Chattanooga, Tennessee
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"Chattanooga" redirects here. For other uses, see Chattanooga (disambiguation).
| Chattanooga, Tennessee |
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| Nickname: "Scenic City (official), Chatt-Town, River City, Chatty, Chattavegas, The Noog" | ||
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| Cities in Tennessee | Tennessee | |
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| Mayor | Ron Littlefield | |
| Area | ||
| - City | 370.8 km² | |
| - Land | 352.2 km² | |
| - Water | 20.6 km² | |
| Population | ||
| - City (2000) | 155,554 (city proper) | |
| - Density | 444.2/km² | |
| 476,531 (metropolitan area) | ||
| Time zone | EST (UTC-5) | |
| - Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) | |
| Website: http://www.chattanooga.gov | ||
Chattanooga is the fourth-largest city in Tennessee (after Memphis, Nashville, and Knoxville), and the seat of Hamilton CountyGR6, in the United States of America. It is the state's second oldest major city behind Knoxville. It is located in southeast Tennessee on Nickajack Lake, which is part of the Tennessee River, near the border of Georgia, and at the junction of three interstate highways, I-24, I-75, and I-59.
The city, which lies at the transition between the ridge-and-valley portion of the Appalachian Mountains and the Cumberland Plateau, is surrounded by ridges.
Contents |
[edit] 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 ce), Muskogean and Cherokee (1776 - 1838 ce) 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
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." But the same mountains that provided Chattanooga's scenic backdrop became shrouded by the industrial pollutants that they trapped and held over the community. In 1969, the federal government declared that Chattanooga's air was the dirtiest in the nation. But environmental crises were not the only problems plaguing the city. Chattanooga entered the 1980s with serious socioeconomic challenges including job layoffs, a deteriorating city infrastructure, racial tensions and social division.
In recent years, private and governmental resources have been invested in transforming the city's tarnished image and to gain recognition for a metamorphosis of its 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.
[edit] 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, Krystal, CBL & Associates, Chattem, Covenant Transport, U.S. Xpress, Inc (the 5th largest trucking company in the U.S.), National Model Railroad Association, UnumProvident, 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 three shopping malls in the area: Northgate Mall in Hixson, Eastgate Town Center in Brainerd, and Hamilton Place Mall in the eastern portion of the city. Warehouse Row, a large outlet mall, is downtown.
[edit] Utilities
Electric power for most of the city and surrounding area is provided by the city-run Electric Power Board or EPB for short. EPB also provides telephone and high-speed internet service to businesses in the downtown area. The TVA operates the nearby Sequoyah Nuclear Power Plant, Chickamauga Dam and the Raccoon Mountain Pumped-Storage Plant all of which provide electricity to the greater Chattanooga area.
Natural gas and water are provided by the Chattanooga Gas Company and Tennessee-American Water Company, respectively. Both the gas and water companies are privately run. Mayor Littlefield's office has recently announced that it is exploring the notion of taking control of the municipal water works. [1] A similar effort in 1999 was defeated in court.
Comcast is the cable provider for most areas of the city. The incumbent telephone company is BellSouth, formerly known as South Central Bell. However, competing phone companies, cellular phones and VoIP are beginning to make inroads. A major interstate fiber optics line operated by AT&T traverses the city, making its way from Atlanta to Cincinnati.
[edit] Politics, government, and law
The current mayor is Ron Littlefield, a long-time city councilman, who was elected in a run-off election in April 2005.
The city operates under a charter granted by the state legislature in 1852, as amended. As of 2005, the city operates with a strong mayor system.
The city is split up into nine districts, with a council member for each district selected in partisan elections. The current council members are Linda Bennett (District 1), Sally Robinson (District 2), Dan Page (District 3), Jack Benson (District 4), John "Duke" Franklin, Jr. (District 5), Marti Rutherford (District 6), Manuel "Manny" Rico (District 7), Leamon Pierce (District 8) and Debbie Gaines (District 9).
Chattanoogans elect a Mayor and all nine Council members on the first Tuesday in March of every fourth year. The next elections will be held on March 3, 2009. To be elected, a candidate must receive a majority of the votes cast; if no candidate garners a majority, a run-off election is held between the two candidates that received the most votes. Runoff elections are held on the second Tuesday of April. New terms begin on the first Monday after the second Tuesday of April.
In April of each year the City Council elects a Chairman and Vice-Chair. For the 2005-2006 term, the Chairman is Sally Robinson and the Vice-Chairman is Leamon Pierce.
Within the last ten years the city has won 3 national awards for outstanding "livability", and 9 Gunther Blue Ribbon Awards for excellence in housing and consolidated planning.
See also List of Mayors of Chattanooga, Tennessee.
[edit] Education
[edit] 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 [2], Baylor School [3], McCallie School [4], Girls Preparatory School [5], and Notre Dame High School [6]. The city also boasts a prominent homeschool community whose Mock Trial team became the first to win back-to-back national championships in 2002 and 2003.
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, TN.
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.
[edit] 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. In 1974 it was established as the Clinical Education Center of Chattanooga to provide medical education to medical students, residents, and other medical professionals in Southeast Tennessee. The Chattanooga campus is led by Dean B W. Ruffner, M.D. The primary clinical training site is the Erlanger Health System. The Erlanger System is comprised of the Baroness Erlanger Campus (adult hospital) and T. C. Thompson Children's Hospital. Other Erlanger components include Plaza Ambulatory Care Center, Erlanger Medical Mall, UT Family Practice Center, Chattanooga Life Style Center, and Women's East Pavilion.
[edit] Public library
As the name implies, the Chattanooga-Hamilton County Bicentennial Library System has been jointly operated by the City and County governments since 1976. The city was gifted with a Carnegie library in 1904, and the two-story purpose-built marble structure survives to this day at Eighth Street and Georgia Avenue as commercial office space. In 1939, the library moved to Douglas Street and McCallie Avenue and shared the new building with the John Storrs Fletcher Library of the University of Chattanooga, now UT Chattanooga. This building is now called Fletcher Hall and houses classrooms and offices for the University. The city library was moved to its third and current location in 1976 at the corner of Tenth and Broad Streets.
[edit] Health care
Chattanooga's health care sector has three hospital systems. Erlanger Hospital is the area's primary trauma center. Erlanger has been operated by the Chattanooga-Hamilton County Hospital Authority since 1976. Erlanger Hospital also maintains satellite locations in Red Bank and East Brainerd. Erlanger is also affiliated with T.C. Thompson Children's Hospital.
Parkridge Hospital is located east of downtown in the Glenwood District and is run by Tri-Star Healthcare. Tri-Star also operates East Ridge Medical Center in nearby East Ridge.
Memorial Hospital is operated by Catholic Health Initiatives [7], and is located about a mile north of Parkridge Medical Center (see above). Memorial also has a second campus in the northern suburb of Hixson.
[edit] Culture and Tourism
[edit] Museums
Chattanooga is the home to the Hunter Museum of Art, a well known art museum. In addition, Chattanooga, since it is the birthplace of the tow truck, is the fitting home of the International Towing and Recovery Hall of Fame and Museum, also the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum, the largest operating historic railroad in the south. A number of other museums can be found in town as well, including the Chattanooga Regional History Museum, the National Medal of Honor Museum, the Houston Museum, and the Chattanooga African American Museum.
[edit] Performing Arts
Chattanooga is home to the Chattanooga Symphony & Opera which is currently lead by Musical Director & Conductor Robert Bernhardt and holds its performances at the Tivoli Theatre.
The Chattanooga Theatre Centre is the area's professional theater. The Theatre Centre has three separate theaters: the Circle Theater, the Mainstage, and the Youth Theater.
[edit] Tourist Attractions
Chattanooga has traditionally touted its tourist attractions, including the Tennessee Aquarium (A freshwater and, as of May 2005, a saltwater aquarium), caverns, and developments along the Tennessee River. In the downtown area are both the Creative Discovery Museum (a hands on children's museum dedicated to science, art, and music), the IMAX 3D Theatre, and the Hunter Museum of Art (which also completed a recent expansion). Chattanooga is also home to the Lake Winnepesaukah Amusement Park [8]. Just two miles outside of downtown Chattanooga is the Chattanooga Zoo at Warner Park which is Chattanooga's own zoo. The red-and-black painted "See Rock City" barns along highways in the Southeast are remnants of a now classic Americana tourism campaign to attract visitors to the Rock City tourist attraction in nearby Lookout Mountain, Georgia. Incidentally, Chattanooga means "rock coming to a point" in the Creek Indian language (most believe it refers to Lookout Mountain or the rock outcroppings thereon). Other attractions in the Lookout Mountain area are Ruby Falls, an underground waterfall, and the Lookout Mountain Incline Railway, a steep funicular railway which rises to the top of the mountain. Near Chattanooga, the Raccoon Mountain Caverns [9] in Lookout Valley hold a number of sightseeing and family fun opportunities. The Ocoee River, host to a number of events from the 1996 Atlanta Olympics offers several recreational activities such as Rafting, Kayaking, Camping, Hiking and Biking. Other points of interest include:
[edit] Festivals
Chattanooga is also notable for the Riverbend Festival, an annual week-long music festival held in June in the downtown area that is known for drawing huge crowds from in and around the Tennessee Valley. One of the most popular events of the festival is the Bessie Smith Strut, a one night showcase of blues and jazz music. The event is named for Bessie Smith, a pioneering blues singer from Chattanooga. The annual "Southern Brewer's Festival" and the "River Roast" Festival also draw hungry and thirsty visitors from all over. With the completion of the waterfront project there are quite a few new festivals originating. The summer of 2006 saw it's first annual Wakeboard Festival called "Between the Bridges" which exceeded expectations. The Chattanooga Market [10] features events all year round as part of the Sunday at the Southside [11] calendar of events including an Oktoberfest in mid October. Nightfall [12] has been bringing an eclectic mix of rock, blues, jazz, reggae, zydeco, funk, bluegrass and folk music to Downtown Chattanooga for the past 19 years. Local musicians take the stage at 7 PM to get the crowd ready for headline performances by national and international talent beginning at 8 PM. This FREE 17-week series is held in Miller Plaza on Friday evenings from Memorial Day weekend through the last Friday in September, with the exception of the two Fridays during Riverbend.
[edit] Sports
Chattanooga is the home of NCAA Division I-AA national football championship game, held at Max Finley Stadium, south of downtown. The city also hosts the national softball championships every year.
The Chattanooga Lookouts [13], a Class AA Southern League baseball team (affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds of Major League Baseball), play at BellSouth Park downtown; free parking is provided on first-come, first served basis by several local businesses. The Lookouts are perennial participants in the season-end playoffs and have a loyal following. The ticket price for the most expensive seats at BellSouth Park is USD$8 and the Lookouts' official program costs only twenty-five cents.
| Club | Sport | League | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chattanooga Lookouts | Baseball | Minor League Baseball | BellSouth Park |
| Chattanooga Locomotion | Women's football | National Women's Football Association | Red Bank High School |
| Chattanooga Steam | Men's football | North American Football League | Lookout Valley High School |
| Tennessee River Sharks | Indoor football | National Indoor Football League | Camp Jordan Arena |
[edit] Demographics
As of the censusGR2 of 2000, there were 155,554 people, 65,499 households, and 39,626 families residing in the city. The population density was 444.2/km² (1,150.5/mi²). There were 72,108 housing units at an average density of 205.9/km² (533.3/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 59.71% White, 36.06% Black or African American, 0.29% Native American, 1.54% Asian, 0.11% Pacific Islander, 1.01% from other races, and 1.30% from two or more races. 2.11% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 65,499 households out of which 25.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.2% were married couples living together, 17.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.5% were non-families. 33.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.29 and the average family size was 2.92.
In the city the population was spread out with 22.4% under the age of 18, 10.8% from 18 to 24, 28.8% from 25 to 44, 22.8% from 45 to 64, and 15.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 89.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.2 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $32,006, and the median income for a family was $41,318. Males had a median income of $31,375 versus $23,267 for females. The per capita income for the city was $19,689. About 14.0% of families and 17.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 27.0% of those under age 18 and 13.8% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] Geography
The city is located at latitude 35°4' North, longitude 85°15' West.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 370.8 km² (143.2 mi²). 350.2 km² (135.2 mi²) of it is land and 20.6 km² (8.0 mi²) of it (5.56%) is water.
The most prominent natural features in and around Chattanooga are the Tennessee River and the surrounding mountains. A Tennessee Valley Authority dam creates Chickamauga Lake north of the downtown area. Five automobile bridges, one railroad trestle, and one pedestrian bridge cross the river.
Transport is served by Interstate 75 to Atlanta and Knoxville, Interstate 24 to Nashville, and Interstate 59 to Birmingham. Chattanooga and the surrounding area is served by Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport. Rail freight is offered by CSX and Norfolk Southern.
[edit] Neighborhoods of Chattanooga
In addition to the restoration of downtown, many of Chattanooga's neighborhoods have experienced a rebirth of their own. Chattanooga has many buildings on the National Register of Historic Places, including two whole neighborhoods: Fort Wood and Saint Elmo.
- Alton Park
- Avondale
- Brainerd
- Central Business District
- East Brainerd
- East Chattanooga
- East Lake
- Eastdale
- Eastgate (Home of Chattanooga's first mall, Eastgate Mall)
- Fort Wood
- Glenwood
- Highland Park [14]
- Lupton City
- North Chattanooga (also known as NorthChatt or the Northshore District)
- Orchard Knob
- Pineville
- Riverview
- Rossville (not to be confused with the nearby city of Rossville, Georgia)
- St. Elmo
- Tiftonia
[edit] Important suburbs
- Collegedale
- Dunlap
- East Ridge
- Harrison
- Hixson
- Lookout Mountain
- Ooltewah
- Red Bank
- Ridgeside (also known as Shepherd Hills)
- Rossville
- Signal Mountain
- Soddy-Daisy
- Walden
[edit] Transportation
Sometimes considered to be a "gateway" to the Deep South, Chattanooga's transportation infrastructure has been developed a complex and intricate system of railroads, streets, airports and waterways.
[edit] Principal highways
See also List of Tennessee state highways
[edit] Major surface routes
- Brainerd Road/Lee Highway (U.S. 11)
- Broad Street
- Cummings Highway (US 41)
- Dayton Blvd. (U.S. 27 North, business route)
- Hixson Pike
- Main Street (U.S. 76)
- McCallie Avenue (U.S. 64)
- Rossville Boulevard (U.S. 27 South)
- Signal Mountain Road (U.S. 127/Corridor J)
[edit] Other major streets
- 4th Street
- 23rd Street
- 38th Street
- Amnicola Highway
- Bailey Avenue
- Dodds Avenue
- East Brainerd Road
- Gunbarrel Road
- Hixson Pike
- Market Street
- Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd. (Known to Chattanoogans as simply "MLK", and formerly known as Ninth Street)
- Moore Road
- Ringgold Road
- Riverfront Parkway
- St. Elmo Avenue
- Shallowford Road
[edit] Tunnels
- Bachmann Tubes, which carry Ringgold Road into the neighboring town of East Ridge.
- Missionary Ridge Tunnels (also unofficially known as McCallie Tunnels), which carry McCallie and Bailey Avenues through Missionary Ridge where the route continues as Brainerd Road.
- Stringer's Ridge Tunnel, which carries Cherokee Boulevard through Stringer's Ridge where the route continues as Dayton Boulevard.
- Wilcox Tunnel, which carries Wilcox Boulevard through Missionary Ridge and connects to Shallowford Road.
[edit] Public transit
The city is served by a publicly run bus company, the Chattanooga Area Regional Transportation Authority. CARTA operates 17 routes, including a free electric shuttle service in the downtown area.
[edit] Railroad lines
Despite a new emphasis on the technology and service sectors, Chattanooga maintains ties to the past and still serves as a major freight hub with Norfolk Southern (NS) and CSX running trains on their own (and each other's) lines. The Norfolk Southern Railway's enormous DeButts Yard is just east of downtown, Shipp's Yard and CSX's Wauhatchie Yard are southwest of the city. Indeed, the two railroad companies are among the largest individual landowners in the city (the Federal Government is another). The Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum, the largest historic operating railroad in the South, and the Chattooga and Chickamauga Railway also provides railroad service in Chattanooga.
Since both NS and CSX both run through Chattanooga, here are the lines that run through the town (the AAR codes are used for the following railroads: NS for Norfolk Southern, CSXT for CSX Transportation, TNVR for Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum, and CCKY for Chattooga and Chickamauga Railway):
- CSXT - Western & Atlantic Subdivision (Chattanooga to Atlanta, Georgia)
- Chattanooga Subdivision (Chattanooga to Nashville, Tennessee on former NC&StL trackage)
- NS - CNO&TP, aka the Queen and Crescent Route (Chattanooga to Cincinnati, Ohio)
- Alabama Great Southern (Chattanooga to New Orleans, Louisiana)
- Georgia Division (Chattanooga to Atlanta)
- Tennessee Division (Chattanooga to Knoxville, Tennessee)
- Chattanooga Traction Company
- North Chattanooga to Sigal Mountain
- Dry Valley Line (Red Bank to Lupton City)
- TNVR - East Chattanooga to Grand Junction (3 miles)
- East Chattanooga Belt Line Railroad (from Debutts Yard and 17th Street, across to Holtzclaw Avenue and East Chattanooga, used by TNVR)
- CCKY - formerly the Tennessee Alabama & Georgia line (Chattanooga to Hedges, Georgia)
- formerly the Central of Georgia line (Chattanooga to Lyerly, Georgia)
Also, the Incline Railway, as well as being a tourist attraction, is sometimes used for commuting by Lookout Mountain residents, particularly during wintry weather, when travelling up and down the mountain could be very dangerous.
[edit] Bridges
Being bisected by a major waterway, Chattanooga has several large bridges over the Tennessee River, they are from west to east:
- P.R. Olgiati Bridge – Named for a former mayor P.R. Olgiati, this bridge carries "27" from downtown to Dayton, Tennessee and points northward.
- Market Street Bridge (Chief John Ross Bridge) - Named for John Ross; often misidentified as a drawbridge, it is actually a type of bascule span which was completed in 1917 for the then-astronomical sum of USD$1,000,000. Having stood for decades since its last major overhaul, the Tennessee Department of Transportation declared it unsafe in late 2004. The bridge was closed to traffic in September, 2005 for a much-needed restoration, which is expected to last for about two years.
- Walnut Street Bridge – One of the centerpieces of Chattanooga's urban renewal, it is the second-longest pedestrian bridge in the nation. At over 115 years old, this bridge was restored as a pedestrian-only span in the late 1980s after a decade of disuse. It is sometimes called "The Walking Bridge."
- Veteran's Memorial Bridge – Installed in the mid 1980s, this structure has helped commuters from Hixson, Lupton City and other northern areas reach downtown quickly.
- C.B. Robinson Bridge (or Dupont Bridge) – This route carries Dupont Parkway from Amnicola Highway to Hixson Pike and Route 153.
- Tennessee River Railroad Bridge – Also called "Tennbridge," this truss bridge with a vertical lift carries the Cincinnati, New Orleans and Texas Pacific Railway over the river and is a popular railfan area.
- Wilkes T. Thrasher Bridge – Carries Highway 153 over Chickamauga Dam.
[edit] Air travel
Chattanooga is served by Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport (Lovell Field). Located east of the city, Lovell Field is served by several regional and national airlines, many offering non-stop service to various domestic destinations.
See also: Chattanooga Metro Airport, Information about Lovell Field from airnav.com
[edit] Media and communications
The city of Chattanooga is served by numerous local, regional and national media outlets which reach approximately 1,000,000 people in four states: Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia and North Carolina.
[edit] Newspapers
The Chattanooga Times Free Press [15] is published each morning. It was effectively formed in 1999 from two papers that had been bitter rivals for half a century. The Times was once owned by Adolph Ochs, who then also bought the New York Times. (The two newspapers now have different ownership.) The Times had been the morning paper with a generally liberal editorial page. The News-Free Press, whose somewhat unfortunate moniker was the result of an earlier merger, was an afternoon daily and its editorials were more conservative than the Times. In 1999, the Free Press was bought by an Arkansas company, owner of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, which then bought The Times from the Ochs heirs. Though the two newspapers have merged, the new paper runs both editorial pages, a conservative page and a liberal page.
The Pulse [16]" is a free, independent alternative newsweekly, published on Wednesdays and edited by Bill Colrus [17]. The Pulse is a member of the Alternative Weekly Network and was voted Chattanooga's "Best Entertainment Publication" in Chattanooga Independent Artists' [18] most recent awards voting.
Enigma [19] is another free alternative weekly, published on Wednesdays and edited by Dave Weinthal. Enigma recently celebrated its tenth anniversary of publication, a record for a free weekly in Chattanooga.
[edit] Radio
Some of the radio stations in Chattanooga include:
- WUUS 980 AM - Oldies / GT98 (Licensed to Rossville, GA)
- WFLI 1070 AM - Southern Gospel (Licensed to Lookout Mountain, TN)
- WGOW 1150 AM - News/Talk / NewsRadio 1150 [20] (Licensed to Chattanooga, TN)
- WNOO 1260 AM - Urban Gospel, & Motown Gold (Licensed to Chattanooga, TN)
- WDOD 1310 AM - Oldies / Ruby 1310 (Licensed to Chattanooga, TN)
- WDEF 1370 AM - Sports/Talk/ 1370 ESPN Radio [21] affiliate. (Licensed to Chattanooga, TN)
- WUTC 88.1 FM - NPR [22]/Mixed Music / Music 88. Operated by UT-Chattanooga from Cadek Hall. First and only station in Chattanooga to be broadcasting in HD Radio. (Licensed to Chattanooga, TN)
- WMBW 88.9 FM - Christian Music & Teaching / Moody Radio For The Heart Of The Southeast. Owned and operated by Moody Bible Institute. (Licensed to Chattanooga, TN)
- WDYN 89.7 FM - Southern Gospel / WDYN Radio [23] Operated By Tennessee Temple University. (Licensed to Chattanooga, TN)
- WSMC 90.5 FM - Classical/NPR/PRI[24] Operated by Southern Adventist University in nearby Collegedale, Tennessee. (Licensed to Collegedale, TN)
- WAWL 91.5 FM - College Rock / 91 Rock The Wawl[25] Operated by Chattanooga State Technical Community College. (licensed to Red Bank, TN)
- WDEF 92.3 FM - Adult Contemporary / Sunny 92.3[26] (Licensed to Chattanooga, TN)
- WMPZ 93.7 & 93.3 FM - Urban Oldies / Groove 93[27] (WMPZ 93.7 is licensed to Ringgold, GA, )
- WJTT 94.3 FM - Urban Contemporary / Power 94 [28] (Licensed to Red Bank, TN)
- WHJK 95.3 FM - Variety / Jack FM [29] (Licensed to Cleveland, TN)
- WDOD 96.5 FM - Adult Alternative / 96.5 The Mountain [30]
- WNGA 97.3, & 99.3 FM - Classic Country / The Legend (Licensed to South Pittsburg, TN)
- WKXJ 98.1 FM, [31] Current Hit Radio (Top 40) (Licensed to Signal Mountain, TN)
- WOOP 99.9 FM, [32] Traditional, classic country, old-time gospel, bluegrass and mountain music. Operated by The Traditional Music Resource Center, (Licensed to Cleveland, TN)
- WUSY 100.7 FM, [33] Contemporary Country. (licensed to Cleveland, TN) (9 time CMA station of the year from 1995 to 2001 and again in 2003 and 2005)
- WOCE 101.9 FM, Spanish (Licensed to Ringgold, GA)
- WGOW 102.3 FM, [34] News/Talk (Licensed to Soddy-Daisy, TN)
- WBDX 102.7 FM, [35] Contemporary Christian (licensed to Trenton, GA)
- WLLJ 103.1 FM, [36] Contemporary Christian (Simulcast with WBDX 102.7) (Licensed to Etowah, TN)
- Calls Pending 103.7 FM, This is a soon to be launched frequency by Clear Channel Chattanooga. (Licensed to Walden, TN)
- WALV 104.9 FM, [37] Adult Rock (licensed to Dayton, TN)
- WRXR 105.5 FM, [38] Active Rock (licensed to Rossville, GA)
- WSKZ 106.5 FM, [39] Classic rock
- WOGT 107.9 FM, [40] Contemporary Country. (Recently switched from Oldies) Licensed to East Ridge, TN)
[edit] Television
Chattanooga has numerous television stations, some of which are beginning to broadcast HDTV signals.
- WRCB channel 3, NBC affiliate - [41] (DT 13 / cable 4)
- WOOT-LP channel 6, independent (formerly UPN) (Not on cable in Chattanooga)
- WTVC channel 9, ABC affiliate - [42] (DT35 / cable 10)
- WDEF channel 12, CBS affiliate - [43] (DT47 / cable 13)
- WCLP channel 18, GPB affiliate - [44] (DT 33 / cable 12)
- WELF channel 23, TBN affiliate - [45] (DT 16 / cable 9)
- W26BE channel 26, 3ABN affiliate - [46] (Not on cable in Chattanooga)
- WYHB-CA channel 39, UATV affiliate - [47] (Not on Cable in Chattanooga)
- WTCI channel 45, PBS member station [48] (DT29 / cable 5)
- WFLI channel 53, The CW Television Network affiliate [49] (Formerly UPN and The WB ) (DT 42 / cable 2)
- WDSI channel 61, FOX affiliate - [50] (DT 40 / cable 11)
See also List of television stations in Tennessee
[edit] Online
Chattanooga has several online-only news and alternative media sources.
- Chattablogs A free blog site portal featuring hundreds of Chattanooga bloggers
- Chattanooga Radio & Television Forum Message forum made up primarily of local radio and TV professionals
- Nooga.com - Chattanooga's online news source featuring free classified ads and the humorous "Daily Bull"pages.
- The Chattanoogan - locally owned and operated, the most popular online source for news in Chattanooga
- Scenic City Online Chattanooga's oldest running newsblog, with local, regional and national coverage
- Chattanooga Message Forum One of the most popular and active online community message forums
- Chattarock Chattanooga music news and happenings
- The Chattanooga Film Blog A site devoted to local and regional filmmakers
- The Pulse Chattanooga's weekly alternative news source
- If You Like Golf - locally owned and operated, the most popular online source for golf news in Chattanooga
[edit] Notable residents
The following people were born, live, or have lived in Chattanooga:
- Grant Adcox, race car driver
- Hugh Beaumont, actor.
- Jimmy Blanton, bass player.
- Rachel Boston, Miss Tennessee Teen USA 1999, actress
- Dixie Carter, actress.
- Macy Erwin, Miss Tennessee Teen USA 2007
- James B. Frazier, governor of Tennessee, 1903-1905.
- Gibby Gilbert, professional golfer
- Arthur Golden, author of Memoirs of a Geisha.
- Terry Gordy, professional wrestler
- Irvine W. Grote, chemist, inventor of Rolaids.
- Dennis Haskins, actor.
- Roland Hayes, tenor.
- Henry H. Horton, governor of Tennessee, 1927-1933.
- Samuel L. Jackson, actor.
- Leslie Jordan, actor
- Estes Kefauver, US Senator.
- Venus Lacy, Olympic Gold Medalist in basketball, 1996.
- Ryan Laskowski, Actor, Baritone
- Yusef Lateef, saxophonist and music educator.
- Ralphie May, stand-up comedian
- William Gibbs McAdoo, Secretary of the Treasury under Woodrow Wilson.
- Grace Moore, soprano, actress.
- Terrell Owens, current NFL player, Dallas Cowboys
- Dennis Palmer and Bob Stagner of the improvisational music group Shaking Ray Levis.
- Usher Raymond, rhythm and blues singer.
- Danny Shirley, lead singer of Confederate Railroad
- Bessie Smith, blues singer.
- Kurt Smith, current NFL player, San Diego Chargers.
- Lewis Smith, actor
- Ted Turner, founder of CNN.
- Reggie White, football player.
- Bart Whiteman, writer and critic
[edit] Sister cities
Chattanooga has five sister cities, as designated by Sister Cities International, Inc. (SCI):
Chattanooga also has two twinning cities, as designated by the City of Chattanooga:
[edit] Other communities named Chattanooga
In addition to the Tennessee city of Chattanooga, there is a town of Chattanooga in Oklahoma and a community of Chattanooga in Mercer County, Ohio[51][52].
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- Chattanooga Official Website
- Chamber of Commerce
- Chattanooga Convention and Visitor's Bureau
- Chattanooga travel guide from Wikitravel
- Chattanooga's Southern Charm Highlighted
- The Chattanooga Lookouts & 100 Seasons of Scenic City Baseball
- Maps and aerial photos
- Street map from Google Maps, or Yahoo! Maps, or Windows Live Local
- Satellite image from Google Maps, Windows Live Local, WikiMapia
- Topographic map from TopoZone
- Aerial image or topographic map from TerraServer-USA
- Hamilton County Map Maker
- Chattooga and Chickamauga Railway
- Tennessee Valley Railroad
- Towing Museum web site
- Incline Railway official site
- Chattanooga, Tennessee
- Chattanooga Sister Cities +
- Chattablogs - Chattanooga Blog Portal
- National Model Railroad Association website
- Chattanooga Economic Development - "Chattanooga can do!"
- CityLoafer.com - Chattanooga Source for Entertainment and Attractions
- Hamilton County, Tennessee Genealogy
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