Etowah

     The town of Etowah has a burgeoning history closely associated with the railroad industry.

     Officials with the Louisville and Nashville (L&N) Railroad wanted, at the turn of the century, a direct route from Chicago, Ill., to Atlanta, Ga., by way of Cincinnati, Ohio, Lexington, Ky., and Knoxville, and wanted to reach the Atlantic Ocean farther South as well as locations on the Gulf Coast.

     In 1903, L&N purchased the old AK&N Railroad which ran from Knoxville to Atlanta. Along this route is the location where Etowah would come to be.

     The property finally decided upon for the establishment of the railroad facility was a tract of land between the community of Grady, where Woods Memorial Hospital District is today, and the Cambria community.

     In April 1906 the depot in Etowah was dedicated. Etowah officially came into being once the depot was in place.

     In planning a layout for Etowah, L&N civil engineers laid the town out in a grid with avenues running north and south that were named after states.For streets running east to west, the streets were in numerical order.

     Linda Caldwell, director of the Tennessee Overhill Association, explained the layout of the town was meant to make it easier for railroad employees to walk to work each morning.

     Ten brick stores and 50 houses had been constructed by February 1907, and construction was booming throughout the town.

     In 1909, Etowah officially incorporated and formed a commission form of government. L&N shops from Blue Ridge, Ga., along with Atlanta Divisional Headquarters for the railroad all moved to Etowah during the initial phases of the town.

     The town thrived and grew and Etowah became an essential key to the war effort when World War I broke out in 1917.

     The improvements seen by workers and the prosperity seen by the rail system ended with the war.

     In 1920, the L&N suffered a deficit for the first time since 1875. An appeal from L&N to the Railroad Labor Board to reduce wages was granted in 1921.

     On July 1, 1922, at 10 a.m., hundreds of laborers and craftsmen walked off the job. Armed guards were hired to protect railroad property and job-seekers converged on Etowah to find employment to replace the strikers.

     The strike, which most originally thought would be short-lived, lasted seven months and had a devastating effect on the community.

     After the strike ended a short-lived period of prosperity was experienced before the start of the Great Depression. L&N suffered during the Depression and consolidated half of its labor force. During this time, the Atlanta and Knoxville divisions were combined and the Atlanta headquarters, which had been in Etowah, were moved to Knoxville.

     During this period of economic hardship, the labor force in the L&N shops in Etowah was decreased from 2,100 to 80.

     Etowah began as a town to support one industry and that industry was suffering with the nation.

     In order to survive, Etowah had to diversify as a community and fill the gap left by the consolidation of the railroad. As other industries came into the area, the gap left in the community by the railroad was eased.

     In 1959, daylight passenger train service to Etowah was abandoned. Passenger service in Etowah would continue for nine more years until the last train left the station in April 1968.

     As the final passenger train pulled out of the station, the community had changed from a town dependent on one industry, to a thriving community with many industries to offer employment. Beaunit Fibers, which later became Johns Manville, became Etowah's largest employer with 1,500 employees in the late 1960's.

     In 1974, the railroad abandoned the once majestic Depot. The Depot was in a state of ill repair. Its windows had been broken out and boarded up. Painted walls began to peel and the building which once had been the central hub for the community was now an eyesore.

     Two years later interest in the Depot would be restored. Etowah was planning a great Bicentennial Celebration in 1976.

     Edythe Burgess, who was the chairwoman for the celebration planning committee, led the way in wanting to restore the Depot in order to use it for Bicentennial events.

     Then-Etowah Mayor Mike Cantrell appointed a committee to save the Depot. Burgess was named as head of the committee.

     The Committee along with the Tennessee Historical Commission offered to buy the Depot property from the railroad. The L&N agreed to sell the property for $35,000.

     In the years to follow, the Depot was restored and now houses the Etowah Chamber of Commerce office and the Tennessee Overhill Association, as well as a railroad museum.

     The Depot remains as a community gathering place.

     Etowah continues to thrive and grow. Within the last few years, a new industrial park north of town has opened opportunities for more industry to call Etowah home.

     Etowah is also home to the countyowned hospital, Woods Memorial Hospital, which is located on the north end of town.

Government

     The current government - a city manager and commission form of government - is composed of five city commissioners, including a mayor, and a city manager.

     The Commission meets the fourth Monday of each month at 7 p.m. at City Hall.

The modern city of Etowah operates the usual city services, including a Department of Public Safety -- fire and police protection -- as well as garbage pickup. The city was interviewing applicants to be police chief at the time of this publication. Recreation is on the fore front in Etowah, as the city is now planning to build an expansive community center with a swimming pool and senior activity center off of State Highway 30. The town has also recently updated lighting and sidewalks on Tennessee Avenue, the name given for U.S. Highway 411 through Etowah. It is the main street of the town's business district. Office hours at Etowah City Hall are from 8 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. The phone number at City Hall is 263-2202.