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Tennessee Counties
There are ninety-five counties in the State of Tennessee. The oldest county is Washington County, founded in 1777. The most recently formed county is Chester County (1879)Lincoln County, Tennessee
Lincoln County Education, Geography, and History
Lincoln County is a county located in the state of Tennessee. Based on the 2010 census, the population was 33,361. Its county seat and largest city is Fayetteville. The county is named for Major General Benjamin Lincoln, an officer in the American Revolutionary War.
Etymology - Origin of Lincoln County Name
Named in honor of Benjamin Lincoln (1733-1810), American Revolutionary officer, US secretary of war, commander of forces that suppressed Shay's Rebellion in 1787 and lieutenant governor of Massachusetts.
Demographics:
County QuickFacts: CensusBureau Quick Facts
History of Lincoln County
Created 1809 from Bedford County; named in honor of Benjamin Lincoln (1733-1810), American Revolutionary officer, US secretary of war, commander of forces that suppressed Shay's Rebellion in 1787 and lieutenant governor of Massachusetts.
Lincoln County was formed in 1809 from Bedford County (Private Acts of Tennessee 1809, Chapter 48).
Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture
Lincoln County is located in southern Middle Tennessee, with most of the county in the Central Basin and the
remainder on the Highland Rim. The Elk River runs through the county from the northeast to the southwest, dividing
the county into two nearly equal parts. The Cherokees and Chickasaws ceded the land that comprises Lincoln County in
1806. Settlers arrived almost immediately, although surveyors and prospective settlers came as early as 1784 to
establish boundaries for Revolutionary War land warrants. Some of the first settlers included Drury Abbott; Ezekiel
Norris; Joseph Alexander and Andrew Greer; William and Thomas Edmonson; Robert Farquharson; and James Bright. The
county, which contains 520 square miles, was established by an act of the general assembly in 1809 and named for
Revolutionary War hero General Benjamin Lincoln.
Commissioners John Whitaker Sr., Wright Williams, Eli Garrett, Littleton Duty, and Jesse Woodruff were appointed to
purchase 100 acres near the center of the county to establish a county seat. Ezekiel Norris sold the land near the
Elk River that became the town of Fayetteville, and the commissioners laid off town lots, which were sold in 1810.
The first court was held in the home of Brice Garner, the first county clerk. In 1811 the first courthouse was
constructed of logs. The present Colonial Revival-style courthouse was built in 1970 and is the fourth one in the
county's history. Find more from the Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture:
LINCOLN COUNTY
Geography: Land and Water
As reported by the Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 571 square miles (1,478 km2), of which, 570
square miles (1,477 km2) of it is land and 0 square miles (1 km2) of it (0.07%) is water.
Neighboring Counties
Bordering counties are as follows:
- Bedford County (north)
- Moore County (northeast)
- Franklin County (east)
- Madison County, Alabama (south)
- Limestone County, Alabama (southwest)
- Giles County (west)
- Marshall County (northwest)
Education
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