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History of Hamilton County TennesseeSelect a City, Town, Village or Township: Our database does not include an historic photo for Hamilton County Tennessee, do you have one you would like to contribute? Contact Us! 15% - 35% off all Products ยป The Ready Store Local History Notes:Hamilton County History Hamilton County was erected out of Rhea County by act of the Legislature passed on October 25, 1819, which provided ?that the territory southwest of Rhea and south and east of Bledsoe and Marion counties, should constitute a county by the name of Hamilton, in honor and to perpetuate the memory of the late Alexander Hamilton, Secretary of the Treasury of the United States.? The act recites the boundaries of the new county which, of course, were somewhat changed when James County was carved out of portions of Hamilton and Bradley counties in January 27, 1871. On April 14, 1919, however, an act10 was passed abolishing James County and transferring to Hamilton the territory formerly embraced in James.
The topography of the county is exceedingly varied. The larger portion toward the northwest is mountainous and wild, while the remainder, about two-fifths, is for the most part lowland, lying in the valley of the Tennessee River or of some of its tributaries from the northwest. Walden's Ridge and Raccoon Mountain occupy a small portion of the western border. Missionary Ridge, rising to a height of 500 feet above the valley; Walden's Ridge 1,500 feet, and Lookout Mountain to a maximum height of 1,700 feet above the low water in the Tennessee, are the chief elevations of the county. The climate of Hamilton County averages 42 degrees in winter, 72 degrees in summer, and sixty degrees in spring and autumn. The country around Chattanooga was occupied by the Cherokee Indians until the year 1837, when a post office was first established at that point which was then called Ross' Landing after either Chief John Ross11 or his brother who established a store there. In that same year a town was laid off and divided into lots and the name Chattanooga was given to it. It was incorporated as a town in 1841 and as a city in 1851. The meaning of the name Chattanooga has been a mooted question for many years. Most historians and others say it means ?Eagle's nest.? In the Chattanooga Daily Times of July 1, 1903, appeared an article written by Miss Zella Armstrong on the origin and meaning of the word Chattanooga. In it she said: In a correspondence with Hon. Joshua Ross, concerning his distinguished uncle, Chief John, who left his impress deep upon this historic country, I inquired what could be learned among the living Cherokees upon this subject. Promptly came the answer, and it forever clears the romance and the mystery from our ?eagle's nest.? Says Mr. Ross: ?My own impression is that Chattanooga is derived from a Creek Indian word, as ?Creek Path? is not many miles distant. I find in the living Creek language ?Chat-to-to-noo-gee,? the literal meaning of which is ?rock coming to a point; a cliff or bluff, or overhanging rock,? as is found at the point of Lookout Mountain.The University of Chattanooga, in which all the people of this city take so just a pride, was started as the East Tennessee Wesleyan College at Athens, in 1867. Later it was called Grant University and still later the University of Chattanooga which has a college of arts and sciences and a school of law. The many points of interest and scenic grandeur in and around Chattanooga attract thousands of visitors and tourists from all parts of the country. The most noted of these are: Chickamauga National Military Park, Missionary Ridge, Orchard Knob, National Cemetery, Confederate Cemetery, Lookout Mountain with its $100,000 cable incline 4,750 feet long, Signal Mountain and Walden's Ridge. Statistics of Hamilton County: Population, 1920, 115,954. Assessed valuation of taxahle property, 1921, $140,321,440. (Hamilton County now includes the territory formerly embraced in James County, the latter having been abolished by act of the General Assembly.) Area, 785 square miles. Number of farms, 2,480. Railway mileage, 146. Drained by the Tennessee River and tributaries. The county has a varied and fertile soil, well adapted to the growth of all kinds of crops, including the different grains, grasses, fruits and vegetables. Truck farming is carried on extensively in the vicinity of Chattanooga, and there is a large business in the shipment of early vegetables to the northern markets. The length of the growing season makes it possible for the truck farmer to grow as many as three crops in one year on the same ground, and a ready and convenient market is found at good prices. Large shipments of strawberries are made every year. There is a profitable business in poultry and dairying. The staple products are corn, wheat, oats, fruits, cattle and hogs. The county is traversed by the Nashville, Chattanooga & St. Louis Railway, the Southern Railway, the Cincinnati Southern, and there are other roads entering from the South. The county has a fine system of public highways. Lookout Mountain is situated in the southern part of the county, and is famed for its magnificent scenery and historic interest. Chickamauga National Park is near, as is Missionary Ridge. All of these were battle grounds during the Civil war. Chattanooga, the county seat, with a population of 57,895, is one of the most progressive cities in the South and is located on the Tennessee River at the base of Lookout Mountain. Its river and railroad connections furnish first-class transportation facilities. Ten railroads enter the city. Chattanooga has many large manufacturing industries, two daily newspapers, several banks of large resources, and all the business interests of a large city. Scholastic population of county, 35,887; high schools, 14; elementary schools, 94. Information will be furnished by the Chamber of Commerce, Chattanooga, Tenn. From: Moore, John Trotwood. Tennessee, The Volunteer State, 1769-1923. Vol. 1. Chicago, IL, USA: S. J. Clarke Publishing Co., 1923. Local History and Genealogy Links: |
Tennessee Facts: Hamilton County Facts: Seat: ChattanoogaEstablished: 1819 Formed from: Rhea and Indian lands
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