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27-508: The caverns' main entrance was discovered by Aaron Higginbotham in 1810, while surveying his land on Cardwell Mountain in what is now Warren County . According to legend, Higginbotham was the first man to enter the cave and was lost for three days after his torch went out. It was named Higgenbotham Cave in his honor. Another smaller cave, also located on Cardwell Mountain, was discovered about this time and named Henshaw Cave. Although not nearly as big as Higgenbotham Cave, Henshaw Cave proved to be

54-518: A connection between Henshaw Cave and Higgenbotham Cave was discovered by author Tom Barr and local cavers S.R. "Tank" Gorin and Dale Smith. This connection was named the Meatgrinder because of its small size and shape. Soon afterward, Tank and a caver from Indiana named Roy Davis leased the cave from its owner, A.W. Powell, and developed it into a commercial cave . The cave opened under the name Cumberland Caverns on July 4, 1956, and has been open to

81-480: A female householder with no husband present, and 28.70% were non-families. 25.00% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 2.93. In the county, the population was spread out, with 24.20% under the age of 18, 9.10% from 18 to 24, 29.40% from 25 to 44, 23.40% from 45 to 64, and 13.90% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age

108-817: A minority of the population. Warren County citizens voted to secede from the Union before the American War Between the States in February 1861 in a state referendum. Voters in Tennessee overall decided to remain in the Union in that time. When President Abraham Lincoln demanded that Tennessee provide troops to fight against the Southern states in April 1861, it was viewed as a violation of Article 3, Section 3 of

135-662: A source of saltpeter (the main ingredient of gunpowder ) and was operated as a saltpeter mine during perhaps both the War of 1812 and the Civil War . In 1869 Shelah Waters, a tax revenuer, explored the cave extensively. Higgenbotham Cave became a favorite spot for local adventurers during the 19th century. In the early 1940s, members of the National Speleological Society (NSS) began to explore Higgenbotham Cave and greatly increased its known extent. In 1953,

162-630: A western offshoot of the Cumberland Plateau . The cave is home to stalagmites , stalactites , helictites , flowstone , cave pearls , botryoidal coral, gypsum flowers, needles, and pure white gypsum snow, as well as a variety of cave life. Areas of interest within the cave include: Warren County, Tennessee Warren County is a county located on the Cumberland Plateau in Middle Tennessee, one of

189-464: Is Tennessee's largest show cave . It is the second longest mapped cave in Tennessee with 27.6 miles (44.4 km) of passages, and displays some of the largest cave rooms in eastern North America. Cumberland Caverns is the 15th longest cave in the United States. Hubbard's Cave , the largest gray bat hibernaculum in Tennessee, with over 100,000 bats, is located in the county. The cave

216-536: Is a geographic entity used for statistical purposes based on counties and county equivalents . On July 21, 2023, the Office of Management and Budget released revised delineations of the various CBSAs in the United States, which recognized 542 micropolitan areas in the United States, four of which are in Puerto Rico . The term "micropolitan" gained currency in the 1990s to describe growing population centers in

243-542: Is noted for Cumberland Caverns , an exceptionally long cave which lies underneath the mountain. As of the 2020 United States census , there were 40,953 people, 15,727 households, and 10,167 families residing in the county. As of the census of 2000, there were 38,276 people, 15,181 households, and 10,824 families residing in the county. The population density was 88 people per square mile (34 people/km ). There were 16,689 housing units at an average density of 39 units per square mile (15/km ). The racial makeup of

270-598: Is owned by the Nature Conservancy and it is securely gated to protect the bats, which are an Endangered Species. Falcon Rest , an 1896 Victorian mansion in McMinnville built by local manufacturer Clay Faulkner , is listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). It is open to the public as a historic house museum. His father's mansion in the same city, Falconhurst , is also on

297-479: The U.S. Census Bureau , the county has a total area of 434 square miles (1,120 km ), of which 433 square miles (1,120 km ) is land and 1.4 square miles (3.6 km ) (0.3%) is water. The county lies long the Eastern Highland Rim , near the Cumberland Plateau. The Caney Fork forms part of the county's borders with White and DeKalb counties to the north. The Rocky River , a tributary of

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324-600: The Wayback Machine led by McMinnville resident Col. John Houston Savage . The Confederate monument next to the county courthouse is dedicated in the memory of the men who served and died in the 16th and lists their names. Men from Warren County and upper Cumberland area joined the 16th TN Infantry Regiment, among others. Their flag is on display at the Texas 'Civil War' Museum in Fort Worth TX. According to

351-479: The poverty line , including 20.40% of those under age 18 and 17.20% of those age 65 or over. Rock Island State Park is located on the northeastern border with White County . This park is the site of the Tennessee Valley Authority 's Great Falls Dam , includes many hiking trails , and offers whitewater rafting . Cumberland Caverns , located east of McMinnville under Cardwell Mountain,

378-703: The Bluegrass Underground era were Vince Gill , Ralph Stanley , Ricky Skaggs , Darrell Scott , and Justin Townes Earle . Now, the Volcano Room is home to Cumberland Caverns Live and hosts a variety of concerts and live music, including acts like Jefferson Starship , Sister Hazel , Kip Moore , and Deer Tick (band) . Cumberland Caverns formed in Mississippian Monteagle Limestone on Cardwell Mountain,

405-590: The Caney Fork, forms part of the county's eastern border with Van Buren County. The Collins River , also a tributary of the Caney Fork, flows through the county, and the Barren Fork , a tributary of the Collins, flows through McMinnville. Cardwell Mountain is an imposing natural feature located five miles due east of McMinnville. It is an erosional remnant of the nearby Cumberland Plateau . Cardwell Mountain

432-785: The NRHP. Warren County was a Democratic stronghold for most of the 20th century. The last Democrat to win Warren County was Al Gore in 2000. After the 2000 election, Warren County began to trend Republican, with each passing election having an increasing margin for the Republican candidate. Donald Trump won Warren county in 2016 by 42%, compared to Mitt Romney's margin of 25% in 2012. 35°41′N 85°47′W  /  35.68°N 85.78°W  / 35.68; -85.78 Micropolitan Statistical Area Population United States micropolitan statistical areas ( μSA , where

459-498: The U.S. Constitution. At a new referendum in June 1861, Warren County again, along with a majority of Tennessee's counties, voted for secession. Unlike in some states, slavery was not listed as one of the reasons in Tennessee's secession proclamation. Men from Warren County and surrounding upper Cumberland region formed and served in many units in Tennessee's defense, including the 16th Tennessee Infantry Archived February 14, 2017, at

486-407: The United States that are removed from larger cities, in some cases by 100 miles (160 km) or more. Micropolitan cities do not have the economic or political importance of large cities, but are nevertheless significant centers of population and production, drawing workers and shoppers from a wide local area. Because the designation is based on the core urban cluster's population and not on that of

513-485: The cave, tourists pass through a gift shop that sells tour tickets, souvenirs, and novelty items. Cumberland Caverns was formerly home to Bluegrass Underground , a monthly music event that took place in the cave's Volcano Room. The event has become a nationally syndicated program airing on PBS. In recent years, Bluegrass Underground moved to The Caverns in Pelham, Tennessee . Some of the more notable singers to play during

540-417: The county seat of the county from which it was formed. The boundaries of five counties formed from Warren— Grundy , Van Buren , Cannon , Coffee and DeKalb — were exactly 12 miles from Warren's county seat, McMinnville, giving the county its distinctive round shape. Warren County was the site of several saltpeter mines. Saltpeter is the main ingredient of gunpowder and was obtained by leaching

567-419: The county was 91.66% White , 3.16% Black or African American , 0.21% Native American , 0.42% Asian , 0.05% Pacific Islander , 3.56% from other races , and 0.94% from two or more races. 4.92% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. There were 15,181 households, out of which 31.90% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.20% were married couples living together, 11.20% had

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594-593: The earth from several local caves. Hubbards Cave, near Camp Woodlee, was a major operation. Henshaw Cave on Cardwell Mountain (now part of Cumberland Caverns) and Solomon Saltpeter Cave on Ben Lomond Mountain were relatively small mining operations. Most saltpeter mining occurred during the War of 1812 and in the Civil War. The county was largely developed for farming of such crops as tobacco and hemp. While numerous families held enslaved African Americans as workers, they were

621-530: The initial Greek letter mu represents " micro- "), as defined by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), are labor market and statistical areas in the United States centered on an urban cluster (urban area) with a population of at least 10,000 but fewer than 50,000 people. The micropolitan area designation was created in 2003. Like the better-known metropolitan statistical areas , a micropolitan area

648-544: The public since that time. In 1981, Davis bought a pipe organ and chandelier from Loew's Metropolitan Theatre in Brooklyn and installed them in the cave. Today, Cumberland Caverns, Inc. offers year-round commercial tours of the cave, claiming it is the longest show cave in Tennessee. Tours include a daytime walking tour, adventure tours, overnight stays, and educational field trips . Weddings, banquets, birthday parties , and Christmas parties are also hosted. Before reaching

675-597: The three Grand Divisions of the U.S. state of Tennessee . As of the 2020 census , the population was 40,953. Its county seat is McMinnville . Warren County comprises the McMinnville, TN Micropolitan Statistical Area . Warren County was created in 1807 from a portion of White County , and named for Joseph Warren (1741–1775), a militiaman and major general in the American Revolution. The revised Tennessee State Constitution of 1834 stated that no new county could be within 12 miles (19 km) of

702-516: The whole area, some micropolitan areas are much larger than some metropolitan areas. For example, the Ottawa, IL Micropolitan Statistical Area had a 2010 census population of 154,908. That would put its total population ahead of roughly 100 individual locations classified as a metropolitan statistical area in 2010. The largest of the areas, around Claremont and Lebanon, New Hampshire , had a population in excess of 218,000 in 2010; Claremont's population

729-415: Was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 96.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.70 males. The median income for a household in the county was $ 30,920, and the median income for a family was $ 37,835. Males had a median income of $ 28,409 versus $ 20,863 for females. The per capita income for the county was $ 15,759. About 13.00% of families and 16.60% of the population were below

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