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Feature article
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Surgoinsville named for James Surgine
By J. Ann Tipton
Not much has changed in Surgoinsville since Lois McClain and her husband Chester moved to the area in 1947, but the close-knit community is an excellent place to call home, she said.
“It’s a nice, quiet area,” McClain said. “It’s the kind of place where everyone knows everyone else.”
Chartered in 1815 and named for Frenchman James Surgine, Surgoinsville (the misspelling was never corrected) is located between Church Hill and Rogersville on Highway 394 along the Holston River in Hawkins County.
This small town of about 1,500 is probably best known for its annual September riverfront festival, a weekend of music, entertainment, food, rides and craft booths at the Riverfront Park.
The town includes the second-largest industrial park in Northeast Tennessee, the Phipps Bend Industrial District, which employs nearly 2,000 people and includes several businesses such as Cooper Standard Automotive and PMT Industries.
Elementary-aged children in Surgoinsville attend Surgoinsville Elementary. Middle and high school students attend Surgoinsville Middle and then Volunteer High School in Church Hill.
In addition to the riverfront festival, the town holds a Christmas parade on Main Street on the second Saturday in December.
Bellamy’s Hardware in the downtown district is known for hosting bluegrass bands one weekend a month.
The town offers a handful of fast food and sit down restaurants including Linda’s Country Kitchen, Dairy Mart, Dots & Rick’s Market, The Mater Patch, Parker’s Market, Phipps Bend Country Kitchen, Pizza Plus and Riverview Café.
But the growth of the small town, McClain said, is the biggest change she’s seen in the past 60 years.
“We have new houses being built in every day,” McClain said. “But also a lot of people have lived here a long, long time.”
Surgoinsville
2000 population -- 1,484
Total households -- 609
Own home -- 82%
Married couples with children -- 19%
Married couples with no children -- 48%
High school graduate or higher 70%
Bachelor’s degree or higher 10%
Per capita income $18,015
Note: Percentages have been rounded off.
Source: Census 2000
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