Chattanooga

Collier's New Encyclopedia (1921)

city and county-seat of Hamilton co., Tenn.; on the Tennessee river, with railroad and steamship communications with all southern ports. It is situated on high grounds, at the foot of Lookout Mountain, and in the midst of picturesque scenery. It is the site of a National Soldiers' Cemetery, with over 13,000 graves, and the Chattanooga and Chickamauga National Military Park. The manufacturing interests of the city are favored by the nearby deposits of coal, iron, clay, and other minerals, and also by the hydro-electric power derived from the Tennessee and Ocoee rivers, to utilize which plants costing $15,- 000,000 have been built. The Federal census of 1914 showed a capital investment of $20,615,000; value of products, $19,652,000; 7,085 wage earners, and salaries and wages of $5,461,000. There are over 300 factories producing over 1,200 different articles. The principal manufactures are foundry and machine shop products, lumber, furniture, steel, railroad cars, shovels, and breakfast foods. Public Buildings. - The city abounds in beautiful buildings, among which are the Court house, of Tennessee marble, costing $500,000; the Hotel Patten, a million-dollar structure; the Y. W. C. A., Carnegie library, terminal station, besides many handsome churches. Charitable institutions include the Old Ladies' Home, Pine Breeze Tuberculosis Sanitarium, Baroness Erlanger Hospital, Vine Street Orphans' Home, Frances Willard Working Girls' Home, and Kosmos Cottage. There are excellent schools, with an average attendance of about 10,000. The city's churches number over 120. There are two private secondary schools, besides the City High School and the Central High School. For higher education there are the University of Chat tanooga and the Chattanooga School of Law. Banking. Chattanooga has 11 banks, with a capital and surplus of over $6,- 000,000. The bank clearings in 1919 were $189,002,000. History. Chattanooga was settled in 1836, and was originally called Ross's landing. It was incorporated in 1851, and in 1863 was occupied and nearly destroyed by the Union forces. It was the scene of three of the greatest battles of the Civil War: Chickamauga, Missionary Ridge, and Lookout Mountain. Pop. (1910) 44,604; (1920) 57,895.