Town file
Cosby, Tennessee
Cosby, Tennessee (Cocke County, Tennessee) is the town in one episode of Small Town Murder, the comedy true-crime podcast: episode 521, "Attack Of The Death Twins" (22 August 2024).
- Town
- Cosby
- County
- Cocke County
- State
- Tennessee
- Country
- USA
- Episodes
- 521
- Approximate location
- 35.795, -83.246
Episode 521 / 22 August 2024 / 166 min / full
Attack Of The Death Twins
"We're going all the way to Tennessee today... this is in eastern Tennessee, kind of right up against the Smoky Mountains next to the North Carolina border, Cosby, Tennessee. He later says it is in Cock County, C-O-C-K-E." about 0:04:19
The case: Murder of Aaron Smith (July 23, 1997). Read the case file.
The figures, as told in 2024
- Population
- 742
- Median age
- 53.9
- Median household income
- $45,192
- Median home value
- $223,700
- Two-bedroom rent
- about $740
- Property crime
- ▲ about double
- Murder, rape, robbery and assault
- ▼ just below
History, in brief
- The origin of the name Cosby is a mystery. about 0:05:46
- One theory is that the town was named after Jonathan Cosby, an early trapper and distiller in the area. about 0:05:56
- Another theory is that the creek and valley were named after Dr. James Cosby, a Revolutionary War veteran and a friend of John Sevier. about 0:06:16
- The name appears as early as 1838 in writings; it seems to have been founded as Cosby Creek and later became Cosby. about 0:06:37
- By 1900 most residents were farmers or lumber mill workers, supplementing their incomes with ginseng and moonshine. about 0:06:49
- In the first half of the twentieth century Cosby was known to East Tennesseans as the moonshine capital of the world. about 0:07:06
- The explosion of moonshining led to the beginnings of NASCAR. about 0:07:34
- Illegal distillers warned of approaching law enforcement by setting off dynamite, and locals would follow revenue agents' cars in a long tailgate. about 0:07:47
- A local account describes a still in full operation on a Sunday in sight of Caton's Grove Church. about 0:08:53
- Rival moonshining families fought each other over the market, like a moonshine mafia, until liquor became legal and dry counties turned wet. about 0:09:06
- Cosby is still known as a moonshine mecca today. about 0:09:23
The reviews read out
4 stars
"The town has its issues but the positives far outweigh the negatives: year-round colour, artistic one-of-a-kind views and a cosy small-town feeling, with no expensive attractions or tacky overpriced shopping centres like nearby Pigeon Forge; real people live here with real problems."about 0:09:40
3 stars
"A rural East Tennessee county that has not grown as much as nearby counties, centred on Newport; living there is like a country song, everyone knows each other, a mix of locals and transplants, families and retirees; activities are outdoors, halfway between Knoxville and Asheville, dining is mostly fast food and most people drive 30 to 60 minutes to work; drug and nonviolent crime are prevalent."about 0:10:32
2 stars
"Little access to public workout facilities and fitness is not a big concern to people in the area."about 0:11:24
Nearest Small Town Murder towns
- Pigeon Forge, Tennessee18 miles
- Baileyton, Tennessee43 miles
- Maynardville, Tennessee44 miles
- Clayton, Georgia64 miles
- Tellico Plains, Tennessee66 miles
- Traveler's Rest, South Carolina73 miles
Everything here is as told in the episode, on the date it went out; figures and places may have changed since. Endings are covered: open an episode and use the spoiler switch to read them.