Misplaced Pages

#868131

95-516: Hiwassee Dam is the third highest dam in the TVA system, behind only Fontana and Watauga . The dam and associated infrastructure was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2017. Hiwassee Dam is classified by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers as a high-hazard dam, meaning a dam failure may pose a deadly threat to nearby residents. The dam's condition is not made available to

190-604: A 29-mile (47 km) stretch of the Little Tennessee, Fontana Lake also extends across the lower 11 miles (18 km) of the Tuckasegee River (which flows southward from Cherokee and Bryson City), and the lower 5 miles (8.0 km) or so of the Nantahala River , extending into the scenic Nantahala Gorge. Several rapid-flowing mountain streams— some of which drop several thousand feet from

285-505: A deflection system. The dam's design is largely the work of TVA chief architect Roland Wank . Fontana Dam was completed at a cost of $ 70,420,688.48 (equivalent to $ 969 million in 2024 ), and the gates closed on November 11, 1944. Two generating units were placed in operation on January 20, 1945, in time to provide crucial energy for aluminum production in the closing months of World War II. Over 40,000 acres (16,000 ha) along Fontana Lake's north shore were eventually transferred to

380-588: A diversion and occupied it on September 9, 1863. Following the Battle of Chickamauga , the defeated Union Army retreated to safety in Chattanooga. On November 23, 1863, the Battles for Chattanooga began when Union forces led by Major General Ulysses S. Grant reinforced troops at Chattanooga and advanced to Orchard Knob against Confederate troops besieging the city. The next day, the Battle of Lookout Mountain

475-489: A final price of $ 250,000. The construction of Hiwassee Dam and its reservoir required the purchase of 24,102 acres (9,754 ha) (including the 10,000 acres (4,000 ha) purchased from Southern States Power), 3,836 acres (1,552 ha) of which had to be cleared. 261 families, 462 graves, and 25 miles (40 km) of roads had to be relocated. Eight new bridges were constructed, and a Southern Railway trestle required modification. Several changes were necessary to protect

570-457: A growing part of Chattanooga's economy, with 2014 being the first year for Hamilton County to surpass $ 1 billion in revenue. Startups have been an increasing trend, due in part to EPB 's fiber optic grid. Notable venture firms based in the city are Blank Slate Ventures, Chattanooga Renaissance Fund, Lamp Post Group, SwiftWing Ventures, the Jump Fund, Dynamo Ventures, and Brickyard VC. The city

665-521: A major waterfront attraction that has helped to spur neighborhood development. Since the opening of the aquarium, downtown Chattanooga has received over $ 5 billion of private investment, including nearly $ 1 billion from 2014 to 2018. The city has won three national awards for outstanding "livability", and nine Gunther Blue Ribbon Awards for excellence in housing and consolidated planning. Public art experts chose Passageways 2.0 City Thread from among 50 outstanding public art projects created in 2018 through

760-531: A municipality has its own typeface in the United States and the first crowd-funded , custom-made typeface in the world. On July 16, 2015, five people — four U.S. Marines and one sailor — were murdered and two more were wounded in shootings at two U.S. military facilities in Chattanooga . The perpetrator was Muhammad Youssef Abdulazeez, an Islamic terrorist . On November 21, 2016, a school bus carrying students from Woodmore Elementary School crashed in

855-614: A prominent presence in Chattanooga, the sole site of production of Altoids breath mint products since 2005. In a seminal event for Chattanooga, Volkswagen announced in July 2008 the construction of its first U.S. auto plant in over three decades, the Volkswagen Chattanooga Assembly Plant . In May 2011, Volkswagen Group of America inaugurated its plant. The $ 1 billion plant, opened in May 2011, served as

950-642: A scenic valley through the southern Appalachian Mountains en route to its mouth along Chickamauga Lake in Tennessee . Hiwassee Dam was constructed nearly 76 miles (122 km) above the river's mouth, at the downstream end of a large bend in the river known as Fowler Bend. The dam is 10 miles (16 km) upstream from Apalachia Dam (which is near the Tennessee-North Carolina state line) and 45 miles (72 km) downstream from Chatuge Dam . Hiwassee Dam and its reservoir are surrounded by

1045-463: A similar sit-in protest. Class President Paul Walker, Lehman Pierce and as many as 200 other black students organized peaceful sit-ins at four businesses along one block in downtown Chattanooga. White youth mobs responded with agitation, inflammatory language and violence. By the third day, Mayor Rudy Olgiatti instructed the fire department to utilize water hoses on crowds becoming the first city to utilize this tactic against protesters. Three months later

SECTION 10

#1732787734869

1140-409: A summer resort; some of the original 1940s buildings still are used. The design of the dam was unusual for TVA at the time. It was feared that the 2,818,000 yd³ (2,155,000 m³) of concrete required for the dam would create a structure so massive, that heat released during its setting would be trapped for years, and would eventually cause cracks to form. To aid the release of this heat, engineers divided

1235-421: A transit hub in the present day, served by multiple Interstate highways and railroad lines. It is 118 miles (190 km) northwest of Atlanta, Georgia , 112 miles (180 km) southwest of Knoxville, Tennessee , 134 miles (216 km) southeast of Nashville, Tennessee , 102 miles (164 km) east-northeast of Huntsville, Alabama , and 147 miles (237 km) northeast of Birmingham, Alabama . Divided by

1330-487: A typical year. In the 1950s, TVA began experiments with pumped storage at Hiwassee Dam. It used an energy-generating turbine that was run in reverse during low-demand hours to pump water from below the dam into the upper reservoir. This integration of pump and turbine was the first of its kind in the United States; further, at the time it was the largest and most powerful pump in the world, capable of pumping 1,750,000 gallons of water per minute. The "pump-turbine" at Hiwassee

1425-614: A wide variety of entertainment, dining, cultural and architectural attractions, including the Tennessee Aquarium , opened in 1992; the Creative Discovery Museum , opened in 1995; and the historic Walnut Street Bridge , reopened in 1993. The downtown footprint is bounded by interstate highway I-24 on the south to Frazier Avenue in the Northshore, as well as US highway 27 in the west to Central Avenue in

1520-571: Is 2,365 feet (721 m) long and 480 feet (146 m) high, making it the tallest dam in the Eastern United States. The dam has a flood storage capacity of 513,965 acre-feet (633,966,000 m ), and the combined capacity of its three generators is 293.6 megawatts. Fontana Lake has 238 miles (383 km) of shoreline and 10,230 acres (4,140 ha) of water surface, and its surface elevation varies by 57 feet (17 m) annually. The Aluminum Company of America ( Alcoa ) began investigating

1615-562: Is controlled by seven radial gates, which, along with four regulating conduits at the bottom of the dam, give the dam a total maximum discharge of 112,000 cubic feet per second (3,200 m/s). Hiwassee Lake stretches along the river for approximately 22 miles (35 km) to the town of Murphy, North Carolina . It has 180 miles (290 km) of shoreline, a storage capacity of 434,000 acre⋅ft (535,000 dam), and 205,590 acre⋅ft (253,590 dam) of flood storage. The reservoir's operating level varies by roughly 38 feet (12 m) in

1710-623: Is designated as a " National Historic Mechanical Engineering Landmark " by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME). The hydroelectric potential of the Hiwassee River has been recognized since the early 1900s. The cities of Andrews and Murphy in North Carolina had already established minor dams with generating capacities along the river when major power companies began planning large-scale hydro projects in

1805-582: Is expected to create one thousand new jobs and $ 800 million in investments. In addition to corporate business interests, there are many retail shops in Chattanooga, including two shopping malls: Hamilton Place Mall in East Brainerd and Northgate Mall in Hixson . Eastgate Mall in Brainerd used to be a shopping mall, but has changed into a multi-use office building. Tourism and Hospitality has been

1900-589: Is impounded by the Chickamauga Dam north of the downtown area. The city is nestled between the southwestern Ridge-and-valley Appalachians and the foot of Walden's Ridge ; the river separates the ridge from the western side of downtown. Several miles east, the city is bisected by Missionary Ridge . The downtown area sits at an elevation of approximately 676 feet (206 m), one of the lowest elevations in East Tennessee . Downtown Chattanooga has

1995-408: Is located 61 miles (98 km) above the mouth of the Little Tennessee, in a remote area where the westward-flowing river bends briefly to the south. Fontana Dam is a 30-mile (48 km) drive from the three nearest cities — Maryville, Tennessee to the west, Bryson City, North Carolina to the east, and Robbinsville, North Carolina , to the south. The small resort of Fontana Village (which

SECTION 20

#1732787734869

2090-601: Is located along the Tennessee River , and borders Georgia to the south. With a population of 181,099 in 2020, it is Tennessee's fourth-most populous city and one of the two principal cities of East Tennessee , along with Knoxville . It anchors the Chattanooga metropolitan area , Tennessee's fourth-largest metropolitan statistical area , as well as a larger three-state area that includes Southeast Tennessee, Northwest Georgia, and Northeast Alabama. Chattanooga

2185-454: Is named for the now-inundated town of Fontana, a former lumber and copper-mining hub once located at the mouth of Eagle Creek. The town's name was derived from the Italian word for "fountain." The Little Tennessee River flows for 135 miles (217 km) from its source in the mountains of northern Georgia to its mouth along the Tennessee River opposite Lenoir City, Tennessee . Fontana

2280-627: Is operated by the Tennessee Valley Authority , which built the dam in the early 1940s to satisfy the skyrocketing electricity demands in the Tennessee Valley to support the aluminum industry at the height of World War II ; it also provided electricity to a formerly rural area. At 480 feet (150 m) high, Fontana is the tallest dam in the Eastern United States ; at the time of its construction, it

2375-495: Is served by several incubators, notably Co.Lab, the Business Development Center, and Lamp Post Group. The Business Development Center is among the nation's largest incubators, both in square footage and in the number of startups that it supports. Co-working spaces have picked up downtown, including Society of Work and Chattanooga Workspace. Unique in the city is the startup accelerator Gigtank, which utilizes

2470-695: The American Civil War , Chattanooga was a center of battle. Chattanooga served as a hub connecting fifty percent of the Confederacy's arsenals, those being located in Atlanta , Augusta , Columbus , and Macon . Chattanooga's railroads were vital to the Confederacy's transportation of raw material to processing plants for producing small arms munitions. During the Chickamauga Campaign , Union artillery bombarded Chattanooga as

2565-520: The Archaic , Woodland , Mississippian / Muskogean / Yuchi (900– 1714 CE), and Cherokee (1776–1838) periods. The Chickamauga Mound near the mouth of the Chickamauga Creek is the oldest ( c.  750 CE ) remaining visible art in Chattanooga. The Citico town and mound site was the most significant Mississippian / Muscogee landmark in Chattanooga up to 1915. The first part of

2660-544: The Central Time Zone . As of the 2020 United States census , there were 181,099 people, 79,565 households, and 41,059 families residing in the city. As of the census of 2010 , there were 167,674 people, 70,749 households, and 40,384 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,222.5 inhabitants per square mile (472.0/km ). There were 79,607 housing units at an average density of 588.8 units per square mile (227.3 units/km ). The racial makeup of

2755-518: The Nantahala National Forest . Hiwassee Village , a small community that developed alongside the dam and reservoir, is located immediately south of Hiwassee Dam. North Carolina State Highway 1314 (Hiwassee Dam Access Road) crosses the top of the dam. Hiwassee Dam is a concrete, gravity-overflow dam 307 feet (94 m) high and 1,376 feet (419 m) long, and has a generating capacity of 185,000 kilowatts . The dam's spillway

2850-836: The Southeastern United States ), the Chattanooga Choo-Choo Hotel (a converted railroad terminal), the Maclellan Building, the Dome Building (once the home to the Chattanooga Times), and the Tivoli Theatre . The BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee headquarters, atop Cameron Hill, is the second-largest LEED Gold-certified corporate campus in the nation. Downtown Chattanooga has four main bridges over

2945-501: The Tennessee River , Chattanooga is at the transition between the ridge-and-valley Appalachians and the Cumberland Plateau , both of which are part of the larger Appalachian Mountains . Its official nickname is the "Scenic City", alluding to the surrounding mountains, ridges, and valleys. Unofficial nicknames include "River City", "Chatt", "Nooga", "Chattown", and "Gig City", the latter a reference to its claims that it has

Hiwassee Dam - Misplaced Pages Continue

3040-413: The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) system was created in 1933 by Congress . The flood crested at 58 feet (18 m) and completely inundated the city. Since the completion of the reservoir system, the highest Chattanooga flood stage has been nearly 37 feet (11 m), which occurred in 1973. Without regulation, the flood would have crested at 52.4 feet (16.0 m). Chattanooga was a major priority in

3135-649: The U.S. Forest Service for inclusion in the Nantahala National Forest. In 1952 unit 2 was added, an integration of pump and turbine built by Allis-Chalmers Company. After the electrical system for the pump failed in 2011, it remained offline until being repaired in 2016. Fontana Dam Fontana Dam is a hydroelectric dam on the Little Tennessee River in Swain and Graham counties, North Carolina, United States. The dam

3230-550: The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga 's campus and features the largest mural in Chattanooga. The 40,000-square-foot mural was created by Philadelphia-based muralist Meg Saligman and seven other local artists. In late 20th and early 21st centuries, substantial private and governmental resources have been invested in transforming the city's tarnished image. In 1993, restoration of the Walnut Street Bridge

3325-585: The 2010 census, an 11% increase during the 2000s. The single largest religious group in Chattanooga is Christianity . According to 2010 statistics, the Southern Baptist Convention was the largest denomination with 225 congregations and 122,300 members; followed by the United Methodist Church with 31,500 members and 83 churches. The third-largest group of Christians identified as non-denominational congregations; and

3420-458: The Brainerd neighborhood , killing 6 and injuring 23. In March 2018, the driver, an employee of Durham School Services , was convicted of six counts of criminally negligent homicide, 11 counts of reckless aggravated assault, seven counts of assault, reckless endangerment, reckless driving and illegally using his phone while driving. The crash reignited the debate about whether seat belts should be required in school buses. On June 5, 2022, there

3515-595: The Confederacy itself in half, while Chattanooga served as the doorway to the Deep South . These battles 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 railroad hub and industrial and manufacturing center. The largest flood in Chattanooga's history occurred in 1867, before

3610-617: The Franklin D. Roosevelt administration, was given oversight of flood control operations in the Tennessee River watershed, which included the Hiwassee. It also intended to develop hydroelectric projects to generate electricity for the rural region. One of TVA's first initiatives was to control flooding on the Hiwassee River, the waters of which contributed to regular seasonal flooding in the city of Chattanooga . Congress authorized

3705-495: The Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and several thousand acres along the south shore were transferred to the U.S. Forest Service . Despite the innovative design of the dam, cracks were observed in the face of the dam in 1949. In 1972, additional cracks appeared and started to expand in 1973. Following extensive investigations, specialists determined that the cracks were caused by stresses in

3800-775: The Hamilton County jail and lynch Johnson on the Walnut Street Bridge . Chattanooga grew with the entry of the United States in the First World War in 1917; the nearest training camp was in Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia . The Influenza pandemic of 1918 closed local movie theaters and pool halls. By the 1930s, Chattanooga was known as the "Dynamo of Dixie", inspiring the 1941 Glenn Miller big-band swing song " Chattanooga Choo Choo ". Through Mayor P.R. Olgiati's efforts, Chattanooga became

3895-527: The Klan across the country in the following years. In 1987, the city's at-large voting process was challenged on the basis that it marginalized the voting power of Black voters. The issue was initially presented by Lorenzo Ervin , Annie Thomas and Maxine Cousin to the ACLU in Atlanta . Following the case of Brown v. Board of Commissioners of Chattanooga , the city terminated the at-large voting system. Since

Hiwassee Dam - Misplaced Pages Continue

3990-613: The Little Tennessee Valley around 1910 in hopes of finding a place for a water power source for the massive amounts of electricity needed at its aluminum production operations at nearby Alcoa, Tennessee . In 1913, Alcoa purchased the Tallassee Power Company (now Tapoco ), and by 1930 the two entities had completed Cheoah and Calderwood dams, as well as Santeetlah Dam on the Cheoah River . By

4085-545: The North Shore. The final installment of $ 35.2 million was paid on June 29, 2018. Under a 2010 agreement, the money was deposited with the state treasurer's office . Swain County can spend only the interest the money earns. Chattanooga, Tennessee Chattanooga ( / ˌ tʃ æ t ə ˈ n uː ɡ ə / CHAT -ə- NOO -gə ) is a city in and the county seat of Hamilton County, Tennessee , United States. It

4180-617: The Public Art Network Year in Review program, a national program that recognizes compelling public art. In addition to winning various national and regional awards, Chattanooga has been in the national limelight numerous times. Chattanooga was the profile city of the August 2007 edition of US Airways Magazine . Chattanooga-based businesses have been recognized for their investment in solar energy. In December 2009, Chattanooga

4275-978: The Tennessee River: the Walnut Street Bridge, the Market Street Bridge , the Olgiati Bridge , and the Veterans Memorial Bridge . These bridges allow pedestrians to connect the Riverfront and Northshore to the Tennessee Riverwalk and Bluff View Art District. Downtown Chattanooga parks include Coolidge Park , Renaissance Park, Miller Park, Miller Plaza and Main Terrain Art Park. The Martin Luther King District runs parallel to

4370-413: The age of 18 living with them, 36% were married couples living together, 17.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42% were non-families. 33.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 26% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.26 and the average family size was 2.94. In the city, the population was spread out, with 21.3% under

4465-424: The age of 18, 11.5% from 18 to 24, 27% from 25 to 44, 25.5% from 45 to 64, and 14.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38.1 years. 46.1% of the population was male and 53.9% of the population was female. The median income for a household in the city was $ 35,817, and the median income for a family was $ 43,314. Males had a median income of $ 36,109 versus $ 31,077 for females. The per capita income for

4560-486: The annual peak in nor'easter activity. Summers are hot and humid, with a July daily mean of 80.0 °F (26.7 °C) and 52 days annually with 90 °F (32 °C) or greater temperatures. Chattanooga is the sixth fastest warming city in the United States due to climate change . Average annual precipitation is over 52 inches (1,300 mm). On average, November through March represents an extended relatively wet period, because of Chattanooga's frequent placement (in

4655-483: The area designated as Indian Territory , in what is now the state of Oklahoma . Their journey west became known as the " Trail of Tears " for their exile and fatalities along the way. The U.S. Army used Ross's Landing as the site of one of three large internment camps, or "emigration depots", where Native Americans were held before the journey on the Trail of Tears. In 1839, the community of Ross's Landing incorporated as

4750-458: The beginning of the 21st century, the city of Chattanooga has grown, attracting people from out of state and even out of the country. Chattanooga launched the first one-gigabit-per-second Internet service in the United States in September 2010, provided through the city-owned utility EPB . In August 2012, Chattanooga developed its own typeface , called Chatype , which marks the first time

4845-684: The city and nearby locations, including Apison and Cherokee Valley in Catoosa County, Georgia , where fifteen people died, eight in Apison and seven in Cherokee Valley. An EF3 tornado struck southeastern portions of Chattanooga on the night of April 12, 2020, and caused significant damage and three fatalities. Chattanooga uses the Eastern Time Zone . Counties directly to its west (in both Tennessee and Alabama) use

SECTION 50

#1732787734869

4940-412: The city of Chattanooga. The city grew quickly, initially benefiting from a location well-suited for river commerce. With the arrival of the railroad in 1850, Chattanooga became a boom town. The city was known as the site "where cotton meets corn," referring to its location along the cultural boundary between the mountain communities of southern Appalachia and the cotton-growing states to the south. During

5035-543: The city of Murphy's riverfront, mainly at its main bridge and filtering plant. Hiwassee Dam's height required a large mass of concrete which engineers feared would trap heat during its setting, making the dam more vulnerable to cracks. To help heat escape, the dam's concrete sections were divided into blocks no more than 50 feet (15 m) in length. The blocks' joints were formed with shear keys, and pipes were installed to allow future grouting should it become necessary. Several practices were employed to avoid trapping heat in

5130-482: The city was $ 23,756. About 14% of families and 16.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 27% of those under age 18 and 13.8% of those age 65 or over. Chattanooga's Metropolitan Statistical Area , which includes Hamilton, Marion , and Sequatchie counties in Tennessee and Catoosa , Dade , and Walker counties in Georgia, grew from 476,531 people, as of the 2000 census, to 529,222 people, as of

5225-422: The city was 58.0% White , 34.9% Black , 2.0% Asian , 0.4% American Indian , 0.1% Pacific Islander , 2.8% from other races , and 1.9% from two or more races. Persons of Hispanic or Latino origin (regardless of race) constituted 5.5% of the total population. Non-Hispanic Whites were 55.9% of the population in 2010, down from 67.3% in 1980. There were 70,749 households, out of which 26.7% had children under

5320-575: The city would agree to desegregate the downtown businesses. Unlike many southern cities the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. did not lead to riots in Chattanooga. Mayor Kelley and Police Commissioner Turner met with young people to defuse the situation and bought the protesters lunch. The frustrated youths voiced their complaints about racial injustice in Chattanooga, but were convinced to peacefully disperse. In 1971, John Franklin Sr. became

5415-698: The city's gigabit capacities and focuses on 3D printing, healthcare, and smartgrid technologies. Notable startups include Quickcue (acquired by OpenTable in 2013), and Reliance Partners . Chattanooga went from zero investable capital in 2009 to over $ 50 million in 2014. Electric power for most of the city and surrounding area is provided by the city-run Electric Power Board (EPB). EPB also provides high-speed Internet service, TV, and telephone service to business and residential customers throughout Hamilton County, as well as parts of Bledsoe County , Bradley County , Catoosa County , Dade County , Marion County , Rhea County , Sequatchie County , and Walker County , via

5510-414: The city. Chattanooga, like much of Tennessee, has a four-season humid subtropical climate ( Köppen Cfa ). Winter days are usually mild, but most years have at least one day (average 3.2) where the high remains at or below freezing. Snowfall is highly variable from year to year. 11 inches (28 cm) were recorded between January 9–10, 2011. The average snowiest month is February which corresponds with

5605-417: The city. In 1969, the federal government declared that Chattanooga had the dirtiest air in the nation. Like other early industrial cities, Chattanooga entered the 1970s with serious socioeconomic challenges, including job layoffs because of de-industrialization, deteriorating city infrastructure, racial tensions, and social division. Chattanooga's population increased by nearly 50,000 in the 1970s. However, this

5700-430: The construction of Hiwassee Dam in 1935, and work began the following year. TVA also considered two sites in Tennessee for constructing Hiwassee Dam. Original plans called for a $ 13 million dam 185 feet (56 m) high with a 4,000 foot (1,200 m) tunnel. Southern States Power agreed to sell its Hiwassee tract to TVA, although the two entities bickered over the land's value in federal court until 1944, when TVA agreed to

5795-536: The crest of the Great Smokies in just a few miles— empty into Fontana's north shore. The most notable of these streams — Eagle Creek and Hazel Creek — form substantial embayments just upstream from the dam. North Carolina Highway 28 (which crosses a bridge downstream from the dam) provides the only major road access to the Fontana Dam area. At Deals Gap , 11 miles (18 km) west of

SECTION 60

#1732787734869

5890-524: The curved portions of dam from thermal expansion . The cracking was exacerbated by alkali-aggregate reaction , which causes the concrete volume to increase and develop additional stresses. The area around the crack was post-tensioned with steel tendons, and an expansion slot was made in 1976 to alleviate the stresses developed within the cracked area. New slot cuts are made every 4–5 years to stop its growth. The last cuts were performed by Bluegrass Companies in 2016. The construction of Fontana Dam led to

5985-403: The dam into construction joints and outfitted them with grout pipes and cooling coils. The dam's spillway presented another problem, as engineers were worried that the water's 400-foot (120 m) drop would cause erosion issues at the dam's foundation. A special spillway was thus designed that drains water out through two 34-foot (10.3 m) diameter spill pipes into a diversion tunnel equipped with

6080-436: The dam, TVA was unable to get necessary federal funding for the project until the outbreak of World War II in 1941. Emergency wartime initiatives called for a drastic increase in aluminum production. On August 14, 1941, TVA and ALCOA signed the "Fontana Agreement," which gave TVA possession of Fontana and control over the releases and output of Tapoco's Little Tennessee Valley dams, and in return guaranteed that Alcoa would be

6175-403: The dam, the road intersects U.S. Route 129 , which continues westward to Maryville. East of the dam, NC-28 follows the lake's south shore for about 25 miles (40 km) before intersecting U.S. Route 74 . The Fontana Dam site previously hosted an 800 mm ( 2 ft  7 + 1 ⁄ 2  in ) narrow gauge funicular railway for tourists. This has been closed. Fontana Dam

6270-542: The design of the TVA reservoir system and remains a major operating priority in the 21st century. In December 1906, Chattanooga was in the national headlines in United States v. Shipp , as the United States Supreme Court , in the only criminal trial in its history, ruled that Hamilton County Sheriff Joseph H. Shipp had violated Ed Johnson 's civil rights when Shipp allowed a mob to enter

6365-689: The east. The modern downtown skyline is dominated by the Aquarium, the Republic Centre (tallest building in Chattanooga ), John C. Portman Jr. 's the Westin (Gold Building), the James Building (Chattanooga's first skyscraper), and The Block, a climbing gym with 5,000 square feet of functional climbing space. Chattanooga has buildings with historical significance, such as The Read House Hotel (the longest continuously operating hotel in

6460-435: The environment and raised challenges; in addition, the NPS had difficulty securing sufficient funding for the road. In the 1970s, environmental concerns completely halted the road's progress, and locals nicknamed the unfinished road "The Road to Nowhere". North Carolina's U.S. Senator Jesse Helms finally secured funding for the road in 2000, and the NPS for the first time conducted a required environmental impact study of

6555-476: The fastest internet service in the Western Hemisphere. Chattanooga is internationally known from the 1941 hit song " Chattanooga Choo Choo " by Glenn Miller and his orchestra . It is home to the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC) and Chattanooga State Community College . The first inhabitants of the Chattanooga area were Native Americans . Sites dating back to the Upper Paleolithic period (c. 10,000 BCE ) show continuous human occupation through

6650-632: The first African-American elected official of Chattanooga. However racial tensions related to poverty and education continued to simmer. In the same year, a cancelled concert refusing to give ticket refunds sparked a four-day riot of black youth. An all-night curfew was called and close to 2,000 National Guard troops arrived in the city, setting up a post at City Hall. The unrest led to 1 death and 300 arrests. On April 19, 1980, three Ku Klux Klan members rode down historic 9th street and opened fire on five black women: Viola Ellison, Lela Mae Evans, Katherine O. Johnson, Opal Lee Jackson and Fannie Crumsey. All of

6745-450: The first city in Tennessee to have a completed interstate highway system in the latter 1960s. In February 1958, Chattanooga became one of the smallest cities in the country with three VHF television stations: WROM-TV (now WTVC-TV ) channel 9 ( ABC ), WRGP-TV (now WRCB-TV ) channel 3 ( NBC ), and WDEF-TV channel 12 ( CBS ). The same mountains that provide Chattanooga's scenic backdrop also trap industrial pollutants, which settle over

6840-424: The flooding of most of North Carolina Highway 288 , which connected Deals Gap and Bryson City. The National Park Service , after gaining possession of Fontana's north shore tracts, reached an agreement with Swain County in the 1940s to replace the north shore road. By 1972, only 7.2 miles (11.6 km) of the road had been completed. People in the area had more appreciation for the effect of such construction on

6935-735: The fourth-largest organized denomination was the Church of God (Cleveland, Tennessee) with 82 churches and 17,900 members. The 5th largest Christian religious group, according to 2010 statistics , was the Roman Catholic Diocese of Knoxville , which had 12 congregations and 14,300 members. Islam has 2,200 adherents in Chattanooga. Chattanooga's economy includes a diversified and growing mix of manufacturing and service industries. Notable Chattanooga businesses include Access America Transport , BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee , CBL & Associates , The Chattanooga Bakery , Sanofi ,

7030-775: The group's North American manufacturing headquarters. The plant, which initially employed 2,700 people, later increasing to 4,700, manufactures the Passat and the Atlas . It also has a full research and development center in downtown Chattanooga, employing some 200 engineers, the first of its kind in the South. The plant was the first new Volkswagen plant in the United States since the 1988 closure of Volkswagen Westmoreland Assembly near New Stanton, Pennsylvania . In 2019, Volkswagen Chattanooga announced plans to expand its Chattanooga-based plant to construct electric vehicles . The expansion

7125-551: The main tribe to establish resistance to European settlement during the Cherokee–American wars . In 1816 John Ross , who later became Principal Chief , established Ross's Landing . Located along what is now Broad Street, it became one of the centers of Cherokee Nation settlement, which also extended into Georgia and Alabama. In 1838, the U.S. government forced the Cherokees, along with other Native Americans, to relocate to

7220-526: The maker of nationally known Little Debbie brand snack cakes, is a privately held, family-run company headquartered in nearby Collegedale, Tennessee . Notable companies that have manufacturing or distribution facilities in the city include Amazon.com , BASF , DuPont , Invista , Komatsu , PepsiCo , Rock-Tenn , Plantronics , Domtar , Norfolk Southern , Ferrara Candy Company (manufacturer of Brach's candies ), Alco Chemical , Colonial Pipeline , and Buzzi Unicem . The William Wrigley Jr. Company has

7315-460: The mid-1930s, Alcoa had assessed the Fontana site and had purchased the initial 15,000 acres (6,100 ha) for the dam's construction. In 1935, the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), which was concerned with the Little Tennessee's effect on flood control in the greater Tennessee Valley, began negotiating with Alcoa to assume control of the Fontana project. Although Alcoa preferred that TVA build

7410-579: The name "Chattanooga" derives from the Muskogean word cvto /chắtȯ/ – 'rock'. The latter may be derived from a regional suffix -nuga meaning dwelling or dwelling place. It is also believed to be derived from the Creek Indian word Chat-to-to-noog-gee , meaning ‘rock rising to a point’, which is speculated to be a reference to Lookout Mountain. The earliest Cherokee occupation of the area dates from 1776, when Dragging Canoe separated himself from

7505-495: The primary benefactor of the dams' electrical output for at least twenty years. The U.S. Congress authorized funding on December 17, 1941, and construction of Fontana Dam began on January 1, 1942. The building of Fontana Dam and its reservoir required the purchase of 68,292 acres (27,637 ha) of land, 5,125 acres (2,074 ha) of which were forested and had to be cleared. Some 1,311 families, 1,047 graves, and more than 60 miles (97 km) of roads had to be relocated out of

7600-405: The project area. The towns of Fontana, Bushnell, Forney, and Judson were completely inundated by the formation of Lake Fontana . The temporary village of Welch Cove (later renamed Fontana Village) was constructed just south of the dam to house the project's workers, whose numbers had reached 5,000 by 1943 in spite of nationwide manpower shortages. Fontana Village has been adapted and expanded as

7695-524: The project. Published in 2007, the EIS concluded that the road's construction would cause "major, adverse, long-term impacts to topography, geology, and soils" in the area. Proponents of the road argued that the environmental concerns were exaggerated. In 2007, Swain County accepted a $ 52 million cash settlement from the National Park Service and agreed to drop its demand for a new road along

7790-518: The public due to security concerns. Hiwassee Dam is named after the Hiwassee River. The river's name is derived from the Cherokee word for savanna , or large meadow. Two of the tribe's towns along the river in the 18th century were also called Hiwassee. The Hiwassee River flows northwestward from its source in Towns County, Georgia through Western North Carolina, where it proceeds to slice

7885-420: The setting of the concrete, including the use of low-heat cement. Hiwassee Dam's gates were closed on February 8, 1940, although minor construction work continued until later that same year. The first generator went online May 21, 1940. The dam's final price tag was just over $ 24 million. Shortly after the project's completion, TVA transferred 17,000 acres (6,900 ha) of its Hiwassee property reservation to

7980-486: The valley in the 1920s. The Carolina-Tennessee Power Company (later reorganized as the Southern States Power Company ) purchased 10,000 acres (4,000 ha) of land and flowage rights along the river in 1924 in hopes of building a large dam just above the present dam site, but the project was never fully developed. The Tennessee Valley Authority , created as a New Deal measure in 1933 during

8075-477: The winter season) in a zone of conflict between warm, moist air from the Gulf of Mexico and cold, dry air from Canada, amplified by jet-stream energy and abundant Gulf moisture. July presents a secondary maximum in precipitation, due to frequent thunderstorm activity. Despite the mountains that surround the city, Chattanooga has been affected by tornadoes. These tornadoes include the 2011 Super Outbreak , which impacted

8170-414: The women survived. When an all-white jury acquitted the three Klan members for their crime, Chattanooga erupted into four nights of rioting. Not deterred by the jury verdict, the five women went on to be plaintiffs in a historic civil lawsuit against the Klan. In 1982, the federal courts ordered the Klan to pay the women $ 535,000 on account of the attack. This case created the legal strategy for dismantling

8265-556: The world's first Coca-Cola bottling plant, Coker Tire , U.S. Xpress Inc., Covenant Logistics , Double Cola , CraftWorks Restaurants & Breweries , Luken Communications , Miller & Martin , the National Model Railroad Association , PepsiCo , Reliance Partners , Republic Parking System , Rock/Creek , Tricycle Inc., and Unum . The city also hosts large branch offices of Cigna , AT&T , T-Mobile USA , and UBS . McKee Foods Corporation ,

8360-523: Was a mass shooting in Chattanooga that left three dead and injured 11. According to the United States Census Bureau , the city has a total area of 144.6 square miles (374.4 km ), of which 137.1 square miles (355.2 km ) are land and 7.4 square miles (19.2 km ), or 5.12%, are water. The most prominent natural features in and around Chattanooga are the Tennessee River and the surrounding mountains. The Tennessee River

8455-533: Was a crucial city during the American Civil War due to the multiple railroads that converge there. After the war, the railroads allowed for the city to grow into one of the Southeastern United States' largest heavy industrial hubs. Today, major industry that drives the economy includes automotive, advanced manufacturing, food and beverage production, healthcare, insurance, tourism, and back office and corporate headquarters. Chattanooga remains

8550-457: Was completed. An excellent specimen of the Camelback truss bridge , it is the oldest surviving bridge of its kind in the Southeastern United States, having been built in 1891. Efforts to improve the city include the "21st Century Waterfront Plan" – a $ 120 million redevelopment of the Chattanooga waterfront area, which was completed in 2005. The Tennessee Aquarium, which opened in 1992, has become

8645-712: Was first built as a temporary workers' village for people on the dam) has developed just south of the dam. The Great Smoky Mountains rise to the north, and the Yellow Creek Mountains (mostly protected within the Nantahala National Forest ) rise to the south. Fontana is the uppermost of five dams on the Little Tennessee River: Cheoah Dam is 10 miles (16 km) downstream, followed by Calderwood Dam , Chilhowee Dam , and Tellico Dam . Cheoah, Chilhowee, and Tellico were all named for historic Cherokee towns. Along with covering

8740-631: Was fought, driving the Confederates off the mountain. On November 25, Grant's army routed the Confederates in the Battle of Missionary Ridge . In regard to victories won by the Union, Chattanooga marks one of three defining moments that turned the Civil War in their favor. The Battle of Gettysburg brought the streak of victories obtained by the Confederacy to an end, while the Siege of Vicksburg split

8835-580: Was mostly because the city annexed nearby residential areas. By the mid-1980s, local leaders launched Vision 2000 , an effort to revitalize and reinvent Chattanooga's culture and economy. Chattanooga's population declined by more than 10% in the 1980s, but regained it over the next two decades, the only major U.S. city to do so in that period. The civil rights movement of Chattanooga began in 1960 when teenage students of Howard High School, inspired by activists in Nashville and Greensboro , began to organize

8930-550: Was ranked 8th out of America's 100 largest metro areas for the best "Bang For Your Buck" city, according to Forbes magazine , which measured overall affordability, housing rates, and more. Chattanooga has many buildings and three neighborhoods on the National Register of Historic Places : Ferger Place , Fort Wood , and St. Elmo . Additionally, Chattanooga has several local historic districts: Battery Place, Glenwood, Missionary Ridge, M.L. King, and Stringer's Ridge . Four of these are formally managed as local historic districts by

9025-506: Was the fourth-tallest dam in the world. The dam and associated infrastructure was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2017. The dam impounds the 10,230-acre (4,140 ha) Fontana Lake , which spreads across a scenic stretch of the Little Tennessee along the southwestern boundary of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park . The Appalachian Trail crosses the top of the dam. Fontana

#868131