Lake

Formed May 27, 1870 (85^th county)

Lake County (7,832), Tiptonville (4,464)

The dark red brick Classical Revival facility was constructed in 1936.  The courthouse is on Court Street at Church Street.  Tennessee State Highway 21 is Church Street in this part of the town.  H. J. McGuire and Company are the designers.  The building has been enlarged and an Annex has been added across the street.  A park across the street has veterans’ memorials.  The courthouse features columns and local high school graduation classes.  There was a 1904 courthouse earlier in Tiptonville, the only county seat.  The county was organized on May 27, 1870 from Obion County as the 85^th county.  Lake County is named for Reelfoot Lake.  The county seat is named for settler William Tipton. 

Lake County government consists of a sheriff, a County Mayor, and 3 Commissioners.  One Circuit Court Judge, One Chancery Court Judge, and One Juvenile Court Judge serve Lake and Dyer counties.  The county is in the northwest corner of the state.  The Mississippi River is its western border and part of its north border.  Memphis, Tennessee is southwest and Nashville, Tennessee is east of the county.  The county center is 4.7 miles South-Southwest of Tiptonville nearer Wynnburg.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Kentucky and Obion and Dyer counties and Missouri. 

The area of the county is 194 square miles.  It is 90 out of 95 in the state.  It ranks 90 out of 95 in population in the state.  It has a density of 40.37 persons per square mile making it 78 out of 95 in the state.  Lake County has 79.9% of its population in its incorporated areas.  There are no Interstates or United States Highways in the county.  The county resembles a caterpillar crawling northeast.  Tiptonville is located in the eastern half of the county.  Tiptonville is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 57.0% of the county population.