Chattanooga History, Economy & Education

History

The first inhabitants of the Chattanooga area were Native American Indians with sites dating back to the Upper Paleolithic period, showing continuous occupation through the Archaic, Woodland, Mississippian (900-1650 AD), Muskogean and Cherokee (1776 - 1838 AD) periods. The name 'Chattanooga' is based on the Muskogean term for rock, cvto (chatta), and may refer to Lookout Mountain that, when viewed from Moccasin Bend, appears as a "rock rising to a point."

The earliest Cherokee occupation dates from Dragging Canoe who, in 1776, separated himself and moved downriver from the main tribe to establish Native American resistance (see Chickamauga Wars) to European settlement in the southeastern United States. Occupation of the area by members of the Cherokee Nation dates from 1816 with the establishment of Ross's Landing by later tribal chief John Ross, and ended with the forced relocation of Native American Indians from the southeast U.S. to Oklahoma in 1838. Ross's Landing was one of three large internment camps, or "emigration depots" during the Trail of Tears; the other two being Fort Payne, Alabama and the largest at Fort Cass, Tennessee.

The city is known for the 1941 big-band swing song "Chattanooga Choo Choo" by Glenn Miller, but it has grown significantly since its days as a railroad hub and industrial center. Bessie Smith, a famous blues singer, was also born in Chattanooga.

Chattanooga in time of the civil war. Soldiers' tents and supply wagons beside the city building, 1864. Lookout Mountain is visible in the background. During the American Civil War on November 23, 1863, the Third Battle of Chattanooga began when Union forces led by General Ulysses S. Grant reinforced troops at Chattanooga and counterattacked Confederate troops. The next day, the Battle of Lookout Mountain was fought near the town. These were followed the next spring by the Atlanta Campaign, beginning just over the nearby state line in Georgia and moving southeastward.

After the war ended, the city became a major manufacturing center, and by the 1930s was known as the "Dynamo of Dixie." In recent years, private and governmental resources have been invested in transforming the city's downtown and riverfront areas. An early cornerstone of this project was the restoration of the historic Walnut Street Bridge. The Walnut Street Bridge is the oldest surviving bridge of its kind in the Southeastern United States. Efforts to improve the city include the "21st Century Waterfront Plan" - a $120 Million redevelopment of the Chattanooga waterfront and downtown area

In 1935, as well as from 1993 to 1995, Chattanooga hosted the National Folk Festival.

Chattanooga Economy

The local economy includes a diversified mix of manufacturing and service industries, four colleges, and several preparatory schools. "Sustainability" is a key concept for Chattanooga's development, especially after the crash of the industrial due to overseas labor.

Chattanooga is the corporate headquarters and home of Olan Mills, Rock Creek Outfitters, Double Cola, Harbor Master Boats, Krystal, CBL & Associates, Chattem, Covenant Transport, U.S. Xpress, Inc (the 5th largest trucking company in the U.S.), National Model Railroad Association, Unum, BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee, The Chattanooga Bakery (home of the Moon pie), and Miller Industries, the largest tow truck manufacturer in the world. Chattanooga is also noted as the site of the first bottled Coca-Cola. Following the city's industrial decline, many businesses in the banking and insurance industries set up operations in Chattanooga. The city is home to large branch offices of Cigna, AT&T and UBS. In addition to the above, other major employers are the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), ALSTOM Power, Inc., Erlanger and T.C. Thompson's Children's Hospital, and the Hamilton County Board of Education.

The city boasts the most productive affordable housing program in the nation. Chattanooga is notable for leveraging development funds through effective public private partnerships, and has significant civic involvement. It was one of the first US cities to effectively use a citizen visioning process to set specific long-range goals to enrich the lives of residents and visitors.

In addition to corporate business interests, there are many retail shops in Chattanooga, both downtown and in the outlying neighborhoods. There are two shopping malls in the area: Northgate Mall in Hixson and Hamilton Place Mall in the eastern portion of the city. Warehouse Row, a large outlet mall, is downtown.

Education

Primary and secondary education

Most of Chattanooga's primary and secondary education is funded by the government. The public schools in Chattanooga (and Hamilton County) fall under the purview of the Hamilton County School System.

In addition, the city is home to several well-known private and parochial secondary schools, including Boyd-Buchanan School, Baylor School, Chattanooga Christian School, McCallie School, Girls Preparatory School, and Notre Dame High School. Chattanooga is also home to Siskin Children's Institute.

One of the earliest schools in Chattanooga was Chattanooga Central High School. It was built in 1907, originally on Dodds Avenue, and has since then been relocated to Highway 58 in Harrison, Tennessee.

Howard was the first public school in the area and was established in 1865. Howard lends its name from General Oliver O. Howard who was commissioner of the Freedmen's Bureau.

In 1990, the high schools of Tōno (Japan) and the Chattanooga School for the Arts & Sciences (CSAS) were paired by School Partners Abroad to establish an exchange program. Near the end of every Japanese school year (in April), a delegation of Tōno high-schoolers visits Chattanooga, and reciprocally, a delegation from CSAS visits Tono every summer. The City of Tono has embraced this exchange and a delegation of junior high school students now also visits CSAS and the Chattanooga School for the Liberal Arts a few weeks before the high schoolers.

Higher education

The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, which is also known locally as UTC, is the second largest campus of the University of Tennessee System. Boasting a student population of over 9002, UTC students, staff and faculty play a major part in contributing to the local economy. In addition to UTC, there are several other institutions of higher learning in Chattanooga. Several miles from UTC is Chattanooga State Technical Community College. Other institutions are the privately run Tennessee Temple University, Miller-Motte Technical College. Southern Adventist University, Lee University and Covenant College, which overlooks the city from atop nearby Lookout Mountain, are all located fairly close to the city.

Chattanooga is home to the Chattanooga Branch of the University of Tennessee College of Medicine to provide medical education to medical students, residents, and other medical professionals in Southeast Tennessee through an affiliation with Erlanger Health System.