Covington

History

The Covington area was originally inhabited by Native Americans of various tribes. They used the nearby Mississippi River as a trading route among numerous American Indian nations, who for more than 1,000 years conducted continent-deep trading between the upper river and the Southeast. Evidence of such trading has been found in materials and items excavated from numerous archeological sites. Tipton County is one of five present-day counties of the State of Tennessee that border the Mississippi River. The first Europeans to explore this area were attached to the noted expedition of the French Canadians Jacques Marquette and Louis Joliet in 1673. This expedition went down the Mississippi from present-day Wisconsin to the mouth of the Arkansas River, and then back upriver to Lake Michigan. The Arkansas River represents part of the border between present-day Arkansas and Mississippi. It is likely that de Soto and his men passed near here circa 1541. During the 19th century, because this entire area consists of fertile floodplains and a climate of long, hot summers, and adequate rainfall, the Covington area and the rest of West Tennessee were developed for cotton plantations. This became the primary commodity crop across the South in the 19th century, generating great wealth for many large planters. African-American slaves were brought to Western Tennessee by planters relocating here, or forced here by sale in the domestic slave trade. West Tennessee was the center of large-scale slavery in Tennessee, and Memphis had a major slave market. Planters and farmers in Middle Tennessee also held slaves, although in fewer number. Farmers in the eastern part of the state mostly developed small subsistence farms and held few slaves. During the Civil War, Union Army and Union Navy…

Geography

Covington is part of the Memphis, Tennessee Metropolitan Area, and is located northeast of that large city. U.S. Route 51, a major north–south highway running between Mississippi and Illinois, passes through the city. According to the United States Census Bureau, this town has a total area of , of which practically all of it is land. Covington is situated on the southeastern edge of the New Madrid Seismic Zone, an area judged by geologists to have a high risk of earthquakes in the future. The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Covington has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.

Race & ethnicity

Largest nearby schools

• Brighton High School
  High · Brighton · 1,142 students · 16.6:1 ratio
• Brighton Middle School
  Middle · Brighton · 815 students · 19:1 ratio
• Crestview Elementary
  Elementary · Covington · 772 students · 15.8:1 ratio
• Covington High School
  High · Covington · 706 students · 14.7:1 ratio
• Brighton Elementary
  Elementary · Brighton · 693 students · 15.4:1 ratio
• Austin Peay Elementary School
  Elementary · Covington · 586 students · 14:1 ratio
• Crestview Middle School
  Middle · Covington · 564 students · 16.1:1 ratio
• Charger Academy
  Elementary · Covington · 418 students · 13.5:1 ratio