Sunbright

History

The Sunbright area was first settled in the early 19th century. It was originally known as "Pine Top", but was renamed "Stapleton" after the Staples family set up the town's first post office in the mid-19th century. When the railroad was constructed through the area in 1879, the Stapleton depot was named "Sunbright," and the name was eventually applied to the entire town. In 1916, an oil field was discovered in the hills immediately west of Sunbright, and the city thrived for several years as an oil shipping hub. An oil well was in operation within a year, and 15 wells were in operation in the Sunbright area by 1927.

Geography

Sunbright is situated atop the Cumberland Plateau approximately west of the plateau's Walden Ridge escarpment. Sunbright is surrounded by low mountains and hills that comprise the fringe of the Cumberland Mountains. White Oak Creek, which drains Sunbright, is part of the upper watershed of the Big South Fork of the Cumberland River. The Big South Fork's watershed meets the watershed of the Emory River atop Pilot Mountain, immediately south of Sunbright. Sunbright is centered along U.S. Route 27, which connects the city to Wartburg and Harriman to the south and Huntsville, Tennessee and Lexington, Kentucky to the north. US 27 intersects State Route 329 in the center of town, which connects Sunbright to Deer Lodge. US 27 also intersects Interstate 40 approximately south of Sunbright. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land.

Race & ethnicity