Roosevelt challenged Taft at the 1912 Republican National Convention. After Taft and his conservative allies narrowly prevailed at the Republican convention, Roosevelt rallied his progressive supporters and launched a third party bid. Roosevelt's Progressive Party was nicknamed the Bull Moose Party after journalists quoted Roosevelt saying that he was "feeling like a bull moose" on the campaign trail shortly after the new party was formed.[2] Backed by William Jennings Bryan and other progressives, Wilson won the Democratic Party's presidential nomination on the 46th ballot, defeating Speaker of the House Champ Clark and several other candidates. Meanwhile, the Socialist Party renominated its perennial standard-bearer, Eugene V. Debs.

The election of 1912 was bitterly contested by three individuals, Wilson, Roosevelt, and Taft, who all had or would serve as president. Roosevelt's "New Nationalism" platform called for social insurance programs, an eight-hour workday, and a strong federal role in regulating the economy. Wilson's "New Freedom" platform called for tariff reform, banking reform, and a new antitrust law. Knowing that he had little chance of victory, Taft conducted a subdued campaign based on his own platform of "progressive conservatism." Debs claimed that the other three candidates were largely financed by trusts and tried to galvanize support behind his socialist policies.

TN status

TN status or TN visa (Trade NAFTA) is a special non-immigrant status in the United States, Canada, and Mexico that offers expedited work authorization to a citizen of these countries.[1] It bears a similarity, in some ways, to the US H-1B visa, but also has many unique features. Within the TN set of occupations, a United States, Canadian, or Mexican citizen can work in one of the other two countries for up to three years.[2] The permit may be renewed indefinitely.

The visa category "Professionals Under the North American Free Trade Agreement" (NAFTA), also known as a TN (Treaty NAFTA) visa, is available only to citizens of Canada and Mexico, under the terms of the NAFTA. Starting in 1989 and continuing through 1993, qualifying individuals practicing one of the professions identified in the Canada–United States Free Trade Agreement (CUSFTA) were able to obtain TC status for legal work in the United States and Canada, creating freedom of labor movement.[3] In 1994, TN status became effective through the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA),[4] which superseded CUSFTA.[5]

Once TN status is granted, it is valid for up to three years,[6] but only for the specific employer for which it was originally requested. Changing employers will require to start from scratch with a new application. If employment with a single employer is desired for more than three years, it may be renewed indefinitely.

Wartburg, Tennessee

Wartburg was founded in the mid-1840s by George Gerding, a land speculator who bought up large tracts of land in what is now Morgan County and organized the East Tennessee Colonization Company with plans to establish a series of German colonies in the Cumberland region. German and Swiss immigrants, seeking to escape poor economic conditions in their home counties, arrived at the site by traveling from New Orleans up the Mississippi and Cumberland rivers to Nashville, and then by ox cart to the Cumberland Plateau. The first of these settlers arrived in the area in 1845, and new groups of immigrants would continue trickling in until 1855.[8]

The new settlement, which had already been platted by East Tennessee Colonization Company agent Friedrich Guenther, was named after Wartburg Castle in Germany. The first six streets were initially named for European cities, but the names were changed within a few years to Rose, Church, Maidenland (now Maiden), Kingston, Mill, and Cumberland. As most immigrants lived on farms outside the town, Wartburg grew slowly. By 1850, the town consisted of Gerding's house and store, a church and school building, a doctor's office, and a few small houses. Early residents included a number of professionals trained in Europe, including architect Carl Rothe, musician Gustav Knabe, painter George Dury,[9] and physicians Rudolf Knaffl and F. A. Sienknecht.[8][10][2]

While Morgan County was generally pro-Union during the Civil War, Wartburg was bitterly divided over the secession issue. Gerding, the city's founder, supported the Confederacy. John Wilken, a prominent Lutheran pastor in the city, supported the Union. F.A. Sienknecht supported the Union, though two of his sons fought for the Confederacy.[11] On January 2, 1862, a Confederate cavalry unit under Colonel J.W. White clashed with the Union Home Guard near Wartburg. In late March 1862, Confederate General Kirby Smith reported that all Confederate citizens had been expelled from the Wartburg area. In June 1863, Union General William P. Sanders marched through Wartburg and captured 104 Confederate soldiers in the vicinity.[12]

Whiteville, Tennessee

Whiteville is a town in Hardeman County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 3,148 at the 2000 census and 4,638 at the 2010 census,[7] showing an increase of 1,490. Whiteville is the location of two privately owned prisons, Whiteville Correctional Facility and Hardeman County Correctional Center.

Whiteville is located in northwestern Hardeman County at 35°19′28″N 89°8′45″W / 35.32444°N 89.14583°W / 35.32444; -89.14583 (35.324496, −89.145721).[8]U.S. Route 64 runs through the southern part of the town, leading southeast 11 miles (18 km) to Bolivar, the county seat, and southwest 13 miles (21 km) to Somerville. Tennessee State Route 100 runs east from Whiteville 30 miles (48 km) to Henderson. State Route 179 runs north from the center of Whiteville 15 miles (24 km) to Interstate 40 at Willis.

According to the United States Census Bureau, Whiteville has a total area of 2.7 square miles (7.1 km2), all land.[7] The town is drained by the headwaters of Hickory Creek, which flows north to the Hatchie River.

Spring City, Tennessee

Spring City is a town in Rhea County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 2,025 at the 2000 census and 1,981 at the 2010 census. The town is located along Watts Bar Lake, and Watts Bar Dam and the Watts Bar Nuclear Generating Station are nearby.

Spring City began as a stop along the Cincinnati Southern Railroad in the 1870s. The town was originally named Sulphur Springs, because of the mass amount of sulphur in the water. Sometime later came about "Rheaville," and later became incorporated with nearby Rhea Springs, and took on the name Rhea Springs. Due to an explosion, much of the town flooded or burnt, and the town relocated to its current location and was renamed Spring City, in honor of the original settlement, Sulphur Springs. The original location now lies at the bottom of a nearby section of Watts Bar Lake.Spring City thrived as a railroad shipping hub during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its first depot, a simple wooden building constructed in 1879, burned in 1892, and was replaced by a larger one.[4] This second depot was in turn replaced by the current depot, which was completed by the Southern Railway in 1909.[5]

The city received an economic boost in 1942 with the Tennessee Valley Authority's completion of Watts Bar Dam and its associated reservoir southeast of the town. That same year saw the completion of the Watts Bar Fossil Plant, TVA's first coal-fired plant. In 1973, TVA began building Watts Bar Nuclear Generating Station. Its first reactor, Watts Bar Unit 1, became active in 1996. The construction of the second reactor, Watts Bar Unit 2, was originally suspended in 1985, but resumed in 2007. It is expected to be completed in 2016.[6]

Talbott, Tennessee

Trenton, Tennessee

Trenton is a city in Gibson County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 4,264 at the 2010 census,[5] down from 4,683 in 2000. It is the county seat of Gibson County,[6] and its third largest city.

Trenton was established in 1824 as a county seat for the newly-created Gibson County. The site was initially home to a trading post known as "Gibson-Port" that was operated by Thomas Gibson, a brother of the county's namesake, Colonel John Gibson.[7] The city is named for Trenton, New Jersey.[1]

Trenton is located in central Gibson County at 35°58′25″N 88°56′30″W / 35.97361°N 88.94167°W / 35.97361; -88.94167 (35.973627, −88.941569).[8]U.S. Route 45W passes through the east side of the city, bypassing downtown. It leads north 33 miles (53 km) to Union City and south 30 miles (48 km) to Jackson. Milan is 12 miles (19 km) to the southeast via Tennessee State Route 77, Bradford is 10 miles (16 km) to the northeast via State Route 54, Alamo is 18 miles (29 km) to the southwest, also via State Route 54, and Dyersburg is 26 miles (42 km) to the west via State Route 104.

Wartrace, Tennessee

Wartrace is a town in Bedford County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 548 at the 2000 census and 651 at the 2010 census. It is located northeast of Shelbyville. The downtown area is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the Wartrace Historic District.

Wartrace is a hub of the Tennessee Walking Horse industry and has been nicknamed "the cradle of the Tennessee Walking Horse". It is home to the Wartrace Horse Show, held annually since 1906, and the Tennessee Walking Horse National Museum has been headquartered in downtown Wartrace since 2012.[6]

The name "Wartrace" is rooted in a Native American trail that once passed through the area. The town, initially known as "Wartrace Depot," was established in the early 1850s as a stop on the newly constructed Nashville and Chattanooga Railroad.[2]

Tennessee State Route 262

SR 262 begins in Macon County as a secondary highway at an intersection with SR 52 just east of Lafayette. It turns southeastward towards Willette crossing SR 56 and SR 80. It runs concurrently with SR 56 from Gidds Crossroads to near Goose Horn. SR 262 enters Jackson County close to the point where Macon and Jackson counties meet Smith County, but falls short of the Smith County line.

SR 262 continues southeastward, and then runs concurrently with SR 85 for a short distance from Highland to Rough Point. SR 262 then becomes a primary highway and goes southeast to cross the Cumberland River and end on the west side of Gainesboro at a junction with SR 53.[1]