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((Short description|Administrative region of the U.S.))
((About|the county in Tennessee|other counties with the same name|Perry County (disambiguation)((!))Perry County))
((good article))
((Use American English|date=January 2023))
((Use mdy dates|date=March 2024))
((Infobox U.S. county
 | county               = Perry County
 | type                 = County
 | state                = Tennessee
 | seal                 = 
 | founded              = November 14, 1819
 | named for            = [[Oliver Hazard Perry]]
 | seat wl              = Linden
 | largest city wl      = Linden
 | city type            = town
 | other_cities         = Lobelville
 | leader_title         = County mayor
 | leader_name          = John Carroll
 | area_total_sq_mi     = 423
 | area_land_sq_mi      = 415
 | area_water_sq_mi     = 8.1
 | area percentage      = 1.9
 | census yr            = 2020
 | population_total     = 8366 ((increase))
 | population_as_of     = 
 | population_footnotes = 
 | population_density_sq_mi = 20.2
 | demonym              = Perry Countian
 | time zone            = Central
 | ZIP codes            = 37097, 37096
 | area codes           = [[Area code 931|931]]
 | footnotes            = '''[[FIPS county code]]''' 47135
 | web                  = www.perrycountygov.com
 | ex image             = TN-PE-County_Courthouse-IMG_1279.jpg
 | ex image size        = 
 | ex image cap         = [[Perry County Courthouse (Tennessee)|Perry County Courthouse]] in Linden
 | district             = 7th 
))

'''Perry County''' is a [[County (United States)|county]] located in the [[U.S. state]] of [[Tennessee]]. As of the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]], the population was 8,366, with an average population density of ((convert|20.2|/mi2|/km2|disp=preunit|persons&nbsp;|persons|)), making it the least densely populated [[List of counties in Tennessee|county in Tennessee]]. Its [[county seat]] and largest town is [[Linden, Tennessee|Linden]]. The county is named after American naval commander and [[War of 1812]] hero [[Oliver Hazard Perry]].

In 1806, the [[Cherokee]] ceded to the [[United States]] the land that would later become Perry County in the Treaty of Washington. The county was established by the [[Tennessee General Assembly]] in 1819 from parts of [[Wayne County, Tennessee|Wayne County]], [[Hickman County, Tennessee|Hickman County]], and [[Humphreys County, Tennessee|Humphreys County]]. In 1845, the portions of Perry County located west of the Tennessee River were split off to form [[Decatur County, Tennessee|Decatur County]].

Agriculture and forestry are the largest components of the local economy, supplemented by light industry and tourism. Perry County is one of the most economically disadvantaged counties in the state. It was severely impacted by the [[Great Recession]] of 2008, at one point having the second highest unemployment rate in the United States, and ((as of|alt=as of 2020|2020)) continues to lag behind the rest of the state in various economic indicators, including income inequality and poverty rates. Transportation infrastructure is limited, and no railroads, commercial airports, or freeways are present in the county.

Over 80 percent of the county is forested. The county's terrain is largely defined by its two major rivers, the [[Buffalo River (Tennessee)|Buffalo]] and the [[Tennessee River|Tennessee]], and features ridges and valleys that form tributaries to the rivers. Agriculture and outdoor recreation benefit from plentiful fresh water sources, fertile crop land, and abundant wildlife. [[Mousetail Landing State Park]] is the largest protected area in the county and a significant driver of [[Ecotourism|nature tourism]] in the region.

==History==
((See also|Timeline of Perry County, Tennessee history|History of Tennessee))

===Prehistory and early settlement===
Archaeological evidence suggests a significant population of [[Mound Builders|mound building Native Americans]] in the county, with several mounds located near the [[Tennessee River]] at Lady's Bluff.<ref name="GenWeb">((cite web |last1=Younger |first1=Lillye |title=Perry County, Tennessee |url=https://www.tngenweb.org/decaturtn/books/action2/featur-2.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220314193940/https://www.tngenweb.org/decaturtn/books/action2/featur-2.html |archive-date=March 14, 2022 |website=Decatur Co. TNGenWeb |access-date=March 14, 2022))</ref> One of the largest mounds in the state was built between 1000 and 1300 CE in the county on Cedar Creek. Though it has been reduced in size due to erosion and agricultural activity, it still measures approximately ((convert|20|ft|m)) high and ((convert|120|ft|m)) in circumference.<ref name="trt">((cite book |title=Tennessee River Trail Scenic Byway Corridor Management Plan |date=2009 |publisher=Greater Nashville Regional Council |url=https://www.tn.gov/content/dam/tn/tdot/environmental/scenic_byways/3.%20Tennessee%20River%20Trail%20CMP.pdf))</ref> Archaeological surveys conducted in the 1970s and 1980s discovered evidence of [[Archaic period (North America)|early Archaic]] through [[Woodland culture|late Woodland]] settlement concentrated in bottomland (low-lying alluvial land) in the Tennessee River basin near Mousetail Landing State Park, with evidence of [[Paleoindian]] occupation in one site.<ref>((cite book |last1=Froschauer |first1=John D. |title=Archaeological Survey of State-Owned Lands |date=1986 |publisher=Tennessee Department of Conservation, Division of Archaeology |location=Nashville, Tennessee |pages=Table 4, 3–24 |url=https://www.tn.gov/content/dam/tn/environment/archaeology/documents/reportofinvestigations/arch_ROI_3_Froeschauer_etal_1986_StateLands_5115(text-recog-enabled).pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220722191614/https://www.tn.gov/content/dam/tn/environment/archaeology/documents/reportofinvestigations/arch_ROI_3_Froeschauer_etal_1986_StateLands_5115(text-recog-enabled).pdf |archive-date=July 22, 2022 |access-date=July 22, 2022))</ref> More recently, shore erosion associated with increased traffic on the river has exposed burial sites and [[midden|middens]] associated with pre-European settlement in the park.<ref>((cite news |last1=Charlier |first1=Thomas |title=Corps's 2 erosion projects to preserve Indian mounds |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/775440522 |access-date=October 2, 2023 |work=The Commercial Appeal |date=December 20, 1999))</ref> Arrowheads and spear tips associated the [[Mississippian culture|Mississippian]], Woodland, and [[Copena culture|Copena]] cultures have been found along the Tennessee River tributaries in the western half of the county.<ref>((cite journal |last1=Tolley |first1=Dennis |title=Hunting the Fields Near the Tennessee River |journal=Central States Archeological Journal |date=April 2008 |volume=55 |issue=2 |page=76 |jstor=43144807 |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/43144807 |access-date=July 22, 2022))</ref> One example of ancient Native American statuary, an ((convert|8|in|cm)) tall female figure unearthed prior to 1868 near a mound in the county, is in the collection of the [[Smithsonian Institution]].<ref>((cite book |last1=Miller |first1=James V. |last2=Smith |first2=Kevin E. |title=Speaking with the Ancestors |date=2009 |publisher=University of Alabama Press |pages=205, 208))</ref>

On January 7, 1806, with the signing of the [[Cherokee treaties#Post-U.S. Constitution|Treaty of Washington]], the [[Cherokee]] ceded to the United States a large tract of territory in the south-central portion of Tennessee that included the area that would become Perry County.<ref name="cherokee">((cite web |title=Tennessee and portions of bordering states (showing Cherokee and Chickasaw treaty cessions) |url=https://teva.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/p15138coll23/id/9055/rec/43 |website=Tennessee Virtual Archive |publisher=Tennessee State Library and Archives |access-date=August 8, 2022))</ref> Permanent settlement by people of European descent along with enslaved people of African descent began shortly after this treaty was ratified. The area was found to have very productive bottomland with an abundance of water, timber, and wild game. The earliest settlers likely arrived from nearby counties in [[Middle Tennessee]], although some immigrated to the area from North Carolina, Alabama, and Kentucky.<ref name="USDA">((cite book |last1=Clendenon |first1=Douglas F. |title=Soil Survey of Perry County, Tennessee |date=2004 |publisher=United States Department of Agriculture |location=Washington, DC |url=https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_MANUSCRIPTS/tennessee/TN135/0/Perry-TN.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220315155436/https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_MANUSCRIPTS/tennessee/TN135/0/Perry-TN.pdf |archive-date=March 15, 2022 |access-date=March 15, 2022))</ref>

Between 1810 and 1812, the first [[gristmill]] in the area was established on Cane Creek.<ref name="histfam">((cite book |title=Perry County, TN Volume 1 History and Families 1820–1995. |date=1994 |publisher=Turner Publishing Company |location=Nashville, Tennessee |isbn=9781681622101))</ref>((rp|58)) The first known birth of a person of European descent in the area occurred in 1818 along Toms Creek. Some of the early settlers were veterans of the [[War of 1812]], and some had probably received land grants in the area from the state of [[North Carolina]] for service in the [[American Revolution]].<ref name=Goodspeed>((cite book |last1=Goodspeed |first1=Weston Arthur |title=Goodspeed's History of Tennessee |date=1886 |publisher=Goodspeed Publishing |location=Chicago, Illinois, United States |url=https://www.tngenweb.org/goodspeed/perry/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220314175122/https://www.tngenweb.org/goodspeed/perry/ |archive-date=March 14, 2022 |access-date=March 14, 2022))</ref> It is likely the first settlers arrived via the Tennessee River based on the location of the first settlements being located near natural river landings.<ref name="histfam" />((rp|28))

===Formation and early history===
[[File:Perry County (1836).png|thumb|upright=.6|1836 map depicting Perry County]]In 1819, the [[Tennessee General Assembly]] passed an act providing: ((blockquote|...&nbsp;that a new county be established north of Wayne, west of Hickman, and south of Humphreys, by the name of Perry County, beginning at the southeast corner of Humphreys, running west, thence south, thence east, thence north to place of beginning, and to include all the territory lying between Humphreys, [[Hardin County, Tennessee|Hardin]], Wayne and Hickman Counties.)) The county, named in honor of [[Oliver Hazard Perry]], was officially organized that same year.<ref name=Goodspeed /> 

[[File:James Dixon House.png|thumb|upright=1|The James Dickson House]]In 1820, the first court in the county was held in the [[James Dickson House|home of James Dickson (or Dixon)]] near Lick Creek under a Judge Humphreys. The county's first school was established by Ferney Stanley on Toms Creek the same year.<ref name=Goodspeed /><ref name=tehc>((cite encyclopedia |last=Steele |first=Gus |date=March 1, 2018 |orig-date=October 8, 2017 |title=Perry County |url=https://tennesseencyclopedia.net/entries/perry-county/ |encyclopedia=[[Tennessee Encyclopedia]] |access-date=November 13, 2022))</ref> In 1821, the [[County seat#United States|county seat]] was established in [[Perryville, Tennessee|Perryville]], a [[Inland port|river port]] located on the west bank of the Tennessee River and originally known as Midtown.<ref>((cite web |title=Perryville First County Seat of Perry County |url=https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=150304 |website=HMdb.org |access-date=October 2, 2023))</ref> A log courthouse was constructed in Perryville, but was later replaced with a brick structure.<ref name="paper">((cite news |title=Perry County. |work=Nashville Tennessean and The Nashville American |issue=Middle Tennessee and its Resources |date=July 15, 1917))</ref> Early in its history, Perryville was a relatively important river port and settlement, with some sources noting [[David Crockett]], [[Andrew Jackson]], [[Sam Houston]], and [[James K. Polk]] all having visited the town at some point.<ref name="histfam" />((rp|32)) By 1837, however, the town was reportedly in a ruinous state and described as a "miserable looking settlement" by one traveler, even though it remained the county seat and an active river landing.<ref>((cite journal |last1=Patton |first1=James Welch |title=The Tennessee Valley as Seen by a British Traveler in 1837 |journal=Tennessee Historical Magazine |date=October 1932 |volume=3 |issue=1 |page=48 |jstor=42637640 |url=http://www.jstor.org/stable/42637640))</ref> 

In 1825, the county's militia was formalized as the 68th Regiment, 11th Brigade, Tennessee Militia. Later, in 1827, the county militia was split into two regiments by the state legislature,  with one regiment drawing from the area east of the Tennessee River, and the other drawing from the west, marking one of the first legal splits of the county along the river.<ref>((cite web |title=Perry County Administration – Historical Notes |url=https://www.ctas.tennessee.edu/private-acts/administration-historical-notes-57 |website=County Technical Assistance Service |publisher=University of Tennessee |access-date=August 2, 2023))</ref> In 1830, the settlement of [[Beardstown, Tennessee|Beardstown]] was established on a high bluff overlooking the [[Buffalo River (Tennessee)|Buffalo River]].<ref name=Goodspeed />

[[File:Cedar Grove Iron Furnace - oblique view (Perry County, Tennessee).jpg|thumb|left|Cedar Grove Iron Furnace]]By the early 1830s, significant deposits of iron ore had been discovered in the county. Sufficient quantities were being extracted to justify the construction of a [[Cedar Grove Iron Furnace|large iron ore furnace]] on Cedar Creek near the Tennessee River between 1832 and 1834.<ref name="Goodspeed" /> At its peak, it processed 1,400 tons of [[pig iron]] annually, using both free and enslaved labor, and taking advantage of the most advanced "[[hot blast]]" smelting techniques available at the time. By 1838, a community had grown around the furnace, including mills, barracks for free and enslaved workers, a storehouse, blacksmith shops, and other workshops and outbuildings. The furnace shut down in 1862, during the Civil War, and was never brought back in to service. The Cedar Grove Iron Furnace is the only twin-stack iron furnace remaining in Tennessee. In addition to iron ore, some marble mining was conducted in the county in the middle of the 19th century.<ref name=Nature /><ref name=HMDB>((cite web |title=Cedar Grove Iron Furnace |url=https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=74987 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220315012732/https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=74987 |archive-date=March 15, 2022 |website=The Historical Marker Database |access-date=March 15, 2022))</ref><ref>((cite journal |last1=White |first1=Lisa A. |title=The Curve Lynchings: Violence, Politics, Economics, and Race Rhetoric in 1890s Memphis |journal=Tennessee Historical Quarterly |date=Spring 2005 |volume=64 |issue=1 |page=43 ))</ref><ref>((cite news |last1=Litton |first1=Benjamin |title=Iron Works for sale |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/118765624/ |work=The Tennessean |date=July 23, 1838))</ref>

[[File:Perry County Tennessee Runaway Slave.jpg|thumb|upright=.7|Notice of a runaway slave from the iron works]]In February 1833, the issue of [[nullification crisis|nullification]], or the ability of state governments to unilaterally invalidate Federal laws as unconstitutional, was raised in a mass meeting in Perryville. After speakers for and against Federal supremacy were heard, a resolution was passed unanimously supporting the right of the [[President of the United States|President]] to execute the laws passed by Congress, condemning the acts of nullification in South Carolina, and reaffirming the necessity of the maintenance of the Union.<ref>((cite news |title=Union Meeting at Perryville |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/603680913 |access-date=August 1, 2023 |work=National Banner and Daily Advertiser |date=February 11, 1833))</ref> On July 10, 1843, the courthouse at Perryville was destroyed in a fire, and through at least late 1844 meetings that would otherwise have been held in the courthouse were held in warehouses along the river. No record exists of a courthouse being re-built in Perryville.<ref>((cite news |title=For the Banner |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/118869331 |access-date=August 2, 2023 |work=Republican Banner |date=November 4, 1844))</ref><ref>((cite news |title=Fire! |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/603843949 |access-date=August 2, 2023 |work=Tri-Weekly Nashville Union |date=July 25, 1843))</ref> 
By the late 1830s, the difficulties of conducting government business in a county split by a major river that lacked reliable crossings was becoming more apparent. In 1837, a bill was passed in the state legislature creating an entry-taker's office in the eastern portion of the county, duplicating many of the county government's functions.<ref name=1838acts>((cite book |title=Acts Passed by the First Session of the Twenty-Second General Assembly of the State of Tennessee |date=1838 |publisher=B. Nye & Co. |location=Nashville))</ref>((rp|94–96)) Demands to separate the portion of the county west of the Tennessee River were increasing by 1845, citing the "danger and expense in attending courts...and other business in the county seat [of Perryville]" by people living on the opposite side. That year, bills proposing the creation of a new county formed by the portions of Perry County west of the river appeared in the state legislature.<ref>((cite news |title=To The Voters of Tennessee |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/603814383/ |access-date=August 2, 2023 |work=Republican Banner |date=June 25, 1845))</ref><ref>((cite news |title=House of Representatives |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/603930171 |access-date=August 2, 2023 |work=Tri-Weekly Nashville Union |date=November 6, 1845))</ref> In November 1845 the legislature passed an act to create Decatur County from the land occupied by Perry County west of the Tennessee River.<ref name="acts">((cite book |title=Acts of 1845–46, Chapter 7 |date=November 1845 |url=https://www.ctas.tennessee.edu/private-acts/acts-1845-46-chapter-7-0 |access-date=August 2, 2023))</ref> The seat of government and courts were then temporarily relocated from Perryville to a village near the new geographic center of the county known as Harrisburg.<ref name=tehc /> 

In 1847, ((convert|40|acre|hectare)) located approximately ((convert|3|mi|km)) north of Harrisburg on the west bank of the Buffalo River were donated to the county by David B. Harris for the building of a new county seat.<ref name="Goodspeed" /> The town was initially named Milton, in honor of [[Milton Brown (politician)|Milton Brown]], but when it was discovered that there was already a [[Milton, Tennessee|town of the same name in the state]], it was renamed Linden after the [[Thomas Campbell (poet)|Thomas Campbell]] poem "[[s:Hohenlinden|Hohenlinden]]".<ref name="histfam" />((rp|35)) The land was divided into plots and a public square, and the plots were sold off to provide funds for the construction of public buildings. Linden was established as the county seat in 1848, where it remains ((as of|alt=as of 2023|2023)), and is the largest [[List of municipalities in Tennessee|municipality]] in the county. A temporary structure to house the court was built in 1848, and was replaced by a wooden frame building in 1849. Harrisburg no longer exists as an organized entity or recognized location.<ref name="Goodspeed" /> During this time period, in 1844, the community of [[Flat Woods, Tennessee|Flatwoods]], originally known as Whitaker's Bluff, was established along the Buffalo River in the southern part of the county by a group of settlers from [[Halifax, North Carolina]].<ref name="histfam" />((rp|50)) 

[[File:Rhea Map Perry County 1842.png|thumb|right|upright=.6|1842 map of Perry County]]In 1850, it was reported that there were 10 grist mills, a saw mill, a furnace, and two tanneries in operation within the county. Additionally, 21 churches were organized, as well as 23 schools enrolling 685 students. Corn was the primary agricultural product at the time, though oats, sweet potatoes, and tobacco were also grown in smaller quantities.<ref>((cite book |last1=Smith |first1=John Calvin |title=Harper's statistical gazetteer of the world; particularly describing the United States of America, Canada, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia |date=1855 |publisher=Harper |location=New York |page=1364 |url=https://archive.org/details/harpersstatistic00smit/page/1364 |access-date=July 23, 2022))</ref> In 1854, [[Lobelville, Tennessee|Lobelville]] was established as a trading-post village on the west bank of the Buffalo River about ((convert|5|mi|km)) north of Beardstown by a French trader named Henri de Lobel.<ref name=tehc />

By the late 1850s, allegations and rumors of an impending slave insurrection began to spread throughout the southern United States. In 1856, the panic reached Perry County, when multiple enslaved persons were murdered over rumors of the plotting of a revolt.<ref name=panic>((cite journal |last1=Wish |first1=Harvey |title=The Slave Insurrection Panic of 1856 |journal=The Journal of Southern History |date=May 1939 |volume=5 |issue=2 |pages=209–210 |doi=10.2307/2191583 |jstor=2191583 |url=https://doi.org/10.2307/2191583))</ref> The total number of people killed by so-called [[vigilance committee]]s is unclear, with contemporary reports citing as many as 15 being hanged,<ref>((cite news |title=Whom the Gods Intent do Destroy, they first make Mad. |url=https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn85038183/1857-01-06/ed-1/seq-2 |access-date=September 8, 2022 |work=Meigs County [Ohio] Telegraph |date=January 6, 1857))</ref> and later historical research noting between 10 and 12.<ref name=panic />

===Civil War===
((See also|Tennessee in the American Civil War))
The issue of whether or not Perry County would swing towards Unionist or Secessionist causes was not clear as late as May 1861, when a pro-Union convention was held in Linden to nominate a Republican candidate for [[United States House of Representatives|Congress]].<ref>((cite news |title=County Union Meetings |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/604220166 |access-date=August 3, 2023 |work=Republican Banner |date=April 9, 1861))</ref> In June 1861, however, it voted in favor of [[Secession in the United States|secession]] by a margin of 780 to 168.<ref name="VoteArchive">((cite web |title=Tennessee Secession Referendum, 1861 |url=https://votearchive.com/tn-sec-ref-1861/ |access-date=March 14, 2022))</ref> Even though the vote was overwhelmingly in favor of secession, the Unionist sentiment was strong and pervasive throughout the war, with men from the county volunteering for both sides in the conflict. About 300 men joined the [[Confederate States Army|Confederate Army]], with about 200 joining the [[Union Army]].<ref name=Goodspeed /> One particularly notable Confederate unit formed in the county was Harder's Company of the [[23rd Tennessee Infantry Regiment]], raised in 1861 and composed of about 100 men from the Cedar Creek area. This unit fought throughout the war, seeing action at [[Fort Donelson]], [[Battle of Shiloh|Shiloh]], [[Battle of Stones River|Stones River]], [[Battle of Chickamauga|Chickamagua]], and the [[Siege of Petersburg]], after which they surrendered with the [[Army of Northern Virginia]] in 1865.<ref>((cite journal |last1=Janney |first1=Caroline E. |title=Free to Go Where We Liked: The Army of Northern Virginia after Appomattox |journal=Journal of the Civil War Era |date=2019 |volume=9 |issue=1 |pages=4–28 |doi=10.1353/cwe.2019.0008 |jstor=26642046 |s2cid=167156602 |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/26642046))</ref>

Both pro-Union and pro-Confederate irregular and guerrilla forces were organized in Perry County, and were known to have conducted raids on neighboring counties.<ref>((cite journal |last1=Garrett |first1=Jill K. |title=A Note on Hickman County |journal=Tennessee Historical Quarterly |date=Summer 1975 |volume=34 |issue=2 |page=203 |jstor=42623519 |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/42623519 |access-date=April 6, 2022))</ref> Of note were the Perry County Jayhawkers, a group of Union-aligned partisans known to have engaged in fighting against opposing partisans in Hickman County and who burned the county seat of [[Centerville, Tennessee|Centerville]].<ref>((cite book |last1=Davidson |first1=Donald |title=The Tennessee – The New River: Civil War to TVA, Volume 2 |date=1992 |publisher=J. S. Sanders & Company |location=Nashville, Tennessee |isbn=9781879941083 |pages=89,110))</ref> Due to the rural, isolated nature of the region, away from the major railway lines and with only limited access to large landings on the Tennessee River, there were no large-scale engagements in the county.<ref name=Goodspeed /> In February 1862, the Cedar Grove Iron Furnace was partially destroyed when it was shelled by Union gunboats [[USS Conestoga (1861)|USS Conestoga]], [[USS Tyler]], and [[USS Lexington (1861)|USS Lexington]].<ref name=HMDB /> On April 27, 1862, a body was found by a group of children playing near Britt's Landing on the Tennessee River in Perry County. Investigation of papers found on the body revealed it to be that of [[Louis P. Harvey|Governor Louis P. Harvey]] of Wisconsin.<ref>((cite book |last1=Thwaites |first1=Reuben Gold |title=Messages and Proclamations of Wis. War Governors |date=December 1912 |publisher=Wisconsin History Commission |location=Wisconsin |page=127 |url=https://archive.org/details/civilwarmessages0000wisc/ |access-date=August 5, 2022))</ref> Gov. Harvey had been conducting an inspection of hospitals where wounded soldiers were being treated after the [[Battle of Shiloh]], and had drowned in the river on April 19 while returning to Wisconsin.<ref>((cite web |title=Harvey, Gov. Louis P. |url=https://www.wisconsinhistory.org/Records/Article/CS1621 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220723045206/https://www.wisconsinhistory.org/Records/Article/CS1621 |archive-date=July 23, 2022 |website=Wisconsin Historical Society |date=October 3, 2012 |access-date=August 5, 2022))</ref> In April 1863, the [[Mississippi Marine Brigade]], a [[Union Army]] [[amphibious warfare|amphibious]] unit consisting of infantry and a number of gunboats, conducted some activity on the Tennessee River in the county. On the 23rd, following fighting further upriver near [[Clifton, Tennessee|Clifton]], the flotilla held at Britt's Landing before attempting to pass the shoals at the Duck River just down river.<ref>((cite book |last1=Hearn |first1=Chester |title=Ellet's Brigade: The Strangest Outfit of All |date=2000 |publisher=Louisiana State University Press |location=Baton Rouge |isbn=0807125598 |page=156 |url=https://archive.org/details/elletsbrigadestr0000hear/ |access-date=September 30, 2023))</ref>

====Breckenridge's raid on Linden====
[[File:Perry County Civil War Era Map.png|thumb|Civil War-era map of Perry County]] Before dawn on May 12, 1863, a flotilla under the command of [[Seth Ledyard Phelps|Lt. Cmdr. Ledyard Phelps]] composed of the [[USS Champion (1859)|USS Champion]], [[USS Covington (1863)|USS Covington]], [[USS Argosy]], and the [[USS Silver Cloud (1862)|USS Silver Cloud]] landed elements of the Union Army's [[6th Tennessee Cavalry Regiment (Union)|6th Tennessee Cavalry Regiment]] on the Tennessee River ((convert|12|mi|km)) west of Linden. The small force of 55 men led by Lt. Col. William Breckenridge, possibly a native of either Wayne County or Perry County, approached Linden at daybreak. The Confederate forces, totaling about 100 men under Lt. Col. William Frierson, were preparing to depart Linden to join [[Earl Van Dorn|General Van Dorn's]] force at [[Spring Hill, Tennessee|Spring Hill]] and were taken completely by surprise. After a short skirmish against pickets, the Union cavalry captured Lt. Col. Frierson and 46 of his officers and men and killed three more before reinforcements could arrive. During this engagement, the county courthouse, which was being held by the Confederate forces, was burned, destroying most records from the early history of the county.<ref name="Goodspeed" /><ref>((cite web |title=May 12, 1863 – Descent on Linden, razing courthouse and dispersal of conscripts |url=https://tnmap.tn.gov/civilwar/sourcebook/1863-05-Article-53-Page70.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220729151008/https://tnmap.tn.gov/civilwar/sourcebook/1863-05-Article-53-Page70.pdf |archive-date=July 29, 2022 |website=Tennessee Civil War Project |publisher=Tennessee Historical Commission |access-date=April 1, 2022 |ref=TCWP))</ref> The only Union loss during the engagement was one horse.<ref name="officialrecords">((cite book |title=Official records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion |date=1894 |publisher=United States Government Printing Office |location=Washington, DC |pages=669–670 |url=https://archive.org/details/officialrecords00unkngoog/page/668/ |access-date=July 23, 2022))</ref> Breckenridge then returned to the Tennessee River and transferred his [[American Civil War#Prisoners|prisoners]] to the awaiting [[riverboat]]s for transportation to [[Cairo, Missouri]].<ref>((cite news |title=Epitome of the Week: Military |url=https://archive.org/details/sim_leslies-weekly_1863-05-30_16_400/page/n1 |access-date=July 23, 2022 |work=Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper |issue=400 |date=May 30, 1863))</ref> Intelligence gathered from the Confederates captured in the engagement provided significant details to Union leadership on the size, location, and intentions of Confederate forces in the Middle Tennessee, including plans to re-capture [[Battle of Fort Henry|Fort Henry]] and attack Union forces under [[William Rosecrans|General Rosecrans]].<ref name="officialrecords" /> The amphibious landing and battle was recounted on the front page of the May 17, 1863, edition of the ''[[New York Times]]''.<ref>((cite news |title=The War in Tennessee |url=https://archive.org/details/NYTimes-May-Jun-1863/page/n127 |access-date=July 23, 2022 |work=The New York Times |issue=3633 |date=May 17, 1863))</ref> Breckenridge later died of disease on October 15, 1863, and was buried at [[Shiloh National Cemetery]].<ref>((cite book |last1=Wright |first1=Marcus J. |title=Tennessee in the War, 1861–1865 |date=1908 |publisher=Ambrose Lee |location=New York |page=146 |url=https://archive.org/details/tennesseeinwarl00wriggoog/page/n152/))</ref><ref>((cite web |title=Shiloh National Cemetery Search |url=https://www.nps.gov/shil/learn/historyculture/cemetery-search.htm#sort=score+desc&q=breckenridge |website=Shiloh National Military Park |publisher=National Park Service |access-date=January 22, 2024))</ref>

====Battles at Lobelville and Beardstown====
A force of about 400 [[Cavalry in the American Civil War#Confederate cavalry|Confederate cavalry]] under [[Nathan Bedford Forrest|Maj. Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest]] crossed the Tennessee River at the Duck River on or about September 23, 1864, and worked their way south through the Buffalo River valley taking [[conscription|conscripts]] to reinforce their numbers.<ref>((cite news |title=GEN. SHERMAN'S DEPARTMENT.: Movements of the Rebel General Forrest. His Command Across the Tennessee. Surrender of Athens, Ga. Sen. Rousseau Gone to Meet the Rebels. |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/91882485 |access-date=April 1, 2023 |work=The New York Times |date=September 27, 1864|id=((ProQuest|91882485)) ))</ref> On September 27 or 29 (sources differ on the date) the force was engaged by the [[List of Tennessee Union Civil War units#Mounted Infantry|2nd Tennessee Mounted Infantry]], numbering about 250 men, at Lobelville. The Confederate forces retreated to Beardstown, and Federal forces attempted to locate them the following day, bypassing Beardstown for Cane Creek. The Confederates had their numbers reinforced to 600 men overnight and pursued the Federal forces east towards [[Centerville, Tennessee|Centerville]], who retreated through Confederate blocking forces and across the Duck River. The Confederates were then able to take control of Linden and the Buffalo River valley by the 30th.<ref name="sourcebook">((cite book |last1=Jones |first1=James B. |title=Tennessee Civil War Sourcebook |date=2019 |publisher=Tennessee State Library and Archives |url=https://tnsla.ent.sirsi.net/client/en_US/search/asset/92101/0 |access-date=September 30, 2023))</ref><ref>((cite news |title=75 Years Ago – Sept. 30, 1864 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/768581835/ |work=The Commercial Appeal |date=September 30, 1939))</ref><ref>((cite journal |last1=Clark |first1=Donald A. |title=Buell's Advance to Pittsburg Landing: A Fresh Look at an Old Controversy |journal=Tennessee Historical Quarterly |date=Winter 2009 |volume=68 |issue=4 |page=387 |jstor=42628715 |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/42628715 |access-date=April 6, 2022))</ref>

===Reconstruction and the late 19th century===
[[File:Perry County Courthouse (1868).jpg|thumb|alt=A sepia-tint black and white photograph of the front of an old two story brick building with a large porch and portico behind a wooden fence. A man stands in the doorway, a small painted sign advertising a lawyer's services is hung near the front door, and a gazebo is located to the right of the building.|The 1868 courthouse in Linden]]Martial law was lifted in the county in April 1865, when the civil court held its first session since [[Tennessee in the American Civil War|Tennessee's secession]] and the beginning of the Civil War.<ref name="Goodspeed" /> At least some civil unrest continued until at least July of that year, when Federal forces were again dispatched to the county to conduct [[Counterinsurgency|counter-guerilla]] operations.<ref name="sourcebook" /> Due to the prevalence of small farms in the county, it did not experience the same levels of economic turmoil in counties that relied on plantation agriculture following the war.<ref name="Resources">((cite book |last1=Killebrew |first1=J. B. |title=Introduction to the Resources of Tennessee |date=1874 |publisher=Tavel, Eastman & Howell |location=Nashville, Tenn |url=https://www.tngenweb.org/records/perry/misc/resource.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220715144954/https://www.tngenweb.org/records/perry/misc/resource.htm |archive-date=July 15, 2022 ))</ref> In 1868, a new two-story brick courthouse was built to replace the one burned during the war.<ref name="Goodspeed" /> Perry County was not immune to [[Reconstruction era]] racial violence against black citizens. In 1869, two black men who had been arrested for unknown crimes were removed from the county jail by a mob and shot.<ref>((cite news |title=Tennessee |url=https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn82014064/1869-09-03/ed-1/seq-1/ |access-date=September 8, 2022 |work=Chicago Tribune |date=September 3, 1869))</ref>

In the late 19th century, the county was largely known for its tanneries and [[Peanut#Cultivation|peanut cultivation]]. Peanut farming began in earnest in the late 1860s, replacing cotton as the primary export crop of the county.<ref name="histfam" />((rp|48)) By 1886 over 500,000 bushels of peanuts per year were being produced.<ref name="Goodspeed" /> In the 1890s, the Southern Peanut Company was incorporated at Britt's Landing, which became the focal point of the peanut processing industry in the county. The dominance of the peanut as the primary cash crop in the county lasted through to the 1920s when the Southern Peanut Company went bankrupt. With the company's bankruptcy, the lack of processing and export facilities caused the market for peanuts in the county to collapse.<ref name="histfam" />((rp|48, 52–53))

The [[Craig Family Farm|first known black-owned farm in the county]] was established in 1871 on the north fork of Lick Creek. Tapp Craig and his wife, Amy Guthrie, both former slaves, purchased the farm with a down payment of a yoke of oxen, and paid off the farm over the next two years. The farm, still owned by the Craig family, is listed in the National Register of Historic Places due to its significance in the history of black farmers in Tennessee.<ref name=craig>((cite web |title=Tennessee MPS Craig Family Farm |url=https://catalog.archives.gov/id/135817137 |website=Records of the National Park Service, 1785–2006 |publisher=National Archives |access-date=August 28, 2022))</ref>

From about 1880 to 1884, the first regular newspaper in the county, the ''Linden Times'', was published weekly.<ref name="histfam" />((rp|40–42)) By the mid-1880s, the continued lack of railroad connections was reported as a cause for the lack of investment in the county. An 1886 editorial in the ''[[Nashville Daily American]]'' noted that many in the county were awaiting the construction of the proposed Nashville, Memphis, and Jackson Railroad, and viewed it as an essential step in the modernization and industrialization of the area.<ref>((cite news |last1=S. |first1=J. |title=Perry County. A Fertile Section, With Vast Natural Wealth, But Without Railroads. |work=Nashville Daily American |issue=3736 |date=November 24, 1886))</ref> In 1887, [[United States Congress|Congress]] authorized the construction of a railroad bridge across the Tennessee River connecting Perry and Decatur counties. The [[Paducah, Tennessee and Alabama Railroad|Tennessee Midland Railroad]] laid tracks from [[Lexington, Tennessee]] to Perryville. While a [[Train station#Terminus|terminus]] allowing the transfer of goods from rail to river shipping was constructed in Perryville, the bridge was never built and the railroad was never extended into Perry County.<ref name="TMR">((cite web |title=Tennessee Midland Railroad |url=http://illinois-central.net/timeline/stories/tm.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200303122532/http://illinois-central.net/timeline/stories/tm.html |archive-date=March 3, 2020 |website=Illinois-Central.net |access-date=March 14, 2022))</ref> A second attempt to bring a railroad to Perry County was started around 1890 with construction beginning on the [[List of unused railways#Alabama|Florence Northern Railroad]]. Plans for the line's extension meant for it to eventually pass through Linden on its way from [[Florence, Alabama]] to [[Paducah, Kentucky]].<ref>((cite journal |title=Construction Department |journal=Manufacturers' Record |date=1888 |volume=14 |issue=8 |page=21 |url=https://archive.org/details/sim_site-selection_1888-09-29_14_8/page/20 |access-date=July 23, 2022))</ref> In 1894 the railroad was purchased by a [[Chattanooga]] company after about ((convert|30|mi|km)) had been graded, but construction was never completed.<ref>((cite journal |title=Railroad Construction |journal=Manufacturers' Record |date=1894 |volume=26 |issue=11 |page=171 |url=https://archive.org/details/sim_site-selection_1894-10-12_26_11/page/170/ |access-date=July 23, 2022))</ref>

===Early 20th century===
[[File:Noah Harder.png|thumb|right|upright=.55|Pvt. Noah Harder of Linden, killed in Belgium, 1918<ref>((cite web |title=Harder, Noah Loyd |url=https://teva.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/p15138coll26/id/5402/rec/21 |website=Tennessee Virtual Archive |publisher=Tennessee State Library and Archives |access-date=September 20, 2022))</ref>]]Briefly, in the summer of 1903, Perry County was without a county government. That year the state legislature passed an act consolidating the civil districts in the county, and providing for a new special election to be held that would elect new officers. Due to an oversight in the writing of the act, the new county officers could not be seated until 30 days after the election.<ref>((cite news |title=Perry County's Plight |work=The Nashville American |issue=9563 |date=July 5, 1903))</ref>

By 1910, the population of the county peaked at 8,815. It then proceeded to decline to a low of 5,238 individuals in 1970, a number not seen since the census of 1830.<ref name="Census" /> During the [[First World War]], a [[Selective Service System|Selective Service Board]] was established in Linden. Over 1,500 men registered for the draft, and 254 individuals from Perry County served in the United States military from 1917 to 1919. Out of those who served, 10 were wounded and 27 were killed, a nearly 15% casualty rate.<ref>((cite book |title=World War Record of Ex-Soldiers of Perry County, State of Tennessee |date=1935 |publisher=The American Legion Auxiliary |location=Nashville, Tennessee |url=https://teva.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/p15138coll38/id/5708/rec/1 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220729151207/https://teva.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/p15138coll38/id/5708/rec/1 |archive-date=July 29, 2022 |access-date=July 5, 2022))</ref>

[[File:TVA_Perry_County_1934.jpg|thumb|upright=.6|left|1934 map of Perry County]]In 1927, the county decided to renovate and expand the courthouse. In January 1928, the building burned as it was undergoing restoration. The county government decided to demolish the remains of the old courthouse and construct a new, larger building in the [[Colonial Revival]] style which was completed that same year.<ref>((cite web |title=Tennessee MPS Perry County Courthouse |url=https://catalog.archives.gov/id/135817139 |website=Records of the National Park Service, 1785–2006 |publisher=National Archives |access-date=August 28, 2022))</ref> Also in 1928, construction started on [[Alvin C. York Bridge|the first bridge]] across the Tennessee River in West and Middle Tennessee, connecting Perry and Decatur counties. The bridge, named after [[World War I]] [[Medal of Honor]] recipient [[Alvin C. York]], was opened on July 5, 1930, by [[Henry Hollis Horton|Governor Henry Horton]] as part of a major road building program to provide additional links between [[Memphis, Tennessee|Memphis]] and [[Nashville]].<ref>((cite news |title=Steel Spans River at Perryville |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/604802157 |access-date=July 31, 2023 |work=Nashville Banner |date=May 9, 1930))</ref><ref>((cite news |title=Plan Dedication of Perryville Bridge |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/605100110 |access-date=July 31, 2023 |work=Nashville Banner |date=June 3, 1930))</ref> The crossing would prove to be extremely popular, and was the fourth highest grossing toll bridge in the state in the month after its opening.<ref>((cite news |title=Toll Bridges Paid $18,072 During July |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/585839571 |access-date=July 31, 2023 |work=Johnson City Staff-News |agency=Associated Press |date=August 22, 1930))</ref> This bridge was later demolished and replaced by a modern concrete bridge in 1986.<ref name="yorkbridge">((cite news |title=Alvin C. York Bridge now open to traffic |work=The Tennessean |issue=200  |date=October 4, 1986))</ref> The construction of the road bridge and completion of the highway reduced demand for rail service in the area, and service to the rail terminal at Perryville was discontinued in 1936.<ref name=TMR />

By the 1930s, Perry County had acquired a reputation as a hotbed of [[moonshine|illicit alcohol production]]. Its isolated nature on the eastern edge of a Federal law enforcement district meant that [[Bureau of Prohibition|prohibition officers]] rarely operated in the area, allowing moonshine operations to run unimpeded. Liquor would be distributed to dealers in neighboring Hickman County for sale.<ref>((cite news |title=Hickman 'Stole' Its Whisky Reputation From Perry County |work=The Nashville Banner |date=May 28, 1933))</ref> Recovery from the Great Depression was slow in the county. By the late 1940s, wages had improved from their nadir in the 1930s, although unemployment was high among the predominant industries of farming and forestry.<ref>((cite book |last1=Duncan |first1=James Carl |title=Adventures of a Tennessean |date=2013 |publisher=AuthorHouse |isbn=978-1-4817-4157-6 |page=3))</ref>

During the [[Second World War]], Perry County was located in the [[Tennessee Maneuver Area]], though it is unclear to what extent exercises occurred within Perry County, if at all. The region was chosen due to its geographic similarity with anticipated combat areas in Western Europe, specifically, the region around the [[Rhine]] in Germany. Maneuvers began in June 1941 and training was suspended in March 1944 as [[Operation Overlord]] approached.<ref>((cite book |last1=Nance |first1=Benjamin C. |title=AN ARCHAEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF WORLD WAR II MILITARY SITES IN TENNESSEE |date=2007 |publisher=Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation Division of Archaeology |page=8 |url=https://www.tn.gov/content/dam/tn/environment/archaeology/documents/reportofinvestigations/arch_roi13_ww2_2007.pdf |access-date=April 2, 2023))</ref>

===Late 20th century===
In 1958, [[Interstate 40]] was completed in Tennessee, crossing the length of the state but passing ((convert|4|mi|km)) north of the county. Following this, businesses began to leave the county for locations nearer urban areas and adjacent to the highway; and when two garment factories and an automobile parts plant ceased operations, the conditions were set for long-term economic stagnation.<ref name="pbs">((cite news |last1=Santhanam |first1=Laura |title=In rural America, tightened access to Medicaid means tough choices |url=https://www.pbs.org/newshour/health/in-rural-america-tightened-access-to-medicaid-means-tough-choices |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221122143109/https://www.pbs.org/newshour/health/in-rural-america-tightened-access-to-medicaid-means-tough-choices | archive-date=November 22, 2022| access-date=December 6, 2022 |work=[[PBS NewsHour]] |date=May 31, 2018))</ref>

By the mid 1960s, an effort had commenced to protect areas of the county along the Tennessee River for conservation and recreation. In January 1967, the site at Mousetail Landing, then owned by the [[Tennessee Valley Authority|Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA)]], was reported as under study for a future park.<ref>((cite news |last1=Holly |first1=Sarah |title=Soon Cold Cider, Warm Hospitality Will Greet Visitors |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/113223728 |access-date=July 31, 2023 |work=The Tennessean |date=January 8, 1967))</ref> In 1968, a bill was vetoed by [[Buford Ellington|Governor Buford Ellington]] that would have provided funding to acquire land to establish a state park at the landing.<ref>((cite news |last1=Binkley |first1=Ellis |title=Governor Vetoes Big Money Bills |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/592473205 |access-date=July 31, 2023 |work=Kingston Times |date=April 11, 1968))</ref> By 1973, the park had seen further planning as part of a chain of four water-oriented parks along the Tennessee River, including [[Pickwick Landing State Park]], [[Nathan Bedford Forrest State Park]], and [[Paris Landing State Park]].<ref>((cite news |last1=Sherman |first1=Mike |title=Resort Mecca Dedicated |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/284264803 |access-date=July 31, 2023 |work=The Jackson Sun |date=May 20, 1973))</ref> In 1977, Perry County leaders unanimously approved a resolution in support of the development of the park. That year, the TVA offered to give ((convert|100|acre|hectare)) of land to the state, and a matching Federal grant of $1.1 million had been made available for the park's development.<ref>((cite news |title=Perry Court Approves Park |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/111876501 |access-date=July 31, 2023 |work=The Tennessean |date=June 16, 1977))</ref> By 1979, the state had finalized plans to build the park and officially asked the TVA to turn over ((convert|1,200|acre|hectare)) of riverfront land between Spring Creek and Lick Creek for the park. TVA approved the land transfer, with construction planned to begin late that year.<ref>((cite news |title=State to Begin Park Work in September |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/367027701 |access-date=July 31, 2023 |work=The Leaf-Chronicle |agency=Associated Press |date=June 29, 1979))</ref>

In 1971, an [[Old Order Mennonite]] [[Believers in Christ, Lobelville|community]] was established along Cane Creek near Lobelville. Both [[English language|English]] as well as [[Plattdeutsch]] and [[Pennsylvania German]] speaking families settled in the area from other areas of Tennessee, from nearby states such as [[Arkansas]], and internationally from [[Belize]]. This community generally avoids motor vehicles, except in certain limited situations sanctioned by their church, and most families are not connected to the [[electrical grid]].<ref>((cite journal |last1=Hoover |first1=Peter |title=The Pure Church movement |journal=Journal of Amish and Plain Anabaptist Studies |date=2018 |volume=6 |issue=1 |pages=73–99|doi=10.18061/1811/86024 |doi-access=free |hdl=1811/86024 |hdl-access=free ))</ref>

Nineteen farms in Perry County have been accepted into the [[Century Farm|Tennessee Century Farms Program]].<ref name="centfarmperry">((cite web |title=Perry County |url=https://www.tncenturyfarms.org/perry-county/ |website=Tennessee Century Farms |publisher=Center for Historic Preservation, Middle Tennessee State University |access-date=May 11, 2023))</ref> The program, established in 1975 by the [[Tennessee Department of Agriculture]] and now managed by the Center for Historic Preservation at [[Middle Tennessee State University]], recognizes active farms that have been operated continuously by the same family for over 100 years.<ref>((cite web |title=About |url=https://www.tncenturyfarms.org/about/ |website=Tennessee Century Farms |publisher=Center for Historic Preservation, Middle Tennessee State University |access-date=May 11, 2023))</ref> Included in the program are the Craig Farm and the Tucker Farm, established in 1818 and the oldest farm in the county.<ref name="centfarmperry" />

==Geography and geology==
((See also|Geography of Tennessee|Geology of Tennessee))
Perry County is located on the western edge of [[Middle Tennessee]]. The [[topography]] of Perry County is characterized by high ridges separating creeks flowing into the county's two rivers and is typical of the [[Highland Rim#Western Highland Rim|Western Highland Rim]] region of Tennessee. The highest point in Perry County is approximately ((convert|980|ft)) above sea level, located on an unnamed ridge in the far southeastern portion of the county near the borders of Lewis County and Wayne County.<ref name="peaks">((cite web |title=Perry County High Point, Tennessee |url=https://www.peakbagger.com/peak.aspx?pid=22526 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220729151443/https://www.peakbagger.com/peak.aspx?pid=22526 |archive-date=July 29, 2022 |website=PeakBagger.com |access-date=June 30, 2022))</ref>

===Rivers===
((Main|Tennessee River|Buffalo River (Tennessee)|Duck River (Tennessee)|l2 = Buffalo River|l3 = Duck River))
[[File:Toms Creek Fishing Tennessee River.jpg|thumb|upright=.7|alt=A black and white aerial view of a bay on a lake with a small fishing boat with two men aboard in the foreground.|Toms Creek embayment on the Tennessee River]]Three rivers are found within Perry County: the Tennessee River, Buffalo River, and Duck River. The Tennessee River runs along the western boundary of the county, Buffalo River bisects the county, and a bend of the Duck River crosses into the county very briefly in its far northeastern corner.<ref name="gm">((cite web |title=Perry County, TN |url=https://www.google.com/maps/place/Perry+County,+TN/ |website=Google Maps |access-date=December 9, 2022))</ref> Even though the county's terrain is heavily influenced by the presence of water features, there are no dams in the county registered in the [[National Inventory of Dams]].<ref>((cite web |title=Dams of the Nation |url=https://nid.sec.usace.army.mil/#/dams/search/sy=@countyState:Perry,%20Tennessee&viewType=map&resultsType=dams&advanced=false&hideList=false&eventSystem=false |website=National Inventory of Dams |publisher=US Army Corps of Engineers |access-date=February 8, 2024))</ref>

====Tennessee River====
The Tennessee River forms the western border of Perry County, dividing it from Decatur County and Benton County.<ref name="gm" /> It flows south to north and is navigable through the entire length of the county.<ref>((Cite web |url=https://www.tva.gov/Environment/Managing-the-River/Navigation-on-the-Tennessee-River |title=TVA – Navigation on the Tennessee River |access-date=December 12, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180712201311/https://www.tva.gov/Environment/Managing-the-River/Navigation-on-the-Tennessee-River |archive-date=July 12, 2018 |url-status=live ))</ref> In 1944, with the construction of [[Kentucky Dam]], portions of low-lying land adjacent to the river were inundated, although the societal and environmental impact was substantially lower than areas farther downstream.<ref name=kye>((cite book |editor=Kleber, John E. |others=Associate editors: [[Thomas D. Clark]], Lowell H. Harrison, and [[James C. Klotter]] |title=''The Kentucky Encyclopedia'' |year=1992 |publisher=The University Press of Kentucky |location=[[Lexington, Kentucky]] |isbn=0-8131-1772-0 |chapter=Lakes))</ref> While the presence of the dam allows for some level of control against regular, catastrophic flooding along the basin, some areas of the western portion of the county do flood. At the [[National Weather Service]] designated [[flood]] stage of the river, portions of the county near Crooked Creek are inundated. At moderate and major flood stages, bottomland near Mousetail Landing State Park, Deer Creek, and Cedar Creek are inundated.<ref>((cite web |title=Tennessee River Flood Stages Data |url=https://parsonsweather.com/info-flood.php |website=Parsons Weather |publisher=ParsonsWeather.com))</ref>

Lady's Bluff, located approximately ((convert|11|mi|km)) west of Linden, is the tallest bluff on the lower Tennessee River, and overlooks the section of the river known as The Narrows. The river is narrow enough at this point that barges cannot pass side by side and must pass through individually. [[Lady's Bluff Small Wild Area]] is a small federally protected public access park that includes the bluff and surrounding woodland.<ref name="bluff">((cite web |title=Lady's Bluff TVA Small Wild Area |url=http://www.perrycountytourism.com/ladysbluff.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220729151530/http://www.perrycountytourism.com/ladysbluff.htm |archive-date=July 29, 2022 |website=Perry County Tourism |publisher=Perry County Chamber of Commerce and Tourism |access-date=July 15, 2022))</ref> One possibly apocryphal story of the origin of the name of the bluff stems from a supposed incident where a woman was kidnapped and used as bait for an ambush by Native Americans against white settlers encroaching on their land.<ref>((cite news |last1=Priest |first1=J. Percy |title=Wooded Hills, Green Valleys Linked by Smooth Motor Trails Give Perry County Appearance of a Large Park |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/161139473/ |access-date=March 5, 2023 |work=The Tennessean |date=April 11, 1940))</ref>

====Buffalo River====
The Buffalo River flows south to north through the county before entering the Duck River just north of the county line in Humphreys County, and over 25% of the river's total watershed area is within the county. The towns of Linden and Lobelville and the unincorporated communities of Flat Woods and Beardstown are located along the river.<ref name="buffalo">((cite web|url=http://www.tn.gov/environment/watersheds/three/documents/buffalo/buffalo2.pdf|title=Buffalo River Watershed-Chapter 2|access-date=June 21, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110714032413/http://www.tn.gov/environment/watersheds/three/documents/buffalo/buffalo2.pdf|archive-date=July 14, 2011|url-status=dead))</ref> Four river outfitters are located along the river within the county and add to its value as a recreational river.<ref name="agassets">((cite book |last1=Hughes |first1=David W. |last2=Mathenia |first2=Amanda |title=Mapping the Agricultural Assets of Perry County, Tennessee |date=2021 |publisher=University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture  |url=https://extension.tennessee.edu/publications/Documents/PB1891.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210711223506/https://extension.tennessee.edu/publications/Documents/PB1891.pdf |archive-date=July 11, 2021 ))</ref>

===Topography and hydrography===
[[File:Lick Creek Tennessee.jpg|thumb|Road ford across Lick Creek]]Most of the western half of the county forms part of the [[drainage basin|watershed]] for the Tennessee River, while most of the eastern half drains into the Buffalo River. A very small portion of the far northeastern corner of the county drains into the Duck River. The water table is high due to the hard substrate, creating numerous springs and shallow wells, and is charged by the Highland Rim aquifer. Typical spring and well yields range from 1 to 400 gallons per minute (4.5 to 1820 liters per minute).<ref name="USDA" />

[[Buffalo Ridge (Tennessee)|Buffalo Ridge]] bisects the county from north to south between the Tennessee and Buffalo rivers. The ridge reaches approximately ((convert|700|ft|m)) above sea level, with a [[topographic prominence]] of about ((convert|300|ft|m)). Eight smaller spur ridges extend to the west from the main crest of Buffalo Ridge about ((convert|9|mi|km)), creating the drainages for nine major creeks that flow into the Tennessee River. These creeks are, from north to south, Blue Creek, Crooked Creek, Roans Creek, Toms Creek, Lick Creek, Spring Creek, Cypress Creek, Marsh Creek, and Cedar Creek. To the east of the Buffalo River, additional ridges run east to west, similar to the terrain west of Buffalo Ridge. These ridges form the basins for the main Buffalo River tributaries within the county, Coon Creek, Brush Creek, Hurricane Creek, Short Creek, and Cane Creek.<ref name="Resources" />

Large tracts of natural wetlands exist within the county. One estimate based on [[Aerial photographic and satellite image interpretation|analysis of satellite photography]] by the Tennessee Valley Authority estimated approximately ((convert|5,200|acre|hectare)) of forested wetlands and ((convert|1,200|acre|hectare)) of non-forested wetlands. These wetlands occur primarily along stream courses, and are some of the most productive wildlife habitat in the region.<ref name="USDA" />

===Soil and geology===
((See also|Nashville Dome|Highland Rim))
[[File:Perry_Co_Tenn_Cross_Section.png|thumb|Cross section of the soil profile of Perry County]]Soil deposits from the three river drainages located in the county have created fertile bottomland that are used intensively for agricultural purposes. The soil profile is generally very deep, with slopes and soil types suitable for agriculture and building construction. The ridge tops are well drained and loamy, with significant [[chert]] rock deposits. Reserves of chert, sand, gravel, [[limestone]], and [[phosphate]] can be found in the county. Cherty limestone deposits are the most extensive geologic feature of the county, and an [[Permeability (Earth sciences)|impermeable]] [[siltstone]] and [[shale]] base below the chert formations has led to the emergence of numerous fresh water springs.<ref name="USDA" />

Blue and gray limestone outcrops are present in most valleys of the county. These limestone formations are part of the Lobelville formation of the [[Silurian]] [[Brownsport Group]] and of the [[Lower Devonian|Lower]] [[Helderberg Group]].<ref>((cite journal |last1=Wilson |first1=Charles W. Jr. |title=The Pre-Chattanooga Development of the Nashville Dome |journal=The Journal of Geology |date=July–August 1935 |volume=XLIII |issue=5 |page=479 |doi=10.1086/624329 |bibcode=1935JG.....43..449W |s2cid=140167635 |url=https://dx.doi.org/10.1086/624329 |access-date=July 22, 2022))</ref> Significant numbers of fossils have been found in the limestone.<ref name="Resources" /> By the late 1830s, the fossils of various newly cataloged species of mollusks and trilobites found in the county were described in reports to the General Assembly.<ref>((cite book |last1=Troost |first1=G. |title=Fifth Geological Report to the Twenty-Fourth General Assembly of the State of Tennessee |date=November 1839 |publisher=J. Geo. Harris |location=Nashville))</ref> Iron ore is extremely abundant, with numerous deposits to the west of Buffalo Ridge.<ref name="Resources" />

===Adjacent counties===
*[[Humphreys County, Tennessee|Humphreys County]] (north)
*[[Hickman County, Tennessee|Hickman County]] (northeast)
*[[Lewis County, Tennessee|Lewis County]] (southeast)
*[[Wayne County, Tennessee|Wayne County]] (south)
*[[Decatur County, Tennessee|Decatur County]] (west)
*[[Benton County, Tennessee|Benton County]] (northwest)<ref name="censusmap">((cite book |title=2010 Census Tract Reference Map: Perry County, TN |date=December 13, 2010 |publisher=US Census Bureau |location=Washington, DC |url=https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/09/Perry_County_2010_Census.png))</ref>

==Weather and climate==
Perry County has a humid subtropical climate ([[Köppen climate classification|Köppen]] ''Cfa''), characterized by hot, humid summers and cold winters.<ref name="Weather">((cite web |title=Tennessee Climate |url=https://www.weather-us.com/en/tennessee-usa-climate |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220729152015/https://www.weather-us.com/en/tennessee-usa-climate |archive-date=July 29, 2022 |website=Weather Atlas |access-date=March 15, 2022))</ref> The average winter temperature is ((convert|47.8|°F|°C)), and the average summer temperature is ((convert|75.7|°F|°C)). The record low of ((convert|-1|°F|°C)) occurred on January 24, 1963, and the record high of ((convert|105|°F|°C)) occurred on July 17, 1980. Average seasonal snowfall is ((convert|5.5|inches|cm)). [[Thunderstorm]]s are relatively common in the county, with an average of 53 days per year seeing thunderstorm activity, usually between May and August.<ref name="USDA" />

National Weather Service records list sixteen tornadoes which have been reported in Perry County, with the first one recorded in 1909. Out of these, 14 were reported since 1999. The deadliest tornado recorded in the county [[Tornado outbreak sequence of May 25 – June 1, 1917#May 27 event|happened on May 27, 1917]], which killed five and injured an additional 67 people. Its intensity was estimated as [[Enhanced Fujita scale|EF/4]].<ref name="msu tornadoes">((cite web |title=NWS Nashville Tornado Database |url=https://midsouthtornadoes.msstate.edu/index.php?cw=ohx |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220513091439/https://midsouthtornadoes.msstate.edu/index.php?cw=ohx |archive-date=May 13, 2022 |website=Mid-South Tornadoes |publisher=Mississippi State University |access-date=March 15, 2022))</ref> Perry County was also struck during the [[1999 Oklahoma tornado outbreak#Other tornadoes|May 5, 1999, tornado outbreak]]. It was hit by the strongest tornado reported during the outbreak, killing three people and causing substantial damage to Linden.<ref name=weather19990505>((cite web |title=May 5, 1999 Tornado Outbreak |url=https://www.weather.gov/ohx/19990505 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210513151633/https://www.weather.gov/ohx/19990505 |archive-date=May 13, 2021 |website=weather.gov |publisher=National Weather Service |access-date=March 15, 2022))</ref> Another deadly tornado hit the county during the [[Tornado outbreak of December 23–25, 2015|December 23, 2015, outbreak]], with two killed.<ref name=weather20151223>((cite web |title=December 23, 2015 Tornado Outbreak |url=https://www.weather.gov/ohx/20151223 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220315155437/https://www.weather.gov/ohx/20151223 |archive-date=March 15, 2022 |website=weather.gov |publisher=National Weather Service |access-date=March 15, 2022))</ref>
((Tornado Chart 
| EFU = 0
| EF0 = 3
| EF1 = 6
| EF2 = 5
| EF3 = 0
| EF4 = 2
| EF5 = 0
| total = 16
| notes = <ref name="msu tornadoes" />
))
((Weather box
|location = Perry County, Tennessee (1991–2020, as recorded in Linden)
|single line = Y
|width = auto
|Jan record high F = 76
|Feb record high F = 82
|Mar record high F = 89
|Apr record high F = 92
|May record high F = 96
|Jun record high F = 104
|Jul record high F = 105
|Aug record high F = 105
|Sep record high F = 101
|Oct record high F = 97
|Nov record high F = 93
|Dec record high F = 88
|year record high F = 105
|Jan high F = 48.6
|Feb high F = 53.2
|Mar high F = 62.6
|Apr high F = 72.0
|May high F = 78.7
|Jun high F = 85.1
|Jul high F = 88.7
|Aug high F = 88.5
|Sep high F = 83.3
|Oct high F = 73.2
|Nov high F = 61.4
|Dec high F = 51.9
|year high F = 70.6
|Jan mean F = 37.5
|Feb mean F = 41.2
|Mar mean F = 49.3
|Apr mean F = 58.1
|May mean F = 66.4
|Jun mean F = 74.0
|Jul mean F = 77.8
|Aug mean F = 76.9
|Sep mean F = 70.5
|Oct mean F = 59.0
|Nov mean F = 48.3
|Dec mean F = 40.7
|year mean F = 58.3
|Jan low F = 26.5
|Feb low F = 29.2
|Mar low F = 36.1
|Apr low F = 44.2
|May low F = 54.1
|Jun low F = 62.9
|Jul low F = 67.0
|Aug low F = 65.4
|Sep low F = 57.8
|Oct low F = 44.9
|Nov low F = 35.2
|Dec low F = 29.6
|year low F = 46.1
|Jan record low F = -18
|Feb record low F = -10
|Mar record low F = 6
|Apr record low F = 19
|May record low F = 30
|Jun record low F = 36
|Jul record low F = 46
|Aug record low F = 41
|Sep record low F = 35
|Oct record low F = 21
|Nov record low F = 6
|Dec record low F = −8
|year record low F = -18
|precipitation color = green
|Jan precipitation inch = 4.60
|Feb precipitation inch = 4.91
|Mar precipitation inch = 4.93
|Apr precipitation inch = 5.64
|May precipitation inch = 6.36
|Jun precipitation inch = 5.31
|Jul precipitation inch = 5.06
|Aug precipitation inch = 3.20
|Sep precipitation inch = 4.20
|Oct precipitation inch = 3.82
|Nov precipitation inch = 3.89
|Dec precipitation inch = 5.67
|year precipitation inch = 57.59
|Jan snow inch = 0.9
|Feb snow inch = 0.7
|Mar snow inch = 0.4
|Apr snow inch = 0.0
|May snow inch = 0.0
|Jun snow inch = 0.0
|Jul snow inch = 0.0
|Aug snow inch = 0.0
|Sep snow inch = 0.0
|Oct snow inch = 0.0
|Nov snow inch = 0.0
|Dec snow inch = 0.1
|year snow inch = 2.1
|unit precipitation days = 0.01 in
|Jan precipitation days = 9.0
|Feb precipitation days = 8.5
|Mar precipitation days = 9.0
|Apr precipitation days = 8.7
|May precipitation days = 9.4
|Jun precipitation days = 8.2
|Jul precipitation days = 8.2
|Aug precipitation days = 6.8
|Sep precipitation days = 6.5
|Oct precipitation days = 7.1
|Nov precipitation days = 7.9
|Dec precipitation days = 9.1
|year precipitation days = 98.4
|unit snow days = 0.1 in
|Jan snow days = 0.3
|Feb snow days = 0.4
|Mar snow days = 0.2
|Apr snow days = 0.0
|May snow days = 0.0
|Jun snow days = 0.0
|Jul snow days = 0.0
|Aug snow days = 0.0
|Sep snow days = 0.0
|Oct snow days = 0.0
|Nov snow days = 0.0
|Dec snow days = 0.0
|year snow days = 0.9
|source 1 = [[NOAA]]<ref name= NOAA>
((cite web
| url = https://www.weather.gov/wrh/Climate?wfo=ohx
| title = NowData – NOAA Online Weather Data
| publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
| access-date = October 2, 2021))</ref><ref name=NCEI>
((cite web
| url = https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&startDate=0001-01-01&endDate=9996-12-31&stations=USC00405278&format=pdf
| title = Station: Linden WTP, TN
| work = U.S. Climate Normals 2020: U.S. Monthly Climate Normals (1991–2020)
| publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
| access-date = October 2, 2021))</ref>
))

==Flora and fauna==
About 80% of the county is wooded.<ref name="USDA" /> Numerous species of economically important timber trees are found in the county, including white oak, walnut, black oak, hickory, and [[Quercus montana|chestnut oak]].<ref name="Resources" /> 561 species of wild plants have been collected in the county.<ref>[https://sernecportal.org/portal/collections/list.php?db=196%2C270%2C217%2C148%2C404%2C149%2C170%2C257%2C440%2C380%2C453%2C367%2C360%2C443%2C288%2C155%2C262%2C317%2C218%2C192%2C416%2C362%2C193%2C279%2C476%2C383%2C250%2C151%2C513%2C373%2C269%2C228%2C359%2C172%2C505%2C424%2C436%2C300%2C406%2C361%2C481%2C219%2C437%2C307%2C452%2C229%2C441%2C407%2C343%2C210%2C347%2C323%2C267%2C225%2C252%2C189%2C222%2C216%2C266%2C276%2C371%2C346%2C283%2C254%2C171%2C261%2C303%2C433%2C451%2C358%2C287%2C431%2C344%2C340%2C230%2C325%2C322%2C286%2C299%2C255%2C321%2C268%2C249%2C258%2C430%2C435%2C341%2C309%2C282%2C213%2C220%2C206%2C402%2C212%2C289%2C381%2C374%2C314%2C147%2C382%2C221%2C364%2C312%2C311%2C363%2C260%2C259%2C449%2C263%2C264%2C375%2C448%2C271%2C197%2C227%2C447%2C184%2C294%2C248%2C403%2C194%2C372%2C1%2C296%2C454%2C413%2C350%2C15%2C176%2C3%2C5%2C24%2C128%2C6%2C142%2C182%2C103%2C310%2C4%2C305%2C22%2C23%2C215%2C445%2C104%2C302%2C105%2C434%2C2%2C21%2C507%2C17%2C25%2C11%2C10%2C523%2C522%2C521%2C520%2C412%2C464%2C466%2C517%2C519%2C515%2C201%2C446%2C390%2C150%2C202%2C191%2C180%2C133%2C243%2C181%2C199%2C209%2C200%2C324%2C234%2C278%2C379%2C377%2C477%2C238%2C236%2C178%2C479%2C161%2C444%2C239%2C240%2C203%2C315%2C244%2C204%2C514%2C135%2C235%2C478%2C457%2C241%2C198%2C232%2C231%2C130%2C246%2C423%2C462%2C253%2C460%2C106%2C349%2C389%2C399%2C461%2C120%2C405%2C512%2C342%2C502%2C16%2C179%2C356%2C207%2C471%2C131%2C108%2C121%2C125%2C159%2C458%2C109%2C117%2C510%2C107%2C442%2C336%2C277%2C328%2C334%2C329%2C333%2C320%2C330%2C40%2C410%2C316%2C503%2C335%2C469%2C331%2C332%2C494%2C160%2C345%2C386%2C301%2C272%2C111%2C398%2C166%2C174%2C122%2C156%2C132%2C163%2C251%2C154%2C256%2C134%2C139%2C144%2C157%2C304%2C205%2C427%2C177%2C275%2C326%2C173%2C455%2C137%2C153%2C284%2C138%2C190%2C415%2C306%2C432%2C226%2C129%2C273%2C298%2C115%2C506%2C141%2C418%2C414%2C295%2C408%2C313%2C318%2C195%2C9%2C395%2C500%2C285%2C393%2C293%2C498%2C470%2C7%2C291%2C392%2C484%2C400%2C499%2C394%2C396%2C290%2C397%2C292%2C501%2C468%2C497%2C489%2C385%2C119%2C439%2C465%2C428%2C384%2C123%2C124%2C30%2C429%2C188%2C126%2C186%2C116%2C113%2C112%2C50%2C368%2C388%2C118%2C485%2C474%2C463%2C370%2C491%2C495%2C175%2C488%2C365%2C504%2C459%2C493%2C223%2C158%2C475%2C422%2C387%2C509%2C483%2C473%2C366%2C354%2C456%2C487%2C378%2C376%2C357%2C467%2C100%2C274%2C438%2C110%2C480%2C102%2C297%3B8%2C2%2C13%2C10%2C16%2C1%2C11%2C9%2C4%2C6%2C5%2C3%2C12%2C14%2C7%2C15&state=Tennessee&county=Perry Perry County, Tennessee], Southeast Regional Network of Expertise and Collections, ''sernecportal.org'', accessed July 4, 2022; the number of species comes from the species list using the Central Taxonomic Thesaurus after [[Synonym (taxonomy)|synonyms]] are removed</ref> Perry County has numerous native game species, including [[whitetail deer]], [[rabbit]], [[eastern wild turkey]], [[gray squirrel]], and [[fox squirrel]]. [[Bobwhite quail]] are also present, however the population is low due to a lack of suitable habitat. [[Mourning dove]] nesting populations are typically also low, although large numbers transit the area during [[migratory bird|seasonal migrations]]. Common migratory waterfowl found in the county include [[wood duck]], [[mallard]], [[gadwall]], [[Canada goose]], and the Buffalo River and its tributaries are noted wood duck nesting locations. [[Mink]], [[muskrat]], and [[beaver]] are found throughout wetlands in the county. There are large populations of [[bobcat]], [[Virginia opossum|opossum]], [[gray fox]], [[striped skunk]], and [[coyote]], as well as numerous species of [[reptiles]], [[amphibians]], and [[birds]].<ref name="USDA" /> [[Alexander Cave (cavern)|Alexander Cave]] in the far northeastern part of the county is an important roosting and hibernation location for the endangered [[gray bat]].<ref>((cite web |last1=Kingsbury |first1=Paul |title=Tracking a Comeback the High-Tech Way |url=http://www.landscope.org/article/TN/tnc-tracking_a_comeback/Tracking%20a%20Comeback%20the%20High-Tech%20Way/ |website=LandScope America |access-date=3 April 2024))</ref> Numerous fish species, including [[game fish]] such as the [[largemouth bass]], [[smallmouth bass]], [[crappie]], and [[channel catfish|catfish]] are found in the rivers and streams of the county. The value  of the large amount of game and fish found in the county was reported as early as 1932, and continues to be a major driver of tourism in the county.<ref>((cite web |title=Fishing |url=https://chamber.perrycountytn.com/visit-shop-stay/parks-recreation-2/fishing |website=Perry County Chamber of Commerce |access-date=December 9, 2022))</ref><ref name="FFA">((cite news |title=Future Farmers Describe Perry County's Resources |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/605254439/ |access-date=February 3, 2023 |work=The Nashville Banner |date=August 23, 1932))</ref>

The remains of prehistoric [[megafauna]] have been discovered in the county. In September 1820, the skeletal remains of a large animal, possibly a giant ground sloth (''[[Megalonyx]]''), were excavated in an unidentified cave in the county. The remains were reportedly recovered by a Nashville museum operator and collector, but have since been lost.<ref>((cite journal |last1=Stephens |first1=Rachel |title=Curious Men and their Curiosities: Ralph E. W. Earl's Nashville Museum and the Precedent of Charles Willson Peale |journal=Early American Studies |date=Summer 2018 |volume=16 |issue=3 |page=571 |doi=10.1353/eam.2018.0019 |jstor=90024205 |s2cid=150353033 |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/90024205 |access-date=July 22, 2022))</ref> 

===Wildlife reintroduction===
By the late 1940s, fewer than 1,000 whitetail deer were found in the state, having been hunted to the brink of [[extirpation]]. In the early 1930s, the [[Tennessee Game and Fish Commission]], the [[United States Forest Service]], the Tennessee Valley Authority, and the [[United States Navy]] began restocking efforts on public lands in the State. In 1949, the Game and Fish Commission began their first reintroduction effort in Perry County on public lands, later expanding reintroductions to private lands in the 1950s. By the 1950s, the populations had grown large enough to sustain a limited degree of hunting.<ref>((cite web |title=Hunting in Tennessee |url=https://chamber.perrycountytn.com/visit-shop-stay/parks-recreation-2/hunting-in-tennessee |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220715180634/https://chamber.perrycountytn.com/visit-shop-stay/parks-recreation-2/hunting-in-tennessee |archive-date=July 15, 2022 |website=Perry County Chamber of Commerce and Tourism |access-date=July 15, 2022))</ref> In 1960, 30 deer were harvested in the county; by 1996, that number had risen to nearly 2,200.<ref name="USDA" />

By the 1950s, wild turkeys had been eliminated from the county. A reintroduction and habitat management program was conducted by the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (the successor agency to the Game and Fish Commission), leading to the successful return of the species to the county. While the overall number of turkeys is moderate, good local populations are found within certain areas.<ref name="USDA" />

==Demographics==
Perry County is a rural, sparsely populated county with a population of 8,366, and average density of ((convert|20.2|/mi2|/km2|disp=preunit|persons&nbsp;|persons|)). It is the least densely populated [[List of counties in Tennessee|county in Tennessee]].<ref name="QF">((cite web |title=QuickFacts Perry County, Tennessee |url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/perrycountytennessee |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220729150032/https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/perrycountytennessee |archive-date=July 29, 2022 |website=Census.gov |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=March 15, 2022))</ref><ref>((cite web |title=Tennessee Population Density County Rank |url=http://www.usa.com/rank/tennessee-state--population-density--county-rank.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220315155845/http://www.usa.com/rank/tennessee-state--population-density--county-rank.htm |archive-date=March 15, 2022 |website=USA.com |publisher=World Media Group |access-date=March 15, 2022))</ref> Its population peaked at 8,815 in 1910 and began a steady decline through 1970. The population began growing again after 1970, with sharp increases in the 1970s and 1990s, and by 2020 it still had not surpassed the population numbers and density of the early 1900s. The county is significantly less diverse than the statewide average, with an estimated 93% of the population reporting as white versus 73.2% for the state in 2021.<ref name="Census" />

((US Census population
|1820= 2384
|1830= 7094
|1840= 7419
|1850= 5821
|1860= 6042
|1870= 6925
|1880= 7174
|1890= 7785
|1900= 8800
|1910= 8815
|1920= 7765
|1930= 7147
|1940= 7535
|1950= 6462
|1960= 5273
|1970= 5238
|1980= 6111
|1990= 6612
|2000= 7631
|2010= 7915
|2020= 8366
|estyear=
|estimate=
|estref=<ref name="USCensusEst2018">((cite web |url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/data/tables.2018.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190731011241/https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/data/tables.2018.html |archive-date=July 31, 2019 |title=Population and Housing Unit Estimates |access-date=July 20, 2019))</ref>
|align-fn=center
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref name="Census">((cite web |url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150417164937/https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html |archive-date=April 17, 2015 |title=U.S. Decennial Census |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=April 9, 2015))</ref><br />1790–1960<ref>((cite web |url=http://mapserver.lib.virginia.edu |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150516162336/http://mapserver.lib.virginia.edu |archive-date=May 16, 2015 |title=Historical Census Browser |publisher=University of Virginia Library |access-date=April 9, 2015))</ref> 1900–1990<ref name=census190090>((cite web |url=https://www.census.gov/population/cencounts/tn190090.txt |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150403235357/https://www.census.gov/population/cencounts/tn190090.txt |archive-date=April 3, 2015 |title=Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990 |publisher=United States Census Bureau |editor-last=Forstall |editor-first=Richard L. |date=March 27, 1995 |access-date=April 9, 2015))</ref><br />1990–2000<ref name=20010402census>((cite web |url=https://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/briefs/phc-t4/tables/tab02.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150716155058/https://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/briefs/phc-t4/tables/tab02.pdf |archive-date=July 16, 2015 |title=Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000 |publisher=United States Census Bureau |date=April 2, 2001 |access-date=April 9, 2015))</ref> 2010–2014<ref name="QF"/>
))
((Stack|[[Image:USA Perry County, Tennessee.csv age pyramid.svg|thumb|left|150px|Age pyramid Perry County in 2000<ref>Based on 2000 [[census]] data</ref>]]))

===2020 census===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:right"
|+Perry County racial composition<ref name=census0500000>((Cite web |title=Explore Census Data |url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?g=0500000US47135&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211227164822/https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?g=0500000US47135&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2 |archive-date=December 27, 2021 |access-date=December 27, 2021 |website=data.census.gov))</ref>
!scope="col"| Race
!scope="col"| Number
!scope="col"| Percentage
|-
!scope="row"| [[White (U.S. Census)|White]] (non-Hispanic)
| 7,700
| 92.04%
|-
!scope="row"| [[African American (U.S. Census)|Black or African American]] (non-Hispanic)
| 195
| 2.33%
|-
!scope="row"| [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]]
| 41
| 0.49%
|-
!scope="row"| [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]]
| 26
| 0.31%
|-
!scope="row"| [[Pacific Islander (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]]
| 1
| 0.01%
|-
!scope="row"| [[Race (United States Census)|Other/Mixed]]
| 276
| 3.3%
|-
!scope="row"| [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]]
| 127
| 1.52%
|}
As of the [[2020 United States census]], there were 8,366 people in 2,929 households residing in the county. The average household size was 2.68. A language other than English was spoken at home by 6.5% of the population.<ref name="QF" />

==Economy==
((see also|Economy of Tennessee))
[[File:Short Creek Perry County.jpg|thumb|right|Farm on Short Creek, typical of small farms in the county]]Agriculture makes up a significant portion of the economy of Perry County. In 2017, 287 farms were in operation, averaging ((convert|215|acre|hectare)) each. Over ((convert|35,000|acre|hectare)) of land were utilized for a variety of agricultural activities, including crop production, forestry, and pasture land. A 2018 study showed that agriculture and ag-supporting industries contributed $49.6 million to the county's economy, with 525 jobs (about 17% of total employment in the county).<ref name="agassets" /> Over ((convert|23,000|acre|hectare)), totaling about 10% of the county's area, are rated by the [[USDA]] as prime farmland. In 1999, the USDA's [[National Agricultural Statistics Service]] reported that ((convert|3,200|acre|hectare)) were planted in [[maize|corn]], ((convert|2,600|acre|hectare)) were planted in [[soybeans]], and another ((convert|300|acre|hectare)) were left [[fallow]] as part of a conservation program. Additional smaller acreages were planted with [[sorghum]], snap beans, watermelons, and sweet corn. Pasture and hay production utilized nearly ((convert|30,000|acre|hectare)) of farmland in the county.<ref name="USDA" />

[[Mousetail Landing State Park]], the largest protected area in the county, is a significant driver of regional [[Ecotourism|nature tourism]].<ref name="mousetail">((cite web |title=Record Breaking Year for Mousetail State Park |url=https://chamber.perrycountytn.com/visit-shop-stay/parks-recreation-2/mousetail-landing-state-park/mousetail-has-record-breaking-year |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220729143234/https://chamber.perrycountytn.com/visit-shop-stay/parks-recreation-2/mousetail-landing-state-park/mousetail-has-record-breaking-year |archive-date=July 29, 2022 |website=Perry County Chamber of Commerce and Tourism |publisher=Perry County Government |access-date=July 29, 2022))</ref> In 2021, tourist expenditures in the county totaled $5.8 million, surpassing [[COVID-19 pandemic|pre-pandemic]] spending by $600,000. This spending generated around $200,000 in local taxes, and 54 jobs totaling about $900,000 in wages were created through tourism-related employment.<ref>((cite news |title=Local Tourism Spending Up 27.89% in 2021 |work=The Buffalo River Review |publisher=Magic Valley Publishing |date=September 21, 2022))</ref> The county's other accessible protected area, the TVA-managed [[Lady's Bluff Small Wild Area]], is a small preserve on and around Lady's Bluff on the Tennessee River north of Mousetail Landing popular with nature walkers and rock climbers.<ref name=bluff /><ref>((cite news |last1=Wilson |first1=Taylor |title=Who's afraid of the Big Bad Bluff? |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/284075335/ |access-date=15 March 2024 |work=The Jackson Sun |issue=July 23, 1996))</ref> A third protected area, [[Dry Branch State Natural Area]], is partially located in the far eastern corner of the county near the border of [[Lewis County, Tennessee|Lewis]] and Hickman counties, but is not open to the public.<ref>((cite web |title=Dry Branch Class II Natural-Scientific State Natural Area |url=https://www.tn.gov/environment/program-areas/na-natural-areas/natural-areas-west-region/west-region/dry-branch.html |website=Natural Areas |publisher=Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation |access-date=30 March 2024))</ref>  Four river outfitters are located within the county along the Buffalo River, as well as a [[Boy Scouts of America]] operated canoe base and camp, adding to the river's economic impact.<ref name="agassets">((cite book |last1=Hughes |first1=David W. |last2=Mathenia |first2=Amanda |title=Mapping the Agricultural Assets of Perry County, Tennessee |date=2021 |publisher=University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture  |url=https://extension.tennessee.edu/publications/Documents/PB1891.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210711223506/https://extension.tennessee.edu/publications/Documents/PB1891.pdf |archive-date=July 11, 2021 ))</ref><ref>((cite news |last1=Humbles |first1=Andy |title=How Middle TN Boy Scouts Endured COVID-19 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/718728889 |access-date=15 March 2024 |work=The Daily News-Journal |issue=March 7, 2021))</ref>

In 2007, the Perry County Chamber of Commerce began a concentrated marketing effort to draw more nature-oriented tourists to the area, using the slogan "Perry County: It's Just Our Nature".<ref name="Nature">((cite web |title=It's Just Our Nature |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQYn4G9XUD0 |website=YouTube |access-date=March 14, 2022))</ref> In 2008, the first annual Blooming Arts Festival was held in Linden in a further attempt to draw more tourists to the area.<ref name="nature2021">((cite news |title=Perry County Tennessee: It's Just Our Nature! Tourism Brochure |url=https://chamber.perrycountytn.com/images/tourism-docs/2021%20Tourism%20Brochure.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220729151406/https://chamber.perrycountytn.com/images/tourism-docs/2021%20Tourism%20Brochure.pdf |archive-date=July 29, 2022 |access-date=March 14, 2022 |issue=2021–22 |publisher=Perry County Chamber of Commerce))</ref>  Only one hotel operates in Perry County, the Commodore Hotel in Linden.<ref>((cite web |title=Where to Stay |url=https://www.theperrychamber.com/where-to-stay |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210729150526/https://www.theperrychamber.com/where-to-stay |archive-date=July 29, 2021 |website=Perry County Chamber of Commerce and Tourism |publisher=Perry County Government |access-date=July 29, 2022))</ref>

The earliest known bank in Perry County was organized by 1890 as the Linden Bank and Trust.<ref name="histfam" />((rp|109–110)) It experienced a series of mergers and [[buyout]]s, and is now a branch of FirstBank.<ref>((cite web |title=Locations |url=https://www.firstbankonline.com/location/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210512205804/https://www.firstbankonline.com/location/ |archive-date=May 12, 2021 |website=FirstBank |access-date=May 23, 2022))</ref> The other bank operating in the county, the Bank of Perry County, was organized in 1905 as the Bank of Lobelville. By 1975, it had opened branches in both Lobelville and Linden.<ref name="histfam" />

===Poverty and unemployment===
Perry County ranks below state and national averages in numerous economic indicators. As of 2023, Perry County was one of eight Tennessee counties listed by the [[Appalachian Regional Commission]] as a distressed county, putting it in the bottom 10% of counties in the United States in terms of poverty rate, unemployment, and income.<ref>((cite web |title=Distressed Counties |url=https://www.tn.gov/transparenttn/state-financial-overview/open-ecd/openecd/tnecd-performance-metrics/openecd-long-term-objectives-quick-stats/distressed-counties.html |website=Transparent Tennessee |publisher=State of Tennessee |access-date=September 27, 2023))</ref>  Perry County's [[Gini coefficient]] is .54, indicating a significantly higher level of income inequality than the rest of Tennessee.<ref name="USNWR">((cite web |title=Perry County, TN |url=https://www.usnews.com/news/healthiest-communities/tennessee/perry-county |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220728062545/https://www.usnews.com/news/healthiest-communities/tennessee/perry-county |archive-date=July 28, 2022 |website=U.S. News & World Report |access-date=July 29, 2022))</ref> As of 2020, the gross domestic product of all industries in the county was $190 million.<ref>((cite web |title=GDP by County, Metro, and Other Areas |url=https://www.bea.gov/data/gdp/gdp-county-metro-and-other-areas |website=Bureau of Economic Analysis |publisher=US Department of Commerce |access-date=August 5, 2022))</ref> In 2019, the poverty rate in the county was estimated at 16.1%, three percent higher than the statewide average. The median household income was $41,034, and the per capita income was $27,970. Property values in the county are significantly below the statewide average. In 2019, the median value of owner-occupied housing was $88,100, compared to $167,200 statewide. The rate of owner-occupied housing however, was significantly higher at 82% versus the statewide average of 66%.<ref name="QF" /><ref name="QFT" /> Numerous challenges to economic expansion exist within the county, including a lack of reliable broadband internet access, no four-lane or controlled access highways, and no nearby [[US Department of Agriculture]] certified livestock meat processing.<ref name="agassets" />

Perry County was severely impacted by the [[Great Recession|economic recession of 2008 and 2009]]. Unemployment reached nearly 29%, which at the time was the highest in the state of Tennessee, and the second highest in the United States.<ref name="nytecon">((cite news |last=Cooper |first=Michael |date=July 27, 2009 |title=In Tennessee Corner, Stimulus Meets New Deal |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/28/us/28county.html |work=[[The New York Times]] |url-access=limited |access-date=October 30, 2013))</ref> The high unemployment rate was due to the closure of a major automotive parts plant that employed a significant portion of the county's residents.<ref name="nytecon" /> Governor [[Phil Bredesen]] made Perry County a focus of his state stimulus package in an effort to lower unemployment. Within two years, the unemployment rate was lowered to 14%, a reduction partially attributed to the governor's subsidized employment program.<ref>((cite book |last1=Myers-Lipton |first1=Scott J. |title=Ending Extreme Inequality |date=2015 |publisher=Paradigm Publishers |location=New York |isbn=978-978-1-05726-7))</ref> In 2012, an auto parts supplier opened an injection molded plastics facility in a then-shuttered factory space in Linden, providing over 400 jobs to the local community and substantially relieving unemployment in the county.<ref>((cite news |title=NYX plans $23 million plant in Perry County |url=https://www.bizjournals.com/nashville/news/2011/08/30/nyx-plans-23-million-plant-in-perry.html |access-date=December 9, 2022 |work=Nashville Business Journal |date=August 30, 2011))</ref>

In April 2020, seasonally unadjusted unemployment peaked again at over 24%, compared to the state average of 15.6%. In 2020, a rubber parts manufacturer that was the largest employer in Lobelville shut down, significantly adding to the county's unemployment rate.<ref name=20200709lewisherald-news>((cite news |title=Over 100 jobs to be lost when Bates Rubber in Lobelville closes, moves to Mexico |url=https://www.lewisherald.com/story/2020/07/09/news/over-100-jobs-to-be-lost-when-bates-rubber-in-lobelville-closes-moves-to-mexico/777.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210512180518/https://www.lewisherald.com/story/2020/07/09/news/over-100-jobs-to-be-lost-when-bates-rubber-in-lobelville-closes-moves-to-mexico/777.html |archive-date=May 12, 2021 |access-date=March 16, 2022 |work=Lewis County Herald |date=July 9, 2020))</ref> As of October 2022 unemployment in Perry County was the third-highest in the state at 5.2%, behind [[Scott County, Tennessee|Scott County]] and [[Bledsoe County, Tennessee|Bledsoe County]], compared to the statewide unemployment rate of 3.5%.<ref>((cite web |title=Tennessee Counties Maintain Low Unemployment in October |url=https://www.tn.gov/workforce/general-resources/news/2022/11/23/tennessee-counties-maintain-low-unemployment-in-october.html |website=Newsroom |publisher=Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development |access-date=November 28, 2022))</ref>

==Government==
((see also|Government of Tennessee))
The government of Perry County is overseen by a County Mayor and a County Commission. The [[County executive#Tennessee|County Mayor]] is elected at-large every four years. The county is divided into six districts, each of which elect two Commissioners to the [[County Commission]].<ref name="gov">((cite web |title=Perry County Tennessee |url=https://gov.perrycountytn.com// |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220315164517/https://gov.perrycountytn.com// |archive-date=March 15, 2022 |publisher=Perry County Tennessee Government |access-date=March 15, 2022))</ref> The districts are further divided into two voting precincts, save for the districts encompassing Linden and Lobelville, which each have a single voting precinct.<ref>((cite web |title=Perry County: Current County Commission Districs and Voting Precincts |url=https://comptroller.tn.gov/content/dam/cot/pa/documents/landuse/maps/redistricting/2022_CCD%20Color%20Coded_Perry.pdf |website=Tennessee Comptroller |publisher=State of Tennessee |access-date=15 March 2024))</ref> Commission meetings are held monthly. Additional elected officials include the [[Tax assessment#United States|property assessor]], [[Recorder of deeds#United States: Recorders of Deeds|register of deeds]], sheriff, county trustee, and road superintendent.<ref name="gov" /> 

For the [[United States House of Representatives]], Perry County is part of [[Tennessee's 7th congressional district]]. Additionally, the county is part of the 28th District for the [[Tennessee Senate|state senate]] and the 72nd district for the [[Tennessee House of Representatives|state house]].<ref>((cite web |title=District Maps |url=https://wapp.capitol.tn.gov/Apps/fmlv3/districts.aspx |website=Tennessee General Assembly |publisher=State of Tennessee |access-date=August 7, 2022))</ref> Perry County is legally considered part of [[Middle Tennessee]], though prior to 1991 it was part of [[West Tennessee]].<ref>((cite book |last1=Reed |first1=Paul E. |title=Sounding Appalachian: /aI/ Monophthongization, Rising Pitch Accents, and Rootedness |date=2016 |publisher=University of South Carolina |page=5 |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/1809110424/58DEC171FF7B4525PQ/))</ref>

===Courts, crime, and emergency services===
Perry County has one elected judge who presides over the county's [[Court of general sessions|general sessions court]] and [[juvenile court]].<ref>((cite web |title=Judge Katerina V. Moore, General Sessions Court |url=https://courts.perrycountytn.com/courts/meet-judge-moore-general-sessions-court |website=Law & Order Perry County Tennessee |access-date=May 26, 2023))</ref> The county falls under the 32nd Judicial District of Tennessee, which includes a [[circuit court]] and [[chancery court]]. The 32nd Judicial District covers Perry, Lewis, and Hickman counties, and is presided over by Judge Michael Spitzer. The 32nd District's circuit court is the immediate appellate court for the county's general sessions and juvenile courts. Prior to August 2022, the county was part of the 21st District, which included [[Williamson County, Tennessee|Williamson County]]. After concerns were raised about elections for the court being controlled by the much more populous Williamson County, the 32nd District was created to split off the three smaller counties into a new district.<ref>((cite web |title=32nd Judicial District |url=https://courts.perrycountytn.com/courts/32nd-judicial-district |website=Law & Order Perry County Tennessee |access-date=May 26, 2023))</ref>

The county is served by one law enforcement agency, the Perry County Sheriff's Office, headed by an elected [[Sheriffs in the United States#Tennessee|sheriff]]. The sheriff is responsible for all law enforcement functions, including crime prevention and investigation, apprehension of criminals, and patrolling the county's roads. Additionally, the sheriff's office is responsible for providing bailiffs to county courts, service court processes and orders, and operating the county's jail.<ref>((cite web |title=Perry County Sheriff's Office |url=https://gov.perrycountytn.com/perry-county-sheriff |website=Perry County Tennessee |access-date=September 27, 2023))</ref>

Crime rates in the county are lower than both the state and national average. Property crime rates are 13.7 per 1000 people, and violent crime rates are 2.5 per 1000 people, versus the statewide averages of 29.7 and 6.3 and national averages of 16.7 and 2 respectively. Public safety professionals make up .35% of the population, compared to a statewide average of .77%.<ref>((cite web |title=Perry County, TN |url=https://www.usnews.com/news/healthiest-communities/tennessee/perry-county |website=Healthiest Communities |publisher=US News & World Report |access-date=September 27, 2023))</ref>

Perry County is home to a single professional, paid [[fire department]], the Linden Fire Department, as well as a county [[rescue squad]]. Lobelville and a number of unincorporated communities within the county are host to volunteer fire departments.<ref>((cite book |title=Tennessee Fire Departments |date=November 2020 |publisher=Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance |page=20 |url=https://www.tn.gov/content/dam/tn/commerce/documents/fire_prevention/education-outreach/firedepartmentlists/TNFireDepartmentsNov2020.pdf))</ref>

===Elections===
((see also|Political party strength in Tennessee))
Historically, like most of [[Middle Tennessee]], Perry County was overwhelmingly Democratic. Although it voted [[Elections in Tennessee|to elect]] [[Warren G. Harding]] in his record popular vote landslide of 1920, otherwise no Republican presidential candidate managed to carry the county up to 2004. It did, though, give a [[Plurality (voting)|plurality]] to segregationist [[List of Governors of Alabama|Alabama Governor]] [[George Wallace]] in 1968. Since 2000, Perry County has seen a very rapid trend towards the Republican Party typical of many rural southern counties. In 2016, it was only marginally less Republican than the traditional [[Southern Unionist|Unionist]] Republican bastions of [[East Tennessee]].<ref name="Elections">((Cite web |url=http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180323225526/http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS |archive-date=March 23, 2018 |title=Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections |last=Leip |first=David |website=uselectionatlas.org |access-date=March 12, 2018))</ref><ref>((cite news |title=Demographic Shift: Southern Whites' Loyalty to GOP Nearing that of Blacks to Democrats |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/24/upshot/southern-whites-loyalty-to-gop-nearing-that-of-blacks-to-democrats.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220530232931/https://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/24/upshot/southern-whites-loyalty-to-gop-nearing-that-of-blacks-to-democrats.html |archive-date=May 30, 2022 |access-date=July 29, 2022 |work=The New York Times |date=April 24, 2014))</ref> 
((align|left|((PresHead|align=left|place=Perry County, Tennessee|whig=no|source1=<ref name="Elections" />|source2=<ref name=tnsosfiles202020>((cite web |title=State of Tennessee November 3, 2020 State General Election Results |url=https://sos-tn-gov-files.tnsosfiles.com/Nov%202020%20General%20by%20County.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210814213539/https://sos-tn-gov-files.tnsosfiles.com/Nov%202020%20General%20by%20County.pdf |archive-date=August 14, 2021 |website=tnsossfiles.com |publisher=Tennessee Secretary of State |access-date=March 15, 2022))</ref>))
<!-- PresRow should be ((PresRow|Year|Winning party|GOP/Whig vote #|Dem vote #|3rd party vote #|State)) -->
((PresRow|2020|Republican|2,775|615|38|Tennessee))
((PresRow|2016|Republican|2,167|597|91|Tennessee))
((PresRow|2012|Republican|1,578|992|51|Tennessee))
((PresRow|2008|Republican|1,596|1,329|75|Tennessee))
((PresRow|2004|Democratic|1,522|1,579|49|Tennessee))
((PresRow|2000|Democratic|1,165|1,650|51|Tennessee))
((PresRow|1996|Democratic|747|1,444|195|Tennessee))
((PresRow|1992|Democratic|708|1,889|322|Tennessee))
((PresRow|1988|Democratic|854|1,208|14|Tennessee))
((PresRow|1984|Democratic|948|1,316|3|Tennessee))
((PresRow|1980|Democratic|783|1,401|48|Tennessee))
((PresRow|1976|Democratic|520|1,660|21|Tennessee))
((PresRow|1972|Democratic|900|937|34|Tennessee))
((PresRow|1968|American Independent|519|726|784|Tennessee))
((PresRow|1964|Democratic|514|1,440|0|Tennessee))
((PresRow|1960|Democratic|645|1,076|16|Tennessee))
((PresRow|1956|Democratic|694|1,052|14|Tennessee))
((PresRow|1952|Democratic|762|1,192|0|Tennessee))
((PresRow|1948|Democratic|459|1,196|93|Tennessee))
((PresRow|1944|Democratic|387|771|0|Tennessee))
((PresRow|1940|Democratic|332|1,068|3|Tennessee))
((PresRow|1936|Democratic|210|896|5|Tennessee))
((PresRow|1932|Democratic|182|705|6|Tennessee))
((PresRow|1928|Democratic|359|616|0|Tennessee))
((PresRow|1924|Democratic|268|494|4|Tennessee))
((PresRow|1920|Republican|747|692|0|Tennessee))
((PresRow|1916|Democratic|483|663|5|Tennessee))
((PresFoot|1912|Democratic|379|664|136|Tennessee))))
((clear))

==Cities and towns==
[[File:Linden Tennessee.tif|thumb|upright=.75|alt=A top-down aerial view of a small, rural town. A river flanked by fields runs along the right side of the frame, while the rest of the town is surrounded by forest.|Aerial view of Linden. [[United States Numbered Highway System|U.S. Route]] 412 crosses the northern part of the town from west to east, while [[List of state routes in Tennessee|Tennessee State Route]] 13 passes east of the town from north to south.]]Linden, the county seat, is an incorporated town located centrally in the county, at the intersection of [[U.S. Route 412]] and [[Tennessee State Route 13]], to the west of where Route 412 crosses the Buffalo River. Lobelville is an incorporated city located along State Route 13 west of the Buffalo River in the northern portion of the county. In addition to the two incorporated communities, numerous unincorporated populated places are located throughout the county.<ref name="agassets" />

===Incorporated communities by population===
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center;"
!Place!!Population!!Founded
|-
|[[Linden, Tennessee|Linden]]
|997<ref name="Census" />
|1848<ref name="Goodspeed" />
|-
|[[Lobelville, Tennessee|Lobelville]]
|919<ref name="Census" />
|1854<ref name=tehc />
|}

===Unincorporated communities===
((div col|colwidth=22em))
*[[Beardstown, Tennessee|Beardstown]]
*[[Bethel (Perry County), Tennessee|Bethel]]
*Blue Sky
*Chestnut Grove
*Crooked Creek
*[[DePriest Bend, Tennessee|DePriest Bend]]
*[[Flat Woods, Tennessee|Flat Woods]]
*Horner
*Howard
*[[Pine View, Tennessee|Pine View]]
*Pope
*[[Spring Creek, Perry County, Tennessee|Spring Creek]]
*Sugar Hill<ref>((cite web |title=Domestic Names Search |url=https://edits.nationalmap.gov/apps/gaz-domestic/public/search/names |website=Geographic Names Information System |publisher=United States Geological Survey |access-date=7 March 2024))</ref>
((div col end))

==Transportation and infrastructure==
Transportation infrastructure in Perry County includes one [[United States Numbered Highway System|U.S. highway]], numerous [[List of state routes in Tennessee|state highways]], and one general aviation [[airport]]. No railroads or [[Interstate Highway System|Interstate Highways]] are present within the county.<ref name="highways">((cite map |title=Perry County Tennessee |publisher=Tennessee Department of Transportation |location=Nashville, Tennessee |url=https://www.tn.gov/content/dam/tn/tdot/maps/county-maps/Perry_County.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220128013307/https://www.tn.gov/content/dam/tn/tdot/maps/county-maps/Perry_County.pdf |archive-date=January 28, 2022 |access-date=July 29, 2022))</ref><ref name="TDOT">((cite map |title=2021 Official Transportation Map |url=https://www.tn.gov/content/dam/tn/tdot/maps/state-maps/2020-21_Transportation_Map_TDOT_March30_2021.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220526012743/https://www.tn.gov/content/dam/tn/tdot/maps/state-maps/2020-21_Transportation_Map_TDOT_March30_2021.pdf |archive-date=May 26, 2022 |website=TN.gov |publisher=Tennessee Department of Transportation |access-date=March 15, 2022))</ref> The Alvin C. York Bridge carries [[U.S. Route 412]] over the Tennessee river and is the only crossing of the river in the county. Although the western border of the county is a major [[navigable waterway]], only one small landing servicing [[Hopper barge|barges]] is located in the county, with no major commercial port facilities or marinas.<ref name="bts">((cite web |url=https://www.bts.gov/ctp |title=County Transportation Profiles |publisher=Bureau of Transportation Statistics |access-date=December 6, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220928193125/https://www.bts.gov/ctp |archive-date=September 28, 2022))</ref>
<ref>((cite web |title=Port and Waterways Facilities |url=https://www.iwr.usace.army.mil/About/Technical-Centers/WCSC-Waterborne-Commerce-Statistics-Center-2/WCSC-Navigation-Facilities/ |website=WCSC Navigation Facilities |publisher=US Army Corps of Engineers |access-date=September 27, 2023))</ref> No public transportation systems or commercial scheduled passenger services of any type operate in the county.<ref name=pbs /> According to a 2015 study, Perry County commuters drove alone to work at the highest rate of any county in Tennessee, reflecting low access to carpooling opportunities or public transportation.<ref>((cite book |title=2015 Drive your County to the Top Ten: Accelerating Action Towards Improving County Health – Perry County |date=2015 |publisher=Tennessee Department of Health |location=Nashville, Tennessee |url=https://www.tn.gov/content/dam/tn/health/program-areas/reports_and_publications/CountyReports_PERRY.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220525192818/https://www.tn.gov/content/dam/tn/health/program-areas/reports_and_publications/CountyReports_PERRY.pdf |archive-date=May 25, 2022 ))</ref>

Poor transportation infrastructure has been a persistent issue in the county. One 1874 report noted the challenges to economic development brought on by a lack of rail access, paved roads, and bridges.<ref name="Resources" /> Later, in 1906, the lack of railroad access was again cited in regional newspapers as the limiting factor to economic growth and resource extraction.<ref>((cite news |title=More Cobalt |url=https://www.newspaperarchive.com/us/tennessee/columbia/columbia-herald/1906/10-26/ |access-date=May 19, 2023 |work=Columbia Herald |date=October 26, 1906))</ref>

===Major highways===
[[File:Perry_County_2010_Census.png|thumb|upright=.8|right|2010 census map depicting Perry County's road network]]One federal highway, four primary state highways, and two secondary state highways transit the county. The lone federal highway, [[U.S. Route 412 in Tennessee|U.S. Route 412]], connects Linden with the town of [[Parsons, Tennessee|Parsons]] in Decatur County ((convert|18|miles|km)) to the west and the town of [[Hohenwald, Tennessee|Hohenwald]] in Lewis County ((convert|19|miles|km)) to the east, with a western terminus near [[Dyersburg, Tennessee]] and eastern terminus near [[Columbia, Tennessee]]. [[Tennessee State Route 20]] is concurrent with U.S. Route 412 through the county. [[Tennessee State Route 100]] is also largely concurrent with U.S. Route 412, diverging from U.S. Route 412 east of Linden and entering Hickman County. The primary north-south route is [[Tennessee State Route 13]], connecting with Interstate 40 ((convert|9|miles|km)) north of Lobelville in Humphreys County. [[Tennessee State Route 438]] transits the northern half of the county in a general east-west orientation, connecting [[Centerville, Tennessee|Centerville]] in Hickman County with U.S. Route 412 near the Tennessee River.  [[Tennessee State Route 128]] connects the town of [[Clifton, Tennessee|Clifton]] in Wayne, County with State Route 13 south of Linden. [[Tennessee State Route 48]] only briefly crosses the county's far southeast corner. <ref name=TDOT-State-map> ((cite map|url=https://www.tn.gov/content/dam/tn/tdot/long-range-planning/maps/TDTD_2019_Share.pdf|title=Map of the state of Tennessee|website=www.tn.gov|author=[[Tennessee Department of Transportation]] (TDOT)|access-date=December 1, 2023)) </ref>

U.S. Route 412 west of Linden, and State Route 13 south of Linden are designated as Tennessee Parkways.<ref name=TDOT-State-map /> State Route 13 and State Route 128 are both designated and signed as part of the Tennessee River Trail Scenic Byway through their entire routes in the county.<ref name="trt" />

((Div col|small=yes))
*((jct|state=TN|US|412))
*((jct|state=TN|TN|13))
*((jct|state=TN|TN|20))
*((jct|state=TN|TN|48))
*((jct|state=TN|TN|100))
*((jct|state=TN|Sec|128))
*((jct|state=TN|Sec|438))
((Div col end))<ref name="highways" />

===Airports===
[[File:James Tucker Airport (M15).tif|thumb|upright=.5|alt=A top-down aerial view of a small general aviation airport with one runway running north to south. A tarmac and small hangar are to the east of the runway, and the airport is surrounded by woodland.|Aerial view of James Tucker Airport (M15)]]Perry County is served by a small public [[general aviation]] airport, [[James Tucker Airport]], constructed in 1962 south of Linden.<ref>((cite web |title=James Tucker Airport |url=http://www.airnav.com/airport/M15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220729154411/http://www.airnav.com/airport/M15 |archive-date=July 29, 2022 |website=AirNav.com |publisher=AirNav, LLC |access-date=March 15, 2022))</ref><ref>((cite news |title=4-Unit Hangar Slated at Perry |work=The Nashville Tennessean |issue=146 Co., Inc |date=September 26, 1962))</ref> Efforts to bring an airport to Perry County date back to 1946. A group of students from Lobelville High School petitioned the county to construct a public airport after having been introduced to aviation through the donation of a [[Link Trainer]] to the school.<ref>((cite news |last1=Gene Slack |first1=Teague |title=Lobelville's Link |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/143646726/ |access-date=May 9, 2023 |work=The Tennessean |date=June 16, 1946))</ref> In addition to the public general aviation airport, a private-use [[helipad]] (FAA identifier 5TN8) is located at the now-closed Perry Community Hospital in Linden.<ref>((cite web |title=Perry Community Hospital Heliport |url=http://www.airnav.com/airport/5TN8 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220729154325/http://www.airnav.com/airport/5TN8 |archive-date=July 29, 2022 |website=AirNav.com |publisher=AirNav, LLC |access-date=March 15, 2022))</ref>

===Pipelines===
[[Tennessee Gas Pipeline]] operates a [[liquefied petroleum gas|natural gas]] pipeline that bisects Perry County. A [[Compressor station|pumping station]] for the line is located in Lobelville, and was one of the largest pumping stations in the United States when it was constructed.<ref>((cite journal |title=12 years of dependable compressor service with GULF SECURITY |journal=World Petroleum |date=December 1956 |volume=27 |issue=13 |page=74 |url=https://archive.org/details/sim_world-petroleum_1956-12_27_13/page/74 |access-date=July 23, 2022))</ref> This station and sections of the nearby [[pipeline]] are a listed [[Superfund|EPA Superfund]] site.<ref>((cite web |title=TENNESSEE GAS PIPELINE CO |url=https://cumulis.epa.gov/supercpad/CurSites/csitinfo.cfm?id=0406302 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220729154514/https://cumulis.epa.gov/supercpad/CurSites/csitinfo.cfm?id=0406302 |archive-date=July 29, 2022 |website=Superfund Site Information |publisher=United States Environmental Protection Agency |access-date=March 28, 2022 |ref=EPA))</ref> A lawsuit against the pipeline company concerning both the pipeline and the pumping station alleged the release of [[Polychlorinated biphenyl|PCB]] contaminants into the local environment.<ref>((cite web |title=NELSON V. TENNESSEE GAS PIPELINE, LLC |url=https://caselaw.findlaw.com/us-6th-circuit/1453528.html#footnote_1 |website=Findlaw.com |publisher=Thomson Reuters |access-date=March 28, 2022 |ref=findlaw))</ref> As a result of this release, one study determined that those exposed suffered various neurological problems, including slowed reaction speeds and cognition problems.<ref>((cite journal |last1=Crinnion |first1=Walter J. |title=Polychlorinated biphenyls: persistent pollutants with immunological, neurological, and endocrinological consequences |journal=Alternative Medicine Review |date=Mar 2011 |volume=16 |issue=1|pages=5–13 |pmid=21438643 ))</ref>

===Telecommunications and electric power===
In 1900, [[Bell Telephone Company]] established service in the county. Lines were run from the north, diverging from the lines along the railroad in [[Waverly, Tennessee|Waverly]].<ref>((cite news |title=Perry County Telephones. |work=The Nashville American |issue=8542 |date=May 2, 1900))</ref>

Typical of many rural counties, the rate of broadband internet adoption and availability remains low, with about 59% of households reporting access to broadband internet, compared to 78% statewide, ((as of|alt=as of 2020|2020)).((update after|2030))<ref name="QF" /><ref name="QFT" />

Electric power in the county is provided through [[Meriwether Lewis Electric Cooperative]], a non-profit [[utility cooperative]] that distributes power purchased from the [[Tennessee Valley Authority]].<ref>((cite web |title=Electric Power Rates |url=https://www.mlec.com/rates |website=MLEC.com |publisher=Meriwether Lewis Electric Cooperative))</ref><ref>((cite web |title=MLEC Service Map |url=https://mlec.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=680c437d6f014fa687307603e63738d8 |website=MLEC.com |publisher=Meriwether Lewis Electric Cooperative))</ref> Many parts of the county did not have electric service until after the middle of the 20th century. Some population centers, such as the community of Flatwoods in southern Perry County, did not receive power until 1950.<ref>((cite web |title=Tennessee SP Bromley, Dr. Richard Calvin, House |url=https://catalog.archives.gov/id/135819385 |website=Records of the National Park Service, 1785–2006 |publisher=National Archives))</ref>

==Education==
Perry County has one unified school district, the Perry County School System. There are four schools in the district, including one high school (Perry County High School), and three primary schools (Linden Middle School, Linden Elementary School, and Lobelville School), overseen by the Perry County Board of Education.<ref>((cite web |title=Schools |url=https://www.perrycountyschools.us/page/schools |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220729154702/https://www.perrycountyschools.us/page/schools |archive-date=July 29, 2022 |website=Perry County Schools |publisher=Perry County School System |access-date=March 15, 2022))</ref> The county's first high school was opened in Linden in 1922. Prior to that, all students wishing to have an education beyond the 8th grade had to attend school outside of the county.<ref>((cite news |last1=Turner |first1=Gordon H. |title=The Boat Came Up River, and Schooling Prospered |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/146970177/ |access-date=February 3, 2023 |work=The Tennessean |date=December 5, 1948))</ref> The county's current high school, Perry County High School, was established in 1963 in Linden with the consolidation of the high schools in Linden and Lobelville. A number of parents and school administrators in Lobelville resisted the consolidation due to the distance from Linden, as well as concerns that the new school would not be ready for the beginning of the 1963 school year. In response, a special school district was granted to Lobelville by the state legislature in 1963. However, in an effort to force the consolidation to proceed, the [[Education in Tennessee|Tennessee Board of Education]] ruled that the district did not qualify for any funds and would not be accredited. A group of Lobelville parents sued to keep the school district open, with volunteer teachers filling in for the 1963 school year.<ref>((cite news |last1=Walsh |first1=Jack |title=Lobelville Students in 'Non-Existent' School |work=The Middlesboro Daily News |agency=UPI |date=September 25, 1963))</ref> The case went to the [[Tennessee Supreme Court]] where it affirmed in 1964 that the State Board of Education was within its rights to deny funding to the special school district with the justification that there was an insufficient number of students in the proposed special district to justify expenditure of resources.<ref>((cite journal |last1=Kirby |first1=James C. |title=Constitutional Law – 1964 Tennessee Survey |journal=Vanderbilt Law Review |page=1103 |url=https://heinonline.org/HOL/P?h=hein.journals/vanlr18&i=1183 |access-date=January 31, 2023))</ref> The consolidation went forward with the Lobelville school closing later that year.<ref>((cite news |title=Parents Lose School Fight |work=Kingsport Times |agency=UPI |date=July 16, 1964))</ref>

Prior to the passage of the [[1964 Civil Rights Act]], the county exploited loopholes in state and federal laws to prevent black children from attending high school in the county. In 1954, the county hired a local black farmer and [[Korean War]] veteran, McDonald Craig, to drive a bus to transport black children to attend high school out of the county. Using a school bus he purchased from a local [[Chevrolet]] dealer, who also happened to be descended from Craig's enslaved grandparents' owners, Craig bussed black students to [[National Register of Historic Places listings in Tennessee#Henderson County|Montgomery High School]] in [[Lexington, Tennessee]]. This bussing program lasted until the fall of 1965, when the county's schools were integrated.<ref name=craig />

The county's high school graduation rate is very high, at 97.5%, versus a statewide average of 90.4%.<ref name=USNWR /> Approximately 75% of the population over age 25 has a high school diploma or equivalent, while 12% have a [[bachelor's degree or higher]]. Both are significantly below the statewide averages of 87% and 27%, respectively.<ref name="QF" /><ref name="QFT">((cite web |title=QuickFacts Tennessee |url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/TN |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220422204533/https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/TN |archive-date=April 22, 2022 |website=census.gov |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=March 15, 2022))</ref>

In 1947, the county established a board and funding for a public library. By 1986 two public libraries had been established, one in Linden and another in Lobelville.<ref name="histfam" />((rp|84–85))

==Media and entertainment==
((see also|List of radio stations in Tennessee|List of newspapers in Tennessee))
Throughout its history, numerous radio stations and newspapers have existed in Perry County. ((As of|2022)), the county is served by two radio stations, [[WOPC]] on the [[FM band]] and [[WMAK]] on the [[AM band]].<ref name="fcc.gov">[http://www.fcc.gov/mb/audio/fmq.html FM Query – FM Radio Technical Information – Audio Division (FCC) USA] ((webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090825071957/http://www.fcc.gov/mb/audio/fmq.html |date=August 25, 2009 ))</ref><ref name="ReferenceA">[http://www.fcc.gov/mb/audio/amq.html AM Query – AM Radio Technical Information – Audio Division (FCC) USA] ((webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090825063614/http://www.fcc.gov/mb/audio/amq.html |date=August 25, 2009 ))</ref> Six different newspapers are known to have been printed in the county, starting in 1880 with the ''Linden Times''. Subsequent newspapers included the ''Linden Mail'' (1890s to 1910s), the ''New Age'' (1900s to 1920s), the ''Perry County News'' (1913 to late 1910s), and the ''Perry Countian'' (1924 to 1978). In 1976 the ''Buffalo River Review'' began publication. It merged with the ''Perry Countian'' in 1978 and continues publication weekly as the county's sole print newspaper.<ref name="LOCPCnews">((cite web |title=Titles in County: perry, tennessee |url=https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/titles/places/tennessee/perry/ |website=Chronicling America |publisher=Library of Congress |access-date=August 4, 2022))</ref>

===Music and film===
In 1928 the [[Weems String Band]], a [[American folk music|folk music]] group originating in the county, recorded with [[Columbia Records]] what is widely considered to be one of the best [[American folk music#Appalachian music|folk music recordings]] of the era. The two songs on the record are the only known works recorded by the group. The band was drawn by noted cartoonist [[Robert Crumb]] and featured in a series of trading cards done by the artist on musicians.<ref>((cite book |last1=Crumb |first1=R. |title=R. Crumb's Heroes of Blues, Jazz & Country |date=2014 |publisher=Abrams | page=228))</ref>

In 1957, the film ''[[Natchez Trace (film)|Natchez Trace]]'' starring [[Zachary Scott]], [[Marcia Henderson]], and [[William Campbell (actor)|William Campbell]], and directed by [[Alan Crosland, Jr.]] was filmed in the southern part of the county near Flatwoods. Numerous locals appeared as extras in the [[lost film]] which chronicled the life of John Murrell, a bandit who operated in the area in the early 19th century.<ref name="nature2022">((cite news |title=1957: When Hollywood Came to Flatwoods |url=https://1257.newstogo.us/editionviewer/?Edition=ddbb35a3-bb93-43f4-89d6-c9f2f11a953b&Section=0 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220729155007/https://1257.newstogo.us/editionviewer/?Edition=ddbb35a3-bb93-43f4-89d6-c9f2f11a953b&Section=0 |archive-date=July 29, 2022 |access-date=June 1, 2022 |work=Perry County: It's Just Our Nature |issue=2022 |date=2022))</ref>

Perry County was featured in a 1992 episode of the television show [[Unsolved Mysteries]]. The episode discussed the case of George Owens, an elderly man from [[Nolensville, Tennessee]], who disappeared on July 22, 1985. Owens was last seen in Lobelville, where he purchased ice cream and cigars from a shop. Six days after this sighting his car was found on a wooded hilltop in a remote portion of the county. He was declared legally deceased by a court in 1993.<ref>((cite web |title=George Owens |url=https://charleyproject.org/case/george-owens |website=The Charley Project |access-date=September 27, 2023))</ref><ref>((cite news |last1=de la Cruz |first1=Bonna M. |title=Missing 8 Years, Man Ruled Dead |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/113113271/ |access-date=September 27, 2023 |work=The Tennessean |date=March 13, 1993))</ref>

===Sports and athletics===
While Perry County does not currently host any professional or [[semi-professional]] athletics teams, historically at least two semi-professional [[baseball]] organizations operated in the county. From the 1920s to the late 1940s, both Lobelville and Linden fielded teams, and baseball was considered the prime pastime for residents of the county. It was of such popularity that rivalry games on holidays would be accompanied by noted musical acts, including at least one appearance by [[Bill Monroe]], widely considered the father of bluegrass music.<ref>((cite book |last1=Webb |first1=Ned |title=A Tennessee Childhood |date=2009 |publisher=BookSurge |location=United States |isbn=978-1-4392-3453-2))</ref><ref>((cite web |title=A Day in the Life of Lobelville |url=https://www.lobelvilletn.org/index.php/history/129-july-15-1921-day-in-life-of-lobelville |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210507095015/https://www.lobelvilletn.org/index.php/history/129-july-15-1921-day-in-life-of-lobelville |archive-date=May 7, 2021 |website=Lobelville, Tennessee |publisher=City of Lobelville |access-date=July 5, 2022))</ref> Linden's team, the Owls, won at least three state baseball championships.<ref>((cite news |title=Obituary for William Morgan "Morg" Conder |work=Nashville Banner |date=February 10, 1946))</ref>

Perry County high school athletic teams have achieved some notability in state-wide competitions, especially in [[basketball]]. In 1955, Linden High School began a three-year streak of winning the state high school boys' basketball championship.<ref>((cite web |title=Linden High School Boys' Basketball Summary |url=https://tssaasports.com/school/?id=12580&sportid=2 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220705221407/https://tssaasports.com/school/?id=12580&sportid=2 |archive-date=July 5, 2022 |website=TSSAAsports.com |publisher=Tennessee Secondary School Athletics Association |access-date=July 5, 2022))</ref> Following Linden High School's consolidation with Lobelville High School, Perry County High School again won boys' basketball state championships in 1976, 1977, and 1997.<ref>((cite web |title=Perry Co. High School Boy's[sic] Basketball Summary |url=https://tssaasports.com/school/?id=398&sportid=2 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220729155427/https://tssaasports.com/school/?id=398&sportid=2 |archive-date=July 29, 2022 |website=TSSAAsports.com |publisher=Tennessee Secondary School Athletics Association |access-date=July 5, 2022))</ref>

==Health and healthcare==
In November 2020, the sole hospital in the county, Perry Community Hospital in Linden, announced it would be closing temporarily.<ref name=20201210lewisherald-news>((cite news |title=Perry Community Hospital temporarily suspends all services |url=https://www.lewisherald.com/story/2020/12/10/news/perry-county-hospital-temporarily-suspends-all-services/1685.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210618061032/https://www.lewisherald.com/story/2020/12/10/news/perry-county-hospital-temporarily-suspends-all-services/1685.html |archive-date=June 18, 2021 |access-date=March 14, 2022 |work=Lewis Herald |date=December 10, 2020))</ref> Shortly prior to this, the hospital had announced cessation of all services except for the [[emergency room]]. The hospital did not reopen, however, and as of 2022 there were no plans to reopen.<ref name=20220307whidbeynewstimes>((cite news |last1=Layfield |first1=Michael |title=Letter: There's more to the story on hospital's interim CEO |url=https://www.whidbeynewstimes.com/letters/letter-theres-more-to-the-story-on-hospitals-interim-ceo/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220307205400/https://www.whidbeynewstimes.com/letters/letter-theres-more-to-the-story-on-hospitals-interim-ceo/ |archive-date=March 7, 2022 |access-date=March 14, 2022 |work=Whidbey News Times |date=March 7, 2022))</ref> Prior to its closure, the hospital had over $2 million in accounts payable due. In 2019, the hospital had come under investigation by insurance provider [[BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee]] for over $4.5 million in overpayments due to improper billing practices.<ref name=20191203tennessean-blue>((cite news |last1=Kelman |first1=Brett |title=Hospital collected $4.5M on 'suspicious' claims |url=https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/health/2019/12/03/blue-cross-perry-community-hospital-paid-4-5-m-suspicious-claims/2598768001/ |access-date=March 14, 2022 |work=The Tennessean |date=December 3, 2019))</ref>

Perry County is served by a local health department that provides basic healthcare services, including vaccinations, disease testing, primary care, and [[pediatrics]].<ref>((cite web |title=Perry County Health Department |url=https://gov.perrycountytn.com/health-dept |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220315164511/https://gov.perrycountytn.com/health-dept |archive-date=March 15, 2022 |website=perrycountytn.gov |publisher=Perry County Health Department |access-date=March 15, 2022))</ref> In addition to services provided by the health department, a small clinic funded by a Rural Health Initiative Grant was constructed in 1979 to provide essential outpatient services in the county.<ref>((cite web |title=Perry County Medical Center |url=https://gov.perrycountytn.com/perry-county-medical-center |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220315164524/https://gov.perrycountytn.com/perry-county-medical-center |archive-date=March 15, 2022 |website=perrycountytn.gov |date=March 5, 2021 |publisher=Three Rivers Community Health Group |access-date=March 15, 2022))</ref>

As of 2019, 14.5% of the county's population under the age of 65 [[Health insurance in the United States#Status of the uninsured|lacked health insurance]]. Additionally, 15.6% of the population under the age of 65 was [[Disability in the United States|disabled]].<ref name="QF" />

===COVID-19 pandemic===
As of early September 2022, Perry County reported a total of 2,599 [[COVID-19]] cases, along with 56 deaths and 63 hospitalizations.<ref>((cite web |title=Perry County Dashboard |url=https://covid19.tn.gov/data/dashboards/?County=Perry |website=COVID-19 Data |publisher=Tennessee Department of Health |access-date=March 15, 2022))</ref> Additionally, as of August 22, 2022, 42.8% of the county's population was fully vaccinated against COVID-19, nearly 15% below the state-wide vaccination rate.<ref>((cite web |title=Perry County, TN COVID-19 Vaccine Tracker |url=https://data.tennessean.com/covid-19-vaccine-tracker/ |website=Tennessean.com |publisher=The Tennessean |access-date=March 15, 2022))</ref><ref>((cite web |title=COVID-19 Vaccine Tracker – Tennessee |url=https://data.tennessean.com/covid-19-vaccine-tracker/ |website=Tennessean.com |publisher=The Tennessean |access-date=March 15, 2022))</ref>

==Notable individuals==
*[[Kelsie B. Harder]] – Professor and [[onomastician]] (name scholar)<ref>Contemporary Authors Online, Thomson Gale, 2007.</ref>
*[[Bob Harris (basketball)|Bob Harris]] – Professional basketball player<ref>((cite news |last1=Quinn |first1=Justin |title=On this day: Larry Bird goes for 46; Kevin McHale gets 36; Bob Harris, Blake Griffin born |url=https://celticswire.usatoday.com/lists/on-this-day-larry-bird-goes-for-46-kevin-mchale-gets-36-bob-harris-blake-griffin-born/ |access-date=18 March 2024 |work=USA Today |date=March 16, 2024))</ref>
*[[Kirk Haston]] – Politician and former professional basketball player<ref>[http://www.collegebasketballnews.com/customers/aprilnews.htm Haston to enter NBA Draft] ((webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080827200509/http://www.collegebasketballnews.com/customers/aprilnews.htm |date=August 27, 2008 ))</ref><ref>((Cite web|url=https://www.indystar.com/story/sports/college/indiana/2018/08/22/iu-basketball-star-kirk-haston-trying-his-hand-tennessee-politics/1042132002/|title=Former IU basketball star Kirk Haston wins election in Tennessee|website=Indianapolis Star|language=en|access-date=April 12, 2019))</ref>
*[[Clyde Milan]] – Professional baseball player, manager, and coach with the [[History of the Washington Senators (1901–1960)|Washington Senators]]<ref>((cite news |last1=Povich |first1=Shirley |title=Nats Coach Clyde Milan Dies of Heart Attack in Florida |url=https://archive.org/details/per_washington-post_1953-03-04_28020 |newspaper=The Washington Post |issue=28020 |date=March 4, 1953))</ref>
* [[The Pickard Family|Obediah Pickard]] – Musician <ref>((cite web |title=Domino 4328 – The Pickard Family – 1929 |url=http://oldtimeblues.net/tag/pickard-family/ |website=Old Time Blues |access-date=February 27, 2024))</ref>
*[[Thetus W. Sims]] – Politician and a member of the [[United States House of Representatives]]<ref>((cite web|title=Thetus W. Sims|url=http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=S000441|publisher=Biographical Directory of the United States Congress|access-date=April 30, 2013))</ref>

==See also==
* [[National Register of Historic Places listings in Tennessee#Perry County|National Register of Historic Places listings in Tennessee § Perry County]]
* [[List of counties in Tennessee]]
* [[Timeline of Perry County, Tennessee history]]

==References==
((reflist|30em))

==External links==
((Commons category))
* [https://perrycountygov.com/ Perry County Tennessee Government]
* [http://www.perrycountytennessee.com/ Perry County Chamber of Commerce]
* [https://www.buffaloriverreview.com/ The Buffalo River Review]
* [https://tngenweb.org/perry/ Perry County, TNGenWeb] – free genealogy resources for the county
* [https://sos.tn.gov/tsla/pages/genealogical-fact-sheets-about-perry-county Genealogical "Fact Sheets" About Perry County]
* ((curlie|Regional/North_America/United_States/Tennessee/Counties/Perry/|Perry County))

((Geographic Location
|Centre    = Perry County, Tennessee
|North     = [[Humphreys County, Tennessee|Humphreys County]]
|Northeast = [[Hickman County, Tennessee|Hickman County]]
|East      =
|Southeast = [[Lewis County, Tennessee|Lewis County]]
|South     = [[Wayne County, Tennessee|Wayne County]]
|Southwest =
|West      = [[Decatur County, Tennessee|Decatur County]]
|Northwest = [[Benton County, Tennessee|Benton County]]
))

((Perry County, Tennessee))
((Tennessee))
((U.S. Counties))

((coord|35.64|-87.87|display=title|type:adm2nd_region:US-TN_source:UScensus1990))

((authority control))

[[Category:Perry County, Tennessee| ]]
[[Category:1819 establishments in Tennessee]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1819]]
[[Category:Middle Tennessee]]

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