Erwin is a town in and the county seat of Unicoi County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 6,097 at the 2010 census. It is share of the Johnson City Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is a component of the Johnson City–Kingsport–Bristol, TN-VA Flag Pond, Tennessee, Unicoi, Tennessee Combined Statistical Area – commonly known as the “Tri-Cities” region.

The town of Erwin acknowledged its reveal by a mail mishap. On December 5, 1879, the say of the town was Ervin, in honor of D.J.N. Ervin, who had donated 15 acres (61,000 m) of home for the county seat. A typo made by say office officials caused the state to be recorded as Erwin. The mistake was never corrected.

Erwin earned some notoriety in 1916 subsequently the abandoned known public deed of an elephant in Tennessee occurred in the community. Mary, an elephant in ‘Sparks World Famous Shows’ traveling circus, had killed her handler, Walter Eldridge, in reachable Kingsport after the inexperienced trainer allegedly struck Mary on the head like a hook. News of a killer elephant develop via rumors and sensationalist news stories, and calls for Mary’s ability began. Some towns announced they would slant the circus away if it showed stirring with the elephant. So Mary’s owner, Charlie Sparks, decided to slay Mary by hanging in order to appease the crowds. Erwin was a Tiny more than 35 miles south of Kingsport, and as house to the region’s largest railway yard they happened to have a 100-ton crane car that could raise the five-ton elephant. Surrounding communities arranged that Erwin was the best place to carry out the attainment and Erwin obliged, even while the town itself was next to it.^{[citation needed]} An estimated 2,500 people turned out at the local railway yard to see Mary hoisted by a crane to meet her demise. Playwright George Brant won the 2008 Keene Prize for Literature for his a one-act doing titled “Elephant’s Graveyard”, depicting this story. The town recently implemented a twelve-monthly festival and Elephant Art Auction; whereby, artists paint small elephant sculptures displayed all but town that are then auctioned, with anything proceeds donated exclusively to The Elephant Sanctuary in Hohenwald.

Between 1916 and 1957, the Southern Potteries tree-plant operated in Erwin along Ohio Avenue. The plant produced a hand-painted dishware known as Blue Ridge that became popular nationwide in the late 1930s and 1940s. Blue Ridge pieces are still popular items taking into consideration collectors of early dishware.^{[citation needed]}