Shackle Island is a census-designated place and unincorporated community in Sumner County, Tennessee, United States. Its population was 3,331 as of the 2020 census[4] Shackle Island is in central Tennessee, north of Nashville near the Kentucky border.
Shackle Island, Tennessee | |
|---|---|
  Shackle Island | |
| Coordinates: 36°22′14″N 86°37′00″W / 36.37056°N 86.61667°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Tennessee |
| County | Sumner |
| Area | |
• Total | 5.55 sq mi (14.38 km2) |
| • Land | 5.55 sq mi (14.38 km2) |
| • Water | 0 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 518 ft (158 m) |
| Population | |
• Total | 3,331 |
| • Density | 599.9/sq mi (231.64/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| Area code(s) | 615, 629 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1315896[3] |
History
editThe earliest reference to the name "Shackle Island" was June 8, 1797, when surveyor William Lytle recorded a North Carolina land grant to William Tyrrell.[5] He wrote, "Beginning at a sweet gum, honey locust, and elm standing on an island. . . on the West side below the Great Road". The great road he referred to was Long Hollow Pike, and the body of water that created the island was Drake's Creek .[5] An 1878 county map (below) labels the site "Shackle Island" and shows Long Hollow Pike running east-west through it.[5] The name became official when the post office recognized it in 1900.[6]
The “Island” was made by Drake’s Creek, flowing south toward the Cumberland River. Centuries ago the creek's path split into two channels (see image) thereby creating a small section of land in between them that made the “island” Lytle described. Over time, the two channels recombined. As of 2016, the eastern branch has largely disappeared but remains identifiable.[7]
The origin of “Shackle” is uncertain. One local legend attributes it to a small shack on an island in the creek where illegal whiskey was sold,[8] but this explanation has been discounted, as even the earliest settlers referred to the area as “Shackle Island.” Another unproven theory suggests the name derived from a site where enslaved people were held, referencing the fact that hundreds of enslaved individuals were marched through Tennessee to western markets.[7] The Tennessee State Archives and Museum holds one documented connection to a distillery in the area: a letter from Dr. Joshua Franklin to Daniel Montgomery (born 1789) ordering one dollar’s worth of whiskey for medicinal use.[7] Montgomery operated the distillery along with a farm, sawmill, and gristmill. He died in 1855 at Shackle Island and is buried in nearby Beech Cemetery."[7]
Incidents with Native Americans
editTo receive land granted for their service in the Revolutionary War, many Americans traveled from the north over the Cumberland Mountains to establish settlements on their new property.[9]: 5 Many traveled along Sumner County creeks like Drakes, Manskers, Bledsoe, and Station Camp, all leading to the Cumberland River.[9] The Cumberland was a gateway west to Texas, or south to New Orleans.[9]: 5 In the last half of the eighteenth century, the White settlers of Sumner County were in constant peril of Native American attacks, and never ventured from home without being armed.[10]: 21 Attacks by Native Americans in this area peaked from 1780 to 1800.[11] The Cherokees and the Creeks were constantly on the war path and incidents with them were recorded to strengthen the case for militia protection for the residents.[10]: 21 In April, 1788, three sons of William Montgomery were killed and scalped on Shackle Island at Drake's Creek.[10]: 23 [11]
Demographics
edit| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 3,331 | — | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[12] | |||
2020 census
edit| Race | Number | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 2,910 | 87.36% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 138 | 4.14% |
| Native American | 4 | 0.12% |
| Asian | 37 | 1.11% |
| Pacific Islander | 1 | 0.03% |
| Other/Mixed | 117 | 3.51% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 124 | 3.72% |
As of the 2020 census, Shackle Island had a population of 3,331.[14] The median age was 43.8 years. 24.5% of residents were under the age of 18 and 15.8% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 95.9 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 93.3 males age 18 and over.[15]
66.8% of residents lived in urban areas, while 33.2% lived in rural areas.[16]
There were 1,124 households in Shackle Island, of which 37.5% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 80.6% were married-couple households, 5.0% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 11.5% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 8.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 4.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. There were 916 families.[15]
There were 1,141 housing units, of which 1.5% were vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 0.7% and the rental vacancy rate was 0.0%.[15]
Geography
editShackle Island is located in the southwestern portion of Sumner County at the crossroad intersection of Tennessee State Routes 174 and 258, about 4 miles (6.4 km) north of Hendersonville.
References
edit- ↑ "ArcGIS REST Services Directory". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 15, 2022.
- ↑ "Census Population API". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 15, 2022.
- ↑ "Shackle Island". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
- ↑ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 14, 2011.
- 1 2 3 Masters, Jack (October 24, 2013). "Just Where Is the 'Island' at Shackle Island?" (PDF). sctnhs.org. Sumner County Historical Society. Retrieved August 9, 2025.
- ↑ "Local Names Tell Much About County's History". sites.rootsweb.com. Retrieved January 17, 2025.
- 1 2 3 4 Phillips, Betsy (January 18, 2016). "Shackle Island: An Investigative Report". nashvillescene.com. Freeman Webb. Retrieved August 9, 2025.
- ↑ Miller, Larry L. (2001). Tennessee Place Names. Bloomington: Indiana University Press. p. 186. ISBN 0253339847.
- 1 2 3 Drake, Doug; Masters, Jack; Puryear, Bill (2009). Founding of the Cumberland Settlements The First Atlas 1779–1804 (2 ed.). Gallatin, Tennessee: Warioto Press. ISBN 9780982462706.
- 1 2 3 Cisco, Jay Guy (1909). Historic Sumner County, Tennessee. Nashville: Folk-Keelin. Retrieved August 12, 2025.
- 1 2 Reardon, Paul A. (2010). Eighteenth-Century Men of Zeal: Passion among Kentucky-Tennessee Frontier Preachers. p. 18. ISBN 9780557152650.
- ↑ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2016.
- ↑ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 26, 2021.
- ↑ "2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved April 30, 2026.
- 1 2 3 "2020 Decennial Census Demographic Profile (DP1)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved April 30, 2026.
- ↑ "2020 Decennial Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics (DHC)". United States Census Bureau. 2023. Retrieved April 30, 2026.